Sea Creatures 2026 Finalists
Thank you to everyone who participated in this challenge, and congratulations to everyone who placed!
We had the best time diving into the worlds you created for us.
And now for the winners!
Drumroll please . . .
First Place
What the Tides Are Owed By Abigail Wylie
Siona is the last surviving water-weaver, and she must complete her offering to the sea god before the full moon rises. If she doesn’t succeed in this monthly ritual, Tidekeeper’s wrath might destroy her and anyone else in the god’s path.
Second Place
The Tale of the Kuusingval and Skalwever By Ben Feist
Skalwever, a poor fisherman, stumbles upon a giant sea-beast called a Kuusingval singing under a full moon, and escapes with a pile of hairy clams that grow on its skin. He realizes the hairs on the clams can control water itself, and weaves the hairs into useful tools that bring him fame and fortune in his village. The other fishermen grow jealous and try to capture the Kuusingval themselves for its clams, but as Skalwever tries to use his powers to chase the sea-beast away it ends in disaster with the Kuusingval bound forever to Skalwever’s dead body.
Third Place
By the Light of the Moon By Savannah Laux
On an island where women can transform into something more; a body washes up on the beach, and Maura’s world is forever changed.
Fourth Place
Wool Gathering By Claire Romine
On a frigid northern island, a grieving woman weaves a death shroud from the mossy wool that grows on the backs of the rare sea sheep. An unexpected encounter with a priest reveals harrowing news. She must weave through the night to complete her ritual before the full moon.
Fifth Place
The Sister and the Siren By McKenna Roszkowski
Six months after her sister Marion drowned, Clara hunts the siren she believes caused her death. With the help of a Moon Weaver, she traps the creature, only to discover that the sea transformed Marion and returned her in another form.
Sixth Place
The Selkie's Daughter by Jacynta Clayton
Raised in the shadow of her mother's legend, a young woman known only as "the Selkie's Daughter" prepares for an arranged marriage. As the wedding draws near, the sea provides the means for her to choose between the identity others have woven for her and the one waiting beyond the shore.
Seventh Place
The Netter by Elizabeth Lea
Every full moon, the net mender sings. But hers is no ordinary song.
Eighth Place
3 Moons by Zach Lawless
A boy is lost in a storm and washes up in a land very different from his own.
Ninth Place
Cor Dolora By Melissa Sobczak
A young woman is finally old enough to join her village in quelling the grief of an ancient ocean leviathan.
Tenth Place
I Long To Be By Logan Crow
On the night of his village's yearly Wedding Festival, a young boy slips away chasing a melody. What he finds is a truth he never wanted.