More Reviews
"Ms. Robertson blends tried and true supernatural elements with some fresh ideas
of her own, creating an entertaining combination. Vicious Circle moves forward
at a steady pace, provides paranormal action, and takes readers on an adventure
filled with strong characters and their tangled human emotions. I'm looking
forward to the next book in the Persephone Alcmedi series, Hallowed
Circle..."--Darque
Reviews
"This is an amusing lighthearted...urban fantasy that stars a female David witch
struggling with her bills, grandma, and Johnny battling Goliath the invincible
cruel vampire; Vegas would never allow betting on this one. The story line is
breezy from the onset...and never slows down. Fans will appreciate this jocular
tale in which the plot is never quite serious as the kennel master witch turns
amateur sleuth leading to a showdown with a vampire who will enjoy drinking
bewitching blood."--Alternative Worlds
"The bare bones of this story will be familiar to urban-fantasy devotees:
Werewolves, vampires, faeries, and witches all exist and have become public
knowledge in recent years. Girl, tough and feisty, takes it upon herself to
dispense justice in a supernatural murder case. Girl is chosen against her will
to play a major role in paranormal affairs. Girl is wooed by attractive werewolf
and attractive vampire. I was worried Vicious Circle would be just like a
hundred other novels with a similar premise, but Linda Robertson does some
really interesting things to make her story stand out.
"First, she realistically explores what might happen if supernatural races
existed and came out of the closet. Vampires are well-regarded in society due to
the glamorous image they have cultivated; faeries have gained acceptance by
pretending to be harmless. Weres, however, are treated as second-class citizens.
Persephone Alcmedi does her best to fight these attitudes, writing a pro-were
newspaper column and renting out her basement to weres as a full-moon shelter.
Anti-were prejudice hampers Persephone's mission at every turn. No cop wants to
touch a were-related case, and no hospital wants to treat a were patient.
"I was also impressed by the unusually accurate Wicca in Vicious Circle. (OK, so
real Wiccans don't shoot visible bolts of brightly colored energy when they cast
spells, but that's creative license!) The belief system, the ethical code, and
the structure of Persephone's rituals are clearly well-researched.
"Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Persephone is not the misanthropic
heroine you might expect. She has a lot of emotional boundaries that keep her
from being a social butterfly, but at the same time, she has a powerful
protective streak when it comes to those she cares about. "Do you always take
care of people?" asks a young girl whom Persephone has just taken under her
wing. The answer is yes. In the early pages of Vicious Circle, Persephone finds
herself sheltering her grandmother, a Great Dane puppy, a severely injured
werewolf, and the aforementioned little girl, along with her usual canine
visitors. As the plot unfolds, trying to protect everyone is a full-time job. I
found this aspect of Persephone's character refreshing and unusual.
"(4 Stars) -- Fantasyliterature.
com
"This book has it all. It's a
paranormal reader's wet dream: witches, werewolves, vampires and minions.
Written with a witty style that will have you laughing in places--it's a real
page turner. Ms Robertson has obviously spent a lot of time on research and it
shows. This is without a doubt one of the best paranormal books I've read in a
while. Refreshing and very witty, Ms Robertson earns a place on my must buy
list."--Rites of Romance Reviews
"...Vicious Circle is a smart, action-packed urban fantasy that will have fans
everywhere cheering for more! There are so many great characters to choose from
that it was hard to choose a favorite, but I did have one. It was Steph's Nana.
She wanted to be in the middle of everything, but at the same time didn't like
what Steph did. She especially disliked the werewolves. She felt they would hurt
her, so she got herself a Great Dane puppy. Just picture a little old lady
taking care of a hyper-active puppy." (4 Angels)--Fallen Angels
"Linda Robertson will impress readers with
her debut book, VICIOUS CIRCLE. I have to admit the first thing about it that
caught my attention was the cover. Persephone is one hot witch. VICIOUS CIRCLE
is all you could look for in an urban fantasy, with witches, werewolves, and
vampires mixing it up and each adding their own uniqueness to the story. The
plot was full of suspense and it held my attention from the first page. I will
be waiting anxiously for the release of her next book, HALLOWED CIRCLE to hit
the shelves. It continues with a new story about Persephone and her werewolf
friends. Ms. Robertson has already got me hooked."--Romance Junkies
"...The paranormal world imagined by Robertson for
Vicious Circle has some major differences to the majority of urban fantasy
novels about today. The magic is quite low-key, invoked with witchy rituals and
used when strictly necessary-which makes a change from all the stories where
showy, crowd-pleasing magic is thrown around at the drop of a hat. Guidance from
the higher-powers comes in the form of meditation and a totem guide, again a
more real world way of communing with the divine.
"If the witches are low-key, the werewolves have definitely drawn the short straw
in Vicious Circle. The werewolf condition is passed on through a contagious
virus, meaning that most uninfected humans won't go anywhere near them for fear
of catching the virus themselves and to protect themselves they have passed all
sorts of laws to make werewolves second-class citizens. When the moon is full
the werewolves retain no human sensibilities, they are just hungry predators -
so...there are no opportunities for the werewolves to have great adventures and
use their werewolf skills and strengths to their advantage.
"These differences help to make Vicious Circle stand out from other books in this
genre and above all stop Seph from becoming just another self-righteous, monster
hunting, gun-toting gung-ho female urban fantasy protagonist in leather pants...
And let's face it there are already more than enough of those manly heroines to
go around....
"Vicious Circle is a good start to the Persephone Alcmedi series and although
fantasy-wise there is little new here, the writer's light touch keeps the story
well grounded. Her characters add a feeling of real life to the story, in
particular 'Nana', Seph's loveably irritating grandmother is an inspired
addition to the story."--Love
Vampires
"Linda Robertson has done a great job in creating
characters that draw the reader in with their multi-dimensional personalities in
her debut novel, Vicious Circle. As the story progresses the plot begins to
thicken and twist, and I was quite pleased to know that all was not as it seemed
starting with Seph.
"The heroine, Seph, has parental issues (who doesn't). She is open minded, caring
and compassionate, but most importantly she's smart. It's not "in your face"
smart, but she has her moments. She also does a ton of learning about herself,
most of which comes from recognizing her own flaws.
"The male characters in the book are extremely interesting and mysterious. Wait,
did I mention they are smokin'? They are mysterious and we're only allowed peeks
at their past and nature. It's intriguing and makes me want more."--Scooper
Speaks
"Another new entry into the urban fantasy genre--with an interesting twist to it.
Strong women and men interacting to form teams, of sorts. At first glance it is
difficult to know who is on which side once you know the argument, so you'd
better watch carefully for clues..."--SFREVU
"... this was a breath of fresh air... I
read the novel almost straight through. Kudos to Linda Robertson on a great
debut. I eagerly await her next novel."--Urban Fantasy Fan:
"All told, Robertson combines an interesting mix of
ritual and lore, contemporary affairs and mystery."--
Breeni Books
Vicious Circle fed my craving for an urban fantasy
with a heroine I genuinely liked, and a hero who didn't immediately have the
heroine in the palm of his hand... The interesting twist that in this world
werewolves and witches aren't exactly friendly does make this world stand apart
from many of the other Urban Fantasies I've read... A good read with an
interesting world and cast of characters, I'll be looking for the next in this
series."--Cheeky Reads
Vicious Circle hooked me in 10 pages
flat... Kudos to author Linda Robertson for a remarkable first effort. A
worthwhile read."--Tour's Books Blog:
"... an enjoyable novel with a fascinating
world... If you like urban fantasy, check this out."--A Community
of Bookworms Who Love Fantasy
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