Seductive
Fairies
I found my inspiration for Reflection of
the Gods in old folktales about mortal men who fall in love with faery women.
Although the human-Sidhe hybrid character, Aislinn, is my own creation, there
are several mythological beings who are renowned for their powers of seduction.
Leanan
Sidhe (Ireland)
The Leanan Sidhe is one of the Sidhe, the
elite of the faery kingdom. Famous for her great beauty, she is the muse that
inspires artists, poets, and musicians. The creativity she inspires flames
quickly, leaving the artist burned out and hollow. Those visited by the Leanan
Sidhe appear to be touched by genius, but die young.
Selkies
(Orkney Isles)
When in the water, Selkies appear as seals.
At certain times, they come ashore, remove their seal skins, and become
beautiful women who dance naked in the moonlight. Because they need their seal
skins in order to return to the sea, they hide these carefully. However, it is
not uncommon for a mortal man to acquire one, either through theft or trickery.
The poor Selkie is then bound to marry him and stay with him for as long as he
is in possession of her skin. But his triumph is only temporary, as she
invariably finds the skin and returns to her life among the seals, abandoning
her husband and children.
The
Lorelei (Germany)
While based on Germanic Nixes – water
spirits who care for the souls of the drowned – the Lorelei is a recent
addition to folklore. Her story originates in a poem written by Bentano in
1801, but she catapulted to fame with the publication of Heinrich Heine’s poem
in the 1820’s. The Lorelei lives on a rock in the Rhine River (not
surprisingly, known as Lorelei’s Rock), and sings with her hauntingly beautiful
voice. Any sailor who hears it becomes so mesmerized, he tries to sail toward
it, and ends up drowning in the treacherous currents.
Gwragedd
Annwn (Wales)
The Gwragedd Annwn are beautiful water
spirits known for the preference for mortal males as husbands. They are said to
live in a fabulous city beneath a Welsh lake. Their gardens are filled with
luscious fruits, beautiful flowers, and lovely music. In the old days, one
could enter through a doorway in a rock, and all those who dared were invited
to stay as long as they liked, on the condition that nothing be taken out of the
garden. Although benign and gentle, it is perhaps best not to seek out the
Gwragedd Annwn, for they became disenchanted with mortals when one took a
flower from the garden. Upon leaving their realm, the flower disappeared and
the hapless mortal lost consciousness. Ever since, the door has remained close
and none have passed through.
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Reflection of the Gods
Lisa Llamrei
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Alchera Press
Date of Publication: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9880203-0-6
ISBN: 978-0-9880203-1-3
ISBN: 978-0-9880203-2-0
ASIN: B00CK09R84
Number of pages: 350
Word Count: 103,000
Cover Artist: Tania Craan
Book Description:
Newly divorced Das MacDermott longs for a fresh start. As he packs up and prepares to move out of the city, he spots a young woman being held at gunpoint by three men. Despite being outnumbered and unarmed, Das does his best to intervene. Once liberated, the victim seems oddly ungrateful, but on an apparent whim decides to join Das in his new life in rural Ontario. Aislinn, as she is called, returns the favour; with her encouragement and support, his start-up photography business takes off, and more importantly, Das is saved from loneliness and self-doubt.
Das, however, is never quite able to fully dismiss the contrary aspects of Aislinn’s nature, and is strictly forbidden from asking about Aislinn’s past. All seems too good to be true, and indeed it is. Aislinn’s unusual talents and odd Behaviour, unbeknownst to Das, come from her demigod status. Aislinn is half-Sidhe, daughter of Fionvarra, Ireland’s fairy king, and a human woman. Sidhe wars have so disrupted the mortal world that Aislinn has joined with other immortals in an effort to permanently separate it from Tir N’a Nog, the fairy realm.
Born in ancient Ireland, Aislinn spends millennia as the plaything of the cruel and narcissistic gods. The pain of being neither human nor Sidhe is offset by her relationship to the Fir Bolg, another race of fair folk who take pity on her lonely state; and the refuge she takes in being Das’s lover and protector. As Das comes to accept the possibility that Aislinn belongs to a supernatural world, he discovers that the two worlds are set to collide in a way that may mean the destruction of all humanity.
About the Author:
Lisa Llamrei was born in Toronto. She studied languages at York University. At various times, she has been an actor, professional belly dancer and holistic nutritionist. She presently lives in Durham region with her four daughters, and she works at a school of holistic nutrition. Reflection of the Gods is her first novel.
@LisaLlamrei
2 comments:
Thank you so much for the guest post!
Thanks for sharing the great sounding books. Thanks for sharing the book and the giveaway. evamillien at gmail dot com
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