Review ~*~ The Scent of Shadows by Vicki Pettersson

Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Eos (February 27, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060898917
ISBN-13: 978-0060898915

I bought this book last year at a charity sale and it sat on my book shelf because all my local book stores did not have the following books in the series. I decided to read it for the new author challenge I'm participating in. I absolutely loved it! I loved the main character of Joanna Archer. She was feisty, spunky and intelligent. I really like how a lot of the female characters in urban fantasy/paranormal romance are portrayed as strong, independent, intelligent, spunky and feisty women.

Vicki Pettersson has totally broken away from the typical urban fantasy world. I was so shocked reading it that I had to re-read parts because I just wanted to make sure what I had read happened. I believe this is what makes a good writer when you have readers in disbelief! Joanna, the main character, comes to realize that she's part of an underground group of individuals that help keep Las Vegas safe. She is in fact the Archer of the Zodiac Troop of Light. There are two zodiac troops of tweleve one is Light (the good) and the other is Dark (the bad). Joanna's mother was a Light Zodiac and her father was a Dark Zodiac. She is a prized warrior in her own right and the first of her kind. The book is her transformation from Joanna the photographer to Joanna the warrior.

There was a bit of romance but honestly it could have been taken out and it would not have made much of a differnce . I kept hoping that Joanna would go back to Ben but it never happened. I will keep reading to see if she goes back to Ben in future books. Perhaps, this was her way to get readers to read more. Give us a little bit of romance and dangle it on a stick.

This book is definitely more urban fantasy than paranormal romance. Since the romance was only a tiny part of the story. The dark and mysterious world was too hard and gritty to lend itself to much romance.

It is so hard for me to review this book without giving too much of the plot away. It is such a balance between a book review and a book report. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of Kim Harrison's series The Hollows. The writing of the alternate world is lush and full of description that makes you feel that you are there. I was never guessing of what exactly this "other" world looked like. The secondary characters were well introduced with a lot of room to get to know them better in future books.

The first novel in a series is usually hit or miss. JR Ward Dark Lover, was one that I didn't really like but continued to read the other books in the series which I'm glad I did. With The Scent of the Zodiac I will want to re-read it before I read the second book, since there is just so much description and so much going on that I felt like I missed things. I think with a second go of the novel I will enjoy it even better. For a first novel in a series I think it was better than most first novels. It was well paced and action packed. A good mix between dialogue, description and suspense. I gave it because I do like a little more romance in my books.