The Circle of Nine: Novellas

Circle of Nine, #2

by

Valerie Biel

Excellent, in-depth stories featuring three of the women of the Tuatha Quinn line.

The Circle of Nine: Novellas is the second book in author Valerie Biel’s magical fantasy series and is a trio of tales, each one focusing on the backstory of a woman introduced in Book One, Beltany. The Quinn matriarchy is rich in lore and magical stories. This collection features Bressa Gormley, the teacher and mentor of Onora Quinn, the originator of the family book passed down from mother to daughter through the ages; Dervla Quinn, who lived more than a century later; and Phoebe Quinn, a more recent writer in the book from the 1960s. 

Valerie Biel is a skilled teller of tales, bringing each of the women to life and focusing on the years in their lives prior to the stories they reveal during their turn writing the family book. All of them describe pivotal points in their histories. In Bressa’s Banishment, readers learn how the old wisewoman came to live on the enchanted island in Lough Dooras. Dervla’s Destiny lays the groundwork for the tragic events that Dervla Quinn’s immediate family will later experience. While Phoebe’s Mission is one of mysteries and occurs early enough that Phoebe’s gran is still alive and occasionally lucid. 

The novellas expand the myth and magic of the world of THE CIRCLE OF NINE and allow an intimate view into characters previously encountered only as words on pages in the handed-down ancestral history. I recommend them for readers who enjoy contemporary fantasy stories featuring folklore and magic. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.