Beltany

Circle of Nine, #1

by

Valerie Biel

Excellent coming-of-age story that mixes the present with the past, the mundane with the magically arcane.

Beltany is the first book in the Circle of Nine by Valerie Biel and is a wonderfully exciting (with very relatable scenes of growing up) start to this series. As the clock ticks over to her fifteenth birthday, Brigit Quinn is surprised by her mother with an ancient family heirloom, a book that has been passed down through the women in her family for almost 700 years. While it tells the life story of each successive owner, it does so by vividly transporting the reader into the tales of the women who went before her, but only if read in the right order. However, the gift is only the beginning, as Brigit learns that her family descends from a powerful and magical Irish clan, and each woman in the family develops a magical gift of her own. But as her understanding of her family’s history grows and her own special gift begins to manifest, she also discovers an old evil has come to wrench her legacy away -- a legacy she still must decide to accept or ignore. 

I really enjoyed the story of the modern-day teenager and her best friends as they navigate the minefield of high school, growing up, discovering boys, and the changes that can cause in their own relationships. Brigit is so relatable as she faces exciting (and some unwanted) changes in her life. The other side of this dual-timeline treasure follows the lives of Brigit’s female ancestors and reads like the best action-adventure tale, combined with often heart-wrenching romance. Some of the early stories give an idea of the past when the Catholic Church was trying to woo or intimidate those who followed pagan religions to Christianity, and some of the means and methods used have tragic results. 

The author’s storytelling is mesmerizing, and I was soon completely wrapped up in Brigit’s story; the pages flew by. While Brigit displays a lot of the typical teenage brattiness toward her mother early on, she’s still an engaging character who eventually learns and grows. As this is the first book in an already established series, I look forward to diving into the rest of the story. 

I recommend BELTANY to readers of young adult paranormal fiction, fantasy, and adventure.

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