The Pagan Stone (Sign of Seven, Book 3)
by Nora Roberts
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Book Reviews of The Pagan Stone (Sign of Seven, Book 3)
Book Review: Limping Over the Finish Line
Summary: 3 Stars
The Sign of Seven trilogy draws to a close as the last of the three couples, Cybil and Gage, become a couple. Both were charmed by their good friends, Cal and Quinn then Fox and Layla, falling in love and planning to settle down in Hawkins Hollow, but both were equally sure they didn't share that destiny. Sure, they're attracted to each other, but both enjoy a no strings lifestyle, and both have jobs that take them around the world. When they finish their work in the Hollow, they'll be long gone, off in separate directions. At first, Cybil and Gage determine to ignore each other, but when their psychic powers cause them to work together, the attraction becomes stronger. They also go through some scary experiences together that cause them to admire one another on other levels, and before long, they've gone to bed. They don't instantly fall head over heels, but it's so obvious they're made for each other, it doesn't take long.
While Cybil and Gage wrestle with their feelings and each other, they and their friends continue working toward destroying the impish demon that plagues Hawkins Hollow every seven years for seven days beginning on July 7. They know this is the big one, the final Seven, when Hawkins Hollow will either be saved or destroyed. The demon is stronger than ever, and his mischief starts well before July 7 this time. They also learn that there may be a very large sacrifice to pay in order to win their fight, and it could leave Cybil devastated and Gage dead.
I have to say that the quality of the third book in this trilogy far outstrips that of the first two. However, it is still woefully far below the usual Nora Roberts standard. Though Cybil and Gage's story was interesting and less unoriginal than the others, it still could not overcome being mired in silliness. Like a mixed metaphor, the religious androgyny within it was grating. While the other books were offensive to Christians, this one democratically disregarded pagans, as well. I could have bought the whole "power of love and friendship will conquer all" concept had it battled a different enemy. Battling a demon requires help either from God, if your beliefs swing that way, or from witchcraft, if it's another. This story ignored both concepts and threw a whole bunch of other stuff in to cloud the water. We had demons, ghosts, ESP, and a character who covers all her bases by praying in every religion. Honestly, if the demon had simply been a ghost, I could have bought in, but this was a mixed bag of everything that hit me the wrong way.
With no intention of being insulting, I think this story would make a decent animated series. Take out the sex and aim it at tweens, and I think it could be a hit because kids wouldn't mind its multiple supernatural elements and might be frightened by the demon's antics. As for a story I can believe in on any level, it missed the mark by a mile. What's so scary about raining blood that sizzles on the ground if it's not accompanied by violence and, oh yeah, some bodies? I've seen scarier tricks than he pulled in Halloween haunted houses. I liked the other characters, but the rest of it felt like Nora concocted it after a severe head injury. We've come to expect far better from her.
Book Review: Entertaining but not Roberts' best (some spoilers follow)
Summary: 3 Stars
I really enjoy most Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb novels. I particularly loved Valley of Silence, another Roberts trilogy-ending supernatural/fantasy-thriller/romance novel, one filled with imagination, emotion and passion, and wonderful characterizations. I had hoped The Pagan Stone would be as good. It's entertaining, sometimes pretty scary, but simply not of the same caliber.
The Pagan Stone takes a very long time to get started. I lost interest and put it down several times before it finally got going. While trilogy-enders must of course do some plot recapping, I thought the amount was excessive in this novel. So many of the episodes were similar, and the characters, unlike the deftly-drawn Cian McKenna or Eve Dallas, were not very deeply developed. Some interesting episodes were cut short, disappointing the reader, while others seemed to drag on, take place off-stage, or be a rehash of similar earlier ones.
Some of the best and most interesting writing in the novel takes place when characters interact with other human beings rather than with the rather tedious demon. For instance, the heroes' encounters with town bully Derrick Napper were chilling and written with tension, giving the reader satisfaction when he's finally defeated. On the other hand, Bill Turner's sacrifice would have been more gripping (and less cliched) had he actually survived it, as his changing relationship with his son was one of the most interesting conflicts in the book. As most of the mystery of the Hollow had been revealed by the second book in the series, there wasn't a whole lot left for the characters to discover in The Pagan Stone, other than figuring out the logistics of surviving the Big Battle with the demon.
I thought the setting and scope of this trilogy was too limited to effectively sustain the plot and relationships without a lot of repetition. Lacking the insightful and well-developed characterizations of the Chesapeake (Quinn Brothers) books and Valley of Silence, the story of Hawkins Hollow occupied a very small stage. Compared to the town of St. Chris (in the Chesapeake series), the Hollow seemed hardly populated. Perhaps the Sign of Seven would have been better as a stand-alone book. For example, even though Stephen King's It (a novel with a somewhat similar plot to The Pagan Stone) was made into a miniseries, it was wisely written as a single novel.
However, as I said, there are some very entertaining, emotional, and scary parts of The Pagan Stone, and overall I enjoyed it once I got past the first 100 pages and the plot began to move. The characters, while not particularly deep or unique, were entirely likable, believable, and sometimes quite interesting and touching. Some scenes, such as the "blow-up" between the three couples, sprang to life and all but jumped off the page. When she's at her best, Roberts is a master of dialog and characterization. She has a great sense of humor and irony. The Sign of Seven trilogy was entertaining, but not among her best work.
Book Review: My highlight of the series and the perfect end of the Sign of Seven trilogy.
Summary: 5 Stars
Warning - spoiler
"The Pagan Stone", book 3 in the "Sign of Seven" - trilogy by the sensational Nora Roberts is my personal highlight in the series, there could not have been a better way to finish what was started in "Blood Brothers" and continued in "The Hollow". The book is a really intense , sometimes sweet, sometimes sexy and an always thrilling read.
In "The Pagan Stone" the six friends (Cal, Fox, Gage, Quinn, Layla and Cybil) are preparing for the finale fight to destroy the evil that Gage, Cal and Fox set free unintentionally 21 years ago. For both sides, the good and the evil, it's a now or never situation and the six know that if they don't succeed this time there will be no next chance. But there is hope because for the first time the three men are completed by three very special ladys that share their psychic abilities and are their partners in every way.
Gage and Cybil are the ones the book concetrates on (but it's not a book about them, the other four of the team (family) are not only the supporting crew which is great).
Gage a gambler and a loner most of the times and the outspoken, intelligent Cybil clash from the first moment they meet. From not liking each other they develope mutual respect and end up in an intimate relationship.
They both are wondering about where their relationship is going to lead to especially because Cal & Quinn and Fox & Layla fell in love which each other.
The one point Gage and Cybil agree is that they don't want a serious relationship. Especially Gage is terrified at the thought of loving another person besides his two blood brothers and their families. He learned the hard way that there is not always a happy end. When his mother and unborn sister died (he was just a boy) and his father turned to alcohol and started to make his life a living hell he stoped believing in fairy tales and love.
But the complications in their personal life have to stand back when it comes to fighting the demon who is more viscious than ever and especially hates Gage and Cybil. When Cybil is brutalized by the demon in a very evil way she and Gage have to fight hard to continue their way and not give too many thoughts to hate and revenge.
By the time their relationship turns from "you" and "me" to "we" and the three pairs get some thrilling news tragedy strikes again and one of the team has to be willing to sacrifice himself to finally destroy the demon and save the life of the rest of his family.
"The Pagan Stone" is all I hoped for and more. I couldn't wait to finish it, it's that good. There are funny moments, lovly and some sad ones (yes, I had to cry some) and all these combined make this book just perfect.
So please get yourself a copy and enjoy this fabulous end of the "Sign of Seven" - trilogy.
S.M.
Book Review: Mumbo Jumbo -hocuspocus and more. . . .
Summary: 1 Stars
I have no one to blame but myself. I thought the first book was horrible and I didn't buy the second. However, my library had the second book, and I thought it was okay, and when Tuesday came around, with nothing to read, I thought why not. Unfortunately there are a bunch of why nots.
First, I found the book to be very slow. I picked it up, put it down, tried to read it again, and finally settled in for a re-read of another book. Thursday, I had four hours, and I attempted it again. After reading the first 100 pages, I realized why I was having such a difficult time. This book is not really about relationships, which is what Nora does so well, it is about every type of magic there is. And the characters have to analyze each minute piece of interaction with the demon and hunt down any folklore, fairytale, horror story that mentions fighting evil. And we get to read about it, and read about it, and read about it. Quoting 'Tears should matter. . . Other character " I wonder if tears are literal. . . or symbolic. . On vampires: If we consider vampyric . . . it not impossible the undead. . .doesn't have legitimate roots in this demon.
While I wouldn't say that reading science fiction is my first love, I do read authors like Sharon Shinn, and Lois McMasters Bujold. So, I do have some experience in world building, and suspending belief in unorthodox situations. I just couldn't do it in this series. The demon couldn't seem to make up its mind if it was a mischievious boy, or a monster. The six couldn't make up their mind if they feared the demon or wanted to sock it the stomach. Better yet, sing to it taunting it with Bang, Bang, knock on the door baby (Love Shack).
The relationship building between the two main characters seem to hinge on both of them needing to travel, and have variety in their lives and their repugnance of the simple life plus warning each other that just because the others hooked up, doesn't mean that it going to happen to them.
One of the minor characters dies, and the group as a whole decides that it better to tarnish his reputation then one of the surviving individuals. It is a minor thing compare to the whole book, but it bothered me that this individual was finally turning his life around, and the group denied him the right to be remembered as the person he was now vs. the person that he had been.
Reading some of the five star reviews, it is difficult to believe that we read the same book. Maybe it just a difference of when we started
reading Nora's books. I long for books like the Dream Trilogy or the Quinn brothers.
Book Review: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat. - Winston Churchill
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the third book in the Sign of Seven Trilogy
Every seven years the town of Hawkins Hollow undergoes a change. Animals turn rabid, people turn on each other and the supernatural becomes reality. All this happens because of the blood ritual three boyhood friends performed on their 10th birthday on July 7th 1987. That ritual unleashed a demon and every seven years the boys do what they can to save the town and its people. This year they plan on stopping the demon for good.
This was the book I was most looking forward to in the series as I really liked Gage and Cybil's personalities from the other two books and looked forward to their inevitable romance. Their romance didn't disappoint and on a whole I really liked the story... I just didn't love it.
The ending was much too rushed for me. We have been working towards the battle against this demon since book one. The characters have invested pages and pages in research and strategy for two books. To have the battle start and be over within 6 pages (and to the soundtrack of the B-52's) was more than a bit of a let down. I really expected more battle and excitement and there are very few surprises or discoveries in this book.
The romance was great and what started off as a relationship based on heat, really turned into a nice love story. Nora did write some more terrifying passages involving the demon who takes shape as a little boy, some that made me shiver. She really did a great job of creating that demon.
I wasn't crazy about the first book, Blood Brothers, but really enjoyed the second book, The Hollow. The Hollow has all the excitement and discovery that the first and third books lack. This is definitely not my favorite book or series by this author, but I still enjoyed it and I am glad I bought it.
Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 1)
The Hollow (Sign of Seven Trilogy, Book 2)
Cherise Everhard, November 2008