Customer Reviews

Valley of Silence (The Circle Trilogy, Book 3)

5 star:		(88)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I don't buy vampire books (with the exception of "Dracula") and I'm not into the idea of romantic vampires. Because of this, I didn't buy any of this trilogy until after the 3rd book was published. Even then, I bought the 3 books on ebay because I just didn't think they would be worth the (full) price. Frankly, I would never have bought them but I really enjoy Nora Roberts' books.

I finally decided to read Book 1 when I had nothing else to read. By the end of the first chapter, I was hooked.

I read all three books in 3 days. I just couldn't stop reading!

For anyone who doesn't want to buy this trilogy because they are "vampire books", don't let that stop you. The story isn't about vampires roaming the earth - it's about so much more. Friendship. Love. Courage. The ultimate fight between good and evil. Willing to sacrifice everything for the better good.

I found myself crying before the end of the third book, even though I knew it was "only a book".

I absolutely loved this series and was saddened when it ended. I wanted to know what happened next, which is something I've rarely felt in many years of reading.

And now I'm open to more books of this genre.

Whichever it is, I'll clap for Ms. Roberts and the job she did with this book. It is the final one of this trilogy, and well worth the wait. There are missteps here, the biggest one being the predictability of certain plot developments, and certainly I'd say the ending of the book is predictable, but by the time these predictable things happened, the characters were so much in my heart that it didn't matter if they acted as I imagined they would even before the book began. (Note: it's the predictability that kept me from giving this 5 stars.)

Cian, the vampire protagonist, is particularly finely drawn. His cold demeanor, his insistence that he does not share human traits with the other members of the Circle--all of these are there, but so are the moments when he acknowledges those human traits he can no longer deny. He battles so much in this book, and his story is engrossing. He becomes someone I felt I understood, which is exactly what I'd hoped would happen. He was not well-developed in the previous two books (note: that's as it should be, I think, as each book had a focus, and this book was the one that focused on Cian, whereas the other two focused on different characters), but here--oh, yes. He becomes much, much more.

Moira, the warrior queen, the one with whom he is matched up in this book, is equally engaging. Her spirit made me smile throughout, and her missteps reminded me that she is no perfect protagonist. Her human needs and compassion rule her at times, while at most others she is keenly focused on her duties, her obligations to her people, her role in the battle to come.

The "bad guys" are developed more, too, which gives this novel a nice balance. Wouldn't do to have the bad guys be one-dimensional, hey?

All in all, this book is a superb end to the series. Overlook the predictable stuff and enjoy the romance and the humor. Enjoy Ms. Roberts' ability to whip you about emotionally, making you cry one moment and grin at a character's wit another.

Nora Roberts' trilogy about a sorcerer (Hoyt), a witch (Glenna), a shape shifter (Larkin), a demon hunter (Blair), a vampire (Cian), and a scholar and queen (Moira) who fight an apocalyptic battle against an army of vampires draws to a close. In Book I, Hoyt and Glenna fell in love and formed the Circle of Six with the others. Moira and her cousin Larkin came through the Dance of the Gods (where Hoyt also came ahead in time almost a thousand years) from the land of Geall, an almost storybook place of dragons and a Cinderella-style castle. In Book II, Blair and Larkin develop feelings for each other while they train and plan for the battle to come, then everyone travels through the dance back to Geall, where Moira would become queen, and begin to ready the Geallian people for battle. Book I was more about all six characters and the formation of their circle, whereas Book II was mostly about the romance between Moira and Larkin. This book follows more of that formula when the attraction between the vampire and the queen heats up and ignites. There is a bittersweet poignancy to this romance, however, as Cian is a vampire. He and Glenna are not only from different worlds, but Cian is not really a man; some even refer to him as a demon. They can never be together, never marry, never conceive children together. Cian has lived 900 years and will never age, yet in an amount of time almost meaningless to him, Moira will grow old and die. Their love is impossible, but they are irrevocably drawn into it nonetheless, each knowing heartbreak is inevitable. When the moment comes, Nora does not shy away from a single crushingly bleak emotion from either of them. The whole time, I knew that something would have to happen to bring them together in the end, but I had no idea what that would be, and neither Cian or Moira believed they had a future. They were heartbroken, not over some silly set of circumstances, stubborn pride, or miscommunication that could easily be overcome, but by the very laws of nature. When the solution came it was almost disappointingly simple, but in the end, these six characters had been through enough trials and bloodshed, magic had been a constant presence, they traveled through time, and even between worlds. Perhaps making it simple was best after all. The ending bespoke of how love makes giving up everything else a pittance to pay, a decision so impossibly easy to make that it's not a decision at all. It's true that Nora Roberts could sell millions of copies of drunken ramblings, but the reason why her books continue to sell so well is that she tries new things, breaks new ground, and finds new ways to tell a story that has basically never changed. While this trilogy may not be for everyone, with its violence and fantasy elements, I enjoyed not only the unusual and creative story and colorful characters, I also admired the way it was crafted.

This is the final book of the "Morrigan's Cross" series by Nora Roberts which centers around a circle of six fighting for all mankind on Samhein.

I read Morrigan's Cross and liked it, although I wasn't totally enthralled with it. The second book, Dance of the Gods, was better and had more humor in it but again, predictable. Third (this one) again, predictable and I knew the ending of it before I was finished with Morrigan's Cross save for some minor details. I liked the story, I especially Cian's story, the most but again, all predictable. This novel didn't dissapoint, it just didn't excite me either.

If you are looking for a light vampire/supernatural read that has a bit of romance, this series would be a good choice. However I would not reccomend this novel for people that light to get really involved with their characters or that like a lot of suspsense.

Action, Romance, fantasy, Drama and Horror. Author Nora Roberts has managed to blend all these elements into the final Circle of Six book making it a satisfying read.

The book deals with the final days leading to the big battle in the Valley of Silence on Samhain. Moira pulls up the legendary sword from the rock and is declared the queen of Geall.

The circle of Six consisting of the sorcerer Hoyt, Hoyt's vampire brother Cian, the witch Glenna, the warrior Blair, the shape-shifter Larkin and Larkin's scholar cousin Moira the Queen, all plot and strategize as the final day approaches when the humans must meet the vampires in a final battle that will either save or destroy the rest of the world. Posts are set up by both the people of Geall and the Vampires. Both the humans and the vampires use dirty tricks to sabotage the other's posts and kill each other.

Moira, frustrated with her feelings for the vampire Cian, decides to break the tradition of men pursuing women and goes after him. Cian is shocked to find himself the prey to the scholarly queen as well as his own unwanted feelings. What follows between these two is fun, sensual and poignant. We also learn through what Moira tells Cian, details of her mother's death by the vampires which resulted in Moira being traumatized with feelings of guilt and sorrow.

With all that goes on in this book, the story line is mainly character driven. Thumbs up to the author for giving us details like the beginning of Lilith's creation as well as how and why Lilith changed Davey and decided to keep him as her child.

And most important of all we learn about Cian, my most favorite vampire of all vampire heroes. Unlike most vampires heroes, Roberts does not sugar coat him. She shows us the monster part of him, that craves to drink human blood, loves to hunt and kill. He chooses not drink from human, not out of a moral choice, but he considers it rude to eat from people one socializes and does business with. But later on, when the desolate barren place called the Valley of Silence calls to the evil in him, Cian does make the moral choice of not giving in to it. This is the a good example of the underlying message of this book: That through courage, honor and love, it is the choices we make that shapes our destiny.

Overall a very satisfying read.

This book, like the entirely trilogy, was terribly disappointing. Book 1 and 2 of the trilogy really build up to this final showdown of good vs evil, but the end result is sorely lacking. The trilogy, in my mind, has many ingredients to be an exceptional paranormal romance, however it doesn't live up to the expectation.

Imagery was difficult to decipher, and the time travel descriptions had no real feeling behind it - after the time travel was over I definitely did not feel like I'd travelled to another world, let alone another time - save for some sarcastic comments about missing indoor plumbing, etc.

The entire series builds up for the final showdown between the circle of 6 and the evil Vampire Lilith and her followers. The magician Midir is a small part in the series, and yet his character has a HUGE role in the final showdown. This might have been ok had the showdown been done well, but it was not. The descriptions were lacking and it was hard to envision not only this part, but the entire battle. Furthermore, the demise of the evil Lilith is anti-climactic at best. A huge let down after the buildup.

The perfect outcome for Cian and Moira was even more sickening in it's predictability. The entire outcome of the trilogy was predictable at best. The further I read the more I knew that I didn't need to read anymore. It was foretold with hints and feel good scenes how this series would end with little room for any other possibility - a fore telling that was all too true in the end.

Finally, the depiction of Cian as an old man telling this story to children does not ring true. First off, there are many details of sex and violence that most would never dream of sharing with children - not in this detail at all. That entire portion of the trilogy could have been removed entirely to improve the series.

Valley of Silence is a stirring and emotional conclusion to the Circle Trilogy. There is enormous heart, struggle, and passion in this story, and characters' thoughts, feelings, and relationships are beautifully and passionately drawn. Although the story is set in a fantasy/paranormal world, it is a world so vividly and fully evoked, so well-populated and so human (both in good and evil), that the reader is fully absorbed. Nora Roberts takes as much care with her villains as with her heroes and heroines, and unique, well-developed characters whose feelings and struggles are important are the great strength of this trilogy as a whole, and of Valley of Silence in particular.

Star-crossed lovers Cian the vampire and Moira the scholar-queen share powerful emotions: passion, sacrifice, heartbreak, sorrow, and elation. Roberts has a remarkable gift -- her words go directly to the heart, and they feel true, not melodramatic. That Cian has such deep anger and defiance, and Moira such responsibilty and sorrow to bear, keeps these characters complex and compelling. Despite its fantastic world, this is one of Roberts' mostly deeply human stories. I've reread it several times, and have also listened to the audiobook, which is beautifully paced and read, sensitively and passionately, with exceptionally clear characterizations.

As I read the last few pages this afternoon I was caught in a bittersweet battle of not wanting the story to end and yearning to read the finale. What a great book and a great trilogy.

With the complex nature and background of Cian I would love to read about his journey through his life of being "damned" and his transition into "normal" society. I think we need some more of him. What an amazing character.

Just when you think you've read every story Nora Roberts could possibly imagine, she surprises you once again with an amazing tale of good vs evil, time travel, sorcerers and shape shifters, dragons and vampires.

I listened to the audio version. Dick Hill mesmerizes with his flowing Irish brogue. You are transported to Ireland, sitting at his feet with the children, listening to the tale and hanging on every word.

I was angry, I cried, I laughed, and I fell in love with a vampire.

This is a story that will delight and enthrall every reader.

I am a big fan or Nora Roberts, but I think she needed to spend a little more time on this series. The plot was muddled, the dialogue uneven, and the characters spent WAY too much time talking. Talking about strategy, talking about feelings, talking about each other, talking talking talking. Usually, a story like this has more action, but I was bored. There really was no character development either. Normally, you can get a really good picture of each character, but they all felt 1-dimensional. AND, does it seem odd that each character just said "Oh, okay" about time travel and the like? This could have been a really great trilogy- on par with the Three Sisters, but it felt rushed and slapped together.