Category: Witches

Book Tour, Fantasy, Mythology, Partners In Crime, Witches, Women, Young Adult

Circle of Nine: Sacred Treasures & Mercy in the Mist by Valerie Biel

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Virtual Book Tour October 27 – December 31

Sacred Treasures

Description

Brigit Quinn thought uncovering her magical heritage was the biggest shock of her life. But a year after learning she’s descended from a legendary Celtic tribe sworn to guard the mystical power of Ireland’s ancient places, the real battle is just beginning. As she trains for her place in the Circle of Nine, Brigit is determined to protect the secrets and sacred traditions of her people.

But when a cryptic warning arrives—hinting at a shadowy force hunting the Sacred Treasures—everything she’s fought for is suddenly at risk. If the ancient weapons fall into the wrong hands, The Circle could be shattered forever.

Haunted by doubts about her powers, the true intentions of those around her, and disturbing revelations about her family’s past, Brigit must navigate a dangerous path of betrayal, magic, and myth. The enemy is closer than anyone suspects—and time is running out. Can Brigit uncover the truth before darkness claims the Circle?

The first time I summoned a portal, I didn’t understand how I accidentally opened a doorway to another realm. The second time wasn’t a mistake. I was ready—and I stepped through with the grim resolve that my mission must succeed.” —Brigit Quinn

Mercy in the Mist

Description

The danger was supposed to be over.

The sacred treasures are safe.

The enemies banished to the Otherworld.

But Brigit Quinn’s dreams tell a different story.

The condemned return to haunt her sleep—pleading, accusing, refusing to be forgotten. Something is still wrong, even if the rest of the Circle of Nine insists the threat has passed.

When anonymous warnings surface and the police begin asking questions about the missing, Brigit’s visions intensify, blurring the line between dream and prophecy. The Circle is unraveling. Shadows are gathering.

To restore what’s been broken, Brigit knows they must return to the Otherworld and seek answers from the immortal Elders—knowing that to question them is to risk everything.

In this spellbinding fourth installment of the Circle of Nine series, ancient magic, mortal danger, and Brigit’s quest for the truth collide in a journey that will test the bonds of loyalty, love, and the fragile trust between gods and mortals.

My Thoughts

This immersive series is nothing short of spectacular. I kept thinking as I sped through these 4 volumes that this series is a perfect gateway for a young adult reader who is maturing in their reading tastes. I could easily see myself recommending this to a 13 year old then leading them on to The Mists of Avalon.

The characters are likable, endearing, infuriating, treacherous, crafty, and wise. The author does a fantastic job of building the mortal characters true to life – for example, Brigit is as much a teenager in love as she is powerfully magic. There is romance, danger, love, and hate infused in these pages, emotions that often traverse time.

The real glue, though, is the wonderful story of a family pledged to protect the magical history of Ireland. Brigit and the women who came before her are depicted as part of a greater whole, and the relationships between mothers, daughters, grandmothers, and so on are very well done.

The author has built a world that prickles with excitement as the age-old tale of good versus evil, light against dark is told in a new and gripping way. The battle scenes in both these volumes are some of the best I’ve read in a while, and the depiction of the Tuatha gods and their weapons is riveting.

Recommended for teen readers trying out fantasy, and for adult readers who enjoy Irish mythology and fantasy.

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:

ValerieBiel.com
Valerie’s Substack Newsletter
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads – @valerie_biel
BookBub – @ValerieBiel
Instagram – @valeriebielauthor
Threads – @valeriebielauthor
X – @ValerieBiel
Facebook – @ValerieBielBooks
YouTube – @ValerieBielAuthor
Pinterest – @ValerieBiel

Author Links:  

Website https://pictbooks.tours/2tg9I

Follow Valerie On Substack https://pictbooks.tours/sUrW8abh

Amazon Author https://pictbooks.tours/MKxdO

Goodreads https://pictbooks.tours/6Wxhi @valerie_biel

BookBub https://pictbooks.tours/9n9Lb @ValerieBiel

Instagram https://pictbooks.tours/FIfun @valeriebielauthor

Threads https://pictbooks.tours/9C3sp @valeriebielauthor

Twitter https://pictbooks.tours/MUefU @ValerieBiel

Facebook https://pictbooks.tours/xopXx @ValerieBielBooks 

YouTube https://pictbooks.tours/9Ah3s @ValerieBielAuthor

Pinterest https://pictbooks.tours/J9keqaHB @valeriebiel

Valerie at BookShop https://pictbooks.tours/vyrRwnYH

–

Series Links: Circle of Nine

Series – Amazon https://pictbooks.tours/2TAPy81G

Lost Lake Press https://pictbooks.tours/cy8KYciQ

–

CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/tg5AGjPn

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/tg5AGjPn

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/r9EcLX6l

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/QV77VhnY

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/tuPZPWTg

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/BdaX0cBf

Spotify Playlist https://pictbooks.tours/7NBCJQj4

–

CIRCLE OF NINE: NOVELLA COLLECTION

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/b4xrn4Mr

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/b4xrn4Mr

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/4URFpdQh

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/xX2rwG5W

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/bC7QXLu6

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/2yTVscoF

–

CIRCLE OF NINE: SACRED TREASURES

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/IRoplUNG

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/IRoplUNG

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/4TnshxIz

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/mmXGqSLn

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/JQ5CCdZy

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/LizZXaAP

Spotify Playlist https://pictbooks.tours/xEezUUVt

–

CIRCLE OF NINE: MERCY IN THE MIST

Amazon – https://pictbooks.tours/LTWbtAsL

Kindle Unlimited – https://pictbooks.tours/LTWbtAsL

BN – https://pictbooks.tours/vejaoZrd

BookShop.org – https://pictbooks.tours/b8Nxw612

Goodreads – https://pictbooks.tours/zHtMdQa6

BookBub – https://pictbooks.tours/DPeWY9FG

Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Magical, Magical Realism, Witches, Women

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

From bestselling author Alex Grecian comes a folk horror epic about a ragtag posse that must track down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts—and where death is always just around the bend.

Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft, dead (or alive). And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including bona fide witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.

On the road to Burden County, they’re joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure – but no sense of purpose – and a recently widowed schoolteacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.

Racing along the drought-stricken plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. But the crew is determined to get that bounty, or die trying.

Written with the devilish cadence of Stephen Graham Jones and the pulse-pounding brutality of Nick Cutter, Red Rabbit is a supernatural adventure of luck and misfortune.

“Impossible to put down.” —Kelly Link, author of Pulitzer Prize finalist Get In Trouble

My Thoughts

Imagine if Stephen King wrote The Sisters Brothers; you would have this unexpectedly bewitching yet unceasingly horrifying story. Truly unlike anything I’ve read recently, author Alex Grecian blends an American Old West posse story with witch-hunters, demons, ghouls, ghosts, shapeshifters, and witches to create one of the best horror stories I’ve read in years.

The premise is basic to the genre – suspicious and frightened townspeople put out a bounty on the local witch with disastrous consequences. Everything else is completely off the rails, making this oddly refreshing.

The success here lies in the excellent character development that Grecian weaves throughout. From the mail-order-bride Rose who is made of sterner stuff than anyone imagines, to the apparently mute girl-child who is so much more than she seems, to the variety of cowboy caricatures who appear throughout – all elicit some level of pity or admiration from the reader. I was especially drawn to The Huntsman and would love a follow up book about him!

The narrative moves quickly and is filled with remarkably visceral description and dialog, and more than a few surprises, all leading up to a spectacular ending. Fans of horror and history will enjoy the ride.

This one will make my “Best Of” list for 2023.

Publication Date: September 19, 2023
Published By: Tor Publishing; Tor Nightfire
Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher for the review copy

General, Mythology, Witches

Macbeth’s Spinners by Justine Johnson Hemmestad

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Macbeth’s Spinners begins in 11th century Scotland with the supernatural transformation of the three Greek fates, but witchcraft only serves as a cover for their true mission. To thwart their ancient nemesis, the Greek god Apollo, they consolidate their power to help the warlord Macbeth, though Apollo is aware and tries to crush Macbeth in favor of the Northern invaders. But the purpose of the Fates and Macbeth are intertwined, and in the depths of secrecy and devotion the dominant Fate, Clotho, takes Macbeth into realms beyond himself to set him on his true path.

At its heart, Macbeth’s Spinners is a story about love that withstands place and time. Redemption seeps through the corners of the story and shows innermost vision to be a trustworthy guide. Haunting and sublime, the story follows the shift of mythic personalities at the most important points of their lives.

My Thoughts

This is definitely a niche book for those who enjoy highly unusual and imaginative re-tellings of well-known stories. Here, the story of Macbeth is merged with an unusual backstory for the three Fates involving Greek mythology and Apollo.

The writing is lush and evocative, full of beautiful words and language, which made me read passages aloud just to feel the words roll off my tongue. It is not, however, easy reading. This takes commitment and attention, but in the end is worth it.

This can’t be pigeonholed into any single genre because it is so original. That will likely limit its appeal to a small audience, who will likely read it again and again.

About the Author

Justine Johnston Hemmestad is an editor, the author of three novels, and is included in several anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul: Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries. She is a graduate of The University of Iowa and has also graduated from the English Literature Master’s Degree program at Northern Arizona University. Learn more about her at https://know-your-craft.webnode.page/.

Antimony and Elder Lace Press is donating part of the profits of Macbeth’s Spinners to Laughing at my Nightmare, a charitable organization that helps people with disabilities make the world more accessible.