Rachel B. (montbriac) - reviewed on 6/4/2010 + 10 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 4

Cheat the Grave is stellar addition to one of the most unique, ambitious and vivid urban fantasy series on the market.

Following the portent by trying to avoid it; "Fifth Sign: the Shadow binding with the Light," Joanna Archer discovers what happens when you blend light and shadow to create a new, more balanced reality in shades of grey. Masks are stripped away. Agents shift alliances and grandstand for relevance and there is a new cast of characters including an exceptional individual with wholly unique powers and purpose the like of which I don't think has been seen before.

Cheat the Grave is the most philosophical installment in the series and perhaps that is part of the reason I found it so satisfying because it afforded readers the chance to truly weigh and consider all of the elements that have brought Joanna to this point. One of the mantras in Cheat the Grave is "Losses aren't bad things in themselves. Not as long as you remain open to new sensation." For much of her life Joanna has been a survivor, shaped by events and the choices of others - in the past, the answer for Joanna would have been live up to the destiny that others say is her raison d' etre but now her fate is clearly driven by her own free will and in making this choice, we have a heroine whose power springs from the well of free choice and Joanne owns it all.

Readers should know that there are elements in this installment that link back to Zoe Archer's short story The Harvest which was published in the anthology Holidays are Hell. While the events in that short story are not absolute required reading to follow some of the developments in Cheat the Grave, they do enhance the content and I strongly recommend reading it as a supplemental to contextualize and add dimension.

Vicki Pettersson's writing continues to evolve and impress me by the scope in which she is constructing this series; it is nothing short of epic and her writing is subtly elegant and focused in the delivery. This is a rare balance and much of what makes the Zodiac series such a compelling read.

The only thing missing in this installment was a trip to the Master Comics. The story didn't really lend itself for Jo to stop in and catch-up with the gang at the shop but I did miss them. Hopefully Jo will take a visit to Master Comics in the next installment in the series.

Cheat the Grave is a rich and wonderfully satisfying addition to the Signs of the Zodiac series... in fact, I think it's the best installment yet in a series that continues to evolve and challenge.

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