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Der geheime Zirkel
›Der geheime Zirkel‹ als eSerie im Schuber England, 1895: Die 16-jährige Gemma wird auf einem Internat für höhere Töchter zur heiratsfähigen jungen Dame erzogen. Gemeinsam mit drei anderen Mädchen gründet sie einen geheimen Zirkel, der sich nachts zu »spiritistischen« Sitzungen trifft. Eines Tages passiert es dann: Für Gemma öffnet sich ein Tor aus Licht und mit ihren Freundinnen tritt sie in ein fantastisches Reich über, in dem alle Träume und Wünsche wahr werden. Doch bald schon erkennen sie, dass dieses magische Reich von einer schrecklichen Macht bedroht ist ...
1811 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 21, 2014
125 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Libba Bray
47 books15.6k followersWhat is it about writing an author bio that gives me that deer-in-headlights feeling? It's not exactly like I'm going to say "I was born in Alabama…" and somebody's going to jump up and snarl, "Oh yeah? Prove it!" At least I hope not.
I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. I could tell you the facts–I lived in Texas for most of my life; I live in New York City with my husband and six-year-old son now; I have freckles and a lopsided smile; I'm allergic to penicillin.
But that doesn't really give you much insight into me. That doesn't tell you that I stuck a bead up my nose while watching TV when I was four and thought I'd have to go to the ER and have it cut out. Or that I once sang a punk version of "Que Sera Sera" onstage in New York City. Or that I made everyone call me "Bert" in ninth grade for no reason that I can think of. See what I mean?
God is in the details. So with that in mind, here is my bio. Sort of.
TEN THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME by Libba Bray
1. I lived in Texas until I was 26 years old, then I moved to New York City with $600.00 in my shoe ('cause muggers won't take it out of your shoe, y'know . . . riiiiight . . .) and a punchbowl (my grandmother's gift) under my arm. I ended up using the punchbowl box as an end table for two years.
2. My dad was a Presbyterian minister. Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.s–Preacher's Kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid . . .
3. The first story I ever wrote, in Mrs. McBee's 6th grade English class, was about a girl whose family is kidnapped and held hostage by a murderous lot of bank robbers who intend to kill the whole family–including the dog–until the 12-year-old heroine foils the plot and saves the day. It included colored pencil illustrations of manly-looking, bearded criminals smoking, and, oblivious to the fact that The Beatles had already sort of laid claim to the title, I called my novel, HELP. My mom still has a copy. And when I do something she doesn't like, she threatens to find it.
4. My favorite word is "redemption." I like both its meaning and the sound. My least favorite word is "maybe." "Maybe" is almost always a "no" drawn out in cruel fashion.
5. My three worst habits are overeating, self-doubt, and the frequent use of the "f" word.
6. The three things I like best about myself are my sense of humor, my ability to listen, and my imagination.
7. I have an artificial left eye. I lost my real eye in a car accident when I was eighteen. In fact, I had to have my entire face rebuilt because I smashed it up pretty good. It took six years and thirteen surgeries. However, I did have the pleasure of freezing a plastic eyeball in an ice cube, putting it in a friend's drink, ("Eyeball in your highball?") and watching him freak completely. Okay, so maybe that's not going down on my good karma record. But it sure was fun.
8. In 7th grade, my three best friends and I dressed up as KISS and walked around our neighborhood on Halloween. Man, we were such dorks.
9. I once spent New Year's Eve in a wetsuit. I'd gone to the party in a black dress that was a little too tight (too many holiday cookies) and when I went to sit down, the dress ripped up the back completely. Can we all say, mortified? The problem was, my friends were moving out of their house–everything was packed and on a truck–and there was nothing I could put on . . . but a wetsuit that they still had tacked to the wall. I spent the rest of the party maneuvering through throngs of people feeling like a giant squid.
10. I got married in Florence, Italy. My husband and I were in love but totally broke, so we eloped and got married in Italy, where he was going on a business trip. We had to pull a guy off the street to be our witness. It was incredibly romantic.
I think what gets me feeling itchy is all that emphasis on the facts of a life, while all the juicy, relevant, human oddity stuff gets left on the cutting room floor. I could tell you the facts–I lived in Texas for most of my life; I live in New York City with my husband and six-year-old son now; I have freckles and a lopsided smile; I'm allergic to penicillin.
But that doesn't really give you much insight into me. That doesn't tell you that I stuck a bead up my nose while watching TV when I was four and thought I'd have to go to the ER and have it cut out. Or that I once sang a punk version of "Que Sera Sera" onstage in New York City. Or that I made everyone call me "Bert" in ninth grade for no reason that I can think of. See what I mean?
God is in the details. So with that in mind, here is my bio. Sort of.
TEN THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME by Libba Bray
1. I lived in Texas until I was 26 years old, then I moved to New York City with $600.00 in my shoe ('cause muggers won't take it out of your shoe, y'know . . . riiiiight . . .) and a punchbowl (my grandmother's gift) under my arm. I ended up using the punchbowl box as an end table for two years.
2. My dad was a Presbyterian minister. Yes, I am one of those dreaded P.K.s–Preacher's Kids. Be afraid. Be very afraid . . .
3. The first story I ever wrote, in Mrs. McBee's 6th grade English class, was about a girl whose family is kidnapped and held hostage by a murderous lot of bank robbers who intend to kill the whole family–including the dog–until the 12-year-old heroine foils the plot and saves the day. It included colored pencil illustrations of manly-looking, bearded criminals smoking, and, oblivious to the fact that The Beatles had already sort of laid claim to the title, I called my novel, HELP. My mom still has a copy. And when I do something she doesn't like, she threatens to find it.
4. My favorite word is "redemption." I like both its meaning and the sound. My least favorite word is "maybe." "Maybe" is almost always a "no" drawn out in cruel fashion.
5. My three worst habits are overeating, self-doubt, and the frequent use of the "f" word.
6. The three things I like best about myself are my sense of humor, my ability to listen, and my imagination.
7. I have an artificial left eye. I lost my real eye in a car accident when I was eighteen. In fact, I had to have my entire face rebuilt because I smashed it up pretty good. It took six years and thirteen surgeries. However, I did have the pleasure of freezing a plastic eyeball in an ice cube, putting it in a friend's drink, ("Eyeball in your highball?") and watching him freak completely. Okay, so maybe that's not going down on my good karma record. But it sure was fun.
8. In 7th grade, my three best friends and I dressed up as KISS and walked around our neighborhood on Halloween. Man, we were such dorks.
9. I once spent New Year's Eve in a wetsuit. I'd gone to the party in a black dress that was a little too tight (too many holiday cookies) and when I went to sit down, the dress ripped up the back completely. Can we all say, mortified? The problem was, my friends were moving out of their house–everything was packed and on a truck–and there was nothing I could put on . . . but a wetsuit that they still had tacked to the wall. I spent the rest of the party maneuvering through throngs of people feeling like a giant squid.
10. I got married in Florence, Italy. My husband and I were in love but totally broke, so we eloped and got married in Italy, where he was going on a business trip. We had to pull a guy off the street to be our witness. It was incredibly romantic.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 3, 2018
I went into this with no clue as too what it was about. It came highly recommended from friends and I just blindly trusted them.
And just-
Holy
Crap.
I loved ever single second of this series. It was so beautiful and so freaking feminist and just YES ALL THE YES
And just-
Holy
Crap.
I loved ever single second of this series. It was so beautiful and so freaking feminist and just YES ALL THE YES
December 5, 2022
Goodreads only flaw is that it doesn't let you file books you've already read and are rereading as read books anew. Does this sentence make sense?
Anyway, picture me, 12 years old, difficult relationship with my "friends" at school, inherently lonely, reading this for the first time. The grip this trilogy has upon me up to this day! Why did Libba Bray think it would be a good idea to introduce me to the lady of shalott at that tender age? Hello? And then there's Circe, one of the best anatognists ever and I'm still trying to figure out why I do like her so much. It's not like she's much of a decent person. But I just can't dislike her and I can't put my finger on why that is so for my life.
It's funny, there seem to be exactly two opinions about this series. Either you love it or you really don't. What's even more funny is, that most people who disliked the book say it's because of the characters, of how mean they are to each other. Because of how there is no real friendship in these books they all just hang out with each other to get something out if it. Which is absolutely true. And the reason why I love this book so so so much.
This is a book for anyone who didn't have friends in 6th grade. Who was forced to hang out with the other unwanted kids despite not even liking them. Talking to your classmates knowing exactly they were talking shit about you behind you back but of course they still were super nice to your face.
Not one of the characters is exceptional likable. They are all annoying in some way. But that's exactly what makes me like them. They are so human. They all struggle with their own problems, their own weaknesses and they don't have anyone to help them because no, the other girls really do not understand. How could they.
What I also find really fascinating about this book is how from the moment they enter the magic realms they are starting to destroy them. It's not a story about how a little bit of magic in our world can brighten the day. It's a story of destruction. And selfishness. And everyone always looking out for themselves but honestly who can blame them. Who else is looking out for them? There's not one charakter who has a loving and stable family.
With this in mind....can you really blame Circe? Is she really so much worse than everyone else (except for the killing maybe). But Circe is an entirely different topic. She's selfish, narcissistic, a murderer and I'm absolutely unable to dislike her, als already mentioned.
I've reread this series at least 10 times already and you bet I'll do it again. Every time I do I realise I'm still her (me, just 12 years old). Also shout out to Felicity Worthington, easily the character of all times. As I just recently read: they just don't make mean lesbians like this anymore ❤️
Anyway, picture me, 12 years old, difficult relationship with my "friends" at school, inherently lonely, reading this for the first time. The grip this trilogy has upon me up to this day! Why did Libba Bray think it would be a good idea to introduce me to the lady of shalott at that tender age? Hello? And then there's Circe, one of the best anatognists ever and I'm still trying to figure out why I do like her so much. It's not like she's much of a decent person. But I just can't dislike her and I can't put my finger on why that is so for my life.
It's funny, there seem to be exactly two opinions about this series. Either you love it or you really don't. What's even more funny is, that most people who disliked the book say it's because of the characters, of how mean they are to each other. Because of how there is no real friendship in these books they all just hang out with each other to get something out if it. Which is absolutely true. And the reason why I love this book so so so much.
This is a book for anyone who didn't have friends in 6th grade. Who was forced to hang out with the other unwanted kids despite not even liking them. Talking to your classmates knowing exactly they were talking shit about you behind you back but of course they still were super nice to your face.
Not one of the characters is exceptional likable. They are all annoying in some way. But that's exactly what makes me like them. They are so human. They all struggle with their own problems, their own weaknesses and they don't have anyone to help them because no, the other girls really do not understand. How could they.
What I also find really fascinating about this book is how from the moment they enter the magic realms they are starting to destroy them. It's not a story about how a little bit of magic in our world can brighten the day. It's a story of destruction. And selfishness. And everyone always looking out for themselves but honestly who can blame them. Who else is looking out for them? There's not one charakter who has a loving and stable family.
With this in mind....can you really blame Circe? Is she really so much worse than everyone else (except for the killing maybe). But Circe is an entirely different topic. She's selfish, narcissistic, a murderer and I'm absolutely unable to dislike her, als already mentioned.
I've reread this series at least 10 times already and you bet I'll do it again. Every time I do I realise I'm still her (me, just 12 years old). Also shout out to Felicity Worthington, easily the character of all times. As I just recently read: they just don't make mean lesbians like this anymore ❤️
September 10, 2020
The three books in the trilogy span just one year, with A Great and Terrible Beauty beginning in June 1895 and The Sweet Far Thing ending in June 1896.
I don't want to say that i was disappointed with the ending. I actually liked it, except for Kartik's demise, of course. *spoiler alert*
For me, Gemma And Kartik should have been reunited.. I think, a fourth book about the realms should be nice.
It is imperative for me to let you all know that the reason I love this series is because you never know who to trust in this book. You are taken from their ups and lows, getting bounced between characters' ever-changing personalities, and right when you are ready to hit rock bottom, someone takes your hand and lifts you up and you see that face you never expected. That's how I felt with Miss McCleethy, Circe, Mrs. Nightwing, Wilhelmina Wyatt, even Pippa. Overall, this series is awesome!
I don't want to say that i was disappointed with the ending. I actually liked it, except for Kartik's demise, of course. *spoiler alert*
For me, Gemma And Kartik should have been reunited.. I think, a fourth book about the realms should be nice.
It is imperative for me to let you all know that the reason I love this series is because you never know who to trust in this book. You are taken from their ups and lows, getting bounced between characters' ever-changing personalities, and right when you are ready to hit rock bottom, someone takes your hand and lifts you up and you see that face you never expected. That's how I felt with Miss McCleethy, Circe, Mrs. Nightwing, Wilhelmina Wyatt, even Pippa. Overall, this series is awesome!
November 21, 2020
I read these books as they came out about fifteen years ago, and they genuinely shaped my views on what girls and women are capable of. Based in a time when women held little if any power, these books offer the opportunity to watch Gemma and Felicity and Anne and Pippa take and make their own. Cannot recommend these books enough, for the sense of sheer adventure alone. And obviously, Kartik.
March 26, 2024
I have read this series 3 times and it’s about time to go through it again. The intrigue, the heart break! I’m here for it!
I am not the person who rereads a book, ever, but this series will be read again and again. It’s my top recommendation for anyone that loves to have their heart ripped apart by fictional characters.
I am not the person who rereads a book, ever, but this series will be read again and again. It’s my top recommendation for anyone that loves to have their heart ripped apart by fictional characters.
January 17, 2018
Third book could have ended a little sooner but still 5 stars. Well written and an easy read. Loved all three!
September 14, 2018
I read them a long time ago, but I'm planning on giving them a re-read here soon. I will update my review then.
March 10, 2019
It was amazing a trilogy and last book wow i loved really :))
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April 2, 2020This book is remarkable. I have liked every second of reading it. I truly recommend it for anyone who appreciates true literature.
October 1, 2022
Epic fantasy!
July 28, 2025
One of my favourite trilogies from when I was a child
August 18, 2022
This is the very first trilogy that had me absolutely hooked. I read it back when Rebel Angels hadn't even been written and now I make a habit of rereading it at least once a year. I absolutely love Gemma and her story is so compelling and well written.
May 29, 2020
this was recommended by a friend. I read all three in a month! Entertaining and easy read! The story stays with you after you are done reading!! So captivating and enjoyable!
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October 23, 2017AMAZING
January 15, 2019
Verschrikkelijke schoonheid, nu op naar deel 3 van deze magische kostschool roman
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews