Black Grotto

by Bob Stegner

Black Grotto takes place in Scotland and begins in the year AD 500 when a great Druid prophet named Erin travels with his scribe to a primordial and sacred cave high up in the Three Sisters. At the age of eighty, he is guided there by his dreams in order to finally reach the zenith of his prophecies.

The story then moves forward in time to AD 2022 where a young Druid named Bea Bauman is coming of age. It is a very special day and one where her mother and father finally share with her the true story of her birth.

What she learns that day completely changes her life, and she sets out alone on a long journey across the width and breadth of Scotland. Her wanderings are filled with danger, magic, and overpowering discoveries. They take her to ancient Druid places of power, places of raw and natural beauty, of history and lore, and introduce her to Anu Grenn and Willam Brodie - her unexpected mentors.

But as all of this is happening, a Druid priestess named Brenna is secretly observing Bea. She is biding her time and preparing to connect with the earth’s darkest magic at just the right moment in order to bring the world to its knees. She pursues Bea and her own destiny without mercy as these two “black-haired beauties” edge the world ever closer to the precipice of a very dark and treacherous abyss - a place where the forces of light and darkness hang in the balance.

410 pages, Paperback

Published June 14, 2016

About the author

Bob Stegner grew up in Colorado and now lives in the Pacific Northwest. He has a master’s degree in education and has been a “ski bum,” a teacher, a published singer/songwriter, and a musician. He has run his own school in Alaska, worked in educational technology, and was employed overseas for several years. Now he’s a published independent author, writes science fiction and fantasy, and travels extensively. All of these experiences have added depth to his life and to the stories that he has to tell.

Reviews

[Bob Stegner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is not from me. It is actually a review of Black Grotto that someone did on Amazon.com. I didn't want to write one of my own, so I put this one in. The rating was 5 stars.

Great Story!
I've read all three of Stegner's books and his writing has reached a level of very good to excellent. The story is intriguing and skillfully weaves in lines from the previous books, but it isn't necessary to read them in order to enjoy Black Grotto. This book should be widely distributed...I fully expect Bob to make the best seller list in the near future.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Stegner has spun a superb tale of ancient Druid spirituality weaving across the centuries. With a deep knowledge of Celtic myths and legends blended with modern earth based spirituality, Bob tells a tale of a uniquely created young women caught up in the universal struggle of good and evil. She holds within her the trajectory of the worlds future. As he tells the tale Bob paints vivid pictures the sacred places and the scenic countryside of Scotland. It all wraps together in a wonderful read.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author does a wonderful job of linking the distant past of the Ancient Druid Earth Based Religion with its presence in the modern world of today. The excellent descriptive writing easily paints pictures of people, places and events in your mind. The author makes it very easy to "see" the story unfold and creates the tension needed to keep you reading to find out how the adventure will end for the young Druid Priestess, her family and friends. It has a surprise ending that makes you want a sequel because questions remain unanswered - great read for anyone!

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Bob Stegner’s novels. However, I have chosen Black Grotto as my favorite fantasy story in his repertoire so far. I was hooked from the opening scenes with Erin and his scribe in the Cave of Dreams, through Bea’s journey of self-discovery, until the heart pounding end. His descriptions of the wild areas in Scotland were visually as well as spiritually powerful, and his characters were beautifully rendered. I hope to read the sequel to this wonderful story sometime soon!

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of Bob Stegner's books and I am hooked on this author and I am anxiously waiting for his next book to come out. You don't need to have read his other books to read Black Grotto. This book will catch your attention right out of gate and continue through all the twists and turns to the exciting ending. Especially loved the way he can write describing scenes and the wonderful places in Scotland, you feel you are right there experiencing it all. If you haven't read this author, buy this book I promise you won't be disappointed.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Black Grotto! Although it is not a genre of book I would tend to pick up, I just could not put this one down once I started.
Stegner weaves a story line through various time periods with clarity. He also developed characters that were so interesting that I really wanted to follow their stories. Stegner is great at creating appropriate suspense and that made for a fun read. The descriptions of the settings were so interesting that I wanted to travel to them myself.