The Magic Circle

Rating:
Summary: information I could relate to in my own life time.
Review: I found this book excellent. The information and classic descriptions were outstanding. Many of the events were very interesting to me because I am 71 and lived as a child in Canada during the Nazi, Hitler time of power. I also am very interested in the myths and the ties with our present day rulers of the world. The Mormon connection because I am a FORMER Mormon was well documented because I was forced into it, and had a difficult time getting out. These are only part of what I loved, the Mother connection of the myths and my own connections and failures as a mother of 3 daughters. I find it a fascinating book which I am not finished reading, just a few more pages to go. I made many notes to refer back to, also the Native American research is well done, I am part Blackfoot, and worked on reservations for many years in AZ. Thank you for this opportunity to express my love of this great work.

Rating:
Summary: disappointing overall
Review: When I heard that Katherine Neville had come out with a new book, I was thrilled. I didn't even wait for paperback. I was sorely disappointed. Her earlier novel "The Eight" is my favorite book of all time, but "The Magic Circle" left me cold. I couldn't help comparing it to "The Eight," and that may be the source of my disappointment. "The Magic Circle" seems to lean dangerously into the realm of romance fantasy. Neville constantly introduces new twists and mysterious foreshadowing that seem to bring little pieces of a greater puzzle together. But that puzzle is never resolved. The loose ends never come together. We never find out what the big deal is. I appreciate her knowledge and use of historical facts and personalities, and they make for a better story, but between the artifacts, the scrolls, and the fact that everybody and their brother for thousands of years has been after them, you'd think she could come to a decent conclusion. "The Eight" ended weakly too, but at least it ended. "The Magic Circle" seems to open two dozen doors and only walks through two or three of them. Perhaps Neville should consider a sequel to wrap up some of the loose ends. There's enough material here, and enough story line, for a trilogy. It's a great story and I'd really love to see how it ends. Neville just couldn't make it happen with one book.

Rating:
Summary: wow!
Review: I read this book in about a day---and unlike some of the other readers, i didn't have a pen handy to keep track of all the relationships, but that didn't hinder (too much) my understanding of the book. I thought that the book was well written, as it kept me on my toes to remember who said what and when. Some of the details were a little over the top, but she did a very good job at keeping the suspense going. You never know who to trust or who not to trust until the very end. As for the ending, it was a little bit of a disappointment after just a race to the end to see just WHAT are in these manuscripts, but i thought this book could easily have been made a lot longer without it drawing it out too much. I was very hesitant about reading this book, since i don't like first-person very much, but without the first-person narrative, it wouldn't have been nearly as good.

Rating:
Summary: FAR OUT
Review: I loved this book for its spiritual/time travel plot - very exciting for me. When you read it, you MUST make a family tree of Ariel Behn, the main character, as you go along ... otherwise, the intricacies will leave you in the dust. Don't be too bothered by the critics - they were either confused (because they didn't make a family tree), overwhelmed (it's a long book - but not long enough!), or offended by something having to do with either Hitler or Jesus (fanatics).

If you like this, you'll also like The Eight. If, like me, you love the far out stuff - you may want to look into some other books too by Taisha Abelar, Lynn V. Andrews, 'Sister Light Sister Dark' by Jane Yolen, 'Ammonite' by Nicola Griffith, Zecharia Sitchin, Geneset by David Wood & Ian Campbell, & Barbara Walker's Women's Myths & Rituals.

Rating:
Summary: A cheap copy of a cheap book....
Review: that is, "the Eight". Cartoonish, elitist, primitive. If my review seems too negative, I can express it in a different way: a sophisticated soap-opera by an author who knows where her limits are. The again, maybe she does not... Have mercy on the lady, she's only read too much Nietzsche, mixed with "Cosmopolitan" (Wait, I forgot Mme Blavatsky). The first time I tried to post this review, it was lost. Did I step on a Neville aficionado's toe?

Rating:
Summary: Get in the circle
Review: If you read already the Eight, you'll be confortable with Neville's style. This one is not as good as the Eight, but still is a very good book. Perfect for a weekend were only videos are the option. Here you'll find intrigue, mistery and of course none of your hipotesis will be accurate!...just keep reading up to the end (that will be very easy due to the rythm of the autor)and aloud you to get into this magic circle.

Rating:
Summary: stir your heart with mystery conspiracy & time travel !
Review: I highly recommend this book if you are interested in:

1. really fun stories with a strong mysterious and historical slant plus time travel (woo hoo!)

2. seeing another world through the fog - or what you might call the other side of truth

3. poetry, fine writing, the web that connects it all together

4. magic

5. consciousness

Hints: 1. to avoid confusion and maximize enjoyment, make a little family tree of Ariel Behn, the main character, as you go along. Otherwise you might have to go back. 2. don't take it all too seriously! 3. if it turns out that you don't like it - don't keep reading! - instead, go get Katherine Neville's other book - The Eight - because that one is wonderful too!

As you can imagine - people either love it or hate it - like any controversal book. I loved it. It was everything I love about books! It was bound to receive a lot of criticism because it is complex, and involves certain historical personalities (like Jesus & Hitler). Of the many many books I've read, this is the best.

Rating:
Summary: Where's my kitchen sink?
Review: Oh, Katherine Neville took it and put it in her book -- She thought it was missing something! It seems like every thought or idea or bit of information Neville ever came across in her entire life is crammed into this book! I'm a careful reader, but I couldn't keep it straight by the end. Was it really possible that the main character turned out to be related to absolutely EVERYONE else in the book? Am I related to her?

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Read!
Review: If you're expecting a carbon copy of The Eight, you'll be disappointed. If you recognize each of Katherine Neville's books are unique with their own peculiar plot twists and writing styles, you'll be well pleased. This is a superior book, as are all the Neville novels. Ariel Behn is a strong female protaganist, who handles her eccentric family and even stranger legacy with humor, intelligence and the occassional, but very human, mistake. Along with a few others, this is one book I don't leave home without when facing long transcontinental flights. I look forward to Neville's next one.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible adventure!
Review: You won't be able to drop this book once you've started reading it, so I recommend to start on a Friday night! The family relations of Ariel Behn are so complex and unexpected that a piece of paper and a pen are also recommended.. to keep track of them. There's lots of mistery, history, and yes, romance but not more than necessary to keep the plot going. Pure enjoyment.