This was an engrossing read! Mystical, mysterious, with a totally unexpected and satisfying twist at the end. Set in beautiful Scotland. Loved it. Can't wait to read the sequel.
BEATRICE
Description
The book, Beatrice, takes place in Scotland. It is unique in that it references events in Scottish history, Druid legends and important ancient sites in Scotland while telling the modern day story of a family’s pursuit of their lost memories. It has a realistic feel from the setting and characters, but evolves into a fantasy-mystery-thriller as suspense and magic begin to bubble to the surface during the Bauman family’s determined search to discover what happened to them.
The title, Beatrice, comes from the person who was the Bauman’s housekeeper. Beatrice Darrow assumed that position after their original housekeeper, Mary McClellan, was killed in an auto accident on Christmas night in 1981. Mary had been a very important part of the Bauman family and had been deeply loved. Beatrice was nothing like Mary. She did her job but never allowed herself to become close to the family as Mary had, and as the Baumans’ looked to re-discover their past, Beatrice’s name started popping up throughout their investigations.
The time frame for the story ranges from the 1980s up to 2008, and the plot centers around Elizabeth, Ewan and Fiona Bauman and their historic estate outside Edinburgh. Ewan, who at the beginning of the book is thirty-six, becomes determined to unearth the memories that had vanished for he and his mother and sister almost twenty years earlier on the night of his eighteenth birthday. He convinces Elizabeth and Fiona to join him, as the emptiness of losing that part of their lives had consumed them for far too long.
Sifting through the past brings them closer together as a family and begins to unravel the mystery, but it also uncovers a side of their life that they never knew existed. They travel back to their estate, learn about their unknown connections to Scottish history and Druid legend and lore, and they discover the significance of the ancient oak grove that sits on their estate near their mansion. However, they also become part of a dark and evil prophesy that could not only end their lives but could change the balance of good and evil on the earth forever. It’s a collision course that accelerates towards the unforeseen conclusion of Beatrice.
BLACK GROTTO
Description
Black Grotto takes place in Scotland and begins in the year AD 500 when a great Druid prophet named Erin travels with his scribe to a primordial and sacred cave high up in the Three Sisters. At the age of eighty, he is guided there by his dreams in order to finally reach the zenith of his prophecies.
The story then moves forward in time to AD 2022 where a young Druid named Bea Bauman is coming of age. It is a very special day and one where her mother and father finally share with her the true story of her birth.
What she learns that day completely changes her life, and she sets out alone on a long journey across the width and breadth of Scotland. Her wanderings are filled with danger, magic, and overpowering discoveries. They take her to ancient Druid places of power, places of raw and natural beauty, of history and lore, and she is introduced to Anu Grenn and Willam Brodie - her unexpected mentors.
But as all of this is happening, a Druid priestess named Brenna is secretly observing Bea. She is biding her time and preparing to connect with the earth’s darkest magic at just the right moment in order to bring the world to its knees. She pursues Bea and her own destiny without mercy as these two “black-haired beauties” edge the world ever closer to the precipice of a very dark and treacherous abyss - a place where the forces of light and darkness hang in the balance.
THE VORTEX
Description
The Vortex begins just as Black Grotto ends. Bea Bauman, a young Druid Priestess, is brought into the future by an ancient prophet named Erin. She cannot resist his call. He reaches for her from the center of the Vortex inside the Black Grotto, and she takes his hand, leaving her family and friends behind as she travels with him through time and space.
Just as Bea enters the Vortex, Aran Brodie, who has become a close and dear companion, cannot let Bea go alone into the void. He jumps in after her. For a time, they travel together inside the violent maelstrom, but they cannot maintain their grip on one another. They become separated and lose consciousness. When Bea finally awakens, she finds herself at the Stones of Calanais in the year 2026 - three years in the future - staring into the eyes of Erin the prophet. In the meantime, Aran Brodie is expelled from the Vortex at the same location as Bea, but his exit casts him over 4500 years into the past, where he finds himself surrounded by primordial Druids in search of a human sacrifice.
As all of this is going on, another character from the previous books also finds herself at the Stones of Calanais in the year 2026. Her name is Obsidian. For years now, she has been an acolyte in the grove of an extraordinarily powerful Druid Priestess named Brenna. Brenna brought Obsidian with her to this time and place to help her battle her nemesis, but Brenna is overcome and vanishes. Saddened and distraught, Obsidian is left alone without any way to return to her own time. She wanders aimlessly for days, but then remembers something that Brenna once shared with her. A Druid, even more powerful than Brenna, lives somewhere near the Stones of Calanais. She is called The Keeper. Obsidian sets out to find her in the hope that she can bring Brenna back and restore her to her former greatness and power.
The Vortex carries forth the story of the Alban Saga, weaving the plot lines into a surprising and volatile romp through time, space, and Scottish history. This dangerous and risky journey will either end in the past being completely reshaped, leading to a malevolent and dire future, or… the current timeline will remain untouched and safe for the development of humankind. Bea Bauman will be at the center of this struggle. She will attempt to unravel and countermand whomever or whatever is trying to alter history, while also dealing with her feelings for Aran, her fear for his survival, and having to navigate the treacherous intricacies of traveling through The Vortex.
Have just enjoyed another epic story from Bob Stegner: Merlin & Arthur, The Awakening. Loved the way it jumped between the different characters and timeline. I am not keen on blood and gore, so this simple trick, kept me on board and enthralled. Having experienced tears towards the end of Black Grotto, I did not expect to have more with this story. How wrong could I have been. The last couple of chapters, had me tissues in hand, and struggling to read through the tears. Thank you for weeks of happy reading. On a final note, considering that this story was written pre 2020, and published early 2020, is it just coincidental that it is about a pandemic? Or is Mr Stegner actually a Seer?
