Six months ago, Joanna Archer went through Metamorphosis and took her rightful place in the Light Zodiac.  It was a time of upheaval and loss.  She helplessly watched her beloved younger sister be killed by a Shadow agent, then in a bizarre twist of fate had to assume her dead sister’s identity in order to stay safe and be an effective agent of Light. 

Emotional scars go back farther than this.  A Shadow agent had brutally attacked and raped her when she was just fifteen.  Her need for vengeance has grown since she has learned the name to go with that face.  One of the enemy’s initiates, Regan, tempts Joanna with crumbs of information that could lead her to Joaquin.  Will her vendetta against him continue at any cost...even her own team? 

Into this mix comes the dastardly release of a deadly virus in Las Vegas.  The Shadow Zodiac is responsible and the Light members are targeted regardless of the horrifying amount of collateral damage in the way of human life. 

We return to the battle of good and evil not long after the first book left off.  The continuity of the storyline was good since there is so much going on and we readers do not want to miss any of it.  The pacing is fast and we stay caught up in the whirl. 

There are still times as in the first story where we feel a bit bogged down with all of the different concepts of the world as described by the author and off the cuff bits of philosophy regarding the heroine’s take on her current situation.  The usage of comics as documenting the Shadow and Light Zodiac actions is a really intriguing idea but still confusing.  After all, each city has its own Zodiac teams and comic book history.  The Tulpa is the head of the dark side and is based in Las Vegas.  How does he affect the other cities and battles? 

Joanna has to face private demons and move past them.  This book documents her growth in this way.  Unfortunately, it is hard to accept that she acts so immaturely in making many difficult decisions and facing temptation.   

It all comes out right in the end but the journey is not as engaging though the excitement of battle is every bit as gripping as one would hope.  That said the scenes of gore bleeds into the realm of horror and may be unpleasant to some readers. 

Overall, the fascination with this series continues and readers will want to see what happens after THE TASTE OF NIGHT.

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