Diabhal (Diabhal Book 1)

"Imagine a world of old magic that exists beside our own, but one that is darker, grittier, and more dangerous  than you ever imagined. Kathleen Kaufman's Diabhal rings with ominous truths." —Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger

"…an engrossing tale of magic, darkness, and natural order"  —Publishers Weekly

Diabhal (gaelic for “devil”) follows Ceit Robertson as she explores the true nature of evil and wickedness. In her world of cults, exorcisms, and unspeakable horrors, she discovers that perhaps the devil is not what we should truly fear.

Diabhal is the story of cults, exorcisms and the devil in 1980’s era Los Angeles. Ceit Robertson, age ten, is the next Matrarc to the Society, a cultish, matriarchal group living in an inconspicuous cul-de-sac in Venice Beach. When Ceit’s mother is attacked by spirits from the old world, a failed exorcism results in Ceit’s exile into the foster care system in Los Angeles. She eventually lands in the infamous MacLaren Hall, a very real and historically auspicious center for disturbed and abandoned children in El Monte, CA. Diabhal is the sympathetic story of the devil in Los Angeles. The exploration of the true nature of evil and how intention colors what our definition of wickedness truly is. Ceit grows into a force of nature, as she contains the potential and mythology of the darkest degree, but discovers that perhaps the devil is not what we should truly fear.