Lady Theodosia Barrett is a vampire hunter as well as protector of selkies and seeker of ancient relics. In order to save her family, she sneaks into the lair of vampire and shape-shifter Roane Cu Mara, intent on stealing his sealskin and staking him. However, she doesn’t get a chance to enact her plan until after he has sex with her. Though she manages to escape, she fails to steal his skin. In fact, she’s not even certain he’s dead.

Vampire selkie king Roane Cu Mara doesn’t appreciate being staked in the heart. Wounded, his only chance of healing rests on taking Theodosia’s life force. With his nature unknown to Theodosia’s father, he and Lord Barrett arrange Theodosia’s marriage to him. When he first met Theodosia in his lair, he forced her to wear a blindfold. She has no idea her future husband is the vampire she staked.

A female vampire hunter forced to marry not only a vampire, but someone she’s tried to kill? See the story’s major conflict? The selkie aspect -- aka the seal shape-shifter angle -- isn’t highly touched on. This is more a vampire than a shape-shifter tale.

First off, M.A. duBarry’s In The Shadow Of The Selkie is an enchanting and satisfying tale. The pacing is spot on. Hero and heroine are solid and well-developed. The villainess, however, isn’t as fleshed out as she could have been. I sincerely wish Ms. duBarry would have expanded her story and made it a full length novel. I understand and appreciate the lure of the short story, especially in our overloaded, harried society. However, some tales go beyond that limited format. With a higher word count, the secondary characters could have shared their spot on the stage, certain plot points expanded on, and the villainess made truly evil. Certainly don’t overlook In The Shadow Of The Selkie for its length or you’ll miss a great story, but imagine how truly spectacular it would have been as a full blown novel.