The Neon Graveyard (Signs of the Zodiac #6) by Vicki Pettersson
Urban Fantasy
May 31, 2011
Paperback
Harper Voyager

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “It’s time for me to draw my own damned line. I’m not running anymore. Not taking one step backward. Not giving one small inch. This time I’m doing the chasing.

And God help anyone who gets in my way.”

The Neon Graveyard is the 6th and final book in Ms. Pettersson’s Signs of the Zodiac series. An addicting noir Urban Fantasy blend of superhero/comic book mythos mixed with horror and hope. This series has led me on an intoxicating roller coaster ride of infinite proportions. Betrayal is the main theme in this series and Ms. Pettersson has wield her pen like a fine double edged sword. She cuts and slices her characters down to the bone; allowing no quarter. Yet, from the carnage she rebuilds them and us; allowing for truth and courage to shine through. This isn’t a happy series. Ms. Pettersson never promises you rainbows and roses. You will laugh, groan, shudder, cheer, and weep as you follow Joanna through her trials and tribulations. Yet for all the darkness, Ms. Pettersson never makes Joanna a martyr. She doesn’t minimize Joanna’s humanity. Joanna makes mistakes and bad decisions and she pays for those, but you never get the feeling of, “OMG not AGAIN!,” from here. The good and bad balances perfectly and it what made me a convert of this series.

From the beginning –The Scent of Shadows– we have followed Joanna Archer through hell and back as she learned, embraced, and then altered her destiny. A child born of a light and shadow agent-Joanna Archer has always straddled the line between good and evil and has paid over and over a horrendous price for her family ties. Betrayed by almost everyone she has trusted, Joanna has reached her limit. For now she has more to protect then just herself. Her unborn child and her captive lover need her and Joanna is not leaving this game till she saves them both.

Joanna Archer is now for all intents and purposes mortal. She has been stripped of everything; her power, her family, her fortune. But rather then lay down and die, she has allied herself with a group of rogue light and shadow agents. Men who have seen, like Joanna, that the game has changed and everything they were taught is now circumspect. Good and evil are nothing more then six degrees of separation, something that Joanna and her fellow Grays have learned the hard way.

Joanna knows Tulpa (her father) is attempting to enter Midheaven and will need Joanna alive in order to do so. Joanna is also set to enter Midheaven herself, defeat the goddess who rules there, save her unborn child’s father, Hunter, and defeat Tulpa. She has forgiven Hunter’s supposed betrayal, learning that the path to victory isn’t always righteous and it’s not as important as the final destination. I have never been a fan of the Midheaven storyline. It’s complexity is layered and didn’t translate well to paper for me. I felt it stalled the series for me. Not enough for me to stop reading; just a little hard to get on board with.

The world of this series is incredible. A comic book set in novel form. Truly a unique setting that grips you in it’s complexity. Smooth writing and fast pacing rides like a wave; cresting over and over till you crash onto the shore. Hard action, nerve racking suspense, and superb dialogue play a huge part in the over all enjoyment of the series.

I loved the dialogue and interactions between Joanna and the Gray troop. Some don’t trust her and some fear her, but they stand by her.

“I was wrong.” Fox said woodenly. I turned to find his eyes wide, gaze locked on my face. “You’re not just mortal. You’re crazy.”
“It’s hereditary.” I said.

As we follow Joanna into her final battle, we watch as her layers are peeled back and the true Joanna Archer emerges. This is what has been led up to in the last 5 books. Joanna is finally free to be who she wants and do what she wants without any artifice. She is fighting for her own agenda; playing by her own rules. The action scenes are epic in that Joanna has to use her wits and skills against powerful forces. I liked that Joanna makes better choices in here and the end results more then satisfy this reader.

Part of me is sad this is the last book. I have found Joanna Archer’s world to be so different from what’s offered these days that that thought of not visiting again is a bit disheartening. Yet, Ms. Pettersson does a wonderful job is wrapping it up for us. Some what predictable; questions are answered, plots and subplots are wrapped up nice and tight, and we are left with an acceptable ending for Joanna and the series.

I would recommend this series to everyone who enjoys a darker Urban Fantasy that reviles in deception, betrayal, and hope. A word of advice though-if you have not read the first 5 of this series, then you will not understand this last one. This is a convoluted series that builds upon itself with each new book. The arc is long reaching and not self explanatory. Characters evolve and bleed over into to each story with no pause in between.

Rating: B

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