Brianag, the second installment in The Blood Queen Chronicles by David H. Millar, is a sweeping Celtic fantasy that picks up ten years after the climactic events of The Blood Queen. The story centers on Brianag, a half-human, half-sídhe daughter of the formidable Blood Queen Gràinne, who has spent a decade in magical exile among the demigod Aes Sídhe. As Brianag wrestles with her identity, legacy, and explosive powers, tensions rise in the mortal realm where wars loom, alliances shift, and her mother’s empire teeters on a knife’s edge. The novel interweaves politics, prophecy, family drama, and supernatural intrigue into a richly imagined and deeply emotional tale.

I couldn’t put the book down. Millar’s writing is lyrical but gutsy, not afraid to dive into the visceral, the painful, and the raw. He blends myth and history with such ease that it feels ancient and modern all at once. Brianag is a deeply complex character, furious, powerful, aching for connection, and I felt for her in ways I didn’t expect. The dynamics between mother and daughter, layered with betrayal and sacrifice, are heartbreaking and, honestly, hit hard. The politics and battles are brutal and real, yet the quieter moments, like the grief, the longing, the flashes of tenderness, are what really stayed with me.

That said, this book demands patience. The cast is sprawling, the Gaelic names thick on the tongue, and the narrative hops through multiple perspectives with dense world-building. Yet the payoff is worth it. Millar doesn’t spoon-feed; he trusts the reader to keep up, and that trust pays off in emotional depth and an epic payoff. I appreciated that. He writes like a storyteller around a fire, pulling you in with every twist and turn, every whispered threat and tender betrayal.

Brianag is a brutal, beautiful saga of power, identity, and redemption. It’s not for the faint of heart or those craving a breezy read. But for lovers of deep fantasy steeped in Celtic lore, political intrigue, and morally gray heroines, this is gold. I’d recommend it to fans of Guy Gavriel Kay, Madeline Miller, or readers who wanted more darkness and depth from Game of Thrones. Come for the queens and gods, stay for the heartbreak.

Pages: 406 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0F7RVGZMZ