I'm sure lots of Linda Howard fans will hate me for writing this reveiw, but I just have to get this out. I HATED this book. I can't understand all the women who have written reviews saying how romantic it is. Yes, in places the book is very sexy, but not in an emotionally intense loving way - in an empty, soul-destroying, obsessive way. For me, there was no excuse for the abuse of power the hero displayed, and there was no excuse for the abusive way he treated the heroine. My personal opinion is that love is about trust, respect and truly knowing another person. Uncontrollable lust is great in the short-term, but to be honest, it does not last and it isn't all that romantic either.

If your best friend was married to a man who treated her like this, you would be urging her to find the strength to get away from him. How can it be justifiable to blame someone for the sins of their mother when they were only a child at the time of said sins? How can it be right to pile the blame on the female participant of the affair and pretend that the male must have been a poor bamboozled lamb, especially when he has a history of hedonistic adultery? The hero acted like a spoilt child, full of rage and prejudice against less privilaged people. Maybe it is because I come from England, where we have spent the last three hundred years fighting against the class system, that I find the term 'Trash' so objectionable. To me, anyone who would judge another person solely on the circumstances of their birth is shallow and bigoted.

Now, having said all this, I'm sure there are many people who still believe that this book is fabulous and that's fine - you have every right to enjoy whatever books you want. The purpose of this review is to give warning to any other ladies who feel like me, to prevent them from buying this book and being disappointed. If you loved the caring and the deep emotional connection between hero and heroine in 'MacKenzies Mountain' or 'Shades of Twilight', you will not find what you want in this book. Give it a miss.

This was a quest book, pure and simple. The international themes were well developed and the Mystical and mythical elements were interesting. The only problem was a slight lack of depth in the romance relationships. I suppose this is forgivable, since she did have three romances to develop, but you only have to read 'Montana Sky' to know that Ms Roberts can do a better job than this. I kept wishing that I could rearrange the partnerships and pair them up differently. I also have to admit I found the cold-blooded way that Malachi set out to seduce Tia for information bit unsavory, especially when he realised how delicate she was.

Having said all this, the book was still highly enjoyable and while perhaps it is not as emotionally satisfying as it could have been, it is still worth buying. I won't be swopping it any time soon.

This was a satisfying and well-written ending to the 'Three Sisters Island' Trilogy. Mia, being probably the most intriguing of the three Sisters, had the most intriguing and mature romance. I liked the fact that no excuses were made for the hero's stupidity as a boy - he did it and he regretted it, but nothing can change it, just like in real life. I also liked the fact that Mia did not collapse into Sam's arms and forgive him the second he deigned to offer her some attention. After all, in real life, even when we can understand a person's actions that does not mean we can forget the pain they have caused us.

On top of the romance, there was also a delightful feeling of menace in this book that was lacking in the other two - I found the wolf a very nice touch. It was slightly reminiscent of 'Ceremony in Death', and again, added an unusual twist to the story.

There was only one problem for me with this book, and it is the same one which plagued the other two in the trilogy - the way that Ms Roberts couched all the spells in rhyming form. There were several points where an otherwise eerie or poignant scene was robbed of its teeth by the painfully bad poetry:

"Now you taste the fear most dire, as you face my righteous fire." Yuck, Yuck, Yuck.

Apart from this, the book was very enjoyable and a fitting finale to the trilogy. Highly recommended.

In my opinion this is the last really enjoyable book that was written by JAK before she entered her...shall we say, 'Difficult' phase. Or, as it is more commonly known to her fans, 'The Period of Really Bad Books that Make Us Wish We Had Never Wasted Our Money'.

However, this book is untainted by the Oh-So-Lame virus which blighted her later crop of novels, and is a delightful, humourous romp peppered with moments of surprisingly moving tenderness, as an emotionally scarred Alpha male is taught how to love again by a classic heroine in JAK's inimitable style.

The Alpha male here is an unusually intriguing character, with a background that makes us feel that he may in fact be justified in being such a moody prat, once we learn the full story. And the heroine manages to be stubborn, headstrong and opinionated etc, without being so irritating that you want to strangle her. The story has a nicely plotted intrigue element, which generates a couple of moments of proper menace.

All in all, a fine example of a JAK novel, well worth splashing out on.

Quite simply, these books are fabulous! I would recommend them to anyone who has enjoyed the works of Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley or Gail Carson Levine. Not only is the 'Crown Duel' duet an absolute page-turner, but they are also uniquely written, taking a refreshingly different perspective on the usual 'Medieval with Magic' setting that we all know and love so well. The heroine here - 16 year old Countess Meliara - is so feisty and full of anger but at the same time so wryly humourous and self-depreciating that it is impossible not to like her. Taking the duet to a whole new level however, is the Hero. To name him would be a spoiler for those who have not yet read these (in which case, what are you waiting for?) but he really is so...indescribably...obnoxious, that it is a wonder how Mel refrains from strangling him with her bare hands. Which of course, is why he's so utterly fabulous. Not even Tamora Pierce's Duke Roger can equal him for sheer slipperly sexiness. Sigh...

Anyhow, I would definately count these as some of my favorites, and they now hold a space on my keeper shelf. I await anything and anything else written by this autor with baited breath.

I'm a big fan of 'The Song of the Lioness' and 'The Immortals', and I have to say that when I first read 'The Magic Circle' I was expecting something along the same lines - and I was disappointed. These are written with children a bit younger in mind. HOWEVER, after a year or so of having these sit on a shelf gathering dust, I dug them out again and found that I could now appreciate them as the well written little snippets of fantasy fun and adventure they are. This series, 'The Circle Opens' has rounded out the already beloved characters, and makes a welcome addition to my collection.

So, I decided to begin reading these to the group of children who patronise my local library - where I help out. I was astonished when several of the children came back the next week to tell me that - completely of their own accord - they had borrowed other books by Ms Pierce to read at home. One had even commanded her parents to buy the whole 'Song of the Lioness' quartet for her birthday. As this girl is not usually an enthusiastic reader, I was very gratified. Not since the dreaded Harry Potter has such a reaction been seen. Well done Tamora Pierce!