The Sea Was a Fair Master (Release Date: June 5, 2018)

The world’s fate lies with a comatose young girl; an android wants to remember a human she once knew under Martian skies; men at sea learn that the ocean is a realm far different from land, where an unforgiving god rules; a school security guard discovers extreme English class; and a man understands what the behemoth beneath the sea commands of him.

The Sea Was a Fair Master is a collection of 23 stories, riding the currents of fantasy, science fiction, crime, and horror. There are tales of murder, death, loss, revenge, greed, and hate. There are also tales of hope, survival, and love.

For the sea was a fair master.

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“On these dark-blue waves, it is the sea who is judge, jury, and executioner. This is another realm, where forgiveness doesn’t exist as on land and where spirits do not find freedom among the clouds. Here, they ride the currents of forever.” 

My Thoughts…

I don’t read many anthologies, particularly the flash fiction variety, but Calvin Demmer is a fantastic storyteller so I decided to take a leap outside my comfort zone. I don’t think I will be able to do this collection justice but here I go.

Each story varies in length, some being as short as a few pages. It takes a very strong writer to capture a reader with the average short story, nevermind 5 pages but this author is talented enough to do that and more. He has created a collection that is captivating, dark, and eerie. Though it is fiction, it is as thought-provoking as it is imaginative and I found myself envisioning all sorts of things while reading.

As I mentioned, this isn’t usually my thing but despite my reservations, I found it very entertaining. I would happily recommend this to readers who enjoy well-crafted tales rather than the usual fiction and I can easily picture these stories being told by a crackling campfire, maybe with sound of waves crashing in the distance.

Rating… A

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Calvin Demmer is a dark fiction author. His debut collection, The Sea Was a Fair Master, was released in June 2018. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe.

You can find him online at http://www.calvindemmer.com or follow him on Twitter @CalvinDemmer.