The Taste of Night (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 2)

In this book, the second book of the Zodiac series, the book opens about 6 months down the road from where the first book left off, Joanna/Olivia is at a charity auction where she is one of many dates being auctioned off. When she goes to meet the man that bid the highest for her, he calls her Archer and tells her, he know exactly who she really is. She follows him, and another Blonde woman that was bidding on her and is almost killed as the man is a Shadow agent and the woman is a Shadow initate. Instead the Blond woman shoots out the shoulders and the knees of the shadow man and hands Joanna/Olivia the conduit that belongs to the Shadow agent and Joanna kills him. Joanna makes her first mistake in not killing the shadow woman, her name is Regan and she knows Joanna's true identify. Joanna makes a lot of mistakes in this book and she paids dearly for her mistakes. She finds herself, becoming truly fond of her sister Olivia's best friend Cher and doesn't have to fake liking her. She still has a one track mind on hunting down the shadow agent that raped her, this also messes with her head and puts her and others in danger. A deadly virus is unleased in Las Vegas and it also infects the agents of the light. Joanna's Father is the one that unleashed the virus. Joaquin is the shadow agent that raped and beat Joanna when she was 15 and left her for dead when she was 15, he did it at the command of her Father, the Tupla, that is before the Tupla knew that Joanna was his Daughter. The Tupla hates Joanna's Mother (Zoe) we have yet to meet Joanna's Mother in this series. Joanna meets Regan and falls right into her trap, will Joanna, be able to redeem herself with the other agents of the light or with Warren, their leader? I think it is a sign of a good book when you get emotionally involved with the characters, once I pick up one of these Zodiac books, I just have to keep reading it until I finish the book.

In the Second Sign of the Zodiac, our heroine faces a plagued battlefield as Las Vegas is attacked by a quickly spreading virus. She is faced with a fledgling shadow playing powerful games that effect everything about her and the vengeance of wanting all of the men who hurt her dead. Joanna has to choose where her allegiance lies and what really is the most important thing in her new life. I enjoy Pettersson's approach on humanizing and growing Joanna at the same time. Taste of Night has Joanna exploring consequences of what she has become and who she really is. There are always sides of characters that in all hopes they grow out of the obsessions of needing Ben and the constant need for vengeance over all else that leads her to be a less effective hero and well sometimes plain stupid. I know that some thought that less would be more in the afore mentioned would be better left unwritten but if it is used as a stepping stone to move the character forward I feel it is warranted and an integral part of the plot as a whole making it the perfect sequel to the First Sign of the Zodiac as well as the perfect prequel to the third Sign of the Zodiac.

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

Okay, so i've finished this one and waiting on the next one already! Personally i love the fact that Joanna is flawed, makes mistakes and wrong moves sometimes outdoes her potential and sometimes falls flat to her own shortcomings. This isn't just another superhero comes up with way to win every situation fantasy but a rich tapestry of individuals trying to work together and sort their desires needs and fears into a fight for good in a city undermined by evil, greed and power, both in their enemies and themselves. the world and the premise might be fantastic, but the characters are real enough to fall, cheer and cry for. Love it!

From page one of the first book I was hooked, and I am not disappointed in the least by the second in the series. The author has a wonderful writing style, the city and the characters come to life. The fantasy elements are not only well done, but are actually believable. I would cheerfully recommend this book to anyone I know. The characters are interesting, deep and lovable, or love to hate in the case of the bad guys. I can't wait to read the third book!