Interesting Shorts: The Making of Marea

When I reviewed Romance to Rippers: An Anthology of Risque Stories Volume 1* I made special mention of the Making of Marea by Scarlette D’Noire saying it “was a tale of being turned and was, perhaps, less erotic but it was certainly interesting – especially around the power plays described – and I would very much like to read more of the story.”

The author contacted me to say that the short is available as a kindle download in its own right – with a bonus essay, under a full title of Vampire Historia a Series of Revelations: the Making of Marea – and would I like to review it separately. I don’t (usually) review shorts but I do a feature on occasion called “Interesting Shorts” and as I genuinely found it interesting when first read decided to expand on my views.

The story is essentially a story of turning; the recently freed slave Marea (who married the, now dead, plantation owner) has been held in the plantation house by the vampire Delano. He has been feeding her his blood as a precursor to turning and this process is overwhelming, heightening the senses.

As we walk into the tale he is about ready to feed on her for the full turning and intends to do it whilst copulating (the erotic element).

Whilst the setting of the book was fun, it was not entirely unique; films as diverse as Interview with the Vampire and Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter have used slavery and the plantations as a backdrop to their tales (to a greater or lesser extent). More importantly the Gilda Stories featured an African American woman, escaped slave and vampire.

But more than the setting, it was the character dynamics that interested me with the Making of Marea. Delano has waited for Marea to gain her freedom before turning her (so she is not a runaway) but he does not deem that she will be free. By the sharing of his blood he will always own her. Conversely Marea has feigned ignorance, she knows what he is but with the help of the beliefs of her people, a potion and an incantation, she intends to take the immortality but be free of him. The resulting dynamic was what was so fun about the short and, in its relatively small length, D/Noire manages to impress that dynamic upon us. This is why I want to read more in this world.

I mentioned that the short comes with a bonus essay, which is essentially Scarlette D’Noire’s views on the genre, what she loves about vampires. This is an interesting insight into what parts of the genre have inspired her.

*Remember there are only a few days left to enter the giveaway for the full companion anthology, Vampires: Romance to Rippers an Anthology of Tasty Stories. - closing date 7th January 2014. See here for details.