Circle of Nine: Beltany

Circle of Nine Series, Book 1

By: Valerie Biel

Narrated by: Paige Jensen

Length: 10 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

A multi-award winning coming-of-age story of magic and pagan ritual steeped in the mysticism of Celtic Mythology and the ancient stone circles of Ireland.

“Since I was a little girl I’ve been labeled a freak in my small town. There’s no blending in when your mom practices an ancient pagan religion and everyone believes she’s a witch. On my 15th birthday my secret wish is the same as always - to just be normal. But that’s not what I get. Not even close.” (Brigit Quinn)

Instead, Brigit is shocked to learn she’s descended from a legendary Celtic tribe - powerful people who serve as guardians of the stone circles of Ireland. A spellbound audiobook of family history reveals the magical powers of her ancestors. Powers that could be hers - if only she wanted them.

And when someone sinister and evil returns to steal her family’s strength, Brigit has to make a decision. Fight to keep her unique heritage or reject it for the normal life she’s always wanted.

Awards: Kindle Book Award Finalist (Young Adult), Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist (Young Adult-Fantasy), Gotham Writers' YA Novel Discovery Contest Finalist, and BRAG Medallion Honoree.

©2014 Valerie Biel Johnson (P)2019 Valerie Biel Johnson

Circle of nine:Beltany

This was a really good book!Book 1 in a new series,I think it will be liked by YA girls and ladies.Bridget turns 15 and is given a book that chronicles the past women in her family.When she reads,she is actually thrown into the book. While she tries to go to class,date,etc,she is drawn to read more and more.It is her heritage after all. Paige Jensen was a terrific narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.' 

An accomplishment in creativity and performance

I was captivated by both the story and delivery of this audiobook. Ms. Biel unleashed historic and fantastical creativity in this sorry, blending both as informative and engaging. The narrator moved from voice to voice smoothly, and with the accents required here for a number of characters, that was no mean feat. I’m really looking forward to reading or hearing (or both) more of this story in the future!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Young Person Novel

I liked this book very much, but I think it was intended for a young person, a teenager. Everything is from that perspective.

Awesome

I laughed I cried I laughed and cried again I loved this book can't wait to read the next book in the series this was really a heartwarming book narrator was great

Circle of Nine: Beltany

An entertaining listen... On her 15th birthday, Brigit becomes aware of her family’s magical heritage. Will she embrace it and all that comes with it?

Valerie Biel did a fantastic job of presenting this story. I love how she incorporated all of the family history!

Paige Jensen brought the story to life. She did a fantastic job of distinguishing between the different characters and time periods.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Circle of Nine-Bethany

I received this audible book for free in exchange for a honest review. I recommend this magical story to others, also I will be reading the rest of the stories in the series. 😎

I could not stop reading/listening!

I COULDN'T STOP LISTENING!
If I had to review this book in one sentence, it would be, "I couldn't stop listening".
The book is about is about a 15 year old girl, Brigit Quinn. On her 15th birthday, she finds out that she is part of a Celtic tribe. The rest of the book is about her learning about her ancestors and her own gifts (abilities) along with some drama to add the spice. While Brigit is trying to figure out if she wants to chose the path of her ancestors, she is also navigating the real world of bullies, boyfriends, jealous friend and wanting to feel normal. The characters felt so real that I could picture them in my mind.
Valerie Biel, the author weaved ancestral stories in the book, and I felt equally drawn to the ancestral book too. It felt like I was reading/listening to two books at the same time. Biel did an extraordinary job to interweave the two storylines and how Brigit's story was built upon it. I hope that I get to read similar stories in the upcoming books. And through the intertwining of the stories, the author did a great job building up the characters.
Lastly the narrator, Paige Jensen brought the characters alive with her voice talents. I absolutely listening to her. Initially, I was weary of her slightly nasal tone and slight lisp, but oh thought evaporated just as quickly as it had come. She has a great talent. She was able to switch back and forth between female/male and US and Irish English, all in the same conversation. All characters had different voices that I could tell them apart easily.
I really can't wait to read/listen to other Circle of Nine books.
BTW, Harry Potter and Alchemyst fans- this series is for you... I promise.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Worth a listen even if you've read it before.

I enjoyed listening to this book. I read it before and was curious how a performer would handle so many different voices. Her Irish accents were unique to each character and time period.

good YA read

the narrator is good! a complicated book to narrate. reader made good use of accents & voices to distinguish between characters and time periods. i liked the author telling background & history through family stories.

Magical adventure through the past and the present

I received a free audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review. I really enjoyed the concept of this book, the idea of women in one’s family being able to write their stories and teachings into a book that would then come alive for future generations was so intriguing!

I found myself wanting to know more and more about each woman’s story and what they had to teach to their future descendants from their lives. I think Biel wrote the story in a clever way, as the moments that the story takes us into the past are just as intriguing as Brigit’s response to them and her development as a character the more she explores these stories.

As a personal lover of Ancient History, I am fascinated by the celts and feel that this is definitely a book for those who are interested in Celtic folklore. If you’re a fan of books such as the Falling Kingdom series or The Cruel Prince, then I think this is a book for you.