Rating: 
Summary: On a scale of 1 to 10, this book is no "8"
Review: Judged independently, "The Magic Circle" is well thought out and a first-rate read. However, when compared to Neville's "The Eight", this book does not stand a chance and cannot hold a candle up to its older sibling. Both books are similar in many respects but whatever feeling "The Magic Circle" provokes from the reader, "The Eight" does much more fluidly, elaborately and dramatically.Mostly, I found "The Magic Circle" to lack a sense of flow and Neville's attempt to jump between varying time periods was not nearly as fluid as it was in the "8". The two tiered nature of the "8" was a work of art, every single page was intimately interlinked with preceding and subsequent pages (This style in itself forms a reflexive reading relationship or an "8"). I also found every single detail in the '8' to be essential in the development of the plot. On the other hand, many sections of "The Magic Circle" (in general, the middle) held little to no significance to the hearth of the book and made for some really boring reading. One further note. The historical fiction element in "The Magic Circle" was not nearly as well weaved into the plot as it was in the "8". Overall, "The Magic Circle" is worth the read but there is only one "8" and because of this I give "The Magic Circle" a 6.
Rating: 
Summary: The Magic Circle
Review: Having enjoyed The Eight, I was very disappointed by this book. Although the narrative was well paced (except for the long drawn-out passages about the events of the New Testament) and informative, there was such incoherence and so many unexplained events that I finished up being frustrated by the experience. There was no outcome or explanation of the successful search for the bottled up Sybil Oracle in the prologue. There was no point or consequence in the brutal sacrifice of the young man, who was to act as messenger. The manuscripts which would allegedly have fatal consequences for many people in the wrong hands, were translated. However, all we heard was the contents of a letter from Mary Magdalena. Also the trials and tribulations of the Behn Family were too tortuous for words and the puzzle about the rendezvous in the mountains was just laughable. So, all in all, when one regards the objective of the story-line was to ensure that the right person ushered in the new age, the book was a non-event and a waste of precious time. A pity, K.N. showed lots of talent in The Eight.
Rating:
Summary: Like a rope fraying apart
Review: This book starts out with some interesting action and a good number of interesting characters. It captures your attention when it starts bringing in historical characters in thought provoking settings and circumstances. But although you expect all of the separate threads to come together into a single story line, they don't. There's no satisfactory resolution to the events and people spread over millenia. Maybe I'm missing something, but this just seemed to be a tangled, fraying mess of a story. And I still haven't quite gotten over the main character falling madly and passionately in love with her cousin. Yuck.
Rating: 
Summary: I - LOVE - IT!
Review: This was one hell of a book. the way Neville mixed present and past, fact and fantasy.... By the time i was halfway through, i was desparately hoping for Sam and Ariel to get together, and so when he met Bambi, i was thinking "what?' But everything turned out perfect! This book had some very funny bits and observances- and Olivier is very runny! The family bits were the bits i liked the most- finding twists in the story... marvellous!
Rating:
Summary: A delightfully erudite adventure
Review: A gorgeously complicated tale! In my own work for government, academe, and an international consulting firm, I've found over the years that real life is a product of many interwoven strands, and this tale is a wonderful tapestry. None of my own strands has been quite this dramatic (thank goddess), but there is plenty of evidence that life contains drama. I've had the good fortune to know some fascinating folks and witness some incredible farce, so I was not put off by the tangle of bright and dark threads. On the contrary, I hated to see this book end. I'm a history buff, too, and was pleased to see some obscure persons and ideas turn up. Do it again, KN!
Rating:
Summary: A Contorted, Unbelievable Tale
Review: What a waste of time reading this mish-mash of historical and pseudo-historical facts was for me. I began reading it with great anticipation, but my hopes were soon dashed in the complicated morass of the plot. It was nearly impossible for me to keep track of all the characters and all the unbelievable turns of events. I'm glad that I bought my copy at a library book sale for 30 cents. I liked Ms Neville's previous book, The Eight, much better.
Rating:
Summary: The Magic Circle was a fantastic journey
Review: I loved The Magic Circle. I found the plot twists and turns exciting and entertaining. I couldn't put the book down. It made me want to explore life and find its hidden meanings we normally ignore.
Rating:
Summary: Best of all...
Review: This is an ambitious and extraordinary work. For me, this succeeds where The Eight did not. Certainly, there is much to keep track of on a logical, linear level. Fascinating family tree and history. Thought provoking connections through time, some of which are familiar. But I feel that certain reviews miss the point. There is a whole other non-logical experience available here. While I read with avid interest, found myself not wanting to put the book down, and thoroughly enjoyed the "adventure", I also found myself delighted by the awareness and knowledge of the writer. What she did for me,apart from entertain,was to make me think in ways that I enjoy, and the ending "The Dance",was so delightful, so joyful, so hopeful, that I intend to read it from time to time so that I can be delighted whenever I wish. Katherine Neville is one knowledgeable, intelligent and very aware human being. Her work is not without flaws, but I love what she does, and hope there is another book on the way very soon. I highly recommend this one in the meantime, but look for more than just one level of story.
Rating: 
Summary: If you liked "The Eight" don't get too excited
Review: After reading Neville's book "The Eight" I was excited to get her other books. However, after reading "The Magic Circle", I was disapointed. The book lacks cohesiveness. She tries to hard to make the book have the plot twists and revelations that made "The Eight" so interesting. This causes the story to lose momentum at critical times. Other reviews recommend that you make a list of characters so you won't be lost. Well, you can do that if you want, but for this book it seems a bit too much trouble for the "reward" of the story. If I am going to work that hard, I want to read "Shogun" or "Aztec". If you are a die hard Neville fan, I suppose you will read it anyway- just don't get your hopes up.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I love "The Eight," and "Calculated Risk" is good, too. But I was sorely disappointed with "The Magic Circle." The language was just plain corny and the ending was wretched! I was intrigued enough by the story to read the whole book, but I found it sadly predictable. I may be a little harsh in rating this book a "1," but there ya have it. If this is your first Neville read, and you liked it, check out "The Eight."
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