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Witch Hunt #3
Circle of Blood: A Witch Hunt Novel
Samantha Ryan—cop by choice, witch hunter by necessity—is about to confront the witch who has been secretly manipulating her life. But her search for the truth about her past may end in her death.…
All her life, Samantha Ryan has been haunted by a circle of blood, which she has tried to keep at bay—ever since she escaped a vicious Salem coven of witches as a child. But now her carefully constructed life has given way to the darkness she might have embraced, had she not run away.
Angry, focused, and more than willing to use her powers on anyone who gets in her way, Samantha travels to New Orleans to confront Lilith Black, the witch who has been mercilessly shaping events around her for months.
But little does Samantha know that her own nightmarish past and Lilith’s are inescapably intertwined—and that what Lilith wants most of all is for Samantha to suffer until her final breath
All her life, Samantha Ryan has been haunted by a circle of blood, which she has tried to keep at bay—ever since she escaped a vicious Salem coven of witches as a child. But now her carefully constructed life has given way to the darkness she might have embraced, had she not run away.
Angry, focused, and more than willing to use her powers on anyone who gets in her way, Samantha travels to New Orleans to confront Lilith Black, the witch who has been mercilessly shaping events around her for months.
But little does Samantha know that her own nightmarish past and Lilith’s are inescapably intertwined—and that what Lilith wants most of all is for Samantha to suffer until her final breath
Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Debbie Viguié
109 books1,041 followersDebbie Viguié is the New York Times Bestselling author of more than three dozen novels including the Wicked series co-authored with Nancy Holder. In addition to her epic dark fantasy work Debbie also writes thrillers including The Psalm 23 Mysteries, the Kiss trilogy, and the Witch Hunt trilogy. Debbie also plays a recurring character on the audio drama, Doctor Geek’s Laboratory. When Debbie isn’t busy writing or acting she enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, visiting theme parks.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 27, 2018
Characters are introduced, killed, MC doesn’t care, I don’t care, 5 minutes of my life were wasted. Overall, it was an okay story, poorly written. But...the previous two books sound way better. Might have to read those one day.
Also, the way the dialogue from the children is laughable. Children are difficult to write, but they were speaking as adults.
Also, the way the dialogue from the children is laughable. Children are difficult to write, but they were speaking as adults.
October 11, 2018
I liked this better than #2 in the series.
October 26, 2018
Very good!
I know it's strange to read the third book. First. Somewhere down the road. I will the first and second book. To the WITCH HUNT NOVEL.
I know it's strange to read the third book. First. Somewhere down the road. I will the first and second book. To the WITCH HUNT NOVEL.
April 19, 2019
Just a total mishmash clusterfuck from start to finish. Worst of the three in the series. Could hardly force myself to keep reading.
October 29, 2021
The best of the trilogy. Samantha/Desdemona fights herself for control and knowledge of who she really is, all the while trying to find the witch with a vendetta against her.
June 23, 2014
The Witch Hunt series goes out big in this third and final book in the series. For new readers, this book is not an entry point for the story. You need to start at the beginning with The Thirteenth Sacrifice. Yes, this book has it’s own beginning and end, but it’s really more of a culmination of everything that has happened to the heroine up to this point. It’s been a long and dark road for Samantha. And things are going to get worse before they get better.
If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, beware. Thar be spoilers ahead.
As this installment begins, Samantha has finally opened the door in her mind to the 12 year-old version of herself. The frightening, magic-wielding witch whose memories she locked away when she was a teenager. And she gets so much more than she bargained for. Her younger self, that angry and powerful psyche, takes over and goes on a tear through New Orleans, hunting the witch who has orchestrated everything that happened in the past two books. Samantha is only a shadow in her own mind, watching violence and chaos unfold.
It’s interesting to see Samantha in such a very different way. Her younger self could easily be a villain in the story. Fortunately, her reign does not last, and once adult-Samantha regains control, our heroine is back. I liked the reveal on the Big Bad. It made sense in the big picture of the story. I also liked the move to New Orleans. The city was painted so well, it almost could have been its own character in the book. Debbie Viguié really did a good job tying everything together… not just in the end, but in multiple threads throughout the book.
What didn’t I like? Two things. One: some things resolve too easily. Like how the villain is defeated, how accepting Anthony is of being ignored all this time, all the dead bodies Samantha leaves behind… And Ed. She forgave Ed so fast, it made my head spin. And while he was a useful character in the story arc, I could not forgive his behavior from the end of book one just because he said he was sorry. The guy was a total Bag of Dicks. He should have a had to make better amends. My other complaint: a little too hard of a push on the Christianity here and how God saved the day. It’s not what I am looking for in my bloody paranormal suspense books.
Those issues aside, however, I thought the book was well crafted. It had a wonderfully dark and creepy tone. Samantha had a very cool journey of self discovery and satisfying ending.
Rating: B
*ARC Provided by Signet
If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, beware. Thar be spoilers ahead.
As this installment begins, Samantha has finally opened the door in her mind to the 12 year-old version of herself. The frightening, magic-wielding witch whose memories she locked away when she was a teenager. And she gets so much more than she bargained for. Her younger self, that angry and powerful psyche, takes over and goes on a tear through New Orleans, hunting the witch who has orchestrated everything that happened in the past two books. Samantha is only a shadow in her own mind, watching violence and chaos unfold.
It’s interesting to see Samantha in such a very different way. Her younger self could easily be a villain in the story. Fortunately, her reign does not last, and once adult-Samantha regains control, our heroine is back. I liked the reveal on the Big Bad. It made sense in the big picture of the story. I also liked the move to New Orleans. The city was painted so well, it almost could have been its own character in the book. Debbie Viguié really did a good job tying everything together… not just in the end, but in multiple threads throughout the book.
What didn’t I like? Two things. One: some things resolve too easily. Like how the villain is defeated, how accepting Anthony is of being ignored all this time, all the dead bodies Samantha leaves behind… And Ed. She forgave Ed so fast, it made my head spin. And while he was a useful character in the story arc, I could not forgive his behavior from the end of book one just because he said he was sorry. The guy was a total Bag of Dicks. He should have a had to make better amends. My other complaint: a little too hard of a push on the Christianity here and how God saved the day. It’s not what I am looking for in my bloody paranormal suspense books.
Those issues aside, however, I thought the book was well crafted. It had a wonderfully dark and creepy tone. Samantha had a very cool journey of self discovery and satisfying ending.
Rating: B
*ARC Provided by Signet
May 14, 2014
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
Reading this book and watching what has become of Samantha was like watching a train wreck. It's awful, but you can't seem to look away. Don't get me I'm not downing the book, not in the slightest, it's just that for a large part of this book I was so appalled and had to almost force myself to keep reading as she was so terrible that it made it so hard to watch. But that's a testament to the author's skill to so viscerally show this change in Samantha that it affected me that much. Then of course as she woke up, (and I don't consider this to be a spoiler because honestly the book couldn't have really progressed anywhere with her in the state that she was) things started to change, and I once again fell for her all over again. Again, I find this incredibly impressive to have such a range in the character, and as this is the last book in the series only makes me want to check out the author's other books even more.
As much as I enjoyed this series, and this final installment, I can't help feeling just a bit let down by the final reveal of the mystery behind who had been plaguing Samantha. But even more frustrating was the incredibly rushed and quite frankly way too easy resolution of the final showdown. It was more than a bit of a let down after all the build up. Since everything else was pretty enjoyable, I was able to mostly overlook this to be satisfied with the ending, but I felt it was worth mentioning all the same.
I feel like all I have been reading lately is series ending books, many of which either let me down, or leave me feeling rather mediocre in the end. While I can't really say that this series went out with a bang due to the final battle issues, I was largely happy with the way it all turned out. Final battle aside, CIRCLE OF BLOOD was an enjoyable installment that will please fans of the series. Samantha's story is one heck of a ride that you won't want to miss.
Reading this book and watching what has become of Samantha was like watching a train wreck. It's awful, but you can't seem to look away. Don't get me I'm not downing the book, not in the slightest, it's just that for a large part of this book I was so appalled and had to almost force myself to keep reading as she was so terrible that it made it so hard to watch. But that's a testament to the author's skill to so viscerally show this change in Samantha that it affected me that much. Then of course as she woke up, (and I don't consider this to be a spoiler because honestly the book couldn't have really progressed anywhere with her in the state that she was) things started to change, and I once again fell for her all over again. Again, I find this incredibly impressive to have such a range in the character, and as this is the last book in the series only makes me want to check out the author's other books even more.
As much as I enjoyed this series, and this final installment, I can't help feeling just a bit let down by the final reveal of the mystery behind who had been plaguing Samantha. But even more frustrating was the incredibly rushed and quite frankly way too easy resolution of the final showdown. It was more than a bit of a let down after all the build up. Since everything else was pretty enjoyable, I was able to mostly overlook this to be satisfied with the ending, but I felt it was worth mentioning all the same.
I feel like all I have been reading lately is series ending books, many of which either let me down, or leave me feeling rather mediocre in the end. While I can't really say that this series went out with a bang due to the final battle issues, I was largely happy with the way it all turned out. Final battle aside, CIRCLE OF BLOOD was an enjoyable installment that will please fans of the series. Samantha's story is one heck of a ride that you won't want to miss.
April 16, 2014
Samantha Ryan/Samantha Castor/Desdemona Castor gets a few more names added in this third installment in the Witch Hunt series. Having been completely taken over by her 12-year-old witch self at the end of the 2nd novel after realizing that she needed her witch powers to survive, she eventually comes to understand that she is still only half a person. She has to embrace both parts of herself if she has any hope of defeating the witch that was behind all of the evil-doings in the previous novels. Will she be able to accomplish this self-realization in time?
Things pretty much turn out the way I figured they would in this book. I did think there were some parts of this book that were a bit implausible. After all of this time, you all of a sudden remember that, oops, your entire coven wasn’t killed that fateful night when you were twelve. There was one more member of the coven that survived, and gee, maybe she’s behind it all? It was already pretty clear what actually happened that night from the bits and pieces Samantha had already remembered. The whole “final battle” with Lilith was anticlimactic considering all that had come before. Everything gets resolved nicely at the end, really too nicely for me.
Things pretty much turn out the way I figured they would in this book. I did think there were some parts of this book that were a bit implausible. After all of this time, you all of a sudden remember that, oops, your entire coven wasn’t killed that fateful night when you were twelve. There was one more member of the coven that survived, and gee, maybe she’s behind it all? It was already pretty clear what actually happened that night from the bits and pieces Samantha had already remembered. The whole “final battle” with Lilith was anticlimactic considering all that had come before. Everything gets resolved nicely at the end, really too nicely for me.
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March 25, 2014Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Chelle:
*Book gifted by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
--Actual rating 4.5 Skulls
Circle of Blood was the perfect conclusion to one of the most interesting Urban Fantasy series I have discovered in the last few years.
Samantha (a.k.a Desdemona) finds herself in New Orleans this time on the trail of the witch who virtually summoned her at the end of book #2 with a very special message left in her empty grave. When she arrives, she's greeted by a horrific series of events - a slew of people with power trapped in the city, multiple deaths, demon possessions, and more, all wrapped up in her own crazy case of self discovery.
Circle of Blood was fascinating, disturbing, dark, twisted, and surprising, and it captivated from page 1!
Debbie's wrap-up of the book and trilogy was beautifully done, and as a reader, I felt fulfilled and satisfied.
This is a series I can see myself reading in its entirety again some day, and I highly recommend it!
*Book gifted by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review
--Actual rating 4.5 Skulls
Circle of Blood was the perfect conclusion to one of the most interesting Urban Fantasy series I have discovered in the last few years.
Samantha (a.k.a Desdemona) finds herself in New Orleans this time on the trail of the witch who virtually summoned her at the end of book #2 with a very special message left in her empty grave. When she arrives, she's greeted by a horrific series of events - a slew of people with power trapped in the city, multiple deaths, demon possessions, and more, all wrapped up in her own crazy case of self discovery.
Circle of Blood was fascinating, disturbing, dark, twisted, and surprising, and it captivated from page 1!
Debbie's wrap-up of the book and trilogy was beautifully done, and as a reader, I felt fulfilled and satisfied.
This is a series I can see myself reading in its entirety again some day, and I highly recommend it!
July 5, 2014
The discovery she made at the end of The Last Grave leads Samantha to New Orleans, where someone seems to be calling the country's magic users to her side so that she can absorb their powers to boost her own. New Orleans will be full of surprises for the witch-born former Boston PD investigator.
If I was somewhat disappointed with The Last Grave, I found Circle of Blood quite satisfying. Samantha is back with a vengeance! This third installment in the Witch Hunt series is much closer to the first, The Thirteenth Sacrifice, than to its sequel, The Last Grave, when it comes to pace, ambiance, action, thrill, etc.
Although some of the story elements have been done before and are somewhat predictable, the author manages to deliver them in a flowing hand that keeps you reading, as opposed to the second book which did not quite manage to keep you focused and attentive.
If I was somewhat disappointed with The Last Grave, I found Circle of Blood quite satisfying. Samantha is back with a vengeance! This third installment in the Witch Hunt series is much closer to the first, The Thirteenth Sacrifice, than to its sequel, The Last Grave, when it comes to pace, ambiance, action, thrill, etc.
Although some of the story elements have been done before and are somewhat predictable, the author manages to deliver them in a flowing hand that keeps you reading, as opposed to the second book which did not quite manage to keep you focused and attentive.
January 16, 2015
Samantha has been haunted by a circle of blood.Ever since she escaped a coven of vicious witches as a child. But now her carefully constructed life has given way to a darkness she once might have embraced. Angry and more than willing to use her powers she heads to New Orleans to confront Lilith Black the Witch who has been controlling and shaping events around Samantha for months. But Samantha doesn't realize that her past and Liliths are intertwined and that Lilith wants Samantha to suffer until her final breath.
March 23, 2016
Circle of Blood was a great finale of this Witch Hunt series. I really liked how Vigué describes the situations. They gave a feeling of horror movie scenes. Although some parts felt a little rushed I didn't mind because they were very vivid. As usual Freaky the cat was my favorite character although Samantha and Anthony were not far behind. One of the good aaspects of this book is that Samantha finally accept who she was and stopped being very stupid about her own powers. The end was a little overwhelming for my taste. Everything too perfect.
May 23, 2014
Love her writing!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews