The Ninth Circle

When Dan, 16, runs away from a terrible home life to join a circus, he has no idea what he’s getting himself into. Based on Dante’s Inferno, THE NINTH CIRCLE follows a young man’s coming-of-age as he travels with the circus through nine states. With the Ringmaster as his guide, Dan finds himself falling in love with the Bearded Lady but hated by almost everyone else, including the Strong Man, the Lion Tamers and The Sword Swallower. Meanwhile, he discovers that the performers have uncanny abilities and dark secrets, especially the person who’s looking to destroy the circus from within.

Praise For
T H E N I N T H C I R C L E

Brendan Deneen’s debut novel, THE NINTH CIRCLE, tells the story of a young runaway who finds himself drawn into the strange, often dangerous and certainly bizarre world of a fantastical circus. Imaginative, dark, and surreal, this is one coming of age tale that will haunt you long after you turn the last page.
-Kristin Hannah, New York Times-bestselling author of FIREFLY LANE

Surgically precise, irresistible, tragically cool, and jacked up with the smart-talk and surly attitudes of high school culture, Brendan Deneen’s modern fantasy THE NINTH CIRCLE grabs the reader
with a grappling hook and doesn’t let go until the final page. Echoes of Bradbury reverberate between the lines – the master would have loved this. Very creepy and highly recommended!”
-Jay Bonansinga, New York Times Bestselling co-author of THE WALKING DEAD: THE FALL OF THE GOVERNOR

Ever want to run away to the circus? And what would that really be like? With the storytelling skills of a master, Brendan Deneen’s THE NINTH CIRCLE summons the mythic yet very real tale of young Daniel, 16, and his escape from hell at home.to something magical and amazing. Filled with moments that will have readers imagining the circus of their dreams and nightmares, THE NINTH CIRCLE holds a big-top mirror up to ‘Dante’s Inferno’. As readers watch Daniel become involved with classic circus archetypes – a clown, the ringmaster, the acrobat and even, yes, the geek – we follow Daniel and this traveling troupe that, with each Canto, goes deeper into the dark secrets of this strange circus. As if channeling a modern era Nightmare Alley or even Tod Browning’s Freaks, THE NINTH CIRCLE is compelling reading, both haunting and totally unforgettable.
-Matthew Costello, author of RAGE and VACATION

A surreal and unsettling tour of hell through the eyes of a young man in the circus. THE NINTH CIRCLE is undeniably compelling, cant-look-away reading. Get this book now.
-Nate Kenyon, award-winning author of DAY ONE and DIABLO: STORM OF LIGHT

THE NINTH CIRCLE is a vibrant and assured coming of age tale, full of the fantastical, strange and grotesque. If cool, dark circuses and compelling characters are your thing, this is the book for you.
-Megan Chance, award-winning author of Bone River