The Scent of Shadows (Signs of the Zodiac, #1)

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The Scent of Shadows (Signs of the Zodiac #1)

by Vicki Pettersson (Goodreads Author)

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 5,542 ratings · 421 reviews

When she was sixteen, Joanna Archer was brutally assaulted and left to die in the Nevada desert.

By rights, she should be dead.

Now a photographer by day, she prowls a different Las Vegas after sunset--a grim, secret Sin City where Light battles Shadow--seeking answers to whom or what she really is . . . and revenge for the horrors she was forced to endure.

But the nightmare...more

Paperback, 455 pages

Published February 27th 2007 by Harper Voyager (first published 2007)

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Jan 22, 2008 Seth rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Desperate readers and people willing to handle major problems in the faint hope of a better tomorrow

Shelves: modernfantasy, sf-f-h, crap

It looks good. New author, first novel, recommendations on the cover by Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, and Diana Gabaldon(2). Woman becomes a Super-Powered Heroine fighting forces of darkness and it's supposed to have non-stop action, some hot sex scenes, and it's set in Las Vegas, always a great setting for supernatural action.

But look more closely. The back cover has a big, glossy picture of the author: an atractive brunette with a decidedly Linda Carter look. Large pictures of the attractiv...more

50 likes · like · see review

Mar 08, 2008 Lorena rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

This was an odd book for me...on the one hand, there are more plot holes than you can shake a stick at, and they're all big enough to drive a fleet of trucks through. It was one of those that kept me up at night after I finished it, thinking "WTF was [plot point X] all about? That makes no freakin' sense! And then there was [Y]! What was THAT?" On the other hand, the main character was very compelling, and the writing generally very good, so I'm giving the second book a try.

10 likes · like · see review

Feb 03, 2013 Haralambi Markov rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf-pnr

“The Scent of Shadows” by Vicki Pettersson for me is probably one of the best books I have had the pleasure to read in a while. It can be described as gritty, dark, violent and one of the more captivating Urban Fantasy titles on the market. A lot can be said about the book, the ideas it conveys and the quality of the writing. By my rating standards this novel exceeds the maximum ten points and skyrockets far in the distance.

“The Scent of Shadows”, which actually is only the first installment of...more “The Scent of Shadows” by Vicki Pettersson for me is probably one of the best books I have had the pleasure to read in a while. It can be described as gritty, dark, violent and one of the more captivating Urban Fantasy titles on the market. A lot can be said about the book, the ideas it conveys and the quality of the writing. By my rating standards this novel exceeds the maximum ten points and skyrockets far in the distance.

“The Scent of Shadows”, which actually is only the first installment of the “Signs of The Zodiac” series, follows the photographer and multibillionaire heiress Joanna Archer from the moment her life changes for the worse. She is a strong character, which is typical for the genre and has a colorful biography to boot. From being messed up by a trauma in her childhood that led her train herself to be a modern age amazon Joanna finds herself thrown into the great battle between Light and Shadows agents, where her fighting skills, short temper and her aptitude to violence come in handy.

The other face of Las Vegas hidden behind the neon lavish is a battlefield between the Shadow Zodiac and the Zodiac of Light, where twelve agents from both sides are meant to fill a star sign on each Zodiac. Each agent has his conduit, which is their special lethal weapon. Armed, dangerous and trained they have one purpose: fight. Seems like a standard good vs. evil plot, but here comes the world building and the reader is strapped tight and slammed into a rollercoaster of action. Vicki creates a sub-society of superheroes, who can heal fast and possess their own special mythology. Something that simply can’t be passed on so lightly.

Another amazing factor is the sense of smell, which is taken and elevated to new and incredible heights. It’s not only there to make a small entrance as a deus ex machina to track the foe, even though one of its major purposes is. A whole new world is opened up with this acute and powerful sense of smell, which can detect all smells and their remnants and it even connects people to each other.

But it doesn’t stop there. Vicki builds on top of that a whole science relying on genetics that is concentrated on how to mask and change smells and characteristic scents. Also killing a star sign with his own conduit your own scent is erased and you become invisible to the senses of the people around unless you make contact.

For me all these little details that get revealed part by part without info-dumping and by sensible dialog is enough to hook me alone, but what made me purely addicted to her work is her style of writing. Judging by my own experience with writing, first person POV could never quite mix with wondrous paragraphs of deliciously long sentences of descriptions. It just shows how much I have to learn to extract the maximum of both techniques together and for that I simply bow down before her skills.

But now let’s view Joanna Archer, who is not only flung without her consent or idea of the whole Zodiac troops and star signs, but finds out that she is the daughter of the leader of the Shadow Zodiac, while her mother is the prize star sign of the Light Zodiac. She is destined to do a lot and she can choose to be on either of both sides. As a bonus she possesses special skills from both sides as well.

But of course being an awesome one of a kind hybrid isn’t all about the perks. Joanna, although playing for the good guys, is vulnerable to all the energies and defenses against the dark, although we are not sure as of yet if vice versa applies as well. Her role in the superhero society is met with mistrust as Light is equal to Shadow inside of her and the equilibrium between the both can and has been tipped easily.

Her character is the most exact brought-to-life metaphor of the struggle between good and evil inside the human being and that is what makes her as real as any other human being can get. Coupled with the challenges to live the life of her sister Olivia, who was murdered the day, she went through the metamorphosis that unlocks her powers, Joanna has to adapt to being this new person. Exactly with this purpose in mind Vicki has her going through a drastic plastic surgery to become her sister. It’s not only a quest to find a place on the battlefield, but to find the person that you are. “Who are you?” is the question Joanna posses to the woman staring back from the mirror and we witness how she is getting closer to finding that answer in between receiving punches and multiple stab wounds.

By the length of the review, you can conclude how much I liked it and I can still comment on everything ranging from the author’s choice of words to the secondary characters and the amazing climax surrounding the traitor among the Light Zodiac. All I can say is that Vicki Pettersson has arrived, plans to stay and there is nothing stopping her.(less)

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Nov 10, 2007 Jamie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-urban

I've started this, but so far I don't like it very much. There's something about the writing that bugs me - too much exposition, maybe.

Followup:
I gave it up 100 pages in. The story didn't capture my interest and the writing was too melodramatic for my taste. I mean, the heroine seriously says things like: "The knowledge of violence is my playmate."

I also don't like the details of a character's psyche to be spelled out so explicitly. I prefer to get to know a character in a more subtle way as the...more

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 25, 2007 Schnaucl rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban_fantasy, read_2007, owned, fiction, march, series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 27, 2013 Ami marked it as dnf · review of another edition

I know that I should've given it a chance, at least until I get into 100 pages or so. But really ... a girl who is raped and beaten to death when she is 16 and now her motto is "to never say no"?!? I mean, WTF? And I took a peek at the ending ... I guess I would just be more confused and pissed off with it. I have encountered feeling confused with other UF books before but this one will just not do for me.

So yeah. ABANDONING SHIP! (and move on to different book, my life is to short to get frustr...more

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May 12, 2008 lynne naranek rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008

There are plenty of good ideas in this book. Most of them work pretty well. The idea of a brigade of the Light (and their Shadow counterpart) in the form of Signs of the Zodiac mixes a new angle with a tried-and-true idea. Having a child that is of both the Light and Shadow is also not unique, but is explored quite well here.

Thankfully, the passages that would put this into the "romance" category were few, and not over the top. Yay!

I'm also thankful that despite having a prophecy at the basis...more

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Nov 25, 2010 Andrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

I went into this book thinking it would be an average read from the reviews and I'm thrilled to say I was blown away. V.P. did a great job introducing a whole new wave of supernatural in this book. Her plot kept me on my toes, the leads had just the right amount of everything to make me like them, and the ending has me eager for more of the series. I'm so glad I did not just go by the reviews of this book and actually read it.

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Mar 21, 2008 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars

I thought that this would be a great book, but I was kind of disappointed. It wasn't anything amazing but very typical, with a super hero swing. It is a definite good verses bad story. With the main character Joanna being a cross between the two. Joanna has just found her powers and the demons are after her. She joins with the Light side only to find she doesn't fit in there either. This was more of an self vs self book as Joanna comes to grips with who she is. It has outside action that prompts...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Laura the Highland Hussy marked it as to-read

I am officially done with this book. BUT I am not rating it or adding it to my d-n-f shelf because I couldn't make it past page 30. I tried, I really tried.

Maybe when I'm in the mood for a dark and gritty UF I'll come back to it-that's the advantage of books-they're always there waiting for me.

The premise sounds super interesting, and the fact that it takes place in my hometown is awesome! But I'm shelving it for a while, and I will come back to it, just for now, I'm moving on.

(can you tell I f...more

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Aug 05, 2007 Janon rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like supernatural, stong female protagonists without massive quantities of porn

I read this book on the recommendation of some invisible friends online. I liked that the heroine was fairly strong, but with flaws, and flaws that I could understand and empathize with. One challenge I have with the later Anita Blake novels is that I really, really don't like her.

The only thing I really didn't like about this novel is the physical transformation that happens midway, because again - what a surprise, the heroine is a mega-babe. Jeez, aren't there any just ordinarily pretty women...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Jessica rated it 3 of 5 stars

"I began reading this and almost put it down and then I got to the line: ""..I mean really."" I like witty and sarcastic characters so I thought to keep going.

I found myself really liking the heroine and even the basic plot. The characters were great and very likeable. The scenarios were believable and well thought through. There was just so much to understand though. Events would happen and would have reasons that were told but not explained. I spent so much time being confused about things bec...more

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May 06, 2013 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favs, supes-the-otherworldies

One of the best series I have read in a while. Imagine finding out that you are a superhero and your entire life changes in one night? Yeah most of us would not handle that well and frankly neither does Joanna. She does a lot of crying and raging about what this "new life" has cost her and frankly I feel her pain. And whoa is she pissed with good reason!! All she wants is revenge and instead she has to sign on to save the world. I think the action and the pace catch you so fast and draw you in s...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Nikki (The Bibliomaniac) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Holy crap, where to begin without just mindlessly babbling about all the good parts and giving up all the goodies? Hmmm...Let me think... Have you ever read a book about super heroes that wasn't a comic? This is pretty much it. It has it's own little twists and turns. There are comics involved... But not how you would think. It is so sweet how it all ties in together, but I can't really tell you without letting the "cat" out of the bag. I'm just having a hard time trying to put into words what I...more Holy crap, where to begin without just mindlessly babbling about all the good parts and giving up all the goodies? Hmmm...Let me think... Have you ever read a book about super heroes that wasn't a comic? This is pretty much it. It has it's own little twists and turns. There are comics involved... But not how you would think. It is so sweet how it all ties in together, but I can't really tell you without letting the "cat" out of the bag. I'm just having a hard time trying to put into words what I felt after reading this. It was like.... Exhilarated. I get so excited whenever I think of getting someone to read this series. I want them to go through the awesome-sauce of it all like I did and still do when I think of it.

So I will start at the beginning.

Joanna is the daughter of one of the big gambling bosses. Her sister Olivia, is the exact opposite of her. Where Joanna is dark haired she is light. Where Joanna has a sharp wit and biting tongue, Olivia has a bubbly personality. The story starts 24 hours before her next birthday. The birthday that will change her forever. Whether she likes it or not. She can either live up to her destiny or die.

The night before her birthday she runs into the one and only man she has loved, Ben Traina. They had parted on very bad terms. However, seeing him again makes her realize how much she has missed him and loved him. The make a date to go the next night. On her way home she hits a "bum", or whom she assumes to be. The guy heals amazingly fast and starts talking how he is a super hero. Not only is he a super hero, but he is the command leader of Zodiac troop 175. The good guys. His "cover" allows him to meander around overlooked. Just another homeless nutter out on the streets of Las Vegas. He tell Joanna her next birthday will bring with it her super powers. If she manages to stays alive he will meet with her again.

She meets the next day with her "father", Xavier. She learns that she is in fact not his biological daughter, much to her relief. There is no love lost between the two. She will be allowed to keep her house, car and will be given a small allowance. But, she will loose in place she may have had in the family business. Fortunately for Joanna, this distresses Olivia more then it does her. After the meeting, she is on her way to her date with Ben. Things go very well and if she didn't have to meet up with her sister Olivia they would probably have spent the night making hot, mad, monkey lovings. She meets up with Olivia at 11:30 so that when it turns midnight Olivia can give her her birthday gift. Olivia's ex-boyfriend drops by to pick up some of his things and that is when the shit hits the fan.

The boyfriend recognizes who she is about to become in the matter of seconds. Joanna feels the building first tremor and sway and then feels like she is hit with a bolt of lightning. As it starts to recede she quickly reaches for a knife she had put in her boot after her conversation with the crazy bum. She flips it open and throws it in the boyfriends chest. Why you may ask? Because he's one of the bad guys and was coming at her with a scimitar. She falls to her knees exhausted with what she had just went through and when she looks up again it is to see the body of a dead man in front of her and her sister trembling in a corner asking her if she is OK.

As the girls are recovering from what just happened, they don't see the boyfriend until it's too late and he has a hold of Olivia as a hostage. Joanna is willing to do anything to protect her sister. She tries to get him to let go of Olivia and take her instead. He begins cutting Olivia and Joanna yells for him to stop. He does...but then throws her body out of her high-rise apartment building.

And that my friends is just the beginning. (less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Angela Risner rated it 5 of 5 stars

The protagonist, Joanna Archer, is a flawed heroine, which makes her very realistic. On the eve of her 25th birthday, she learns that she is not quite human. The book starts out with her announcing that she is dead, though you will learn it is not in the conventional way.

She learns that she is a superhero, but caught in the middle between Light and Shadows. Light is who she wants to be, and she joins their group as the Archer, as she is a Sagittarius.

If you think you have problems with your fami...more

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Apr 08, 2012 Ambre rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: duds

I find it kind of unfortunate that this book is so unpleasant- I actually like the authors prose. But this is the opposite of the strong capable woman who isn't either- this is the woman who is supposed to be perceived as strong and capable but actually is just stubborn and mean.

Yeah, I get it, she is battling her demons. But the author doesn't seem to know the difference between sharp tongued banter and malevolence. The heroine is supposed to be clever- most clever people can figure that out, o...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Sarah Jordan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is my first review for a dark fantasy book. Dark fantasy, according to Publisher's Weekly, is a blend of "fantasy, comic book superheroism and paranormal romance, but holds no promise of a happily-ever-after". And I would say that is entirely accurate based on The Scent of Shadows. I tend to avoid all fantasy novels because they bore the crap out of me, to be completely honest. While I appreciate the elaborate world-building, and incredibly descriptive pages detailing clothing, weapons and...more This is my first review for a dark fantasy book. Dark fantasy, according to Publisher's Weekly, is a blend of "fantasy, comic book superheroism and paranormal romance, but holds no promise of a happily-ever-after". And I would say that is entirely accurate based on The Scent of Shadows. I tend to avoid all fantasy novels because they bore the crap out of me, to be completely honest. While I appreciate the elaborate world-building, and incredibly descriptive pages detailing clothing, weapons and whatnot (same reasons I can't read Tom Clancy and Stephen King - why write a paragraph when one can drone on for 3 pages?), I am a straightforward, action-oriented gal and that's how I like my books, too. So I found myself wanting to put this book down and walk away during the parts that dealt with elaborate rules, complicated alternate world structure, and sudden new abilities that manifested JUST IN TIME to save our heroine (like Joanna suddenly being able to melt a weapon that is about to cause her death. How timely! How convenient! How totally tossed in there to advance the action and save our heroine!). But what kept me reading was the outstanding action, and a compelling, well-developed kick-ass heroine who, while a mere mortal, trained to such an extent that she was a true warrior before ever metamorphosing into something more. Joanna is a fascinating character - she is tough and determined but beneath that steely exterior is incredible pain. Her father has never wanted her, shortly after her brutal attack her beloved mother abandoned the family, and her first love disappeared from her life as well. Her sister Olivia is the only person in her life who loves her, and who she loves back.
The book starts with a bang, as Joanna is attacked by a paranormal being, and her first love pops back into her life, on the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday. And as she soon learns, this birthday is significant because she is about to change into a superhero who must choose sides between the dark and light Zodiacs. There is a Zodiac troop guarding each major city from their evil Shadow counterparts, and both sides want Joanna because she's special. Over the next 24 hours Joanna is disowned by her billionaire father, learns he's not really her father, learns her mother is still alive, reunites with her first love, watches as her sister is murdered, murders her sister's murderer, and decides to join the good Zodiac troop, who promptly knock her out and give her extensive plastic surgery to turn her into an Olivia lookalike.
And there's still 250 pages left!
So, if you like your paranormal stories a little gritty, crave lots of bloody action, and love elaborate paranormal worlds with lots of complications, rules, and surprises, this is the series for you. Add in compelling writing, fascinating characters, really intriguing subplots, and a little sexy romance and this was one exciting read.(less)

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Dec 24, 2011 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: signal

This book was full of plot holes.

Here is my favorite plot hole. All of the main characters' actions are automatically recorded in comic books. But they're magic comic books, so if a Light character touches a comic book about the Shadow team, or vice versa, they get horribly burned. So these comic books function as evil-detectors. The Light team also has cats which function as evil-detectors. Curiously, they've also known for several months that one of their team is a traitor, but they've never b...more

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Nov 25, 2011 Meike rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, series

What a nice little surprise!

I liked this book - in fact, I liked it a lot and order the follow-up-volumes as soon as they come out.
(Okay, I don't like it enough to NOT swap them away when read, but I have VERY limited space and a huge stash!)

I quite enjoyed the unusual idea of this book of weaving the signs of the zodiac into a story. The writing is good, the plotting well done, the story capivating, and besides very well written action scenes, there is a steaming romance between a believable...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am so glad I looked at this cover in the bookstore. This book was in the fantasy/sci-fi section and I thought the cover was interesting. This story is based on Joanna Archer who comes to find out she is a real superhero. It might sound corny but the author weaves a whole new world around Light superheroes and Shadow superheroes. There is a unit of both Light and Shadow in major cities around the world. They call each side the Zodiac because each side has a corresponding member of each star sig...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Karissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Scent of Shadows is the First Sign of the Zodiac; the first book in Petterson's Zodiac series. This book exceeded my expectations. I was braced for yet another paranormal series featuring an angsty heroine; but what I got was so much more than that. This book is something both men and women would greatly enjoy; it is much more of a super hero story than a paranormal romance.

Joanna Archer is an heiress. Her father Xavier Archer is a Las Vegas tycoon who owns a number of casinos in Las Vegas....more The Scent of Shadows is the First Sign of the Zodiac; the first book in Petterson's Zodiac series. This book exceeded my expectations. I was braced for yet another paranormal series featuring an angsty heroine; but what I got was so much more than that. This book is something both men and women would greatly enjoy; it is much more of a super hero story than a paranormal romance.

Joanna Archer is an heiress. Her father Xavier Archer is a Las Vegas tycoon who owns a number of casinos in Las Vegas. Joanna's sister, Olivia, is more your typical playboy bunny type of heiress, while Joanna is kind of the black sheep in the family. In her early teens Joanna suffered a devastating attack that left her different, more brooding than her fun loving sister Olivia. Joanna turned to photography; taking pictures of the dark side of Las Vegas. Then the day before her 25th birthday she was attacked on a blind date, only to be rescued by her childhood sweetheart Ben - now a cop. What Joanna didn't know was that the streets of Las Vegas were not what they seemed to be, and on her 25th birthday she would undergo a change that she had never imaged.

This is a well-written, fast-paced book. What I really liked though is the complexity and creativity of the Zodiac troop and their alternate realities. This book left behind many typical paranormal series subjects and took me somewhat unexpectedly into the realm of comic book heroes. With the Zodiac troop zipping in and out of alternate realities there was a little sci-fi in here too. The Zodiac fighters of both the Light and Dark troops are intriguing; their powers very superhero-like and also very varied. The comic books that serve as their newspapers are creative, comical, and intriguing. The epic struggle of Light and Dark in a city constantly balanced on the edge of sin is compelling. Joanna is a complicated character, as are many of the characters presented to us in the Zodiac troop.

The major story arc is nicely resolved; but a large number of side stories are left unresolved, leaving me yearning for the next book.

I did have a couple issues with this book. The first is that it *is* complicated. The set-up is a bit confusing, although to Petterson's credit the idea behind the Zodiac troop is complicated, creative, and something very new to her readers. So, I expected the set-up to take a bit of time for me to be comfortable with; I am happy to say by the end of the book I did understand it and ceased to feel slightly confused. My other complaint with the book would be that the characters superhero powers are not well defined. I am still not quite sure I understand what Joanna's power is, I am not quite sure I understand what the other characters powers are either. Maybe Petterson wants the unveiling of their powers to be deliberate and purposeful, or maybe she just did a poor job of conveying them in the story...time will tell which it is.

That being said I think this book is much better than the Anna Strong Chronicles or the Mercy Thompson series. It is not quite as good as Kim Harrion's series. It is more on par with the Dante Valentine books. I hope that the future books can continue to elaborate on this story; I also hope that Joanna doesn't fall into the pit of darkness that Dante Valentine did and continues to show the Light in her character.(less)

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Jun 21, 2010 Lesley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. This was different than anything I've ever read - the magic system, the types of supernatural people - ok, those were really the big differences. No vampire or werewolves, thank god. That has been beaten to DEATH. In this case, it was agents of Light and Shadow. But they aren't demons. Or anything else. The can smell each other and chase their enemies down by scent. They fight with weapons, not magic. They are sort of superheroes with secret identities. They aren't human, but sort of anothe...more Wow. This was different than anything I've ever read - the magic system, the types of supernatural people - ok, those were really the big differences. No vampire or werewolves, thank god. That has been beaten to DEATH. In this case, it was agents of Light and Shadow. But they aren't demons. Or anything else. The can smell each other and chase their enemies down by scent. They fight with weapons, not magic. They are sort of superheroes with secret identities. They aren't human, but sort of another branch of human evolution, each assigned to a sign of the zodiac, with good and evil versions of both. And the evil ones are REALLY REALLY EVIL. The good ones try to protect humans, and the evil side tries to incite chaos. It was really original and well done - so original that sometimes it was almost a foreign concept. Which was nice.

So I had set this series aside while culling through that giant stack of paranormal romance I have. It looked more serious, like it was a series of actual novels instead of just trashy soft-core erotica, and I was right. The author really is a good writer - she's a bit more literary than what I've been reading lately (as literary as you can get writing paranormal adventure), and boy, can she emote. She had me in tears for a good half the book, and I really cared about the characters. At first I thought just the heroine had SO many bad things happen to her - but it wasn't just her, it was really every character on the light side. There is so much tragedy and pain for ALL of them, and the author makes you feel every bit of it. Luckily, it isn't just a huge depression-fest - she also writes about rising above the pain and tragedy and making good things with or in spite of it, instead of living in darkness and being trapped by your past. I wouldn't say it was inspirational, but it was good to read.

The one thing I really didn't like was her attempt at humor. Sure, her insults and banter with the enemy were GREAT, and her dialogue really moved naturally. Except - there were times when she would try to set up tableaus of humor that just fell flat with me, mainly due to hinging the entire thing on making fun of a stereotype. First it was the blonde bimbo with giant boobs, then it was the comic book nerds, and then the mannish woman. Most of the books in this genre rely on humor to move it along, and certainly without humor this series would be rough, but she just missed the mark on this part. Even the stereotypes were just wrong - as in, they weren't really stereotypes. I guess you should know your subjects before you make fun of them. If the characters hadn't been SO far off from reality or had been even a reasonable stereotype, it might not have been so lame. And I don't toss off 'lame' casually like we to in modern speech, I mean that it really limped sadly along.

The other thing that annoyed me was that she built this absolutely beautiful love story - and then just kind of ignored it. There was one sex scene, and I can tell you that after all the trashy crap I've been reading, I'd begun to think if I just didn't like reading sex scenes. I generally think they're boring, or jar you out of the narrative, or are just thrown in there, or are obnoxious in some other way. But this sex scene was beautiful, sexy, and I was riveted to every word. It wasn't tittilating so much as it an amazing emotional ride, finding your lost love and realizing that everything is right. Maybe I'm just one of those stereotypical women that doesn't like sex scenes unless there's a great story and emotion involved. It's nice to know that I can be moved like that, and enjoy it so much.

So here the author set up this amazing romance that was so beautiful and tragic - aaaaand the next thing you know, you don't hear anything about this guy. If they're soooo in love, why isn't she thinking about him more? It's like she switched him off. Then randomly she would think about him, and it was supposed to be full of emotion, but I just didn't feel it. And then suddenly it was like, "Ooo, who's that SUPER HOT GUY?" Then nothing - then how much she loves the original guy again. It was just kind of weird. I don't know if she was trying to set up an alternate love interest or what, but that seemed kind of impossible considering what happened to the original couple in the first 1/4 of the book, and their tragic past. So she has this one great love, but only part of the time?

And lastly, a minor thing, really - during a big Sherlock Holmes moment near the end, where she reveals the enemy plot - everyone just sat around and listened. No interrupting, nobody walking out, nobody yelling at her - despite the fact that nobody trusted her and any real person would have walked out in disgust or thrown her in the klink or punched her. Uh...

Anyway, quibbles aside, I really do think this a VERY good author who can write original and interesting things, as well as amazing AMAZING emotion. I have the next 2 novels in this series, and I'm looking forward to reading more about this strong, emotive heroine and her interesting zodiac colleagues.(less)

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Feb 16, 2010 Kay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Pettersson throws us straight into the action - leaving us to work out the universe as Joanna does. It is a complicated one too, as we have zero frame of reference to go on. Put simply, this series is about a war between two superhero factions: the forces of Light and Shadow. Their battles are depicted in comic form after the fact, then sold to humans as fiction.

Had I understood this before starting, I likely wouldn't have continued. While I appreciate the whole superhero thing, it just wouldn't...more

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Sep 19, 2009 Irisheyz77 rated it 4 of 5 stars

The final book that I read while on vacation was the start of another series called Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson. This series takes place in Las Vegas and pulls elements from astrology as well as comic books. Here there is another definition of just what it means to be a superhero.

The main character is Joanna Archer, the eldest daughter of one of the richest men on the planet. But she is far from being the socialite that one would expect from someone raised in wealth. Instead she leads t...more

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Jun 17, 2009 Baby T-Rex rated it 2 of 5 stars

The plot of this book is basically The Matrix with a female hero. The writing is just ok, although some of the scenes got a big "huh?" Like when Joanna "shows her shadow side" to someone- what exactly does that mean? A lot of it seems so contrived and cheesy and the characters say/act in ridiculous ways. Plus, things just come too easily for Joanna once she comes into her powers. She can magically use a bow and arrow and a whip without ever practicing those weapons before. How convenient. Oh, an...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had the whole set of Vicki Pettersson's Zodiac series sitting on my to be read shelf. For some reason I kept passing over them. I don't know why...I just did. Now I'm mentally kicking myself for doing that...these books, at least book one, are wonderful!

Joanna Archer has had a troubled time all her life, when she was a young teen she left her boyfriends house, and as she cut through the desert, returning home, she was raped, beaten and left for dead. As she lay in the hospital the boy she love...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Yolanda Sfetsos rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is the first in The Signs of the Zodiac Series. Once again, I read this about a week ago and absolutely LOVED it. Wow. I got totally caught up in this story and couldn't wait to see how everything would unfold. Honestly, things got so bad for Joanne so many times, that I just didn't know how the hell she was going to survive this book.

The concept is intriguing. A mix of the superhero mythos with the paranormal, and a good dose of horror. Man, this story is fantastic, and even heartbreaking...more

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Jul 17, 2010 Trak rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy-sci-fi, fiction, book-club

I really do not what to think about this book. There was an amazing anount of back story crammed in which tended to slow down the pace. There were so many good ideas which needed further development. I mean does anyone really know why light and shadow fight? Except for the obvious that they are opposites, I mean what is the big prize in all this? A couple of things that bugged me:
the superhero reference - all the time
jo-jo - I know its his pet name for her - but all the time
the big picture is...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Karen Mead rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Another competent entry in the urban fantasy genre, but I had difficulty suspending disbelief for parts of the book. The adventures of Joanna and her fellow zodiac-themed superheroes held my attention while I was reading them and the book proved to be a real page turner, but I don't think it stands up to logical scrutiny.

While there were some good ideas in here, like the way the war between light and shadow is chronicled (and I won't spoil it), I found parts of it very contrived. I don't use tha...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Kim rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really wanted to like this book even after reading some bad reviews on it. I mean, I tried so hard to give it the benefit of the doubt!
What really turned me off, besides the ginormous plot holes, was our main character herself. When I read a novel, I fall in love with the main character usually no matter what - I usually can't help wanting to root 'em on and angst over them - and I fall in love with them through how they act mentally, physically, and emotionally. When during the middle of a b...more

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About Vicki Pettersson

Vicki Pettersson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Signs of the Zodiac novels, a completed six-book urban fantasy series set in her hometown of Las Vegas. She's now writing Celestial Blues, a supernatural noir trilogy that began with THE TAKEN (2012) and has been followed by THE LOST (2013). She divides her time between Las Vegas and Dallas.

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Books by Vicki Pettersson

The Taste of Night (Signs of the Zodiac, #2)

The Touch of Twilight (Signs of the Zodiac, #3)

Cheat the Grave (Signs of the Zodiac, #5)

The Neon Graveyard (Signs of the Zodiac, #6)

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Quotes from The Scent of Shadows

“Looks can’t hide your true identity. It’s the eyes that give you away…the soul behind them. The intent. The Shadows.” — 16 people liked it

“Just because someone tried to make you into a victim didn’t mean that’s what you had to be.” — 14 people liked it

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The Scent of Shadows (Signs of the Zodiac #1)

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