crafty_nivette's review
4.0
Pretty good, kept me interested, but be warned. Apparently the Irish use the F-word like they do oxygen. If you are able to glaze past the copious uses of the word, it's a great read.
kblincoln's review
5.0
I didn't know what to expect going into this book. I guess I was thinking "Charles de Lint" and so the first few pages I spent readjusting to both the lingo, the political climate of 1970's Ireland, and a brutally honest and realistic story of a young man, Liam, wrongfully thrust into one of Ireland's most brutal prisons: Long Kesh.
In the Kesh, Liam undergoes a brutal experience that lets loose the darkness in him that is a legacy from his unknown father.
Even when he is let out of the Kesh, he can't escape politics. It seems like BAs (British Army) have it out for him and he is again arrested as a rioter when trying to defend his fiance/girlfriend during a demonstration.
He spends three years in prison this time, and it firms up his desire to join up with the IRA.
But the BAs do have it out for him, not only because of his ties to illegal activities, but also because an evil has infiltrated their ranks, and this evil has a personal vendetta against Liam's father. It will stop at nothing to destroy him.
Unlike alot of urban fantasy these days, this story does not feature a kick ass female with a supernatural love, nor is it about a noble, magic-wielding loner of a man.
Liam is firmly enmeshed in his Catholic community. His actions have repercussions on his mother, stepfather, fiance, mates, and priest. He struggles to do the right thing, but is constantly met at each turn by brutal force. One gets the despair and hopelessness when we experience, along with Liam, his utter helplessness at the brutality wielded by those in authority.
Of Blood and Honey is a history lesson on the IRA, Republicans, Protestants vs. Catholics, and Ireland/British history rolled up with action, spiced with a smattering of Irish folklore. It's crazy how even the supernatural parts fit so well inside the story one doesn't even blink. When Liam's friend, Father Murphy tries to get his bishop to acknowledge the possibility that not all supernatural creatures are fallen angel-demons and fails, its explained that the Church can't allow the possibility because it would mean admitting hundreds of years of genocide and wrongdoing.
And the blending of redhats (goblin-like creatures of folklore) with the BA red berets is genius.
This is not a book for young children. There's not a chance I'd leave it out for my elementary school-aged daughters to pick up and read by accident (although since the first pages read more like a historical novel than fantasy, there's little chance they'd get past the first few pages). There is graphic violence, betrayal, and the worst of the ways humanity uses prejudice and greed to hurt itself.
On the other hand, this is an amazingly good book to put in the hands of someone who doesn't understand why you read fantasy. THIS is why I read fantasy. The supernatural is used here to highlight and deepen the struggles Liam faces when choosing actions that are not clearly-cut wrong in a political, moral, or religious way.
This Book's Snack Rating: Tayto Wurster Sauce Crisps for the total Irish history, lingo, and deep, salty flavor of sadness that stays on your tongue long afterwards
In the Kesh, Liam undergoes a brutal experience that lets loose the darkness in him that is a legacy from his unknown father.
Even when he is let out of the Kesh, he can't escape politics. It seems like BAs (British Army) have it out for him and he is again arrested as a rioter when trying to defend his fiance/girlfriend during a demonstration.
He spends three years in prison this time, and it firms up his desire to join up with the IRA.
But the BAs do have it out for him, not only because of his ties to illegal activities, but also because an evil has infiltrated their ranks, and this evil has a personal vendetta against Liam's father. It will stop at nothing to destroy him.
Unlike alot of urban fantasy these days, this story does not feature a kick ass female with a supernatural love, nor is it about a noble, magic-wielding loner of a man.
Liam is firmly enmeshed in his Catholic community. His actions have repercussions on his mother, stepfather, fiance, mates, and priest. He struggles to do the right thing, but is constantly met at each turn by brutal force. One gets the despair and hopelessness when we experience, along with Liam, his utter helplessness at the brutality wielded by those in authority.
Of Blood and Honey is a history lesson on the IRA, Republicans, Protestants vs. Catholics, and Ireland/British history rolled up with action, spiced with a smattering of Irish folklore. It's crazy how even the supernatural parts fit so well inside the story one doesn't even blink. When Liam's friend, Father Murphy tries to get his bishop to acknowledge the possibility that not all supernatural creatures are fallen angel-demons and fails, its explained that the Church can't allow the possibility because it would mean admitting hundreds of years of genocide and wrongdoing.
And the blending of redhats (goblin-like creatures of folklore) with the BA red berets is genius.
This is not a book for young children. There's not a chance I'd leave it out for my elementary school-aged daughters to pick up and read by accident (although since the first pages read more like a historical novel than fantasy, there's little chance they'd get past the first few pages). There is graphic violence, betrayal, and the worst of the ways humanity uses prejudice and greed to hurt itself.
On the other hand, this is an amazingly good book to put in the hands of someone who doesn't understand why you read fantasy. THIS is why I read fantasy. The supernatural is used here to highlight and deepen the struggles Liam faces when choosing actions that are not clearly-cut wrong in a political, moral, or religious way.
This Book's Snack Rating: Tayto Wurster Sauce Crisps for the total Irish history, lingo, and deep, salty flavor of sadness that stays on your tongue long afterwards
banjax451's review
2.0
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. The idea was sound, but this wasn't the book I thought it was going to be. Far more urban fantasy when it's anything other than a novel about Northern Ireland. So much isn't told and so much happens offstage. It's not a bad novel and I can understand why so many people liked it - it's just not for me.
texaswolfman's review
4.0
Good book. Set in Ireland during the 1970s. Protestants vs Catholics. IRA vs Republic. A supernatural war was also taking place, Fey vs The Fallen. I guess I didn't give the book five stars because the main character was such an idiot. So many bad turns eventually you will wise up. Nope his a dope. overall good book.
myawfulreviews's review
4.0
Description (From Indiebound): 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 begins 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.
One of the things that I really like about having this blog is that it forces me to admit and cure my ignorance on a number of subjects. For instance, I can tell you that I truly didn't have a clue about what took place in the 1970s in Northern Ireland. Thankfully, education through fantasy books has struck again, and Stina Leicht's Of Blood and Honey cleared that problem up in a hurry. If you'd like to know more about The Troubles, then you can refer to this quick guide here, or better yet, just go and buy Stina's debut novel from Night Shade Books.
I definitely didn't realize how interesting and dangerous the 70s were in Ireland, but Leicht captures it wonderfully. Liam's story meshes incredibly well with real-world events, and the tragedies that befall him really help the reader understand just how crazy this period in history was.
Liam's story is incredibly tragic. His fight against the darkness in him, and how that darkness keeps causing both he and his family to suffer is heart-breaking. Things DO NOT go well for Liam, and it makes for great reading. I didn't expect a single thing that happened to him to go quite the way that it did, with the exception of the end of the novel. Even then, I didn't quite get it right. And that's a very good thing folks. This book was utterly unpredictable to me, and so it should provide you with plenty of great story.
If I had to knock a couple of things in this book, I'd pick the fact that it was a little lighter on the supernatural aspects than I had imagined, and that the middle was just a tad too slow for me. The lack of magic was only a letdown for me because the fantasy aspects were very cool when they happened, so I wanted more. For some, this combined with a slightly slower middle of the novel might make for a slow read because there's just not enough magic to keep you going. But in the end, I was able to get past that and realize just what a great story was lurking on these pages, fantastical magic or no. NOTE: I have the personal guarantee of Stina Leicht that the second book has more magic in it, so fear not!
I loved
The utter unpredictability. I was truly surprised by a number of things that happened to Liam. Leicht really knows how to put her characters through the ringer.
The demon-fighting, whiskey drinking, psycho-analyzing father Murray. I'll be interested in seeing more of him in the sequel, which is the next book on my planned reading
The fact that Leicht did her homework, on everything from The Troubles to racing cars, and it shows. Nothing felt like she was winging it, or relying on the reader to know less about the subject than she did. I looked up The Troubles after reading the book, and it mirrors the every detail of the book.
The message this book is sending about violence and fear and how they make for some really terrible decisions. Look into The Troubles, and you'll see the seeds of the same thing in America today, and it's somewhat terrifying.
I hated
The middle of the book was a little slow for me, even with magic starting to take more of a role, and it slowed my reading of the book somewhat.
Of Blood and Honey gets 8.75/10. This is a VERY good debut from an author that I'm looking forward to reading again soon. The mesh of fantasy and history is excellent, and Liam's life is tragic and incredible. If you like fantasy and love history, go and buy this book, and get the sequel while you're at it (released just this week!)
One of the things that I really like about having this blog is that it forces me to admit and cure my ignorance on a number of subjects. For instance, I can tell you that I truly didn't have a clue about what took place in the 1970s in Northern Ireland. Thankfully, education through fantasy books has struck again, and Stina Leicht's Of Blood and Honey cleared that problem up in a hurry. If you'd like to know more about The Troubles, then you can refer to this quick guide here, or better yet, just go and buy Stina's debut novel from Night Shade Books.
I definitely didn't realize how interesting and dangerous the 70s were in Ireland, but Leicht captures it wonderfully. Liam's story meshes incredibly well with real-world events, and the tragedies that befall him really help the reader understand just how crazy this period in history was.
Liam's story is incredibly tragic. His fight against the darkness in him, and how that darkness keeps causing both he and his family to suffer is heart-breaking. Things DO NOT go well for Liam, and it makes for great reading. I didn't expect a single thing that happened to him to go quite the way that it did, with the exception of the end of the novel. Even then, I didn't quite get it right. And that's a very good thing folks. This book was utterly unpredictable to me, and so it should provide you with plenty of great story.
If I had to knock a couple of things in this book, I'd pick the fact that it was a little lighter on the supernatural aspects than I had imagined, and that the middle was just a tad too slow for me. The lack of magic was only a letdown for me because the fantasy aspects were very cool when they happened, so I wanted more. For some, this combined with a slightly slower middle of the novel might make for a slow read because there's just not enough magic to keep you going. But in the end, I was able to get past that and realize just what a great story was lurking on these pages, fantastical magic or no. NOTE: I have the personal guarantee of Stina Leicht that the second book has more magic in it, so fear not!
I loved
The utter unpredictability. I was truly surprised by a number of things that happened to Liam. Leicht really knows how to put her characters through the ringer.
The demon-fighting, whiskey drinking, psycho-analyzing father Murray. I'll be interested in seeing more of him in the sequel, which is the next book on my planned reading
The fact that Leicht did her homework, on everything from The Troubles to racing cars, and it shows. Nothing felt like she was winging it, or relying on the reader to know less about the subject than she did. I looked up The Troubles after reading the book, and it mirrors the every detail of the book.
The message this book is sending about violence and fear and how they make for some really terrible decisions. Look into The Troubles, and you'll see the seeds of the same thing in America today, and it's somewhat terrifying.
I hated
The middle of the book was a little slow for me, even with magic starting to take more of a role, and it slowed my reading of the book somewhat.
Of Blood and Honey gets 8.75/10. This is a VERY good debut from an author that I'm looking forward to reading again soon. The mesh of fantasy and history is excellent, and Liam's life is tragic and incredible. If you like fantasy and love history, go and buy this book, and get the sequel while you're at it (released just this week!)
colleenaf's review
5.0
Such a fantastic debut! I cannot wait for the next one. The only issue I have with it is the number of friends who are now trying to steal my copy.
futuriana's review
About a third in, not feeling terribly strongly about it one way or another. Doesn't feel like anything much is happening, and the fantasy angle seems pointless. Putting it aside for now.
bellatora's review
3.0
At first I was super excited that this book was set during the Troubles. It’s a fascinating and dreadful time of history and a good way to remember that not all terrorists are Islamic Arabs and that a Western country has been under terrorism and military siege in the recent past. But then. The tragedy never ended. And there was barely any fantasy.
Whoever wrote the description for this book obviously never read it, because I kept waiting for the war between the Fey and the Fallen to become the main plot and for the supernatural element to take over. Nope, never happened.
Liam shapechanges into a black dog with increasing frequency and he is a wicked driver akin to taking someone on a “Wild Ride” and his father (the fey) shows up sometimes to talk to people (this book is 95% talking, 5% magic), and there’s an order of demon-hunting priests and there’s a Redcap (fey) who thinks he’s Liam’s half-brother (but is he?) and is out to destroy Liam. And that all sounds very interesting but this is MOSTLY about the brutality of the British and the Loyalists and how much it sucked to be Irish and Catholic.
Liam goes to prison camp twice (and the first time gets raped by an evil guard), Liam gets involved with the IRA, Liam’s wife gets brutally raped by Protestants (encouraged by the Redcap), Liam is (rightfully) sad a lot. But practically no magic, no fey, and no fallen. Mostly just one horrendous thing that humans do to each other after another. What are the fairy courts like in this? What are the Fallen (besides being generally demons) and what do they want? What is the magic like? These are not questions explored in this book. Instead it is one grinding, grim reminder of the brutality of humanity after another.
I would categorize this as a "quiet" fantasy (like [b:Among Others|8706185|Among Others|Jo Walton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317792367s/8706185.jpg|6449955]) except it's not quiet - it is restless and angry. This is about TRAGEDY, not magic. Magic is a weird hook into the emotional devastation of the Troubles.
Whoever wrote the description for this book obviously never read it, because I kept waiting for the war between the Fey and the Fallen to become the main plot and for the supernatural element to take over. Nope, never happened.
Liam shapechanges into a black dog with increasing frequency and he is a wicked driver akin to taking someone on a “Wild Ride” and his father (the fey) shows up sometimes to talk to people (this book is 95% talking, 5% magic), and there’s an order of demon-hunting priests and there’s a Redcap (fey) who thinks he’s Liam’s half-brother (but is he?) and is out to destroy Liam. And that all sounds very interesting but this is MOSTLY about the brutality of the British and the Loyalists and how much it sucked to be Irish and Catholic.
Liam goes to prison camp twice (and the first time gets raped by an evil guard), Liam gets involved with the IRA, Liam’s wife gets brutally raped
Spoiler
and murderedI would categorize this as a "quiet" fantasy (like [b:Among Others|8706185|Among Others|Jo Walton|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1317792367s/8706185.jpg|6449955]) except it's not quiet - it is restless and angry. This is about TRAGEDY, not magic. Magic is a weird hook into the emotional devastation of the Troubles.
wynwicket's review
4.0
The Troubles in Northern Ireland in the 1970s coincide with a war between the Fey and the Fallen, and half-Fey Liam must decide whether to resist or embrace the beast within him as he is pulled into both conflicts.
This was a compelling, well-written alternate history with just the right amount of magic. It's more than just dark fantasy, as the author gives equal (if not more) emphasis to the human conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants. A bit more violent than my usual, but a very powerful story.
This was a compelling, well-written alternate history with just the right amount of magic. It's more than just dark fantasy, as the author gives equal (if not more) emphasis to the human conflict between the Catholics and the Protestants. A bit more violent than my usual, but a very powerful story.
gstarfelt's review
5.0
Much as I'm a fantasy geek, the premise of this book seemed deeply unappealing to me. Fairies and angels and angsty Irish folk- it covers ground that has been endlessly and fruitlessly trod by innumerable terrible authors. But the book was recommended by a friend whose taste I respect, and I'm quite happy I picked it up. This is probably the best piece of fantasy writing I've read in the last few years. The story is a bit disjointed, but the characters are excellently written- the protag in particular is both flawed and heroic in just the right proportions. And, while fairies and demons have been done to death various World of Darkness-flavored novels and fanfics over the years, Stina Leicht's approach to them comes off as fresh. For anyone interested in urban fantasy, I'd heartily recommend this book.