Blood is the link between humans, demigods, and demons
—and is the Blood Queen’s domain.
Brianag
The Blood Queen Chronicles Book 2
by David H. Millar
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Three childhood friends meet in the Scottish Highlands.
Two hold secrets. One may be a monster.
As Gràinne reached for the still warm heart, tendrils of the red mist
preceded her. When they touched the heart, she felt power drawn from the blood.
She steeled herself and bit into the organ. Such was the curse of the Blood
Queen.
Brianag is the sequel to The Blood Queen. It is 384 B.C. Ten years have passed since Sidheag’s execution. Gràinne Ni Fearghal, the Blood Queen, has ruthlessly consolidated her grip on the eastern tribes and reigns as High Queen. Meanwhile, her daughter imprisoned in a gilded cage grows in beauty and power and terrifies her guardians—the demigods of the Aes Sídhe. She must escape. Her grandma, the powerful Sídhe, Mongfhionn, agrees.
Brianag trembles at two questions: how will her mother receive her, and
can she be redeemed?
Content warning: Brianag: The Blood Queen Chronicles contains scenes of sex and
violence appropriate to the time it is set in (400 B.C.). It is not recommended
for readers under 16 years of age without parental agreement.
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A ‘Bhanrigh Fuil
The Blood Queen Chronicles Book 1
"It is a
king's decision," said Brion.
"It will not be you who deceives and delivers the lamb to the butcher's
block," retorted Eimhir.
True evil is a persistent and
tenacious beast. Its desire for existence is eternal and insatiable. It needs
to infect only one mind for its insidious philosophy to take root and spread.
It is 394 B.C. At a remote loch in the highlands of Northern Albu, a priest
sacrifices nine innocents. Below the water's surface, a shape feeds on their
blood and begins to take form. Soon, it becomes sentient and begins to
hunt. Sidheag has risen.
Humans cannot defeat the abomination. Neither can Mongfhionn, the powerful
demi-goddess of the Aes Sídhe.
The only remedy is the Blood Queen, and Gràinne is the
reluctant heir to that throne. Will the Blood Queen stand alongside Mongfhionn
to confront Sidheag? The cost for Gràinne may be too much—unless her
daughter, Brianag, is in jeopardy.
Passions, always near the surface of the Gaels, burst into flames
in The Blood Queen, where father is pitted against son, mother against
daughter, sister against sister, brother against sister, and father against
daughter.
The Blood Queen contains scenes of sex and violence and uses language
appropriate to the period it is set in, i.e., 400 B.C. It is not recommended
for those under 16 without parental consent.
5/5 ★★★★★
Genre: Fantasy, Historical fiction
Review by Jan Foster/History Quill: Last updated Jun 12, 2023
A must-read Celtic ‘Game of Thrones meets Bernard Cornwell’, blending history
with dark fantasy and a truly terrifying villain. The Blood Queen will keep you
turning the pages deep into the night.
The Blood Queen is a dark fantasy
nominally set in 400 B.C. Scotland, wherein a misguided priest sacrifices
innocents in the hope of bringing forth an entity that will do his bidding. This
starts a tale of ‘be careful what you wish for’, as the entity – Sidheag –
forms a corporeal being and a consciousness complete with dark desires for
domination. No one can resist Sidheag’s allure and subsequent enslavement, and
few will survive her rampage across the land as she builds an army to fulfil
her calling.
Aside from the descriptive prose and the brilliant battle scenes, the equality
of the sexes feels genuine rather than a nod to political correctness. Women
rule, fight, murder and fornicate as violently and passionately as the men and
the female characters are badass!
I thoroughly enjoyed The Blood
Queen, even at its most uncomfortable. The historical accuracy of weapons
and battle strategies blended perfectly with the epic and fantastical
storyline. I loved the tiny moments of humanity within the bleakest moments.
Reading the novel felt like watching a horror movie unfold, compelling you to
turn the pages in the hope that somehow, against the odds, humanity will win.
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Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, internationally published and
award-winning author David H. Millar is the founder, owner, and
author-in-residence of A Wee Publishing Company—a business formed to promote
Celtic authors and literature.
David is the author of the five-volume, ancient Celtic-based Conall
series and the spin-offs The Dog Roses, The Dog Roses: Resolution,
The Blood Queen and Brianag: A Blood Queen Novel.
David resides in Houston, Texas, with his family and two recent family
members, tuxedos Beau and Stiletto.
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