Bones of the Sea and Other Stories
Genre: Fantasy Anthology
Length: 11 Short Stories (160 pages in print)
Publisher & ISBN
JMS Books LLC / 9781451528527
I wrote these stories just after graduating from college, when fantasy was my genre of choice. I like writing strong female characters in untraditional roles, which I call "feminist fantasy." These stories are some of my best early work.
The eleven short stories in this collection are available separately as e-books, but are only available in print in this single-author paperback collection. Contains the following stories:
- Bones of the Sea ~ A photographer discovers that in the wake of their father's death, her sister believes modern-day dinosaurs call to her from the ocean.
- The Shadow Fey ~ Where there is light, there are shadows. And where there are shadows, the Shadow Fey play.
- Gypsy Wine ~ A traveler falls victim to the legendary wine of the gypsies.
- Fell ~ Two wood nymphs play a deadly game that goes farther than they anticipated.
- A Hero Is Never Too Old ~ Lady Jessa thinks her husband needs more adventure in his life, but perhaps not quite as much as she believed.
- The Glitter Prince ~ Aren goes in search of her brother, who left to pledge himself to the Glitter Prince.
- Eyes Like Twins ~ Kimbra was born with golden eyes, a trait believed to belong to a legendary race of winged humans called the aerya. She never really believed the legends, until she stumbles upon the boy with wings.
- Running ~ In a distant, post-apocalyptic future, Dini realizes that some things can't be outrun.
- The Warrior Within ~ The Order of the Soul has been disbanded, but Jhyssa takes on an apprentice who wishes to learn the Warrior's Way. When the battlecry sounds, though, will the novice heed her teachings, or seek out her own way?
- The Key ~ When a man in the Metro station tells Adi that she has the key he needs to get home, she thinks he means the one she found that morning as she got on the tram. But the key he's looking for is one much more personal than that.
- More Than Mortal ~ A local hero weds the most beautiful woman in all of Egypt, but Dendera senses there is more to the beauty than meets the eye. She's sure the woman has been trapped into the marriage, and she'll defy the ancient gods to set the captive free.
- Chewing the Bone Reviews:
- "Quite imaginative and varied in story line. Offering captivating tales that are propelled by genuine and entertaining characters, [Marie] writes splendid fantasy that I thoroughly loved reading. Some of the stories were a bit eerie, while others were fanciful, but all the stories kept my attention throughout. [Marie] should consider sparking her fantasy muse again. I, for one, would delight in reading more of her works in this genre."
- Review by Frost: 5 out of 5.
- "This collection represents the prior work and interests of the writer. Feminist fantasy fiction, these stories give insight into the author's mind ... 'Bones of the Sea,' 'The Shadow Fey,' 'The Glitter Prince' ... these three stories alone would make this collection worth reading and rereading!"