Customer Reviews

Circles of Seven (Dragons in Our Midst, Book 3)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Billy Bannister and his fellow dragon comrades, Bonnie Silver and Ashley, are thrust into another adventure when they travel to England. They soon are faced with new enemies in the deadly New Table Knights and Morgan Le Faye. Billy and Bonnie enter a new dimension called the Circles of Seven- on account of there being seven circles they will be required to go through- while Ashley, Walter, and the Professor do their best to help them from the outside.

In the Circles, things are not always what they seem and danger constantly surrounds Billy and Bonnie. Guided only with the words of Merlin's poems, the courageous duo will face their greatest trials yet.

The third installment in the Dragons in Our Midst series takes the story to new heights with increased intensity as it nears the final book, Tears of a Dragon. I love these books, especially because of the Christian values and themes that are hard to find in most fantasy. This series has exceeded all my expectations and is one of my absolute favorites in Christian fantasy.

Deep characters, different dimensions, allegorical worlds...Circles of Seven has it all! When I read the first book in this series, I was a bit skeptical--I mean, what sane person would read about half-dragon children? I soon found out that it would be insane NOT to!

In this third installment of the "Dragons in Our Midst" series, Billy Bannister, along with his best friend and fellow anthrozil, Bonnie Silver, embarks on a dangerous journey through the circles to rescue prisoners from the the circles' dark mistress, Morgan Le Faye. What Billy and Bonnie don't realize, however, is the amount of danger that their quest holds for them. When Bonnie is captured by Morgan, things start to go haywire, and Billy is thrust into making a decision that could alter the course of his life forever. This book is impossible to put down!

If you enjoyed "Raising Dragons" and "The Candlestone," you won't want to miss this page turner! It's better than the best of Christian fantasy--and it's hard to find a book that good!

Highly recommended.

"Circles of Seven" has to be my favourite of the Dragons in Our Midst series. I love the plot twists and all around action and suspense. In this novel, Brian Davis has reached that spot within where his work comes straight from the heart. The choices that Billy had to make really made me think about what I would have done in those circumstances, and the characters showed themselves more vividly than ever. I love Dragons in Our Midst, and I hope that they will be remembered on their bookshelves just as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien's novels have. I have not yet read the last book of this series, but I hope to as soon as I can. I am sure that it will be a great climax to the rest of the series. I think I can say that Dragons in Our Midst sequence has got to be placed in that special space in your bookshelf where everyone can see, so that they don't forget the heartfelt messages portrayed inside the covers.

This series just keeps on raising the bar. The book starts in high gear and never lets up. The final third of the book is just plain UNPUTDOWNABLE!!! Davis just piles on the tension and always is giving us more details about Dragons, Merlin, King Arthur and Excalibur. He very realistically adds to their Myths and makes it seem like this has been part of the Myths for all times. He is very creditable as he leads us along this fantastic journey! Adults who love the lure of Myths should give this series a try. They won't be disappointed.

The Dragons In Our Midst series is one of the best series of bookks that ther are, and Circles of Seven is the best book so far. Dragons In Our Midst makes Harry Potter seem extremly flimsy and shallow. (Which is actually fairly true in any instance. JKR was overpaid.) Anyway, THIS IS AN AWESOME BOOK!
BUY IT!

Book 3 of Bryan Davis' "Dragons in our Midst" series, Circles Of Seven is a contemporary heroic fantasy novel written for pre-teens and young adults and follows the two earlier (and highly recommended) novels, "Raising Dragons" and "The Candlestone" in continuing the saga of Billy Bannister and Bonnie Silver in a world of swords, sorceries, and dragons. This time Billy and Bonnie must fall back on t5heir dragon traits and the wisdom they acquired through their previous adventures in order to explore a multi-dimensional domain of evil. Here they must navigate seven perilous worlds, each one manifested in a circular plan of existence that leads them deeper into the domain of a power enemy where they must free prisoners who are captive to an evil mistress of the circles -- even if it means abandoning Bonnie in order to accomplish it. Bryan Davis has mastered his genre, and Circles Of Seven will leave the reader looking eagerly toward the fourth and concluding title in this highly recommended saga, "Dragons in Our Midst".

As much as I love this book, I think the reviewer who questioned the critical action at the end has a good point.

In contrast, however, I thought this was the fastest starter of the three books. From the first page, I was on the edge of my seat. I loved the tension and fast pace which didn't seem to slow down except to let the reader catch his breath.

Bryan Davis has such imagination. His stories are never predictable because he offers twist after twist. And the disasters aren't disasters for the sake of excitement only--they equate with reality, the challenges a person faces in life.

It's obvious Davis has been writing with the big picture in mind, and I anticipate an outstanding conclusion of the Dradons in Our Midst series.

If you've read the first two books in the series, you won't want to miss this one. It's the best yet.

I was stunned when I read Sir Theory's post below, implying that the author was too lazy to think about a good solution, and frankly, it was what prompted me to post this rebuttal of sorts. The author lazy? Perhaps the reader was too lazy to figure out the sublime, albeit subtle, fulfillments of foreshadowing. What a shame that he missed some of the most poignant symbols in the book.

*** Spoilers Begin ***

Bonnie's Eden tree was literal only in the first circle. The "fruit" was manifested later as she had to decide to be content with the body God gave her. She succeeded, which was clearly shown when the tree showed up again during Billy's final temptation. Bonnie's fruit was still on the branch, indicating her victory over the temptation.

Bonnie's healing was also quite clear. Billy didn't just wake up and see her. She was healed in Ashley's embrace by the power of Excalibur's light passing through them. I guess Sir Theory missed that part. That was much easier to figure out.

**** Spoilers End ****

This is a fascinating read, much more than a children's story. It has depth and breadth, and it's filled with light and life.

This story raises the stakes very high for our hero Billy Bannister. He learns that he's King Arthur's heir, and he must go on a dangerous journey through a different dimension called the Circles of Seven. Seven different plains that will test and stretch Billy to his limits. Billy is allowed to take along one helper, so Bonnie goes with Billy, and she is tested also. The goal is to reach the seventh circle and free captives that are trapped there, but there are also demons that are trapped there as well, and Morgan Le Faye, Merlin's longtime nemesis, works to get Billy to free the demons with her sorceress powers and by sending Billy to the breaking point. But when tragedy strikes along the way Billy most choose what to do to save the captives and Bonnie. Will she be revived? Circles of Seven is a breath taking read. One that will bring you to your knees and cause you to bite your nails, as well as cause you to shed some tears. Come and see how Billy grows in his triumphs over the tests of each circle, but the greatest test of all will bring him to his knees, and it maybe the hardest thing that he will ever go through in his life. This one is the favorite of many fans. I've read this book many times, and It's still as amazing and captivating as the first time. Come and learn about Sacrificial love in the most exciting book in the Dragons in Our Midst series. They story continues and ends in Book 4 Tears of a Dragon.

I bought this for my 12-year old granddaughter. She is and avid reader and is reading this series. She thinks the books are wonderful!