By Water And Blood


Fiction - Paranormal
306 Pages
Reviewed on 12/21/2014
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

One day in her childhood, Melanie Rose told herself a story about the apple she was eating. It was a planet, inhabited by one tiny man-like creature who kept having to move house as his various residences were devoured by a giant alien. It was a tragedy, of course, ending in the planet's destruction, but the author has been telling herself stories ever since.

Melanie Rose is the award-winning author of Ashford (BRAG Medallion, 2012) Violet Shadows (Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2013, Novella Category Winner) By Water and Blood, and An Amazing Alphabetic Anthology. She lives in Chewelah, Washington.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Dr. Karen Hutchins Pirnot for Readers' Favorite

By Water and Blood by Melanie Rose is a paranormal novel that will leave readers thinking about their own heritage as well as about decisions which impact their lives. Sophia is a young woman who feels out of sync with her world. When she discovers a note written by her deceased mother, Sophia begins to unfold bits and pieces of a strange and alluring heritage. She elects to stay on the Shetland Islands, after having spent some relaxing days on the island with her best friend. Sophia takes on the job of bartender as a means to support her meager needs, and she makes friends with a local who raises Shetland ponies. Ever so gradually, Sophia learns that she is a member of what was thought to be a fairy tale group of people named Selkies. Selkies are actually seals who have shed their skins and gone onto the land as women and men. Many have been forced into human trafficking and their skins have been sold so that they can never return to the sea.

This charming and captivating fairy tale is one which will draw in the reader because of the social factors inherent in the story. Sophia is a highly likeable woman who has a horrendous decision to make. She loves her human father and yet, the sea calls to her as a home she has lost. When Sophia begins to learn the secrets of the seal sanctuary, her issues are clarified and she makes the transition from an undirected and lost soul to a woman determined to take what is rightfully hers. As a reader, I would love to have experienced a bit more of the emotional turmoil which undoubtedly occurred with Sophia's decision, but the story itself was fascinating. By Water and Blood will surely capture the reader's imagination and Ms. Rose's writing style is a joy to experience.