BVC Presents Cover Stories: THE MERI

THE MERI

Greetings, genre fiction fans. Welcome to The Cover Story in which an author shares a book, what’s on its cover, a hint of what’s inside and some insider info on their creation.

So, what’s today’s book? 

THE MERI, Book One of the Mer Cycle by me, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff

What’s on the cover?

The cover—designed by me—shows the novel’s protagonist, fifteen year old Meredydd-a-Lagan. This is the Gaelic spelling of the name Meredith, but with a hard “th” as in “the.” Meredydd is the one and only female student at Halig-Liath, where she hopes to become the first female mage. The image is from a photograph of me taken when I was a teenager. 

What’s the story?

Meredydd’s story can be summed up this way… 

In the twenty-fifth year of the reign of Cyne Colfre, fifteen year-old Meredydd-a-Lagan seeks to wield powers reserved, until now, for men. 

According to some, that rebellion made her a sorceress. There is only one way to prove she is more: Meredydd-a-Lagan must go on Pilgrimage to the Western Sea where a mysterious Being called the Meri will decide her fate. She will be the only female in one hundred years to attempt the journey, and she will remember, every step of the way, that the last young woman to challenge tradition never returned. 

Meredydd faces her uncertain future torn between resolve and fear. Will she become Caraid-land’s first female mage, or will she die a heretic in the icy Western Sea like the one who went before her?

Where’d all this come from?

THE MERI was my first attempt at fantasy and was based on a dream I had that was so vivid, I dreamed myself writing it down and even making the characters repeat their performance multiple times in a pivotal scene while I scribbled on a mini-legal pad with a dull stub of pencil. When I woke, I wrote the dream down on an actual legal pad and then waited for another “shoe” to drop. 

Two more things happened before I began writing the story. 

1. Reading one of Robert Silverberg’s Gilgamesh stories, I came upon this line: “He was as a man on dry land and as a selkie in the sea.” I had a blinding flash of certainty that this related to the quest my main character—the young would-be mage—would undertake.
2. My little mage needed to be female.

I meant to write a novelette in the hope of selling it to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s magazine, but 83,000 words later, I realized it had become something bigger than a novelette.

This novel was published by Baen Books and was a LOCUS Magazine Best First Novel & Crawford Fantasy Award nominee. My boss at my day job coding software came in grumpy one morning blaming the book for keeping him up until four in the morning.

What have reviewers/readers said about THE MERI?

“…I was pulled into the story and read it in a single sitting.” — Science Fiction Chronicle

“…subtle and well-woven. I read the book in one sitting, drawn in by the strong main character and smoothly flowing story line. …has an authenticity and passion rare in fantasy religious works. …engagingly fresh.” — Science Fiction Reviews

“A gifted writer whose skillfully subtle use of language creates a beautiful reading experience…almost haunting in its intensity.” — Romantic Times

“Love this book! I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was one that was almost impossible to put down. In fact I wouldn’t let myself put it in my purse like I normally do when going to work for fear that I would pull it out and read it at my desk! I was captivated by the story from the first few pages all the way through the end…I would easily recommend this book to anyone.” — Amazon Reader – 5 stars

“Maya Bohnhoff creates a thoroughly believable make believe world filled with stirring adventure and genuine emotion. … This novel has depth and its many layers will both intrigue and satisfy!” — Amazon Reader – 5 stars

“Fascinating and absorbing story of spiritual quest which I totally enjoyed. It made me think about how we perceive spiritual connection and growth, and how we misinterpret our own experiences of the divine. Recommended reading. I am now reading the second book in this trilogy.” — Amazon Reader – 5 stars

“Simple and beautiful. A traditional tale of a woman on a journey of discovery, of innocence, of secrets, of mystery. Celtic in feel.” — Amazon Reader – 5 stars

“I read this novel when it first came out many years ago, and I remember it to this day. It begins unusually, the voice is fresh, the context is still a new take on a classic fantasy journey. The transcendent stuff particularly pleased me. A religious book that isn’t about religion.” — Amazon Reader – 5 stars

“I’m not a fan of religious fiction, but The Meri was an exception. It was beautifully written, and totally fantasy with a totally believable religion that at no point was overtly preachy.” — Amazon Reader – 4 stars

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Visit Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff’s,  BVC book page!