Book Tour: The Circle

  Circle copy
 
 
   
The Circle

Calum Ranson is sure of three things: his cousin Finley is alive, Calum will find him, and no one knows Calum and his family are Sidhe. No one until Laurel shows up at his mother's bookstore wearing a dark clan's mark. When Calum learns the details surrounding the disappearance of Laurel's brother, he suspects the evil Hobayeth clan. Calum and Laurel work together in the Realm of Man and the Otherworld to rescue her brother - revealing a connection between Calum and Laurel that may cost Finley his life.
 
 
 
Excerpt
 
Chapter One: Siopa Leabhar, p. 10
Calum drummed his fingers on the desk as he watched them leave the store. He wanted to know more about Laurel and her interest in faeries. Or maybe he just wanted to know more about her. Calum wondered what Laurel thought about him, although he didn’t know why it should matter. He hid between the stacks, quietly following them through the bookstore, listening to their conversation.
 
“Well?” asked Andrea, as they approached the door.
 
“He seems nice,” Laurel said in a hushed whisper. “Not at all weird like John Phillip said. And he doesn’t seem to mind that Dad’s going to be the assistant principal. Maybe I could be friends with a boy.”
 
“Imagine that,” said her mother as they closed the door.
 
“Imagine that,” said Calum. He watched through the window as a car rolled to a stop in front of the bookstore.
 
“Imagine what?” asked Kenzie, stepping from behind a nearby stack.
 
Calum jumped at the sound of her voice, knocking several books to the floor. “Geez Mom, don’t sneak up on me.”
 
“Especially when you’re sneaking up on someone else, right?” A wave of Kenzie’s hand returned the fallen books to the shelf. “You’re right to be curious, though. I’m sure you saw it hanging around her neck. I wonder how that girl got a token from one of the darkest of faerie clans.” Kenzie squinted as she watched Laurel climb into the backseat of the Stanton Realtor car.
 
“I don’t think she knows what it is,” said Calum.
 
“Either way, we’d better keep an eye on her.”
 
My summer just got a lot more interesting, thought Calum.
 
 
My review
 
This was a fun and quick read, perfect for middle graders. I liked Kenzie's shop and the little quaint town. I also liked Calum, Laurel, and Hagen. The story wasn't completely predictable. There is a little bit of a shock towards the end of the book and I give kudos to the author for not making things simple and all nicely wrapped up. Obviously this is the first book in a series.
 
I do wish the story and characters would have been developed even more, but I'm sure more of that will happen in the following books.
 
If you're looking for a clean fantasy adventure for your middle-grader then pick this up! 
 
 
Praise
 
"The Circle is full of magic and mystery. Readers will be engrossed in faerie realms, charming characters, and a state of wonder and imagination. The Circle is for those who delight in reading fantasy and exploring mystical worlds."
 
--Kathleen Fox, LibraryGames.com
 
 

Author Cindy Cipriano

Cindy Cipriano lives in NC with her husband, son, and 27 pets. Okay, more like one cat, three dogs, and many, many fish. Cindy is an award winning science teacher, who this past August celebrated her 12th first day of sixth grade.




 
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