I am currently re-reading Morrigan's Cross, by Nora Roberts. This is the first in the Circle trilogy, and I remember that my first impression when I read it the last time was that some amateur was writing under the Nora Roberts name. I've read through some reviews on Amazon and it is very clear that I am not the only person who holds this opinion of the novel. It seemed that she was making an effort to borrow Anne Rice's style, steal some of the thrill of the current paranormal romance trend, and then pulling it all off... badly.
It was difficult to like Hoyt or Glenna the first time that I read their story. I found both of them pitifully boring and the romantic threads between them weak, at best. It was very difficult to force myself to read the second story in the series, though I am very glad that I chose to do it.
The problems with this book and the storytelling in it are rampant. Roberts hops from head to head at the speed of light, coming across as very amateurish (think Rowling in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) and inconsiderate of the reader. Not many readers, particularly of romantic fiction, want to hop around in the heads of the characters. God perspective isn't enjoyable for most readers.
I'm re-reading the story now and am finding the characterization a bit easier the second go-around because I know what's coming in the subsequent novels. That being said, this still is not one of Nora Roberts' best.
You can get more on my Morrigan's Cross review on Squidoo.
