Four timeless tales from Sheri L. McGathy, together in one collection:
~ THE BIRTH OF SPRING~
When the Winter King stays the wheel, refusing to allow the season to turn, the Summer Queen has no choice but to declare war.
Yet, there is one within the southern realms unwilling to see the peoples of Faery wage war. Astara, daughter of the Summer Queen, has taken it upon herself to journey alone to the northern realms, seek out the Winter King, and beg him if she must, to release the wheel. The season must be allowed to change.
~ THIEF OF DREAMS~
Nerys Devi has met the man she could love with all her heart, the one she would share her dreams with. Yet, fate has other plans. Instead of sharing her dreams, will he now be doomed to haunt them?
~THE ANCIENT ONE~
When Talwyn followed her people, the Golden, from the mist, she found herself reborn into a wondrous world of greens and blues and light and warmth. When she heard the spirits within the trees call out to her, she found again the oneness she thought lost to her forever. When the spirits showed her a future that would see her beloved trees destroyed, Talwyn vowed to protect them, even if it meant never returning to the mist again.
Within the swirling mists of time, fanciful whispers give birth to wonders beyond any known reality and shape a single moment into legend. This is one such tale.
~WHERE LIES BEAUTY~
When Tanner is hired to find the mythical city of Sha-da-nay, little does she know that what she seeks is far different than what she’ll find. For buried in the darkest depths of the Hagath Forest is a truth that can set her free, if only she is willing to truly see WHERE LIES BEAUTY.
“… four enchanting fantasy stories that will take your imagination to new heights while keeping you spellbound with each innovative tale….Lovers of fantasy should not pass up Omnibus. …Ms. McGathy’s imagination is vivid and bold, and her stories will take you places that you’ve never dreamed of.”—Margaret Marr, Nights and Weekends.
Bitten By Books Review
Omnibus
was like stepping into a different world where magic is real and enchantment is an everyday occurrence. Each story delves into the world of myth and magic but in slightly different directions.
“The Birth of Spring” is an ambitious undertaking that simply sparkles with life. Ms. McGathy did an exceptional job of creating a story of how spring came into being. The descriptions of the land of Summer and the land of Winter are so real that you feel like you are there. You hope that our heroine Astara, the daughter of the Summer Queen, will be able to convince the Winter King to allow the wheel of the seasons to turn back to summer. There is even a little romance as the new Summer King harbors love for Astara in his heart. This love turns out to be pivotal in not only changing his vengeful heart but also in the turning of the wheel from winter to the newfound season of spring.
“Thief of Dreams” is more overtly romantic as Nerys and Cody face serious challenges in order for them to be together, including an avaricious suitor Gerard and the Unseelie Queen, who has claimed a soul of which she does not want to let go. This story delves into the darker aspects of the Fae folklore, such as the fact that if one enters a faery ring, one could end up stuck in the land of Fae. I enjoyed the description of the Seelie and Unseelie lands, and a cameo by Cernu, the horned god of Celtic myths. He helps Nerys to reclaim her lost love in Cody. I also liked the fact that the unprincipled Gerard received his comeuppance in the perfect manner.
“The Ancient One” was a difficult story to get into. At first, I couldn’t figure out where the story was leading. McGathy referred to the characters as Golden ones who were periodically reborn, but I didn’t understand what the Golden were. To be honest, I still don’t clearly understand. It was clear that they were an ancient race who communicated with the non-human spirits on the earth but had little to do with humans. It was also clear that they cared for the ancient trees and wanted to keep them safe. That’s where the story leads, with the heroine, Talwyn, who chooses to stay behind to protect the trees from the threat of humanity. This was definitely my least favorite, although I enjoyed the dragons in the story.
My favorite story was “Where Beauty Lies”. It is a story in which the heroine, Tanner, is a seeker. She has the ability to find lost places, and makes a living with it, along with her brother, Conn. This ability ties into her lost heritage, which includes a painful past. She takes a spoiled lord on a journey to the mythical city Sha-da-nay, along with her brother and Manny, the lord’s hideously scarred slave. Immediately, Tanner has a connection with Manny that starts as an inner knowledge that his soul is familiar to her. She extends kindness to him, and a friendship develops, which ends up as a deep love. This story was very profound and made me tear up as it showed the fact that beauty is only skin deep. This is evidenced by the cold, selfish lord, Faylon, who is outwardly beautiful, whereas the gentle, loving Manny is short and stubby with a deformed and scarred face yet has a loving, giving soul. I really adored Manny and I loved that Tanner could see past the surface to the good heart inside. I also liked the fact that this story brings in elven folklore and involves a quest to a lost city.
Although Omnibus could be a slow read at times, it was a beautifully-written collection of short stories that I truly enjoyed reading. I adore folklore, and so any story that innovatively and interestingly incorporates folklore attracts my attention. Ms. McGathy is a talented writer, and I look forward to reading more by her.
OMNIBUS – A collection of Fantasy Stories by Sheri L. McGathy
ISBN-10: 155404507X / ISBN-13: 978-15540450
Fantasy Length: 224 pages
Publisher – Double Dragon Publishing
“Within this quiet nothingness, nestled just on this side of starlight,
the realm of Faery exists, safely tucked between the never was and the
evermores. At
least, this is what I believe.”
Thief of Dreams.—Sheri L. McGathy
These words graciously express the journey of heart and imagination to
be found in the collection entitled “Omnibus…A Collection of Fantasy
Stories.”
I must confess, adoring a beautiful love story as much as I do, to being
especially fond of the two love stories in the collection. “Thief of
Dreams” is superb in the telling. Nerys and Cody captured my heart and
compelled me to continue reading, not stopping until I’d completed
love’s journey with them. In “Where Lies Beauty” you’ll meet Tanner, a
heroine whose strength and vulnerability will steal your heart. This
collection is worth buying and reading because it’s wonderful.
Review by Lynda Coker
Linda Madl, acclaimed author of SPEAK OF LOVE says of THE BIRTH OF SPRING ~ A Dream Realm Award Winner for Best Young Adult Fantasy, "McGathy is a master of the lyrical language that draws the reader into the Faery realm. When you’ve finished reading this tale, you’ll be ready for the next. ’But what of fall, Storyteller? How did it come into the world?’"
In THIEF OF DREAMS, Sheri L. McGathy, has written a wonderfully romantic story filled with heart-warming romance and suspense and shows us that love can conquer all. ~ In the Library Reviews
THE ANCIENT ONE is a beautiful story of love and hate, innocence and loss. It is the stuff from which legends are born... ~ Kelley A. Hartsell, CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
WHERE LIES BEAUTY, a tale inspired by a fairy tale, captured this reader’s attention from the first paragraph. ~ Tina Morgan, Fiction Factor
Sheri L McGathy has truly captured the essence of hope, love, and beauty in these four tales. From the despair of death in a world trapped in an endless winter through the joy of love born from knowing the true inner beauty of another, these four stories will take the reader on a mystical journey that will guide them to see the magic that is there in their own lives. ~ Carol Hightshoe – Author of the Chaos Reigns Saga
I’m often asked why I write fantasy, and I usually answer that fantasy, to me, evokes the wonder of dreams and unfettered possibilities. It can be filled with fanciful pleasures or unimaginable fears—all the things we believed in without question when we were kids.
Fantasy is Santa and pixie dust, unicorns with long golden horns, and the monster that lurked in the shadows beneath your bed when you were little. Fantasy is fantastical and holds the promise that wishes just might come true if only we dare to believe in the magic of the moment.
Magical moments exist all about us, yet all too often, our busy lifestyles cause us not to notice. We’re simply unable to pause long enough to allow the magic to touch us. The moment passes unnoticed and unremarked.
I think twilight is one of those magical moments—a time when the world holds its breath as if waiting for something special to occur. The day has not yet arrived or ended, and the night is not yet born or faded. A hush settles over the land and a sense of awe surrounds us. So much so, that we accept the possibility of other realms where elves exist, magic works, unicorns graze, dragons fly, and anything is possible if only we believe. And maybe, if we wish hard enough, we might be able to bring a bit of that magic to our daily lives.
Twilight holds the promise of enchantment and ignites my imagination. It makes me ask, "What if?" It’s simply magical.
I personally feel that magical moments come to us in many forms and strike in many different ways. Old legends, ancient puzzles, a word or words overheard in a crowded place are all things that make me ask, "What if?"
Each story in this collection was conceived from its own what if moment. The Birth of Spring was born from my fascination with the fairy tale charm of three while Thief of Dreams sprang from a line in an old ballad. The Ancient One developed both from my love of trees and from a very simple question: How does one become a goddess? The idea for Where Lies Beauty started with a rose and a single tear.
I’m very pleased to be able to share with you four of my favorite "What if?" creations captured in one book. I hope you enjoy!
~ Sheri L. McGathy
