The Touch of Twilight: The Third Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Super Heroes, Sign of the Zodiac

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: On the surface she's a sexy, sophisticated socialite, at home among the beautiful people of the Las Vegas upper crust. But Joanna Archer inhabits another world: a place ordinary humans cannot see . . . a dangerous dimension where an eternal battle rages between the agents of Light and Shadow. And Joanna is both.  Stalked by an enigmatic doppelganger from a preternatural realm, Joanna can feel the Light failing—which is propelling her toward a terrifying confrontation with the ultimate master of evil, the dark lord of Shadow: her father. Vegas is all about winning big . . . or losing everything. To save her friends, her future, her worlds, Joanna Archer must gamble it all by fully embracing the darkness inside her.

This is the third book in the Sign of the Zodiac series. Where this story goes with Joanna has the ups and downs. Watching her deal with watching Ben while Hunter keeps trying to get her attention, was a great love triangle. Her learning more about her daughter that she thought she didn’t want to know anything about. You can understand the why behind it and yet it is still hard to experience through Jo’s eyes. It makes you want to help her through the rough times. I'm really interested in seeing where this will go in the next book, City of Souls.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 0060898933

Pages: 416

Series: Sign of the Zodiac

Volume: 3

The Taste of Night: The Second Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Super Heroes, Sign of the Zodiac

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Equal parts Light and Shadow, Joanna Archer must fulfill a destiny she never wanted. Once a photographer and heiress to a casino fortune, she is now dedicated to the cause of good . . . but susceptible to the seductions of evil. A deadly virus is descending on Las Vegas-a terrifying plague unleashed by the powerful overlord of Zodiac's dark side: Joanna's father. Chaos and panic grip Sin City as agents of Light fall prey to the terrifying epidemic. Death reigns supreme-and Joanna stands at dead center of an epic and terrible war long foretold, the last hope of a damned world. But first she must somehow conquer the malevolence that grows all around her . . . and within.

This is the second book of the Sign of the Zodiac series. Joanna’s story continues to bring up old wounds. Even though she is becoming more comfortable in her role both in her new life and with her troop, she still has much to learn. Again Vicki brings a new look to Sin City. I love how dark that it can seem. And the scenes at the Comic shop remind me of my high school days when I used to hang out at my local comic shop. I loved reading this book as I could really put myself into the story. I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series, The Touch of Twilight.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 0060898925

Pages: 448

Series: Sign of the Zodiac

Volume: 2

The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison

Genre: Young Adult

Sub Genre: Fantasy; Magic, Animal Magic, Beauty and the Beast, Retelling, Fairy Tale

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Beauty and the Beast retold – but the Beast is a woman. He is a prince and heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the forbidden animal magic. She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from all except her hound. In this lush and beautifully written fairy-tale romance, a prince, a princess, and two kingdoms are joined in the aftermath of a war. Proud, stubborn, and bound to marry for duty, George and Beatrice will steal your heart – but will they fall in love?

This retelling puts the story of Beauty and the Beast on its head. It is deeply set with magic from the beginning. The story is mostly told from George’s point of view. He is first scared of his own magic and of anyone finding out. Then he meets Beatrice whom he finds to be intriguing with her hound, Marit. There are a few twists to this story that make for good reading. I found that it was a very magical story. I liked it and will be reading the sequel, The Princess and the Bear.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 006113189X

Pages: 432

Series: Princess Series

Volume: 1

Dayhunter by Jocelynn Drake

Genre: Urban Fantasy; Vampires & Hunters

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: A new day dawns blood red… A master of fire, Mira is the last hope for the world. For centuries she has secretly enforced the history-altering edicts of the Triad. Now she and her unlikely ally – the human vampire hunter, Danaus – have come to Venice, home of the nightwalker rulers. But there is no safety in the ancient city, for the threat of conflict is in the wind… with unholy alliances and earth-shattering betrayals taking hideous form in the shadows. Banished for eons beyond the world’s boundaries, the malevolent nature prepare to feed once again upon a vulnerable earth – and treachery is opening wide the portal that will enable their dread re-emergence. The great battle that has always been Mira’s destiny is looming, and she must remain powerful in the face of a shocking revelation: that Danaus, the only creature she dares to trust, is something more than the man he claims to be…

                                               

This is the second book in the Dark Days series. The best way to read this is right after reading the first book. Because there is little time from where the one ended to the beginning of this one. Mira is a spit fire as always. I did feel for her when she did the two things she swore that she’d never do. But it made a great conflict. Meeting the Coven reminded me of every nightmare about vampires that I know about. It was great creepy factor to the whole story. I am very curious if in the next book we will learn more about Mira’s past. Or if Mira is ever going to tell Danaus what he truly is. I loved it when they talk as they have their understanding and yet they are becoming friends. I can’t wait to read the next one in this edge of your seat story, Dawnbreaker.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 0061542830

Pages: 368

Series: Dark Days

Volume: 2

The Scent of Shadows: The First Sign of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Super Heroes, Sign of the Zodiac

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: When she was sixteen, Joanna Archer was brutally assaulted and left to die in the Nevada desert. By rights, she should be dead. Now a photographer by day, she prowls a different Las Vegas after sunset -- a grim, secret Sin City where Light battles Shadow -- seeking answers to whom or what she really is . . . and revenge for the horrors she was forced to endure. But . . . the nightmare is just beginning . . . for the demons are hunting . . . Joanna . . . and . . . the powerful shadows want her . . . for their own . . .

Joanna Archer is your dark history strong heroine, my favorite kind. She holds to her own ideals and follows her gut. This is an amazing world that she finds herself a part of. There are many different characters that you aren’t sure which side they are really on but it all comes together. I can't wait to see where this world is going to go. I am so looking forward to reading the next book, The Taste of Night.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 0060898917

Pages: 464

Series: Sign of the Zodiac

Volume: 1

Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake

Genre: Urban Fantasy; Vampires & Hunters

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: She rules the night… For centuries Mira has been a nightwalker – an unstoppable enforcer for a mysterious organization that manipulates earth-shaking events from the darkest shadows. But elemental mastery over fire sets her apart from others of her night-prowling breed…and may be all that prevents her doom. The foe she now faces is human: the vampire hunter called Danaus, who has already destroyed so many undead. For Mira, the time has come to hunt … or be hunted.

Mira is one of my favorite kinds of characters. She is very dynamic and makes it so that the story can bloom. And the way this is written you have no chance to even guess what is truly happening because when you think you know everything about the characters they turn around and do something totally different. I love that it keeps you on your toes. Danaus is so mysterious and tortured. His racism towards vampires is quite epic. The line that Mira and him draw is a very unlikely pairing but they make a great team. I love how they both think alike in their fighting. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Daywalker.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 0061542776

Pages: 384

Series: Dark Days

Volume: 1

Dark Time by Dakota Banks

Genre: Urban Fantasy; Immortals, Demons, Mortal Path

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Three hundred years ago, she sold her soul to a demon. Now she wants it back. For centuries, the woman calling herself Maliha Crayne has lived a second life—as an assassin for the malevolent creature who owns her soul. A haunted killer with the blood of countless victims on her hands, she has finally discovered a way to nullify the demonic pact that chains her: If she saves a life for every one she has taken, she will be free. But if she fails, her punishments will be unspeakable, unendurable . . . and neverending.

This is the first book in the Mortal Path series. Maliha made a deal with a demon so that she may live after being falsely accused of witchcraft. After fighting for years she learns that she can change her ways. Now she works to go against the demon who is waiting for her to fail. The story is a little jumpy when we see things that happen in the past to present. But it all works together. Maliha is a great character as you watch her from the very beginning to what she is now trying to do. The supporting cast are also very well written. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading the next one, Sacrifice.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 0061687308

Pages: 320

Series: Mortal Path

Volume: 1

Unbound by Kim Harrison, Melissa Marr, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, Jocelynn Drake

Genre: Urban Fantasy; Super Heroes, Pixies, Nymphs, Magic, Vampires, Glaistigs

Sub Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Five master of dark fantasy cross the borders between our world and others. Not all hunters are bound by human laws… Revisiting the paranormal realms they’ve made famous in their wildly popular fiction. New York Times bestselling authors Kim Harrison, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Pettersson, and Jocelynn Drake – plus New York Times bestselling YA Melissa Marr with her first adult supernatural thriller – unleash their full arsenal of dark talents, plunging us into the shadows where the supernatural stalk the unsuspecting… and every soul is a target. Get ready for the ride of your life – because the widest magic has just been unleashed… and evil is about to have its day.

This is an anthology of some of the bestselling authors in Urban Fantasy. We get to have a short story for Jenks, Bones, J.J., and Mira. I’m not going into them only as they are short stories and I don’t want to give anything away. These stories also fall under other series like the first in the Night Huntress - Complete World by Jeaniene Frost, 7.5 for the Hollows by Kim Harrison, 4.5 Signs of the Zodiac by Vicki Pettersson,  0.7 Dark Days by Jocelynn Drake. One of the things that I really liked was that there are some that are connected to the series that the writers have already begun. I really love this book and hope they do another one.

Publisher: EOS

ISBN: 0061699934

Pages: 368

Series:

Volume: