Book Review: Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson

Vicious Circle
Author: Linda Robertson
Publication: Pocket Books (June 11, 2009)

Description: This exciting urban fantasy debut mixes a modern-day witch with a rock’n’roll werewolf boyfriend, pitted against a powerful vampire!

A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do...

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

My Thoughts: Persephone Alcmedi's life is changing. She's always been a witch who keeps under the radar. She makes her living reading tarot cards, writing a syndicated newspaper column about werewolves, and kenneling werewolves in her basement during the full moon. But now, the grandmother who raised her has been kicked out of her nursing home and moved in with her and one of her werewolf friends is murdered leaving a nine-year-old daughter.

Seph is hired by the head of the local coven to take out Lorrie's killer which goes against the Rede but is not new to Seph. She accidentally caused the death of her friend Lorrie's stalker. She's offered big money which would certainly come in useful but, then she finds out that the killer is a vampire who is way out of her league.

When another werewolf friend is attacked for trying to find information on the vampire, she and her other werewolf friends bring her home since human hospitals are very prejudiced against the weres. Seph needs to perform a difficult ceremony in order to heal her friend which, among other difficulties, means that she has to invite a couple of vampires into her home. 

Seph also finds out that she is The Lustrata - the one destined to unite the humans, witches, weres and vampires. This is a responsibility she has never wanted and will require many changes in her life. 

The world building was engaging in this story. The fact that the paranormals have come out of hiding and that humans are not very accepting and in fact are completely hostile is a central point of the story. 

I enjoyed this book which is the first of a series. 

Favorite Quote:

Nana followed me. "What is wrong with you?"

"I feel like I'm playing some nightmarish game of tag. Everyone keeps telling me I'm it and nothing can undo the fact. I don't want to be it. Being it scares me."

I bought this one August 5, 2009. You can buy your copy here.