Some time has passed since the end of Bride of the Stone and Philip is trying to regroup the coven in order to close the portal once and for all. Most of the group members are happy to travel to Philip's chateau in Villefranche-sur-Mer but for Sea Dreamer it is impossible. Now she has become a Christian she believes that Philip's invitation is just a trap by Lucifer. However, even though she was not willing to travel to France, Philip has decided to bring the coven to London.

Back in Eronth things are not going well. Following the Handfasting of Maya and Bwani, Mary and Rosedark are taken prisoner by the Lightcaster. Believing it will set the people of Eronth free, Mary and Rosedark are burned at the stake. The instant they die Khartyn, the Crone, knows their fate and returns to Faia.

Soon it becomes apparent that Eronth is on the brink of disaster. The people are being torn apart by witchhunts and it seems that even the strength of Khartyn, Gwyndion and Maya will not be enough to withstand the power of the Eom crystal.

A Fire in the Shell is the culmination of the Circle of Nine trilogy and follows the lives of the coven on Earth and of Khartyn, Gwyndion and Maya in Faia. Once again we find characters convincing people of the evil of witchcraft when, in fact, they just wish to castrate the belief in magic, leaving the world open to victimisation by those who purport to be "good".

For a fantasy novel to kill two man characters is not unusual but to have them burned at the stake is definitely a new take. In the majority of fantasy stories, if a character is killed in such a way then that character is assumed to be evil. Do not make such sweeping assumptions with Pennicott's novels.

As I have said in earlier reviews, the Circle of Nine trilogy is not an easy cosy read. It is not the kind of story that you can dip into, reading an odd chapter here and there. This series deserves your full attention and anyone willing to be so attentive will be rewarded with a glorious technicolour story that challenges the norm and discovers new depths to the world of Faia and Eronth.

Prepare to have your preconceptions about magic and witchcraft challenged. Brightest Blessings!

Synopsis
Imagine if your darkest dreams had the power to kill...

First came the flies and bees. Then the wild dog attacks in the Blue Mountains and sightings by locals of terrifying beings. The wail of the Banshee is heard. Erinyes, Pan and the Wild Hunt are on the move.
The old ones demand blood...the killings begin.

In Circle of Nine a coven of witches unleashed chaos by opening a portal to Eronth, a parallel world where magic, prophecy and ancient myths are real. Now the coven return to close the portal. But dark forces are working against them. Is one of their own betraying them?

Eronth is on the edge of ruin. Its cunning folk have been decimated by witchhunts and are beset by invaders. Behind all this chaos lies the Eom crystal, ever growing in power and now with an offspring of equal evil.

The faith and strength of Khartyn, Gwyndion, Maya and others are pushed to the limit as they face the horrific culmination of deadly energies. Not all of them will prove equal to the challenge. Heroes will fall by the wayside. One of them will perform the ultimate sacrifice. The final unexpected twist will make you gasp!