Tala and Aiva are estranged sisters and demonhunters in modern-day Dublin. Now they have to team up to find their third sister, Hartley, who's been kidnapped by demons. Or has she? And where do the sisters' growing superpowers come from?

"The Ninth Circle" is a kind of Irish Buffy the Vampire Slayer, only with more action and less introspection. So either that sounds great to you, or it doesn't. The sisters are really half-sisters, sharing the same mother but ignorant of who their fathers are, and their mother, also a demonhunter, was killed by a particularly unpleasant demon in a piece of backstory that explains why the sisters are now estranged.

Don't let the word "backstory" frighten you off with fears of a slow-moving plot: the fight scenes come fast and furious here, with barely a breather in between. For some of us (like me) that is a little overwhelming, and while the three sisters are definitely distinct characters, they are not really developed as complex beings--for how could they be, busy as they are kicking demon rear end. "The Ninth Circle" will never be mistaken for Literature with a Capital L, but there's plenty of magic, mayhem, and action-packed girl power to delight the reader looking for a high-octane urban fantasy read.

FYI: the book does not exactly end on a cliffhanger, but it definitely sets things up for the next novel in the series, so if your heart is wedded solely to standalone stories, be warned. If you like series, though, this may be for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A big thank you to to C.A.Farland and Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

So this novel immediately grabbed my attention! Tala, the demon huntress, whose apartment is warded against fey, vampires, werewolves, and the aforementioned demons, but not humans. Then there is the crime world separated into nine levels, each "circle responsible for a different activity."

Three sisters (and Nighthunters): Tala, Aiva, and Hartley. But Hartley is an addicted gambler and is missing. So the ladies seek her, only to learn she's been abducted by one of those demonic criminal circles. These ladies are highly trained soldiers against the forces of evil and battle, of
course, ensues wherever their clues lead.

The creature count is just enormous. If it's a myth, it's probably in this book, some where you least expect them.
Great plot, Harland! Not sure I'm happy with the ending? The sisterhood trinity, I feel, was a tip of the iceberg that I'm hoping can be resurrected in future books somehow. And I'm so there for Book Two!

Brilliant brilliant brilliant what a fantastic start to a new series i loved it i found it to be a really exciting and enjoyable read

Think supernatural season 1 and you may grasp the vibes the book gave me, and yet, the story is much richer and so are the characters. The relationships between these sisters really sold this for me. This was a great read.

This book was the best. An adventure so fun and cunning and amazing, I got lost in this world.

Meet Aiva, librarian, and her private detective sisters Tala and Hartley Morgenstern. They live in Dublin, Ireland, and spend there free time as Nighthunters. This book follows their escapades through the nine circles, bringing them into contact with demons, sirens, fae, hellhounds, selkies, harpies............etc.
LOVE this book!! It's a good long read which doesn't get boring at any point. I've never read anything by this author, but if this is evidence, then I want more. Definitely recommend to everyone.

This reminds me so much of supernatural, I love the strong female leads in the story and really hope that their will be a second book and this isn't just a one off.

Excellent foray into the supernatural with a sibling twist. Highly enjoyed this book.
Rather like the supernatural sequence in regard to it being composed of three siblings that fight/restrain supernatural entities but it has a mysterious origin story and oats of narrative twists for these three sisters.
The characters were well portrayed and believable. I actually cared about their quest to find out what happened to the third sister and couldn't put this book down.
An intense page turner that will keep you interested until the denouement. I feel that there may be a sequel in the offing as there is ample room for it.

The Ninth Circle was a nice read that wove together several components of European mythologies. It seemed like a cross between the Otherworld Series by Yasmine Galenorn D'Artigo sisters and the Winchester boys of Supernatural. It made for an interesting dynamic and the world that C.A. Harland created on top of Ireland as we know it is intriguing. The twists in the plot line kept me turning page after page. Can't wait to see what else is in store for the Morgenstern's next!