Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Iron Circle by Dave Ellis is a supernatural thriller that explores the magic, mystery, and mysticism of Neolithic and Iron Age stone circles. Dr. Sandra Moore is a Reader in Inorganic Chemistry at Cloxford University. When she is talked into organizing an academic conference at the university, she is stuck on what to do with the attendees on their usual mid-conference organized outing. A visit to the Ironblane Circle near her home, with her colleague, Tom, who has a secret crush on Sandra, leads her to consider the circle as a possible venue. Beset by vivid nightmares, visions of Emily, her great-great-grandmother, long rumored to have died at the circle, missing time, and a series of unexplained happenings soon warn Sandra that all may not be as it seems at the stones. Sandra quickly understands that science can only go so far to explain reality, never mind a series of fantastical supernatural events. Before long, Sandra, the elderly caretaker of the stones, and Tom will find themselves in a desperate fight against supernatural forces to save Earth itself from evil.

Iron Circle is pure fantasy and a delightful diversion from the realities of everyday existence. Author Dave Ellis has created an eclectic and unlikely bunch of “heroes” for this thriller. Scientists, of all people, should be the most skeptical of supernatural happenings or beliefs, but Sandra and Tom quickly realize that not everything in this world can be measured and categorized. The idea that these stone monuments from eons ago may hold some type of supernatural purpose or power is not a new one, and it's a premise that many authors and filmmakers have explored in the past. I found this take on the stone circle to be a fresh concept that captured my imagination. The author does an exceptional job of building and developing the principal players in the drama. The crusty and curmudgeonly old caretaker was wonderfully drawn, as was the archetypal view of the academics and their natural skepticism that what couldn’t be accounted for scientifically didn’t really exist. The characters are wonderfully British and understated in both their humor and their social reluctance. I thoroughly enjoyed this read because of its outlandish and fantastical plotline. This is a fun read, and I highly recommend it.