Beguiled

by Cyla Panin Narrated by Kim Bretton

Overview

Ella is a seventeen-year-old weaver whose entire livelihood depends on her loom. She dreamed of opening her own shop, but when her father died in debtor's prison, she had to support herself by taking whatever clients she could get. In order to buy supplies, she goes into debt of her own, and when her loom breaks, Ella realizes she needs more help than a repairperson can give her. She, like everyone, has heard about the spirit called the Bean-Nighe who will grant any wish-for a price.



Ella is desperate, so she asks the Bean-Nighe to fix her loom. And it works. The loom is fixed, and she creates beautiful pieces she could have never imagined before. All she has to do is feed the loom a drop of blood each time she weaves-a small price to pay. And when she brings two bolts to a rich client, she meets a mysterious man named Callum and bargains for an invitation to his exclusive party. At that party, he's so mesmerized by her talent he offers Ella a place to live and patronage for her art. It seems like Ella's fortune is finally turning for the better . . . until she begins to notice the loom taking more from her than she offered.



As she becomes entangled in the lives of the city's rich, swept into Callum's allure, and trapped by the Bean-Nighe's magic, Ella must figure out a way to secure her future while she still has a future at all.

Editorial Reviews

author of Lakesedge and Forestfall Lyndall Clipstone

Cyla Panin has crafted an immersive, original fantasy steeped in Celtic folklore, with a brave heroine whose struggle for independence and self-worth is utterly compelling.

Booklist

"Fantasy fans who like intricate plots will be lured in by Panin's beautiful writing, magical world building, and dynamic characters. . . Hand to readers hungry for immersive atmosphere."

internationally bestselling author of A River Ench Rebecca Ross

"Clever and scintillating, Beguiled is full of my favorite things: a fascinating world that dazzles with high stakes and myths, unexpected twists, and a resolute heroine to root for. Cyla Panin has woven a masterpiece whose magic lingers long after the last page."

From the Publisher

"Clever and scintillating, Beguiled is full of my favorite things: a fascinating world that dazzles with high stakes and myths, unexpected twists, and a resolute heroine to root for. Cyla Panin has woven a masterpiece whose magic lingers long after the last page."—Rebecca Ross, internationally bestselling author of A River Enchanted

“Cyla Panin has crafted an immersive, original fantasy steeped in Celtic folklore, with a brave heroine whose struggle for independence and self-worth is utterly compelling.”—Lyndall Clipstone, author of Lakesedge and Forestfall

"Once the board is set, readers are rewarded with a twist that shows the previous events of the book in a new and sinister light. . .Ella comes into her own and discovers her true worth in a very satisfying ending." —School Library Journal

"Fantasy fans who like intricate plots will be lured in by Panin's beautiful writing, magical world building, and dynamic characters. . . Hand to readers hungry for immersive atmosphere." —Booklist

School Library Journal

08/01/2022

Gr 9 Up—In the city of Eidyn Crag, the Players, a group of young and wealthy trendsetters, weave their influence, leaving people like Ella out in the cold. Despite Ella's skill with a loom, she lives hand-to-mouth since her father died in a debtor's prison. Now, her livelihood depends on the whims of her one client, a Player named Odina. When Ella's loom breaks, her dreams of independence splinter, too. Desperate, Ella bargains with the cursed Bean-Nighe: in exchange for some of Ella's blood, the Bean-Nighe repairs the loom, but some magic continues to flow through it, enchanting Ella's fabrics. Realizing what Ella's beguiling cloth can do, Callum, the leader of the Players, offers her his patronage. She latches onto him, greedy for power, influence, and wealth, becoming so immersed in Callum and Odina's world that she doesn't realize she is in danger of losing herself. Initially, Ella's character reads as one-note as she molds herself to fit into the expectations of the Players, and as such, her relationship with the mercurial Callum feels contrived. However, once the board is set, readers are rewarded with a twist that shows the previous events of the book in a new and sinister light. Eventually, Ella comes into her own and discovers her true worth in a very satisfying ending. Drug use, sexuality, and abusive relationships make this a title for older teens. The city of Eidyn Crag is reminiscent of a historic Scotland and most of the characters cue white, except for Odina whose skin is light brown and hair is dark. VERDICT Recommended for secondary collections where fantasy stories are popular.—Leighanne Law

Kirkus Reviews

2022-05-25
In a Celtic-inspired fantasy land, a young weaver struggling for survival makes a deal with a storied spirit.

Seventeen-year-old Ella learned to weave at her father’s knee, but since his death in debtors prison, she’s braved life in the slums of Eidyn Crag alone. Interactions with Odina, a wealthy client, provide a glimpse of what life could be, and a bargain with the Bean-Nighe, a Scottish folkloric figure, brings the vision tantalizingly closer. Through Odina, Ella meets Callum, a magnetic and mysterious young man who promises her the world—for a price. What ensues is a dark tale that explores themes of poverty and power, vulnerability and exploitation. Ella, and her audience with her, learns the steep price of trust misplaced. The backdrop of mixed Scottish and Irish folkloric elements is muddy in contrast to the clarity and bite of the central themes, the worldbuilding a dilution of the rich traditions it borrows from. In contrast to the fictional Scottish setting, Odina is named as coming from a real Indigenous nation, the Mi’kmaq; Mi’kmaq culture and her experiences as a Native woman in predominantly White Eidyn Crag are not explored. Unusually for a fantasy world, birth control is raised as a concern. Troublingly, however, the efficacy of the calendar method is misleadingly overstated. Ella and Callum are cued as White.

Woven of many compelling threads, the final tapestry does not live up to the sum of its parts. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940190822045
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	03/26/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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