Blurb
The Call of the Sea cannot be ignored...
Beneath the waves lies another world, one filled with creatures of myth. Mermaids and sirens who find themselves torn between the land and the sea. As they struggle to choose, they will encounter danger, betrayal and love that cannot be.
Dive into the pages and discover a world you have never seen before. Will they find love or will it all end in tragedy?
A Collection of Dark Fantasy Tales
Book links 🔗
Review
The Call Of The Sea: A Collection of Dark Fantasy Tales by S. K. GregoryMy rating: 3.75 of 5 stars
BOOK: Unbreakable Bond (Part of The Call Of The Sea: A Collection of Dark Fantasy Tales) by Astrid V.J. (alongside S.K. Gregory, WM Dawson, Anita Harlan, Louise Dutcher, Brigitte Ann Thomas, and PG Forte)
Format: Kindle Edition / Ebook
Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
Status: Read
QUICK IMPRESSION
This novella is based loosely on a Māori folktale—the pakiwaitara of Kōpūwai, the giant ogre (tipua or maero) of the South Island of New Zealand. When I read the title page and acknowledgement, I realized why the story felt so familiar. I've actually read about the legend and visited the DOC heritage site in Central Otago named after it: Kōpūwai (The Obelisk / Old Man Rock)!
(view spoiler)
QUOTES TO KEEP
• "She was a canoe on life’s tide and went where the waters drove her. Unimportant. A speck. Nothing."
• 'She had always been small, but this conversation whittled away at her until she was a speck: tiny and insignificant. Smaller than a sandfly.'
• “I cling to you the way an abalone shell sticks to its chosen rock,” he whispered. “I am yours. Always.”
KEY CHARACTERS
• Hinewai: FMC, daughter of the deceased Chief Tayn, unwillingly betrothed to the warrior Ropata.
• Nyra: Cousin to Hinewai, best friend, and healer of animals.
• Aunty: Clan speaker, wise woman of the pā, aunty to Nyra and Hinewai.
(There are more, but these are the women key to the storyline—I’ll let you discover Rua for yourself!)
FINAL THOUGHTS
• The Good: I loved how Hinewai grows. In the beginning, she feels unseen and ignored by her family and clan. But when her mother refuses to listen and betroths her to Ropata, she does the only thing she can: she leaves. That small step leads her into an amazing adventure!
• The Bad: Honestly couldn't think of anything! But boy, the ending was... sorry, no spoilers!
• Verdict: If you enjoy retellings of fables and fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast or The Hunchback of Notre Dame—with mystery, mythical creatures, female empowerment (Hinewai is definitely a chief's daughter!), and a romance where love conquers all—this story is worth the book alone. Plus, you get a bonus collection of other tales!
📍 A Personal Note:
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| Kōpūwai / Old Man Range |
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| Kat standing next to Koupoui monolith |
The dog's monoliths Kōpūwai / Old Man Range
This story being based on a local legend made it hit completely differently for me. I've actually been up to the Kōpūwai / Old Man Range! Standing up there feels like the middle of nowhere—it’s vast, windswept, and exposed, looking up at that 26-meter rock spire. Knowing the landscape makes reading this interpretation extra special.
Thank you to the author and book funnel who gifted me Astrid VJ Part of this anthology to review, these are my personal thoughts and opinions on this story alone.
View all my reviews
Author Bio
Astrid V.J.
Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author, Astrid V.J. was born in South Africa. She is a trained social anthropologist and certified transformational life coach. She currently resides in Sweden with her husband and their two children. In early childhood, she showed an interest in reading and languages—interests which her family encouraged. Astrid started writing her first novel at age 12 and now writes fantasy in a variety of genres, exploring her passion for cultures and languages. When she isn’t writing, Astrid likes to read, take walks in nature, play silly games with her children, do embroidery, and play music.
Astrid writes transformation fiction: incorporating transformation principles in novels, rather than writing another self-help book. She loves exploring the human capacity for transformation and potential to achieve success in the face of adversity. Astrid is interested in minority group questions, considerations on social standards of beauty and the negative consequences these have, and would like to make the fantasy genre accessible to people of non-white, non-Christian backgrounds. Astrid feels the fantasy genre has become too restrictive with limited representations of race, ethnicity and culture. She seeks to explore other paths on this writing journey, incorporating her background in anthropology and psychology to create engaging experiences, which also provide food for thought on the diverse topics she finds most important. These include: racism, minority rights, cultural diversity, culture change, intolerance, humanity’s environmental impact, the representation of people on the autism spectrum in among the general populace, the human capacity for transformation, and much more.
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