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The Witch Sea
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 held captive by Meriel's spell, she shows kindness to the isolated witch. Nor sparks a passion within Meriel, defying every law that binds them both.
This award-winning short story ("The Witch Sea" won first place in the "Kissed by Venus" Fresh Voices short story competition) is a dark fantasy tale of love, loss and the price of freedom.
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 held captive by Meriel's spell, she shows kindness to the isolated witch. Nor sparks a passion within Meriel, defying every law that binds them both.
This award-winning short story ("The Witch Sea" won first place in the "Kissed by Venus" Fresh Voices short story competition) is a dark fantasy tale of love, loss and the price of freedom.
28 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2012
70 people are currently reading
2667 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Diemer
27 books802 followersI write about heroic, magical girls who love girls. YA author of Golden Crown Award-winning THE DARK WIFE (the lesbian, YA retelling of the Persephone myth) and TWIXT and co-author, with my amazing wife, author Jennifer Diemer, of Project Unicorn: A Lesbian YA Extravaganza.
http://www.MuseRising.com
http://www.MuseRising.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 184 reviews
May 26, 2013
The Witch Sea is a beautiful, evocative story that wraps itself around you with its simple, heartfelt yearning.
The witch Meriel longs for love and freedom, two things she believes she'll never have. The selkie Nor and her people long for their true home. Meriel keeps them from it by weaving a spell every day, a kind of net to hold them from the sea. It's a tradition passed down from her mother and grandmother, something she doesn't question at first.
But every night the sea people stand on the shoreline, looking into the waves, wishing for what they've lost, and Meriel starts to question what she's given up by accepting the life she was pushed into. The spell she works binds her in place as much as it binds the sea people to the land.
When Meriel and Nor start to fall for each other, Meriel can no longer keep the sea people at a distance. She begins to see their humanity and the ways in which they are exactly like her. The resolution is both a sacrifice and a gift, and it couldn't have ended any better.
The witch Meriel longs for love and freedom, two things she believes she'll never have. The selkie Nor and her people long for their true home. Meriel keeps them from it by weaving a spell every day, a kind of net to hold them from the sea. It's a tradition passed down from her mother and grandmother, something she doesn't question at first.
But every night the sea people stand on the shoreline, looking into the waves, wishing for what they've lost, and Meriel starts to question what she's given up by accepting the life she was pushed into. The spell she works binds her in place as much as it binds the sea people to the land.
When Meriel and Nor start to fall for each other, Meriel can no longer keep the sea people at a distance. She begins to see their humanity and the ways in which they are exactly like her. The resolution is both a sacrifice and a gift, and it couldn't have ended any better.
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December 21, 2017The Witch Sea had an interesting Concept, but I feel like this book was too short to really capitalise off of it. The worldbuilding was okay, but the contents was outlandish and so there really needed to be more worldbuilding to not leave me so confused, I think.
But what I loved about this was the tone, it's melancholy and dark and uniquely told from a first person present tense which was interesting. I don't know how I feel about the writing, on one hand it was pretty, but on the other I think it was too flowery, and I say this as someone who likes flowery. I think it's just because this described eyes as limpid, and that violently took me back to my fanfiction days
This was interesting overall, but didn't blow me away (though the ending 'twist' kinda thing was cool). I would definitely read Sarah Diemer's other book The Dark Wife
also fyi this is free on kindle!
SapphicAThon 4/16, science fiction fantasy
But what I loved about this was the tone, it's melancholy and dark and uniquely told from a first person present tense which was interesting. I don't know how I feel about the writing, on one hand it was pretty, but on the other I think it was too flowery, and I say this as someone who likes flowery. I think it's just because this described eyes as limpid, and that violently took me back to my fanfiction days
This was interesting overall, but didn't blow me away (though the ending 'twist' kinda thing was cool). I would definitely read Sarah Diemer's other book The Dark Wife
also fyi this is free on kindle!
SapphicAThon 4/16, science fiction fantasy
August 31, 2017
A haunting, beautiful story of the witch Meriel, bound to an island by duty and Nor, a woman that came from the sea but held captive on land by the spell. It reads like a Gothic noir, all misty and moody. The author's style is lyrical yet crisp, and you get caught up by Meriel's helplessness as she ponders the futilty of this curse she must uphold.
May 30, 2019
This is a beautifully written and poignant story of a witch, Merial, who weaves a spell to keeps sea creatures out of the bay and Galo, one of the oldest sea gods, trapped on land. It's a power struggle that has been going on since Merial's grandmother and it's her duty to keep it intact. Nor, a seal now in human form, is sent by Galo to ask for the release of the sea creatures.
Merial's loneliness is palpable and her ambivalence about her duty is brought into focus by the gentle Nor. Great read.
Merial's loneliness is palpable and her ambivalence about her duty is brought into focus by the gentle Nor. Great read.
December 30, 2020
I. WANT. MORE! So emotional, beautiful and thought-provoking. And so short. "I want more" is a compliment.
February 2, 2013
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 confusing...wasn't really certain why she was on the island or how her grandmother had come to do what she had done or what the main character's relationship had exactly been to her grandmother and mother. Excavating that a little would have made the character deeper and attached me to her even more.
However, this is a short story and the ground it does cover is covered with aplomb!
I found the back story a bit confusing...wasn't really certain why she was on the island or how her grandmother had come to do what she had done or what the main character's relationship had exactly been to her grandmother and mother. Excavating that a little would have made the character deeper and attached me to her even more.
However, this is a short story and the ground it does cover is covered with aplomb!
September 8, 2016
"We are all monsters." One of the first lines of the book, and one of the prevailing themes. Maybe we are all monsters - but in any case, this book is a rare gem.
I admit, I pounced on this one because I saw the cover, read the blurb, and my entire brain immediately started bouncing, squealing "mermaid lesbians? MERMAID LESBIANS!" And while my initial impression was not quite accurate (witches, selkies and other sea creatures-turned-human, but no mermaids), I'm certainly glad I did grab this one up.
I got through it in an afternoon. It's cliche, but I really couldn't put this one down. I kept reading while eating and snuck glances while I should have been working on a finals essay. It's that good. It's quick-moving while having gorgeous, poetic descriptions, and while a good bit of it is introspection and atmosphere, we get a wonderful sense of the characters involved. Even more impressively, this is done with relatively few words. For dialogue that's almost minimalist, people and their emotions shine through.
Lord, does the emotion shine through. Young, jailer-and-prisoner witch Meriel's loneliness and isolation is palpable, her feeling of imprisonment and desperation and familial obligation, her reluctant infliction of harm, her yearning for affection and warmth, all of these saturate the book like heavy seawater.
Five stars. I've never given a perfect rating before. But The Witch Sea truly deserves it. I'm absolutely going to seek out more of Sarah Diemer's queer fairy tales. I never knew how badly I needed them until now.
I admit, I pounced on this one because I saw the cover, read the blurb, and my entire brain immediately started bouncing, squealing "mermaid lesbians? MERMAID LESBIANS!" And while my initial impression was not quite accurate (witches, selkies and other sea creatures-turned-human, but no mermaids), I'm certainly glad I did grab this one up.
I got through it in an afternoon. It's cliche, but I really couldn't put this one down. I kept reading while eating and snuck glances while I should have been working on a finals essay. It's that good. It's quick-moving while having gorgeous, poetic descriptions, and while a good bit of it is introspection and atmosphere, we get a wonderful sense of the characters involved. Even more impressively, this is done with relatively few words. For dialogue that's almost minimalist, people and their emotions shine through.
Lord, does the emotion shine through. Young, jailer-and-prisoner witch Meriel's loneliness and isolation is palpable, her feeling of imprisonment and desperation and familial obligation, her reluctant infliction of harm, her yearning for affection and warmth, all of these saturate the book like heavy seawater.
Five stars. I've never given a perfect rating before. But The Witch Sea truly deserves it. I'm absolutely going to seek out more of Sarah Diemer's queer fairy tales. I never knew how badly I needed them until now.
June 29, 2017
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 it.
If you're interested in checking out Sarah Diemer's work, this might be a good place to start. I believe the e-book is still available for free on Amazon. If you're looking for a well-written short read, I highly recommend this one.
If you're interested in checking out Sarah Diemer's work, this might be a good place to start. I believe the e-book is still available for free on Amazon. If you're looking for a well-written short read, I highly recommend this one.
May 14, 2018
This was read as part of the Goodreads Inspired Read-a-thon.
The challenge was pick a book with a title that either fascinates you or you find completely absurd. I picked this book for that challenge because I was fascinated with the title.
What an absolutely beautiful short story! This would make such an excellent full length novel. I hope the author does make this a full length novel. I'm really just surprised that I liked it considering I'm not the biggest fan of short stories. I feel they are too short and leave a lot left out. But not with this!
The writing is really what got me. It was written so beautifully and prosey. It made my heart sing. This author has a gift and I hope they continue to write for years to come. Sarah Diemer was able to combine a backstory along with an actual story into one tiny short story. That takes a lot of skill and I applaud you, Sarah!
Even though this was a short story, I still bonded with the characters. I would have liked to spend more time with Meriel and Nor but I guess I'll just have to re-read the book in order to do that. I just adored this relationship and wanted nothing more than for them to have a happy ending.
Overall, a delightful little novel. I will be looking out for more works by this author because I am so hooked. Plus now, I want to read all the books about mermaids.
The challenge was pick a book with a title that either fascinates you or you find completely absurd. I picked this book for that challenge because I was fascinated with the title.
What an absolutely beautiful short story! This would make such an excellent full length novel. I hope the author does make this a full length novel. I'm really just surprised that I liked it considering I'm not the biggest fan of short stories. I feel they are too short and leave a lot left out. But not with this!
The writing is really what got me. It was written so beautifully and prosey. It made my heart sing. This author has a gift and I hope they continue to write for years to come. Sarah Diemer was able to combine a backstory along with an actual story into one tiny short story. That takes a lot of skill and I applaud you, Sarah!
Even though this was a short story, I still bonded with the characters. I would have liked to spend more time with Meriel and Nor but I guess I'll just have to re-read the book in order to do that. I just adored this relationship and wanted nothing more than for them to have a happy ending.
Overall, a delightful little novel. I will be looking out for more works by this author because I am so hooked. Plus now, I want to read all the books about mermaids.
"I don't know what do," I whispered then...
February 3, 2013
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, the story is not just romance, or erotica, it is not masturbatory material under the waste line but above the nose in the frontal lobe. It is a beautiful and dark story about breaking through what one believes and accepting what is on one’s heart.
Heart wrenching, heart warming and beautifully written. A Witch Sea is a lyrical piece full of complex and wonderful allegory with a dark hidden treasure within the foam coating the edges of the driftwood on a beach full of common seaweed.
Again, the story is not just romance, or erotica, it is not masturbatory material under the waste line but above the nose in the frontal lobe. It is a beautiful and dark story about breaking through what one believes and accepting what is on one’s heart.
Heart wrenching, heart warming and beautifully written. A Witch Sea is a lyrical piece full of complex and wonderful allegory with a dark hidden treasure within the foam coating the edges of the driftwood on a beach full of common seaweed.
April 23, 2014
Gently written with a Celtic lilt, this beautiful tale of magic and sea creatures and duty that is its own prison was a delight to read.
October 21, 2022
The Witch Sea (Kindle Edition) by Sarah Diemer: The words and tale are captivating. Oh my, the tale is haunting, beautiful, and magical. I wanted too so much more. Meriel is a witch and just, darling. She is bound to a location called Border Island living in a lighthouse. Her life's duty is protecting the world from an old God. A selkie named Nor who shifts from a seal to a human female touches Meriel's need to be loved. They touch each other's souls and spirits. I have never been one to get hold of the idea of soulmates as such. If I can describe what I think that concept is, this is the story to explain it. Nor's task is not to fall in love (though not quite in love), but to break the magic spell that holds the old God Galo bound. This is a tender beautiful story that touches my heart and filled me. The writing is so beautiful and drew me in fully. I wanted more. I looked on Kindle for The Witch Sea and it is not listed. I googled it and could not find it. It seems to be unavailable. This has been in my TBR Kindle pile since 2015. I wish I would have taken the time to love this book sooner. My only disappointment with this book is I want to be swallowed up by it.
February 16, 2025
Ojalá fuera más largo
March 15, 2012
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 some of Diemer's other work. It's a very short story, but it comes together well, and I liked the end.
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 some of Diemer's other work. It's a very short story, but it comes together well, and I liked the end.
January 13, 2019
Gorgeously written novella about a witch who's inherited the lifelong crushing burden of keeping a sea god captive to prevent the destruction of the world, and how she reacts to the woman sent by that god to change her mind. How do you decide when to let go of lifelong beliefs passed down to you by previous generations? When do you decide that your own life is worth more than obligations given to you by others, that you've accepted and worked to meet?
The characterization here is amazing, and so is the delicacy of witch Meriel's internal coping (or not) with how her life has reached a breaking point.
The characterization here is amazing, and so is the delicacy of witch Meriel's internal coping (or not) with how her life has reached a breaking point.
March 20, 2025
I feel very conflicted about this story.
On the one hand, I really adored the concept, but on the other, I felt it really suffered from its length. If this was maybe a novella instead, then maybe the author would have given herself more of an opportunity to flesh out Meriel, Nor, and Galo, which would have given them more impact. It’s hard to resonate with characters that you barely know, and it made me not really care for the ending. If it were longer, the slow burn yearning that became the tipping point to Meriel breaking the burden of tradition would have been far more realised, and I would have cared a lot more. I also think the writing is all over the place. The long run-on sentences felt never ending and the dialogue stiff. Again, this could have been easily solved if the author gave herself more space to develop the narrative beyond the fifty or so pages.
It really just felt like a lost opportunity to create a tragic sapphic romance with a unique concept behind it.
On the one hand, I really adored the concept, but on the other, I felt it really suffered from its length. If this was maybe a novella instead, then maybe the author would have given herself more of an opportunity to flesh out Meriel, Nor, and Galo, which would have given them more impact. It’s hard to resonate with characters that you barely know, and it made me not really care for the ending. If it were longer, the slow burn yearning that became the tipping point to Meriel breaking the burden of tradition would have been far more realised, and I would have cared a lot more. I also think the writing is all over the place. The long run-on sentences felt never ending and the dialogue stiff. Again, this could have been easily solved if the author gave herself more space to develop the narrative beyond the fifty or so pages.
It really just felt like a lost opportunity to create a tragic sapphic romance with a unique concept behind it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2015
This was a Dark Fantasy short about love and the price of freedom.
I give it 5 stars.
This short was enchanting and beautiful!
She managed to get me intrigued by a new world, make it mysterious, and show me love as well as question the concept of freedom. . .all in like barely twenty pages.
Awesome!
Excerpt:
I knew what she was.
When she came up the path, feet quiet, deliberate, I knew it from the way she moved, the webbing between her bare toes, how she faltered when she reached the lighthouse landing, like she had neer seen things like stairs before.
I knew, and i said nothing, because we were all, in our way, monsters.
March 7, 2012
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?)
March 11, 2012
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.
May 16, 2017
A quick read, that captured me with it's beautiful writing style, it's enchanting story, and it's heart. I will have to try some more of Diemer's writing.
May 28, 2017
Really cute short story about the sea, magic, girls and choosing who you want to be in the world. One of my favorite quotes is the following,
"You're magic," I told her, and when the words had left my mouth, I knew how true they were, how deeply true. She was magic to me, the sort of spell I could never make, could never understand.
I would really recommend this one to people who want a short f/f fantasy story.
"You're magic," I told her, and when the words had left my mouth, I knew how true they were, how deeply true. She was magic to me, the sort of spell I could never make, could never understand.
I would really recommend this one to people who want a short f/f fantasy story.
April 11, 2017
This was a lovely little fairytale, about a girl who lives alone on an Island maintaining a curse in order to stop the world ending. The story explores the idea of keeping up traditions and hatreds without fully understanding why.
I've seen this listed a few times as romance (the genre), which surprised me - the story is romantic, but no more than any fairy tale including a love story.
I've seen this listed a few times as romance (the genre), which surprised me - the story is romantic, but no more than any fairy tale including a love story.
October 29, 2023
The writing was so pretty, but no HEA 😭
December 19, 2019
O livro que eu mais enrolei pra ler no ano....
Eu amei a premissa de encontrar suas própria identidade através das lendas de um vilão passada de geração a geração. Eu gostei bastante da personagem e da luta dela em chegar na superfície e além de tudo mover tudo aquilo que ela mais temia. Foi um conto muito bom, só acho que não foi o momento certo pra mim.
Eu amei a premissa de encontrar suas própria identidade através das lendas de um vilão passada de geração a geração. Eu gostei bastante da personagem e da luta dela em chegar na superfície e além de tudo mover tudo aquilo que ela mais temia. Foi um conto muito bom, só acho que não foi o momento certo pra mim.
April 22, 2022
Another romance book that slid under my radar for a group that I am not normally into reading. With exception that particular sub-genre, though, I was intrigued by the title of the book while thinking it would be more something related to sea witches although not necessarily like Ursula or the old sea crone found in Anderson's original work.
Instead the book tells only the superficial story about an ancient sea god who came to do war with the humans that were causing harm and was stopped by a witch who threw magical nets on the ocean to keep him from returning to the ocean or possibly even be able to recruit others from the depths. And to continue her work she passed on this generational responsibility to her daughter and then her granddaughter of whom we follow the very last.
What I really wanted and needed to know for this story was why did the witch do this? What made her want to save humans so much that she would sacrifice all she had for this one goal to defy a god? What is the underlying motives for her cruelty since the reader can most definitely pick up on that personality trait from everything else that is going on? And why is she so much stronger than the daughter and grandchild that have been birthed from her?
Otherwise the story itself really isn't that bad. It shows what it takes out of a person to continue on harmful family traditions whose origins have been lost to the sands of time, what it takes to make it past taught perceptions and learning how to open up one's heart when doesn't know how to do.
My only qualms are that there are some questionable "dating" practices. First of all Meriel does a great job of stalking Nor without her permission and checks up on her constantly. And secondly there's a part where when Meriel and Nor are getting it on when the protagonist says she can't but then is made to anyway. If we as a society are going to insist that no means no then it should also be taken into consideration for book characters no matter what sexual alignment they are made a part of.
There is also a tugging feeling that Nor wasn't all that she was portrayed to be since I felt she had more of a relationship to Galo rather than to Meriel. She was rather more intimate to him than any of the other imprisoned sea creatures, had more freedoms and came to him on her own choice even if it could have led to death. And so does this mean that she made up her own feelings to manipulate Meriel into doing what would have been the right thing for the sea people?
All in all it was a rather decent short story but one that begs to have more pages filled out to explore the actual story line that is kept away from the reader. Otherwise it will most definitely make for a quick romance/fantasy read, especially if you are into f/f relationships.
Instead the book tells only the superficial story about an ancient sea god who came to do war with the humans that were causing harm and was stopped by a witch who threw magical nets on the ocean to keep him from returning to the ocean or possibly even be able to recruit others from the depths. And to continue her work she passed on this generational responsibility to her daughter and then her granddaughter of whom we follow the very last.
What I really wanted and needed to know for this story was why did the witch do this? What made her want to save humans so much that she would sacrifice all she had for this one goal to defy a god? What is the underlying motives for her cruelty since the reader can most definitely pick up on that personality trait from everything else that is going on? And why is she so much stronger than the daughter and grandchild that have been birthed from her?
Otherwise the story itself really isn't that bad. It shows what it takes out of a person to continue on harmful family traditions whose origins have been lost to the sands of time, what it takes to make it past taught perceptions and learning how to open up one's heart when doesn't know how to do.
My only qualms are that there are some questionable "dating" practices. First of all Meriel does a great job of stalking Nor without her permission and checks up on her constantly. And secondly there's a part where when Meriel and Nor are getting it on when the protagonist says she can't but then is made to anyway. If we as a society are going to insist that no means no then it should also be taken into consideration for book characters no matter what sexual alignment they are made a part of.
There is also a tugging feeling that Nor wasn't all that she was portrayed to be since I felt she had more of a relationship to Galo rather than to Meriel. She was rather more intimate to him than any of the other imprisoned sea creatures, had more freedoms and came to him on her own choice even if it could have led to death. And so does this mean that she made up her own feelings to manipulate Meriel into doing what would have been the right thing for the sea people?
All in all it was a rather decent short story but one that begs to have more pages filled out to explore the actual story line that is kept away from the reader. Otherwise it will most definitely make for a quick romance/fantasy read, especially if you are into f/f relationships.
July 25, 2012
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 destroy humanity with his legions of marine life soldiers. Meriel's grandmother cast a spell barring Galo and his followers from entering the sea again, but it must be maintained via a silver net that keeps sea creatures from reaching shore and turning into another member of Galo's "army."
However, one seal makes it through one night and becomes the woman Nor, whom Galo sends every day to try and barter with Meriel for a lift of the curse. Over the course of the story Meriel realizes how lonely she's been her whole life and that she doesn't know if she believes in her grandmother's mission. And, of course, she's falling in love with Nor.
The highlight of this story is watching Meriel come undone, from the first moments she begins to doubt her road in life, to the final seconds when she realizes how much she desires companionship for once in her life. The development is thus watching Meriel go from spell-casting drone to a woman with her own hopes and wants. The author does a great job of showing this change happen, and it's both believable and sympathetic.
This isn't a story about sex, or even romance at the core of it. It's about one woman (erm, seal?) showing another that the world is more than what she's been raised to believe. Obviously this reflects our own, not-so-fantastical world, but achieves it with a whimsical tale that reads like it's straight out of classic legend. However, those looking to read this book to find a great lesbian romance will probably be disappointed. That's not a slight to the story, but a warning to readers looking for a light-hearted and sexy read. Cause that ain't this.
My only real issue with the story was in the sentence constructions. There are a lot of wordy sentences that are quite confusing to read at first. Overall I thought the editing was done well, but I question letting the wordiness get through in such large amounts. Otherwise that's my only gripe, and once you get used to it, it doesn't really detract from enjoying the story. You just might have to read things a few times.
I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys women making changes in their lives...with a fantasy setting. I'll be looking up the author's other works since I enjoyed this one so much.
"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 destroy humanity with his legions of marine life soldiers. Meriel's grandmother cast a spell barring Galo and his followers from entering the sea again, but it must be maintained via a silver net that keeps sea creatures from reaching shore and turning into another member of Galo's "army."
However, one seal makes it through one night and becomes the woman Nor, whom Galo sends every day to try and barter with Meriel for a lift of the curse. Over the course of the story Meriel realizes how lonely she's been her whole life and that she doesn't know if she believes in her grandmother's mission. And, of course, she's falling in love with Nor.
The highlight of this story is watching Meriel come undone, from the first moments she begins to doubt her road in life, to the final seconds when she realizes how much she desires companionship for once in her life. The development is thus watching Meriel go from spell-casting drone to a woman with her own hopes and wants. The author does a great job of showing this change happen, and it's both believable and sympathetic.
This isn't a story about sex, or even romance at the core of it. It's about one woman (erm, seal?) showing another that the world is more than what she's been raised to believe. Obviously this reflects our own, not-so-fantastical world, but achieves it with a whimsical tale that reads like it's straight out of classic legend. However, those looking to read this book to find a great lesbian romance will probably be disappointed. That's not a slight to the story, but a warning to readers looking for a light-hearted and sexy read. Cause that ain't this.
My only real issue with the story was in the sentence constructions. There are a lot of wordy sentences that are quite confusing to read at first. Overall I thought the editing was done well, but I question letting the wordiness get through in such large amounts. Otherwise that's my only gripe, and once you get used to it, it doesn't really detract from enjoying the story. You just might have to read things a few times.
I highly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys women making changes in their lives...with a fantasy setting. I'll be looking up the author's other works since I enjoyed this one so much.
April 20, 2012
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 that took to land in human form, to a life stuck on land without the ability to return to the ocean or call forth more sea creatures to join him in his fight against the human race.
When a seal is able to break through the barrier keeping the sea creatures from coming upon the island, the seal (as a woman now) goes to Galo and he instructs her to go to Meriel, on her island nearby, and ask her if she will take Galo's offer to break the curse. Every day, though, Meriel tells Nor (the seal) that she will not.
With each day that goes by, with Nor visiting Meriel to ask her again to reconsider, Meriel realizes just how lonely she is. She's all alone on her island, charged with protecting the barrier with her magic. It's when Meriel realizes that she's drawn to Nor that her world begins to crumble. She doesn't know what to do anymore. She's not sure that Galo, or the other creatures, are as bad as her grandmother or her mother had told her so many times.
Basically this is a story about right and wrong, about misjudging others. It has a bit of light romance between Meriel and Nor which was sweet. It's also not what you would necessarily call a HEA story either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it!
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 that took to land in human form, to a life stuck on land without the ability to return to the ocean or call forth more sea creatures to join him in his fight against the human race.
When a seal is able to break through the barrier keeping the sea creatures from coming upon the island, the seal (as a woman now) goes to Galo and he instructs her to go to Meriel, on her island nearby, and ask her if she will take Galo's offer to break the curse. Every day, though, Meriel tells Nor (the seal) that she will not.
With each day that goes by, with Nor visiting Meriel to ask her again to reconsider, Meriel realizes just how lonely she is. She's all alone on her island, charged with protecting the barrier with her magic. It's when Meriel realizes that she's drawn to Nor that her world begins to crumble. She doesn't know what to do anymore. She's not sure that Galo, or the other creatures, are as bad as her grandmother or her mother had told her so many times.
Basically this is a story about right and wrong, about misjudging others. It has a bit of light romance between Meriel and Nor which was sweet. It's also not what you would necessarily call a HEA story either. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it!
September 18, 2013
This story was so beautiful and heartwarming that I’ve caught myself rereading it on more than one occasion. From the language to the setting to the overall theme, there is no doubt in my mind that the characters were developed far beyond what we see in the story itself.
The conflict and resolution are well-balanced, great for someone looking for a story that’s both evocative and a quick read. It deals with a lot of issues from loneliness to familial ties and loyalty, expectations, duty, and what the main character really wants out of her life. Although a short story, Sarah Diemer does an excellent job selling the romance between the two main characters, Meriel and Nor. There are enough touching moments to make their relationship feel absolutely authentic.
The situation, although fantasy-based and revolving around the curse, triggers emotions and reactions in the characters that are easy to relate with—Meriel’s loneliness, expressed through such a strong voice, was made all the more penetrating. Since the story was written from her perspective, readers get to know her intimately; her tone is vibrant and her motives are introduced clearly.
As for Nor—the love interest—she is the cutest thing in the history of... ever. She’s sweet and innocent without being too sugary, and acts as the ideal support for Meriel. Though at first there is an underlying purpose to Nor’s visits, she eventually comes just to spend time with the other girl.
All in all, I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, genuine story of self-exploration. It's definitely one of my favourites.
The conflict and resolution are well-balanced, great for someone looking for a story that’s both evocative and a quick read. It deals with a lot of issues from loneliness to familial ties and loyalty, expectations, duty, and what the main character really wants out of her life. Although a short story, Sarah Diemer does an excellent job selling the romance between the two main characters, Meriel and Nor. There are enough touching moments to make their relationship feel absolutely authentic.
The situation, although fantasy-based and revolving around the curse, triggers emotions and reactions in the characters that are easy to relate with—Meriel’s loneliness, expressed through such a strong voice, was made all the more penetrating. Since the story was written from her perspective, readers get to know her intimately; her tone is vibrant and her motives are introduced clearly.
As for Nor—the love interest—she is the cutest thing in the history of... ever. She’s sweet and innocent without being too sugary, and acts as the ideal support for Meriel. Though at first there is an underlying purpose to Nor’s visits, she eventually comes just to spend time with the other girl.
All in all, I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a sweet, genuine story of self-exploration. It's definitely one of my favourites.
February 7, 2013
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 many of his creatures, trapped on the land with a net of magic, woven originally by her grandmother. The crux of the plot is, if the witch truly loves the sea creature, she will let her go back to the sea. But then she will never see her again. It is only toward the end of the story that they finally go to bed together. The sex is described in romantic rather than pornographic terms, and it's sooooooo beautiful. So is the ending and I won't spoil it. You should read this story.
J. Ellyne
J. Ellyne
December 23, 2017
I don't actually know when I bought this, but I need to catch up on my reading (five books left...) and I decided reading a wlw book would be cool. Turns out this was super short, which is helpful.
About half of the way through, I wrote this:
"What is this story really about? It is about the burdens left by previous generations for the newer generations to deal with, burdens which often get harder. The fact that the main character is a lesbian only amplifies this new-ness, as millennials and gen xers are far more likely to identify as queer openly and to accept that they are as such than previous generations. Additionally , this generation feels trapped by the greed of baby boomers which has limited their freedom while promising them a better future - the want for freedom belongs therefore not only to the main character, but to the monsters as well."
About half of the way through, I wrote this:
"What is this story really about? It is about the burdens left by previous generations for the newer generations to deal with, burdens which often get harder. The fact that the main character is a lesbian only amplifies this new-ness, as millennials and gen xers are far more likely to identify as queer openly and to accept that they are as such than previous generations. Additionally , this generation feels trapped by the greed of baby boomers which has limited their freedom while promising them a better future - the want for freedom belongs therefore not only to the main character, but to the monsters as well."
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