If you were asked to give up all that you knew and loved, your whole world, would you do it? What if, by walking away from everything that you knew, you were committing yourself to a war, a war where you and five strangers are to raise an army to save mankind, could you? Would you take all of this on faith and trust that this was to be your destiny? All of this is just what 12th century Irish sorcerer Hoyt Mac Cionaoith is asked to do in Morrigan’s Cross, the first book of Nora Roberts’s The Circle trilogy.

After fighting off the demon vampire Lilith, the one who turned his twin brother Cian into a vampire, the Goddess Morrigan visits Hoyt in a vision. Morrigan tells Hoyt that his fight is not over yet, that Hoyt must gather five other warriors to lead in the war against Lilith and her horde of vampires. The ones he must gather to him are only known as the one whose soul is lost, the witch, the one of many shapes, a scholar, and a warrior.

Morrigan gives Hoyt six crosses that are to be given to the family he leaves behind, for their protection. Nola, the youngest of his siblings, promises Hoyt that she, her children and her children’s children will continue the war against the vampires. They would fight until the time comes to gather for the final battle where they will be at Hoyt’s command.

Now nine hundred years later, Hoyt finds himself in New York City, where he encounters the brother he thought he had killed. Cian, is now a very rich and very powerful man who has no wish for Lilith to destroy all that he has built in this new world. So Cian reluctantly agrees, along with King, Cian’s bodyguard, to join forces with Hoyt to defeat Lilith. So Hoyt begins to build his team with the addition of Glenna Ward, a red-haired witch. Now they only lack two more members of their circle of six.

Traveling back to Ireland, Cian plans to use the Mac Cionaoith ancestral home as their base of operations. Hoyt finds being back home brings the realization of how much of his past life he truly gave up. There, two more warriors, Moira and Larkin, join them from the Kingdom of Geall, a kingdom also being threatened by Lilith and her horde. The arrival of the last two members of the circle only brings more tension to the group.

Just as romance ignites between Hoyt and Glenna, their enemies begin to emerge from the shadows. Will the constant struggle to build trust in each other and their abilities prevent them from becoming a true "circle of six"? When they lose one of their members will they leave their trust and fate in the hands of Morrigan? Just who is Blair Murphy? Is she the vampire hunter she says she is or just another of Lilith’s tricks? In the final showdown with Lilith, they will need all of that—and more.

Paranormal stories, romance or not, are some of my favorites to read. So when I heard that Nora Roberts was doing another paranormal trilogy I thought “oh good, love her paranormals”. Then I found out this was to be her first vampire trilogy and it was “oh god I can’t wait”. Morrigan’s Cross is typical Nora Roberts; it drops you into the middle of the intense action of what is to be the background story of all three books. Then there’s a slow build up of trust and love between the two main characters of this story, Glenna and Hoyt. The action is fast and furious and the love story sweet and tender. So if you love the paranormal like I do, grab up this book. But if you love Nora Roberts and have never read a paranormal with vamps, shape shifters, witches and sorcerers give this one a try because Ms. Roberts will leave you wanting more.

Reviewed By Theresa
© November 2006