'Arcane Circle' Persephone Alcmedi #4 by Linda ROBERTSON

From the BLURB:

After facing down the forces of Fairy in mortal combat, Persephone Alcmedi still must deal with the aftermath. Not only does Seph now possess deadly secrets she must hide from the arcane and mundane world alike, but the dozens of magical creatures who’ve taken up residence behind her cornfield need food and shelter, and there’s still her foster daughter Beverly’s tenth birthday party to plan.

And that’s not all. . . . Seph’s boyfriend Johnny has revealed himself as the wærewolf Domn Lup, and the ruler of the wære world is en route from Romania to make sure Johnny really is the “king” he claims to be. But Johnny’s hiding a dangerous secret: his magic is locked in his mysterious tattoos. He and Seph must find a way for him to reclaim it—fast—despite those who have no intention of letting Johnny gain his full powers. Seph knows that, in the arcane world, strength is always a necessity and power must be constantly proven, but how far is she willing to go to succeed . . . and at what cost?

‘Arcane Circle’ is the fourth book in Linda Robertson’s ‘Persephone Alcmedi’ series.

‘Arcane’ picks up where ‘Fatal Circle’ left off, with Persephone having defeated the fairy-foe. . . but at a high cost. Werewolf, Johnny, has been scratched by a phoenix across his mysterious power tattoos – and he cannot heal himself. But worst of all, Persephone had to stake the vampire, Menessos, and kill him (again) in the hopes that he would reawaken.

Then there’s the fact that Persephone’s acceptance of the Lustrata mantel (bringing justice and harmony to all supernatural races) has reopened some of her long-faded scars. . . like her mother’s abandonment. What happens when Persephone’s new-found fame brings her mother calling?

I really like Linda Robertson’s ‘Persephone Alcmedi’ series. The first book was ‘okay’ for me, but in quick time Robertson’s series has become a heavy-weight addition to the urban fantasy genre. It’s even more impressive when you consider that the first book came out in 2009, and the series is already four books deep. Well, I continue my adoration of Persephone in this fourth instalment. . . even if I still have some (small) qualms.

I think ‘Arcane’ is Johnny’s book. Johnny is one of the best elements of the Persephone series, and definitely a fan pleaser – he’s a rough looking werewolf rock star, whom Persephone first shied away from for his widjit tattoos and motorcycle-riding. But four books in now and Persephone and Johnny have now officially embarked onto a full-fledged romance.

But there’s still some uneasiness in Johnny’s life. He doesn’t know how he became a werewolf. . . or where his tattoos came from. He woke up one day to find himself covered in mysterious tribal tattoos (from dragons to foo dogs) and he has no memory of his previous life. In ‘Arcane Circle’, Johnny is given a chance to uncover the truth of his past. . .

So this book definitely feels as though it’s Johnny’s. . . even if by book’s end there are more questions than answers. And I've got to beg the question – how fully can Johnny give himself to Persephone and their relationship if he doesn’t even know himself? It poses an interesting romantic conundrum to be explored in future books – and it’s definitely an obstacle like no other I've read in paranormal romance.

‘Arcane Circle’ may have been Johnny’s book, but it is not Johnny who holds the greatest fascination for me. The vampire, Menessos, is my favourite character. I don’t know if it’s because he’s so mysterious, and perhaps once Persephone unlocks all of his secrets I will lose fascination. . . but for the time being he is the character I want more of. We know that Menessos is the ‘first’ vampire; he bears a striking resemblance to Persephone’s King Arthur fantasy and he once embarked on an epic (and tragic) ménage a trois relationship that seems to be achingly echoing in his affections for Persephone and her feelings for Johnny. Like I said. . . fascinating!

“Oh, Persephone.” His whisper was raspy and dry.

He knows I’m here.

“For a moment it felt like dying all over again,” he said slowly, seductively, “and then suddenly it was as if one hundred thousand volts of electricity were delivered straight into my heart – a heart prickling with thorns, pierced by your hand, and broken by your love for another – and then it beats effortlessly, as if it never stopped.”

Unfortunately, Linda Robertson always seems determined to leave Menessos (and fans) dangling. From the events of ‘Fatal Circle’, and that cliff-hanger ending, it seemed that ‘Arcane Circle’ was destined to be Menessos’s book. . . not the case, unfortunately.

In ‘Arcane Circle’ Menessos and Persephone share a hot n’ heavy scene, and Persephone uncovers more about his failed ménage relationship. . . but the old vampire is peculiarly absent for most of the book. He has sporadic scenes and a fairly dead-end storyline. Persephone feels stirrings and rumblings in their changing relationship – but her stubborn refusal to acknowledge any feelings and betray Johnny leaves her avoiding Menessos . . . and fans without their favourite.

‘Persephone Alcmedi’ is a series that has come leaps and bounds. . . and is still powering strong. ‘Arcane Circle’ reveals unsettling secrets from Persephone’s past and introduces fascinating characters for future books. But there’s still a big part of me that wishes Linda Robertson would just stick to revisiting the (still) most interesting character she introduced in the first book.

4/5

'Fatal Circle' Persephone Alcmedi #3 by Linda ROBERTSON

From the BLURB:

Destiny sucks. . . .

There was a time when Persephone Alcmedi thought her life was hard to manage, what with wondering how to make sure she took adequate care of both her grandmother and her foster daughter, Beverley, whether she'd end up in the unwanted position of high priestess of a coven, and whether her wærewolf lover, Johnny, would resist the groupies who hang around his band Lycanthropia.

But that was before the fairies started demanding that Seph's frightening, unpredictable ally - the ancient vampire Menessos - be destroyed . . . or the world will suffer. Seph and Menessos are magically bonded, but that's a secret she dares not reveal to her fellow witches lest they be forced to reject her and forbid her use of magic. And, despite the strain this casts on her relationship with Johnny, as a showdown with the fairies nears, she and Menessos badly need the wærewolves as allies.

Life, death, and love are all on the line, but when destiny is calling, it doesn't help to turn away. With the individual threads of their fates twisted inextricably together, can Seph, Johnny, and Menessos keep the world safe from fairy vengeance?

This is the third book in Linda Robertson’s ‘Persephone Alcmedi’ series. This book picks up where ‘Hallowed Circle’ left off – literally the same night that the second book concluded.
Persephone has accepted the mantle of ‘Lustrata’ – a witch who balances the supernatural world, mainly between vampires and werewolves. Persephone has also realized that she is master to Ohio’s vampiric head-honcho; a blood bond with Menessos has turned him servant to her master. Persephone has also accepted her feelings toward werewolf-biker, Johnny, and they have entered into a tentative relationship. Oh, and there are killer fairies hell-bent on their destruction. As Johnny summarizes;

“Wolves in your attic and corpses in your cellar.” Johnny’s hands rested on the black denim at his lean hips. “Just another glorious day in ‘Ohio: The Heart of It All.”

I love this series. It has all the usual elements of an Urban Fantasy; vampires and werewolves – but it stands out in the genre and offers a slightly different flavour of fantasy. In Robertson’s universe the supernatural elements are out in the open – the witch’s council send out PR releases about policy decisions, vampires offer live telecasts of their rituals and two banking heiresses are loud and proud waere (they emulate the Hilton sisters by doing drunken table-top dances at the local lycan bar. Go figure.) I love the touch of realism in Robertson’s world – it’s actually really believable and logically presented, and I never have any trouble suspending belief when I delve into a ‘Persephone’ book.

In this instalment Robertson offers tons of tid-bits about Persephone’s main fellas – Johnny and Menessos. We learn more about their background and shady history, and it makes for very interesting reading. Especially when both Johnny and Menessos make moves on Persephone and let her know they *both* want a romantic entanglement with her. Readers are really inundated with back-story on Johnny and Menessos, which is a happy reprieve after they were both so mysterious in the previous two books. Persephone’s learning about them makes matters of the heart all the more complicated as her heart strings are pulled in two different directions.
Robertson is setting up a very tangled and complicated love triangle for Persephone, and I revel in reading it. At times I thought it hit a little close to the Jean-Claude/Anita/Richard triangle of Laurell K Hamilton’s ‘Anita Blake’ series... but then again, Robertson is a much better writer than Hamilton and I’d rather read her version.

There is a fairly massive cliff-hanger by book’s end, and Persephone is lumped with even more responsibility than when she started. This series is all about reading Persephone get deeper and deeper into her Lustrata role, and I am really enjoying reading her progress. And I don’t mind the cliff-hanger so much because we get the 4th book December this year. Yay!

4/5

'Hallowed Circle' Persephone Alcmedi #2 by Linda ROBERTSON

From the BLURB:

Persephone Alcmedi has been persuaded to compete for the position of High Priestess of the Cleveland, Ohio, coven -- now that the former priestess, Vivian Diamond, has strangely gone missing. Unfortunately, there are a few small problems with the idea. Not only does Seph know rather more about Vivian's disappearance than the other witches realize, but the epic struggle she's just survived has left her with some highly unusual powers -- ones that could be dangerous to reveal. Despite her reluctance, she agrees to participate, if only to prevent snooty Hunter Hopewell, an obnoxious but talented witch, from ending up in the winner's circle. Can Seph hide her secrets -- including her connection to the master vampire-wizard Menessos -- from the terrifyingly wise judges? Plus, there's her rock 'n' roll werewolf boyfriend, Johnny, and some angry fairies to deal with....

Once the competition begins, a finalist turns up dead. It looks as if one of the contestants is willing to do anything -- including murder -- to win. Suddenly Seph has even more on her plate than she thought: from solving a murder to working out what her new powers really are...and exactly why they're creating so much havoc in her love life.

This is the second book in Linda Robertson’s ‘Persephone Alcmedi’ series.

I liked the first book ‘Vicious Circle’, but felt Robertson put too much emphasis on past relationships that weren’t established but often referenced. I think this second book works much better because those relationships are now familiar to readers.

First there’s the romance between Persephone and biker werewolf, Johnny. In ‘Vicious Circle’ Johnny was already enamored of Persephone, but she was wary of his tattooed appearance and lycanthropy. In ‘Hallowed Circle’ Johnny is still infatuated with our girl Persephone, and he turns his flirtation up a notch – preferring lewd puns over the gentle courting of book 1. Persephone is still wary of her feelings for Johnny, but she is at least willing to admit to them.

“The right thing to do would be for you to acknowledge that you feel something for me that’s remotely close to what I feel for you. I’ve asked for only a single grain of sand from you, Persephone, while I’m the whole fucking beach at your feet. You want to appreciate me but your thoughts are always turning to him!”

In ‘Hallowed Circle’ Linda Robertson dabbles in some smutty writing – and it’s good – my only complaint is there’s not enough! A lot happens regarding the Johnny/Persephone relationship – but it’s all at the very beginning of the book. Robertson hits us with several romantic developments in the first half of the book, but then she puts the romance aside and focuses on the witches plot in the second half.

The nuts and bolts of the plot is wonderful – one of my favorite things about ‘Vicious Circle’ was all the references to Wiccan culture, and it’s amped up in ‘Hallowed Circle’. There is more of those wonderful witchy chants and rhymes and a closer examination of witch politics. ‘Hallowed Circle’ almost has a ‘Harry Potter: and the Goblet of Fire’ feel to it as Persephone enters into a competition to decide the new witches coven leader.

The other major relationship development in this book is between Persephone and vampire, Menessos. I would have liked more focus on the progress of this relationship – Robertson heats things up and drops little tidbits, promising deeper examination in future books – but those hints are so delectable I wish there’d been more focus in this book.

I loved this second instalment; ‘Hallowed Circle’ is further proof that ‘Persephone Alcmedi’ is shaping up to be a very promising fantasy series. Persephone is a wonderful heroine, ballsy and upstanding, but prone to bouts of foolishness and bull-headedness. There’s a wonderful blend of Wicca, lycanthropy and vampirism that ticks all my favourite supernatural boxes. I really look forward to the third book, ‘Fatal Circle’, to be released June 29th this year.

4/5

'Vicious Circle' by Linda ROBERTSON

From the BLURB -

Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcmedi gets by between reading Tarot cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full -- even if witches aren't supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of her leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Seph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she's written. Then her werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered...and the high priestess of an important coven offers Seph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Seph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help from her friends -- werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Seph has always been on edge around this 6'2" leather-clad hunk, she's starting to realize that although their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them.

Robertson’s ‘Vicious Circle’ throws us in the deep-end from page one. The book starts with Persephone Alcmedi learning that a werewolf friend of hers, Lorrie, has been violently murdered. Not long after learning this news Persephone receives a call from the local witch Priestess, Vivian Diamond, who wants to enlist Persephone’s help to find and kill the murderer. Persephone feels obligated to hunt down the guilty party, mainly as a way to give Lorrie’s young daughter, Beverley, justice.

The plot starts off helter-skelter, right in the thick of action, and because of that ‘Vicious Circle’ feels like half a book, or the 3rd or 4th book in a series, not the first. In ‘Vicious Circle’ Persephone already has a standing relationship with the waerewolf community, since she kennels them on the full moon. Because of this relationship, Persephone also has a standing romantic interest, with waerewolf biker ‘Johnny’. When we meet him, Johnny and Persephone already have witty repertoire and a heavy flirtation going on.

Much is made of Persephone’s previous friendship with murdered waerewolf, Lorrie – especially the bond she made with Lorrie’s young daughter, Beverley. We never read a scene depicting Persephone’s interaction with Lorrie and Beverley prior to the murder – but we are expected to believe that Persephone would risk life and limb to kill Lorrie’s murderer, just for Beverley’s sake.

It’s not that I want every book I read to have a ‘David Copperfield’ beginning to it, I don’t need to start with the protagonist’s birth. And sometimes starting a book in the thick of action works extremely well. Lee Child’s ‘Killing Floor’ is a good example, as is Kim Harrison’s ‘Dead Witch Walking’ – both books take a while to properly introduce the protagonists, letting the action play out and suck readers in. ‘Vicious Circle’ isn’t clumsy because it starts in the thick of action; it just sometimes feels as though Linda Robertson denied the reader a lot of good background and character introductions.

The romance also feels a little bit too easy – when we meet Johnny he is clearly infatuated with Persephone, and she admits that for a year now he’s been pushing for a date with her. But Persephone also admits that she’s been reluctant to start anything – mostly because of Johnny’s outward appearance (tattoos everywhere, rides a motorcycle). Yet when we meet Persephone she is right at the point in their friendship where she starts seeing him as something more than a simple flirtation, and seriously considers dating him.

The romance comes a little bit too easily – I am a fan of ‘will they or won’t they?’ relationships. Kate & Curran (Ilona Andrews), Ivy & Rachel (Kim Harrison) or Barrons & Mac (Karen Marie Moning) – there isn’t a whole lot of romantic tension between Johnny & Persephone, making it a little hard to invest much in them.

There is a second possible relationship in the second half of the book that I found far more interesting because there’s an edge to it – a certain amount of danger if Persephone chooses to pursue it.

It may seem like I have a lot of gripes about this book, and despite my big concerns, I did really enjoy it. I loved Johnny; he’s a contradiction; tattooed waerwolf with a heart of gold. I also really liked the witchy aspect of the book – there’s lots of rhyming incantations that are great to read. And I genuinely liked Persephone, she seems like a cool down-to-earth girl and I look forward to reading more of her adventures in future books.

‘Vicious Circle’ isn’t reinventing the Urban Fantasy wheel; this isn’t anything new in the increasingly popular genre, but it is a fun read. It does feel as though the book is starting in the middle of the story, to the detriment of character background and relationship investment. Despite that draw-back, I am really looking forward to the second book ‘Hallowed Circle’, due out on the 29th of this month, and a third book set to be released in 2010.

3/5