Book Review: And Blue Skies From Pain by Stina Leicht

And Blue Skies From Pain by Stina Leicht

Series: The Fey and the Fallen, book 2

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“And Blue Skies from Pain,” is the second book in the The Fey and the Fallen, series. This book started off right where book 1 left off, though it includes an intriguing prologue featuring Father Murray ( Making me wish she would write a prequel with Father Murray as the main character).

Stina Leicht continues to excel with her well researched history and attention to details of the time period. Immersing the reader in the troubled times of 1977 Ireland. Leicht's use of an Irish brogue is seamlessly interwoven with the book's prose, giving a lilt of rhythm to the dialogue that flows effortlessly. 

This sequel pushes more into the fantasy as the first book, though unexpectedly the author has focused more on spirits than the Fae. For me this was the one downside to the book.
Still a fascinating read and well worth the time.

I highly recommend this book to fans of magical realism and dark, gritty Urban Fantasy. If you have interest in the turbulent era of the 70's and want a glimpse into the life of that time in Ireland this book really good at pulling the reader into the struggles of that time and place.

Warnings, this is dark, and the brutality is real, most of the brutality is of the historical human kind.

Awards:
Nominee: John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, 2013 

Details:
Series: The Fey and the Fallen, book 2
Published March 1st 2012 by Night Shade Book

Links:
Stina Leicht

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Book Review: Of Blood and Honey

Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht

Series: The Fey and the Fallen, book 1

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story, it is a full of realism and a wonderful blend of historical fiction, and urban fantasy. The fantastical is a backdrop to the story, more in the vein of magical realism than typical paranormal or Urban fantasy's, but still essential to the story. But the main strength of the book is the characters. 


Of Blood and Honey, is a phenomenal debut novel by author Stina Leicht with real characters, fantastic pacing and a great story. The book has an early urban fantasy feel, yet it is edgy, dark and brutal. Where this book differs from many newer gritty and dark fantasies, is the well researched historical aspects of the book, Ireland in the 1970's is what sets the brutality if the book. Like its own antagonist the story of the clash between the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and the British Army (BA) is the backdrop of the story, weaving the atrocities, struggles and battles that took place in the streets and lives of the people throughout the book.  

This is a book of struggles. The typical fantasy trope of good vs evil, is brilliantly entwined by Leicht with the struggles of a young man as he tries to find out who and what he is, the horrific and brutal struggles in Ireland of the 1970's, mixed in with the age old battle of priests vs Fallen Angels and demons, along with the struggle between christianity and the pagan religions and the Fae.

Leicht continues to create a real feel to this story with the typical struggles of the characters as they struggle to stay alive in turbulent times. The main protagonist Liam and all of the side characters are wonderfully written. The people in this story are dark, complex, and feel very real. They are all well defined and actualized as they deal with the everyday troubles we all deal with family, love, marriage and tragedy. The protagonist Liam's struggle with life and his own darker impulses is tragic and heart-rending, there are moments in his life that are difficult to read.

The Troubles (1968-1994) is a fascinating and utterly tragic time period in Irish history. (Although, there isn't much in Irish history that can't be described as tragic.) . . . I guess you can say it's my way of finding a real situation that fits extreme good versus extreme evil. 

Stina Leicht, May 9, 2012

I highly recommend this book to fans of magical realism and dark, gritty Urban Fantasy. If you have interest in the turbulent era of the 70's and want a glimpse into the life of that time in Ireland this book really good at pulling the reader into the struggles of that time and place.

If you prefer the less realistic paranormal fantasy this may not be something you will enjoy.

Warnings, this is dark, and the brutality is real, most of the brutality is of the historical human kind and includes rape and torture. ( though written well without any glamorization or belittlement of the victims)

Awards:
Nominee: John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, 2013 

Details:
Series: The Fey and the Fallen, book 1
Published February 1st 2011 by Night Shade Books

Links:
Stina Leicht

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Book Review: The Golem and the Jinni

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
George Guidall (Narrator)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow .... I stayed up too late to finish this one...
Review to follow later after I have had time to process.







Awards:

•  Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Debut Author Best Fantasy (2013) 
• James Tiptree Jr. Award Honor List (2013) 
• Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013) 
• World Fantasy Award Nominee for Best Novel (2014) 
• Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature (2014) 
• Harold U. Ribalow Prize for Jewish fiction (2014) 
• VCU Cabell First Novel Award (2014) 
• The Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey “One Book, One Community” (2015) 

Details:
Published April 23rd 2013 by Harper Audio

Links:
Helene Wecker
Episode 141 of Speculate!–Helene Wecker Novel Review (The Golem and the Jinni) by GREG
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Book Review: People of the Wolf

People of the Wolf by W. Michael Gear

North America's Forgotten Past  Book 1

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Re-Reading books from a different time in my reading past, I loved these at the time, and they hold up as good escape books and good books for camping vacations, but not the same love I had as a teen.

The parts that I still like revolve around the great research and knowledge of anthropology and early peoples that the Gears bring to the books.

Details:
Series: North America's Forgotten Past

Published January 15th 1992 by Tor Books

Links:

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Book Review: Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

Shades of Milk and Honey

Glamourist Histories, book 1

by Mary Robinette Kowal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ok I admit, I messed up and put off reading this book for far too long.

Shades of Milk and Honey has been sitting in my to-read pile since the book came out in 2010. The only excuse I can make is that I tend to read books in phases, though epic fantasy has always been my main dish genre, I seem to run through phases with preferences in the side dishes I read.

Recently I have been devouring urban-fantasy along with my epic fantasy, but I have gone through phases of fantasy with a side of Sci-fi, classics, mythology or non-fiction. I had a long period where historical-fiction was in competition for replacing fantasy as my mind meal of choice, so a book that melds historical fiction with fantasy was definitely a must read.



With a Jane Austen like simplicity, Kowal has evoked a book of another time, both with the content and the prose and language used. The research and accuracy of the era and time are apparent without feeling like you are reading a history text instead of a fictional work.

The magic and fantasy is melded into the story in a seamless and unobtrusive way. Aligning the magic in the book with the historical relevance of women's arts, and skills, including the background and importance of those things in the historical context of a woman's value and marriageability was brilliant, and well done.

There is a magic in the pacing of the book, the prose and quietness of the book are deceiving, this is as much a page turner as many action packed books, but it doesn't feel like it while you are reading.

I should have read Shades of Milk and Honey sooner, the only good thing about postponing it is that I can move on to the rest of the series immediately.

I recommend the Glamourist Histories for anyone that is a fan of Regency romances, Jane Austen, historical-fiction, or fantasy of any sub-genre.

Awards:

• Nebula Award Nominee for Novel (2010)
• Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) Nominee for Fantasy Novel (2010)
• Locus Award Nominee for Best First Novel (2011)

Details:
Series: Glamourist Histories
Published August 3rd 2010 by Tor Books

Links:

Mary Robinette Kowal

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Book Review: New Amsterdam by Elizabeth Bear

New Amsterdam by Elizabeth Bear

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Reminiscent of the shorter stories of Sherlock Holmes, each chapter is a separate mystery. Unfortunately the book misses the mark.

Elizabeth Bear has mixed and crossed many genre lines in this book. Including: Detective Mystery, Romance, Paranormal, Alternate Histry, fantasy, and Steampunk, but does not invoke any of them enough to have the world building add to the stories.

The main characters, a poly-amorous 1000 + year old vampire detective, Sebastien de Ulloa, and forensic sorceress Lady Abigail Irene Garrett; are interesting concepts, and could heave been great, but the format of the book limits the depth that may have been possible in a cohesive story-line. We are told too much of them and not actually shown any of the traits that would make the protagonists real or truly interesting.
As for the mysteries and antagonists, we have nothing that makes us care about them or want to know bad enough to keep turning pages.

One of the few series I have started and have no real desire to read the next book. I do not think this review has any bearing on any of Bear's other series or works, there are many others that I have loved, this one just did not appeal to me.