Book Review: Vicious Circle By: Linda Robertson

'>Book Review: Vicious Circle
By: Linda Robertson
Juno - Pocket Books
3 Heart Review

A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcamedi 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 leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Steph 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 Steph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Steph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help form her friends – werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for a techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Steph 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.

I slipped very easily into reading Vicious Circle. The heroine Persephone is an intriguing character and I wanted to find out more about her even after the first few pages.

This book seemed very familiar to me and this was good and bad. On the bad side, I felt that many parts of Linda’s world mirrored Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series and Persephone reminded me of Rachel very much. Likewise, Master Vamp Menessos made me think of Laurel K. Hamilton’s Jean-Claude as there was sexual tension mixed with the dangerous control Menessos can have over Persephone.

It’s only because I have read these other series that I was so easily reminded of them, but I think it speaks well that I would compare the writing to these two talented authors.

On the good side, Robertson’s world and writing are indeed very good. Even though parts of the book were familiar, this also added to my being able to fully engross myself in the story. Johnny is a great love interest and the foreshadowing of him being more than just any shape shifter added to my enjoyment of the story and makes me look forward to more in this series.

Vicious Circle feed 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. I loved that Steph wasn't immediately attracted to Johnny and that he isn’t your typical looking hero. 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. I expect these things to add layers to the series as it moves forward.

A good read with an interesting world and cast of characters, I'll be looking for the next in this series.