"Another wonderful paranormal romance by Keri Arthur"

Maddie Smith has been hiding out... in fear of her unusual abilities to start fires with a thought and what she can do with them. Ever since she accidentally killed her late husband, she's been terrified she'll kill someone else. When a vision comes to her one evening, begging her help, she has no desire to follow, but something draws her out.

Jon Barnett, a shape shifter, is shot and left for dead by an enemy with grand plans. Children have been disappearing from their homes leaving no trace, but Jon knows the perpetrator has to be someone with old magic. The only link between these children is Taurin Bay, where all the victims had visited shortly before their disappearances. Something led Jon to Maddie for help, and if he can't convince her to save him, all will be lost.

When Maddie's nephew, Evan, disappears, she knows there is only one way to get answers... the ghostly vision who begged her to save him. She answers his call, never expecting what she finds. Now Maddie is sucked in to the cosmic battle of good and evil to save Evan. As she draws closer to Jon through their search for Evan and the person controlling the dark forces, her control over her abilities, always shaky at best, grows weaker and she fears what will happen. Jon can help her understand her abilities but will he get the chance? What of the tender new love sparking between them?

Circle of Fire was not the first book by Keri Arthur this reviewer has read, but it was enough to make her a permanent fan. This story has it all... danger, intrigue, magic, passion, and romance. The storyline unfolds at a steady pace, climbing and falling as one follows along in its wake. Magic, which plays a very important role in everything, is sure to delight fans of the paranormal. There are a couple plot twists thrown in to shock readers as well, which only add to the heightened level of suspense in the novel.

Maddie starts out as a woman of great fear, who prefers hiding in isolation to interacting with others. Jon's appearance in her life forces her to come out of her cocoon of doubt, blossoming into the beautiful and confident woman she was meant to be. Her growth as a person is central to the story, for her confidence comes from everything she has to face to save Evan. Jon is also alone in his self-imposed exile from personal relationships, convinced nothing is more important than his work, which would be hindered by emotional ties. Watching him come to care for Maddie, and reach his own peak of self-discovery will cause readers to sigh with happiness as he finally comes around.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, January 2006. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Posted April 25, 2006

Summary

Sixteen teenagers taken from their homes. Eleven bodies recovered, each completely drained of blood. Some believe vampires are responsible, but Jon Barnett knows it's something far worse. To stop the killers in Taurin Bay, he becomes enmeshed in a web of black magic and realizes he needs help. But fate gives him only one choice in the form of recluse Madeline Smith.

Madeline Smith has retreated to an isolated farmhouse, afraid of the psychic abilities she can't control—abilities that have killed. But when "ghost" Jon Barnett brings a warning of danger and her nephew disappears, Maddie has to leave her haven. She also has to learn to control the abilities she fears and place her trust in Jon Barnett, a man who is neither human nor ghost.

But as the search for the teenagers becomes a race against time, and the noose of sorcery threatens to kill Maddie and Jon, the greatest danger to them both could be the feelings they have for each other—feelings that they refuse to acknowledge.