Cheat the Grave
Sign of the Zodiac Series, No. 5

By Vicki Pettersson

        Cheat the Grave by Vicki Pettersson is the fifth book in the Sign of the Zodiac series, a wildly popular dark urban fantasy collection. The heroine, Joanna Archer, is a Las Vegas socialite with ties to a nightmare world to which humans are oblivious. In this installment, the heroine finds herself without her supernatural powers and the target of dark forces.
What makes this series so clever is that it’s not tied to traditional supernatural beings such as vampires and werewolves and the like. Instead, it has comic book themes; there are two sides, light and dark warriors, fighting a war unseen to ordinary mortals. While Joanna evades her hunters, she also forges new relationships and sees things from a different perspective.

This book, in true comic book style storytelling form, is ever unpredictable, which is refreshing for a paranormal novel. Joanna is a memorable character; even without her powers, she has been written with enough depth to fascinate readers. Cheat the Grave is a great addition to this imaginative series.