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Circle of Nine: Novella Collection
Return to the Celtic magic that began with the suspenseful, award-winning novel Circle of Nine – Beltany.
Descended from a legendary Celtic tribe that guards the secrets of the ancient stone circles, the Quinn women have a great responsibility to protect their pagan rituals and way of life. As members of the formidable Circle of Nine, they celebrate the holidays of the year from Yule to Samhain, keeping the traditions of the Tuatha de Danann alive through the centuries against insurmountable odds. We first met these women in Circle of Nine – Beltany, and now a set of three novellas reveals more of their engaging stories.
In Bressa’s Banishment the power struggle between Father Banan and village healer Bressa Gormley unfolds amidst accusations of treachery, heresy, and murder. Can the Circle protect their trusted healer and the path of the Tuatha against a growing religious fervor?
Dervla’s Destiny brings us to medieval Ireland where the beloved character Dervla Quinn learns of her gifts and fights tremendous loss, betrayal, and violence, all the while never giving up on finding the love she deserves.
In Phoebe's Mission, when an evil force on a quest for ultimate power threatens the Circle of Nine, Phoebe Quinn must leave Ireland for the first time and travel to the United States to protect their way of life. Along the way, she meets the handsome Macklin Scott, taking her mission, and possibly her future, on a far different course than expected.
Descended from a legendary Celtic tribe that guards the secrets of the ancient stone circles, the Quinn women have a great responsibility to protect their pagan rituals and way of life. As members of the formidable Circle of Nine, they celebrate the holidays of the year from Yule to Samhain, keeping the traditions of the Tuatha de Danann alive through the centuries against insurmountable odds. We first met these women in Circle of Nine – Beltany, and now a set of three novellas reveals more of their engaging stories.
In Bressa’s Banishment the power struggle between Father Banan and village healer Bressa Gormley unfolds amidst accusations of treachery, heresy, and murder. Can the Circle protect their trusted healer and the path of the Tuatha against a growing religious fervor?
Dervla’s Destiny brings us to medieval Ireland where the beloved character Dervla Quinn learns of her gifts and fights tremendous loss, betrayal, and violence, all the while never giving up on finding the love she deserves.
In Phoebe's Mission, when an evil force on a quest for ultimate power threatens the Circle of Nine, Phoebe Quinn must leave Ireland for the first time and travel to the United States to protect their way of life. Along the way, she meets the handsome Macklin Scott, taking her mission, and possibly her future, on a far different course than expected.
Audiobook
Published June 16, 2020
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About the author
Valerie Biel
10 books156 followersValerie Biel's love for travel and insatiable curiosity inspires her storytelling. Her award-winning Circle of Nine series is set partially in Ireland where she was inspired by the ancient stone circles which dot the countryside. Beltany, an actual stone circle in County Donegal, Ireland, plays an important part in this novel. "There's something eerie and beautiful about these circles which rise up out of the greenest grass you've ever seen. Who built them? Why did they build them? If that's not enough to start a story, nothing is." Her other books include HAVEN, a middle-grade novel that sensitively handles the tough topic of domestic abuse through the eyes of an 11-year-old, and BEYOND THE CEMETERY GATE, a mystery suspense novel.
She holds a degree in Journalism (Public Relations/Broadcast News) and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin and has spent more than 25 years working in the public relations field. She edits manuscripts and develops and implements marketing & publicity plans for other authors via her agency Lost Lake Press. She often teaches about writing topics at conferences, libraries, and schools. She also creates a monthly Writers’ Forum column with the latest news from the publishing industry and writing world on Substack publication Reading, Writing, & Roaming. She sits on the board of The World Orphan Fund, a charity founded by her husband RJ Johnson in 2010 that assists children's homes in countries around the globe. She lives on a (tiny) piece of her family's century old farm in Wisconsin, but regularly dreams of finding the perfect cottage on the Irish coast where she could write and write.
To keep up with what's happening with her books or to enjoy some fun 'stuff' for readers (like a awesome playlists), go to her website at www.ValerieBiel.com. For more frequent updates, "Like" her author Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ValerieBielBooks or subscribe to her blog at https://readingwritingandroaming.subs....
She holds a degree in Journalism (Public Relations/Broadcast News) and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin and has spent more than 25 years working in the public relations field. She edits manuscripts and develops and implements marketing & publicity plans for other authors via her agency Lost Lake Press. She often teaches about writing topics at conferences, libraries, and schools. She also creates a monthly Writers’ Forum column with the latest news from the publishing industry and writing world on Substack publication Reading, Writing, & Roaming. She sits on the board of The World Orphan Fund, a charity founded by her husband RJ Johnson in 2010 that assists children's homes in countries around the globe. She lives on a (tiny) piece of her family's century old farm in Wisconsin, but regularly dreams of finding the perfect cottage on the Irish coast where she could write and write.
To keep up with what's happening with her books or to enjoy some fun 'stuff' for readers (like a awesome playlists), go to her website at www.ValerieBiel.com. For more frequent updates, "Like" her author Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ValerieBielBooks or subscribe to her blog at https://readingwritingandroaming.subs....
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 3, 2021
I absolutely loved this book!I actually started it on St Brighids Day,so it was timely.I think I love Dervla best.Besides her name,sh has been through SO much to get where she finds a home. Paige Jensen is a terrific narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
October 29, 2021
"Packed with heart and wit, the CIRCLE OF NINE: NOVELLA COLLECTION dishes up the intriguing backstories of Dervla, Bressa, and Phoebe. Each tale is a standalone adventure in itself. Collectively, they're rich, absorbing, and satisfying."
December 29, 2025
After finishing book one, Beltany, I couldn’t wait to continue this series. When I shared how much I loved the seasonal rituals, nature-based magic, and deep respect for ancestry in the first book, the author told me, “Just wait until book two.” She was right!
This second book is made up of three novellas, each taking us back in time to live through pivotal moments in the lives of Bridget’s ancestors. Instead of reading about these women through diary entries (like in book 1) we get to fully experience their stories. That shift made everything feel more intimate and emotionally grounded. These women stopped feeling like figures from the past and started feeling like real people I was living alongside.
Each novella explores sacrifice, survival, identity, and the cost of staying true to deeply held beliefs in a world that often fears or misunderstands them. The first two stories especially highlight how dangerous it once was for these women to practice their rituals and honor their gifts, and how much courage it took to protect both themselves and their people. There’s a strong undercurrent of being hunted, judged, or forced into impossible choices simply for existing as they are.
The third novella shifts the timeline forward and introduces new elements that felt different in tone, leaning more into portal-style magic. While it briefly felt like a departure from the earthy, spiritual atmosphere I loved so much, it ultimately tied back into the larger story and left me very curious about where the series is headed next.
What stood out most to me in this collection was how much deeper my connection became to the lineage of women at the heart of this series. Seeing their struggles, resilience, and devotion to their traditions made the world of Circle of Nine feel rich, lived-in, and meaningful.
If you loved the rituals, seasonal magic, and ancestral storytelling in book one, this collection is absolutely worth reading. It deepened my appreciation for the series and left me eager to continue.
This second book is made up of three novellas, each taking us back in time to live through pivotal moments in the lives of Bridget’s ancestors. Instead of reading about these women through diary entries (like in book 1) we get to fully experience their stories. That shift made everything feel more intimate and emotionally grounded. These women stopped feeling like figures from the past and started feeling like real people I was living alongside.
Each novella explores sacrifice, survival, identity, and the cost of staying true to deeply held beliefs in a world that often fears or misunderstands them. The first two stories especially highlight how dangerous it once was for these women to practice their rituals and honor their gifts, and how much courage it took to protect both themselves and their people. There’s a strong undercurrent of being hunted, judged, or forced into impossible choices simply for existing as they are.
The third novella shifts the timeline forward and introduces new elements that felt different in tone, leaning more into portal-style magic. While it briefly felt like a departure from the earthy, spiritual atmosphere I loved so much, it ultimately tied back into the larger story and left me very curious about where the series is headed next.
What stood out most to me in this collection was how much deeper my connection became to the lineage of women at the heart of this series. Seeing their struggles, resilience, and devotion to their traditions made the world of Circle of Nine feel rich, lived-in, and meaningful.
If you loved the rituals, seasonal magic, and ancestral storytelling in book one, this collection is absolutely worth reading. It deepened my appreciation for the series and left me eager to continue.
September 8, 2016
I love Ireland and Irish lore, so I was delighted to dive into Valerie Biel’s second book in her Circle of Nine series. Circle of Nine: Novella Collection gives readers more of the back story for three very important women in the Quinn family history, introduced in Biel’s first novel, Circle of Nine: Beltany. Each of the novellas in this collection is a complete story with an engaging plot and fast paced action. Weaving an interesting mix of fantasy and legend, Biel gives readers a glimpse of a crucial turning point in the lives of three young women.
Bressa Gormley from1322, Dervla Quinn from 1450, and Phoebe Quinn from 1969 are all strong young women facing challenges that threaten everything they hold dear. The three women are completely different in both time period and personality, yet they all face a difficult and dangerous choice to stay true to their own values, no matter the consequences. As each young woman struggles to find a solution, fate takes her in a direction she never imagined possible.
While I would have liked to see a bit more development of the characters, Biel does a great job of creating this world inspired by Irish legend. Particularly compelling is Bressa’s struggle to maintain her own faith tradition in the face of condemnation from an over-zealous, strong-willed priest who feels threatened by her talents. Bressa’s solution reflects the crisis many faiths have gone through as new religions take root.
At 210 pages, Circle of Nine: Novella Collection is just right for young adult readers. Biel even provides a glossary and pronunciation guide to help with unfamiliar Celtic terms.
Choices are scary, whether we embrace them or they are forced on us. Circle of Nine: Novella Collection offers the valuable message that when opportunity opens a door, it’s okay to walk through, no matter how difficult or frightening.
Even as the three stories provide insights into Biel’s world, this novella collection whets my appetite for more. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the Circle of Nine series.
Bressa Gormley from1322, Dervla Quinn from 1450, and Phoebe Quinn from 1969 are all strong young women facing challenges that threaten everything they hold dear. The three women are completely different in both time period and personality, yet they all face a difficult and dangerous choice to stay true to their own values, no matter the consequences. As each young woman struggles to find a solution, fate takes her in a direction she never imagined possible.
While I would have liked to see a bit more development of the characters, Biel does a great job of creating this world inspired by Irish legend. Particularly compelling is Bressa’s struggle to maintain her own faith tradition in the face of condemnation from an over-zealous, strong-willed priest who feels threatened by her talents. Bressa’s solution reflects the crisis many faiths have gone through as new religions take root.
At 210 pages, Circle of Nine: Novella Collection is just right for young adult readers. Biel even provides a glossary and pronunciation guide to help with unfamiliar Celtic terms.
Choices are scary, whether we embrace them or they are forced on us. Circle of Nine: Novella Collection offers the valuable message that when opportunity opens a door, it’s okay to walk through, no matter how difficult or frightening.
Even as the three stories provide insights into Biel’s world, this novella collection whets my appetite for more. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the Circle of Nine series.
November 20, 2025
Excellent, in-depth stories featuring three of the women of the Tuatha Quinn line.
The Circle of Nine: Novellas is the second book in author Valerie Biel’s magical fantasy series and is a trio of tales, each one focusing on the backstory of a woman introduced in Book One, Beltany. The Quinn matriarchy is rich in lore and magical stories. This collection features Bressa Gormley, the teacher and mentor of Onora Quinn, the originator of the family book passed down from mother to daughter through the ages; Dervla Quinn, who lived more than a century later; and Phoebe Quinn, a more recent writer in the book from the 1960s.
Valerie Biel is a skilled teller of tales, bringing each of the women to life and focusing on the years in their lives prior to the stories they reveal during their turn writing the family book. All of them describe pivotal points in their histories. In Bressa’s Banishment, readers learn how the old wisewoman came to live on the enchanted island in Lough Dooras. Dervla’s Destiny lays the groundwork for the tragic events that Dervla Quinn’s immediate family will later experience. While Phoebe’s Mission is one of mysteries and occurs early enough that Phoebe’s gran is still alive and occasionally lucid.The novellas expand the myth and magic of the world of THE CIRCLE OF NINE and allow an intimate view into characters previously encountered only as words on pages in the handed-down ancestral history. I recommend them for readers who enjoy contemporary fantasy stories featuring folklore and magic.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.July 14, 2020
My second book in the series Circle of Nine. After I read the first book: Beltany, I couldn't wait for the next book to arrive on Audible. And honestly, I was not disappointed! The first book was a parallel of few stories - the main one that of Brigit Quinn, and others as Brigit was reading about the other characters- her ancestors. In the second book: Novella Collection, Valerie Biel gave us deeper insight into the world of Circle of Nine. She went into detail about Bressa, Dervla and another character Phoebe. I couldn't stop listening and I didn't want the stories to end. Stories are written very well, and obviously characters built really well too.
The narrator Paige Jensen - I am so glad that she got to narrate the second book as well. I love her Scottish accent and her ability to switch between characters so effortlessly male and female; old and young. One feedback for Paige would be to have different characteristics for male voices. All the male voices sound very much the same... but honestly that's minor. I hope that she continues to narrate others as well.
Lastly- Jamie Fraser/Outlander fans- this book is for you! Jamie Fraser must have been Liam in his past life. That's all I will say about this.
Love... love... love this series.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
The narrator Paige Jensen - I am so glad that she got to narrate the second book as well. I love her Scottish accent and her ability to switch between characters so effortlessly male and female; old and young. One feedback for Paige would be to have different characteristics for male voices. All the male voices sound very much the same... but honestly that's minor. I hope that she continues to narrate others as well.
Lastly- Jamie Fraser/Outlander fans- this book is for you! Jamie Fraser must have been Liam in his past life. That's all I will say about this.
Love... love... love this series.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review
October 31, 2025
Circle of Nine Novella Collection by Valerie Biel is a collection of short stories in the Circle of Nine book series by the author. This short collection contains three stories by the author from the world of Circle of Nine. The first story is Bressa's Banishment, which tells us about Bressa who is the village healer and Father Banan, who is the village clergy. Father Banan is a very noisy character who can not help but want to be in the way and be the leader or in charge of everything. The second book takes us through Dervla's story entitled Dervla's Destiny. Dervla's story is set in the medieval timeframe of Ireland and she tells a compelling story of so much loss and betrayal. You can not help but feel for her. The final story takes us to Phoebe Quinn's story entitled Phoebe's Mission. Phoebe travels to the US to protect her life and also meets Mackin. I love these characters and their different time frames in history. The author writes such a great story involving Celtic mythology and pagan rituals/traditions! The glossary is helpful in this book for YA readers also and adult readers alike, you may or may not know all the Celtic terms! I love this series and can not wait to share book 3 with y'all next week!
July 5, 2024
Circle of Nine Novella Collection ( Circle of Nine Series Book 2 )
I really enjoy this series Book 1 & Book 2 is awsome
I can not wait to read more in the series
Reading about Bressa’s abanishment
Reading about Dervla’s destiny
Reading about Phoebe’s mission how she littary
ran into Macklin in his back yard in the United States
I’ll be reading book 3 next.
Valerie Biel thank you for writing these books
I really enjoy this series Book 1 & Book 2 is awsome
I can not wait to read more in the series
Reading about Bressa’s abanishment
Reading about Dervla’s destiny
Reading about Phoebe’s mission how she littary
ran into Macklin in his back yard in the United States
I’ll be reading book 3 next.
Valerie Biel thank you for writing these books
December 29, 2023
Circle of Nine
The circle of nine is to go to the altar of stones for eight holidays of the tuatha . As the traditions of the equinox. Nine women circle around and pray to the goddesses.
The circle of nine is to go to the altar of stones for eight holidays of the tuatha . As the traditions of the equinox. Nine women circle around and pray to the goddesses.
July 19, 2025
Valerie, bestie, these stories are my crack. Please write 500 more.
December 18, 2025
Again, I have been magically whisked away deep into the heart of Valerie Biel's latest installment in the Circle of Nine series, the Novella Collection. This is the second book in the series and it explores the other characters from the Circle of Nine. I absolutely love how Valerie Biel is kind enough to give us, readers, more on the other characters from her first novel, Beltany. This collection has short stories featuring each of the these characters and their story within the Circle of Nine series. Valerie Biel knows how to write, entice readers, and keep readers, like me, coming back for more. Characters and their lives are so important and Valerie Biel takes that seriously. Her writing is engaging, suspenseful, and addictive. She creates characters that will forever win your heart and leave you rooting to win. If you want adventure, magic, power, and more then this Novella Collection for Circle Nine is the read for you! Emotionally gripping, women centered and entertaining Valerie Biel is an author to keep on your reader's list.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.
December 12, 2025
Back into the world of Circle of Nine, three novellas featuring three different Quinn Women: Bressa, Dervla, and Phobe.
Different age, I think that the three novella are all about discovering limits, power, and facing fears and enemy.
They’re very enjoyable and mame me learn more about the world of The Circle of Nine.
There’s more world building and I like the evolution of the characters as it was well done.
Enjoyable and well done.
Recommended. Many thanks for this digital copy, all opinions are mine
Different age, I think that the three novella are all about discovering limits, power, and facing fears and enemy.
They’re very enjoyable and mame me learn more about the world of The Circle of Nine.
There’s more world building and I like the evolution of the characters as it was well done.
Enjoyable and well done.
Recommended. Many thanks for this digital copy, all opinions are mine
January 15, 2026
i didnt really like how the book was seperated by person. it really took a lot for me to read this on. the first was was really good but wanted to read the whole series
January 8, 2026
After seeing my review of Circle of Nine: Beltany I’m sure it’s no surprise that I absolutely loved Circle of Nine: Novella Collection! This book takes you back to the captivating world of Celtic magic and the Quinn women. The three novellas in the collection each offer a unique and engaging story that kept me hooked from beginning to end. Even though there are brief tellings of each of these stories in CIRCLE OF NINE: BELTANY I loved digging into to each of them a bit deeper.
I was captivated by the power struggle and nastiness in “Bressa’s Banishment,” and found myself rooting for Dervla Quinn as she faced loss and betrayal in “Dervla’s Destiny.” “Phoebe’s Mission” was even more captivating as Phoebe Quinn ventured to the United States to protect the Circle of Nine, and along the way discovered unexpected love.
Valerie Biel’s storytelling is riveting, and I was completely drawn into the world of the Quinn women and their enduring fight to preserve and protect their heritage. If you love Celtic lore, strong female characters, or even captivating storytelling, I highly recommend Valerie Biel’s Circle of Nine: Novella Collection.
I was captivated by the power struggle and nastiness in “Bressa’s Banishment,” and found myself rooting for Dervla Quinn as she faced loss and betrayal in “Dervla’s Destiny.” “Phoebe’s Mission” was even more captivating as Phoebe Quinn ventured to the United States to protect the Circle of Nine, and along the way discovered unexpected love.
Valerie Biel’s storytelling is riveting, and I was completely drawn into the world of the Quinn women and their enduring fight to preserve and protect their heritage. If you love Celtic lore, strong female characters, or even captivating storytelling, I highly recommend Valerie Biel’s Circle of Nine: Novella Collection.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews