Terrific finale to the series - nicely wrapped up

books:


	• Valley of Silence (The Circle Trilogy, Book 3) Nora Roberts Jove, 2006 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 100 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Brilliant End to an Awesome Trilogy!

This book and the whole series has been very impactful for me. It was well written and hard to put down. The "Valley of Silence" was a brilliant ending to the entire series. I finished the book two weeks ago and still think of parts of the story. I don't remember any other book or trilogy of Nora Roberts having such a long-lasting impact on me. I highly recommend the entire trilogy!

Terrific finale to the series - nicely wrapped up

As Samhain approaches, bringing the ending of the old year, the Circle of Six approach their own destiny - to either defeat Lilith and her vampire army, or to die trying to save all the worlds from her. Finalizing their plans and finishing the training of their army in Geall would seem like strain enough upon Moira, but she also had to deal with the fact that she is destined to be the Queen of these people - she must draw the sword from the stone and accept her destiny. Is it also her destiny to feel as she feels for Cian, the vampire brother of Hoyt, who is part of the Circle fighting to save all the worlds?

I was pretty surprised at how well Nora Roberts wrote her battle scenes, as well as the training. I was also impressed. This series as a whole was very well-done and I enjoyed it immensely - it is not just romance, it is a terrific cross-genre mixing alternate/magical reality, romance, sword & sorcery and mythology to create a unique tale that has to be read to be really appreciated. It definitely has changed my opinion of this author and I can heartily recommend this entire series for anyone who enjoys any of the above-mentioned types of stories.

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The conclusion of the series

If I had to pick a favorite book out of the Circle Trilogy it would have to be this one. I was actually sad that there wasn't another book when I was done. If you like paranormal stuff this is the series for you. I just happened to find this series, I wish someone had told me about it. I can't say enough good about this series. Just be sure to start with book one.

Series review

I'll start out by saying, I am not a fan of Vampire Romance. I do love and read romance, but this particular flavor of the genre is definitely not my cup of tea.

I've read Vampire horror fiction by some of the best - 'They Thirst' by Robert R. McCammon; 'Salem's Lot' by Stephen King; 'The Vampire Lestat' by Anne Rice - and was entertained as well as scared witless.

When the Vampire Romance craze began sweeping the publishing industry, I tried on a few for size and didn't care for them. It has now snow-balled to include werewolves, ghosts, demons, and all manner of creatures that "go bump in the night". We now have romantic monsters, smart-aleck monsters, erotic monsters and even kinky monsters. Frankly, I don't "get it" as there is nothing even remotely romantic about any of them. But that's just my opinion.

However...

When I saw that Nora Roberts was having a crack at it, I decided, "Why not?" I have yet to read one of her suspense novels that I didn't thoroughly enjoy and I have liked a few of her trilogies. So, I decided to read her Circle Trilogy. I should probably note here, this series is actually a blend of Vampire/Monster romance with Fantasy.

The first novel is Hoyt and Glenna's story. While it begins in 12th century Ireland, it takes place predominately in modern day. For the most part, this book sets the stage. We are introduced to the main characters, the mission, and the goal. Hoyt is a sorcerer and Glenna is a white-witch. Roughly the first third of the book is fairly bland, but stick with it. The pace starts to pick up as you get deeper into the story.

The second book is Larkin and Blair's story. Here we get to know the world of Geall where the final battle will take place. This is a magical place where dragons are as common as birds. Larkin is a shape-shifter and Blair a demon-hunter. While Blair's profile might remind some of "Buffy", the resemblance is remote. Nora definitely made this character into her own. The pace of this book is fairly even and fast. I never found myself struggling to get through it. This was my favorite book of the three.

The third and last book is Cian and Moira's story. I was impressed with Cian. Nora actually made me care about a vampire, I didn't think it was possible. He is truly a tortured hero. The final battle in this book, while predictable, was still intense and rapidly paced. I found myself reading it so fast, I had to go back to pick up things I missed. There are some deranged, disturbing, twisted moments in this book. I almost stopped reading it a couple times. The only thing that kept me glued to it was my investment in Cian. This was my least favorite of the three books.

Overall, I have to say I enjoyed the series, which surprised me. Her main characters are vividly detailed, the worlds she shows us are rich and vibrant. As you read the series, you can "see" it all in brilliant technicolor. You can "smell" the grass, the flowers, the sweat, the sulfur. You "hear" the birds and the clanging of the swords. You "feel" everything the characters are feeling. But then again, this is Nora. Overall, I'd give the series 3 1/2 stars.

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Loved every minute of it

This is definitely my favorite book in the series, and maybe even my favorite Nora Roberts book yet. The chemistry between the two main characters was amazing and the action was well-written. There are a very few books I can read over and over again and not get tired of them, and this is definitely on that list. I would definitely recommend it (the whole series) to newbies in the romance genre.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The battleground has been chosen for the final showdown between those selected by the gods and the minions of the vampire Lilith. But there is one vampire who dares stand against her. And his love for the scholarly queen of Geall will complete the circle of six-and change the face of eternity.

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