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The Dark Queen. A supernatural thriller short story
A sunken city. A lost goddess … and the woman who longs to find her.
Lara is part of a dive team exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion off the north coast of Egypt. When a storm threatens the site, there's only time for one last dive and Lara is determined to be on it – even if it means diving with the man who threatened her this summer.
Because The Dark Queen is down there and Lara intends to find her before it's too late …
Sink beneath the waves in this supernatural short story from New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, J.F.Penn.
Lara is part of a dive team exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion off the north coast of Egypt. When a storm threatens the site, there's only time for one last dive and Lara is determined to be on it – even if it means diving with the man who threatened her this summer.
Because The Dark Queen is down there and Lara intends to find her before it's too late …
Sink beneath the waves in this supernatural short story from New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, J.F.Penn.
20 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2018
12 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
J.F. Penn
56 books2,233 followersI'm the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, crime, dark fantasy, horror, short stories, and travel memoir.
Reading order: https://jfpennbooks.com/pages/reading...
The fast-paced ARKANE thrillers weave together historical artifacts, global locations, a kick-ass protagonist and a hint of the supernatural. Described by readers as "Dan Brown meets Lara Croft."
The Brooke & Daniel Crime Thriller Series features British detective Jamie Brooke alongside museum researcher Blake Daniel, as they solve dark crimes around London.
The Mapwalker fantasy adventure trilogy is set between Bath, England and the Borderlands in a split world fantasy where Sienna and the Mapwalker team travel through maps to adventure ...
A Thousand Fiendish Angels is a collection of 3 short stories bound together by a book of human skin. Inspired by Dante's Inferno.
You can buy books directly from me https://jfpennbooks.com/
I have a blog and podcast at http://www.BooksAndTravel.page
I'm passionate about writing and I love reading. My favorite authors include James Rollins, Jonathan Maberry, John Connolly, Daniel Silva, and I also read a lot of travel books.
Reading order: https://jfpennbooks.com/pages/reading...
The fast-paced ARKANE thrillers weave together historical artifacts, global locations, a kick-ass protagonist and a hint of the supernatural. Described by readers as "Dan Brown meets Lara Croft."
The Brooke & Daniel Crime Thriller Series features British detective Jamie Brooke alongside museum researcher Blake Daniel, as they solve dark crimes around London.
The Mapwalker fantasy adventure trilogy is set between Bath, England and the Borderlands in a split world fantasy where Sienna and the Mapwalker team travel through maps to adventure ...
A Thousand Fiendish Angels is a collection of 3 short stories bound together by a book of human skin. Inspired by Dante's Inferno.
You can buy books directly from me https://jfpennbooks.com/
I have a blog and podcast at http://www.BooksAndTravel.page
I'm passionate about writing and I love reading. My favorite authors include James Rollins, Jonathan Maberry, John Connolly, Daniel Silva, and I also read a lot of travel books.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 3, 2018
A Supernatural thriller short story
Although, this story may be short in words it nevertheless packs quite a bit in its 16 pages. “The Dark Queen” is the story of a sunken city, of lost goddess and of Lara who is determined to find her.
I am not a fan of short stories but honestly with Ms. Penn’s I make exception. In a few words she richly composes her fantasy, gives us decidedly a spooky and entertaining drama and propels her main character into a saga not many would want to live through…..Ms. Penn’s words captures your imagination and I was hooked from the start and wanting more by the end…..
I received a copy from Ms. Penn for my thoughts
Although, this story may be short in words it nevertheless packs quite a bit in its 16 pages. “The Dark Queen” is the story of a sunken city, of lost goddess and of Lara who is determined to find her.
I am not a fan of short stories but honestly with Ms. Penn’s I make exception. In a few words she richly composes her fantasy, gives us decidedly a spooky and entertaining drama and propels her main character into a saga not many would want to live through…..Ms. Penn’s words captures your imagination and I was hooked from the start and wanting more by the end…..
I received a copy from Ms. Penn for my thoughts
December 9, 2025
A decent little batch of short stories.
February 14, 2018
I received a free copy for my honest review. The Dark Queen's a short story, that you wish Penn would have written into a full story and it's really good reading.
I never really bothered with short stories, till the late Marina Keegan made me realize, I was missing out on some really good reading by doing that.
The setting is in Egypt, off the coast of Alexandria, where Lara an Archeologist knows she's close to finding the dark queen statue, in a lost ancient city the team discovered and begs to go down for one final dive.
Her rival Kahlid, volunteers to be her diving buddy, otherwise she wouldn't be able to make that last dive. Penn gives you enough to realize that something happened between the two, they don't get along and your thinking one of them won't be coming back.
Lara ends up ditching Kahlid, goes into a temple, were she finds the dark queen, as she cleans off the statue, when the spirit trapped takes over Lara, she ends up trapped in the statue and becomes the dark queen.
As usual J.F. Penn writes a really good story, even if it's short, although this one she could easily add to in the future and highly recommend her writing.
She's amazing, never been a fan of supernatural, science fiction/ fantasy, discovered her writing by a free book offer and really like she adds elements of it to a realistic story.
I never really bothered with short stories, till the late Marina Keegan made me realize, I was missing out on some really good reading by doing that.
The setting is in Egypt, off the coast of Alexandria, where Lara an Archeologist knows she's close to finding the dark queen statue, in a lost ancient city the team discovered and begs to go down for one final dive.
Her rival Kahlid, volunteers to be her diving buddy, otherwise she wouldn't be able to make that last dive. Penn gives you enough to realize that something happened between the two, they don't get along and your thinking one of them won't be coming back.
Lara ends up ditching Kahlid, goes into a temple, were she finds the dark queen, as she cleans off the statue, when the spirit trapped takes over Lara, she ends up trapped in the statue and becomes the dark queen.
As usual J.F. Penn writes a really good story, even if it's short, although this one she could easily add to in the future and highly recommend her writing.
She's amazing, never been a fan of supernatural, science fiction/ fantasy, discovered her writing by a free book offer and really like she adds elements of it to a realistic story.
October 25, 2025
I was in the mood for horror short stories… this book delivered!
My favorite story was Between Two Breaths in which a woman attempts a free dive to find a hidden mystery.
Lots of buried mythical lore, archeological excavation and demons. The works are heavily researched which I appreciate.
My favorite story was Between Two Breaths in which a woman attempts a free dive to find a hidden mystery.
Lots of buried mythical lore, archeological excavation and demons. The works are heavily researched which I appreciate.
February 16, 2018
This is a very unsettling read from Joanna Penn, a master of her craft. Although the story is only short, the atmosphere is chilling from the start and the tension builds all the way through until the shocking ending. Perfect to scare yourself before sleep, a little gem.
February 16, 2018
This is a very short story, about 15 minutes for me, but it does pack quite a bit into that short space. It's an object lesson in pared-down writing with hardly a word wasted. Unfortunately, I felt that for me it was cut down too much as I think that the story deserved more detail to fully do it justice. But nevertheless it definitely left me with a cold shiver running down my spine because of the eerie ending. I should point out that I normally never read short stories, so my opinion may be biased. The author gave me an advance copy of the book, but the review is honest and based on my own opinions.
February 13, 2018
The Dark Queen. J.F. Penn
A short novella. Lara, an archeologist is diving off the coast of Alexandria. Once Egypt's major bustling port. A lost city has been discovered, the dark queen of Egyptian legend lies buried there. One last dive, she has to find her! She does! She begins to clean the debris from her statue, and suddenly the dark queen becomes Lara! Lara is now the dark queen, living but trapped in the statue. For eternity? A superbly written fantasy! Enjoyed tremendously! Hoping for a sequel!
A short novella. Lara, an archeologist is diving off the coast of Alexandria. Once Egypt's major bustling port. A lost city has been discovered, the dark queen of Egyptian legend lies buried there. One last dive, she has to find her! She does! She begins to clean the debris from her statue, and suddenly the dark queen becomes Lara! Lara is now the dark queen, living but trapped in the statue. For eternity? A superbly written fantasy! Enjoyed tremendously! Hoping for a sequel!
February 21, 2018
Very short little story about a diver and an ancient cursed statue buried in the ocean for a millennia. From the first sentence you know you are in for a thrill ride. Excellent, entertaining and decidedly spooky. I am too claustrophobic to dive, especially the way Lara did. Ending was definitely a surprise! Another excellent read by Joanna Penn. Wouldn’t mind a full length sequel to this one. Absolutely love the history and images that she always puts at the end of her stories so you can research the information yourself. Highly recommend.
February 13, 2018
While this is a short story, it grabbed my interest from the start and held it until the last line.
I wish this were a part of a full-length book because there are so many parts to this story I would love to know. If you aren't familiar with Joanna Penn's work this would make an excellent introduction. I received a review copy from the author and chose to provide a review.
I wish this were a part of a full-length book because there are so many parts to this story I would love to know. If you aren't familiar with Joanna Penn's work this would make an excellent introduction. I received a review copy from the author and chose to provide a review.
November 7, 2025
Creepy. Dark. These twelve short stories had betrayal, greed, desperation, hope, all set in fantastic settings with monsters on land or underwater. And sometimes the monsters were human. A great collection from a terrific author who has become a must read for me every time she releases a new book!
February 15, 2018
An intriguing short story!
Set on a dive off the north coast of Egypt, the dive team is exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion. Lara is looking for the Dark Queen. But is the Dark Queen a prized statue, or a legend?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Set on a dive off the north coast of Egypt, the dive team is exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion. Lara is looking for the Dark Queen. But is the Dark Queen a prized statue, or a legend?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
February 15, 2018
The story had me so hooked that I wanted it to continue. J.F. has a writing style that is well written and provides descriptions that allow you to easily visualize events. Her imaginative writings capture your imagination, make you want to keep reading to the end and often leave you wanting more.
February 16, 2018
Straight from the first couple of lines the characters come to life and you feel like you not only know them but are on the boat with them.This is a very interesting short story. It would be great if this storyline was expanded in the future. Great short read that leaves you wanting more.
June 20, 2020
Quick read but not short on depth
I enjoyed tagging along with the character as she explored the depths. Thought I knew what was going to happen so was surprised by the twist. Fun quick read.
I enjoyed tagging along with the character as she explored the depths. Thought I knew what was going to happen so was surprised by the twist. Fun quick read.
May 28, 2025
I listened to the audiobook.
Magic, mystery – and a lot of hurt in this story. What the MC should have remembered: be careful what your wish for. I liked the twist ending… One can imagine what she’ll get up to.
Trigger warning: sexual assault.
Magic, mystery – and a lot of hurt in this story. What the MC should have remembered: be careful what your wish for. I liked the twist ending… One can imagine what she’ll get up to.
Trigger warning: sexual assault.
October 25, 2025
Wonderful short stories, each a thriller of a different kind - each a horror story in its own right. You can read anything you want between the lines and let your imagination run wild - what a feeling!
February 17, 2018
A Fantastic real quick read.
March 8, 2018
Fast but good
I am a fan of her work. This was a quick read but enjoyable. I could almost see myself down there.
I am a fan of her work. This was a quick read but enjoyable. I could almost see myself down there.
February 5, 2019
I SO wish we could have a full length story out of this! I want Khalid to face justice, I want Lera to escape, I want to know what The Dark Queen will do now in the human world! I NEED ANSWERS!
April 3, 2019
A quick read with an magnetic ending twist. If you have not read Penn you should give her a shot.
August 22, 2023
A short story but captivating none the less. I usually hate when the lead female makes a dumb choice but in this it’s wrapped in career, fear and anger so it is acceptable
March 4, 2018
Intriguing story with surprise ending!
Great short story, very suspenseful and intriguing. It ended much too quickly, and I wanted more, much more!" I hope J.F. Penn will write more on this story line. Happy reading!
Great short story, very suspenseful and intriguing. It ended much too quickly, and I wanted more, much more!" I hope J.F. Penn will write more on this story line. Happy reading!
March 30, 2025
This is a supernatural short story that takes readers on an underwater adventure. The story follows Lara, a diver exploring the sunken city of Thonis-Heraklion off the coast of Egypt. As a storm threatens the site, Lara embarks on one final dive, determined to uncover the secrets of the Dark Queen. The tale combines elements of archaeology, mythology, and suspense, creating a captivating story.
May 17, 2023
The dark queen by Penn. Pathos galore, just not enough. You know something is going to happen and it's not going to be good. Penn's experience as a scuba diver comes through as she takes Lara into the depths and beyond.
June 15, 2018
I think the story was well written and the macabre feeling stretched throughout the story.
It was a little too short for me to pique my interest - but that's just me.
It was a little too short for me to pique my interest - but that's just me.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews