by Lyndon Perry
Deformed and misshapen at birth, Ulemet is ugly in a way that attracts second looks, but seldom pity. Cursed by her Olmec village elders and taunted by her people, she flees into the rainforest never to return.
Rejected and alone, the young girl's only solace is her small jade carving of Uaxaca, the jaguar animal spirit she wagers will guard her as she makes her way to Tenochtitlán, the golden city of hope.
Escaping danger after danger only to be captured by slavers, Ulemet is forced to play in the ulama, the sacrificial ball game that could result in her freedom or end in her death.
Will her hopes in Uaxaca prove misplaced, or will the jaguar god, who's visited her dreams as a mysterious shaman, finally prove true?
"Lyndon Perry delves into an ancient culture and discovers a courageous new heroine. Ulemet's journey is a heart-wrenching demonstration of the power of hope and endurance in the face of overwhelming adversity." - Fred Warren, author of The Muse and The Seer
This novella of about 40 pages is a mesoamerican fantasy and set about 1000 BC in what is now the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
Available: In paperback and ebook from Amazon. Also as an audio book from Audible or from iTunes.
Or from these e-books stores: Apple # Barnes and Noble # Rakuten Kobo # Other Select Retailers
Petition - A Silo Saga (SF, post-apocalypse)
At Long Last (story collections)
More Stories and Novellas
To purchase these and other stories, visit my author's page at your favorite online bookstore, including: Amazon (Kindle), Barnes and Noble (epub), Kobo (epub), and Smashwords (variety of e-formats).
Free:West of the Texas Nebula
A Space Western Short Story
by Dan Devine and Lyndon Perry
While honoring the visiting dignitaries from Tau Ceti, Sol’s Mayor, Wit Thomason, had a heart attack. He spent a good couple of minutes twitching on the floor, soiling his finest suit, right there in front of aliens, citizens, and everybody.
It was only a matter of time before some gunslinger made a move to take over the job. And if I wanted to save my skin, it was high time for me to get out of Dodge.
This story first appeared at SpaceWesterns Zine and was published in 2008. It's still available to read online for free.
