Customer Reviews

Fatal Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 3)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fatal Circle starts minutes after Persephone Alcmedi returns from the Hallowe'en Festivities that take place during Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2) where Seph killed a Fairy on stage broad casted on live TV. Luckily, she was wearing a costume so her identity isn't known to the public. However, the Fairy Royalty know and they are gunning after Seph in an attempt to get to Vampire Menessos to whom she is bound. In an attempt to find out a spy, Persephone "abandons" her Nana and foster-daughter Beverly and is slandard by the WEC. She joins Menessos' Vampire Haven and attempts to stop a war with the fairies and to find balance as the Lustrata.

Fatal Circle is a much more emotional book than it's predecessors. Seph is struggling with her emotions and keeping them bottled up in an attempt to deal with the problems at hand, because she has a lot of them. As in life, when emotions get stuffed down they have a tendency to erupt. Seph is struggling with her feelings for her waerwolf lover, Johnny, and what she can do for him to discover his past and unlock his powers, with her feelings for bound vampire , Menessos, and the mind games he plays, with her feelings of caring for her foster daughter and making sure she never feels abandoned even as Seph pretends to walk on out, for her feelings for her Nana to who she's never said "I love you." On top of all that, she is trying to find her footing as the Lustrata and bridge the gap between Witch, Waerwolf, and Vampire and being accepted by all 3 groups. That's a lot for a girl to handle.

What I enjoyed:
1. Mirrors real life--I enjoy the fact that Persephone's life mirrors real life. She has a job. She has family she comes home to each day. She doesn't instantly know all the right things to say or do, but she sure tries. She's flawed. She feels real. So do the the rest of the characters.
2. Pasts reveled--We finally get to know Menessos a bit more and to understand what makes him click. Not only that, but even Johnny's past isn't looking so forgotten either. Hmmmm....
3. No Love Triangle--Yes, Menessos wants what Johnny has, but Seph is a 1-man gal. Even though Menessos makes a few attempts, it is clear that to Seph Johnny is an equal and a lover and Menssos is a friend.
4. Growth--Persephone grows so much in the book. Her magical ability continues to grow without becoming all-powerful. Also, Johnny grows into his role as Domn Lup. And Menessos....well, he gets a reality check on his powers.
5. Well Explained Magic--I usually have a hard time with stories about witches because many authors save the day with the wave of the wand. Ms. Robertson does an excellent job keeping out of that black hole. Persephone's world is full of magic, but it doesn't solve everything. Every time she performs magic or visits her meditation place the magic is well explained to it's easy to follow and understand.

What I wish were different:
1. For a good chunk of the book, it looked like it was going to end up like a threesome was gonna happen. I know people do that and some people like to read about that, but it's just not my cup of tea. A lot of people reading the book will wonder where in the world I got that idea and will say I'm crazy, which I might be. But as the book progresses, it's obvious the 3 will have to become bonded in some way in order for them to balance the power and for the Lustrata to succeed. I was just afraid the author would make it sexual. Gladly, she didn't. But because of that fear, I read with some trepidation for several chapters.
2. Nana and Beverly got very little page time. I really like those 2 and what they do for Seph's character so I was sad to see so little of them.

All in all, it was a good book and a fun read. I do think that book 2 is still my favorite, but I did like this one for what it's done to push the storyline forward and the character growth.

Vicious Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 1)
Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2)
Fatal Circle (Circle, Book 3)
Arcane Circle

Picking up where Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2) left off, Persephone Alcmedi is up to her neck in harrowing stuff. With the help of her waerewolf lover, the mysterious Domn Lup Johnny, and the...assistance, so to speak, of not-quite-as-master vampire Menessos, she's got to deal with the fallout of killing a fairy and sparking a war, prevent said war from spilling over into this world, keep her family alive, quickly adjust to the weight of her Lustrata position, and learn to keep the balance while she figures out how to do what she's fated to do, not to mention all the other more mundane tasks. Seph's a busy, busy girl. In an effort to buy some time and prevent the fairies from targeting her family again, she's agreed to hide out in Menessos' haven and take the position of Erus Veneficus - Master's Witch. The repercussions are severe but necessary and offer the only hope she has to both keep her family safe and free Menessos from the bonds connecting him to malignant little fairy psychopaths intent on killing him. The war may be inevitable, but Persephone is determined. She is the Lustrata, after all, and justice's will be done.

I've been a huge fan of this series since the beginning, and I absolutely loved the last book, but to be honest, this one gave me some problems on more than one front. I had some issues with events in the story as well as stylistic issues with the way it was told. The issues I had with events in the story are particularly hard to elaborate on without spoilers, but I can say that I thought the beginning of this book was much slower to start than even the first, and I had some difficulty sticking with it until the plot picked up about a third of the way in. There were also several scenes that left me wondering about their importance to the story. During one of those, Menessos and Xerxadrea have a tender moment about a past event and resolve a conflict between them. Seph doesn't know the details and readers don't either, so I was left wondering about the point of it. Why is it there? By the end of the book scenes like that and other, slightly different sorts left me with the feeling that too much of this book seemed like filler that didn't further series arc progression or even book arc progression. I'd expect to find that, and have, in a transitional book in a series, but that's not the case here, so I was a little bemused. Unfortunately, some of those scenes in particular also seemed a little out there - either too coincidental or too fantastical to fit comfortably in the flow of the story, and that didn't help.

Johnny, who I've loved from the start, annoyed me in this book. His behavior and attitudes towards Menessos seem childish by this point. Persephone wasn't all that much better, though, and there were too many times in this book where I felt her behavior was questionable and a little hypocritical, given her reaction to the twins in the last book. I want Persephone to be the hero that she's supposed to be - that's sort of the point of the series, isn't it? - but it's hard to have faith in her when she's so often all over the map emotionally and so conflicted about Menessos and how she fits between Menessos and Johnny.

I am SO not in the mood for a series of books that have her all "spirit is willing, flesh is weak" when it comes to being loyal to the man she says she loves. I wish I could fast forward through that development straight to some sort of resolution, whatever the resolution is, because I was getting smacked hard with the smelly fish of deja vu during one scene in particular that featured Johnny, Seph, and Menessos. It was too damn close to a Jean Claude-Anita Blake-Richard triangle for me to be comfortable, first of all, and LKH's...unique...writing style long ago decimated and obliterated any tolerance I may have once had for anything even remotely resembling a triumvirate of any sort between a vamp, a wolf, and a woman. Nothing will turn me off a series faster than that, I assure you.

Now, about the stylistic issues I mentioned... I'm freer to express detail, but it's more difficult to put into words. I don't know whether it's because the time frame for the series is so condensed, with the third book picking up almost literally minutes after the second ended and then encompassing only a few days overall, or it's just Robertson's style, but I'm struggling with a lack of exposition in her stories, and this book in particular needed much more of it. This book can't be read as a stand-alone, it just wouldn't make any sense, because Robertson doesn't explain much of anything about what happened previously - and how could she when the books are so close together time-wise and told from Seph's POV in first person? I wish she'd learn how to at least jog a reader's memory, though, because I read a lot of books in the six months between each in this series, and details get forgotten. It was only because I'd reread Vicious Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 1) just prior to the release of Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2) that I vaguely remembered Menessos walked home after Seph burned the stake, and that fact is important to a pivotal scene in this book. Some sort of mental nudge would've been nice, because even with that reread, I didn't get it at first and had to struggle to figure out what Menessos was talking about in that scene.

My final and most significant issue can best be summed up by this phrase: in signum amoris.

Robertson has written a series that's entertaining and, in my opinion, interesting. I've enjoyed the world she's built and the characters she's filled it with. Despite that, however, I'm often left floundering when it comes to understanding it. Sure, I understand the words I'm reading. I get what I'm being told. I can describe scenes and tell you what happened in them. I don't always have the first clue, however, as to what it all means in the big picture.

Robertson is great at making sure her readers understand how names and words like Demeter and Persephone are pronounced. In every book so far at least one name is sounded out for us in Seph's head. Then there's 'in signum amoris.' The phrase is used several times in two different and very important scenes. Do you know what it means? I don't, and I read and then reread both scenes in which it occurs. Not only do I not know the literal translation, but I have no firm idea of how Robertson means for it to relate to the characters or the significance she wants to attach to it. I can intuit a vague understanding of the definition of the words (signum = sign and amoris = love, I think), and I can Google if I want a firmer translation...but that's not the point and it isn't going to explain to me the significance of the phrase for the characters and relating to the scenes in which they occur. And there's the rub.

Frankly, I think the bailiwick of a good author is expounding on and explaining or describing what's going on in such a way that readers understand the meaning and the point. This is especially important in a series in which each book has an arc that supplements and bolsters the series arc. In Fatal Circle I've read the words. I've visualized the scenes. I know who's doing what to whom and I've even nailed down most of the why of it, and yet I was too often left with cases of...in signum amoris and its ilk, wondering what it meant for the characters and book, and unsure what it meant for the series. 3.5 Stars.

Originally reviewed on One Good Book Deserves Another.

Fatal Circle picks up immediately following the events of book two in the Persephone Alcmedi series. Persephone is bonded to Menessos, but she became the master. Her boyfriend Johnny is still playing in his band, but getting more involved in werewolf politics. The faires are threatening war, and a secret enemy is revealed to be working within the witches--putting Persephone and those she loves in danger.

This book is another solid addition to the Persephone Alcmedi series. The characters are well developed and interesting. While I'm a big urban fantasy and paranormal romance fan, I typically prefer shifters or vampires as main characters--not witches. I've read some books with witches as lead characters and generally they didn't grab me. This series does a better job. It does a more complete job with world building with respect to witches and their lives than the other books. We see how the witches are organized, their politics, the mechanics of spell casting, their tools, etc.

The pacing of the book seemed a bit choppy at points, and sometimes it was hard to follow. Some of the decisions made seemed to be made too quickly and without enough explanation. Also I would have liked more focus on Persephone and Johnny's relationship. But overall it was an entertaining read. There were some big surprises towards the end, as well as some major questions left hanging for the next book.

If you are looking for great urban fantasy, here are some other series I recommend. Top favs are marked with an asterisk:

Mercy Thompson* and Alpha & Omega* series by Patricia Briggs (Don't miss the anthology in On the Prowl,which is a prequel to Cry Wolf)
Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews*
Sookie Sackhouse* by Charlaine Harris
Chicagoland Vampires* series by Chloe Neill
Cassandra Palmer and Dorina Basarab Dhampir* series by Karen Chance (I like Dory better than Cassie, but from a timeline perspective Cassie comes first. Dory is a great kick butt character reminiscent of Kate Daniels.)
World of Lupi series by Eileen Wilks (Interesting mix of police/FBI mystery with urban fantasy and a little romance)
October Daye series by Seanan McGuire (First book was a bit depressing but world building, storyline and character development excellent)
Kara Gillian series by Diana Rowland
Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep
Jane True by Nicole Peeler
Fever series by Karen Moning

Yeah, I had a hard time with this one. I hate to say it because I really enjoyed the first two books. The basic plot here is the Persephone has to save Menessos the vampire from the fairies who caused all the drama in the previous book. Seph must act like she has been cast off from her coven and disowned by her own family. She moves in temporarily with Menessos and joins him as his head witch. Johnny comes along but is also being forced to accept a bigger role in the werewolf pack.

I struggled with this book for a few reasons. I think it was overly complicated at the beginning and even though it hasn't been long since I read the first two, I was confused a time or two. I love Johnny and dislike Menessos. I understand that I am supposed to empathize with him but he just comes across as possessive and controlling. This book reminded me far too much of Anita Blake with Anita caught between Jean-Claude and Richard. Menessos even picks out Seph's outfits for particular events just like Jean-Claude did. True I enjoy Johnny much more than I ever did Richard, but the similarities are there. As the book progresses their three connect in ways even more similar to the connection shared by the trio in Anita Blake. I don't care for the love triangle between Seph, Johnny, and Menessos. It has been done too many times before and I just don't like it. I hope Seph stays true to herself as we have known her from the first book, if she does, the series will probably be fine. Another thing I don't care for is Seph's out of body meditations. They seem to go on far to long and they are an action killer.

The last 1/2 of this book saved it for me. The action was literally non stop and was written extremely well. I loved the scene with the werewolves in the church (sounds like the start of a joke). I also really liked some of the new characters; Mountain, Six, and Risque in particular. I want to know more about them so I really hope they pop up again in the future. While these are characters from the vampire side of things, I seemed to enjoy the werewolf parts of the book more then the vampire ones.

I think if Robertson stays away from an all out love triangle and tries to make her vampire world more unique it would really help this series. The oddest thing is that the first two books were completely unique and I loved the world she created. Maybe this book is just a fluke. Its important to the series so go ahead and read this one if you liked the others. I am going to read the next book and see where it goes and whether I will continue to be along for the ride.

I really liked the previous two books, so this one was a bit of a disappointment for me. I still liked the characters of Seph, Johnny, and Menosses (sp?). Seph has to leave home and move in with Menosses to protect her family. Johnny tags along, which is fine. Their relationship grows, but it is obvious Johnny is not comfortable with Menosses. The reader gets the down low on Menosses' past. All this is good.

It's hard to explain what it was I didn't like. I suppose it was because the plot was very slow. Seph has to worry about the fairies, but the problem doesn't play a large roll in the story. Also, her grandmother and foster child, both very interesting and funny characters, are left behind in this one.

Persephone Alcmedi stirred up a whole cauldron of trouble when she killed an irate fairy at the end of Hallowed Circle. Now, the fairies want Seph dead, and Xerxadrea thinks there's a traitor in the ranks of the witches. So, in order to protect Seph and her family, Menessos will name Seph his court witch so that it looks like she acted on his orders, thereby bringing the fairies' wrath down on him instead. Meanwhile, Xerxadrea will use this as a pretext to exile Seph from the witches (also for Seph's protection), while she, Xerxadrea, tries to sniff out the traitor.

All of this is a little confusing but what it amounts to is that Seph goes to live in Menessos' underground domain and is cut off from her support system. All except Johnny, that is, since a vampire's court witch is traditionally allowed a "pet." Johnny bristles at being thought of as a pet, obviously, while Menessos bristles about the fact that Seph is closer to Johnny than to himself. And several of the women in the vampire court bristle at Seph's installation. So, the early chapters of Fatal Circle include a lot of Menessos sulking about Johnny, Johnny sulking about Menessos, and various catty women sulking about Seph.

I've just realized something. I'm not reading the CIRCLE series for the heroine-vampire-werewolf love triangle. It's well-written as they go, but it's not what makes this series unique, and it's not why I'm here. What I love about Linda Robertson's books are the unusually rich family and family-of-choice relationships; the beautiful, spiritual descriptions of magic and ritual; and, in Hallowed Circle in particular, the originality of the plotting. So, the first half of this book didn't quite grab me, though it may grab you if you're more fond of supernatural love triangles than I am.

The second half really sunk its teeth in, though, and wouldn't let go. The central characters face deep losses and the need to step up and claim more power and responsibility. Plus, there's lots of magic -- and when Robertson's writing magic, that means lovely writing and high emotion set into a well-researched framework. The plot builds up to a gripping climactic battle. The only gripe I have about the latter chapters of Fatal Circle is that a huge plot point is left hanging at the end. It's not a cliffhanger precisely -- the battle itself is resolved -- but readers will have to wait for Arcane Circle to learn one crucial piece of information. And we may all just die of suspense in the meantime!

This isn't my favorite of the CIRCLE books (Hallowed Circle still holds that distinction) but it's a worthy installment in the series, and I look forward to future adventures with Persephone.

I strongly recommend you read the previous books in this series (Vicious Circle and Hallowed Circle) prior to reading this book.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It was interesting but not as action-packed and dark as the previous books. There really wasn't that pizzazz the other two books in the series had that kindled my interest and made me want to read every word. This time around, I forced myself to finish the book. However, there were parts to this book that did rivet my attention, but not enough for me to want to run out and get the next book. At this moment, I am pondering where I should continue to read this series or not.

If you are a Persephone and Johnny or a Persephone and Menessos fan, than this book will be pure brain candy for you.

Persephone Alcmedi is the Lustrata, a fable witch said to bring balance and justice to the magical world. In the last book she was outed to the other witches of her city and she was forced to save her foster daughter and grandmother from a murderous fae. Now the fae are using her actions as an excuse to declare war on the human magic users. Persephone is being forced to publicly disown her family, take a position as a vampire court witch for the protection it brings to herself, and her fellow witches. She must become pariah to protect them, a role that only one called to equality and fairness could bear. But can she?
Robertson's Circle series is less violence and battle-based than a lot of urban fantasy out there. For readers that prefer more mystery-based paranormal romance this series is good one. It's dark, emotional and meaningful without dallying into a lot of the gore and extended sex scenes. Robertson's lead, too, is set apart from other UF leads. Persephone is a woman embedded in family and responsibility, not to save the world, but just to do what is right. Fatal Circle is a breath of fresh air to the magical worlds of paranormal fiction, while also meeting reader's ravenous appetites for more. It's a good addition to public collections, either on the SF/F side or the romance side.
Contains: language, violence, sex

This is the third book in the Persephone Alcmedi series by Robertson. There are nine books planned in this series, with the fifth book Wicked Circle, scheduled for a December 2011 release. I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2), but it was still an engaging and entertaining read.

This book starts off with Seph (Persephone) dealing with the fall-out from Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2) where she killed a faerie at the end of the book. Now the fae are out for both Menosses and Seph's blood. Seph desperately needs a way to keep her mother and foster-daughter safe from these fae. Menessos offers an elegant solution; Seph should move in with him as his witch for a while. Of course this causes a lot of tension between Seph and Johnny...not to mention what happens when the coven finds out that Menessos and Seph are linked...oh yeah and in midst of all of this Seph, Menessos, and Johnny are protecting the world from the vengeance of the fae.

This was an engaging and entertaining read. I still really enjoy the characters and love how Robertson has a very detailed and well-explained magic system set up. Seph and Johnny deal with there relationship in a mature and adult way which is always nice to see; although they do dance around each other a lot in this book which was frustrating at times. It is almost like they are too careful around each other and can't quite accept what they have become. Hopefully this will resolve more in the next book. Menessos is a intriguing and complicated character and it was fun to have him in the story more.

Again this book is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance, which is my preference. I love how all of the races (vampire, werewolf, fae and witch) are being drawn together towards Seph in her position as Lestrata. I am eager to see where this all goes.

I guess the only thing I didn't like with this book was that I am having a bit of trouble seeing where all of this is going. Hopefully the story will get more direction in the next book. I was also a bit worried about the Seph-Johnny-Menessos thing which kind of echoes the Anita-Richard-Jean-Claude relationship from the Anita Blake books. I think I like the direction the triangle is taking in this book better than the one it took in the Anita Blake series; but the similarities make me cautious about what will happen next.

The story ended well, even though I am not sure where this is all going. There is some Arthurian mythology mentioned throughout and it would be cool if this was echoed and entwined with the story a bit more...so far it's mostly just been mentioned. I imagine things are going to be even rougher for Seph in the next book with all that went down in this one.

Overall a solid addition to this series. I continue to enjoy the likable characters, the well thought out magic system, and the engaging plot. Robertson's writing style is fun and easy to read. I don't have a good feeling for where this story is going though, so I am eager to see what Robertson comes up with in Arcane Circle. If you like The Hollows series or Jane Yellowrockor even the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series (early books) then you will probably enjoy this series.

Persephone Alcmedi, a witch, who has the werewolf king for a boyfriend, is also inescapably tied to the original vampire. But hey, what else can you expect from the prophesied Lustrata, the one who will bring balance and peace to all the races. In this third book, Persephone is still coming to terms with her destiny and the bond with her vampire. In all her teachings as a witch she was brought to see vampires as evil beings. However, being linked to the vampire Menessos has opened her eyes and helped her to get over her prejudices to strive for the balance she must provide. The high priestess of the local coven's position is empty due to the prior's betrayal of Menessos. Persephone is pulled into the running against her will. As a result of the trials, Persephone by protecting her adopted daughter inadvertently triggers an event that will lead to war with the fey.

This book deals with the three leaders learning to work together and truly become the powerful force they will need to be with war looming. The two men each have their own issues but the core problem is jealousy over Persephone. The love triangle theme is in full force in this series, and if not resolved could be the end of everything Persephone holds dear. There were a lot of resolutions in this book, but it still ended on a cliffhanger of dread. Something major is in the balance, making the end a tearjerker. I love books that stir up real emotion as you read them, and this most definitely was one.