If you’re looking for a beach read with supernatural intrigue, A Circle of Stars by Erin Lark Maples will draw you in from page one. Ember “EJ” James, a newly-arrived stranger in the strange land of Prescott, AZ, immediately begins navigating unfamiliar territory, both physically and metaphysically.
Forty-something EJ doesn’t know it yet, but when she agreed to take over her deceased uncle Hollis’s shop in Prescott, she stumbled into a world of magical realism. The plant shop, as it turns out, is more than just that—it hides secret access to other realms, which supernatural beings will go to great lengths to access. Much like the plants in the shop, this tale is dark, tangled, and intriguing beyond belief.
Anyone else may have felt helpless. But EJ remains upbeat, charmingly self-deprecating, and resourceful to the end. There’s a great joy in seeing how she works through her new surroundings, unfazed by (almost) everything they throw her way.
Erin Lark Maples builds suspense quickly as the narrative unwinds, blending modern popular fiction with classic fantasy worldbuilding.
There’s a rather fantastical number of attractive men, but it is fiction, after all, and Maples quickly subverts reader expectations. What at first seems to be shaping into a classic fantasy romance gets turned on its head as would-be suitors become anti-heroes, even antagonists. The question soon changes from “Who will EJ choose?” to “How will she get out of this mess?”
As the plot thickens, EJ and the reader alike have much to keep up with: many names and complex rules of the fantasy world EJ’s just discovering. It has portals, pathways, history, artifacts—all the markers of a well-built world. Since readers see it through EJ’s very confused eyes, it’s easy to feel lost, but the real-world details help keep things grounded.
Much of the action takes place indoors, as EJ figures out how to run a plant shop-slash-supernatural meeting place. The plants themselves serve as a clear metaphor: they begin as overwhelming responsibilities but become friendly forces as EJ finds her way. Detailed descriptions of plants, moths, and even food become excellent foreshadowing.
Though it employs timeless fantasy elements, this is undoubtedly a text of the information age. Maples has the subtle yet admirable ability to give her characters modern tech—smartphones, online forums—without breaking her world’s spell.
Specific pop culture references further cement A Circle of Stars as a thoughtfully modern book. EJ herself is no stranger to contemporary issues: divorce, single parenting, planning events for terrible customers at her old job. But as she finds her path in Prescott, those issues fall away. Now, she’s instead confronted with unthinkable enemies and her own emerging supernatural power. Yet, these supernatural struggles ultimately help her come to terms with her real-world challenges.
Soon, EJ starts learning to merge her two worlds. She’s an experienced event planner, after all, and don’t her supernaturally-gifted neighbors still need events planned? She starts working toward her first big event in Prescott: an opening bash for the revived plant shop.
Her party-planning keeps the suspense aflame as we wait to see how things go down. Not all the invited guests are amicable, and many have dangerous abilities.
As chaos ensues and the stakes grow higher, it’s not always easy to tell who’s doing what and why, especially with so many magical abilities and clandestine connections at play. Like EJ, the reader often discovers what’s really going on a bit after the fact. However, the occasionally-campy banter in some scenes helps shed light on the details. It’s all in keeping with the book’s tone: a none-too-serious journey through magical possibilities. One of Maples’s best qualities as an author is her ability to show that magic can mean superhuman abilities and real-world serendipity, all at once.
This book is a great choice for lovers of smart beach reads, unbreakable women, and modern magical realism. At first, the novel’s resolution risks feeling a bit too easy. Yet there’s a surprising shift in perspectives just before the end, sending a quick signal that the story is far from over—we might see more through a different character’s eyes. This is Maples reminding us that A Circle of Stars is only the first book in her Four Crowns series. Though EJ’s world may seem settled for now, readers will be hungry for a sequel, to find out what she does with her newfound power.
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The Chatelaine Book Awards recognize emerging new talent and outstanding works in Romance Fiction. The Chatelaine Book Awards is a division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The CIBAs).
