• Age: 14 to 18
• Grade: 9 to 12

Cyla Panin’s Beguiled is a dark and enthralling young adult novel about a young woman who makes a deal with a spirit to try and gain her independence—and the twisted price she has to pay for it.

Ella is a 17-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 her 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 old washerwoman spirit called the Bean-Nighe who will grant any one wish—for a price.

But 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 for such magnificent silks. And when she brings two bolts to a rich client, she meets a mysterious young 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.

Cyla Panin lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband and two sons. Her debut novel, Stalking Shadows, was called “both beautiful and brutal” by Kirkus Reviews. She has a bachelor of arts in English with a concentration in creative writing from Mount Royal University.

Cyla Panin's profile page

“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

"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

"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

"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