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Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven #1)

4.12 of 5 stars 4.12 · rating details · 26,650 ratings · 1,134 reviews

Every seven years, there comes a week in July when the locals do unspeakable things--and then don't seem to remember them. The collective madness has mad itself know beyond the town borders and has given Hawkins Hollow the reputation of a village possessed. This modern-day legend draws reporter and author Quinn Black to Hawkins Hollow with the hope of making the eerie happ...more

Mass Market Paperback, 314 pages

Published November 27th 2007 by Jove Books (first published January 1st 2007)

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Oct 16, 2011 Dina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

I'm a Noraholic but I was a bit disappointed with the last NR books I read, the Key trilogy, so I didn't know what to expect from this book. As I've learned the hard way, high expectations can be deadly, so my wariness towards this new trilogy ended up working in its favor as I really enjoyed this first book in the series and I'm definitely going to read the next ones.

Caleb Hawkins, Fox O'Dell and Gage Turner shared the same birthday (July 7th, 1977) and had been best friends their whole lives....more I'm a Noraholic but I was a bit disappointed with the last NR books I read, the Key trilogy, so I didn't know what to expect from this book. As I've learned the hard way, high expectations can be deadly, so my wariness towards this new trilogy ended up working in its favor as I really enjoyed this first book in the series and I'm definitely going to read the next ones.

Caleb Hawkins, Fox O'Dell and Gage Turner shared the same birthday (July 7th, 1977) and had been best friends their whole lives. On their tenth birthday, they decided to celebrate the date at the Pagan Stone, a somewhat "mystical" place deep in the woods of Hawkins Hollow where an ancient battle of good vs evil had taken place more than three hundred years before. In a typical behavior of ten-year-old boys - well, typical for the PNR world -, they soon came up with the idea of becoming "blood brothers" at midnight, right on time with the moment the seventh day of the sevnth month was born. As we all know, seven is a cabalistic number so it's a sure bet no good deed came from that... When Cal, Fox and Gage joined their cut wrists and mixed their blood, the demon who had been trapped in the aforementioned battle was released and the three boys' lives were changed forever. From that moment on, all hell broke loose in the town of Hawkins Hollow around July 7th every 7 years. Animals attacked their beloved owners, people went crazy, killed each other then themselves, it was mayhem all over town. Now, almost twenty-one years after their blood pact, Cal, Fox and Gage were still trying, with no success so far, to find a way to vanquish the demon they had inadvertently released. Unfortunately, the demon's evil power had grown stronger over the years and, this time around, they had to put a definitive end to this war - or die trying.

Blood Brothers was Cal's book, but Fox and Gage played very strong secondary characters in the story. I loved seeing them interact with each other, and I think NR is a master at writing male-male friendship. I admit I enjoyed reading their scenes together better than I liked seeing Cal with Quinn, and there was my "problem" with this book. Quinn - I hated the name, I had to keep reminding myself it was the heroine's and not some guy's name - was okay but a bit too assertive. I've seen her type before and it's fair to say she was a typical NR heroine, which I usually have no problem with, but something was missing in her character and I didn't connect with her. As a result, the romance part of this book wasn't as exciting as I wanted it to be. Cal and Quinn made a nice couple, but their journey to their HEA was lukewarm and kind of boring. A little bit of angst and conflict in their relationship would have been more than welcome, IMHO.

What saved this book for me was the PNR/suspense part. It was very well done, and I got goosebumps every time the demon made an appearance. Maybe I'm easily scared, but I made sure my bedroom window was tightly shut and the curtains were firmly closed when I went to sleep after finishing this book, LOL. After all the build-up, the ending wasn't as frightening as I was expecting but that was fine considering this was only the 1st book in the series and the "final battle" had yet to happen.

All in all, this was a very good start to the Sign of Seven trilogy and I can't wait to read Fox's and Gage's books. I sense The Pagan Stone, Gage's book, is going to be the best in the series, since he's the most complex and tortured of the three heroes. We shall see...
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Dec 23, 2007 Beth (moonivy) rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romance readers.

Read 12/17/07

Blood Brothers is the first book in the Sign of Seven Trilogy. Caleb,
Fox and Gage have been friends all of their lives, sworn blood brothers in
the
small town of Hawkins Hollow. Every seven years an ancient horror that
was set loose on their ten birthday breaks free and ravages the town. Now
approaching their 31st birthday, they fear this may be the last battle for
their little town. Sparks fly when intrepid reporter Quinn Black arrives to
research the story and Caleb's reluctant attract...more

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Nov 24, 2008 Isis FG rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Isis FG by: favorite author

Shelves: author-nora-roberts, info-full, genre-romance-fiction, reviewed, 2008, z2008-july-dec, stars-5

For me, it was pretty much a given that I'd like this book because with maybe one exception, I've enjoyed every Nora Roberts book I read (and I've read almost every single one). And I did like this book. Actually, I loved it. There were maybe one or two things that could have been done a little better, but it didn't ruin the book. I still loved it.

Blood Brothers is the first book in NR's Sign of Seven trilogy. The series focuses on the quaint town of Hawkins Hollow where twenty one years earlier...more

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Dec 15, 2007 Dominique Hutches rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: suspense lovers

Stephen King recently stated in his Entertainment Weekly column that Nora Roberts is cool. I agree. The woman always surprises me with the directions she takes her stories, and yet she remains consistant - men with good hearts, women who fall in love, and challenges they must face together if they are to win.
In this case there is an evil that was contained under a stone alter several hundred years ago by a wizard. Three ten-year old boys unknowingly do the one thing that releases the evil unto...more

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Apr 18, 2010 Ronda Tutt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This was a very interesting read and I think I picked a great time to read this book. It was raining and very cold outside and what better to do than lay on the couch covered up while thrown into a good book and drinking hot tea.

The story captured me right away, the characters were awsome and I actually laughed out loud in some parts.

Caleb, Fox, and Gage are 3 young boys who decide to venture out on the eve of their 10th birthday and camp out in the woods by the well known Pagan Stone that every...more This was a very interesting read and I think I picked a great time to read this book. It was raining and very cold outside and what better to do than lay on the couch covered up while thrown into a good book and drinking hot tea.

The story captured me right away, the characters were awsome and I actually laughed out loud in some parts.

Caleb, Fox, and Gage are 3 young boys who decide to venture out on the eve of their 10th birthday and camp out in the woods by the well known Pagan Stone that everyone warns to stay away from. Not only do they sneak off to do this but they think they are grown up (Men) to try beer, cigerettes, and look at nude magazines. They soon find out that the beer is not all what grown-ups make it out to be and they get sick and pass out. They wake up a couple of hours later and start a fire and start talking about making a pact at midnight and sliced a small portion in their wrist to mingle their blood to become blood brothers.

Little did the boys know, their lives changed, and events started happening and they were given insights/power and a piece of a stone that fit together to make a whole stone, called a blood stone. When they left the woods, every enjury, wound, or illness they had had been cured - for example - Cal wore glasses when he first went into the woods and after the pact and the action of the pagan stone, he could see 20/20.

I don't want to spoil the book but things happen through out the town every 7 years for 7 days, evil things happen and people don't realize it or even remember their actions except for the 3 Blood brothers and some members of their family. Black and White magic is at work or some call it religion and witch craft have a hand in with the sacred ground and the Pagan stone. But somehow, those 3 boys set the black magic loose and now they have to figure out a way to stop it.

Here it is now that the boys are fixing to be 31 yrs old, things get stirred up when Quinn - a writer - comes to town to write and figure out the scoop of strange things happening at Calebs request. Little does Quinn know when she and Cal find themselves in love with each other as the story thickens. Layla and Cybil are added to the equation as their paths are crossed.

In the end, all their paths come together as they learn that they all have blood ties to an event that took place with the Pagan Stone and they must all work together to stop the evil madness before July.

Now I have to read the next book in the series to find out if they - all six of them - find a way to stop the evil.

2nd book in the trilogy is "The Hollow"(less)

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Nov 05, 2008 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2008

The prolific Nora Roberts is an author I normally read on recommendation only. This is purely because she written so MANY books it's too hard for me to navigate through her normal books and her fantastic books without a second opinion.

This one, however, was one I found all by myself :-) Okay, I plucked it from Mum's audiobook collection but she had no idea if it was good or not.

Lucky for me, it was great. A paranormal/romantic suspense that centers around a demon terrorising a small American tow...more

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Jul 30, 2008 Mojca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance-fantasy, nora-roberts-jd-robb, part-of-a-series, bought-at-cancun-airport-2008, own, series-trilogy-sign-of-seven

Three boys who shared their birthday, Caleb, Fox, and Gage, decided to celebrate their tenth birthday at the Pagan Stone, a strange, altar-like stone in the middle of the woods surrounding Hawkins Hollow, the village where the three grew up.

A simple vow to always be friends sealed with their blood, unleashed an entity that‘s been haunting them ever since.

Every seven years, for seven days in the seventh month, the small town of Hawkins Hollow descends into madness. Strange accidents happen; neigh...more

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Nov 30, 2007 Tashia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I stumbled upon this one on amazon so preordered it and it arrived in the mail today and I finished it tonighta quick read and filled with the magical stuff her recent works have been filled with. I am not usually one to love books about demons and gods and netherworlds yet somehow I can quickly devour most anything roberts writes (perhaps it is the romantic in me-mix a little romance into these books and I'm hooked). Escapism for a few hours perhaps. Now, i have to wait until may for the second...more

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Dec 01, 2007 Kerry rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: romance/fantasy readers

Shelves: romance

A great start to a new series by Roberts. She has always sucked me into her stories, and probably always will. Though most people put down romance books as trashy (and most of them are) at least Nora Roberts can bring something else to the table. And this something is spooky, and unnerving. I'm excited to see what creepy stuff happens in the next two books, especially the third. Whether its magic or just a fight against good and evil, Roberts delivers, at least for me, every time.

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Jan 12, 2013 Viviana Vardasca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library

Já perdi o conto ao número de romances de Nora Roberts que já li e esta consegue surpreender-me sempre. A única coisa que já não me surpreende nos seus livros é a capacidade da autora para agarrar os leitores às suas páginas. Mais uma vez, dei por mim colada a este livro, incapaz de interromper a leitura.
Tido como o primeiro volume de uma trilogia, este romance vem apenas apresentar o início de uma batalha contra o Mal. Tudo começa quando três amigos decidem comemorar o seu aniversário com um pa...more Já perdi o conto ao número de romances de Nora Roberts que já li e esta consegue surpreender-me sempre. A única coisa que já não me surpreende nos seus livros é a capacidade da autora para agarrar os leitores às suas páginas. Mais uma vez, dei por mim colada a este livro, incapaz de interromper a leitura.
Tido como o primeiro volume de uma trilogia, este romance vem apenas apresentar o início de uma batalha contra o Mal. Tudo começa quando três amigos decidem comemorar o seu aniversário com um pacto de amizade. Mas tudo corre mal quando, inadvertidamente, libertam um monstro. Cal, Fox e Gage serão, 21 anos depois, os responsáveis por derrotar o mal que, desde então, tem vindo a assombrar a sua cidade. Ainda que por vezes andem às turras (o que é hilariante!), a amizade entre eles resistiu ao passar dos anos e, ao que tudo parece, é essa amizade que lhes vai permitir vencer.
Ao género de outros romances paranormais da autora, deparamos-se com uma história bem elaborada e em que, ao contrário de muitos livros paranormais recentemente lançados, não parece uma história excessivamente absurda ou descabida.
As personagens são marcantes e bem construídas, cheias de humor. Desde o início que nos apercebemos dos "pares" delineados pela autora para a trilogia. Os protagonistas deste primeiro volume são Cal e Quinn que desempenham momentos muito divertidos mas também muito sensuais. A autora habituou-nos a uma espécie de sedução "inteligente" em que, mais do a atracção física, se nota uma atracção de mentes.
Apesar da ameaça sombria que paira sobre os moradores de Hollow, este romance consegue ser também muito divertido. Várias foram as cenas em que dei por mim a rir à gargalhada.
Tenho apenas a apontar o fim abrupto do romance. Achei-o um pouco precipitado e dei por mim incrédula quando virei a página e reparei que se ficava por ali. Talvez a autora quisesse apenas manter o suspense para o próximo volume da trilogia mas eu acho que poderia tê-lo feito sem deixar os leitores "pendurados". (less)

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Jun 04, 2010 Mahyar rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

'3.5 Stars'

Though a romantic suspense, it was not captivating. Characters were kinda dull at the beginning, and I liked Fox (The Hollow, second book from Sign of Seven's hero.) more than Cal, who's only a small part of the book. Therefore, I look forward to reading the sequel, and hopefully, it’ll have better love scenes than this one had. I’m not disappointed, but I had expected more from a well-known, best-selling author like Nora Roberts.

However, I think one of the reasons why this book didn’...more

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Mar 08, 2009 Robin DeJarnett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-read

Yes, this is my first Nora Roberts book - and it was great! Billed only as a 'novel,' I wasn't sure exactly what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by the great plot and world building, including the genealogy element (I'm a family tree buff myself).

It's much more paranormal than romance, though there are the hot sex scenes... 8-) The settings and history really made the story come to life. The ending was mostly satisfying...I knew there would be a lot left unfinished as the first book of a t...more

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Jan 28, 2009 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Just finished the first book in this trilogy. Author Nora Roberts has written over 100 books. This is the first I have read from her.

A paranormal mystery dealing with a group of three men (Cal, Fox and Gage), all born on the same day and best friends. Linked as blood brothers at age 10 when they accidently let out a demon that terrorizes their town Hawkins Hallow every seven years for seven days.

In this first book, Cal, now 31 meets the beautiful and paranormal writer Quinn who's come in to Ha...more

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Jun 24, 2008 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, ebooks

That I have read two Nora Roberts novels back to back I ascribe entirely to the fact that La Nora semi-regularly posts comments on Smart Bitches Trashy Books, and each time I see her post up there, the cooler I find her. Therefore, I felt obligated to pick up a couple more of her books.

The second of this last round of buying Nora was the first of her current paranormal trilogy, Blood Brothers, Book 1 of The Sign of the Seven. This was paranormal more in the vein of psychic/Gothic rather than fan...more That I have read two Nora Roberts novels back to back I ascribe entirely to the fact that La Nora semi-regularly posts comments on Smart Bitches Trashy Books, and each time I see her post up there, the cooler I find her. Therefore, I felt obligated to pick up a couple more of her books.

The second of this last round of buying Nora was the first of her current paranormal trilogy, Blood Brothers, Book 1 of The Sign of the Seven. This was paranormal more in the vein of psychic/Gothic rather than fantasy, I note. In the hands of another writer, it might almost have been a horror novel plot. We have a small East Coast town where three young boys accidentally release a demon that proceeds to terrorize the town and drive everybody batshit every seven years--while the boys, who have been granted certain extraordinary abilities, have to figure out how to do damage control every time the demon strikes. Now, twenty-one years later, they're joined by three women who share their unique gifts, and all six are teaming up to face down the demon, hopefully for the final round.

(I'm pretty sure that Ms. Roberts wasn't thinking of the old Star Trek episode "The Return of the Archons" when she wrote this thing--though I have to admit a little voice in my brain kept asking, "Are you one with the Body?" every time I read about the town's previous incidents of going batshit and otherwise perfectly normal people raping, murdering, committing wild acts of vandalism, killing themselves, etc., and the survivors not remembering much about what happened after. Aheh. But I digress.)

It's probably fairly pat and predictable that each of the men has a counterpart, ability-wise, among the women. Caleb and Quinn both can see the past. Fox and Layla are both psychic. And Gage and Cybil can see the future. Naturally, these pairings are also clearly getting set up romantically as well; in Caleb and Quinn's case, pretty much right out of the gate. However, despite the predictable pairings, the six lead characters are likable. Quinn in particular is very sympathetic to me as a reader--Nora gets points for a woman who cheerfully loves food, is aware that she needs to change her eating habits to stay healthy, and is productive about it rather than angstful. I also very much liked Quinn's very straightforward handling of not only her feelings for Caleb, but also the paranormal events at large. She pretty much poleaxes poor Caleb, and charmingly so.

Since we are dealing with a cast of six main characters, Book 1 is not surprisingly mostly devoted to bringing everybody on stage. There are initial low-level rumblings out of the demon, just enough to let the cast know that this time around it's more powerful than it used to be--and to let them all get used to the idea of facing it together. Other than that, though, not much happens; therefore, Book 1 leaves me very much with a prologue-y sort of "okay, now let's get to the main action" feeling. But it's a good enough feeling that I'll be seeking out Book 2. Three and a half stars.(less)

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Feb 16, 2008 Rachel rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one.

Shelves: fantasy

I don't know why I bother with Nora Roberts anymore, but she is as formulaic and predictable as Roberts and in her guise as J.D. Robb. I think I used to like her, when I was 16. Maybe that's because she actually came up with new ideas back then.

Total yawner, and if you changed the names, you could see any of her other recent trilogies shaping up in this short novel. Six characters, three relationships warming up. It is as if she just changed the setting and the action bits rather than any of th...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Kelly Moran rated it 4 of 5 stars

I wanted to wait until all 3 books were out before starting it. This was a pleasure read, not a review read. Some people were annoyed with Quin, as she was a strong character. I thought she moved the plot along, and it seemed a defense mechanism for her. She was a bit powering sometimes. This is the first in a trilogy, and I'm rarely disapointed in a Robert's trilogy. It was good! A little love, a lot of magic, good vs evil... you know!

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Dec 30, 2008 Mitabird rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

I really wanted to like Blood Brothers, but I didn't. I did not like Quinn at all. She was too perfect and very pushy. Caleb was like a cardboard cut-out character; there was no substance to him at all, IMO. The plot started off okay, but started to get a little ridiculous as the story progressed. I can say that I will not be reading the next two in this series.
2.5 stars

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Apr 21, 2008 Kim Porter rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kim by: Sue

Well, I'm going to be completely honest and just say that this book was pretty boring. It dragged on, and she kept repeating the same concept of the story, over and over! "yes, I get it, now move on with the story!" I know a lot of people like her books, and for me it's a toss up, some I like, and some I don't. Unfortunatly, this is one I did not. I found my mind wandering to other things, and the characters really bothered me. Once again, she's very repeditive when it comes to the story line, s...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Brenda Audiobooks Only rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-i-ve-listened-to, 1-mp3-i-have, paranormal-romance

Narrated by Phil Gigante- narration 5*s

Nora Roberts always makes me laugh: Caleb Hawkins with Quinn Black at the bowling alley ....

Cal speaking "...... Ever make a strike?"

"Still talking bowling? No."

"You will, and there's nothing much that beats the the feeling of that first strike."

"How about sex with Hugh Jackman?"

He stopped tying his bowling shoe to stare over at her. "You had sex with Hugh Jackman?"

"No, but I'm willing to bet any amount of money that having sex with Hugh Jackman would, for...more

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Jan 07, 2008 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, romance, romantic-suspense

This is the first book in Nora Roberts' new trilogy and it's the first one of hers that I've really thoroughly enjoyed in a while. Her "In the Garden" trilogy was good, but not as compelling as sometimes, and the "Valley of Silence" trilogy was pretty weak. So this feels like it's back to the level of quality I expect from Roberts. I hope that the next two books are as good, when they come out. The last trilogy that I liked this much was the "Key" trilogy, which I've read several times and alway...more

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Jan 04, 2013 M. K. Theodoratus rated it 5 of 5 stars

Discovered the Sign of Seven Trilogy while cleaning my bookshelves, and reread the books because I was curious why I kept them. Don't usually read romances, but this is the opening shot in a damn good paranormal thriller.

Have to give it five stars since I'm still keeping it. Yeah it's a romance, but it's a lot more too. Beware the seventh day of the seventh month on the seventh year of the demon's raising.

The first volume, Blood Brothers, introduces the "home boy" who discovers his soul mate wh...more

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Dec 21, 2012 Kara Jorges rated it 3 of 5 stars

Cal, Fox, and Gage are best friends who were born on the same day. On their tenth birthday, they lie to their parents and trudge through the woods to camp at the Pagan Stone, a place of legend and mystery. At midnight, the boys perform a blood ritual at the stone to seal their friendship, and inadvertently awaken a demon within it. For the next 21 years, their home town of Hawkins Hollow is plagued by demonic behavior for seven days every seven years, and afterward, the whole of the town chooses...more Cal, Fox, and Gage are best friends who were born on the same day. On their tenth birthday, they lie to their parents and trudge through the woods to camp at the Pagan Stone, a place of legend and mystery. At midnight, the boys perform a blood ritual at the stone to seal their friendship, and inadvertently awaken a demon within it. For the next 21 years, their home town of Hawkins Hollow is plagued by demonic behavior for seven days every seven years, and afterward, the whole of the town chooses to act like nothing happened.

Quinn Black writes books about haunted places and is intrigued by Hawkins Hollow. Deciding to write about its phenomenon, she ventures there and checks into the hotel. Almost immediately upon her arrival, she is plagued by dark visions and strange dreams. She also rather immediately develops an attraction to hometown boy Cal Hawkins. Cal runs the town’s bowling alley and community center, and was one of the trio who unlocked the demon. Because of Quinn’s dreams and visions, they ascertain she is somehow connected to the town, and another newcomer is soon added to the ranks when stylish Layla suddenly appears out of the blue, taking a leave of absence from her job in New York.

Gage Turner got out of the Hollow the minute he turned 18 and lives on the professional poker circuit, but he returns to aid his friends during the Seven, Hawkins Hollow’s own hell week. Fox O’Dell took up lawyering rather than his family’s hippie ways, but he also lives in town. Quinn invites the sixth, Cybil, to join their group when it becomes apparent they’ll need more help. As soon as she arrives, it is obvious that Cybil is also connected.

So begins the latest Nora Roberts trilogy. While the story was compelling enough and I read it pretty fast, a few things niggled at me. This story and these characters feel too familiar, probably because they’re a whole lot like the story and characters from the last couple Roberts trilogies. It starts with three men or women who are connected by blood or friendship, living fulfilling single lives, when the dark supernatural force they must fight has them suddenly hooking up with their soul mates. The six of them have special powers together and use them to battle the forces of evil, and the power of love saves the day. While it’s not bad to have a recurring theme in these trilogies, they’re all starting to feel the same. There is always one go-getter, one soft romantic, and one cynic among the women, while the men are always handsome and sweet. Everyone, no matter their quirks, is very open about their feelings, and the instant they realize they’re in love, they know it’s over, might as well buy a house and start checking out preschools. There is no uncertainty and no mystery to the process, and all the relationships develop in the same way. It’s just getting a bit hard to swallow because it doesn’t ring true for human behavior. It has also started to wear on me that all the characters use the same abbreviated speech patterns, and often the same abbreviated phrases. Clever once; cloying throughout the whole book.

Something else bothered me even more, though. While I’m far from the most devout individual, I do believe in God and was bugged by the phrase “gods and demons.” There is only one God, and ANGELS and demons are the minions of good and evil. Even the much-maligned Dan Brown got that right. I found it telling that the characters in this book sought answers in witchcraft or through their own powers, but did not once consider a church. God and Jesus are mere epithets in Hawkins Hollow, but I guess the town is plagued by a demon, after all. I suppose Pagan readers may be thrilled at seeing their beliefs so promoted.

In all, though this trilogy is suffering in the originality department, it is a decent and compelling read. I began the practice a few years ago of not picking up the first book in a Roberts trilogy until I have all three so I can read them back-to-back, and I will pick up the next in this series right away. Nora Roberts is sticking close to the formula this time out, but it’s one that’s been successful in the past.
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Oct 29, 2012 Val rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Signs of Seven trilogy by Nora Roberts. The storyline fills my love of horror: a trio of boys, all born on July 7, 1977, make a blood pact on their tenth birthday at the Pagan Stone, a creepy (okay, cursed) and desolate location in the middle of a forest. Every seven years after that, terrible things happen on and around July 7. With the help of a paranormal reporter who has come to town to investigate, the boys (who are now 30 years old) must figure out the mystery...more This is the first book in the Signs of Seven trilogy by Nora Roberts. The storyline fills my love of horror: a trio of boys, all born on July 7, 1977, make a blood pact on their tenth birthday at the Pagan Stone, a creepy (okay, cursed) and desolate location in the middle of a forest. Every seven years after that, terrible things happen on and around July 7. With the help of a paranormal reporter who has come to town to investigate, the boys (who are now 30 years old) must figure out the mystery of the curse before it is no longer able to be contained.

The story is written in third-person point of view, but it changes perspectives to match each character. This was one of my favorite qualities of the book. When telling the story through the perspective of the ten-year-old boys, Roberts uses language that ten-year-olds would use when not under the supervision of their parents. In the scenes when the boys are grown, Roberts seamlessly shifts perspectives to allow us into the heads of the various characters. She has obviously had a lot of practice writing ;-)

It’s a Nora Roberts book, so yes—there is romance. Over the course of the novel, the three guys each meet a girl who seems drawn, like them, to the mystery of the curse. It’s only wintertime, but the creepy events don’t seem to be waiting for July this time, and all six are now involved. At one point the six of them are even stuck in the same house together during a blizzard. And yet none of the situations ever seemed over-the-top. The only thing that bugged me about the book—and here I’m revealing to the world that I am the total opposite of a girly-girl—is all the flower-buying. Descriptions of flowers, guys buying flowers for girls, girls getting all goo-goo over flowers. It’s a pet peeve of mine, I guess. My husband knows never to buy me cut flowers (I love you, so I’ve gone and killed something beautiful in your honor). That, and there was a scene in which the girls were decorating their new house. Decorating and flowers. Blargh!

But yes, aside from that, I enjoyed the book. The plot is right up my alley. As the mystery begins to reveal itself, we realize that every seven years, a force seems to take over residents and animals of the town, causing them to do things they would never do: attack, go crazy, etc. After the “Hell week” is over, the residents return to their regularly-scheduled lives, often unaware that anything ever happened in the first place. The residents who realize often move away. The six heroes of the story do some heavy researching to learn that they are all—somehow—distantly related, and distantly related to what seems to be an old demon that took over a person in the 1700s. There are moments in the book when the demon (or whatever it is, as we must wait until the end of the third book to see how things wrap up) appears, and these moments are frightening and perfect for my love of horror. In one scene, the demon manifests as a giant worm-like terror that only the chosen six can see. In another instance, the power goes out, leaving a woman alone at the gym—in a darkened room that seems to be moving around her. The character development slows down the creepy plot at times, but it creates three-dimensional characters that I feel I could appreciate for three books straight.

If you like being scared, with some romance thrown in for good measure, then this is the book for you. (less)

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Oct 26, 2012 Casey rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been reading Nora Roberts books ever since I was about 14. I have read all her romances whether it be her contemporaries, her forays into historical and even the Harlequin novels. I have enjoyed most of her novels (there are a few that I didn’t like but this isn’t one of them). So I knew that Nora has a dark side to her, come on now we all do, but when I read through this novel it brought images of Stephen King, psychotic nightmares and the Grudge to mind. I mean come on there is a creepy...more I have been reading Nora Roberts books ever since I was about 14. I have read all her romances whether it be her contemporaries, her forays into historical and even the Harlequin novels. I have enjoyed most of her novels (there are a few that I didn’t like but this isn’t one of them). So I knew that Nora has a dark side to her, come on now we all do, but when I read through this novel it brought images of Stephen King, psychotic nightmares and the Grudge to mind. I mean come on there is a creepy kid running around with sharp teeth, long dark hair and red eyes. There is blood dripping out of trees instead of sap and people dancing while blood pours on them. One spooky read!

Now imagine me trying to sleep after that? It ain’t happening!

This novel starts out innocent enough with three kids going camping in the woods to push the boundaries on their 10th birthday. (10 people, that means they were 9 when they went into the woods with beer!) So after you get beyond children drinking and smoking you get to the root of the problem, the kids opened up a portal and out came a demon who terrorizes the town every seven years on the seventh day of the seventh month. (July). People kill each other, people kill themselves, animals mysteriously die, people go chaotic. Kinda like an M. Night Shyamalan movie, only with love and sex scenes. Well this is book one, so it focuses on a writer named Quinn who comes to town to dig into the lore and legends and the mystery that is Cal’s small town. (Cal was one of the kids, ok?) So we got grinning demons with their faces pressed against the windows and blood…good grief, don’t get me started. Anyway, the two of course fall in love (it’s a freakin’ romance novel so don’t act like I shocked you and ruined the end) but it cuts you off at the end and then you got to go scrambling for book 2 which is The Hollows. I have it somewhere in the house I know I bought it, now I just got to find it so I know what happens with Fox. (Fox is another boy, well…man now).

I will say this, Ms. Roberts scared the bejesus out of me and now I can’t sleep so I’m writing about it here. I did enjoy the book, it was heavy in the spook factor and you couldn’t help but like the characters, and feel sorry for others.

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Sep 14, 2011 Betsy VanSweden rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nora Roberts writing tends to seem slightly "formula" to me which is ok because I only read her to escape the real world for a while without challenging myself overmuch. I love Roberts' series' because she writes relatable characters that the reader finds fulfillment with at the end of the story and then when continuing to the sequel they get a glimpse into the continuing lives of those same characters, which tend to form a very strong family unit centered around strong women. (smart as that is...more

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May 23, 2011 Jenn of Frequent Reader, Infrequent Blogger rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hardcover, own, review-written, romance-novels

*** NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS ***
Nora Roberts does not disappoint in this opening to one of her newest trilogies. While the setting or story have nothing to do with Celtic roots, it's like being pulled to a tavern in Ireland as you settle into Roberts' familiar cadence and pace reminiscent of a story you'd picture in some cozy Irish tavern. Roberts has a voice distinctively her own and her words are like lyrics or music in the style with which she writes.

I will note however having...more *** NOTE MY REVIEWS OFTEN CONTAIN SPOILERS ***
Nora Roberts does not disappoint in this opening to one of her newest trilogies. While the setting or story have nothing to do with Celtic roots, it's like being pulled to a tavern in Ireland as you settle into Roberts' familiar cadence and pace reminiscent of a story you'd picture in some cozy Irish tavern. Roberts has a voice distinctively her own and her words are like lyrics or music in the style with which she writes.

I will note however having all three book to this trilogy is advised before ever opening the covers of the first book.

This trilogy drags the reader to a small town in Maryland where a centuries old battle between light and dark still wages every seven years. In 1652 Giles Dent, a source of light, possibly a wizard though his exact title of being is so far unmentioned sent his lover and unborn children away to safety then trapped a demon so deadly none could kill him beneath the Pagan Stone, an alter-like stone deep in the the Hawkins Hollow woods. Before his death in the battle he sacrificed himself, his power to prepare those to come to the war they would someday battle in hopes of finally defeating this evil.

In 1987, three ten year old boys, descendants of Dent and his lover, became blood brothers on a stolen outing at the stone. In the process they released both light and dark onto their tiny little Maryland town and the battle was begun again. Now, for seven days in the seventh month of every seventh year an evil is unleashed on the town that drives its residents to unspeakable acts while the boys are left to try with what gifts they were left by Dent to fight the evil back and protect the innocents the darkness targets.

Now as the third unleashing of evil approaches, three women, unknown descendants of the evil itself have come to fight it back, because this battle will be the last and the winner is as of yet unknown.

This story focuses on the group both coming together, meeting each other and learning to be a team as well as the love story developing between Quinn Black and writer who's there to ferret out the story she's now become a part of and Caleb Hawkins, one of the three to set the story into motion.

Though the ending is slightly disappointing because it feels as though there should be more, another chapter to keep the story into motion, it is not a Roberts novel to be missed. The chilling scenes she creates with vivid clarity are enough to have any reader looking over their shoulder. The way she draws you in to immerse you in history is fascinating in and of itself and of course no one writes romance like Roberts does so that aspect doesn't even bear mentioning, it's a given.

This is why I recommend having all three books before beginning to read this tale as there is more, it's just found in the next book in this exciting trilogy. The Hollow.
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Jul 08, 2010 Hollywood Heidi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Audiobook review. This is probably my very least favorite thus far of Nora Roberts. I usually enjoy her books very much but this one, though it's the same type of formula she's used a few times, seemed way below her quality of story telling.

This is also the first time I've listened to one of her books. All others, I've read. I thought the male narrator made the female characters sound more like a guy mimicking the women as if he was making fun of them, which I'm sure wasn't his intention. I've h...more

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Apr 06, 2010 Laura Summers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bcc-reviewed, read-in-2010, romance

When you pick up a Nora Roberts book, you know it's going to be a good read. A bit like a Disney movie, you know you're guaranteed a happy ending, but enjoy the twists & turns of the journey never the less.

'Blood Brother's is the first in a trilogy succeeded by 'The Hollow' and 'The Pagan Stone' with each of the three blood brothers, Caleb, Fox and Gage taking their own story. 'Blood Brothers' is Caleb's book.

Unlike urban fantasy authors, you will find that Roberts is not dark or gritty, bu...more When you pick up a Nora Roberts book, you know it's going to be a good read. A bit like a Disney movie, you know you're guaranteed a happy ending, but enjoy the twists & turns of the journey never the less.

'Blood Brother's is the first in a trilogy succeeded by 'The Hollow' and 'The Pagan Stone' with each of the three blood brothers, Caleb, Fox and Gage taking their own story. 'Blood Brothers' is Caleb's book.

Unlike urban fantasy authors, you will find that Roberts is not dark or gritty, but she does do spooky rather well. From the onset she slowly grows the sense of eeriness. The signs of evil though small to start with, rapidly grow throughout the book as does the creep factor. There's something much more unsettling about a demonic child than an adult, especially one floating outside of your bedroom window.

What makes the book work, is the strong, three dimensional characterisation. From the two leads: Caleb and Quinn, to the friendship between the three blood brothers Caleb, Fox and Gage. You even find yourself overlooking the convenient arrival of Layla and Cybil who complete the sextet and will inevitably become the love interests for Fox and Gage in the subsequent books, because they're written and fit into the story so well.

Quinn is easy to identify with, with her direct manner, sense of adventure and belief that half a slice of pizza doesn't count on the junk food barometer. In contract Caleb's sense of duty, strength and calm make them an interesting couple. Their love story is a gentle, but believable one. The depth of the relationships between the characters is layered and grows nicely, which I can only imagine will continue to develop throughout the next two books.

Although I have to say that perhaps my favourite character of all has to be the fantastically named Lump the dog... every fireplace should have one.

My one disappointment with the book is that I found the finale a touch anti-climatic, and suspect I may need to wait for the final instalment of the trilogy for what I was hoping for. It is clear that this book is one of three and cannot really be read satisfactorily as a stand alone novel.

That being said, the book was thoroughly enjoyable. Roberts writes with the type of detail at times that should be tedious, but in reality is far from so. Her books are always easy page turners, and this one is great for a spooky Sunday afternoon, I've already started the second one.

Book review originally shown on www.bookchickcity.com (less)

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Oct 18, 2009 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance

Sharing a birthday (July 7, 1977) made it for a natural fit, Caleb Hawkins, Fox O'Dell and Gage Turner became the best of friends. On their 10th birthday, they decided to celebrates the way boys do. A camping trip out at the clearing called Pagan Stone, they drank the beer Gage stole from his dad, ate the Little Debbie cakes Fox bought at the store and drank the lemonade the Cal's mom had packed. At midnight they decided to become blood brothers. After their pack was made, the words were spoken...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Lizabeth S. Tucker rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, romance

Book One of the Sign of Seven Trilogy. An ancient evil is partly unleashed by three young boys on the eve of their tenth birthday. Every seven years since the town goes crazy, a rash of murders, rapes and fights breaking out. Afterwards few remember much of what happened. Now grown, the three men struggle to find a solution as another Time of Seven approaches. Caleb Hawkins believes supernatural author Quinn Black might be the help that they need.

This is a frightening atmospheric novel with dar...more

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by J.D. Robb

About Nora Roberts

aka
J.D. Robb
Sarah Hardesty

Eleanor Marie Robertson was born on October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. She was the youngest of the five children, also the only girl, of a marriage with Irish ancestors. Her family were avid readers, so books were always important in her life. She attended a Catholic school and credits the nuns with instilling in her a sense of discipline. During her sopho...more aka
J.D. Robb
Sarah Hardesty

Eleanor Marie Robertson was born on October 10, 1950 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. She was the youngest of the five children, also the only girl, of a marriage with Irish ancestors. Her family were avid readers, so books were always important in her life. She attended a Catholic school and credits the nuns with instilling in her a sense of discipline. During her sophomore year in high school, she transferred to a local public school, where she met Ronald Aufdem-Brinke, her future first husband.

In Augusy 17, 1968, as soon as she had graduated from High School, Eleanor married, against her parents' wishes. The marriage settled in Keedysville, Maryland. Her husband worked at his father's sheet-metal business before joining her parents in their lighting company. While, she worked briefly as a legal secretary. "I could type fast but couldn't spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever," she says now. After their sons, Dan and Jason, were born she stayed home. Calling this her "Earth Mother" years, she spent much of her time doing crafts, including ceramics and sewing her children's clothes. The marriage ended separating, and they obtained the divorce in January 1985.

In February 1979, a blizzard in forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate. During the now famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981 as Nora Roberts, a shortened form of her birth name Eleanor Marie Robertson, because she assumed that all authors had pen names.

Eleanor wrote under the pseudonym Jill March a story for a magazine titled "Melodies of Love".

Eleanor met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Her husband owns and operates a bookstore in Boonsboro, Maryland called "Turn the Page Books". Since that time, they've expanded their home, traveled the world.

In 1992, she decided adopted other pseudonym so to publish a futuristic-suspense novels, she first decided to use the pseudonym D.J. MacGregor, but she discovered that this pseudonym was used by another author. In 1995, her first "In Death" serial novel was published under the pseudonym J.D. Robb, the initials "J.D." were taken from her sons, Jason and Dan, while "Robb" is a shortened form of Roberts.

Eleanor has also been known as Sara Hardesty, because when the "Born In" series was released in U.K. it carried that name instead of Nora Roberts. She has since changed publishers.

Eleanor has been plagiarized by another best-selling romance writer, Janet Dailey. The practice came to light after a reader read Nora Roberts' "Sweet Revenge" and Janet Dailey's "Notorious" back-to-back; she noticed several similarities and posted the comparable passages on the Internet. Calling the plagiarism "mind rape," Eleanor sued Janet Daily. In 1997, Janet, admitted to repeatedly plagiarizing from Nora Roberts' work, and that both "Aspen Gold" and "Notorious" lifted heavily from Nora Roberts's work. Both of those novels were pulled from print after Janet's admission. She acknowledged the plagiarism and blamed it on a psychological disorder. In a settlement, Janet paid Eleanor an undisclosed sum, which Eleanor donated to the Literacy Volunteers of America.

A founding member of the Romance Writers of America (R.W.A.), she was the first inductee in the organization's Hall of Fame. She also is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the (less)

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“Love is not enough. But, it is the rock on which all else stands.” — 37 people liked it

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That brought another smile. "Learn to laugh, otherwise, you'll beat them to death with a hammer first chance” — 12 people liked it

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Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven #1)

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