#Blogtour Dissonance of Bird Song by Alexandra Beaumont

It's my turn on the Blogtour Dissonance of Bird Song by Alexandra Beaumont.

About the Author

Alexandra Beaumont is a British fantasy novelist with a passion for folklore, playing musical instruments and exploring the wilds of the UK. She has a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, specialising in gothic literature, and her lyrical books weave together myth, magic and intrigue. Connect with Alexandra Beaumont via @ABeaumontWriter on X, @ABeaumontWriter on Instagram, ABeaumontWrites on Facebook or visit abeaumont75.wixsite.com/home

About the book

In the storm-riven wilds of ancient Cornwall the sea's whisper will charm us all.

Dissonance of Bird Song is the folkloric-fantasy tale of Eseld, a song-weaver fleeing her home to cure the sacred birds of her people and save her sister. Locked between the lies of land-dwellers and the snare of an ancient sea queen, Eseld must fight to find her own path. 

Amidst a storm of betrayal and heartbreak, what will Eseld sacrifice to save the ones she loves?

Review

Beaumont is an author to watch. The way myth, folklore, culture and landscape are woven together with a tightly knitted blanket of prose. The creativity of ideas and bold use of said ideas in the midst of an ever evolving narrative and strong characters, makes it a treat to emerge yourself into as a reader.

Eseld holds power - wielded at times, but always with a lack of knowledge of presence. As we begin the story there is merely the picture of young innocent person with a strong will to survive and save her friends, loved ones and the people who are equally reliant on the healthy birds. Birds that are life, are the essence of life for a whole community. Without them they are doomed to die, go mad or be delegated to forced labour.

Eseld is determined to find out why the birds are going missing, and the remaining ones are becoming so ill they are unable to sustain the people they are connected to. Now that in itself sounds like a fascinating plot, but it's actually just the tip of the iceberg.

I was particularly fascinated by the myst, the birds and the way the two determine the survival of Eseld and her people. The concept leans into magical realism, mists of folklore with a cemented core in fantasy. I wonder if the world will be revisited at some point?

I highly recommend this read.

Buy Dissonance of Bird Song at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via Brigids Gate Press.

#Blogtour Reawakening by Alethea Lyons

It's my turn on the Blogtour Reawakening by Alethea Lyons, a collection of short stories in The Seer of York universe.

About the Author

Alethea (she/ze) writes various forms of SFF, with a particular love for science-fantasy, dark fantasy, dystopias, and folklore. Many of her works take place at the intersection between technology and magic. She enjoys writing stories with subtle political and philosophical messages, but primarily wants her stories to be great tales with characters readers will love. She also has soft spots for found family, hopeless romances, and non-human characters. Her short stories can be found in a variety of publications and links for these are on her website.

Alethea lives in Manchester, UK with her husband, little Sprite, a cacophony of stringed instruments, and more tea than she can drink in a lifetime.

Bonus content for The Hiding & other works can be found on her website: alethealyons.wixsite.com/stories/seerofyork, Social media: linktr.ee/alethearlyons

About the book

After centuries of suppression, the magic of England is Reawakening...

Return to the world of The Seer of York with this collection of new tales set in the aftermath of The Hiding.

Harper, Grace, Saqib, Heresy, and AJ bond as a team and as a family to save innocents, supernatural and human, despite hunters pursuing them.

Introducing Zero, a starlight cat with a bleak and painful past.

Demonic-possession, Faery circles, Pūcas, And more…

Review

Although the beginning and intro sets up the world of The Seer of York universe, the intro and stories have a different feeling. Whereas the intro to the supernatural, dark and demonic element of York has a more ancient almost medieval feel to it, the stories have a present day vibe. In a way it sets the two worlds apart, despite their commonalities.

It's a short collection, novella length. Each of the stories opens the door to both a new adventure and front seat to the machinations of the power that is hidden in plain sight and the merry band of monster hunters who are intent on keeping them at bay.

Might be an interesting idea for a small screen series, nobody has quite managed to fill the Buffy sphere since that waved goodbye, but perhaps that isn't doing the individual stories real justice. They vary in depth, in walks through folklore, myths and legends. Ghoulish, grim, disturbing and balancing the scales are the monster hunters.

I like to see some of the shorts developed with more depth - possible ideas for the next book in the series perhaps, although I'm sure there are plenty more where these came from. It's definitely world-building with a lot of potential - looking forward to seeing where the author takes it.

Buy Reawakening at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher ‏: ‎Brigids Gate Press, pub date 24 Sept. 2024. Buy at Amazon com. Buy via BrigidsGatePress.