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Conclave: A Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Four science-fiction and fantasy novellas for young adults. At Conclave Manor, land-trapped Mermaid Thala Tellurian struggles to accept her privileged life while battling her self-obsessed Uncle in any petty way she can. Isolated and forbidden to delve into her family’s bloody past, Thala longs for change. So, when visitors from a rival pod reveal a hidden agenda, Thala dives straight in. But it’s not until she’s face to face with her family’s lifelong enemy that she realises she’s in terrifyingly unfamiliar waters. Rowan knew nothing about the secret in his DNA until he found himself on the Terrean team bound for Conclave Seven, the universal Games held every millennia. But on the eve of the Games, knowing he’s a direct descendant of the warrior Spartacus is looking less like a gift and more like a death sentence… Born into captivity, Doze has spent his life behind the Fence, so when staying there is no longer an option, he takes a chance to see if another life is possible. An experiment on the loose from ConClave Corporation, Doze helps his travelling companions to avoid capture, and discovers that there is no sacrifice too great for freedom. On the Conclave Pacifica, a spaceship in a fleet heading to a new world, Peach forges an online friendship with Araxi, who is travelling on another ship. But, wildly off course and under pressure for resources, the future of the Conclave Pacifica looks uncertain. Could Peach’s new friend be the answer to her survival?
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 24, 2014
Loved this book! Four fantasy novellas, each with a different take on the word Conclave. First up is an intergalactic struggle between species set under the waves, a rip roaring underwater adventure featuring fortresses, caves, narrow escapes and bloody rescue missions. The next story is an altogether darker tale, as the truth about a sinister corporation is uncovered by a town’s delinquent teens. The teenagers battle for survival against a background of broken families and the sadness of lost innocence. The third story imagines an intergalactic Olympics where the prize is the promotion of their species into government. And the events are less than forgiving. A group of teenagers have to find their strengths and work as a team to survive each nail biting challenge. In the last story a teenager aboard a spaceship on a hundreds-year-long voyage finds a solution to the ship’s decaying navigational system in an unexpected way. Told in real time and by a researcher years later, the story shifts from one perspective to the next seamlessly. Each story pulls you in and holds you in its unique world until the finale, a great read!
April 21, 2014
1) A Mer-tale: Merfolk as you’ve never seen them. These merfolk are not the simple creatures of dreams, but strong, fiercely loyal, and fighting to save their species. A Mer-tale carries adult themes such as family loyalty, personal sacrifice, and the consequences of lust for conquest.
2) The Fence: The Fence gives you on a horrifying view from the inside of the cage. What would you do to escape? Would you conform like the majority of the township, or be the rebel and take the more dangerous route. When life is at stake people’s true colors come to the fore, whether for the good or for the bad. Read this story and decide what your inner self would do.
3) Conclave Seven: When Hunger Games meets The Great Race on an intergalactic scale. This competition isn’t just about winning to see which species will sit on the governing body of the known universe for the next term. No, it’s about survival. Even though we as humans are frail creatures there is more to us than flesh and blood. This story show traits that are stronger such as compassion, courage, and perseverance, and teaches us that helping others brings unseen rewards.
4) Peach and Araxi: This story shows the difference between the unbiased and straightforward mind of a young person compared to the more complex and sometimes sinister motives of an adult whether alien or human. Like the other stories in this book, friendship is the glue that makes us stronger, With it we can cope with any problem, and even sometimes save the world.
2) The Fence: The Fence gives you on a horrifying view from the inside of the cage. What would you do to escape? Would you conform like the majority of the township, or be the rebel and take the more dangerous route. When life is at stake people’s true colors come to the fore, whether for the good or for the bad. Read this story and decide what your inner self would do.
3) Conclave Seven: When Hunger Games meets The Great Race on an intergalactic scale. This competition isn’t just about winning to see which species will sit on the governing body of the known universe for the next term. No, it’s about survival. Even though we as humans are frail creatures there is more to us than flesh and blood. This story show traits that are stronger such as compassion, courage, and perseverance, and teaches us that helping others brings unseen rewards.
4) Peach and Araxi: This story shows the difference between the unbiased and straightforward mind of a young person compared to the more complex and sometimes sinister motives of an adult whether alien or human. Like the other stories in this book, friendship is the glue that makes us stronger, With it we can cope with any problem, and even sometimes save the world.
July 2, 2015
This book reminded me why I love novellas. Long enough to sink your teeth into, but short enough for an easy read.
The stories are linked by the word 'conclave,' each interpreting its meaning in a new way. Conclave: my dictionary defines it as a private or secret meeting. In one story it's home to a family of alien mermaids and mermen. Hiding from both humans and their enemy, the sprats, these fishy folk struggle with loss while trying to fight back. It's a story rich with emotion and insightful characters. The environmental overtones will strike a chord with young people.
Conclave Seven is a kind of pan-galactic death race. Four Terrans battle every type of ugly alien imaginable to save themselves and the future of humanity. This is a gripping account that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Again, the characters are well-drawn and by the last page feel like old friends. The action pounds along at a rapid drum beat while the monsters and otherworldly landscapes acutely realised.
In ConClave Corporation, the school delinquents turn out to be a coastal community's best chance of escaping killer troops No one is what they initially seem to be and slackers-turned-heroes keep you reading to the final scene.
The tales have a New Zealand charm to them, which makes for a refreshing perspective. Although written for teenagers, anyone who enjoys a good SF or fantasy read will enjoy this. I couldn't put the kindle down!(
The stories are linked by the word 'conclave,' each interpreting its meaning in a new way. Conclave: my dictionary defines it as a private or secret meeting. In one story it's home to a family of alien mermaids and mermen. Hiding from both humans and their enemy, the sprats, these fishy folk struggle with loss while trying to fight back. It's a story rich with emotion and insightful characters. The environmental overtones will strike a chord with young people.
Conclave Seven is a kind of pan-galactic death race. Four Terrans battle every type of ugly alien imaginable to save themselves and the future of humanity. This is a gripping account that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Again, the characters are well-drawn and by the last page feel like old friends. The action pounds along at a rapid drum beat while the monsters and otherworldly landscapes acutely realised.
In ConClave Corporation, the school delinquents turn out to be a coastal community's best chance of escaping killer troops No one is what they initially seem to be and slackers-turned-heroes keep you reading to the final scene.
The tales have a New Zealand charm to them, which makes for a refreshing perspective. Although written for teenagers, anyone who enjoys a good SF or fantasy read will enjoy this. I couldn't put the kindle down!(
April 11, 2014
This is a great anthology for any sci fi fan to own. Four different author's took me on four different journeys, each with their own style, characters and setting, and each with a different interpretation of the central theme (a conclave). The short story format is great because I could finish a whole story in one sitting.
April 28, 2014
Conclave takes you to 4 totally different places. Each of them fantastic. I received a free copy and I enjoyed it a lot. It's meant to be for teens but it is also a nice read for grown ups.
July 14, 2016
Conclave is a collection of stories exploring the many realms of science fiction and fantasy. Jan Goldie's A Mer-Tale serves as an entertaining adventure while Piper Mejia's The Fence is both gritty and ominous. Conclave Seven by Lee Murray is packed with action and suspense, and the lovely tale of Peach and Araxi by Celine Murray had an ending that made me smile. Although some moments in plot felt rushed, all four authors introduced a variety of characters that brought personality and humour. A fantastic array of stories, each vividly describing worlds beyond our own.
May 28, 2014
This book has 4 stories all written with a key word... Conclave. Each story is different and unique. Some stories were better than the others, but for the most part it was a good book. If you like or even love science fiction then these stories are perfect for you.
August 6, 2016
A small group of mer people living on land, they are one of a few small groups left of their proud and beautiful race. They were hunted for food by an alien race similar to them, called the Sprats. Thala is living in conclave manor with an uncle she can't get along with, and longs for change. Anything different than being stuck inside never going anywhere. Her small pod is visited by a rival pod on the pretense of an arrangement she has no say in. When two of the guests leave in the middle of the night for a mission unknown to any of the adults, she follows. There is no way she is going to let them go when she knows she can help. When they find themselves in deep water, they get help from a source they never imagined getting help from.
This is a dark story, with a message about how we can make assumptions about the others we encounter when we don't take the time to learn. I was left wishing that I had a full length book. I loved the world the Mer people and would like to read more about it. Though the change from first person to third person kept bringing me out of the story. I would have preferred if it was all third person or all first person and just had two first person POVs.
A dystopian world that is ruled by a giant corporation that keeps everyone inside the fence. Doze is a troublemaker with a mouth on him, I loved that he wasn't one dimensional and underneath it all he cared in his own way. This story is about being trapped in the only reality you know and deciding to live in the reality that you choose. Doze and a small group, including his two sisters decide to escape and stand up to the corporation.This story started out a little slow for such a short story but it quickly built up steam.
An intergalactic survival game of survival. All species of the universe have their teens gather to fight for their survival. Somewhat a hunger games style, though still very different. They fight each other, their environmental challenges and deadly creatures. I really enjoyed this story, it will have you on the edge of your seat wondering who will come out on top of this futuristic gladiator style contest.
Peach has been traveling through space for 260 years. On their way to a planet very similar to earth, they end up off course. In space one degree off course can be very very very big. Peach meets a new friend, Araxi, though Araxi is not on the ship with her. Their communication is through online messages. When supplies start to run low and all hell starts to break lose, these messages prove to be important for more then just Peach and Araxi. These messages promise hope to everyone on board Peach's ship. I loved this story. The characters were great, the situation and environment the story was set in.
I really liked this collection of stories, they were all so different from what I usually find. I would love to see each of these stories be a full novel. I think they each have what it takes and I don't think it would be difficult. They all have the elements needed. This is a great collection of sifi and fantasy stories. This book might be YA, but I think readers of all ages would really enjoy these stories. The only real negative thing about this is that even with a common theme, "conclave," I felt like they didn't really mesh well together, maybe it was the order they were in but I found it hard to transition from one to the next.
This is a dark story, with a message about how we can make assumptions about the others we encounter when we don't take the time to learn. I was left wishing that I had a full length book. I loved the world the Mer people and would like to read more about it. Though the change from first person to third person kept bringing me out of the story. I would have preferred if it was all third person or all first person and just had two first person POVs.
A dystopian world that is ruled by a giant corporation that keeps everyone inside the fence. Doze is a troublemaker with a mouth on him, I loved that he wasn't one dimensional and underneath it all he cared in his own way. This story is about being trapped in the only reality you know and deciding to live in the reality that you choose. Doze and a small group, including his two sisters decide to escape and stand up to the corporation.This story started out a little slow for such a short story but it quickly built up steam.
An intergalactic survival game of survival. All species of the universe have their teens gather to fight for their survival. Somewhat a hunger games style, though still very different. They fight each other, their environmental challenges and deadly creatures. I really enjoyed this story, it will have you on the edge of your seat wondering who will come out on top of this futuristic gladiator style contest.
Peach has been traveling through space for 260 years. On their way to a planet very similar to earth, they end up off course. In space one degree off course can be very very very big. Peach meets a new friend, Araxi, though Araxi is not on the ship with her. Their communication is through online messages. When supplies start to run low and all hell starts to break lose, these messages prove to be important for more then just Peach and Araxi. These messages promise hope to everyone on board Peach's ship. I loved this story. The characters were great, the situation and environment the story was set in.
I really liked this collection of stories, they were all so different from what I usually find. I would love to see each of these stories be a full novel. I think they each have what it takes and I don't think it would be difficult. They all have the elements needed. This is a great collection of sifi and fantasy stories. This book might be YA, but I think readers of all ages would really enjoy these stories. The only real negative thing about this is that even with a common theme, "conclave," I felt like they didn't really mesh well together, maybe it was the order they were in but I found it hard to transition from one to the next.
August 30, 2016
Conclave is a great collection of four speculative novellas, each one putting its own spin on the central link: the word ‘conclave’.
In Jan Goldie’s A Mer-tale the conclave represents the family unit of endangered merfolk who have lost many of their species through war and a disease called blight. The central protagonist, Thala, is a land-trapped orphan young mermaid, dealing with the struggles of growing up under the isolated and restricted regime of a rather tyrannical uncle, obsessed with saving the family, and the species for that matter, at all costs. With fertility being rare in adult females, Thala is concerned about what her uncle has planned for her future if she’s able to breed and old foes of the conclave have plans of their own. More competent and rebellious than the typical mermaid of fairy tales, Thala is more than capable of dealing with her share of danger. A compelling and action-packed adventure with relatable characters.
Piper Meija’s The Fence is a dark SF with a setting that is both instantly familiar as a New Zealand and disturbingly dystopian. In this novella ConClave takes on a darker mantel as the sinister corporation that has trapped the citizens inside a fence. Doze, a young pasifika teen, who at first appears just as a rebellious delinquent but it soon comes out that there a lot more to him than that as he struggles to save his younger siblings and stand up to the enemy.
In Conclave Seven by Lee Murray, four teens Rowan, Mathilde, Ari and Tonya are forced to compete in an intergalactic gladiatorial game of survival against other teens of alien races that range from the doomed and vulnerable to the powerful and deadly. The four characters are pushed to their limits, and have to confront not only the deadly competition but creepy spiders, perilous surroundings and their own inner demons to survive. A gripping adventure tale with vivid descriptions. The action is fast-paced and exciting, yet it is a character-driven story and you cannot help but care for the four protagonists and feel for some of the other unfortunate alien competitors.
Celine Murray’s Peach and Araxi is a SF tale about friendship and hope. In this story Conclave Pacifica is an Earthship in a fleet on a long voyage to a new world. The protagonist, Peach, is a sixteen year old girl dealing with growing up under the pressure to master the skills necessary for colonising the new planet as they are scheduled to arrive in her lifetime. The situation on Conclave Pacifica is under threat with riots and diminishing food resources and the friendship Peach between Araxi, told through their online messages, proves to be important not only for Peach.
In Jan Goldie’s A Mer-tale the conclave represents the family unit of endangered merfolk who have lost many of their species through war and a disease called blight. The central protagonist, Thala, is a land-trapped orphan young mermaid, dealing with the struggles of growing up under the isolated and restricted regime of a rather tyrannical uncle, obsessed with saving the family, and the species for that matter, at all costs. With fertility being rare in adult females, Thala is concerned about what her uncle has planned for her future if she’s able to breed and old foes of the conclave have plans of their own. More competent and rebellious than the typical mermaid of fairy tales, Thala is more than capable of dealing with her share of danger. A compelling and action-packed adventure with relatable characters.
Piper Meija’s The Fence is a dark SF with a setting that is both instantly familiar as a New Zealand and disturbingly dystopian. In this novella ConClave takes on a darker mantel as the sinister corporation that has trapped the citizens inside a fence. Doze, a young pasifika teen, who at first appears just as a rebellious delinquent but it soon comes out that there a lot more to him than that as he struggles to save his younger siblings and stand up to the enemy.
In Conclave Seven by Lee Murray, four teens Rowan, Mathilde, Ari and Tonya are forced to compete in an intergalactic gladiatorial game of survival against other teens of alien races that range from the doomed and vulnerable to the powerful and deadly. The four characters are pushed to their limits, and have to confront not only the deadly competition but creepy spiders, perilous surroundings and their own inner demons to survive. A gripping adventure tale with vivid descriptions. The action is fast-paced and exciting, yet it is a character-driven story and you cannot help but care for the four protagonists and feel for some of the other unfortunate alien competitors.
Celine Murray’s Peach and Araxi is a SF tale about friendship and hope. In this story Conclave Pacifica is an Earthship in a fleet on a long voyage to a new world. The protagonist, Peach, is a sixteen year old girl dealing with growing up under the pressure to master the skills necessary for colonising the new planet as they are scheduled to arrive in her lifetime. The situation on Conclave Pacifica is under threat with riots and diminishing food resources and the friendship Peach between Araxi, told through their online messages, proves to be important not only for Peach.
August 27, 2016
I was gifted a copy to review for PRATR. I give this set 4 Fangs only because it was not my usual choice of reading so I don’t think I was full able to appreciate it. It’s more Sci-Fi than Fantasy except for the first book in the set. Each story is filled with conflict and drama.
My favorite was A Mer-Tale simply because it was more my typical read than the others. The story of a land-trapped mermaid had interesting and original ideas for mermaid life. Slipping into Thala’s world was easy because the author gave you enough description of what was going on without rambling like some tend to do. Thala’s views on her uncle are mixed. He used to be someone she respected until he came from the war with the Blight and something haunting his eyes. But with her parents death she was stuck with him.
The Fence follows Doze in his search for escape and freedom. He fights hard to protect his sisters from the experiments being conducted. The conclave officers gather up the children under the pretense of bad weather coming and having to evacuate. Doze knows it’s a bunch of bull so he decides it’s time to escape. Follow him and his very wild and rocky path to freedom.
In Conclave Seven the once in a thousand years there are games held that will decide who controls the universe for the next thousand years. Only once in 7000 years has the Terreans (earth) made it into the top ten. Rowan knows these odds and isn’t very hopeful about their team winning. The games are brutal and the other species are very weird. Rowan’s team fights with everything they have and some die.
In The Peach and Araxi Peach is on a ship from Earth, the Conclave Pacifica, that has been traveling for 260 years to a planet that had looked to be similar to Earth. Only they end up off course. She ends up getting a new friend request and becomes good friends with Araxi. Only Araxi isn’t on her ship. When her mother finds out about Araxi she begins to hope that there is help nearby. Araxi on the other hand is raised where they only think technology is important and when he discovers Peach he makes learning about her people and technology his project. The story follows the effect of the friendship between Peach and Araxi and how it ripples in their ships and the lives onboard them.
November 17, 2014
Four authors have each taken up the challenge to write a sci-fi/fantasy story featuring the word "Conclave". The result is four very different stories, but all well written and entertaining.
Jan Goldie’s ‘A Mer-tale’ examines the trials of growing up in an isolated location under the watchful eye of an over-protective uncle, whilst also worrying about the small matter of a hostile alien invasion and the need to avoid becoming the main course in a sea-food banquet. The story rips along, pulling us towards a climactic final battle, but there has to be a twist in this tale.
In ‘The Fence’, Piper Mejia produces a dark, dystopian world and follows the fortunes of a small group trying to escape the clutches of an all-powerful corporation that treats them as guinea-pigs in an evil experiment. Gripping from the start, we are quickly caught up in this desperate bid for freedom or even just survival.
‘Conclave Seven’ by Lee Murray introduces us to the gory games played between intergalactic rival species as they vie for power. Imaginative and fascinating, this has to be the ultimate take on reality TV challenges.
In Celine Murray’s ‘Peach and Araxi’, the heroine, Peach, is on a space-ship that is not only failing but is also lost in space. A chance contact with Araxi provides the possibility of assistance. Mixing humour and romance, the story draws us in, hoping for a happy ending – but Araxi is from a different species and they are hungry.
Make sure you have a little bit of time to spare when you start any of these stories; once you start you'll want to keep reading. Certainly a great way to relax - they are all easy reading - and fill a winter's evening or two. But don't read them to the kids!
Jan Goldie’s ‘A Mer-tale’ examines the trials of growing up in an isolated location under the watchful eye of an over-protective uncle, whilst also worrying about the small matter of a hostile alien invasion and the need to avoid becoming the main course in a sea-food banquet. The story rips along, pulling us towards a climactic final battle, but there has to be a twist in this tale.
In ‘The Fence’, Piper Mejia produces a dark, dystopian world and follows the fortunes of a small group trying to escape the clutches of an all-powerful corporation that treats them as guinea-pigs in an evil experiment. Gripping from the start, we are quickly caught up in this desperate bid for freedom or even just survival.
‘Conclave Seven’ by Lee Murray introduces us to the gory games played between intergalactic rival species as they vie for power. Imaginative and fascinating, this has to be the ultimate take on reality TV challenges.
In Celine Murray’s ‘Peach and Araxi’, the heroine, Peach, is on a space-ship that is not only failing but is also lost in space. A chance contact with Araxi provides the possibility of assistance. Mixing humour and romance, the story draws us in, hoping for a happy ending – but Araxi is from a different species and they are hungry.
Make sure you have a little bit of time to spare when you start any of these stories; once you start you'll want to keep reading. Certainly a great way to relax - they are all easy reading - and fill a winter's evening or two. But don't read them to the kids!
May 25, 2014
This collection of science fiction fantasy tales for young adults is an absolutely fascinating read.
Moving between intergalactic warring Merfolk to a community suppressed and controlled by an all powerful company; from life and death game-playing teenagers, to lost-in-space explorers, Conclave is a collection of intense adventures.
While written with young adults in mind, I was completely won over by each author’s ability to drawn me into their strange and fanciful worlds. This talented group of women each with an individual voice and writing style had me holding my breath in anticipation many times with their amazing tales of life threatening journeys, and death defying heroics. There is so much to love about these short stories that I almost wish they were longer. I’d love to read more, to find out what happened next!
Four completely different stories with one common thread, Conclave is an absolutely fascinating read. 5 Stars
Moving between intergalactic warring Merfolk to a community suppressed and controlled by an all powerful company; from life and death game-playing teenagers, to lost-in-space explorers, Conclave is a collection of intense adventures.
While written with young adults in mind, I was completely won over by each author’s ability to drawn me into their strange and fanciful worlds. This talented group of women each with an individual voice and writing style had me holding my breath in anticipation many times with their amazing tales of life threatening journeys, and death defying heroics. There is so much to love about these short stories that I almost wish they were longer. I’d love to read more, to find out what happened next!
Four completely different stories with one common thread, Conclave is an absolutely fascinating read. 5 Stars
October 20, 2014
I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this book. I wish I could give it a five star but i have to say that the fantasy part did not grab me like the science fiction did. The very first story of the book was my favorite. it so hard to write a review on each story because they are so short that it so easy to say it all in your own words, That would be a big spolier for you all. I dont do spoiler, So please grab a copy and start to read for yourself. I hope you all enjoy the science fiction storys as much as i did
May 28, 2014
Conclave is a great collection of four speculative novellas, each one putting its own spin on the central link: the word ‘conclave’. They are all wonderful , well written , entertaining stories , each one taking on a life of its own. They all drag you into them and even after you are done you can't help but think about them. A must have book for any collection !!!
April 26, 2015
Started off extremely slow, but then it unexpectedly took off at a very fast pace with some unexpected surprises. The book is a pretty good read for someone who enjoys pretty good read. It is notbstrictly science fiction, even though that is the majority of what it is.
May 31, 2014
A couple of these short stories are fantastic and balance out the ones that aren't as well-written.
February 8, 2015
4 distinctive stories with a common Conclave theme. I especially enjoyed mermaid story and Conclave 7 :)
March 2, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection. The one common thread between all of the unrelated stories is that there’s always a location called Conclave. Definitely worth a read!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews