H.R.Conklin’s Celtic Magic series is a must-read for fantasy lovers as well as those who care about the environment.

The Celtic Magic series is a  unique tale connecting modern day California to the Scotland of centuries ago. Join  Mairi during a life-changing year in this eco-heroine's journey,  following the Celtic wheel of pagan holidays through the seasons.

First, in The Trinity Knot, 15-year-old Mairi and her younger brother Jamie are forced to spend the summer with their estranged grandfather in the rural mountains of Northern California after the sudden death of their father. Expecting to be miserable, Mairi is instead drawn into a world of magic straight out of the Celtic Fairy Tales from her childhood. Facing faerie curses and vengeful druids, a trip back in time to ancient Scotland threatens to become even more dangerous than anticipated when their cousin, Danny unexpectedly shows up with his own agenda, and time is running out to reverse the curse a faerie has put on their family. Life wasn't ever going to be the same without her father, but Mairi never imagined she was actually part of a magical legacy. 

Then, in The Witch's Knot, Mairi learns there is a darker side to the Fae Folk and humans alike. As Autumn deepens, Mairi enters the Faerie Realm along with her cousin Anne, her brother Jamie, and a mysterious spirit cat named KA, in search of the humans kept captive by the faeries. On their journey, they encounter changelings, giants, and bloodthirsty fae while battling accusations of "witch", all while they are shadowed by the druid Ewan MacDonald seeking revenge. Autumn is a darker time for everyone, and Mairi has only one agenda; to prove her dad never died. 

Continuing in The Faerie Knot, Mairi's world  again turns upside down when she's kidnapped by Cailleach Bheur. Before the Queen of the Unseelie (Dark) Fae decides to declare war on humans, Mairi must learn to control her magic in time to help or possibly lose herself in a downward spiral into self-destruction.

Mairi has been shown the future and knows humans must change their ways. Continuing on their path of disconnect with Nature will cause the destruction of human life. Tasked by the Seelie Fae to save the human world, Mairi and friends seek out ancient wisdom in the stories of old. The Queen of the Unseelie Fae decides humans have to prove themselves worthy of the Earthly Realm, or die trying. Dark magic makes Mairi push harder to find the answers she needs, but the Undersea Faerie Queen is weighing in and Mairi is uncertain whose side she is on. 

Finally, when young people representing cultures from all of the continents share their knowledge, Mairi finally feels the seeds of hope. Deadly faerie magic is working against humanity, but humans and faeries are working together like never before. As humans begin seeing the earth through ancient views, they are waking up to their dormant powers. Now Mairi must put all the pieces together before time runs out for human life on Earth, and for once she's starting to feel worthy of the task. Join Mairi and friends in the exciting conclusion to the Celtic Magic series, The Eternity Knot.

Join Mairi and family on a journey through the Celtic Year, as they learn the deeper meaning in Celtic Fairy Tales and modern day magic. Follow them through time as they meet druids, witches, and faeries of Light and Dark, and find out what role ancient stories and traditions can play in saving the Earth from imminent destruction. The series will reach its conclusion in book 4, The Eternity Knot as they learn to look to the old stories to save the world.

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

There’s a fairy curse on Mairi’s family. After her father’s death, Mairi and her brother, Jamie, are living in the mountains of northern California, with their grandfather. It is here she learns of the curse and is transported back in time to another Mairi, in rural Scotland, fighting the demons of curses that plague the Scottish legends. H.R. Conklin’s The Trinity Knot leads the reader in two parallel stories, past and present. Their grandfather shares amazing stories of Celtic lore and the fact that his bagpipes, with a certain chanter, can perform all manner of magical deeds, like helping someone travel through time. Mairi and Jamie learn, too, that they are druids and they have a lot to learn to preserve and use their growing magic wisely. What Mairi thought was going to be a boring summer with her grandfather in the isolated rural mountains suddenly turns into an amazing “Harry Potter” type of fantasy.

H.R. Conklin’s young adult novel, The Trinity Knot (Celtic Magic), is a fast-paced, engaging fantasy that will thrill readers of all ages. Told in the third person, the plot initiates the drama with a scene of Mairi in the sixteenth century, running for her life to protect the chanter she’s just stolen from a clansman. Jump forward in time and Mairi in the present day is suffering the loss of her father, coupled with the growing knowledge of who she really is and what powers she possesses. The jumps in time are well executed so readers don’t get lost. The descriptive narrative is solid and sets the stage for the action that follows. The characters are well-developed and the dialogue is used effectively. A fantastical read!