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Circle of Three #5
Circle of Three #5: In the Dreaming Excerpt
On the eve of fair midsummer,
Longest day and shortest night,
Faerie magic, fill these woods,
With joyous song and laughter bright.
Midsummer's eve finds Kate, Annie, and Cooper celebrating the most joyous sabbat with nature -- and a few not unwelcome strangers. On a night when identities and emotions become tangled and confused under the strange solstice sky, one will be led astray.
Longest day and shortest night,
Faerie magic, fill these woods,
With joyous song and laughter bright.
Midsummer's eve finds Kate, Annie, and Cooper celebrating the most joyous sabbat with nature -- and a few not unwelcome strangers. On a night when identities and emotions become tangled and confused under the strange solstice sky, one will be led astray.
ebook
First published May 1, 2001
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About the author
Isobel Bird
27 books102 followersThis is a pseudonym of Michael Thomas Ford.
Isobel Bird has been involved in the world of paganism and witchcraft for many years. She lives and dances beneath the moon somewhere in New England.
Isobel Bird has been involved in the world of paganism and witchcraft for many years. She lives and dances beneath the moon somewhere in New England.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 17, 2019
In the fifth book of the Circle of Three series, Kate, Annie, and Cooper meet in the woods with several other Wiccans to celebrate Litha, or the Midsummer Night's ritual. The coven leaders start the night by inviting Faerie magic into the woods, which leads each of the girls on a personal adventure. Kate meets Maeve, the Faerie queen, and must decide on who she truly loves. Annie must confront her personal fears when she meets the Oak and Holly Kings. Cooper meets some strange musicians who invite her to play with them, which quickly turns into a chilling game of cat-and-mouse.
This one was a heavy departure from the magical realism that permeated the previous novels. Though I found the tangibility of the magic in the series to be uneven, it at least more or less weaved its way on the path. This one took a left turn and scarpered into the woods. Though it's meant to be an homage to Midsummer Night's Dream, the sudden shift was jarring and unnecessary. Even the obligate stabs to "it was all a dream" at the end failed to bring the book back to its roots, which was disappointing.
Kate's storyline and character has never really coalesced for me. She's into boys and... that's pretty much it. She doesn't even have a true magical talent yet - which the books do highlight - or a personal goddess, and seems the most bland of the characters. This book failed to develop her character, because her main plot was centered entirely around the two boys in her life. Additionally, it felt like the paths the book didn't take would have been more interesting: while running away from Scott and toward Tyler, she encounters a faun, who seems nice enough but gives her a bad feeling. Was this clever foreshadowing? Was the faun a threat in disguise? Nope! He ends up saving the day, actually. It also felt at the beginning like the author was setting it up so that "Tyler" was actually a Fae boy she mistook, but it turns out he... was actually Tyler. Okay, then. It was an odd mish-mash that failed to make me like Kate any more than I already didn't.
Annie is easily my favorite character and has had the most interesting plot lines so far. I really enjoyed the Tarot card book, so I had high hopes. Nope! Annie gets a message that she must deliver to the Oak King. She finally finds him and is swept up on his adventure, which is an allegory for the changing of the seasons. Annie, remember, is supposed to be the smart one. Even allowing for her denial of her parents' death and complicated feelings toward the event, she acted like a complete idiot the entire time. I would much rather she shown some more nuance, where she understood the allegory, but had unresolved feelings toward it despite her intellectual understanding. Instead, she didn't even seem to get the allegory and kept asking, "But - whhaaaa?" the entire time. It felt a huge departure from her characterization so far.
Cooper actually had a great storyline that I very much enjoyed, but suffered from the same raging denial/stupidity the others did.
Overall, this was the weakest one in the series so far.
This one was a heavy departure from the magical realism that permeated the previous novels. Though I found the tangibility of the magic in the series to be uneven, it at least more or less weaved its way on the path. This one took a left turn and scarpered into the woods. Though it's meant to be an homage to Midsummer Night's Dream, the sudden shift was jarring and unnecessary. Even the obligate stabs to "it was all a dream" at the end failed to bring the book back to its roots, which was disappointing.
Kate's storyline and character has never really coalesced for me. She's into boys and... that's pretty much it. She doesn't even have a true magical talent yet - which the books do highlight - or a personal goddess, and seems the most bland of the characters. This book failed to develop her character, because her main plot was centered entirely around the two boys in her life. Additionally, it felt like the paths the book didn't take would have been more interesting: while running away from Scott and toward Tyler, she encounters a faun, who seems nice enough but gives her a bad feeling. Was this clever foreshadowing? Was the faun a threat in disguise? Nope! He ends up saving the day, actually. It also felt at the beginning like the author was setting it up so that "Tyler" was actually a Fae boy she mistook, but it turns out he... was actually Tyler. Okay, then. It was an odd mish-mash that failed to make me like Kate any more than I already didn't.
Annie is easily my favorite character and has had the most interesting plot lines so far. I really enjoyed the Tarot card book, so I had high hopes. Nope! Annie gets a message that she must deliver to the Oak King. She finally finds him and is swept up on his adventure, which is an allegory for the changing of the seasons. Annie, remember, is supposed to be the smart one. Even allowing for her denial of her parents' death and complicated feelings toward the event, she acted like a complete idiot the entire time. I would much rather she shown some more nuance, where she understood the allegory, but had unresolved feelings toward it despite her intellectual understanding. Instead, she didn't even seem to get the allegory and kept asking, "But - whhaaaa?" the entire time. It felt a huge departure from her characterization so far.
Cooper actually had a great storyline that I very much enjoyed, but suffered from the same raging denial/stupidity the others did.
Overall, this was the weakest one in the series so far.
November 7, 2020
“In The Dreaming” is the first novel in the “Circle Of Three” series in a while to feature all three of this series primary young women; Cooper, the musician; Annie, the orphan, and the once popular kid; and Kate, the serious scholar, as having equal amounts of time in the story. All are still high school students, and all three are serious students of the art of Wicca.
And now, Annie, Kate, and Cooper have been invited to the Wiccan holiday of Midsummer. Being young Wiccans in training, they not only accept, they also make their own costumes to celebrate the holiday.
When the time arrives, they head out to the isolated forest meeting grounds to assemble their costumes and prepare for the festival. Then, when they arrive at the festival, the door to the fairies is thrown open in a ritual, and the three young women go their separate ways, each taking their own paths, figuratively and literally.
Cooper being a musician, so, while at the festivities, she hears some beautiful music wafting to her. She then follows these strains of music into the nearby woods to find the music’s source. The source turns out to be a young woman called Bird, and she’s playing her flute. As they forge their friendship through playing their instruments, Cooper has brought along her own flute, Bird will introduce her to her fairie friends, a group that is lead by the smirking Spider. All are impressed by Cooper’s musical ability, and would like her to join their group, but to do so Cooper has to pass a hazing. A hazing that will be humiliating and brutal.
Meanwhile, Annie is heading back to the cabin to get some parts of her costume that she had left behind, when she is accosted by another Wiccan member in their costume, and told that she has to deliver a message to the Oak King. This is something that she does, as she finds the Oak King getting ready to go to the Midsummer festival. Annie also finds out that she has been appointed the Oak King’s squire.
When Annie accompanies the King to the Midsummer Festival, she finds out that later that night that the Oak King is to fight the Holly King, the Oak King’s brother, to the death. This saddens Annie as she is starting to look upon the Oak King as a form of father figure. After the battle, Annie is devastated, and suffers a breakdown. It is during this that Annie has to come to terms with some hard truths about her parents, their deaths, and herself. And we still have a way to go in Annie’s story.
And then there is Kate. She see’s Tyler, her current boyfriend in the crowd at the festivities, and chases after him into the nearby woods, where after tracking him down, he plays coy with her and warns her of the Queen Maeve, who is the Faerie Queen, just before he runs off. Turning around, Kate then promptly runs into Queen Maeve.
The Queen is curious who Kate is, and then tell Kate to be on her way, and that she will see Kate again in the near future. This leaves Kate to go on her own way to find her own destiny. As Kate’s story continues, she will run into Scott, her ex-boyfriend, and several of his buddies camping out in the woods. She will also run into a woodland faun fairie, and the Faire Queen again. It is at this time that Kate will have to make a fateful choice that will change the lives all those close to her.
And when all is said and done, and the character’s stories have had their run, two of the young women will come out stronger, while the third will have serious doubts about her path in life.
All-in-all, this is easily the best of the "Circle Of Three" novels so far by Isobel Bird, as each girl gets a sizable chunk of the novel to have their story told, to have their characters examined, and to use their experiences to grow as people.
Unfortunately, the only drawback is that the novels in this series have to be read in order, especially for it to work as well as it does. I liked it, and I’m not this series’ target audience.
And now, Annie, Kate, and Cooper have been invited to the Wiccan holiday of Midsummer. Being young Wiccans in training, they not only accept, they also make their own costumes to celebrate the holiday.
When the time arrives, they head out to the isolated forest meeting grounds to assemble their costumes and prepare for the festival. Then, when they arrive at the festival, the door to the fairies is thrown open in a ritual, and the three young women go their separate ways, each taking their own paths, figuratively and literally.
Cooper being a musician, so, while at the festivities, she hears some beautiful music wafting to her. She then follows these strains of music into the nearby woods to find the music’s source. The source turns out to be a young woman called Bird, and she’s playing her flute. As they forge their friendship through playing their instruments, Cooper has brought along her own flute, Bird will introduce her to her fairie friends, a group that is lead by the smirking Spider. All are impressed by Cooper’s musical ability, and would like her to join their group, but to do so Cooper has to pass a hazing. A hazing that will be humiliating and brutal.
Meanwhile, Annie is heading back to the cabin to get some parts of her costume that she had left behind, when she is accosted by another Wiccan member in their costume, and told that she has to deliver a message to the Oak King. This is something that she does, as she finds the Oak King getting ready to go to the Midsummer festival. Annie also finds out that she has been appointed the Oak King’s squire.
When Annie accompanies the King to the Midsummer Festival, she finds out that later that night that the Oak King is to fight the Holly King, the Oak King’s brother, to the death. This saddens Annie as she is starting to look upon the Oak King as a form of father figure. After the battle, Annie is devastated, and suffers a breakdown. It is during this that Annie has to come to terms with some hard truths about her parents, their deaths, and herself. And we still have a way to go in Annie’s story.
And then there is Kate. She see’s Tyler, her current boyfriend in the crowd at the festivities, and chases after him into the nearby woods, where after tracking him down, he plays coy with her and warns her of the Queen Maeve, who is the Faerie Queen, just before he runs off. Turning around, Kate then promptly runs into Queen Maeve.
The Queen is curious who Kate is, and then tell Kate to be on her way, and that she will see Kate again in the near future. This leaves Kate to go on her own way to find her own destiny. As Kate’s story continues, she will run into Scott, her ex-boyfriend, and several of his buddies camping out in the woods. She will also run into a woodland faun fairie, and the Faire Queen again. It is at this time that Kate will have to make a fateful choice that will change the lives all those close to her.
And when all is said and done, and the character’s stories have had their run, two of the young women will come out stronger, while the third will have serious doubts about her path in life.
All-in-all, this is easily the best of the "Circle Of Three" novels so far by Isobel Bird, as each girl gets a sizable chunk of the novel to have their story told, to have their characters examined, and to use their experiences to grow as people.
Unfortunately, the only drawback is that the novels in this series have to be read in order, especially for it to work as well as it does. I liked it, and I’m not this series’ target audience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 14, 2025Having found an earlier book emotionless - this has lots of emotion, the Wild Hunt, the sacrificial king of the Golden Bough. Don't think the author could have carried it off if the book were any longer, but as it is, it just about works, though the girls do come across as dim not to work out what is going on.
July 7, 2018
Beautiful story. I was glued to this book. The story takes place over one midsummer night. The faire realm is opened and the girls becoming experiencing strange things. I was very excited about each encounter. This book will have you happy, sad, and without a doubt, craving more. Must read.
December 2, 2019
In this one the girls are tripping. Amusing.
I did like the narrative structure: we follow the adventures of each girl as they make their way through the woods on Midsummer night. I could see it being adapted to a tv show almost naturally.
I did like the narrative structure: we follow the adventures of each girl as they make their way through the woods on Midsummer night. I could see it being adapted to a tv show almost naturally.
March 25, 2017
So far, this is the best book of the series. Wonderful world building and such colors and pictures painted within every page.
August 8, 2018
Well that was trippy
September 23, 2018
Probably the most boring so far :( like reading a whole book that was just a dream sequence. I am here for magical realism, not fantasy.
August 5, 2020
Love these books
February 19, 2023
Wow a great read
February 4, 2016
In this book Cooper, Annie and Kate are going to a Midsummer's Eve celebration in a woods with other people who are studying Wicca. People from a variety of covens are due to be there, and all three are looking forward to the event.
It will not be totally fun and games for the three, however. One of them must come to terms with the meaning of death and a dark secret of her own that she has never told anyone, including the other girls.
One girl will meet the Faerie Queen and have to make a decision as to which boy she actually is in love with. If she does not make the right decision, she will remain with the Faerie Queen forever.
The third girl will experience a nightmare, meeting a Wild Man and ending up being the hunted boar, chased by a pack of human dogs, eventually to be trapped on a cliff over a deep pool.
It's a real good book in the series. It's never 100% clear whether the things the girls are going through involve actors, or whether they have actually crossed over into the world of Faerie and are seeing things that very few mortals have ever seen. Either way, the novel is really good and one you will probably want to read all the way through without stopping.
It will not be totally fun and games for the three, however. One of them must come to terms with the meaning of death and a dark secret of her own that she has never told anyone, including the other girls.
One girl will meet the Faerie Queen and have to make a decision as to which boy she actually is in love with. If she does not make the right decision, she will remain with the Faerie Queen forever.
The third girl will experience a nightmare, meeting a Wild Man and ending up being the hunted boar, chased by a pack of human dogs, eventually to be trapped on a cliff over a deep pool.
It's a real good book in the series. It's never 100% clear whether the things the girls are going through involve actors, or whether they have actually crossed over into the world of Faerie and are seeing things that very few mortals have ever seen. Either way, the novel is really good and one you will probably want to read all the way through without stopping.
May 10, 2011
Ed ecco che al quinto volume la scrittrice si è esercitata nell'arrampicata libera sugli specchi.
Non sa più dove andare a parare, e invece di trovare il modo di incuriosire i lettori con spiegazioni del passato delle ragazze e della loro famiglia, o che so io, ingaggiarle in una lotta tra bene e male che solo loro 3 potranno affrontare grazie ai loro poteri...
si perde in un sogno, anzi in 3 sogni che lasciano il tempo che trovano.
Ma per piacere!
Non sa più dove andare a parare, e invece di trovare il modo di incuriosire i lettori con spiegazioni del passato delle ragazze e della loro famiglia, o che so io, ingaggiarle in una lotta tra bene e male che solo loro 3 potranno affrontare grazie ai loro poteri...
si perde in un sogno, anzi in 3 sogni che lasciano il tempo che trovano.
Ma per piacere!
March 11, 2021
This is another sweet book in this series. I admit I wasn't as a big of a fan of this one, I felt it dwelled a bit too much on the myths and the girls experiencing these myths in a way that I didn't really enjoy, so I'll keep my 3 starts rating for this one. Hopefully, the next one will be a bit better <3
September 15, 2011
Ok, to be honest I've never read any books of this series other than this one. Probably because I love this book ever since I read it in primary school and want it to stay that way without reading any of the others in the series.
Despite this, it's a book where you can pick up on the story and the characters from just reading this one, which is good.
Despite this, it's a book where you can pick up on the story and the characters from just reading this one, which is good.
December 10, 2013
Cooper, Kate and Annie go to a Midsummer Ritual and each one of them has a different experience. Cooper's is not so good and decides to leave Wicca and the coven, Kate's is about finding true love but who will she choose Tyler or Scott, Annie's is the most upsetting. Another excellent read cannot wait to start the next book.
January 3, 2009
One of my favorite books! This book follows the girls through the Midsummer's Eve celebration. Each girl gets her own fantasy-like adventure here including wars between Wood Kings, Fairy Queens, and flute playing nymphs. Incredibly fun.
November 25, 2009
A little slow moving in parts. I enjoyed Annie's adventure in the woods best. Kate's adventure was a bit corny. Cooper's adventure didn't make much sense to me at all. (The first 4 books were better)
July 25, 2008
*BIO*
March 4, 2010
I have to say this book bored me, which is unusual I loved the others
May 14, 2011
512th - 2011
November 20, 2016
Dude, okay, so if you were in a world where magic was real and it followed the narratives of neo-paganism, wouldn't you, like, read up on it so that you wouldn't be ignorant of things? I would...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews