booklvrkat's review against another edition
5.0
Amazing! Well done ending to a wonderful series Vicki. I am proud to call you neighbor!
lalabristow's review against another edition
4.0
4&1/2 out of 5 stars!
*Contain spoilers, if you haven’t read the previous books in the series!
There are some series that just catch you by surprise and before you know it, you are in love, counting the days for the next installment and trolling any site or forum that discusses it.
That was what happened for me when I started reading The Sign of the Zodiac series by Vicki Pettersson. I found out about it by chance and one book in, I was hooked for good and I don’t want to let it go.
Joanna has been a tough chick and a fighter ever since an attack at an early age, changed her life. When she turned 25 she found out that she was not just a girl, but actually a superhero, part of a matriarchal world and society where Light and Shadow have been in war for too long to count. Each city has a troop representing each side of this battle, and each side’s troop has 12 member/spots to be filled, representing the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Their quests, fights and adventures are recorded in comic books and the awareness of children and teens is what keep them alive and strong. Giving something a name, focusing your thought and beliefs into someone or something, give it strength and power.
Joanna is the Archer, the representative of the Sagittarius sign, but she is also daughter of the former Archer of the Light and of a member of the Shadows. That legacy has been foretold and she is believed to be the Kairos, a person who will have both Light and Shadows within and will bring forth portents, signs that will tip the balance in this long lasting war to either the Good or the Bad.
I LOVE the world Vicki has created, it is rich, interesting, fun, full of action and original. I was blown away with this new Installment of one of my favorite series out there.
I missed Joanna so much and I am happy to have her back. In Cheat The Grave, Joanna is mortal and dealing with her powerless state the best way she knows how. She has sacrificed a lot for her beliefs and her former friends and allies have turned their back on her. However, Joanna tries to move on with her life, away from the paranormal world, when a terrible foe shows up, worse then ever, hungry for her flesh, bones and soul.
What’s a girl to do when all that she left behind gives chase and doesn’t want to let her go? Fight with tooth and nails and learn to deal with new surprises and new way of seeing the world, not so much as Light and Shadows, but as Gray and full of more possibilities she had thought before.
“I was Joanna Archer, a mortal with some extra benefits. I had a family of chose friends, who had also chosen me. I was gray, an amalgam of light and shadow, which made me both dawn and dust, and in the world of the Zodiac, that was where the web between reality and its flip side was at its thinnest… and open to pure possibility.”
The only down side was that I missed the superhero Joanna, but my disappointment was short lived, because Joanna Archer is still the same tough chick she has ever been, and even though it took her a while to realize that, the self discovery was interesting.
Cheat The Grave is the perfect addition to The Sign of The Zodiac series, changed leading lady, but full of non-stop action. heart breaking moments and a fast-paced story that will keep you on the edge from beginning to end. Urban Fantasy at its best! If you haven’t read Pettersson’s series, I seriously hope you have a good excuse for it!
*Contain spoilers, if you haven’t read the previous books in the series!
There are some series that just catch you by surprise and before you know it, you are in love, counting the days for the next installment and trolling any site or forum that discusses it.
That was what happened for me when I started reading The Sign of the Zodiac series by Vicki Pettersson. I found out about it by chance and one book in, I was hooked for good and I don’t want to let it go.
Joanna has been a tough chick and a fighter ever since an attack at an early age, changed her life. When she turned 25 she found out that she was not just a girl, but actually a superhero, part of a matriarchal world and society where Light and Shadow have been in war for too long to count. Each city has a troop representing each side of this battle, and each side’s troop has 12 member/spots to be filled, representing the 12 signs of the zodiac.
Their quests, fights and adventures are recorded in comic books and the awareness of children and teens is what keep them alive and strong. Giving something a name, focusing your thought and beliefs into someone or something, give it strength and power.
Joanna is the Archer, the representative of the Sagittarius sign, but she is also daughter of the former Archer of the Light and of a member of the Shadows. That legacy has been foretold and she is believed to be the Kairos, a person who will have both Light and Shadows within and will bring forth portents, signs that will tip the balance in this long lasting war to either the Good or the Bad.
I LOVE the world Vicki has created, it is rich, interesting, fun, full of action and original. I was blown away with this new Installment of one of my favorite series out there.
I missed Joanna so much and I am happy to have her back. In Cheat The Grave, Joanna is mortal and dealing with her powerless state the best way she knows how. She has sacrificed a lot for her beliefs and her former friends and allies have turned their back on her. However, Joanna tries to move on with her life, away from the paranormal world, when a terrible foe shows up, worse then ever, hungry for her flesh, bones and soul.
What’s a girl to do when all that she left behind gives chase and doesn’t want to let her go? Fight with tooth and nails and learn to deal with new surprises and new way of seeing the world, not so much as Light and Shadows, but as Gray and full of more possibilities she had thought before.
“I was Joanna Archer, a mortal with some extra benefits. I had a family of chose friends, who had also chosen me. I was gray, an amalgam of light and shadow, which made me both dawn and dust, and in the world of the Zodiac, that was where the web between reality and its flip side was at its thinnest… and open to pure possibility.”
The only down side was that I missed the superhero Joanna, but my disappointment was short lived, because Joanna Archer is still the same tough chick she has ever been, and even though it took her a while to realize that, the self discovery was interesting.
Cheat The Grave is the perfect addition to The Sign of The Zodiac series, changed leading lady, but full of non-stop action. heart breaking moments and a fast-paced story that will keep you on the edge from beginning to end. Urban Fantasy at its best! If you haven’t read Pettersson’s series, I seriously hope you have a good excuse for it!
kriff08's review against another edition
5.0
So ages ago (like a year or two) I found book one of this series on the library bookshelf and decided to give it a try. A day later I went back and frantically grabbed 2, 3, and 4. I completely binge read those books and if 5 had been there I'd have added that one to the list. Vicki Pettersson is great and the Signs of the Zodiac phenomenal! Olivia/Jo is kick butt! I'd recommend this to anyone, but especially to fans of kick butt heroines like Mercy Thompson, Rachel Morgan, and Kara Gillian to name but a few.
alice2000's review against another edition
4.0
Once again Vicki Pettersson proves what an exceptional writer she is. After the conclusion of the last book and Joanna becoming mortal again I wasn't sure where she would go. The answer is anywhere she wants. While this wasn't a 5 star book for me, there wasn't nearly enough Hunter and I wasn't as on the edge of my seat as I usually am, it was damn close. Cheat the Grave just proves why Pettersson is a immediate buy for me.
When does the sixth sign come out?!
When does the sixth sign come out?!
rainsage's review against another edition
2.0
It's been years since I read the previous Zodiac book and I was looking forward to digging back into this world, but I was really disappointed in the quality of writing. The amount of information that kept getting repeated ad nauseam was shocking and maybe I didn't notice it before in the previous books because I wasn't a writer myself then, but a fair amount of editing could have been done to this novel. I don't know if I'll pick up the next one, maybe if I've got nothing else to read, but it's not high on my priority list.
fromjesstoyou's review
4.0
"4 out of 5 stars! Okay ... yes I skipped over 3 books in this series to read this one and I am happy I did so, especially because it was written in a way that I didn't really need to read the others (unless of course I want to know exactly what happened), since this book could probably stand alone in the way it describes all that has happened to her in recent events. But I liked..."
Read more of this review and a TEASER here: https://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/06/feasted-on-sign-of-zodiac-series-book-5.html
Read more of this review and a TEASER here: https://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/06/feasted-on-sign-of-zodiac-series-book-5.html
glennisleblanc's review
4.0
The fifth book in the series is a turning point in Joanna, at the end of the last book she has given up being the Archer for the Light in order to save a changeling that she had damaged. Now merely mortal the Light troop is ignoring her on the troop leader's orders. Joanna is attacked by someone who has escaped from Midhaven with an ax to grind and Solonge wants her dead as well since it seems she has a soul connection to Hunter due to the magic they shared. The wedding is gearing up and a new allies find her and help her find a new path for herself since she is no longer bound to either Las Vegas or the Light Troop.
The book ends with her finding out more about her mother and what Joanna can do for herself since she is now a rogue agent. The story really feels like it is cranking up as Joanna fulfills the next sign of the prophecy.
The book ends with her finding out more about her mother and what Joanna can do for herself since she is now a rogue agent. The story really feels like it is cranking up as Joanna fulfills the next sign of the prophecy.
klingonpop's review
3.0
5th in the series - It's got a decent premise as far as supernatural type books go. Overall, I've enjoyed the entire series & look forward to the new releases.
Series bonus? It's only ever been released in mass market paperback so you've really got very little to lose if you like the genre.
Series bonus? It's only ever been released in mass market paperback so you've really got very little to lose if you like the genre.
kimberlybea's review
3.0
PLEASE NOTE: This review will contain spoilers from the earlier books in the series.
I know a lot of people were quite disappointed with the direction this series has taken in recent installments, particularly with the loss of Joanna's powers.* I understand where they're coming from, but I withheld judgment until I could see where Pettersson was going. For me, the greatest strength of the series has always been its originality, specifically that it shied away both from paranormal staples such as vampires and the fey and from traditional European mythology, instead using the zodiac and Tibetan myth. And since most paranormal fiction focuses on the supernaturally gifted hero/ine, how much more original is it to make the heroine mortal instead? So while my heart broke when Joanna gave up her powers in book four, she's a real survivor, and I was anxious to see what she could still do.
Which turns out to be quite a lot. In Cheat the Grave, Joanna has completely broken with the Light and joined up with rogue agents calling themselves the Grays, many of whom were formerly allied with the Shadow. She has been betrayed by Warren, the leader of the Light, Midheaven now owns 2/3rds of her soul, and her beloved Hunter is apparently lost to her. So what better time to try and take down her birth father, the immortal Tulpa? It's a good thing even mortal Joanna has a few tricks up her sleeve.
I liked this book, didn't love it, though it definitely piqued my interest in the next book. Unfortunately, Cheat the Grave did more to interest me in its successor than to keep interested in what I was currently reading. Although it's book 5 in the series, in some ways Cheat the Grave felt like the second book in a trilogy, not tying up loose ends so much as establishing the direction Joanna's future adventures will go. The relationship between Joanna and Hunter has not been repaired, but revelations were made that make its future resolution seem possible, if Pettersson should go that way. The Light has dismissed a Power-less Joanna as a worthless Joanna, and Cheat the Grave clearly establishes that she is not. However, except for the awesome denouement, this novel seems curiously lacking in action, which is problematic because a. the series has probably attracted readers due to how action-packed it is and b. it sends the message that as a mortal, Joanna can't kick as much butt. I believe we'll come to find out that's not the case.
One of the great difficulties in creating an original fantasy world is that sometimes there's a thin line separating "original" from "just plain weird." For me, Pettersson's Midheaven was right on that line, and my least favorite parts of the novel were when Joanna visited in her dreams. I just feel like I don't "get" Midheaven, and I want it to give Joanna back her two thirds of a soul. On the other hand, I really love the idea of the "Grays", and enjoyed getting furious at the Light, who rejected Joanna for losing her powers (to save a child, and maybe the city itself). The Shadow didn't get any kinder or gentler, but the Light has clearly been sullied, and Joanna is the only character whose morality I trust.
To sum up, I recommend this series as a whole, particularly if you're looking for an original take on urban fantasy, and Cheat the Grave is a perfectly respectable installment in the series. I hope the next book has the fireworks I was looking for in this one, but in any case, I'll be reading to see where Joanna goes next.
*The author posted on facebook that one of her readers hated book four so much she wanted to burn the first three books in the series. That's taking it way too far!
I know a lot of people were quite disappointed with the direction this series has taken in recent installments, particularly with the loss of Joanna's powers.* I understand where they're coming from, but I withheld judgment until I could see where Pettersson was going. For me, the greatest strength of the series has always been its originality, specifically that it shied away both from paranormal staples such as vampires and the fey and from traditional European mythology, instead using the zodiac and Tibetan myth. And since most paranormal fiction focuses on the supernaturally gifted hero/ine, how much more original is it to make the heroine mortal instead? So while my heart broke when Joanna gave up her powers in book four, she's a real survivor, and I was anxious to see what she could still do.
Which turns out to be quite a lot. In Cheat the Grave, Joanna has completely broken with the Light and joined up with rogue agents calling themselves the Grays, many of whom were formerly allied with the Shadow. She has been betrayed by Warren, the leader of the Light, Midheaven now owns 2/3rds of her soul, and her beloved Hunter is apparently lost to her. So what better time to try and take down her birth father, the immortal Tulpa? It's a good thing even mortal Joanna has a few tricks up her sleeve.
I liked this book, didn't love it, though it definitely piqued my interest in the next book. Unfortunately, Cheat the Grave did more to interest me in its successor than to keep interested in what I was currently reading. Although it's book 5 in the series, in some ways Cheat the Grave felt like the second book in a trilogy, not tying up loose ends so much as establishing the direction Joanna's future adventures will go. The relationship between Joanna and Hunter has not been repaired, but revelations were made that make its future resolution seem possible, if Pettersson should go that way. The Light has dismissed a Power-less Joanna as a worthless Joanna, and Cheat the Grave clearly establishes that she is not. However, except for the awesome denouement, this novel seems curiously lacking in action, which is problematic because a. the series has probably attracted readers due to how action-packed it is and b. it sends the message that as a mortal, Joanna can't kick as much butt. I believe we'll come to find out that's not the case.
One of the great difficulties in creating an original fantasy world is that sometimes there's a thin line separating "original" from "just plain weird." For me, Pettersson's Midheaven was right on that line, and my least favorite parts of the novel were when Joanna visited in her dreams. I just feel like I don't "get" Midheaven, and I want it to give Joanna back her two thirds of a soul. On the other hand, I really love the idea of the "Grays", and enjoyed getting furious at the Light, who rejected Joanna for losing her powers (to save a child, and maybe the city itself). The Shadow didn't get any kinder or gentler, but the Light has clearly been sullied, and Joanna is the only character whose morality I trust.
To sum up, I recommend this series as a whole, particularly if you're looking for an original take on urban fantasy, and Cheat the Grave is a perfectly respectable installment in the series. I hope the next book has the fireworks I was looking for in this one, but in any case, I'll be reading to see where Joanna goes next.
*The author posted on facebook that one of her readers hated book four so much she wanted to burn the first three books in the series. That's taking it way too far!
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