Circle of Fire (Damask Circle #1)

This is clearly a first book. I am a big fan of Keri Arthur, having burned through the Riley Jensen series and eagerly reading the Risa Jones series as well. This book isn't half as compelling as all of those others. For starters, this is the first in the series of The Damask Circle. Well. Having read this book, I don't have the faintest clue what the Damask Circle is, does or represents. There is exactly one sentence in the story referring to what they are, and we don't actually meet any of their members, other than Jon. So let's talk about Jon. We don't actually learn anything about him either, other than the fact that he's a hawk shifter and hunts evil magic users. And yet Maddie, a weak character herself, takes him back at the end, after an 18 month absence, with no reluctance at all. He's not so bad as a romantic lead, or at least he has potential but it isn't realized in the story. Maybe the comparison isn't fair, but he's no Quinn. As for Maddie, maybe I'm just used to kick-ass women like Riley and Risa, who are both more complicated and more interesting than Maddie. Maddie at least had the backstory that Jon was lacking, but one that didn't add much to the story, except as a vehicle for her constant terror. I also found Eleanor, the "bad guy", to be a cardboard cut-out when compared to characters like Madeline Hunter and quite a few others from Arthur's other stories. I felt almost as though these books were a framework, one that the author could have easily enhanced with some of the complicated plot points or ideas that she has previously. The one thing I did enjoy in this story was the lack of vampires that have become so ubiquitous in UF novels. I liked the fire starter angle, as well as a non-wolf shifter. For those reasons, I think it's possible this series might have some potential. I will try the next book in the series and hope for the best. ARC provided by NetGalley