With her second book, The Taste of the Night, Vicki Pettersson has shown once again she has what it takes to soar to the top in the urban fantasy genre.

There is no rest for the weary where the Zodiac Troop is concerned. Just as Light Warrior Joanna Archer is getting over the shock of discovering her new destiny, the next battle is over the horizon. A false calm has settled in Las Vegas between the Light and Shadow warriors of the Zodiac. The Shadows seem to have gone into hiding, but Joanna can’t shake the uneasy feeling something is about to happen. Her suspicions are confirmed when a Shadow initiate hints at the real trouble to come.

Now Joanna’s fears have come true. A deadly virus plague is sweeping through Las Vegas, released by the Tulpa, leader of the Shadows and Joanna’s father. The Light Zodiac troop has an epidemic on their hands. How are they to keep the secret of the paranormal factions in the city when people are dying everywhere of a plague designed by the evilest of evildoers? And worse, the Light Warriors are also in danger of being wiped out in one fell swoop by the same plague.

In the midst of it all, Joanna has received crucial information in regards to her personal vendetta against Joaquin, the man who destroyed her life at the tender age of fifteen. Now she must make a choice, conclude her personal battle and conquer her demons or sacrifice her quest for revenge to save her troop from the ultimate destruction.

What an incredible adventure ride the Signs of the Zodiac series is! And The Taste of the Night just continues the roller coaster ride. Action never lets up throughout the novel, spiraling out of control until the final battle. Starting in the very first chapter with Joanna’s confrontation with two Shadows at a charity event and continuing all the way until the final chapter with its surprising revelations, readers are taken on a whirlwind trip through both the natural and the supernatural sides of Las Vegas.

While every single character in the novel is fascinating, Joanna/Olivia is the center star. She fights her internal demons every single day. She struggles to carry on in her life in a way that would make her dead sister proud, while trying to find her balance in this new society thrust upon her. It certainly doesn’t help that she is the Kairos - half Light, half Shadow – and has to fight hard to control her darker nature. She is an independent, forced into relying on herself after tragedies have struck more than once. Coming to terms with her new responsibilities as a member of the Light Zodiac, and learning to trust her team as much if not more than herself, leaves her often on the outside looking in.

The use of comic books as manuals for the Shadow and Light troops still intrigues me and I can’t wait to see what else will be unearthed. As Vicki Pettersson continues to expand the world she has built, readers will be sucked even deeper into the story. We are introduced to compelling new beings in the Zodiac world and we discover just how expansive the Zodiac society is, throughout the country. My only complaint is that I have to wait so long for the next installment in the Signs of the Zodiac saga.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, May 2007. All rights reserved.