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.

Yes, I truly like this serie. As it happened with the first one, I found this book fascinating. I like the idea of two sides of the zodiac, one light and another shadows, and that they have to work for the balance. Is like the topic of good and evil but with some new twist added on the middle. I also liked the fact that the main character, Joanna, is a little of both sides, and she can choose in what side to be. I liked it, because the other ones where born to be light or to be shadow, without being able to chose.

I also like the character of the Tulpa, who's created from the mind of another one and makes himself into an independent being.

All in all, is a nice book to read, and I enjoyed the fact that Joanna, as happened a priori on the first book, has to accept who she is now before asking for acceptance between her comrades. Even to the point of leaving behind all she has so she can be who she really is.

The only thing that bugged me a little was her narrowmindness on vengeance. I found myself getting a little tired of her and Joaquim, who she is bent to destroy without anything else making her think twice about it until... (no, no spoilers).

All in all i'm still enjoying this series as much as when I started reading it, so I want to read the third one!!!

I just loved the "different" feel of this book... I found myself surprised by several twists and turns along the way... not just an old predictable read. I couldn't put it down!

This series so far is like junk food. It's not really filling, but you can't help yourself from coming back for more. In this book we see Joanna do more of what she does best: mope, brood, get angry, & generally not be a team player. It would get annoying, except it is so much fun to watch her act this way & all things considering, it's not entirely unreasonable for her to act this way. However, the one complaint I do have is that there has been no development in Joanna's maturity level. I do understand that it takes time to win over people (especially when they start off disliking her), but she doesn't seem to really understand the whole teamwork thing. Still, that is a huge plot point in the book that propels the events in the end of the book, so I guess we should just trust Pettersson to keep up the good work. Each book of hers gets better than the last one & I'm looking forward to the next book.

Well I fell in love with the idea, it so could be happening on some realm. The second was still struggles for our heroine and yet satisfaction and anxiety at whats to come next. I know that I like a book when I get frustrated and am yelling at the characters and then when its over I can't get the next one for months!!

These two books I have read and would recommend to anyone who has an interest in the supras of the world, old and new. One thing I really cant wrap my head around.. is the way she had to take the body of her dead sister and become her. Im waiting to see the action between her and the evil chick that took her boyfriend before all this happened and what about the baby???

OH dont make my heart wait.. well too long anyway. Oh and what about some payback for her newly found out not dad? The plots thicken and I'm ready.

This is a perfect continuation of The Archer Saga. I found myself glued to my couch, transfixed, and in the end - transformed. I recommend this highly, and hope you enjoy it as much as I did too.

_The Taste of Night_ begins a few months after _The Scent of Shadows_ ended, at a charity date auction where Joanna, masquerading as Olivia, meets a man who gloats that he's uncovered Joanna's secret identity. A fierce battle ensues, breaking the tenuous truce between Light and Shadow, and Joanna also meets a mysterious young Shadow initiate who may be an unlikely ally, or a secret enemy.

I'm really beginning to get a headache trying to keep track of who knows what information about Joanna's identity. Let me see if I've got this straight: The Shadows know the Archer is Joanna, but most of them don't know she's going around as Olivia now. Meanwhile, the heroes of Light know the Olivia identity, but most of them don't realize it's really Joanna. (Despite the fact that the comics call her Joanna.) I can't believe any superhero or supervillain worth his or her salt could miss these connections. It seems way too obvious. As poignant as the Joanna-as-Olivia plotline was in _Scent of Shadows_, it may be time for Joanna to take on a new persona now, because it suspends disbelief to the breaking point that Joanna's identity continues to be a "secret."

Anyway, Joanna's new Shadow acquaintance tips Joanna off to a diabolical plot being hatched by the villains, but Joanna can't figure out how to tell her own troop about it without revealing her illicit battle or her even-more-illicit chat with the Shadow agent.

I began to lose a lot of sympathy for Joanna in this book. Her silence was costly, and her singleminded obsession with her rapist, Joaquin, caused her to lose both common sense and any team spirit she might have had. ("We might have needed you!" complains Warren when Joanna dropped off the radar for a while. "I was safe," is Joanna's only response. Not a thought for anyone else.) She always had an acid tongue, and it gets worse here. I cheered Tekla when she told Joanna not to use her Shadow side as an excuse to be a jerk. Throughout _The Taste of Night_, Joanna shows an selfish, immature streak a mile wide. Hunter, too, displays behavior more appropriate to a high school student than to a grown man.

Might I also add that getting the "aureole" is starting to seem too easy? It was presented in _Scent of Shadows_ as an unusual event. Now it seems like Joanna gets it way too often.

Hopefully, the unsympathetic Joanna is on her way out and a newer, more mature one in the making. The events at the end of the novel show that she is beginning to consider her actions a bit more, to think of others, and to embrace goals other than revenge. I'll be waiting for the third book, and hoping.

The second book continues not too long after the first, and Joanna Archer here is out to take revenge on Joaquin, the Shadow agent that assaulted her as a kid.

The tone is the same as the first :

"His curiosity didn't surprise me. I was something new, after all. Something spoken about in the superhero mythology and written about in our texts, but that no one on either side of the Zodiac had ever seen before. I was the first star sign who'd ever been both Shadow and Light, the person our mythology called the Kairos, and the fulcrum upon which the supernatural fates hinged. Basically I could tip the metaphysical scales in the favor of whatever side I chose, Shadow or Light, which made me a valuable commodity in the paranormal world."

Or so she finds out. the Changeling protector children and psychic recordkeepers of the Zodiac, based at the local comic shop, of course, which is pretty funny.

A little bit faster paced, a little more amusing, and more action as she goes from auctioning herself for charity in her Olivia guise, to superhero training, mass swinger balls and attempting to assassinate her enemies. Not to mention a confrontation with her mystic evil unreal real father.

Again, another entertaining and at times brutal superhero novel.

With the worldbuilding that dragged the first book down out of the way, Petterson really picks up the pace in Taste of the Night. There is a good amount of action and Petterson did do a good job at fleshing out some of the Joanna's relationships. Joanna comes to an understanding with Hunter. She also has a chance to interact more with her father and was quite interesting.

I still had problems through most of the book with the main character. I found Joanna/Olivia quite frustrating and at time not a very sympathetic character. She tended to act on impulse without thinking things through and does a great deal of damage to the members of her team and to the innocents she's supposed to be protecting. She is self-centered and murderous, and extremely focused on vengence. She is oftern more dark than light and sometimes its is pretty hard to tell this heroine from the bad guys. She does go through a maturing at the climax, so I hoping that the this will make her more palatable in the next book.

'The Scent of Shadows' was Vicki Pettersson's debut novel and the first book in the 'Signs of the zodiac'-series. It introduced the characters and the premise of the fight of good versus evil through 12 Agents of Light and 12 Shadow Agents, one for each sign of the zodiac. Every major city has their own teams of agents, and this series is about those of Las Vegas.
In the first novel, Joanna Archer lost her old life and the people in it when she turned 25, the age when agents go through a metamorphosis that sets their powers free. Her situation was special since her mother was on the side of light, while her father is the leader of the dark side. So she has inherited powers from both parents and according to ancient prophesy, she will play a decisive role in the battle between good and evil. While the shadow zodiac would like to make her join them, her fellow fighters for good don't really trust her because of her mixed heritage. In this situation, she is bent on revenge against a shadow agent who raped her as a teenager. Her best chance to do so seems to be a deal with Regan, a 24-year-old shadow zodiac who hasn't come into her powers yet. But not all is as it seems and the price she has to pay for going behind the backs of her comrades is high. The shadow zodiacs want to kill all their opponents and don't mind killing innocents to achieve their goals. Not only Joanne will have to decide whose side she's on and who to trust...
'The scent of shadows' is a worthy follow-up to the first part of the series. It has the same mixture of an intelligent and original story with great action scenes, a sense of humour, and emotional depth. I think this is one of those novels that are even more fun when you read them for the second time, because some things seemed flawed and began to make sense / be great as the novel continued. The heroine is strong and intelligent, but also has flaws and doesn't always do the right thing. I appreciate this, since I prefer realistic mixed characters to clicheed heroes or villains who are completely good or bad. The result is that you can't always be completely on her side since Joanna makes mistakes and goes through a learning process. Don't let this stop you from reading (on), Joanna's development is very interesting and convincing. At first also I thought there were some logical weaknesses, especially regarding the 'secret' of Joanna's identity. But the solution made it clear that in context it all made sense. So after I finished it, I felt it was as good as the 1st book and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes intelligent dark fantasy like Kim Harrison or also Charlaine Harris (+ action scenes). I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of Vicky Pettersson's novels!

HI, Vicki - if you need a Medical Advisor for the series, let me know. My wife and I met you at the McCarron Airport at your book signing last month. We talked to you about real estate in Las Vegas - and I had my picture taken with you. My wife's the redhead who took the picture..Ken.. I love the books!!!

I loved the first book of this series, so I was very excited when the second came out. The Taste of Night did not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The plot was so interesting and original. I didn't want to put it down! I like the idea of having each book be a fulfullment of the "signs" of the Karios. This book dealt a lot with resolving the Joaquin angle, and I liked how it played out. I know several reviewers comment on how often Joanna messes things up, but I think it's a nice touch that even though she's the big bad Kairos, she's still new to this life and needs help.

If you liked the first book, you'll love this one even more! Brilliant writing and great characters. You won't want the book to end!

I enjoyed the first book immensely. This installment was not quite as good, but it makes me want to read the next in the series. The lead character gets her butt kicked a little too much to have all these super-powers in my opinion...but that seems to be the norm lately in the superhero genre. It is reminiscent of the early Anita Blake books before Ms. Hamilton, turned them into soft-core porn! It has plenty of action, and that is what I read these types of books for.

Really liked the first book. While it wasn't perfect, it had much promise and was a unique story, and I was excited to read the 2nd book. But Book 2 is awful. The story is a mishmash with too many unbelieveable threads. One minute it's imperative she keep her cover secret; the next minute it's no longer an important part of the story. The main character makes idiotic choices, not just once but again and again. I read the whole book, hoping it would redeem itself at the end. Unfortunately, it did not. I won't be reading a book 3 if there is one. Very disappointing. I gave it 2 stars because while the character really was too dumb to live, the book itself was fairly well written.

Vicki Pettersson's 2nd entry in the Sign of the Zodiac series has some great moments, especially the ones that reveal more of the secrets of the Zodiac universe, scenes in the secret sanctuary, and ones featuring JoAnn's interactions with the people in her life who are 'normals.' However, there are too many long descriptive passages that do little to advance the plot or characterizations. The whole superhero concept Pettersson's mapped out is entertaining, and the book in general is a page-turner. I just happened to skim some of the more redundant parts, and there were a few more redundant parts than I would've liked.

I was entertained, and will be back.

For the most part I enjoyed the series. However, the story did get a little repetitive.

I loved the first book and was looking forward to a really good read with the second. What a let down. I found myself getting more depressed as I progressed through each chapter. The ending was so bleak.

The author had one of the best ideas for a paranormal storyline that I have read recently. She really, really came up with a great idea. It's interesting and she has good supporting cast and villains. So, why two stars? The writing of the main character is just pathetic. By the time that I was drug through one too many iterations of her moaning and moping for the "love of her life" I just couldn't stand it any longer.

Now, this may be good stuff for the Romance crowd and if that works for you then enjoy the books. I just can't stand someone who is so strong and defiant about why she can't be controlled by anything continually mope over some guy who she hadn't seen in years and then is suddenly in flames over after a brief visit. Weak minded drivel that belittles the intellect of an otherwise tolerable main character.

After having read The Scent of Shadows, The Scent of Shadows (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 1), I instantly felt the need to find out what happens next. The Taste of Night tells the continuing tale of Jo, a tough, sassy lady with a load of attitude and issues. How to kick butt? How to prove her worth to the troop? How to gain their trust? Not to mention dealing with her estranged (deranged) father and the memories of a life left behind. The story takes many interesting and enthralling twists and turns and I have to admit that I didn't totally see the ending. In all a great read and I can not wait to see what happens next.

I bought the first and second book in this series on the strength of previous reviews. "The Scent of Shadows" was a 4 star book for originality and pacing, a better read than this second in the series. With the second book, Ms. Pettersson seems to be running out of steam already. Her premise wears mighty thin as the supposedly brilliant and dedicated enemies of "the light" can't figure out the amazingly obvious artifice of "the Archer's" fake identity. And we're treated to a seemingly endless cycle of repetitive actions and last minute rescues of her heroine. How many times can the same thing happen in one book?

Having said that, I didn't hate the book; it's a decent light read, but I'm not sure I'd pick up the third installment.

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

A CK2S Recommended Read!

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.

I had my problems with the first book, but overall I was excited by what I thought would be a great supernatural series, with a snarky non-cookie cutter heroine. Mainly, I thought Ms. Pettersson could have benefited from the use of a good editor. But this new book was a disappointment. The heroine has become Too Depressing To Live. As another reviewer pointed out, absolutely nothing good seems to happen, and while I like my dose of reality, this was way too much. I can't help but think that I would have liked this book more if it was released in winter, but with all this sunshine and blue skies, it was just a complete downer.

The action is non stop from page 1. Its feels like you've run a couple of miles by the time its over. Great plots with lots of curves.

Better by leaps and bounds than the 1st one. I had a problem with character interaction and likeability in the first book, Scent of Shadows, most of those problems were corrected with this one. The story seemed to have more thought and planning before pen went to paper. It flowed more easily and I had no problem at all sticking with it. I actually had a hard time putting it down, much to my surprise. Jo/Olivia continues to be a strong main character, and I'm glad to see her growing past the snarky, angry, I am an island mind set to see she does need those around her as much as they need her, maybe more. I will definitely purchase the next one when it's released.

The 2nd Sign of the Zodiac: The Taste of the Night was absolutely bitchin! The story picks up about 6 months after the 1st book, and things are eriely quiet in Las Vegas, until a plague is washed over the city killing thousands. Joanna aka Olivia knows how it is being spread and its connected to her letting a Shadow initate go free. But it came with a promise that Joanne couldn't resist, Joaquin's whereabouts, but Joanne cannot beleive that this Regan would betray the Shadows, but she doesn't kill her yet. Other problems occur with Joanne's love life that include her former loveer, Ben and her new and yet complicated flame, Hunter. With many twists and turns and betrayals this book let alone this series is a fresh new hit to hit the shelves. Looking forward to the next book and can only hope that there may be more than 3 since there is mention of the 3 signs of the zodiac. Overall a killer book and a must read, but read the First Sign of the Zodiac: The Scent of Shadows, first, b/c otherwise things might be confusing.

Well I loved this book. The main character's vulnerabilities make her real to me and sometimes I laughed out loud at her mistakes because if I were in her position, I'd do the same exact thing! Her tale is fascinating, full of action and emotion all leading to an ending that left me satisfied, but aching for more all at the same time. I cannot wait for book three!

I have read both of the books in this series. Now, let me tell you. The first book began with some promise. I truly enjoyed the idea of "super heroes" working in Las Vegas against the forces of evil. Hoorah! I realize that becoming a super hero must be hard work especially when you are "special" and are thus the odd one out and doesn't really fit in anywhere blah blah blah. The point? I liked the first book.

Then I read the second book. It started off all right and had some interesting plot twists and turns. Now, I am not going to divulge any of the plot, but if you could bottle misery and put it in a book, this would be the book! Nothing good EVER happens to this girl. NOTHING. EVER. Her life spirals into a black abyss from which she never emerges. Things just get worse and worse and WORSE if possible. There really aren't any laughs in the book, just serious abject unhappiness and misery for our heroine. Honestly. I was depressed by the time I finished it and vowed not to read the next book in the series.

The end.

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 and personal desires sometimes collide. She's growing as she makes tough decisions. The other superheroes from her troop are also beginning to be more than just paper tigers. It's a pleasure to see how their lives and personalities unfold.

The plot is also more interesting and less convoluted than the first book. "Taste" is a fantasy with bits of mystery successfully embedded. The directness and swift movement of the plot make "Taste" much harder to put down than "Scent." Like me, you may find yourself reading it in one sitting, so reserve some time before you get started.

One negative is that the plague itself probably would not stand up to the scrutiny of an epidemiologist, but the twist is definitely one worthy of "Sin City."

Worldbuilding, key to any good fantasy, is also much stronger in "Taste." I'm particularly fascinated by Pettersson's notion that comic books are the actual history of superheroes' lives. Joanna's interactions with the denizens of a comic book store are some of the best in the book.

It appears that "Taste" is not getting the kind of media push that "Scent" received. My one marker is the place that the book holds in the new books rack at my local bookstore. Some of you may not know that these spaces are purchased by the publishers in the major chains and the closer to eye-level and center, the better. "Taste" was on one of the lower rows. I'm hoping that the initial push for "Scent" will carry the book in momentum. The third sign of the Zodiac promises to be even stronger than the the first two.

One thing to note, "Taste" is definitely on the fantasy end of the fantasy-paranormal romance spectrum. While there is sexual content in this book, it is not treated in the same manner as a paranormal romance would be.

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!

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!

Joanna Archer was a mortal until her third life cycle and then she metamorphosed into a superhero, a member of Zodiac Troop 175 which consists of twelve members each a sign of the zodiac; Joanna is the Archer. Her troopers don't entirely trust her for two reasons. The first she is the fulcrum and depending on which side she belongs to, the light or the shadow, that side will win. The second reason is she is the Kairos a being of dark and light and while she sides with the light, the shadow inherited by her father the Tulpa wants to lure her to be one of their own.

When she runs into a Shadow being, she worries her that his group has a weapon that will destroy her troop and mortals as well. She kills him and Rachel a shadow initiate, ready to undergo her metamorphous soon doesn't try to stop her but kisses and warns her not to go to the troop's sanctuary. At a fireworks show, a plague is released in the Las Vegas area killing people in horrific numbers. Joanna has to find the antidote but to do that she will have to deal with her father who she has never seen and who has the ability to crush her.

THE TASTE OF NIGHT is supernatural fantasy at its very best. Vicki Petterson knows how to create flawed characters that feel realistic, even the support cast of the light who make mistakes but keep their mission on track. The heroine has to deal with a dual heritage of Light and Shadow leading to nobody knowing how to relate with her because one such as her has never been born before.

Harriet Klausner

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!

If you want to know what Paris Hilton would be like as a super hero read this book. I read the previous book and loved it but in this book Jo has turned into a air head. She is constantly being saved from some mess she's gotten into.I certainly wouldn't want to be a an innocent by stander around her because innocents are dropping like flies. What type of super hero is she? What really bugged me about this book was she never follows through with or defended her plans. She was just a bubble head through out the book. I will still buy the next book everyone makes mistakes. Buy the book because you'll need it to follow the storyline in future books.