CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY
Brigit Quinn has always felt like an outsider. Growing up in a small town where her mom’s pagan practices are the stuff of local gossip, she’s spent her whole life trying to be normal. On her 15th birthday, Brigit makes the same wish she always has—to just fit in. But the universe has other plans.
Instead, Brigit discovers she’s descended from a legendary Celtic tribe—guardians of Ireland’s mystical stone circles. A spellbound book reveals her astonishing family history and the incredible abilities of her ancestors—powers she’ll inherit if she chooses to embrace them.
When an ancient evil resurfaces, threatening her family’s legacy, Brigit is forced to quickly make this impossible decision. Will she accept her magical heritage and fight to protect it? Or reject it to live the “normal” life she’s always wanted?
This thrilling mix of magic, self-discovery, and Irish mythology will captivate fans of coming-of-age stories with a mystical twist. Lovers of ancient legends, enchanted stone circles, and family secrets will be drawn to Brigit’s journey into a world where her true power could be her greatest strength… or her downfall.
Find CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY on Amazon | KindleUnlimited | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub
Series Details:
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Published by: Lost Lake PressFind CIRCLE OF NINE series at Amazon & Lost Lake Press
Praise for Circle of Nine: Beltany
“This was a truly beautiful read. Valerie Biel has a captivating, almost lyrical quality to her work that helps the flow and the smoothness of the piece wonderfully. You can just feel the words slide along as you read and it’s a remarkable experience. I enjoyed her storytelling as much as I enjoyed the characters and the plot! Circle of Nine: Beltany is a wonderful blend of present and past, mixed with a healthy dose of Celtic mythology to captivate the brainiacs among us.”
~ FIVE STARS from Readers’ Favorite for CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY
Witchy magical realism is my absolute favorite genre, especially when it leans into folklore and reads a like historical fiction. I’ve read Valerie Biel before and was genuinely excited to see what she would do with a full series, what the world would feel like, how the magic would unfold, and whether the story could carry that grounded mystical atmosphere I love so much.
I could not put this book down. From the very beginning, I felt completely absorbed into the world Biel created. Magical realism written with this kind of gentle, rooted authenticity is my weakness. I love books that feel like you’re stepping through a doorway into another life, and that’s exactly what Beltany offered.
It was atmospheric and immersive.
Our main character, Bridget, discovers stories about her female ancestors, but not in a passive, distant way. She experiences these women’s stories. She feels them. She lives them. Each woman from the past essentially has her own section of the book, her own piece of Beltany’s larger history. While we’re inside their stories, we also get small glimpses of Bridget’s present-day life woven in, creating this layered experience of past and present feeding into each other.
Each woman’s chapter felt like the main story while I was in it, which to me is the sign of great storytelling. The stakes were personal, the trauma and choices were meaningful, and every past life shaped Bridget’s future in a way that felt intentional and powerful.
This storytelling made me deeply attached to every single one of these ancestors. I wasn’t ready to leave any of their stories, which is why I’m already itching to dive into book two.
This is technically a YA book, and yes, Bridget is a teenager figuring out who she is, but the heart of this story is family. Bridget, her mother, and the long line of magical women they descend from are the core of everything.
What stood out is how much these past women became just as important as the present-day characters. They weren’t side characters. They were the story. Their pain, choices, and secrets shaped everything Bridget was about to face. I also loved that even the antagonistic characters weren’t “bad for the sake of being bad.” They were hurt, wronged, traumatized themselves, and acting out of that pain. I’m always drawn to villains with depth, and Biel absolutely delivered that here. Yes, I rooted against them, but I also understood them. That balance is rare and so satisfying.
Witchy? Absolutely.
But also deeply familial, folkloric, and rooted in generational stories.
This book explores Irish countryside living, the celebration of Beltane, family rituals and Sabbats with magic passed through a lineage, and cyclical patterns repeating over time. The rituals, folklore, and seasonal celebrations were some of my favorite parts. They didn’t feel fictional. They felt lived-in. Authentic. Grounded. Through each woman’s story, I felt like I got to visit Ireland, stand in the fields during Beltane, witness the rituals, and feel the meaning behind the traditions. Even when chaos unfolded, the magic and rituals felt like a foundation, something these women leaned on through heartbreak and transformation.
I absolutely loved this book! I was genuinely sad when it ended. I wasn’t ready to leave the world, the characters, or the magic behind. And I cannot wait to start book two… and three… and however many more come next.
I would recommend this to any reader, but especially if you love a coming-of-age witchy magical realism story.
I can’t wait to continue the series!
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Thank you to Valerie Biel and Partners In Crime Tours for letting me read and review this book as part of the tour.
Tour Participants:
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Author Bio:
Valerie Biel writes award-winning books for middle grade to adult audiences–stories inspired by her travels and her insatiable curiosity. Her young adult fantasy series, Circle of Nine, was inspired by the myth and magic of Ireland’s ancient stone circles. She’s also the author of HAVEN, a contemporary middle grade novel, and BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE, a mystery suspense story. She’s a founding member of the Blackbird Writers & a member of Sisters in Crime & the Wisconsin Writers Association. When she’s away from the computer, she’s likely wrangling her overgrown garden, reading multiple books per week, or traveling the world–often on trips for the The World Orphan Fund charity she and her husband run. She calls a (tiny) portion of her family’s century-old Wisconsin farm home, but regularly dreams of finding a cozy cottage on the Irish coast where she can write and write.
Catch Up With Valerie Biel:
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