Valley of Silence

Starred review from October 2, 2006
Roberts's paranormal Circle Trilogy concludes with the "circle of six" warriors—the sorcerer Hoyt, Hoyt's vampire brother Cian, the witch Glenna, the warrior Blair, the shape-shifter Larkin and Larkin's scholar-princess cousin Moira—preparing for battle against the evil vampire, Lilith. Having traveled back through time to Moira and Larkin's ancient kingdom of Geall, Moira raises the sword from the stone to take her place as queen. With her five warrior companions by her side, Moira leads her people into battle against Lilith's army of vampires, who are intent on destroying Geall. Meanwhile, Moira and Cian give in to powerful feelings of love, stealing nights of passion that could spell ruin for both of them. As war befalls the kingdom, Roberts brings the same precise, resonant energy to battle scenes that make her sexual interludes shine, grounding magic, dragons and vampires in a believable world. The truest moments of this novel, however, belong to Roberts's fully formed characters, especially in the love sacrifices of Moira and Cian. Completing her series with the real-world complications of selfless, star-crossed love, Roberts has crafted a fantasy-romance trilogy with strong appeal for romance fans of all stripes.

October 1, 2006
Another enticing paranormal trilogy from the ever-versatile, prolific, and much-loved queen of romance. Irish sorcerer Hoyt Mac Cionaoith tried but failed to destroy Demon Queen Lilith after she ruthlessly turned his twin brother, Cian, into a vampire. Lilith gradually recovered and immediately set about amassing an army of vampires with the intention of destroying all humans so that she could rule the world. The goddess Morrigan chooses Hoyt and five others to stop Lilith, sending Hoyt 1,000 years into the future. In twenty-first-century New York, he starts to build his team, enlisting Glenna Ward; his brother, Cian; and Cian's employee, King. Traveling back to Ireland, the three pick up new recruits Moira and her cousin Larkin, both of whom have traveled through space and time from the Kingdom of Geall. Demon-hunter Blair Murphy is the last to sign on to the circle of six. Now a sorcerer, a witch, a warrior, a scholar, a shape-shifter, and a lost soul must find some way of working together as a team if they are to have any hope of stopping darkness from overcoming all that is good and light in the world. Best-seller Roberts' Celtic-flavored Circle trilogy features superbly crafted characters, three passionate romances, and a bewitching blend of magic and myth.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)