Nora Roberts, Dance of the Gods

Dance of the Gods

Nora Roberts

Jove, October 2006, $7.99

ISBN 0515141666

The Goddess Morrigan gathered the Circle of Six champions to battle against the vampire Lilith and her undead minion, whose goal is world conquest. The sextet consist of Hoyt the Sorcerer, his vampiric sibling Cian, the witch Glenna, Geallian Princess Moira, shape-shifter Larkin, and demon hunter Blair. They come from different eras and even worlds, as each exited the Dance of the Gods to meet in twenty-first century Ireland training for a war against a much more powerful enemy.

Even while training, they must fight Lilith's soldiers sent to destroy them before the final engagement, They bicker fitfully among themselves and, for some, do their best to ignore the mounting sexual tension. Their teachers worry about relationships as they prepare; for instance the constant bickering and arguing between Larkin and Blair has turned to lust, but what will happen under fire when sacrifice might be needed for the better good. Still the group impatiently waits for their instructors to tell them the time is now to enter the Geall stone circle to go back to the past to rage the Armageddon war with Lilith and her forces.

The middle tale of the Circle Trilogy (see MORRIGAN'S CROSS) is an excellent romantic fantasy with the emphasis on the paranormal magical elements. The storyline is character driven, as the six train and forge friendships between them, while others do not get along. Nora Roberts provides the right amount of battle with the foe so that the audience receives a strong enchanting tale that moves the saga forward, yet sets up what should be quite a final fantasy.