“Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Selkie Margred has been alone far too long. Ever since her mate died a couple hundred years ago she’s had no one. Now unable to stand not feeling the intimate touch of another she has come to a small island in Maine, and meets her destiny.
Caleb Hunter needed an escape from the harsh life in the big city. He has come to the small island in Maine where the most dangerous thing that ever happens is facing down a drunk-and-disorderly. His life is forever changed the night Margred appears to him out of nowhere and disappears the same way.
Danger is stalking the small town and Margred is at the heart of it. A dangerous criminal is stalking women and he has pegged Margred as his next victim. But this man is not really a man at all and his only goal is the destruction of Margred’s kind. Can she trust Caleb to aid her when he doubts the sanity of his Sea Witch when she tells her tale? And what of the strange connections he already has to these Children of the Sea? They must overcome their differences if they are ever to find happiness together.
What a refreshing and unique world Virginia Kantra has created for Children of the Sea! Full of sensual magic, intrigue, and compelling characters, Sea Witch is a book to be savored. I loved the legends and the lore of Margred’s ocean world. We see the beauty of that life through her eyes, and are privy to the immense loneliness such a life can instill in a being. The back story is rich and intense, interspersed throughout the book so as to not bog down the story. As the danger grows and we learn more about the imminent threat to Margred, the tension grows, creating pulse-pounding suspense and nail-biting fear that the evil won’t be stopped in time.
Margred starts out as what we all expect a selkie to be like, based on the legends, but she quickly becomes more. Through her relationship with Caleb and her interactions with other humans on the island, Margred grows and adapts in to a caring woman who would sacrifice herself if it means keeping those she loves safe. Caleb is a warrior who takes it upon himself to protect all around him. His story as a young man was a hard one yet he grew and adapted in spite of that earlier life, to become who he is today.
Sea Witch was the first book by Virginia Kantra I ever read. After finishing this, I had to go back and dig out some anthologies from book cases to read Virginia’s contributions. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Children of the Sea series. While not necessary to enjoy the story in Sea Witch, I certainly recommend reading the prequel novella, Sea Crossing, found in the Shifter anthology for another visit to the magical ocean world of the selkies.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, June 2008. All rights reserved”