I’ve actually been reading quite a lot lately, but two titles really stood out to me. The first was Morrigan’s Cross, the latest effort from uber-author Nora Roberts. It seems that she writes a mass market trilogy every year (last year it was the In the Garden trilogy, featuring Blue Dahlia, Black Rose, and Red Lily). This season she brings us the Circle trilogy, of which Morrigan’s Cross is the first. It is the tale of Lilith, an ancient and powerful vampire determined to destroy the world. In an effort to stop her, the goddess Morrigan recruits six people from different places and times to form an army. Each recruit brings a special skill: Hoyt, a powerful sorcerer from the past; his twin brother Cian, who was long ago turned by Lilith; Glenna, a present-day witch; Moira, a princess and scholar from the mythical land of Geall, and her cousin Larkin, a warrior and shape-shifter. Last to arrive is Blair, a tough demon fighter with Buffyesque sensibilities. This first part of the trilogy brings the fighters to Ireland, where they begin their training for the upcoming battle. Of course, the story isn’t all about war; it wouldn’t Nora Roberts without love. In the midst of all the fighting, Hoyt and Glenna find tenderness and passion; Roberts handles it deftly, making it both romantic and sexy. The remaining books in the series, Dance of the Gods and Valley of Silence, will be released at the beginning and end of October, respectively. I’m looking forward to them.

I also just finished New Moon, Stephenie Meyer’s sequel to the best-selling Twilight. If you’ve read Twilight, you know that it’s the tale of star-crossed lovers: Bella, a teenage girl, and Edward, the vampire who both loves her and who is dangerously drawn to her blood. New Moon opens with an incident that convinces Edward that Bella will never be safe with him; he ruthlessly breaks her heart and leaves her, promising that she will never see him again. His departure leaves Bella in a near-catatonic state; it is months before she can function again. She finds solace in her friend Jacob, and the two of them begin to form a powerful bond. Just as Bella begins to wonder whether she can live happily without Edward, all hell breaks loose: Jacob transforms into something dangerous, and becomes remote and withdrawn. Bella simultaneously discovers that Edward is determined to end his own existence and must do all that she can to save him. Her actions place her in the middle of two powerful and opposing factions, and she must struggle to save both her relationship with Edward and her friendship with Jacob. I won’t reveal whether Bella’s wish to become a vampire is granted, but I will tell you that Meyer has planned at least two more novels in the series, as well as a companion to Twilight, which tells the same story from Edward’s perspective. Delicious.