I have to say that MORRIGAN'S CROSS is the very first book of Ms. Roberts' that I didn't care for; didn't, in fact, even finish. It could be my own personal dislike of historical romance, but as this was more in the time travel/paranormal vein, I don't think that's true. The problem, at least for me, was unlikeable characters I couldn't relate to, coupled with too many Irish, Gaelic, and unfamiliar terms that the book's added glossary only complicated.

I won't knock Ms. Roberts, because she is an unbelievably talented author who I admire. I'm also the world's largest Eve Dallas fan, and have loved THE KEY TRILOGY and all of her romantic suspense releases. Let's just say that, for me, MORRIGAN'S CROSS was a miss, instead of Ms. Roberts' usual hit. ( )

I love this trilogy..i actually read them in the wrong order, as i didn't know they were a triology but there brilliant. i would suggest them to anyone! ( )

I normally shy away from paranormal and vampire romances. However, this one had me enthralled. I especially love Cian's character and can't wait for his story. ( )

I am usually a fan of The Nora's so it was extra disappointing to read this start to a series and be instantly struck by such problems with it.

Other reviews here of this book will give you a fine idea of the plot, so I'll skip that and go right to my issues with the characterizations. The main characters of this book, Hoyt and Glenna, are fairly typical romantic lead types. You may or may not like those types, but there's nothing uncommon about them. So what's my problem with this book? In a nutshell, what is up with the character of King? Let's run through the stereotypes here, shall we? Big, ugly, scary, black guy, but once you get past that he's a softy with a heart of gold? BTDT. With the exception of his loyalty, which he has in spades having been rescued from the mean streets of East LA as a child, blahblahblabbityblah, he is everything the heroes are not. Could he be more Other? Needless to say, despite the fact that in her trilogies, there will always be 3 couples in the end, since it's not a romance if there's no Happily Ever After, there is no HEA for King. And yet, if you look at what his role is in terms of the plot, there is no reason why King had to be Black, had to be big, had to be scary, had to be ugly and/or have mismatched eyes. It all just serves to make him distinct and Other and Not The Hero. At first I was ready to be surprised and delighted by an interracial romance in a future book in the series with this atypical hero. Sadly, not only does this not happen, what does happen is par for the course, for authors trying to make their books more "diverse" without thinking beyond "white is normal, therefore all else is..." It is tiresome, stale, and I had hoped for better.

And what's with the evil, bisexual, pedophile vampire queen? What message are we meant to take from this? That she's extra evil because she'll have sex with anyone? Not just other women, but even children?! I know romance is a genre that clings to heteronormative standards, but this was beyond the beyond. I prefer my romances without a big heaping helping of homophobia.

So, the token non-white character gets buried under heaps and piles of Not Like Us and a blow is struck on behalf of monogomous heterosexuality by this villain = pervert depiction. On behalf of all the non-white, non-heterosexual readers of romance, thanks a lot Nora. We love you, too. ( )

I just read the latest review of Nora Roberts "Morrigan's Cross", and I must say I agree with the poster. Roberts has become tired and boring for me, anyway, but her paranormal novels go so far as to be annoying.

As I read The Circle Trilogy, I realized that Roberts -- a very talented writer no matter how formulaic her books have gotten -- simply doesn't know how to write paranormal. Not if you're used to reading true writers of the fantasy genre, like Anne Bishop and Patricia Briggs. Writers like these approach the paranormal as an integral part of the universe that one may or may not be in tune with; nevertheless, it is real and matter-of-fact, making you feel the most grounded and lucid when your consciousness is filled with monsters, magic, and mythology. Then there's Roberts, who approaches the paranormal like a misty, overly-Irished fairy tale. And I'm talking Disney, not Grimm. She completely overdoes it, with her poetic nightmares of spells and sanitized concepts of "vampire" and other Otherness.

Don't even get me started on her attempt at writing dark, evil vampiresses. It's all so romanticized I could choke. She's just too constrained to write this kind of stuff, and it shows painfully in "Morrigan's Cross." Even her "In Death" books, which are as gritty as Roberts gets, delicately skirts the truest ugliness and sticks to implications and dropped hints. I appreciate authors who can cross boundaries, and who credit me -- the reader -- with enough sophistication to handle a little mess.

Now, yes, I did finish the series because I liked Cian, but I found the last two books no more inspired than the first. ( )

I don't know what it is, and heaven knows I've tried to figure it out, but I'm just not happy when Nora does paranormal. I read the reviews, hoping something will click, but either I'm the only one it affects this way, or nobody else can figure it out either. Or at least those who have, haven't written reviews explaining it. A lot of people put it down to just not liking paranormal. Click around here a little bit--you'll see nothing could be further from the truth.

Oh. Note to Publisher's Weekly: this isn't her first paranormal series. Not even close. There are the Donovans, the time travel duo, the 3 Sisters Island books, the Gallaghers, the Key trilogy, all those novellas in the Once Upon A... series, not to mention paranormal elements in the MacKades, Born in Shame, the Dream trilogy, the Night series (mmmm... Nemesis...), Carolina Moon, Midnight Bayou... and others I've forgotten to mention.

Anyway. Morrigan's Cross is the first book in a trilogy about a group of six who have to battle the ancient vampire Lilith and her demons, who are out to take over the world. "Morrigan" comes from the Celt goddess Morrigan, who appears to 12th-century sorceror Hoyt. He's angry and dismayed at his failure to save his twin brother Cian from being turned by Lilith, and she tasks him with putting together the group of 6 to defeat the vampires, first giving him the magical oomph to make the crosses that will protect his family, then whisking him away to the future, our present, New York.

There he meets his long-lost brother Cian and his right-hand man King, contemporary witch Glenna, Larkin & Moira from Gealle (another time, another place), and they begin training for the fight ahead.

There are some good scenes between the brothers, and Cian in particular is well-drawn. He's now over 900 years old, and it shows in his character. He'd said good-bye to his family centuries ago, and now here's his brother, his twin, offering love and asking for help.

There are also some amusing scenes as Hoyt comes to terms with the 21st century--in particular, the driving lessons.

But... It starts very slow. It starts back in the 12th century, and I found myself losing interest and skimming, waiting for the story to start. And Hoyt and Glenna as a couple seems more of a given than a romance. We're asked to just accept that because they've seen each other in dreams and they have similar magical powers, that they've fallen in love--we don't see it happen. Or I didn't.

And, as usual, the spells drove me nuts. Glenna's were the rhyming type where the rhythm doesn't always work--it drives me nuts. But Hoyt's were worse. They didn't rhyme, but they were long, and seemed like they ought to rhyme. I really, really wished that he'd just used single words or brief chants instead. The point was made, several times, that Hoyt's approach to magic was different from Glenna's, but the only difference in their spells were that hers rhymed and his didn't. Nails on the chalkboard, every time.

If you accept that Hoyt and Glenna are in love (and you pretty much have to, otherwise, you just spend the last half of the book complaining), their road to Happy-Ever-After-Land was good--they had some serious complications to overcome: they're in the middle of saving the world, and Hoyt's fully expecting to be whisked back to the 12th century afterward.

Other than Cian (and King), the secondary characters were fairly bland and uninteresting, and to tell you the truth, if it were any other author besides Nora, I'd be reconsidering reading the rest of the trilogy. A latecomer to the book, demon hunter Blair, showed promise, but Moira seemed mousy and ineffectual, and Larkin, the shapechanger, seemed mostly talented at blending into walls (not literally--I'm apparently still thinking about Nemesis). It's been explained to me that secondary characters, even ones who are supposed to star in their own future books, have to take a back seat, but, well, I disagree. Not if it makes me not want to read the next book. It's also been explained that they perk up in the next book, Dance of the Gods. I certainly hope so. ( )

I don't normally like fantasy books, but this one really had me hooked. It is simply amazing. The romance in the book is realistic and has an organic feel to it. I can't recommend this book enough, especially for people who don't typically "do" fantasy. ( )

An enjoyable read, but her vampire lore is a bit shaky when compared to others, such as Buffy. Also, the romance happened so quickly that it was unbelievable. Finally, the sex scenes were not as good as her earlier books. Overall, a good beach read, but not up to Nora's usual level. ( )

I've read tons of Nora Roberts books - love them for a quick brainless read. However, they're all pretty much exactly the same, only with new character names, locations and twists. Morrigan's Cross sticks to the formula; the twist involves the ubiquitous vampire. (I know vampires are popular, but it’s bad when even Nora Roberts is writing about them!) Even though the book felt like deja vu, I still liked it and, of course, will devour the next two. What can I say? I'm a sucker! (Not in the vampire sense...) ( )

Hoyt gathers 'the circle of six' -- 'the witch (Glenna Ward), the warrior (Blair Murphy), the scholar (Moira of Geall), the one of many forms (Larkin of Geall), and the one you've lost (Cian Mac Cionaoith)'

Geall is a piece of Ireland that was 'broken off' into a new world; has had peace for hundreds of years

starts in 12th-century Ireland, then proceeds to New York ( )

As far as vampire/paranormal romance ect. goes, I really enjoyed this book. There wasn't too much over the top and the basic story line was really enjoyable. ( )

Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts (7/10)
Paranormal Romace. This is Roberts' first attempt at some kind of vampire/fantasy tale and while I think she flounders a bit at first, she manages to pull it together at the end. Six people from across time and two realities are pulled together to fight an evil vampiress. This book sets up the basic story and tells the first romance between two of the six. ( )

Liked the series. ( )

This book is the first in the series and it took sometime of it to set the stage for the series. ( )

As a storm rages, the tale of a powerful vampire's lust for destruction—and of the circle of six charged by the goddess Morrigan to stop her—begins. One of the chosen is a medieval sorcerer whose quest will take him through time—and into the arms of a woman courageous enough to link her destiny to his own.

Going in, I wasn't sure how I'd like this book, seeing as I'm not a huge fan of romances. But if it's paranormal, you know I've gotta try it out! :P So I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it as much as I did. I found that Roberts', who tends to be too overly descriptive and flowery in the romances of hers that I've read, didn't annoy me so much here. Probably because those descriptions were instead directed towards a different outlet. These descriptions nicely portrayed the beautiful landscapes and hills of Ireland. And even New York city, while the characters were there for awhile... I felt as if I were able to see it from the point-of-view of a tourist visiting for the first time.

Overall, a fun read, and I'm looking forward to the next two in the trilogy, both of which are waiting here on Mt. TBR. :D ( )

Hoyt, a twelfth century sorceror, comes to modern time to team up with his brother (a vampire) and four others to defeat the evil vampire Lillith and save life as they know it.

An excellent and compelling beginning to what appears to be another wonderful trilogy by Nora Roberts. Can this woman write a bad book? ( )

Formulaic, but fun. When Roberts writes a trilogy there always 3 female personality types: the grounded woman, the tough woman and the quiet woman. The circle trilogy is no different. ( )

From my amazon review:
This book has been summarized often enough that I don't think it will be necessary for me to give yet another summary.

I have to say that I am very surprised by so many negative to luke-warm reviews for this book. I loved it! I found the "Key" trilogy unreadable, but the first book in this series was simply fantastic! I think that the problem that people are having is that this book blends a couple of genres, notably urban fantasy/fantasy with romance. Therefore, this book is neither an urban fantasy nor a romance, but a story that contains elements of both.

I loved Hoyt and Glenna as characters, but really other than the "bad" guys most of the people in this book are really well drawn characters with likable characteristics. The introduction to the world and the characters was well done without being simply an "intro" book. A story complete in itself, this book drew me in and was impossible to put down!

I say that you should ignore the bad reviews, unless you are romance purist or a fantasy purist that expects all of the conventions of those genres to be adhered to strictly. If you like a great story with great characters, action, and romance then read this fantastic addition to Nora Roberts' already outstanding booklist. ( )

Booklist Review: Another enticing paranormal trilogy from the ever-versatile, prolific, and much-loved queen of romance. Irish sorcerer Hoyt Mac Cionaoith tried but failed to destroy Demon Queen Lilith after she ruthlessly turned his twin brother, Cian, into a vampire. Lilith gradually recovered and immediately set about amassing an army of vampires with the intention of destroying all humans so that she could rule the world. The goddess Morrigan chooses Hoyt and five others to stop Lilith, sending Hoyt 1,000 years into the future. In twenty-first-century New York, he starts to build his team, enlisting Glenna Ward; his brother, Cian; and Cians employee, King. Traveling back to Ireland, the three pick up new recruits Moira and her cousin Larkin, both of whom have traveled through space and time from the Kingdom of Geall. Demon-hunter Blair Murphy is the last to sign on to the circle of six. Now a sorcerer, a witch, a warrior, a scholar, a shape-shifter, and a lost soul must find some way of working together as a team if they are to have any hope of stopping darkness from overcoming all that is good and light in the world. Best-seller Roberts Celtic-flavored Circle trilogy features superbly crafted characters, three passionate romances, and a bewitching blend of magic and myth. -- John Charles (Reviewed 10-01-2006) (Booklist, vol 103, number 3, p43) ( )

Enjoyable paranormal romance with a lot of action involved. A circle of six has been formed to combat Lilith, a vampire queen, who wants to destroy the worlds. This is the first in a trilogy, which will culminate in a final battle with Lilith. Each book also features a romance between two of the characters. Nice! ( )

I was not thrilled with this book. It is one of the worst that I have read by Nora. Not a lot happens in it and it is rather a long book. I even took a break in the middle to read Life Guard. But since I have started the trilogy I will read the next two. I hope they pick up. ( )

Ahhhhhhh! I just love a read like this -- true Nora Roberts. In so many ways, her writing -- because of the genre -- is utterly predictable. You know love will out. You don't need to worry about that. But, the ride on the way will be unique and better than anyone else can do it. I particularly love that she writes in trilogies. Gives time for a nice juicy story, better than average characters, and creativity. This time VAMPIRES! Totally fun. Anne Rice doesn't need to worry but still I enjoyed this first one and will be eagerly awaiting the rest! ( )

I have a sneaking suspicion that Nora Roberts saw one too many Buffy episodes. There's a witch with red hair, a vampire who resists the urge to feed off humans, and eventually a hereditary slayer. With the plot there was a "big Bad", a coming apocalypse and a fated group of fighters. Some minor differences between Buffy and this, particularly the love interests. Not a series I would rush out and buy but I would look for more of them to see what happens. I'm sometimes drawn to train wrecks.

Hoyt is a celtic sorcerer who loses his brother, Cian to Lilith the Vampire queen. He pleads to the Morrigan for his brothers life, she tells him that he has to travel in time to find a circle of six to fight Lilith as she is going to amass power and bring forward the end of the worlds. "The witch, the warrior, the scholar, the one of many forms, and the one you've lost." are who he's told he will gather and will be drawn to him.
Some of the issues I had were varied. The Claddagh Ring is named after a part of Galway city, a city I lived near for years, it is not spelt Claddaugh, trust me, no matter how you look at it. There is no Y in old, middle or modern Irish, so a character with the name Hoyt as your time-traveller is just plain ludicrous. The Morrigan is a WAR GODDESS not a goodness and light goddess, in fact if you want fire and a goddess why not Bridgid? Eternal flame and all that? Last but not least, a celtic goddess giving crosses? Ah now, please do a little more research than that. I'm not going to even start on the pronounciation guide, cause it almost got ripped out of the book.
It wasn't the worst I've read, some of the scenes were interesting but it failed to impress me. ( )

Crap!! Nora Nora Nora, I have been a devoted reader for years, enjoying your varied, yet formulaic romances. Yet this one was more of a 'how much crap can we toss in one book' book, and felt half hearted, as though you were merely jumping on the vampire bandwagon. Not even the personal relationships which you do so well were present in this one!! aaaahh!!! ( )

Circle of 6 is called by Morrigan, goddess of battle, to assemble and train to prepare for the coming apocalypse. Lilith, queen of vampyres is ready to do away with human kind. The 6 are assembled from different centuries and worlds - a sorcerer, a witch, a vampyre, a warrior, a shapeshifter and a scholar. ( )