Silver Dagger Book Tours
  • Welcome!
  • Current Tours
    • Book Tours
  • Book a Tour
  • Open Sign Ups
  • Contact
  • About
  • Welcome!
  • Current Tours
    • Book Tours
  • Book a Tour
  • Open Sign Ups
  • Contact
  • About
Silver Dagger Book Tours

 

The Blood Queen - Book Tour and Giveaway

3/1/2023

37 Comments

 
Picture
Picture

The Blood Queen: A 'Bhanrigh Fuil
A Conall Series Spinoff
by David H. Millar

Genre: Historical Fantasy Fiction 

Picture
“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 leader of the demi-goddesses of the Aes Sidhe. The only remedy is the Blood Queen and Gràinne is the sole heir to that throne. Will the Blood Queen stand alongside Mongfhionn to confront Sidheag?

Yet the cost for Gràinne may be too much—unless her daughter, Brianag, is in jeopardy.
Passions, always near the surface of the Celts, 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.

​

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads



Picture
Picture
Picture
​Chapter 1

394 B.C.—Autumn
​

Spluttering, pitch-soaked torches spoilt the blackness of the autumn night. Splashes of red and yellow flames combined with the fragrance of pine to create a pleasant, if false, festive ambience. Across the loch’s rippling waters, the sinister chanting of the Tuireadh—the Death Song of the Na Daoine Tùrsach—rang out. Such invocations had not been heard abroad in a score of summers.
The young girl looked into the eyes of the gaunt-faced man who stood before her. Her expression spoke of unconditional trust—much as a daughter looks into her father’s face. He was a striking man, tall with a shock of snow-white hair and eyes that appeared violet and red in the torchlight. Yet her faith was born, not of parental love, but the blend of plants and fungi fed to her. Like her companions, she was naked, her feet were bound, and her hands were tied behind her back. She shivered uncontrollably in the chill of the autumn night.
He cupped her chin and tilted her head backwards. The act was deceptively gentle, as if he wished to let the silver moonlight bathe her face. Yet his desires were vile. Having abused her virginal body earlier, he needed to savour her terror. Her eyes widened at the sting of the blade’s cold edge, drawn from one side of her neck to the other. Soft flesh parted. Helpless, she felt the throb of her lifeblood spurt from slashed arteries and warmth as the blood flowed over her adolescent breasts.
The priest turned the child slightly, allowing the surging blood to splash his nakedness. He sighed in orgasmic delight before pushing her backwards to tumble off the jetty and into the loch’s icy waters. In total, the lives of nine young girls ended that night. Their eyes condemned the priests before, amid swirls of blood, their bodies slipped below the surface. Yet the thoughts of the ecclesiastics were not of guilt or regret but of anticipation of their next victims.
The High Priest smiled. The blood sacrifices began many moon cycles ago with the random slayings of young females. This night saw the beginning of a new, more deliberate phase and heralded the arrival of the promised one.
In one sense, he was right. Yet, in another, he was terribly mistaken.
***
On the deck of the trireme, Gràinne Ni Fearghal awoke screaming and fighting those who tried to calm and hold her down. It was an old vision, which had become more vivid with each passing night and the closer she got to her homeland in the highlands of Northern Albu.
She rubbed a hand across her neck and exhaled, relieved that only sweat wet her palm and soaked her clothes. Yet Gràinne could feel the sharp edge of the sacrificial knife wielded by her grandmother, Diadhaidh, and the satisfied look on her face as she drew it across her granddaughter’s throat.
Recently, the old nightmare had changed. A new abomination stood behind Diadhaidh. Its mouth opened, revealing rows of needle-pointed teeth as it spoke: “Come, child, it is time to fulfil Diadhaidh’s promise to me and take your place as my ‘Bhanrigh Fuil--my Blood Queen.”
Brianag Ni Brion, wise beyond her years, smoothed her mother’s long auburn tresses and mopped up rivulets of perspiration with a cold, damp cloth. “Hold me, Ma. You’ll be all right. We’ll be all right. You’re safe.”
Only after her mother slipped into a mercifully untroubled sleep did Brianag let the tears flow down her young cheeks.

***

A score of summers past, lust for unlimited power drove Diadhaidh, the Blood Queen and High Priestess of the Na Daoine Tùrsach tribe, insane. Two black-shafted arrows and flames stopped Diadhaidh from sacrificing her granddaughter to the evil that lurked in the loch’s depths. The missiles had been loosed by Mórrígan Ni Cathasaigh, An Fiagaí Dorcha—the Dark Huntress. The fire was provided by Mórrígan’s hand-fast partner Conall Mac Gabhann, Rí—king—of the newly founded Clann Ui Flaithimh.
Ironically, Mórrígan’s arrows pinned Diadhaidh to the same sacrificial post to which she had bound Gràinne. Fire devoured the Blood Queen and the royal crannag, burning the wooden edifice down to its pilings. The wind had scattered the building’s ashes across the loch’s surface by the next sunrise.
Among the people of the north-eastern highlands, the fiery glow in the night skies prompted heartfelt sighs of relief and an outpouring of thanks to the Goddess. Those of the Na Daoine Tùrsach’s priests and acolytes who survived the final battle fled into the high mountains. They were hunted down and executed with a grim resolution by Drostan Ruadh, the one-eyed rìgh—king—of the Forest People, and Blàr Mac Artair, Rìgh of the Ravens.
Yet true evil is a persistent and tenacious beast, and its desire for existence is eternal and insatiable. It needs to infect but one mind for its insidious philosophy to take root and spread. By all accounts, Blàr and Drostan did an excellent job. Yet a handful of priests survived, which proved enough to restart the cycle.
In the eddies of the sacrificed’s blood, an amorphous shape began to take corporeal form. At the mercy of the loch’s currents, it drifted without direction. With blood came sentience, rage, and an all-consuming desire for the crimson liquid that sustained life. Its mind gradually re-formed; the evil ceased its dependence on being fed and began to rely on native cunning and an instinct for survival. It began to hunt.
A plan formed that did not distinguish between animal and human or age and sex. The latter was a human obsession. It would feed on all living creatures until strong enough to enjoy a more discriminating palate. As for the waste of young females, that would change.


Picture
Picture
**Don't miss The Conall Series! **

The Place of Blood – Rinn-Iru
Conall Book I
Goodreads * Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo

The Raven's Flight – Eitilt an Fhiagh Dhuibh
Conall Book II
Goodreads * Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo

The Sisters – Na Deirfiúracha
Conall Book III
Goodreads * Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo

A Brace of Eagles - Snaidhm Iolar
Conall Book IV
Goodreads * Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo

Retribution - Díoltas
Conall Book V
Goodreads * Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo

The Dog Roses: Na Feirdhriseacha
spinoff from the Conall Series
Goodreads * Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo


Picture
Picture
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 that seeks to promote Celtic literature, authors, and art.

Millar moved from wet Northern Ireland to Nova Scotia, Canada, in the late 1990s. After ten years of shovelling snow, he decided to relocate to warmer climates and settled in Houston, Texas. Quite a contrast!

An avid reader, armchair sportsman, and Liverpool Football Club fan, Millar lives with his family and Bailey, a Manx cat of questionable disposition known to his friends as “the small angry one”!

Award-winning author, David H. Millar, writes historical fantasy with a Celtic twist. He is the author of the five volume, ancient Celtic-based, Conall series and the spin-off The Dog Roses. The Blood Queen is a second spin-off from the Conall series.


Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads


​

Picture
Main Characters

Gràinne
Gràinne is the only pure blood heir to the throne of the Na Daoine Tùrsach clann and the only one who can become the A ‘Bhanrigh Fuil—the Blood Queen. Yet, the original members of the tribe practiced cannibalism and the price to becoming the Blood Queen hearkens back to that history.
The reluctant Bhanrigh of the Na Daoine Tùrsach, Gràinne, accompanied by her daughter, Brianag, travels back to her homeland seeking answers to the nightmares and ancient voices in her head. Still, when Brianag is kidnapped by Sidheag, does she have any choice? Only the Blood Queen can defeat and kill Sidheag.

“…spider’s web of fine scars from Diadhaidh’s scourgings and the swirling dark tribal sigils that covered her body… always been generous with her favours… feral look on her face, combined with her curling symbols.”


Brianag
The fourteen-summers old daughter of Gràinne, Brianag has never met her father, Brion. Thus, the visit to Dùn Brion is pitched as her opportunity to meet her da. Yet, it’s not long after they land in Northern Albu that Brianag has an argument with her half-brother, Cassán and challenged to a duel. Not long after defeating Cassán, Brianag is kidnapped by Sidheag.
Fed Sidheag’s blood and angry that she has not been rescued, Brianag begins to change. But into what? Even Sidheag doesn’t know what she has created.

“…adolescent body had developed into one which was shapelier and more softly contoured… radiated a sensual aura, unbecoming a girl of barely fifteen summers… vivid and nightmarish visions… fingernails were stained red and small slivers of meat clung accusingly between flesh and nail.’

“From her breasts to her thighs were long streaks of red. It looked like someone had dipped a rag in a bucket of blood and painted Brianag’s torso.”

“Brianag’s body bore the fullness of a young woman, but dangerously her mind remained that of an adolescent.”

Sidheag
The legendary Baobhan Sith are also known as the White Women of the Scottish Highlands. These mystical creatures took the form of a beautiful woman, lurking the Highlands, waiting to seduce young travellers and drink their blood. the Baobhan Sith would use their long, sharp fingernails to slit their victims necks in order to drink their blood.
Sidheag was one of the original Aes Sidhe demi-goddesses but became obsessed with blood and evil. The Aes Sidhe reluctantly admitted they could not control her and asked the Goddess for help. As part of her punishment, the Goddess made her feet into hoofs.

“The gait, as it walked towards him, appeared odd but, in the gloom, he was unable to comprehend why. In the half-light the perfectly apportioned and hairless body held a pale blue tone. Hair, blacker than night, hung in long tresses touching the creature’s arse and hips. Thin, magenta lips curled in a cruel, mocking smile as it spoke.”

“Sidheag paced the forest clearing, although that did not fully describe the half-prance, half-walk of someone with hoofs, not feet.”

Sidheag and her Brood of nine daughters terrorise Northern Albu, slaughtering, enthralling, and forcing the population into submission. Thwarted, by Mongfhionn and Gràinne at the Battle of Cùil Daothail, Sidheag turns her focus to Dùn Brion.

Mongfhionn
Mongfhionn is a leader of a powerful race of demi-goddesses—the Aes Sidhe. Gràinne is her daughter by adoption and Brianag, her granddaughter. Mongfhionn fights a constant battle with her alter ego, The Hag, who wishes to take over.
Although one of the most powerful members of the Aes Sidhe, Mongfhionn cannot defeat or kill Sidheag without the Blood Queen. Yet she is reluctant to force Gràinne down that path.


Brion
Brion is the one-armed king of the Na Mèadaidh, whose stronghold is the stone fortress of Dùn Brion. He has “history” with Gràinne since it was she who cut off his arm to save his life after a chariot accident. His daughter, Brianag, was the result of a single rutting with Gràinne who felt guilty at having to cut his arm off.
Brion’s enemy, prior to Sidheag, is Gormal, king at Dùn Athad. Gormal was humiliated by Brion in battle that saw Gormal’s father die.
He banishes his wastrel son, Cassán, after his duel with Brianag.


Cassán
Cassán is the son of Áine and Brion. His insane, disease-ridden, murderous mother, was executed by her brother Íar, leaving him with Brion. Cosseted by his mother, Cassán became indulged and ignored by his father. Banished from Dùn Brion, he falls into the hands of Gormal, who cuts his hand off and sends it to Brion.
In Gormal’s dungeons, Cassán is tended to and helped to escape by Eimhir, a servant with a royal background. His goal is to show Brion and others that he has changed.

“…a pampered, unpleasant child who had no genuine friends… blade scraped his skull to remove the last vestiges of hair… transformed an emaciated body to one having a sinewy strength.


Eimhir
Eimhir is the serving wench who helps Cassán escape from Gormal’s dungeons. She is the daughter of Finnean Mac Sèitheach, the mad, dissolute, and homicidal king of the Na Mèadaidh before Brion took his throne. Finnean was executed by Brion’s sister, Mórrígan, twenty years previously.
Eimhir was sold out by her sister, Ealasaid, to gain favour with Gormal. She becomes Brion’s deadly shadow.


Ealasaid
Ealasaid is a deadly, heartless assassin, who uses promiscuity as a weapon. She is Eimhir’s sister and Finnean’s daughter and believes the throne of the Na Mèadaidh is rightfully hers. Thus, she kills all who get in the way of her being crowned queen.

“…beautiful woman, who bathed in other’s admiration, Ealasaid was taken seriously by no one… driving desire aimed to inflict maximum pain on those she deemed had deprived her of her rightful place among the Na Mèadaidh… murderous darkness in her eyes.”

“The philosophy that no one is irredeemable met its foil in Ealasaid Nic Finnean. Madness could not be attributed to her, for her thoughts and actions were as clear as mountain spring water and sharp as the blades she wielded.”


Gormal
Gormal is king of Dùn Athad, a stone fortress that sits on a crag at the heart of marshlands. His driving mission is to defeat Brion and become Dùn Brion’s king. He blames Brion for the death of his mother, father, and brother. However, he needs a way of drawing Brion out of his stronghold. Cassán gives him that advantage.
Later, Gormal, and his army, fall under the thrall of Sidheag.

“…many summers of bitterness and little exercise had slouched his shoulders and caused his spine to curve, leaving a permanent hump on his upper back… deformed and weak-jawed righ and one whose brutality disguised his lack of substance.”

“Gormal awoke from his nightmare to feel Sidheag’s long, blood-red talons caress his scrawny neck. Her fetid breath filled his nostrils. Only abject terror prevented him from puking and shitting his triubhas.”

​
Picture
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Mar 1
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Bedazzled By Books

Mar 2
The Sexy Nerd 'Revue'

Mar 3
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
The Bookshelf Fairy

Mar 5
Anna del C. Dye official page

Mar 6
All Things Dark & Dirty
Indie Author Book Reviews

Mar 7
Book Reviews by the Reluctant Retiree

Mar 8
Naughty Nightie Book Blog

Mar 9
4covert2overt ☼ A Place In The Spotlight ☼

Mar 10
Plain Talk Book Marketing

Mar 13
❧Defining Ways❧
Twisted Book Ramblings

Mar 14
Books a Plenty Book Reviews

Mar 15
Books all things paranormal and romance

Mar 16
Craving Lovely Books

Mar 17
eBook Addicts
The Book Dragon

Mar 20
Girl with Pen

Mar 21
Insane Books

Mar 22
ⒾⓃⓉⓇⓄⓈⓅⒺⒸⓉⒾⓋⒺ ⓅⓇⒺⓈⓈ

Mar 23
Inside the Insanity

Mar 24
Literary Gold
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'

Mar 25
A Wonderful World of Words – REVIEW

Mar 27
Midnight Book Reader

Mar 28
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read

Mar 29
Scrupulous Dreams

Mar 30
Sylv.net

Mar 31
The Scratching Post

Apr 1
Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author



a Rafflecopter giveaway
Picture
37 Comments
Marcy Meyer
3/1/2023 06:44:18 am

Sounds like a really good story. I like the cover. It looks great.

Reply
Beyond Comps
3/1/2023 07:44:04 am

Great cover!

Reply
Rita Wray
3/1/2023 08:35:23 am

Sounds like a good book.

Reply
Barbara Montag
3/1/2023 09:31:56 am

I enjoyed reading this well done excerpt for this series.
Thank you for sharing it.

Reply
wendy hutton
3/1/2023 10:33:52 am

nice cover, congrats on the release

Reply
Jon Heil
3/1/2023 12:21:39 pm

Let the battles begin

Reply
Allison Swain
3/1/2023 01:57:24 pm

I am hooked after reading the excerpt! I also love the cover, it looks really cool.
Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Bea LaRocca
3/1/2023 02:16:29 pm

Thank you for sharing your guest post, bio and book details, I have enjoyed reading about you and your work and I am looking forward to reading The Blood Queen: A 'Bhanrigh Fuil and all of the stories from this epic series

Reply
Susan Smith
3/1/2023 03:11:16 pm

This sounds like a great Historical Fantasy Fiction read. I like the cover and excerpt.

Reply
Sherry
3/1/2023 05:47:29 pm

I really like the cover and the excerpt.

Reply
Wendy Jensen
3/2/2023 07:28:26 pm

The book details sound like a scary fantasy.

Reply
Terri Quick
3/2/2023 08:26:10 pm

Sounds interesting

Reply
bn100
3/2/2023 10:25:57 pm

interesting book

Reply
Heather Mahley
3/2/2023 10:27:11 pm

I need to read this

Reply
Piroska
3/2/2023 11:25:48 pm

Thanks for the great excerpt. The book sounds fantastic. Great cover!

Reply
Valerie Seal
3/4/2023 09:11:16 am

Looks good

Reply
Debbie P
3/4/2023 09:43:47 pm

This sounds like a great book and series.

Reply
miss quinn
3/5/2023 07:06:00 pm

Looks great! Love the cover!

Reply
beth shepherd
3/7/2023 04:15:26 pm

This looks like a great read!

Reply
David Basile
3/7/2023 04:16:29 pm

A good fantasy read

Reply
Danielle Day
3/7/2023 04:34:39 pm

It looks good.

Reply
David Hollingsworth
3/7/2023 07:22:51 pm

This book sounds great.

Reply
Debbi Wellenstein
3/7/2023 07:32:34 pm

I enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you for the giveaway!

Reply
Danielle Durham
3/7/2023 08:57:20 pm

I love the covers.

Reply
Ellie Wright
3/7/2023 11:45:50 pm

I enjoyed the intro this series. Great covers.

Reply
Cynthia C
3/8/2023 05:56:39 am

The excerpt is interesting. Thank you for sharing it.

Reply
Jamie N.
3/8/2023 12:52:50 pm

This sounds like my kind of book!

Reply
Ann Fantom
3/9/2023 08:01:42 am

This sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.

Reply
Peggy Salkill
3/11/2023 02:53:33 pm

Cool cover!

Reply
Jamie Martin link
3/17/2023 11:22:09 am

Do you have any advice for new writers?

Reply
Mrs Janet Baron
3/19/2023 08:43:47 am

Great Giveaway. Looks to be a Good book to Read.

Reply
Mishelle G
3/21/2023 08:33:21 am

This quote "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." sounds like the world for the last decade. Scary.

Mishelle G

Reply
Nicky Lavoie link
3/21/2023 10:44:09 am

Be nice to win, love reading tx for the chance

Reply
Karin
3/24/2023 06:29:58 am

nice excerpt

Reply
Robin Abrams
3/24/2023 03:53:54 pm

This book sounds like a good read

Reply
Cindy Merrill
3/24/2023 08:10:27 pm

Those were grim times indeed.Not sure if early Christianity was much better however.

Reply
Calvin
3/25/2023 01:07:40 am

Cheers on the book tour.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Action
    Activity Book
    Adventure
    African American
    Alt History
    Anthology
    Apocalyptic
    Audiobook
    Australian
    Bdsm
    Billionaire Romance
    Biography
    Chick Lit
    Childrens
    Christian
    Coloring Book
    Comedy
    Coming Of Age
    Contemporary Fiction
    Contemporaryromance
    Contemporary Romance
    Cookbook
    Cozymystery
    Cozy Mystery
    Crime
    Cyberpunk
    Dark
    Dark Romance
    Drama
    Dystopian
    Educational
    Eroticromance
    Erotic Romance
    Fairytale
    Fantasy
    Financial
    Giveaway-hop
    Gothic
    Health-and-wellness
    Historical
    Historicalromance
    Historical-romance
    Holiday
    Horror
    Humorous
    Inspirational
    Legal-thriller
    Lgbtq
    Literaryfiction
    Mafiaromance
    Mafia-romance
    Magicrealism
    Magic-realism
    Mcromance
    Mc-romance
    Memoir
    Menage
    Middlegrade
    Middle-grade
    Military
    Mystery
    Newadult
    New Adult
    Nonfiction
    Paranormal
    Paranormalromance
    Paranormal-romance
    Parenting
    Pets
    Poetry
    Postapocalyptic
    Pulp-fiction
    Reverseharemromance
    Reverse-harem-romance
    Rockstarromance
    Rockstar-romance
    Romance
    Romanticcomedy
    Romantic-comedy
    Romanticsuspense
    Romantic-suspense
    Satirical
    Sciencefiction
    Science Fiction
    Scifi
    Scifiromance
    Scifi-romance
    Selfhelp
    Shortstories
    Short-stories
    Speculativefiction
    Speculative Fiction
    Sportsromance
    Steampunk
    Supernatural
    Suspense
    Sweetromance
    Thriller
    Timetravel
    Time-travel
    Urban
    Urbanfantasy
    Urban Fantasy
    Western
    Womensfiction
    Womens Fiction
    Ya
    Youngadult
    Young-adult
    Youngadultya
    Young Adult Ya

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016

© 2021 Silver Dagger Book Tours