3,993 books
—
11,966 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “The Scent of Shadows (Signs of the Zodiac, #1)” as Want to Read:
The Scent of Shadows
(Signs of the Zodiac #1)
by
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 i ...more
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 i ...more
Get A Copy
Paperback, 455 pages
Published
February 27th 2007
by Harper Voyager
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
The Scent of Shadows,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about The Scent of Shadows
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

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

Apr 18, 2007
Seth
rated it
it was ok
Recommends it for:
Desperate readers and people willing to handle major problems in the faint hope of a better tomorrow
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 attracti ...more
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 attracti ...more

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.
...more

Ugh 😩
Okay let me start by saying I like the main character. She is a rape victim who came out of it being stronger and better than she was before. I'm a firm believer in that which does not kill you makes you stronger. Okay cool... moving on... it's just cliche after cliche, plot hole after plot hole.... there is so much going on that it makes your head spin. Not to mention the writing is so over-the-top it is ridiculous. I know that this is supposed to be a supernatural fantasy thriller action ...more
Okay let me start by saying I like the main character. She is a rape victim who came out of it being stronger and better than she was before. I'm a firm believer in that which does not kill you makes you stronger. Okay cool... moving on... it's just cliche after cliche, plot hole after plot hole.... there is so much going on that it makes your head spin. Not to mention the writing is so over-the-top it is ridiculous. I know that this is supposed to be a supernatural fantasy thriller action ...more

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
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

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

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

Scent of Shadows has some intriguing ideas. The book pits comic book hero type characters in a battle between Light and Shadow using the symbols of the Zodiac. Each Zodiac sign has a corresponding fighter in both Light and Shadow. There is a prophecy that the Kairos will come, and the Shadow forces are hunting him or her down.
The Light and Shadow heroes track each other by scents. They each have their own specialty weapon exclusive to themselves. If they are killed by their own weapon, the kille ...more
The Light and Shadow heroes track each other by scents. They each have their own specialty weapon exclusive to themselves. If they are killed by their own weapon, the kille ...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 ...more
“The Scent of Shadows”, which actually is only the first installment of ...more

Finished this today. Well, first of all, for a 450+ page book, it went really fast. There are some definite cool parts. There are some definite not so cool parts. The scent thing? cool. The comic book shop kids? Not cool. The characters are pretty good. The plot is decent. The world makes no sense whatsoever. I just don't understand parts of this world/mythology.
A decent character face-off with decent dialog is followed up with a scene where a characters bones are melted and eyes bleed when they ...more
A decent character face-off with decent dialog is followed up with a scene where a characters bones are melted and eyes bleed when they ...more

Nov 21, 2018
Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!}
rated it
liked it
Shelves:
2018-discarded,
romance,
books-i-read-in-2018,
creepy,
mt-tbr-2018,
dark,
present-day,
relationships,
three-stars,
fiction
Rating: 2.5 to 3
The biggest annoyance were the characters, but the plot had so much Potential™.
It was distracting me from some things going on in my life, so that's a + in its favor. ...more
The biggest annoyance were the characters, but the plot had so much Potential™.
It was distracting me from some things going on in my life, so that's a + in its favor. ...more

I had some issues with getting into this book. It might have gone smoother if any of the zodiac signs were personally interesting to me.
The story and the idea is interesting and intriguing. For most part I thought the book was just OK but there were some really good moments and lines and it bumped up a star in my rating. I like stories with survivors and fighters and this one was really good in that department!
The story and the idea is interesting and intriguing. For most part I thought the book was just OK but there were some really good moments and lines and it bumped up a star in my rating. I like stories with survivors and fighters and this one was really good in that department!

Overall: 3.5★
The Scent of Shadows introduces us to multi-billionaire heiress Joanna Archer. We meet her sister Olivia, who is the epitome of the Paris Hilton-type wealthy heiress to the outside world, but she has a big heart and is Joanna's best, and only, friend. While Olivia is loved and pampered by their father, Joanna and he are like oil and water. They tolerate each other, but only just.
When Joanna was sixteen, she was assaulted (OF NOTE: the assault and rape are not described in detail), r ...more
The Scent of Shadows introduces us to multi-billionaire heiress Joanna Archer. We meet her sister Olivia, who is the epitome of the Paris Hilton-type wealthy heiress to the outside world, but she has a big heart and is Joanna's best, and only, friend. While Olivia is loved and pampered by their father, Joanna and he are like oil and water. They tolerate each other, but only just.
When Joanna was sixteen, she was assaulted (OF NOTE: the assault and rape are not described in detail), r ...more

What's up with rape and UF. I know UF is PNRs darker sister but all the rape, must we?
So yes Jo was raped at 16 and is all messed up cos of that. Also suddenly after almost 10 years she sees her former BF and wants to do something about it. Why wait that long? Ok so that was not my point. What is my point?
One messed up heroine who knows krav maga. She has a bimbo smart sister. She has a dad who hates her. She has painful memories she can let go of.
But she is also special, but the road there was ...more
So yes Jo was raped at 16 and is all messed up cos of that. Also suddenly after almost 10 years she sees her former BF and wants to do something about it. Why wait that long? Ok so that was not my point. What is my point?
One messed up heroine who knows krav maga. She has a bimbo smart sister. She has a dad who hates her. She has painful memories she can let go of.
But she is also special, but the road there was ...more

Jan 13, 2014
Elspeth
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
twenty-forteen,
urban-fantasy
Meh.
The writing wasn't bad, the story was kind of interesting, but most of the characters pissed me off. ...more
The writing wasn't bad, the story was kind of interesting, but most of the characters pissed me off. ...more

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

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

Smart, multi-layered, and thrilling with good meaty psychological drama. The Zodiac books have everything I love in an urban fantasy! The main character, Joanna Archer, is into photography and has a thing with darks and lights, and this theme echoes through the series in a hugely cool way. These days, Zodiac is one of my favorite UF series along with Armstrong's Otherworld.
...more

3.5 stars - but since I cant give it that Ill go with 4 since it was a pretty cool idea.
So, This book was a really interesting idea!
"Light Zodiac Troops" keep watch over the big cities all over the world. 12 people, one chosen for each star sign, that attempt to counteract and stop the evil-doings of their Shadow counterparts.
The book was a very fun read, though I had a few eye roll moments.
I love the idea of "superheros" keeping an eye on the world but I wish that in the book they called th ...more
So, This book was a really interesting idea!
"Light Zodiac Troops" keep watch over the big cities all over the world. 12 people, one chosen for each star sign, that attempt to counteract and stop the evil-doings of their Shadow counterparts.
The book was a very fun read, though I had a few eye roll moments.
I love the idea of "superheros" keeping an eye on the world but I wish that in the book they called th ...more

What's in a name?
I read Pettersson's first Zodiac novel, expecting a somewhat standard urban fantasy--especially since it was being hyped by Kim Harrison, a heavyweight in the field.
The novel has many of the now standard bits found in the urban fantasy genre:
--gritty, wisecracking female protagonist
--a heady mix of humor, fast-paced action, and a sprinkling of romance (perhaps due to the high percentage of female readers of this genre?)
--secret societies at war in an unsuspecting world
--a protag ...more
I read Pettersson's first Zodiac novel, expecting a somewhat standard urban fantasy--especially since it was being hyped by Kim Harrison, a heavyweight in the field.
The novel has many of the now standard bits found in the urban fantasy genre:
--gritty, wisecracking female protagonist
--a heady mix of humor, fast-paced action, and a sprinkling of romance (perhaps due to the high percentage of female readers of this genre?)
--secret societies at war in an unsuspecting world
--a protag ...more

Storyline: 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.
On the eve of her 25th birthday, she finds it in the form of a peculiar date who looks like a gaunt banker one moment and like hell sp ...more
On the eve of her 25th birthday, she finds it in the form of a peculiar date who looks like a gaunt banker one moment and like hell sp ...more

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
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

May 06, 2013
Jennifer
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
supes-the-otherworldies,
my-favs
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

This book was intriguing enough that I want to read the next, but there were plot holes and some dragging pages.
Joanna Archer has been through hell, and is about to be dragged into the burning pit. I felt really bad for Jo during this whole book. The parts with her and Ben were Sad and hopeful and then...I want to learn more about Ben and what is happening to him.
I thought parts were confusing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This is more Urban Fantasy and less romance, which as fine with me.
I'm ...more
Joanna Archer has been through hell, and is about to be dragged into the burning pit. I felt really bad for Jo during this whole book. The parts with her and Ben were Sad and hopeful and then...I want to learn more about Ben and what is happening to him.
I thought parts were confusing, but I'm glad I stuck with it. This is more Urban Fantasy and less romance, which as fine with me.
I'm ...more

Aug 05, 2007
Janon
rated it
really liked it
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
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

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

May 31, 2010
Laura
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
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

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

Feb 25, 2011
Emily
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
series,
own-kindle,
fiesty-heroine,
betrayal,
genre-paranormal,
abused-heroine,
states-nevada,
bad-boys
One of the most intriguing stories I have read in a long time. When Joanna Archer was sixteen she was assualted and left for dead, years later she is a photographer by day but at night she is hunting the creatures who hurt her and prevent them from harming others.
This book I kept thinking "Oh what a tangled web we weave...." It is highly creative and a pure adrenaline rush. ...more
This book I kept thinking "Oh what a tangled web we weave...." It is highly creative and a pure adrenaline rush. ...more

I enjoyed this. Her writing is simple, not provocative, but creative. It's just what I need to de-stress and leave behind the real world.
...more
Vicki Pettersson is a NYT and USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, most set in her hometown of Las Vegas. Though she'll ever consider that glittering dustbowl home, she now divides her time between Vegas and Dallas,Texas, where she's learning to like good Tex-Mex (easy) and the Dallas Cowboys (easier than you'd think).
Her most recent release is SWERVE, aptly titled as it's both a chase boo ...more
Her most recent release is SWERVE, aptly titled as it's both a chase boo ...more
Other books in the series
Signs of the Zodiac
(6 books)
Related Articles
Sarah J. Maas is an author who almost needs no introduction, at least in the world of young and new adult fiction. She's a multiple New York...
221 likes · 27 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Just because someone tried to make you into a victim didn’t mean that’s what you had to be.”
—
21 likes
“Looks can’t hide your true identity. It’s the eyes that give you away…the soul behind them. The intent. The Shadows.”
—
18 likes
More quotes…