Starred review from July 17, 2006
Romance institution Roberts dives into her first paranormal series with the first book in the Circle Trilogy. In 12th-century Ireland, sorcerer Hoyt Mac Cionaoith does battle with a centuries-old vampire named Lilith, who has turned Hoyt's twin brother, Cian, into a fellow bloodsucker. Unable to defeat her, Hoyt is visited by the goddess of battle, Morrigan, who charges him with the task of leading a battle, "the greatest ever waged," against Lilith and her demons. Hoyt must gather five others to fight alongside him: "the witch, the warrior, the scholar, the one of many forms, and the one you've lost." He travels in time to present-day New York, where he encounters his vampire brother, Cian, and Glenna, a beautiful red-haired witch. Two more warriors, Moira and Larkin, join them back in the Mac Cionaoith ancestral home. Romance ignites between Hoyt and Glenna as enemies emerge from the shadows, and the "circle of six" prepare for the big showdown with Lilith. This well-plotted, finely detailed paranormal adventure is driven by richly developed characters, making it a cut above others in this subgenre, and among Roberts's best.
August 15, 2006
In her first true paranormal romance, veteran author Roberts spins a mesmerizing tale of good and evil that pits the seductive vampire Lilith, with her ambitions of world domination, against the powerful Goddess Morrigan and her Circle of Six. Primary among the six is Hoyt, a grieving sorcerer who has lost more to Lilith than most. In a story that spans centuries and continents, Roberts weaves a tantalizing web of magic, myth, and legend that will keep readers enthralled. Although the story is a bit more fantasy than romance, the love relationship between Hoyt and Glenna is strong enough to place it within the romance camp and should satisfy readers of both genres. Humorous, violent, and passionate, this epic tale beautifully launches the -Circle Trilogy, - setting the stage for "Dance of the Gods" (Oct.) and "Valley of Silence" (Nov.).
Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
October 1, 2006
Another enticing paranormal trilogy from the ever-versatile, prolific, and much-loved queen of romance. Irish sorcerer Hoyt Mac Cionaoith tried but failed to destroy Demon Queen Lilith after she ruthlessly turned his twin brother, Cian, into a vampire. Lilith gradually recovered and immediately set about amassing an army of vampires with the intention of destroying all humans so that she could rule the world. The goddess Morrigan chooses Hoyt and five others to stop Lilith, sending Hoyt 1,000 years into the future. In twenty-first-century New York, he starts to build his team, enlisting Glenna Ward; his brother, Cian; and Cian's employee, King. Traveling back to Ireland, the three pick up new recruits Moira and her cousin Larkin, both of whom have traveled through space and time from the Kingdom of Geall. Demon-hunter Blair Murphy is the last to sign on to the circle of six. Now a sorcerer, a witch, a warrior, a scholar, a shape-shifter, and a lost soul must find some way of working together as a team if they are to have any hope of stopping darkness from overcoming all that is good and light in the world. Best-seller Roberts' Celtic-flavored Circle trilogy features superbly crafted characters, three passionate romances, and a bewitching blend of magic and myth.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)