Review & Contest: THE NEON GRAVEYARD by Vicki Pettersson

Today, it’s urban fantasy time—and time to say farewell to the bestselling Signs of the Zodiac series from author Vicki Pettersson. The Neon Graveyard, just out from Harper Voyager, is the sixth and final book in this series that explores the lightness and dark of Las Vegas.

THE OFFICIAL BLURB: Once she was a soldier for the Light, the prophesied savior who would decide the outcome of the eternal conflict raging unseen in the dark corners of her glittering hometown. Now Joanna Archer is just another mortal—still born of an impossible union of Shadow and Light . . . still hunted by both—and carrying the unborn child of a lover held captive by a depraved demon goddess. Joining forces with a band of rogue Shadow agents, Joanna's ready to storm the stronghold of her demonic foe, risking everything to enter this ghastly, godforsaken realm where the price of admission is her eternal soul. Because in a world that has stripped her of her power, identity, and fortune, Joanna has nothing left to lose—except her baby, her future, and the epic war poised to consume the city.

MY THOUGHTS: One of the things I love most about urban fantasy is the wide span of voices and intensities it encompasses, from the light, often playful tone of a Sookie Stackhouse to the dark, witty repartee of Harry Dresden to the sexy practicality of Mercy Thompson to the gritty, kickassitude of early Anita  Blake.

            The Zodiac Series falls squarely in the kickassitude end of the spectrum. The writing is muscular and blunt, the characters unflinching in their willingness to do the hard jobs (without being cartoonish or one-dimensional), the settings gritty and the stakes high. While I hate to see it end, it ends well. It ends in a way that will satisfy fans.

            And in the end, we know that next year, Vicki Pettersson will debut a new Celestial Blues trilogy in a different version of supernatural Vegas.

           

Want to win a copy of The Neon Graveyard: The Final Sign of the Zodiac? Which part of the urban fantasy “spectrum” is your favorite—the light and breezy, the dark and sexy, or the gritty and dangerous? You know the drill: +1 for comment, +1 for blog follow, +1 for Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and +1 for Tweet or Retweet. Ready...aim... comment!