Arcane Circle - Book Review

Arcane Circle (Persephone Alcmedi #4) by Linda Robertson

What is it about:
After facing down the forces of Fairy in mortal combat, Persephone Alcmedi still must deal with the aftermath. Not only does Seph now possess deadly secrets she must hide from the arcane and mundane world alike, but the dozens of magical creatures who’ve taken up residence behind her cornfield need food and shelter, and there’s still her foster daughter Beverly’s tenth birthday party to plan.

And that’s not all. . . . Seph’s boyfriend Johnny has revealed himself as the wærewolf Domn Lup, and the ruler of the wære world is en route from Romania to make sure Johnny really is the “king” he claims to be. But Johnny’s hiding a dangerous secret: his magic is locked in his mysterious tattoos. He and Seph must find a way for him to reclaim it—fast—despite those who have no intention of letting Johnny gain his full powers. Seph knows that, in the arcane world, strength is always a necessity and power must be constantly proven, but how far is she willing to go to succeed . . . and at what cost?

What did I think of it:
I both loved and disliked this book. I loved it for the awesome, suspenseful story, the setting, the characters and all the other things I also loved in the previous books in this series. Robertson manages to make you feel for her characters even those with only a very small part and she knows how to introduce storyhooks for future books that make you curious about what will happen next without getting you frustrated. I disliked it because it also contained one of my personal pet peeves about the subject family and this ruined my enjoyment of the story. I'm hoping the next book will steer clear of my pet peeves as this is an amazing series otherwise.

Why should you read it:
It's got great writing and an exciting, cool story

Fatal Circle - Book Review

Fatal Circle (Persephone Alcmedi #3) by Linda Robertson

What is it about:
There was a time when Persephone Alcmedi thought her life was hard to manage, what with wondering how to make sure she took adequate care of both her grandmother and her foster daughter, Beverley, whether she’d end up in the unwanted position of high priestess of a coven, and whether her wærewolf lover, Johnny, would resist the groupies who hang around his band Lycanthropia.

But that was before the fairies started demanding that Seph’s frightening, unpredictable ally—the ancient vampire Menessos— be destroyed . . . or the world will suffer. Seph and Menessos are magically bonded, but that’s a secret she dares not reveal to her fellow witches lest they be forced to reject her and forbid her use of magic. And, despite the strain this casts on her relationship with Johnny, as a showdown with the fairies nears, she and Menessos badly need the wærewolves as allies.

Life, death, and love are all on the line, but when destiny is calling, it doesn’t help to turn away. With the individual threads of their fates twisted inextricably together, can Seph, Johnny, and Menessos keep the world safe from fairy vengeance?

What did I think of it:
This one of those series where each new book is better than the one before it. Fatal Circle is an intense, emotional and gripping read. I couldn't put this one down until I finished it and had to immediately grab the next book to find out what was next for Seph.

As I said before the writing is excellent as is the worldbuilding. When it comes to characterisation Robertson's characters feel life-like even when they're not quite human and this makes me like them and relate to them. My favourite character is Seph's grandmother, who seems to have the same stubborn streak that runs in my own family.

And finally there's one concern: The romance! It is hovering on the brink of getting too triangly for me, and I fear for what will happen in future books, but so far I can still manage to read it without getting too stressed out ;-)

Why should you read it:
Werewolves, witches, vampires and stubborn grandmothers: this Urban Fantasy has it all!

Hallowed Circle - Book Review

Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi #2) by Linda Robertson

What is it about:
Persephone Alcmedi has been persuaded to compete for the position of High Priestess of the Cleveland, Ohio, coven — now that the former priestess, Vivian Diamond, has strangely gone missing. Unfortunately, there are a few small problems with the idea. Not only does Seph know rather more about Vivian's disappearance than the other witches realize, but the epic struggle she's just survived has left her with some highly unusual powers — ones that could be dangerous to reveal. Despite her reluctance, she agrees to participate, if only to prevent snooty Hunter Hopewell, an obnoxious but talented witch, from ending up in the winner's circle. Can Seph hide her secrets — including her connection to the master vampire-wizard Menessos — from the terrifyingly wise judges? Plus, there's her rock 'n' roll werewolf boyfriend, Johnny, and some angry fairies to deal with....

Once the competition begins, a finalist turns up dead. It looks as if one of the contestants is willing to do anything — including murder — to win. Suddenly Seph has even more on her plate than she thought: from solving a murder to working out what her new powers really are...and exactly why they're creating so much havoc in her love life.

What did I think of it:
I'm totally in love with Seph!
I really like the first book in this series and this one is even better! The story is suspenseful and full of action. Robertson's writing is a pleasure to read and she adds just the right dose of humour to it to make sure I want to reread this book often. The characters I loved in the first book are all present in book two and there are some cool new characters of which some hopefully will return in book three as well. The story is well rounded while at the same time making you curious about what will happen next to Seph and those around her. The romance storyline had me frustrated a bit, but not enough to keep me from enjoying all of this book and from immediately grabbing book three after finishing this one. This series just earned a spot on my shelves of favourites!

Why should you read it:
It's a well written Urban Fantasy with really cool characters.

In Sullivan's Mailbox

There was a bookish package for me today from Linda Robertson!

Inside were lots of cool bookmarks and cards.

And a signed copy of Arcane Circle!

Thanks Linda!
You're awesome.

I won this book at Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog, a blog that has really cool reviews. Be sure to check it out and while you're at it also check out Word-Whores as that's the blog where you can find Linda Robertson and 6 other really cool authors.

Vicious Circle - Book Review

Vicious Circle (Persephone Alcmedi #1) by Linda Robertson

What is it about:
Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcmedi gets by between reading Tarot cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full — even if witches aren't supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of her leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Seph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she's written. Then her werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered...and the high priestess of an important coven offers Seph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Seph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help from her friends — werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Seph has always been on edge around this 6'2" leather-clad hunk, she's starting to realize that although their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them.

What did I think of it:
This is a great read. The world building is very original and the characters really cool. I can't even begin to pick a favourite character as they're all awesome (bad guys included). The story is interesting and able to stand on it's own, but also gives plenty of intriguing story hooks for future books. Persephone might be a witch, but she's so human in how she thinks and acts that she feels like she might be your next door neighbour (well, if your next door neighbour had a kennel for werewolves). I like how she's not some superhero character, but an almost normal person who's forced into action by the things coming her way. I'm already looking forward to reading more in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool UF story with witches, werewolves and vampires.