S is for Selkie
Hello!
How have July and August flown past so quickly? Here we are in September and my colleagues and I are gearing up for a new scholastic year. It’s always an exciting but busy time for me. However, I’ve managed to eke some time to continue editing my current work in progress—an epic fantasy with paranormal elements. The protagonist—Kari—is able to see ghosts and ends up having to work with one to solve the mystery surrounding her grandmother’s murder, as well as assist the ghost to complete his mission, and solve a couple of other crimes in the process. As usual in my stories, a romantic element is entwined with the fantasy and the mystery. I’m happy with how the edits are going but I’m also considering a name change and I’d love some feedback. So far, I’m considering
Quest of Dragons and Ghosts OR Lady of Hereafter
Which do you think sounds best? I really need help with this one!
S is for Selkie
Now on to today’s Fantasy Creature…
In folklore and fantasy, the selkie stands out as one of the most enchanting and bittersweet creatures of the sea. Originating from the folklore of Scotland and Ireland, selkies are mysterious, gentle beings who live as seals in the ocean but can shed their skins to become human on land. Their stories are woven with themes of love, loss, and the eternal pull of the sea.
Selkies embody a fascinating duality, existing between two worlds—both the wild, untamed sea and the human realm. As seals, they are graceful and elusive. When they come ashore, they shed their seal skins and take on human form—selkies can be either male or female. They are often described as breathtakingly beautiful.
The most common selkie tales involve love stories between selkies and humans. These stories often begin with a human discovering a selkie’s discarded seal skin and hiding it, thereby trapping the selkie in human form. The selkie, unable to return to the sea without their skin, marries the human and lives on land, often begetting children. However, these stories usually end in tragedy—eventually, the selkie finds their skin and returns to the sea, leaving behind a heartbroken spouse and children.
These tales serve as a reminder of the powerful, sometimes painful, connection between humans and nature, and the consequences of trying to possess what cannot be owned.
In modern fantasy, selkie stories often explore contemporary themes, such as identity, belonging, and the environment. In these modern retellings, selkies might struggle with their dual identity, or serve as symbols of the environment, representing the sea’s beauty and vulnerability. Selkie stories also speak of the human desire to control and possess the wild, often at a great cost. They remind us that true freedom and love involve letting go, rather than holding on too tightly.
The selkie remains one of the most captivating creatures in fantasy. Their stories, filled with love and longing, offering a poignant reflection on the nature of love, and the deep, unbreakable connection between humans and the wild.
References: https://www.centreofexcellence.com/exploring-selkie-myths/
Books You Might Like
For lovers of all things fantasy… FREE BOOKS
And Free through KU…
Some self-promo!
When sixteen-year-old Shael helps a mortally wounded messenger, he entrusts her with delivering to the queen three magical statuettes stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. But Shael accidentally cuts her fingers while handling the statuettes and magic links her to them—any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh. Shael’s fate is now inexorably tied to the Hyllethans, the statuettes, and the political turmoil in the land.
A lonely girl with a terrifying ability. The penniless soldier who loves her. And a lord with the power to destroy them both.
For seventeen years, Maia, a promising acolyte of the Goddess of Light, has hidden her unholy ability to conjure flames over her skin. But when she performs in the temple’s Summer Solstice ceremony, the Emperor’s envoy, Lord Quei, tells her he knows her secret. Quei threatens to enslave Vane, the young man Maia loves, and execute her unless Maia recovers coins that were stolen from him. He claims these will protect his memory, as well as reveal the true nature of Maia’s fire and restore her lost memories.
To save herself and Vane, Maia resorts to deceit and thievery in her search for both the coins and the truth about her fire. But if what Quei says is true, the coins will shatter all she’s been told about herself and the Goddess she reveres, and even worse, will destroy Vane’s trust and love.
FIRE DANCE is a gripping blend of fantasy, sci-fi, romance and adventure that will resonate with fans of Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series.
When protecting family means losing the one you love.
Maia and Ryse, the love of her several lives, are desperate to return to their home world. Only Ryse’s presence there can stop a war erupting between their two rival countries. But Maia’s heart is torn: their craft is too small to take them as well as all her family and leaving with Ryse means abandoning family members in a land ravaged by war and rebellion.
When on their journey to reach their craft they stop to help a galley under enemy attack, they attract the attention of Dardarin, the Lysenthean army’s general, who suspects Maia and Ryse are not who they claim to be but are in fact enemy spies. With Dardarin following their every move to entrap them in their lies and with the plight of the downtrodden Lisentheans entangling Maia in the rebellion’s web, Maia races against the clock to find a way to protect all those she cares about on both worlds—even if doing so could mean she’d lose Ryse.
Fire Storm is a compelling blend of fantasy, sci-fi, romance and political intrigue, perfect for fans of gripping adventures like Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series.
Colours of Fantasy (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Not enough time to read, but love fantasy?
Colours of Fantasy is an anthology of short stories that range from magical realism to sci-fi fantasy. They are short enough to be easily read while commuting or during a lunch break. Read about paintings that are truer than true-to-life, or the heart-wrenching decision Poseidon’s human son-in-law has to take, or perhaps you’ll prefer a glimpse of life after an apocalypse, or a story about a space pirate with an uncomfortable past.
And if you like longer reads, Colours of Fantasy gives you a taste of Book One of two series: The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy and Fire Dance Chronicles.
Till next time! Wishing you a great two weeks with a good book!
Caroline
P.S. If you’ve read any of my novels, I would really, REALLY appreciate a review for the book/s, even if it’s not a great one! Ratings are also gratefully received. It really helps other fans of fantasy to decide whether to pick up the book or not.
