Hello, and welcome back! Fall is finally here, which thrills me endlessly. The cooler weather means that when I have a free moment or ten, I can sit outside comfortably; the leaves are starting to change color; and it's soup and bread season. Yum! Not to mention, lots of great new romances are hitting shelves between now and the end of the year. This week, I have the latest trilogy from Nora Roberts.

Morrigan's Cross (Jove) kicked things off, hitting shelves the last week of August. This one sets the scene for the rest of the series, introducing the six who form the Circle, the six who must fight the vampire Lilith to save their worlds and others for humankind. First is Hoyt the sorceror, determined to save his brother Cian from the vampiress Lilith, or, failing that, kill her. He fails at both, but the Goddess Morrigan has other plans for Hoyt. And for Cian, for that matter. She sends Hoyt into modern-day New York, some nine hundred years into the future, to his brother. There, they meet the third member of their circle, Glenna, a witch. Hoyt, Cian, Glenna, and Cian's friend King head off to Ireland to round out their circle, with more time-travelers, Princess Moira and her cousin Larkin. Lilith will test them as they're trying to prepare for their battle, two months hence, and each of them discovers more about themselves and their talents. And, surprise, King isn't the warrior meant to be part of their circle. This one is very deliberately paced, almost to the point of being slow early on, but there is much for the reader to take in, to see along the way, and to know for later. And, during this first month, Hoyt and Glenna fall in love.

Dance of the Gods is next, hitting bookstores October 3, 2006. This time, the focus is on Blair and Larkin, though the entire circle is very visible, not to mention Lilith and her evil crew. Blair is Hoyt and Cian's many-times-removed niece, one of their family, and a vampire hunter, their warrior. She brings a different knowledge to their preparations. Larkin has his own talents to help, and while they are from different worlds, hearts don't care for differences of that sort. This one moves along more quickly than the first, making the second month of their quest seem somehow shorter than the first. And the sextet travel back in time again, to Larkin and Moira's home, where the battle will begin.

Valley of Silence rounds out the trilogy, landing in bookstores on Halloween. The time is drawing nearer for the war, one that will determine the fate of man. The vampire Cian and the princess Moira are an unlikely pair, and anything permanent is understandably impossible, but love still sneaks into people's hearts (even when those hearts haven't beat in nearly a thousand years). This one is faster-paced yet, drawing the reader on to the unavoidable climax, the battle with Lilith and her hordes of vampires who want the world for their own. I have to say, I really think I like this series even better than the 'In the Garden' trilogy, and I really liked that one. Absolutely spectacular, though one expects no less from Ms. Roberts. I'm giving the trilogy four and a half of Cupid's five arrows. It's going to be one I want to reread.

Until next time, happy reading!