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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
After reading this, and the two books preceding it in this trilogy, I think I understand why Nora Roberts is such a popular author; if these three books are indicative of her other work. Her writing lacks some sophistication, her plots are somewhat predictable, and her characters are just shy of possessing true depth. But those characters share an honesty between each other that seems as much a fantasy as her story lines and backdrops. Not a fantasy in that it doesn't, and cannot, exist, like faeries, magic, dragons, and vampires; but a fantasy in that we find it so hard to actualize in our day to day lives. It's an honesty that we all wish to express to each other freely in reality, but are held back from accomplishing by our own emotional hang-ups and complexes. In that sense, her work is refreshing, as she's able to develop other sources of conflict while keeping the endearing quality of her characters' shared candor. Her characters trust each other with their private emotions in ways that most of us desire to share with each other. In this, she's found something that few other authors discover. So, no wonder she's popular. But, though these books were entertaining enough on a superficial level; they also left me wishing she took more time and put more effort into crafting the other aspects that make up a great novel.
When my mother passed me Nora Roberts' Circle Trilogy, I was a bit wary. Morrigan's Cross was the first Nora Roberts book my mother had ever not finished, and she passed all three books to me without even cracking the cover on the last two books. While I had a hard time getting into the series at first, by the time I got to Valley of Silence, I was hooked.
::: The Circle's Last Stand :::
Valley of Silence is the third book in Roberts' Circle Trilogy, which focuses on six people chose by the goddess Morrigan to take a stand against the vampire Queen Lilith and her army: Glenna, a witch from the present; Hoyt, a 12th century sorcerer; Larkin, a shape shifter from the mythical land of Geall; Moira, Larkin's cousin, a scholar and Queen of Geall; Blair, a vampire hunter from the present and descendant of Hoyt's youngest sister Nola; and Cian, Hoyt's brother turned vampire by Lilith back in the 12th century.
By the time Valley of Silence begins, the circle has formed and moved to Geall, where the final battle with Lilith and her army will be fought. The circle has trained to fight, and is now training the people of Geall to join them. Glenna and Hoyt have been handfasted (a pagan sort of wedding ceremony) and Larkin and Blair are engaged.
The circle trains the men and women of Geall even as they face their own fears about the coming battle. Moira must face her own demons as she comes to terms with the murder of her mother by two of Lilith's vampire forces, as well as her love for Cian.
::: Why This Sound Hokey But Isn't :::
While the remaining romance between Cian the vampire and Moira the Geallian Queen may seem expected and a bit trite, Roberts outdoes herself at telling the story you knew was coming from the beginning of book two.
I was a huge fan of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and really expected to meet this trilogy with a shake of my head and a huge groan, but Roberts pleasantly surprised me. Not only has she included her trademark research that keeps the reader engaged and not pulled out of the story by glaring anachronisms or inconsistencies, she has also made the love story between a mythical queen and a vampire compelling with its realism. From the beginning of their relationship, both Moira and Cian realize that they cannot have a future, and both deal with that issue in a way that is true to the characters you have been with for three books at this point.
While the book can certainly stand alone, it is best read after the first two in the trilogy. Trust me, it's worth the wait to get through the first two.
This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Valley_of_Silence_Nora_Roberts/content_294770609796
::: The Circle's Last Stand :::
Valley of Silence is the third book in Roberts' Circle Trilogy, which focuses on six people chose by the goddess Morrigan to take a stand against the vampire Queen Lilith and her army: Glenna, a witch from the present; Hoyt, a 12th century sorcerer; Larkin, a shape shifter from the mythical land of Geall; Moira, Larkin's cousin, a scholar and Queen of Geall; Blair, a vampire hunter from the present and descendant of Hoyt's youngest sister Nola; and Cian, Hoyt's brother turned vampire by Lilith back in the 12th century.
By the time Valley of Silence begins, the circle has formed and moved to Geall, where the final battle with Lilith and her army will be fought. The circle has trained to fight, and is now training the people of Geall to join them. Glenna and Hoyt have been handfasted (a pagan sort of wedding ceremony) and Larkin and Blair are engaged.
The circle trains the men and women of Geall even as they face their own fears about the coming battle. Moira must face her own demons as she comes to terms with the murder of her mother by two of Lilith's vampire forces, as well as her love for Cian.
::: Why This Sound Hokey But Isn't :::
While the remaining romance between Cian the vampire and Moira the Geallian Queen may seem expected and a bit trite, Roberts outdoes herself at telling the story you knew was coming from the beginning of book two.
I was a huge fan of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and really expected to meet this trilogy with a shake of my head and a huge groan, but Roberts pleasantly surprised me. Not only has she included her trademark research that keeps the reader engaged and not pulled out of the story by glaring anachronisms or inconsistencies, she has also made the love story between a mythical queen and a vampire compelling with its realism. From the beginning of their relationship, both Moira and Cian realize that they cannot have a future, and both deal with that issue in a way that is true to the characters you have been with for three books at this point.
While the book can certainly stand alone, it is best read after the first two in the trilogy. Trust me, it's worth the wait to get through the first two.
This review previously published at Epinions: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_Valley_of_Silence_Nora_Roberts/content_294770609796
This is Hoyt's brother's story and the Queen of Geall's. In other words the scholar and the vampire of the circle and the final showdown with Lilth and her army.
Tidy wrap-up. Big battle, unsurprising surprise ending.
The fact that the Goddess Morrigan specifically told 2 characters to pass a message along to all members of the circle, and they didn't seem to have done that, had absolutely no consequences.
The fact that the Goddess Morrigan specifically told 2 characters to pass a message along to all members of the circle, and they didn't seem to have done that, had absolutely no consequences.
This trilogy ended far better than it began. However I have to take away one star because the framing device of the narration is annoying and clunky.
Out of all 3 books, this was the one I definitely hated the most. Not sure why I loved this book in high school, maybe because I was a super impressionable teen, but re-reading it as an adult I thought I was going to lost my mind. Moira is the absolute worst, I could not stand her. She was so whiny the entire time, and honestly the most one dimensional character in the entire series. I know the author wanted her to be this relatable, vulnerable, and powerful queen who was also a woman wanting love type of person, but she was just insufferable.
Cian was also a huge let down. I really, really liked him in the first and second book. However, there was a huge character shift in the third book and he just became this insufferable, broody asshole who's entire personality revolved around fucking Moira. By the way, there was absolutely no chemistry between these too. If anything, he and Glenna had way more chemistry as a couple. Cian and Moira pairing together was so shoehorned in, they might as well have stayed single and the book would not have changed at all.
The final battle between the people and the vampires was the only redeeming part about this book. I wish it were longer and took up more of the book rather than Moira and Cian being horny for each other in every chapter. I wanted more from Lilith, so much more because she was supposed to be this big bad vampire queen that everyone feared, but again, she comes off as super whiny and annoying. There were some parts where I really enjoyed her character, when it was just her and Lora, but every time that annoying as kid Davey was in the picture I wanted to rip the pages out. That child got on my last nerves.
My biggest, biggest ick about this book was how the author talked about Davey, an 8 year old vampire boy, being a son AND a lover to Lilith. There was even a part of the book, where it was Davey's POV, describing how he "rode mommy (Lilth) like a pony" and I just about chucked the book into the garbage can. That was when I knew this I absolutely hated this book. I am glad to be done with it.
Cian was also a huge let down. I really, really liked him in the first and second book. However, there was a huge character shift in the third book and he just became this insufferable, broody asshole who's entire personality revolved around fucking Moira. By the way, there was absolutely no chemistry between these too. If anything, he and Glenna had way more chemistry as a couple. Cian and Moira pairing together was so shoehorned in, they might as well have stayed single and the book would not have changed at all.
The final battle between the people and the vampires was the only redeeming part about this book. I wish it were longer and took up more of the book rather than Moira and Cian being horny for each other in every chapter. I wanted more from Lilith, so much more because she was supposed to be this big bad vampire queen that everyone feared, but again, she comes off as super whiny and annoying. There were some parts where I really enjoyed her character, when it was just her and Lora, but every time that annoying as kid Davey was in the picture I wanted to rip the pages out. That child got on my last nerves.
My biggest, biggest ick about this book was how the author talked about Davey, an 8 year old vampire boy, being a son AND a lover to Lilith. There was even a part of the book, where it was Davey's POV, describing how he "rode mommy (Lilth) like a pony" and I just about chucked the book into the garbage can. That was when I knew this I absolutely hated this book. I am glad to be done with it.
Probably the best book in the trilogy, complete with happy ending and all. I was kind of figuring that was how it would end, more or less. Since Cian was my favorite character throughout the trilogy, it was nice that the final book focused so much on his story. Lots of kick-ass battle mayhem made the book a quick read. I think it took my about 8 hours or less to read this one.
This was the best of the trilogy. It didn't lag at the start as much as the first two, and the romance was way better. The other two relationships seemed a little rushed and shallow in comparison. Cien and Moira had the entire trilogy to plant the seeds to a good romance, and it played out well.
This book also had the fewest jarring writing errors, which is why I'm giving it a 4/5 instead of a 3.5/5. I enjoyed the story, but there is no way I'm ever reading this trilogy again with how frustrating the writing of the first two books was.
This book also had the fewest jarring writing errors, which is why I'm giving it a 4/5 instead of a 3.5/5. I enjoyed the story, but there is no way I'm ever reading this trilogy again with how frustrating the writing of the first two books was.
My love for this book knows no bounds. Everything about the other two that bother me simply cease to matter with this one, every time I read the trilogy. I know it's not perfect but goddamn, I love it so much.