title: Written in the Blood (String Diaries)
author:  Stephen Lloyd Jones 
description: "Always engaging . . . A blend of grace and gore . . . Fans of TV's "The Walking Dead" should love Mr. Jones."<b>Margie Romero</b>, <b><i>Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</i></b><br /><br />"Stephen Lloyd Jones' 2014 debut novel, <i>The String Diaries,</i> was a stunning, supernatural ride. His 2015 follow-up, <i>Written in the Blood,</i> surpasses that success, greatly expanding the world and mythology he created in an even bigger, more ambitious and more fully-realized tale. . . . A sprawling, suspenseful and massively engrossing tale, <i>Written in the Blood</i> spans centuries and perspectives to paint a portrait of the rise and fall of a species that incorporates politics, grudges, romance, treachery, struggle and intrigue, all masterfully spun around a handful of connected players. It's a rich story that has the detail and precision of a scholastic study thrust upon the suspense and visual grandeur of a cinematic thriller."<b>Brooke Wylie</b>, <b><i>Examiner.com</i></b><br /><br />"An exciting and absorbing tale"<b>Sarah Rachel Egelman</b>, <b><i>BookReporter.com</i></b><br /><br />"The pace is so fast that readers are essentially propelled through the book, carried from one character to another, bouncing around from one place in the world to another, completely caught up in the story. A novel that's just as good as the one that came before-and, in this case, that means essential reading for devotees of high-end sf."<b><i><i>Booklist </i>(starred review)</i></b><br /><br />
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A TRACE OF BLOOD
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  by
  
  
  Bill Rogers
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Published in 2011 by Caton Books
  
  
  Copyright © Bill Roger
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “The wran, the wran
  
  
  The king of all Birds
  
  
  On St. Stephen’s Day
  
  
  It was caught in the furze,
  
  
  Although he was little,
  
  
  His honour was great,
  
  
  So jump up me lads,
  
  
  And give him a trate,
  
  
  Up with the kettle
  
  
  And down with the pan
  
  
  Give me a penny
  
  
  To bury the wran.”
  
  
  
  
  
  A traditional song
  
  
  Sung by
  
  
  The Wren Boys of County Kerry,
  
  
  On St Stephen’s Day
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Acknowledgements
  
  
  
  
  
  One of the most enjoyable aspects of writing a novel such as this is the
  research involved. In this case it was deeply fascinating – not least because
  of the parallels with my own family history. I would therefore like to
  gratefully acknowledge the following for their assistance in the writing of
  this novel:
  
  
  
  
  
  Staff at Manchester City Library, New Hamps