44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The second book is all I could wish for, April 10, 2007
This review is from: The Taste of Night (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
When I reviewed "Scent of Shadows" the first in Vicki Pettersson's new series about the Zodiac, I saw potential, but felt that first novel needed more editorial and consideration of the world elements before its debut. "Scent of Shadows" just didn't quite live up to its press. I sincerely hoped that Ms. Pettersson's writing would mature as she continued to develop her novels.
I probably should have wished for a winning lottery ticket at the same time, because clearly that was my day to get what I wished for. "Taste of Night" fulfills the promise I hoped for in "Scent of Shadows" and then some.
"Taste of Night" continues the story of Joanna Archer, a young Las Vegas woman who discovered in "Scent of Shadows" that she wasn't her father, billionaire Xavier Archer's, daughter--and she wasn't quite human. Just after that, her younger sister, Olivia, plunges to her death from her highrise apartment in a vicious attack on the two sisters. Joanna wakens in a private hospital wearing her sister Olivia's face and body. She learns that hrough her maternal line, Joanna was destined to become the Archer, a superhero representing the sign of Sagittarius in Light Zodiac Troop 175, which is charged with preserving good in Las Vegas, Nevada. She also learns that her real father is the Tulpa, a created man who leads the Shadows--the dark Zodiac troop in opposition to the Light. This makes Joanna the "Kairos" the first 'sign' of the Zodiac, a being equally of light and shadow who will bring balance to the elements.
Without the somewhat cumbersome burden of first book setup, "Taste" takes off with fireworks--deadly ones, to be precise. The second sign of the Zodiac is plague. The Tulpa has released a sexually transmitted plague on the humans of Las Vegas via one of the biggest fireworks shows the city's had. In a matter of hours, pairs of dead bodies are being reported all over the city. The couples are generally hideously burned on their mouths and genital regions.
It's up to Joanna and the Light team to discover the source of the plague and the antidote before it kills off the humans in Las Vegas. But, Joanna faces her own private battles. Regan, an agent of the Shadow is trying to recruit her to her father's team--and providing some valuable information on the plague and her sworn enemy Joaquin, a member of the Shadow troop, in exchange. Unlike her troop leader, Joanna believes the Light should not just seek balance, but work to conquer the shadows--and her first order of business in doing that is killing Joaquin, but will Joanna risk the lives of her whole troop to do this?
And what about Joanna's great love, Ben Traina? Will she be able to let him go and go on with her life in her sister's skin?
"Taste" is head and shoulders above "Scent" in plot and pacing. Pettersson keeps the pages turning and doesn't bog the reader down with worldbuilding.
Pettersson's characters are developing life. Joanna is a strong protagonist, whose beliefs and personal desires sometimes collide. She's growing as she makes tough decisions. The other superheroes from her troop are also beginning to be more than just paper tigers. It's a pleasure to see how their lives and personalities unfold.
The plot is also more interesting and less convoluted than the first book. "Taste" is a fantasy with bits of mystery successfully embedded. The directness and swift movement of the plot make "Taste" much harder to put down than "Scent." Like me, you may find yourself reading it in one sitting, so reserve some time before you get started.
One negative is that the plague itself probably would not stand up to the scrutiny of an epidemiologist, but the twist is definitely one worthy of "Sin City."
Worldbuilding, key to any good fantasy, is also much stronger in "Taste." I'm particularly fascinated by Pettersson's notion that comic books are the actual history of superheroes' lives. Joanna's interactions with the denizens of a comic book store are some of the best in the book.
It appears that "Taste" is not getting the kind of media push that "Scent" received. My one marker is the place that the book holds in the new books rack at my local bookstore. Some of you may not know that these spaces are purchased by the publishers in the major chains and the closer to eye-level and center, the better. "Taste" was on one of the lower rows. I'm hoping that the initial push for "Scent" will carry the book in momentum. The third sign of the Zodiac promises to be even stronger than the the first two.
One thing to note, "Taste" is definitely on the fantasy end of the fantasy-paranormal romance spectrum. While there is sexual content in this book, it is not treated in the same manner as a paranormal romance would be.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very light read...maybe running out of ideas?, May 28, 2007
This review is from: The Taste of Night (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
I bought the first and second book in this series on the strength of previous reviews. "The Scent of Shadows" was a 4 star book for originality and pacing, a better read than this second in the series. With the second book, Ms. Pettersson seems to be running out of steam already. Her premise wears mighty thin as the supposedly brilliant and dedicated enemies of "the light" can't figure out the amazingly obvious artifice of "the Archer's" fake identity. And we're treated to a seemingly endless cycle of repetitive actions and last minute rescues of her heroine. How many times can the same thing happen in one book?
Having said that, I didn't hate the book; it's a decent light read, but I'm not sure I'd pick up the third installment.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Joanna too unsympathetic. Not as good as the first., November 7, 2007
This review is from: The Taste of Night (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)
_The Taste of Night_ begins a few months after _The Scent of Shadows_ ended, at a charity date auction where Joanna, masquerading as Olivia, meets a man who gloats that he's uncovered Joanna's secret identity. A fierce battle ensues, breaking the tenuous truce between Light and Shadow, and Joanna also meets a mysterious young Shadow initiate who may be an unlikely ally, or a secret enemy.
I'm really beginning to get a headache trying to keep track of who knows what information about Joanna's identity. Let me see if I've got this straight: The Shadows know the Archer is Joanna, but most of them don't know she's going around as Olivia now. Meanwhile, the heroes of Light know the Olivia identity, but most of them don't realize it's really Joanna. (Despite the fact that the comics call her Joanna.) I can't believe any superhero or supervillain worth his or her salt could miss these connections. It seems way too obvious. As poignant as the Joanna-as-Olivia plotline was in _Scent of Shadows_, it may be time for Joanna to take on a new persona now, because it suspends disbelief to the breaking point that Joanna's identity continues to be a "secret."
Anyway, Joanna's new Shadow acquaintance tips Joanna off to a diabolical plot being hatched by the villains, but Joanna can't figure out how to tell her own troop about it without revealing her illicit battle or her even-more-illicit chat with the Shadow agent.
I began to lose a lot of sympathy for Joanna in this book. Her silence was costly, and her singleminded obsession with her rapist, Joaquin, caused her to lose both common sense and any team spirit she might have had. ("We might have needed you!" complains Warren when Joanna dropped off the radar for a while. "I was safe," is Joanna's only response. Not a thought for anyone else.) She always had an acid tongue, and it gets worse here. I cheered Tekla when she told Joanna not to use her Shadow side as an excuse to be a jerk. Throughout _The Taste of Night_, Joanna shows an selfish, immature streak a mile wide. Hunter, too, displays behavior more appropriate to a high school student than to a grown man.
Might I also add that getting the "aureole" is starting to seem too easy? It was presented in _Scent of Shadows_ as an unusual event. Now it seems like Joanna gets it way too often.
Hopefully, the unsympathetic Joanna is on her way out and a newer, more mature one in the making. The events at the end of the novel show that she is beginning to consider her actions a bit more, to think of others, and to embrace goals other than revenge. I'll be waiting for the third book, and hoping.
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