Juno Books

Bookish Life:

…Alayna Williams introduces us to a world where the occult meet science and anything is possible.

Dark Oracle is a fast-paced. action-packed, character driven story that got me gripping at the edge of my seat from start to finish. Evil plots meet scientific experiments and the supernatural in a great adventure.

Even though I love my Shifters and will always be a Vamp fan girl, It’s great to encounter an Urban Fantasy novel / series that stray from that beaten path and gives something new to read about. Alayna Williams has definitely accomplished that in spades and I recommend Dark Oracle to any Urban Fantasy lover out there. (4 stars)

Fresh Fiction Reviews:

I thoroughly enjoyed DARK ORACLE. While it initially seemed to be the second in a series, Tara’s back-story is slowly revealed and the novel is self-contained. Tara is a fully realized character, and her inner growth as well as the way her relationship develops with Harry has an emotional depth that is completely believable. The mix of science and special abilities is a different combination from other urban fantasies. I know little about the Tarot, but the author (AKA Laura Bickle) treated Tara’s readings with a delicate touch, letting the reader understand why Tara interpreted the cards the way she did, as well as giving enough of a description of the illustrations that the reader could come to their own conclusions. I highly recommend DARK ORACLE, and hope to see more of Tara’s readings in the future.

Fangtastic Books:

Fatal Circle is the third book in the Persephone Alcmedi series and by far the best one yet. Fatal Circle was packed full of action, intrigue and events that would not let me put this book down….

Fatal Circle was full of magick, secrets revealed and a few surprising twists and turns. This book was a wild pleasure to read. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book, Arcane Circle, due out in December.

Linda Robertson’s third Circle Series book FATAL CIRCLE is #36 on the Bookscan Fantasy Mass Market Paperback Top Fifty for last week and #48 on the Overall (includes hardcover & trade paperback) Fantasy Top Fifty. Considering eleven of the top twenty spots are Chrlaine Harris books and there are a bunch of other “usual contenders” there, too — even bigger congrats to Linda!

at Star-Crossed Romance

Love Romances & More: Tara is a complex and interesting character. Damaged not just in the physical sense but also in spirit as well; Tara is someone who you can sympathize with even as she takes steps into the world again-one that is very dangerous to her with each step she takes. Unknown enemies, mysteries and the power that lays deep inside Tara come full circle as the climatic ending explodes in a shower of bullets…I really was intrigued by Tara and her unique power in reading tarot cards. I never really saw something like this before in urban fantasy and it made it a fascinating read….
DARK ORACLE is a unique book to read and one that will leave you breathless as you try to see what happens next amid all the twists and turns within the pages. Ms. Williams delivers a stunning debut and one that will haunt you after the last page is read. If you enjoy a new sort of urban fantasy to enjoy, then grab DARK ORACLE.

While you are reading FATAL CIRCLE here’s the cover for book #4 in the Circle Series to whet your appetite for more!

Today on Book Lovers Inc.

Reading on the Dark Side:

Anya is a complex character who suffers from her past but still tries to manage the present on her own by make some tough decisions. She is a nice contrast to the other kick-ass heroines in the Urban Fantasy genre without being whiny.

Her only companion is Sparky, the unruly salamander familiar…. I really loved Sparky. He added a light note to the story and constantly reminded me of my own dog when he was a puppy.

The villain of the book is a also not your typical bad guy. The more Anya learns about him, the more intrigued she is by him, as he might be one of the only persons who can really understand her.

The members of the DAGR are a bunch of very unalike yet special people who are a great addition to the story.

Embers includes everything you could wish for in an Urban Fantasy book. A compelling story that picks up its pace from page to page until it culminates in a surprising and sizzling finale…and not your typical vampire and werewolf cast, but something else entirely.

Laura Bickle´s captivating debut makes you laugh with Sparky, sympathize for Anya, cheer for your favourite love interest and bite your nails at the very end.

4.5 of 5 Points from me.

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Click here: Fangs, Fur & Fey: REPETITION – When it’s actually a GOOD thing.

Bitten by Books:

Fatal Circle by Linda Robertson brought tears to my eyes. The emotional depth of each character lapped at my feet and tried to lure me in. I could either drown in the possible sorrows or learn to swim by trial by fire. Reading this series has been like watching a child grow, from a wobbly toddler first learning about its world in Vicious Circle, to an obstinate, hormonal teen in Hallowed Circle, to an adult, sure of itself and ready to take on the world in Fatal Circle.

Seph is one of those characters you can’t help but admire. She’s levelheaded and confident, thinks through the situation instead of around it, and, most importantly, cares more about her family and loved ones than herself. On this leg of her journey, she’s realized her feelings for Johnny, her waerewolf roomie and bodyguard, are deeper than sexual attraction. Yes, he’s a vital part of her role as Lustrata, but he’s also a vital part of her life. Period. He is the wall she can lean on, no matter what, and I adore him for it. You can tell he doesn’t want the responsibilities that are thrust upon him in Fatal Circle, but he takes them on, for Seph and for his pack, because it’s “the right thing for the right reason”. Watching him grow from the sexy, flirty rock star to the compassionate boyfriend has been more enjoyable than I can possibly describe.

Even Menessos was enjoyable in Fatal Circle! No, not enjoyable—amazing. We’re given insight into his past, his motivations, and his true feelings. He’s still his usual, obstinate self, bending Seph to his will in new and ingenious ways, but now the reader knows why. When push comes to shove, Menessos is there for Seph. He makes the biggest sacrifice, by far, in this story, and I can’t wait to find out what the repercussions will be.

There are so many questions left unanswered at the end of Fatal Circle. I’ve already attempted to bribe Linda into answering some of them, but she’s not budging. It’s not fair! I have to know what Johnny desired the most, and what he gave Seph. I have to know what will become of Menessos and the Elementals. And what are they going to do for Beverly’s birthday?? (5/5 Tombstones)

Read My Mind:

The concept of this novel really appealed to me. EMBERS delves beyond magic or psychic ability. Anya is very enmeshed with her talent, even when she does her normal job as an arson investigator…It is interesting to read about someone who considers herself quite the loner, but there are people in Anya’s circle. However, she distances herself from them…Bickle also does such a great job giving Sparky, Anya’s elemental salamander familiar, a personality…

4/5 for plot
4/5 for characters
4/5 for language
My Rating: 12/15 Highly Recommend
Bonus Cover Points: 4.5/5

Alternative Worlds:

The third urban fantasy Circle tale finds the heroine overwhelmed, but not just by her destiny. Seph struggles with a complicated romance with her Waere while bonded to her Vamp, a High Noon confrontation with the Fairies or killing her bonded Vamp, and the most difficult mission of all is what to do about Beverly’s upcoming birthday while Nana hovers. Seph and the cast makes for a strong thriller as she and her sidekicks want to insure the monsters don’t devour Cleveland (as Maynard G Krebs would have said.)

Tour’s Book Blog:

Paranormal/urban fantasy are very personal genres. Either you like them, or you don’t. Within any genre, there are a few authors that manage to do something so appealing, that I pre-order the books – Linda Robertson is one of those authors for me. Her Persephone Alcmedi books are just that readable. Here we go…

Type: Urban fantasy/paranormal
Genre: Witch, werewolf and vampire in an uneasy alliance
Sub-genre: Search for truth, destiny and balance
My Grade: B+ (4.3*)

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love this series and the author has yet to let me down. Linda Robertson’s third installment in the story of Persephone Alcmedi, Seph to her friends, Fatal Circle, is an action packed event that takes places in just a few days. It picks up exactly where Vicious Circle left off…The story in fairly complicated, but as in the previous books, it’s a lot about facing destiny, like it or not, and sometimes painful changes and personal growth it forces you to embrace. Secrets are reveal and the one about Memessos is a gem. Johnny’s real place remains hidden, but I expect that might be part of book 4, as will Memessos’ fate.

Ms Robertson’s writing style is equal parts paranormal and urban fantasy, though not quite edgy enough for true UF fans. Seph’s newspaper column issues worked well in earlier books when they were part of her evolution, but seemed oddly misplaced here. The battle at the end was unsatisfying on several levels, but without giving away the ending, it’s hard to discuss. It’s what kept it from an A-. The plot was intricate enough and left plenty of questions for the next installment and a nifty cliffhanger for a main character. Highly recommended series that needs to be read in order. Worth the price!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Book Lovers Inc

I loved this series and this book did not disappoint!

All the things I loved about the previous books were still there…but it was also so much more! I love Persephone, and while I’m never a big fan of stories with ‘The One’ …in this series it worked perfectly…One thing I absolutely LOVED, his Seph’s magic! The rituals were not ordinary and she explains why she uses this or that, I was fascinated. Something I loved since the first book is when Seph goes into ‘Alpha’ mode and does meditation. The symbolisms of everything in her ‘inner place’ were amazing, it felt like we were with her on her journey to discover her true self. That’s one of the best thing about this series (well that and Hot Johnny… and Hot Menessos LOL).

I’m hooked baby! The last chapters are EPIC, wow…*my lips are sealed*…Fatal Circle was amazing and I had a lot of fun reading it. It has this little something more that kept me hooked all book long! I cannot wait for Arcane Circle. I recommend this book (Hell, I recommend the whole SERIES) to all fans of UF who wants a lovable heroine and sexy heroes.

I give Fatal Circle 4.5 Bookies (‘cause Susi said I couldn’t give it 4.75/5)

Urban Fantasy Reader:

Plot: 4.5 Stars
There were a few moments in which this novel felt more like a mystery or science fiction novel, than urban fantasy. But the mystery feel fell away as more characters were introduced and used their talents as oracles, and the science fiction feel fell away as the physics aspect of Magnusson’s work was described in more detail. I truly enjoyed the detail in this novel. From the dark matter to the different divination techniques, you could really tell that the author researched very well. The way the author blended the fantasy element of Delphi’s Daughters and divination and the realistic element of the criminal investigation was superb.

Pace: 4 Stars
The story packed a lot into a few days span. Tara and Harry travelled over multiple state lines and split up at one point, almost getting caught a couple times. There were a number of enemies coming from different directions. But with all the running and hiding, the novel never felt rushed. It was paced perfectly, and never slowed down. I thought the descriptions of each tarot card would slow the pace down, but it actually helped the plot tremendously because of the author’s thorough knowledge.

Characters: 5 Stars
Tara is a fantastic urban fantasy heroine. She is flawed and has her fears, but as the novel progresses, the reader really gets to see her grow and slowly strip away her fears. They’re still there, but she realizes that she can continue to live her life with them instead of holing up in the woods. I really enjoyed that she was self-conscious of her scars, but not to the point that it completely got in the way of more intimate situations. Harry was a nice foil to Tara. He tried to understand both her past and her divination, and I think he was really good for her. Cassie, Magnusson’s daughter, was very strong considering the situation she found herself in. Maggie, Cassie’s dog, offered a chuckle here and there within the action.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
The purple of this cover was bright and inviting without being overwhelming. It’s a color you don’t see as much of in urban fantasy, and I think it really drawns your attention from the shelf. I don’t know if the red title matches, but it stands out on the cover. There were aspects of the cover model that matched my mental image of Tara, and aspects that did not match, but overall the model was a good choice. I enjoyed that the cards on the cover had actual images on them. I am not completely sure the images on the card are from the tarot, but at least they are not blank.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Fantasy Literature:

Alayna Williams creates a compelling heroine in clever, intuitive Tara. Harry is a likable character, too, and their relationship — conflicts and all — is touching and realistic. Williams also peoples her novel with memorable secondary characters, from the scientist’s daughter Cassie to Harry’s awesome mentor to the Pythia, head of the Daughters of Delphi. (Not to even mention the dog and cat.) The plot is suspenseful, the descriptions vivid and often just plain gorgeous, and all the elements add up to a perfect escapist read for summer. I found it impossible to put down; I’m usually reading three or four books at once, but this was the book for several days running.

I really liked the way Williams incorporated the tarot into Dark Oracle. I’m pretty familiar with the tarot, and so at first the lengthy descriptions of the cards got to me. “OK, let’s move on,” I was thinking. That is, until I realized two things. First, many of Dark Oracle’s readers will not already be tarot buffs and will benefit from these careful descriptions. Second, the descriptions are important even if you don’t think you need them! You never know what details will turn out to be relevant later. Williams weaves the tarot imagery into the story in really interesting ways…(4.5 stars)

Alayna Williams, author of DARK ORACLE guest blogging.

Cheeky Reads:

Anya is both unique and a kick-ass heroine…One of the best Urban Fantasy heroines to come around in a long time, I felt Laura did an amazing job of making Anya something new in the Urban Fantasy world, but that she also made her incredibly real and honest.

Anya’s feelings fill every page and carry you along her journey - I felt connected to her and that’s totally a credit to how great Laura’s writing and characterizations are. Likewise, the rest of the cast of characters are just screaming for more play time - including Anya’s familiar salamander Sparky.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series, Sparks, to release so I can see what happens to Anya next and how she develops. I think once I’ve read the next book, I’ll be able to say if I think Laura has created something I would put on par with Kim Harrison and Karen Marie Moning in terms of my love of the world-building.

I highly recommend this book if you love real Urban Fantasies. Do yourself a favor and check it out - it’s not a light-hearted book, but a fantastic read.

Bitten by Books:

[The aspects of the series] highlighted in Hallowed Circle deal mostly with Seph’s acceptance of her magical role in the world and her troubles with Johnny, the uber-sexy and tattooed waerewolf who lives in her attic. I think this is why I love the book so much. It’s not all violent attacks and machinations. The reader is able to truly understand Seph and her world, her motivations, and the things that hold her back from realizing her full potential.

Hallowed Circle also takes a more in-depth look at the secondary characters of this world. Menessos [the vampire] is in only a small portion of the book, and I actually enjoy him. He’s sneaky, conniving, and bold, but also sweet, high-handed, and chivalrous. Basically, he’s everything an evil but strangely-good foil character should be. Johnny, physically, is also in a small portion of the book, but mentally, is in the whole thing. He crawls inside Seph’s head and makes himself comfortable, affecting every decision she makes, every situation she navigates.

It is for this reason that The Possible Infidelity Episode made me howl in rage and gnash my teeth… Evoking strong emotions is not a sign of a bad book — quite the opposite. I relate to the characters so thoroughly I can’t stand for something to happen to them. Not only that, but I realize how hard it must have been to do that to Seph and Johnny. Hallowed Circle doesn’t deserve to be docked for The Possible Incident; it should be applauded. (4.5 Tombstones)

Use this link to vote for Shin-Soo Choo as an All Star. (If you don’t know. He’s a baseball player for the Cleveland Indians. A very good baseball player.) If you click on the link above and vote, then Choo gets more All Star votes (Choo plays right field so look under “outfield” to find S. Choo) and my son gets points. Enough points and he gets free tickets and takes me to the game. (And, yes, he already took me to one game already this year.)

And he really didn’t think I would do this…hehehe.

But what’s a mother for?

This is Choo. Not my son. I’m sure his mother want you to vote for him, too.

More about Fatal Circle, the third of the Circle Series by Linda Robertson.

New! Visit Linda Robertson’s updated Web site: wolfsbaneandabsinthe.com.

TODAY on Bitten by Books Release Party with author Linda Robertson plus chat and contest. The event starts at 12:00 pm Central Time and runs all day and into the evening. The contest portion of the event runs until 11:59 pm Central on 6/30. (For those visiting from outside of the US: here is a time conversion link (they are on Chicago time).

Linda Robertson is over at WICKED JUNGLE today (Monday, June 28), with an interview, excerpt from FATAL CIRCLE, and a contest. Find out what alternate world she’d like to live in and one of the bizarre things she’s done in the name of research…

GalleyCat reports from a Stephenie Meyer blog tour that the author is having trouble completing Midnight Sun, the next entry in her mega-bestselling vampire series:

What’s true is that I’m really burned out on vampires. And, I don’t want to write it badly. So I want to wait until I’m excited about the material again, and I’m excited about Edward, and that it’s something that’s motivating. You know, when a story is keeping me up at night, and I’m waking up at 4 am in the morning and thinking ‘Yes! That is what is what should happen in this moment!’ Then that is when I can write with happiness! So, right now it feels like homework … it really does. And when things feel like homework they go very, very slowly for me.

Ms. Meyer has discovered what most authors already know: Writing is HARD WORK! It’s made even harder when you have deadlines and real life to worry about. Meyer has neither, really. I’m sure she’s still a good mom and all, but I’m thinking, one way or another, she really doesn’t need to worry about paying the bills, providing helth insurance for her family, carpooling, or clipping coupons before going grocery shopping these days. (For one thing, her husband retired to take care of their three sons.) Instead, she has a different type of burden: she’s a franchise, a brand name. Other people’s jobs and incomes depend on her performing her JOB.

Yup. Writing is her job now. To expect to be excited and happy about your job day in and day out is probably a bit unrealistic, even if you love it most of the time.

Thing is, Meyer has a choice: Even though she’s only 36, she and her family are set for life (probably for a couple of generations if they are fiscally responsible and well-advised). She can quit. She can give up her job and do whatever she wants. Hachette/Little, Brown and Company would not be happy about this, but they’d survive. Hollywood would survive. Her fans would live, too.

Meyer has always been honest about her initial publishing naivety. She also knows she has been very lucky (although, personally, I don’t think she realizes just how lucky, but then most people in her position wouldn’t). Maybe she’s now learning she was pretty naive about writing as a career, too.

She has options. Most folks don’t.

Me? I’d be more than happy to sell only a few million books (instead of tens of millions), maybe make one lucrative film deal (instead of multiple deals and licensing), and then do whatever the heck I wanted. If I still wanted to write — I would write whatever I wanted to write.

How about you?

So–thanks mostly to my daughter-in-law who explained the pro game to me last year on a big screen TV (she still plays and refs near Chicago), but also because two of my sons played soccer, and the local university (Akron) being #1 in the US last year (losing, unfortunately, the championship) and, not incidently because, well, gosh those are handsome lads out there dashing around in shorts and tight shirts–I became a soccer fan.

Naturally, the USA win was great yesterday, but today we are also celebrating Slovakia’s win over Italy. My kids are one-fourth Slovak. Guran, if you ever wondered (and I am sure you didn’t) is a Slovakian name. I know exactly two words in Slovak: čierny and pivo. The first means “black” the second means “beer”.

Ask Alayna Williams a question—whatever is on your mind. She will do a quick one card tarot draw to answer. [This is for fun and entertainment only]

Each person asking a question gets a chance towards a signed copy of Dark Oracle. [Only one question per person.]

Through July 5 at Patricia’s Vampire Notes

Please do not post questions here! CLICK THE RED LINK & GO TO: Patricia’s Vampire Notes!

Tez Says Review:

Tarot, quantum physics, mines, botany, geology, divination, serial killers…if any of these interest you, purchasing Dark Oracle would be wise. A mix of The X-Files and Alex Kava’s Maggie O’Dell series, this novel has enlivened urban fantasy with a smack of science that grounds the story with realism. Plus, there are definite wow moments – the climax features a character who truly is one with the earth, in jaw-dropping imagery. Unfortunately, the sequel, Rogue Oracle, won’t be released until March. Too bloody long away…

That’s VICIOUS CIRCLE by LINDA ROBERTSON in its German edition that will be out “März 2011″!

According to Amazon.de:

Kurzbeschreibung
Persephone Alcmedi ist eine Hexe, die Tarotkarten legt und eine Zeitungskolumne verfasst. Außerdem bietet sie Werwölfen bei Vollmond in ihrem Haus Unterschlupf. Da wird Sephs Freundin, die Werwölfin Lorrie ermordet, und die Hohepriesterin eines Hexenzirkels bietet Seph eine große Summe Geldes, wenn sie den Mörder tötet den mächtigen Vampir Goliath Kline. Seph nimmt den Job an, muss jedoch feststellen, dass sie sich auf ein Spiel mit dem Feuer eingelassen hat. Zum Glück kann sie auf die Hilfe der Werwölfe zählen, vor allem auf den attraktiven Johnny, den Leadsänger der Band Lycanthropia, der ein Auge auf Seph geworfen hat.

Über den Autor
Neben ihrer Tätigkeit als Autorin beschäftigt sich Linda Robertson auch mit Malerei und Musik. Sie spielt Piano und E-Gitarre in einer Hard-Rock-Band. Derzeit arbeitet sie an der Fortsetzung der Serie um die Hexe Persephone. Die Webseite der Autorin: www.wolfsbaneandabsinthe.com

FlamingNet:

In Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti, Zery the queen of the Amazons finds her world falling apart. The book starts out strong with a fast paced action scene and the tone is continued throughout the book. With multiple twists and turns that keep you on your toes this quickly moving book keeps a reader entertained till the early hours of the morning. On top of the constantly changing alliances and friendships there is an underlying element of romance that although present does not over power a book based on powerful women. Over all this book was and exciting and entertaining read that I certainly recommend.