Of Blood And Honey
Book 1
Liam never knew who his father was. The town of Derry had always assumed that he was the bastard of a protestant — his mother never spoke of him, and Liam assumed he was dead.
But when the war between the fallen and the fey began to heat up, Liam and his family are pulled into a conflict that they didn’t know existed. A centuries old conflict between supernatural forces seems to mirror the political divisions in 1970’s era Ireland, and Liam is thrown headlong into both conflicts! Only the direct intervention of Liam’s real father, and a secret catholic order dedicated to fighting “The Fallen” can save Liam... from the mundane and supernatural forces around him, and from the darkness that lurks within him. |
And Blue Skies from Pain
Book 2
Northern Ireland, 1977. Liam Kelly is many things: a former wheelman for the IRA, a one-time political prisoner, the half-breed son of a mystic Fey warrior and a mortal woman, and a troubled young man literally haunted by the ghosts of his past. Liam has turned his back on his land’s bloody sectarian Troubles, but the war isn’t done with him yet, and neither is an older, more mythic battle–between the Church and its demonic enemies, the Fallen.
After centuries of misunderstanding and conflict, the Church is on the verge of accepting that the Fey and the Fallen are not the same. But to achieve this historic truce, Liam must prove to the Church’s Inquisitors that he is not a demon, even as he wrestles with his own guilt and confusion, while being hunted by enemies both earthly and unworldly. A shape-shifter by nature, Liam has a foot in two worlds–and it’s driving him mad. |
Praise for The Fey and the Fallen
Ranting Dragon review:"The pacing and atmosphere of Of Blood and Honey are truly phenomenal, making it a contender for 2011’s best debut."
Examiner.com gave it 5/5 stars: – "One of the more striking and appropriate titles I've come across in recent reads. … Brutal in spots. Surprisingly tender in others. As a debut goes for Stina Leicht, it's a marvelous one."
4/5 stars at SFReviews. net Her portrayal of the people, the culture, and the cities feels indisputably authentic and absorbs you fully into the story. "Gritty" has become a lame cliché in the urban fantasy field, but this book sells it. It's all vividly realized, down to every grimy rain-slicked street and dingy flat. Likewise, Leicht's prose has a rough-hewn, textured quality that's hard to define, except to say that without any obvious attempt at creating a "style," her storyteller's voice has a raw immediacy. Many genres have given themselves a self-flattering "whatever-punk" label, but Leicht's writing actually feels like rock and roll.
Blend of Celtic Myth and Irish History Makes Stina Leicht’s Dark Fantasy Debut Simply Extraordinary I love picking up a debut novel and just being blown away by the narrative within. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen all that frequently – more often than not, I experience an entertaining but not all that memorable read. But I’m happy to report that Stina Leicht’s debut novel Of Blood and Honey – a dark fantasy that brilliantly and violently blends Celtic mythology with the entho-political turmoil of 1970s Northern Ireland – is simply extraordinary reading fare. It’s like a literary kick to the groin, with Leicht’s unapologetic writing style the steel-toed boot.
A Dribble of Ink review: here.
"Stina Leicht’s Of Blood and Honey is different,” I respond. It’s alive. It has a message. It’s violent because life is violent. There’s sex because the politics of it help define us as humans. More guns are loaded with rubber bullets than silver. No vampires are in sight, and the only werewolf is the shadow of the protagonist’s inner-demons. Throw your misconceptions aside, forget about Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake, and explore a whole other facet of the sub-genre."
Examiner.com gave it 5/5 stars: – "One of the more striking and appropriate titles I've come across in recent reads. … Brutal in spots. Surprisingly tender in others. As a debut goes for Stina Leicht, it's a marvelous one."
4/5 stars at SFReviews. net Her portrayal of the people, the culture, and the cities feels indisputably authentic and absorbs you fully into the story. "Gritty" has become a lame cliché in the urban fantasy field, but this book sells it. It's all vividly realized, down to every grimy rain-slicked street and dingy flat. Likewise, Leicht's prose has a rough-hewn, textured quality that's hard to define, except to say that without any obvious attempt at creating a "style," her storyteller's voice has a raw immediacy. Many genres have given themselves a self-flattering "whatever-punk" label, but Leicht's writing actually feels like rock and roll.
Blend of Celtic Myth and Irish History Makes Stina Leicht’s Dark Fantasy Debut Simply Extraordinary I love picking up a debut novel and just being blown away by the narrative within. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen all that frequently – more often than not, I experience an entertaining but not all that memorable read. But I’m happy to report that Stina Leicht’s debut novel Of Blood and Honey – a dark fantasy that brilliantly and violently blends Celtic mythology with the entho-political turmoil of 1970s Northern Ireland – is simply extraordinary reading fare. It’s like a literary kick to the groin, with Leicht’s unapologetic writing style the steel-toed boot.
A Dribble of Ink review: here.
"Stina Leicht’s Of Blood and Honey is different,” I respond. It’s alive. It has a message. It’s violent because life is violent. There’s sex because the politics of it help define us as humans. More guns are loaded with rubber bullets than silver. No vampires are in sight, and the only werewolf is the shadow of the protagonist’s inner-demons. Throw your misconceptions aside, forget about Sookie Stackhouse and Anita Blake, and explore a whole other facet of the sub-genre."