Customer Reviews

The Third Circle (Arcane Society Series)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Leona Hewitt's power is crystal working. Crystal workers are held in a very low opinion in the Arcane Society due to the legend of Sybil, the rival of the Arcane Society's founder, Sylvester. In her time, Sybil used the green Aurora Stone often. The crystal is useless unless it is activated by someone with the very rare talent. The Aurora Stone was stolen from Leona's mother eleven years ago. So when Leona received word that Lord Delbridge currently had possession of the stone, she crashed his party to retrieve it. The last thing Leona expected was to meet Thaddeus Ware, especially while he was standing over the body of a streetwalker with her throat slashed.

The papers call the serial killer the Midnight Monster. Gabriel Jones, the new Master of the Arcane Society, has given Thaddeus the job of finding out the name of the killer and stopping him. The killer is not only an intelligent madman, but is also a Hunter. Using a Hunter's psychical abilities means that the normal police would never capture him. When Leona crashes into Thaddeus, he immediately sets out to get her to safety. However, it turns out that the lady is after the same artifact he is. Circumstances soon compel the two to join forces. For Leona's protection, she and her extraordinary dog, Fog, move into a townhouse with Thaddeus and his formidable great-aunt.

Another secret society, The Third Circle of the Order of the Emerald Tablet, has been promised the Aurora Stone as a gift from Lord Delbridge and they are en route to pick it up. The Third Circle will also need someone able to work the crystal. It just so happens that Lord Delbridge knows about Leona's crystal talents.

**** Let me say first off that you should NOT read the first four books of this series in order of release. Instead, read them in the order events happened. Read in the following order:

SECOND SIGHT, Book One
THE THIRD CIRCLE, Book Four
WHITE LIES, Book two
SIZZLE & BURN, Book Three

In this story readers will see the J&J agency's birth. After this book, the story jumps to the modern day with the title, WHITE LIES (book two). Readers get the last of the solid foundation needed to set up the rest of this series. Krentz made sure to keep all of the era's rules of etiquettes in mind as the situation evolved around the story's characters. I found that the secondary characters are almost as interesting as the main. The great-aunt is included in a sub-plot, which makes the entire story even more entertaining. Highly recommended! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

This was an enjoyable, albeit not fantastic, Amanda Quick, with the usual assortment of intelligent, unconventional characters, including Adam and Mr. Pierce, and others from earlier. Leona and Thaddeus, while not overwhelmingly passionate, don't engage in tedious waffling about their feelings. The mystery was decent, the comeuppance to the bad guys gratifying, and the additional details about the Arcane Society's roots satisfying. I enjoy reading JAK because her books make me feel good about life and love, and this was no exception.(For those who might be considering this as their first Amanda Quick - although it is part of a series,it covers all the necessary details, and can stand on its own.)

Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz is one of my favorite authors today. However this is not one of her best. The other Arcane Society novels had more suspense and better love scenes. This book does let the reader know how Jones& Co. and the matchmaking of the Society were started. I would still recommend the book for true Amanda Quick fans to read.

I think the idea of the series is a very clever one in that JAK can write books with the ongoing theme of the Arcane Society that carries over from the past (as Amanda Quick)into the present(as JAK). Some of the previous books in this story have been pretty good. This one is probably my least favorite of all so far. The characters didn't grab me as they have in other stories. I didn't feel that I knew them any better at the end of the book as I did in the beginning. Thaddeus is a member of Society, but how does he fit into it? Nobility? Gentry? It is difficult to know. There was not enough family background to really understand either of their histories. They were likeable, but not compelling. If you have been following the series you should read this just to keep up with the storyline- otherwise you can pass this one up pretty easily. My fingers are crossed for Caleb's story and Fallon's from the JAK lineup.

Amanda Quick novels are books I pick up when they hit the stand but throughout the novel I felt like I read this one before. But I couldn't have because in the other novels there is usually some sizzle between the main characters, some passion and romance. This was missing in the Third Circle and not only that, the plot was weak. People who are her fans can't resist reading her books but the expectations for this one are not met. There are references to the other characters from previous books but they aren't reintroduced in a way that makes them memorable.

In order to locate a crystal that has belonged to her family for generations Leona Hewitt sneaks into Lord Delbridge's home under the guise of a man servant. There she literally runs into a man standing over the body of a very dead woman. The man is Thaddeus Ware, a paranormal mesmerism, who is also seeking the crystal, which happens to be known as the very powerful aurora stone. Things quickly get out of hand when Delbridge discovers the stone missing for he will do anything to retrieve the crystal, even set the Midnight Monster, a man driven crazy by his power and past, to recapture the crystal and the one person who can use it, Leona.

I've been a fan of Amanda Quick for years, her stories have always been something I could rely on to just be simple romance without being explicit. This book, however, fails. Don't get me wrong, the story is good, the plot while never ending was exciting and kept me reading without losing interest. Even the characters kept my attention, I find myself worrying more and more about Caleb.

Unfortunately what I've noticed is that in the process of creating a good plot romance tends to suffer. And while I love Thaddeus and Leona there wasn't any romantic build up that I've always known Amanda Quick for, or maybe I just wish the sex had happened later rather than sooner. I miss the sexual build up that has been missing from the Arcane society books.

For fans of Amanda Quick's earlier books this book maybe a disappointment, for fans of Amanda Quick's writing style read this book, despite the author's growth into the paranormal and conspiracy (the line 'if there's a third circle what about a first and second' haunt me) her writing style hasn't changed, and while I wish she was better able to balance good plot that has nothing to do with romance and the flow of romance between the main characters, the story was still satisfying.

This book has also convinced me that this series will probably not end anytime soon. As long as the founder formula exists so will the secret societies, good and fanatical. Personally I don't get why they can't just burn all traces of the formula but there's always someone who thinks they can perfect it and so it continues to survive, more the pity.

Ten years ago, this author was one of my favorites. But now, although I continue to read her books (mostly out of loyalty), I'm really getting bored with the repetitive plot lines, characters, and the weak attempts at creating suspense. Sorry, Ms. Krenz/Quick/Castle, but this may finally be the last new book I may read. Quite frankly, I'd rather reread your more entertaining and clever books from ten years ago.

Quick backtracks and takes us back to the orginal time frame from the first book in this series. Thaddeus, a first cousin of the Jones, falls in love with a thief he literally runs into while robbing a house. I thought it was very cute. Not as good as her previous novels in this genre, but worth reading to keep up with the Jones. I'm disappointed that she did not publish this one before the last two. It completely throws off the time frame of the reading. I would suggest a new reader to read this second.

Leona Hewitt is in the midst of a complicated burglary when she stumbles upon the corpse of a beautiful woman. Almost instantly afterward, she spots a man. If he's the killer, Leona is in trouble. She may be dressed as a man--a definite no-no in proper Victorian society--but she's no physical match for the powerful male who discovers her. Instead of the killer, she discovers he's something almost worse--an investigator for the mysterious Arcane Society and a man who's after the same crystal she seeks. Considering that the Arcane Society has attempted to keep the crystal from Leona's family for generations, there's certain to be trouble. With sexy men like Thaddeus Ware, though, trouble can sometimes be very pleasant.

Not pleasant at all is the reaction of Lord Delbridge--the man from whom the two steal the crystal. Delbridge needs that crystal desperately--with it, he'll be allowed membership in the elite Third Circle. Without it, not only will his application be denied, the Third Circle might decide he knows too much. Unfortunately for Leona and Thaddeus, Delbridge is intelligent and has hired a serial killer as an assistant (hence the body).

Author Amanda Quick writes a fun and sexy story. As with many of Quick's heroines, Leona is an intriguing (improbable) mix of innocence and energy--who finds sex to be just the thing. Secondary characters with lots of quirks add amusing touches to the adventure. Thaddeus doesn't really know what hits him when Leona moves into his life--but he serves as a stabilizing force in Leona's Mercurial life.

THE THIRD CIRCLE isn't Quick's strongest work, but it is an entertaining read. I found this one hard to put down.

Bloody hell! Damnation! The Third Circle is so full of dastardly Victorians blustering on about the disruption of their villainous plans that it's hard to find the plot. That damnable woman keeps interfering and somehow, the cads can't manage to get rid of her in spite of their mastery of the "psychical arts." I like a good paranormal novel, but this is the second of Quick's novels that I've struggled through. Since reading should be enjoyable, not irritating, I'm off to find an author who relies less on formula and cliche.