THE MAGIC CIRCLE (1998) moves back and forth, from the rise of the Roman Empire to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Beginning in 32 AD, during the last week in the life of Jesus, events are taking place all over the world, in anticipation of the “countdown” to the beginning of a new Aeon — the turning point of a 2000-year astronomical cycle: What kind of trouble is Pontius Pilate threatened with in Judea? What are the Roman emperors worried about, on the Isle of Capri? What are the Druids up to in Celtic Brigantium? Then — in 1989, at the threshold of another new Aeon — nuclear expert Ariel Behn suddenly learns that her favorite cousin, Sam, an encryption expert, has been assassinated, leaving her heir to a cache of ancient manuscripts dating to before the time of Jesus. These documents contain the key to secrets that tyrants have sought for two millennia, secrets that will alter the future of the world. The Magic Circle is an award-winning bestseller, now in 40 languages, and was displayed for several months in the windows of the famous cafe, Les Deux Magots, in Paris–where a pivotal scene in the book takes place!
Katherine Neville, bestselling author of The Eight, combines gripping historical fiction with a modern-day thriller to create The Magic Circle—an astonishing novel of mankind’s quest to harness the power of earth and the heavens.Snake River, Idaho, 1989—Ariel Behn, a toxic-materials expert at a remote nuclear site, finds her well-ordered life shattered when her cousin is slain by an unknown assassin. His shocking death leaves Ariel sole heir to a family legacy: a sinister cache of manuscripts that sweep her into the deadly center of international intrigue—and a mystery that spans the centuries….
Jerusalem, A.D. 32 – During the last week in the life of Christ, as the world stands on the brink of a new two-thousand-year cycle, Emperor Tiberius works desperately to decipher the tantalizing clues to an age-old enigma. He will not be the only one. For whoever assembles, and interprets these cryptic clues will possess the power to control the fate of the world….
Now, at the center of this circle of ancient riddles stands the one woman who can pull the strands together: Ariel Behn. What strange powers lie hidden with the manuscripts? As Ariel races across continents to reveal the dark secrets buried in her family’s past, she begins to unlock the chilling truth of the coming millennium.
Boldly incorporating contemporary characters and real-life historical figures – including the Apostles, Caligula, the Knights Templar, and Genghis Khan – Katherine Neville takes us on a fascinating journey from the rise of the Roman Empire to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Richly textured and marvelously entertaining, The Magic Circle is an epic for our time.
