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45th out of 127 books
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112 voters
The Witch Sea
by
Sarah Diemer (Goodreads Author)
The witch Meriel has spent her entire life in the lighthouse on tiny Bound Island. Upon the distant shore prowls an ancient sea god kept captive by a generations-old spell, a spell that Meriel alone must protect.
Meriel's life has been lonely and unchanging--until the arrival of Nor. Nor's shape is that of a woman, but her heart belongs to the sea. Even though Nor is also h...more
Meriel's life has been lonely and unchanging--until the arrival of Nor. Nor's shape is that of a woman, but her heart belongs to the sea. Even though Nor is also h...more
Kindle Edition
Published
March 3rd 2012
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Sometimes an erotic story is not an erotic story, at least how we think of as one of ‘those’ stories. This is definitely one of them, no actual peeking under anyone skirts, no actual bow-chicka-wah-wah… This story is reminiscent of elegant and classic Gothic romances. Though labeled as Lesbian Fantasy, it is a story about learning to love and to accept that some people’s truths will never be your own and embracing yours as not only acceptable but truth. It is simply a stunning short story.
Again,...more
Again,...more
I loved the Witch Sea, a story of magic and enchantment mostly, rather than erotica, but very much a F/F love story. The protagonist (or is she actually the villain?) is a witch and her nemesis is a god of the sea. They are caught in a generation long struggle which comes to a climax when the sea god sends one of his creatures to the witch, in human form, to seduce her. They fall in love slowly. The sea creature wants to go home to the sea but the witch's magic is keeping her, the sea god, and m...more
This was another short lesbian-themed romance I picked up for free on my Kindle. (Didn't see it free last time, so maybe it's limited time?) The cover was also lovely and the overall plot was fantasy, so I was immediately intrigued.
"The Witch Sea" is the legend of Meriel, a third-generation witch who lives captive on an island, upholding a spell her grandmother put in place decades before against the sea-creature Galo. The legend implies that Galo turned human and went ashore in order to destro...more
"The Witch Sea" is the legend of Meriel, a third-generation witch who lives captive on an island, upholding a spell her grandmother put in place decades before against the sea-creature Galo. The legend implies that Galo turned human and went ashore in order to destro...more
Although this is a short story I really enjoyed it. I even found myself crying a time or two, probably because I could sort of relate to the loneliness that the main character, Meriel, felt.
Meriel is a witch, from a long line of witches. When her grandmother (also named Meriel) was a young woman, a sea god by the name of Galo, angered by the treatment of the sea by man, decided to enact revenge on the human race for it. But Meriel's grandmother appeared, cursing Galo, and the other sea creatures...more
Meriel is a witch, from a long line of witches. When her grandmother (also named Meriel) was a young woman, a sea god by the name of Galo, angered by the treatment of the sea by man, decided to enact revenge on the human race for it. But Meriel's grandmother appeared, cursing Galo, and the other sea creatures...more
Through love, a witch begins to question all she has known. She has spent her whole life guarding the sea against the ancient god she believes to be evil, a lonely task passed on through her family. But when she falls for a selkie maiden, she begins to wonder if she could have it all wrong.
This story was wonderfully evocative. I loved the vision of the witch, lonely on her island in the middle of the sea. The idea that we are brought up thinking things that might not necessarily be right is such...more
This story was wonderfully evocative. I loved the vision of the witch, lonely on her island in the middle of the sea. The idea that we are brought up thinking things that might not necessarily be right is such...more
This story surprised me with the sheer beauty of the writing. It is neither overly florid nor unclear in its descriptions. It is just right. The first-person voice led me right inside the character quickly and made her loneliness and just-below-the-surface bitterness palpable without requiring a lot of explanation. Her incremental shift in attitude towards her self and others was handled with great skill and I entirely believed in this character's growth and change.
I found the back story a bit c...more
I found the back story a bit c...more
Jan 03, 2013
Jessie Quinn
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
lovers of queer romance, fantasy lovers, those looking for a quick read
The Witch Sea is such a lovely story. It's beautifully written and despite how short it is, it does not feel incomplete (unlike other shorter works I have read). Diemer's writing does a fantastic job at evoking a sense of haunting loneliness throughout the story, which really made me feel for Meriel, the protagonist. I loved the way the relationship between Nor, the seal-turned-woman, and Meriel, the witch, builds throughout the story. It's a sad story full of emotion and I loved every second of...more
Meriel is a witch bound by blood to protect her tiny island from a dangerous sea god. But she begins to rethink her life when she begins getting visit from the lovely Nor, a girl who has transformed from a seas creature into an enchanting lady.
This was a pretty original story. I loved the use of lore to tell the reasons why Meriel has to do her duty.
What I liked about this story is, we can all relate to having to do something that feels like it is an obligation. But, at a certain point, we all h...more
This was a pretty original story. I loved the use of lore to tell the reasons why Meriel has to do her duty.
What I liked about this story is, we can all relate to having to do something that feels like it is an obligation. But, at a certain point, we all h...more
Mar 07, 2012
Jillian -always aspiring-
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those who enjoy stories based around mood, emotion, and magic
Sarah Diemer just keeps sharpening her craft with each story I read from her. This short story, The Witch Sea, is no exception, for it boasts exquisite writing that rivals even some of the offerings in Diemer's longer works such as The Dark Wife and Sugar Moon. For those who have yet to read Diemer's work, I would say this short story is a great place to start. (If you need any more goading, the romance is between a witch and a selkie maiden... Can't say that isn't a hook in and of itself, right...more
Aug 13, 2012
Ronel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone who loves magic and mythology
Recommended to Ronel by:
Stumbled upon it
I have been lucky to have discovered two excellent authors recently and Sarah Diemer is one of them. This was the first of her stories that I've read and it resulted in me rushing off to Amazon to buy everything I can lay my hands on.
The story is hauntingly beautiful and something I will reread many times in future.
The love story in unconventional with the witch, bound to land, falling in love with a creature whose soul is bound to the sea. But in the end both are captive and both longs for free...more
The Witch Sea is a short and rather sad story of a witch who has inherited a great trust from her mother and her grandmother, who begins to doubt whether she's doing the right thing. Nor, a seal turned into a woman, comes to see her every day with an offer, and she finds herself weakening in her resolve and falling in love.
It's well written, without any flab, and the backstory of it falls together easily: it feels complete, not like there's something missing, which is something I have felt with...more
It's well written, without any flab, and the backstory of it falls together easily: it feels complete, not like there's something missing, which is something I have felt with...more
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This short story didnt feel so much as "written" as it did painted by masterful brushstrokes. It was lyrical, haunting and exceptionally crafted. In fact, I got so into it that it certainly didn't feel like a short work at all, just that I'd read a novella (devoured actually) in record time.
If your expecting a little girl-on-girl action, you won't get it here. Well maybe just a little, but this is certainly not erotica. This story is more a fantastical love tragedy than any standard genre read....more
If your expecting a little girl-on-girl action, you won't get it here. Well maybe just a little, but this is certainly not erotica. This story is more a fantastical love tragedy than any standard genre read....more
A decent little short story, if a little sad. If it was a longer book and ended the way it did I would have been upset, but with such a short story it felt okay.
It's a beautiful lesbian fairy tale, and that's exactly what it felt like. Sometimes when someone tries to write a fairy tale it comes off as too contrived or as if they are trying too hard. This one was perfect. There was enough back story to let you know what was at stake and enough characterization to make you feel for them.
Going to...more
It's a beautiful lesbian fairy tale, and that's exactly what it felt like. Sometimes when someone tries to write a fairy tale it comes off as too contrived or as if they are trying too hard. This one was perfect. There was enough back story to let you know what was at stake and enough characterization to make you feel for them.
Going to...more
This story was not at all what I was expecting. I expected that it would be some short, typical erotic tale. It was nothing like that. It was so much more about love, pain, suffering, confusion, heartache... so much went into this tale that I found myself at a loss for words as I finished. The point was not about lesbians having a sexual encounter- it was about love in expected places. The one sexual scene was well-written innuendo, not graphic content. Beautifully written- I highly recommend th...more
Beautiful and unexpected, full of hurting hearts for multiple different reasons. How hard is it fall in love? How hard is it to undo a curse that is older than the oldest living memory of it? How hard is it to become new people and move into the future? I remember how much my heart hurt through so much of this book, in the very best, most right, ways, and how the ending was a sweet release from it.
Very well done, very beloved.
Very well done, very beloved.
Creo que esta historia me ha convencido de cuanto disfruto la prosa de Sarah Diemer. Esta historia esta hermosamente escrita y fluye de una forma pausada y agradable. El que sea una historia corta es un plus, dado que si fuera una novela de mayor extensión seguramente la trama se diluiría hasta el punto del desencanto. El final es el adecuado y le da el toque de realidad con la que siempre coquetea la ficción.
A well written short story that feels like an original Greek or Celtic Myth. The first person pov worked well and gave it intimacy. I loved the imagery and thought it was a lovely little tale. And it was free on Amazon, yay.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Witch-Sea-e...
I would definitely like to read more from this author! :)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Witch-Sea-e...
I would definitely like to read more from this author! :)
Once, long ago, there was a battle, where one human with great will and magic was able to hold back the evil sea creature who would destroy all humanity. She passed her legacy down to her daughter and granddaughter, and just as the sea creature kept on so did they. Until Nor came to the witch Meriel's island and they fell in love and Meriel learned that sometimes the old stories are just that, stories.
Beautiful but simple, 'The Witch Sea' carries you along like the gentle ebb and flow of the ocean. I was unaware of how entangled my heart had become until the very last page, the last paragraph, the last sentence, when tears welled up in my eyes.
Sarah Diemer uncovers another pearl, proving to me once again that reading her tales is a spiritual experience.
Sarah Diemer uncovers another pearl, proving to me once again that reading her tales is a spiritual experience.
One of the marks of a good story is how often you go back to it in your mind. I feel like these characters and their tragic story will stay with me for a long time. Don't be scared off by the story being described as "lesbian fantasy erotica". It's that, but also more.
This was a very good book. It seems radical because it involves witches and lesbian romance but honestly its a sweet short story that is well written and the romance is sweet instead of lusty. I would definately enjoy reading more by this author.
I did not read the book, I savoured it. Incredible how Diemer's words evoked rich, detailed, energetic, painful, touching pictures in my mind and in my heart. I loved the interplay of personal destiny, family legacy and collective responsibility. Well done!
As with all short stories, I'm sad at how fast I devour them. This one was so compelling, and has so much potential. But at the same time satisfying with it's finish. I just loved it.
Beautifully written story, but the ending kind of fizzled out for me. I've expected for something more to happen, anything - when what we get is being left with a lot of questions, and bit of a sad feeling, for she gets her hearts desire and then again not.
Fair story.
I like the idea of a seal shapeshifter (Nor)
I would have liked it to be a tad longer but for a short story it is worth a quick read.
I like the idea of a seal shapeshifter (Nor)
I would have liked it to be a tad longer but for a short story it is worth a quick read.
I loved this short story. My only complaint is that it is a short story. I will be reading more by this author.
Beautifully written short story. Very complete feeling. I really liked it and definitely recommend reading it :)
Nice little twisted piece. A young lonesome witch learns that there exist two sides of one story and that times change. And she falls in love with a female sea creature, she´ll never see again. A bit sad, but I liked the story.
Ended too soon. Really enjoyed it but it left me wanting more.
Really enjoyed the rhythm/structure of this story.
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Sarah is a lesbian YA author and storyteller who writes about courageous young ladies who love other ladies. She makes jewelry out of words and wire and loves her wife more than anything, ever. She randomly sparkles. Her first novel, THE DARK WIFE--a YA, lesbian retelling of the Persephone and Hades myth--is out now. She writes lesbian fantasy and science fiction as Elora Bishop.
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“She was prisoner to an old, forgotten god, kept from her home, probably never to see it again, and yet... the way she sat, poised, calm, clear like a full moon night, she seemed much happier than me, the witch who contained them all, the jailer with the magic key.”
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