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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
I picked this up at a book sale with no idea what to expect, and found myself enjoying it significantly. I've never been to Vegas, so don't have a perspective on that as the setting, but I've always been fascinated by the urban fantasy idea of supernatural beings/agents living alongside mortals, being forced into constant damage control to keep mortals from realizing their existence.
Battle between agents of the Light and the Dark, with our heroine as the bringer of both Light & Dark (or Shadow as Vicki calls it in the book) - it's got Las Vegas as a back drop - which is fitting since I started the year off going to Las Vegas. I liked the play on astrology and want to see where this series goes.
dark
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
What's in a name?
I read Pettersson's first Zodiac novel, expecting a somewhat standard urban fantasy--especially since it was being hyped by Kim Harrison, a heavyweight in the field.
The novel has many of the now standard bits found in the urban fantasy genre:
--gritty, wisecracking female protagonist
--a heady mix of humor, fast-paced action, and a sprinkling of romance (perhaps due to the high percentage of female readers of this genre?)
--secret societies at war in an unsuspecting world
--a protagonist that goes through extreme suffering, only to come out on top in the end
So why does this book feel different somehow? I think it has to do mainly with Pettersson's choice of words, one word in particular. About halfway through the novel, as Joana begins to learn about her powers and birthright (another standard), the word gets used for the first time--superhero.
Huh? Usually it's werewolf, vampire, sorcerer, or something of the sort. Not superhero. In fact, if you merely replaced the word superhero with something else, I might not have even noticed a difference. Sure, some geeks in the book create comic books about these super-powerful characters, but if they weren't called superheroes, I don't think I would've thought anything of it.
But once superhero gets bandied about, it changed the "feel" of the novel for me. It felt more over the top, technicolored and cliched. Silly, I know. I've read a slew of novels recently and not blinked with vampire or werewolf characters in an urban setting. Why does this change things?
I'm not sure.
Did I enjoy the novel? Yeah, I did. Pettersson's writing is strong, and some of the choices she made surprised me. Other aspects were fairly standard, but don't we read these books expecting comfort from their familiarity?
Overall, it was a good novel. Will I read the next? I'm not sure. The urban fantasy field is so damn crowded, I can't read too many before getting burned out. We shall see.
I read Pettersson's first Zodiac novel, expecting a somewhat standard urban fantasy--especially since it was being hyped by Kim Harrison, a heavyweight in the field.
The novel has many of the now standard bits found in the urban fantasy genre:
--gritty, wisecracking female protagonist
--a heady mix of humor, fast-paced action, and a sprinkling of romance (perhaps due to the high percentage of female readers of this genre?)
--secret societies at war in an unsuspecting world
--a protagonist that goes through extreme suffering, only to come out on top in the end
So why does this book feel different somehow? I think it has to do mainly with Pettersson's choice of words, one word in particular. About halfway through the novel, as Joana begins to learn about her powers and birthright (another standard), the word gets used for the first time--superhero.
Huh? Usually it's werewolf, vampire, sorcerer, or something of the sort. Not superhero. In fact, if you merely replaced the word superhero with something else, I might not have even noticed a difference. Sure, some geeks in the book create comic books about these super-powerful characters, but if they weren't called superheroes, I don't think I would've thought anything of it.
But once superhero gets bandied about, it changed the "feel" of the novel for me. It felt more over the top, technicolored and cliched. Silly, I know. I've read a slew of novels recently and not blinked with vampire or werewolf characters in an urban setting. Why does this change things?
I'm not sure.
Did I enjoy the novel? Yeah, I did. Pettersson's writing is strong, and some of the choices she made surprised me. Other aspects were fairly standard, but don't we read these books expecting comfort from their familiarity?
Overall, it was a good novel. Will I read the next? I'm not sure. The urban fantasy field is so damn crowded, I can't read too many before getting burned out. We shall see.
Review is here: http://ticon4.com/2011/02/review-the-scent-of-shadows-by-vicki-pettersson/
This book started out with some interesting ideas and character development but fizzled quickly. In the first few chapters we are introduced to Joanna who is coming of age in a supernatural way. Then, she hides out in a sanctuary for nearly the entire remainder of the book! Basically talking incomprehensible mytho-babble and contemplating her navel. I couldn't even finish the book - I was so bored by the time she finally planned to face the bad guys that I didn't even care how `the big battle' turned out and I just closed the book without reading it.
I came "this close" to giving this book 5 stars, but it takes a lot for me to go there, and I couldn't quite. I seriously wish I could give 4.5 stars here, because I would for this book.
It's urban fantasy, quite dark, yet still has a few laugh-out-loud lines. It's gripping from the get-go, and now that I'm done, I'm thrilled to see that books 2, 3, and 4 have also been published.
It's urban fantasy, quite dark, yet still has a few laugh-out-loud lines. It's gripping from the get-go, and now that I'm done, I'm thrilled to see that books 2, 3, and 4 have also been published.
I really enjoyed this book, despite the slow start and occasional annoyance at the missing info that we're meant to backfill about Joanna's history. An interesting concept too, as well as a difficult position for our protagonist to be in, poor thing!
I'm hoping the next book will fill in even more if Joanna's past.
I'm hoping the next book will fill in even more if Joanna's past.
I love that this book is different from the typical paranormal romance coming out recently. The idea of super heroes and parallel universes is great and refreshingly unique. I enjoyed reading about a heroine coming into her power, embracing both the dark and light inside of her. The only small problem is that the beginning of the book is a little slow and a bit depressing. I hope the rest of the series continues along the lines of finding more zodiac signs and training new people, yet I doubt it will happen, it seems like you have to wait for the young trainees to grow up before any other signs can be added. I definitely recommend this book, this is a great new series unlike any of the paranormal romance books I have read recently.
This was better than I'd anticipated. Free book. The bonus material wasn't for book 2; it's book 5. I was about 6 pages in realizing the backstory really did cones from material after the first book.
Many shades of Harry Dresden here. The parts that aren't were pretty good. I'm not sure why the Tulpa acted the way it did at the end. It didn't seem in character. Joanna has so many advantages that hinder her. Is her disguise really a disguise? Clark Kent was less recognizable as Superman than Joanna and her "alter ego."
Future ponderance: why is Xavier's last name Archer? Coincidence? I must have missed what happened to him as well.
Many shades of Harry Dresden here. The parts that aren't were pretty good. I'm not sure why the Tulpa acted the way it did at the end. It didn't seem in character. Joanna has so many advantages that hinder her. Is her disguise really a disguise? Clark Kent was less recognizable as Superman than Joanna and her "alter ego."
Future ponderance: why is Xavier's last name Archer? Coincidence? I must have missed what happened to him as well.