Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Harper Voyager (2008), 416 pages
Description
Fantasy. Fiction. HTML: On the surface she's a sexy, sophisticated socialite, at home among the beautiful people of the Las Vegas upper crust. But Joanna Archer inhabits another world: a place ordinary humans cannot see . . . a dangerous dimension where an eternal battle rages between the agents of Light and Shadow. And Joanna is both. Stalked by an enigmatic doppelganger from a preternatural realm, Joanna can feel the Light failing�??which is propelling her toward a terrifying confrontation with the ultimate master of evil, the dark lord of Shadow: her father. Vegas is all about winning big . . . or losing everything. To save her friends, her future, her worlds, Joanna Archer must gamble it all by fully embracing the darkness inside her.
User reviews
LibraryThing member lewispike
With this book I feel the series has really started to hit the ground and romp along - such an improvement over book 2.
Part of that is that there are consequences that have built up and that come home to roost. These are a mix of the predictable and obvious and the unpredictable and interesting. Jo
There is also a doppelganger on the loose, hunting Jo, Ben & Regan and fun there, the Tulpa being his normal self... a couple of nice twists and enough storylines being developed that there's more to come even as the older ones are being set aside.
Part of that is that there are consequences that have built up and that come home to roost. These are a mix of the predictable and obvious and the unpredictable and interesting. Jo
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is finally getting there and whilst she's still making mistakes, sometimes serious ones, she's also getting things right and trying to clean up some of her messes.There is also a doppelganger on the loose, hunting Jo, Ben & Regan and fun there, the Tulpa being his normal self... a couple of nice twists and enough storylines being developed that there's more to come even as the older ones are being set aside.
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LibraryThing member MisfitRhi
The third sign of the zodiac is upon us. The Touch of Twilight opens up with this portent looming over Joanna Archer as she tried to live up to the legacy she has been left by her mother as the Light Sagittatian. The first two signs have come to pass leaving the troop short its Libran and Piscean
This tale is all about being divided within one's self, something Joanna experiences every moment of every day. She is the Kairos, a being of Light and Shadow, she is Joanna Archer and Olivia Archer, she loves Ben and lusts after Hunter. And it's time she finds a way to end the division within her heart.
At the heart of this story Jo is trying to do the right thing--the Light thing--but it isn't always so clear which is which. Regan is twisting Ben, Jo's first love, into a person she knows he isn't and she is flaunting it at every turn. The Tulpa, her biological father, wants to join forces to destroy the doppelgänger, but his offer comes with a price... she has to join the Shadows when they've accomplished it. Then she discovers that Jasmine, the changeling of Light, has been broken by Jo's aura borrowing from her last adventure leaving the girl unable to grow up but getting more and more of Jo's powers every day. She has a lot of work to do if she's going to save the world and the love of her life before the world ends.
Depending on what interests you most in the series this one might be a tough read. It jumps around without any indication a day has passed or there's been any time change in the first few chapters which completely threw me off. Jo was in the sanctuary one minute and back at Olivia's apartment the next. Once it gets settled a little more the story picks up and while this one involved a lot more talking and less butt-kicking than I'd have liked, it's needed. By the time a third of the book was read I was dying for Jo to stop whining about Ben and Regan and just do something about it already. So frustrating! And while I'm sure many of my fellow fans of the series love Ben I wanted her to get over him really bad. Sorry, no spoilers for you! You'll have to read to see what interactions she has with Ben and Hunter this time but by the end of the book I was proud of the growth Jo has made in her complicated relationships. Some of the details in this book will lead you one way regarding the doppelgänger plot but if you're paying close attention you can't be lead too far from catching on to what's really going on. Finally the Tulpa is meeting his match! This could have had a five star vote from me if there hadn't been so much whining about Ben & Regan and Hunter being treated kind of badly. But in the end this book ends very well, everything (well almost everything!) ties up pretty decently and there's a great mystery dropped in the final pages that will have you antsy for the next one. Enjoy!
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members, but they are more concerned about the occurance of some dangerous vibrations causing the fabric of the world to shatter. Especially when Joanna discovers the Shadows aren't the ones cause the rifts, they are being cause by a being made of frothy bubbles! Further study reveals this new being is a doppelgänger, with intents of taking over Jo's true identity while she is stuck living her own double life as her dead sister Olivia Archer. This tale is all about being divided within one's self, something Joanna experiences every moment of every day. She is the Kairos, a being of Light and Shadow, she is Joanna Archer and Olivia Archer, she loves Ben and lusts after Hunter. And it's time she finds a way to end the division within her heart.
At the heart of this story Jo is trying to do the right thing--the Light thing--but it isn't always so clear which is which. Regan is twisting Ben, Jo's first love, into a person she knows he isn't and she is flaunting it at every turn. The Tulpa, her biological father, wants to join forces to destroy the doppelgänger, but his offer comes with a price... she has to join the Shadows when they've accomplished it. Then she discovers that Jasmine, the changeling of Light, has been broken by Jo's aura borrowing from her last adventure leaving the girl unable to grow up but getting more and more of Jo's powers every day. She has a lot of work to do if she's going to save the world and the love of her life before the world ends.
Depending on what interests you most in the series this one might be a tough read. It jumps around without any indication a day has passed or there's been any time change in the first few chapters which completely threw me off. Jo was in the sanctuary one minute and back at Olivia's apartment the next. Once it gets settled a little more the story picks up and while this one involved a lot more talking and less butt-kicking than I'd have liked, it's needed. By the time a third of the book was read I was dying for Jo to stop whining about Ben and Regan and just do something about it already. So frustrating! And while I'm sure many of my fellow fans of the series love Ben I wanted her to get over him really bad. Sorry, no spoilers for you! You'll have to read to see what interactions she has with Ben and Hunter this time but by the end of the book I was proud of the growth Jo has made in her complicated relationships. Some of the details in this book will lead you one way regarding the doppelgänger plot but if you're paying close attention you can't be lead too far from catching on to what's really going on. Finally the Tulpa is meeting his match! This could have had a five star vote from me if there hadn't been so much whining about Ben & Regan and Hunter being treated kind of badly. But in the end this book ends very well, everything (well almost everything!) ties up pretty decently and there's a great mystery dropped in the final pages that will have you antsy for the next one. Enjoy!
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LibraryThing member pacey1927
I adore the premise of this series. The whole Light vs Dark superheroes plot is refreshing and intriguing. I love the idea that the adventures are all chronicled in comic books and the vivid belief by children fuel them. Joanna/Olivia is an intresting character and her back story is also intriguing
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and original. So why is this series so lackluster for me? This book in particular really went back and forth, alternating between scenes of great action, humor, and intelligence. Moments where I rooted for the lead character and really felt for her heartbreaking decisions. But here Joanna/Olivia was often whiny and put her own personal needs above the good of the troop. That just doens't sound like a superheroine to me. The story also lacked a good flow...the story would be moving right along and I would be intrigued and then it would just plummet into vague descriptions and things that had nothing to do with the plot. At times I felt lost and would have to reread passages to find out what I missed. I don't like that in a book. That said, there were some steller moments in the novel and I loved watching some of Joanna/Olivia's mastermindings come to fruitation. I certainly love Petterrson's premise and characters enough to keep reading the series, but I hope the books can continue to improve in the storytelling and editing. Show Less
LibraryThing member AzhriaLilu
While overall I did enjoy this third part of the Zodiac series, there were definitely times when I was left completely lost as to what was going on.
LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the third book in the Sign of the Zodiac series by Vicki Pettersson. This book was a strong addition to the series, a lot happens, and many things from the last book are resolved.
In this book Joanna Archer is struggling with a number of things; one of the Shadow Agents (under cover as Rose)
For the most part it was a very good book and I enjoyed it. I loved the addition of the doppleganger. I loved that more depth was added to Zane, the comic book store owner. I also liked that Joanna is learning more about her powers and finally taking a bit more responsibility for her actions. It was a very interesting book. I also liked that Pettersson is trying to take this a bit beyond most paranormals by adding a deep Mythos behind her characters and adding interesting theories of vibrational frequencies behind the power of the super heros.
There were a few things I didn't like though. For a lot of the book I feel like Joanna is confused and just has two much going on. It is almost like Joanna has horrible ADD and can't focus long enough to complete anything. It makes me wonder if maybe Pettersson is having some trouble focusing on what the point of the story is; maybe she's thrown too much at Joanna for this character to get things done in some symblance of order. Joanna's fixation with Ben and blindness towards him is irritating, as is her reluctance to accept her new life. Joanna's lack of training and knowledge is also irritating, usually in this type of story you would have at least a small period where the hero learns what their capabilities are and Joanna doesn't do that; she just stumbles through the story. Also, even though I liked the inclusion of scientific theory behind the special super hero powers, I felt like the vibrational theory explanation was a bit contrived. It felt like Pettersson was making up these theories on the fly and hadn't really thought them though.
Even though this wasn't the tightest most well put together story that I have ever read, and the main character seemed unfocused and scattered at times, it was still a very good book. Joanna has a lot of depth as a character and the story is wildly creative and interesting. Joanna does redeem herself at the end, showing that she is growing as a character and making progress in accepting who she is. This isn't quite the book I had hoped it would be, but I have high hopes for the next novel. These books are just a hair away from being something really extraordinary.
In this book Joanna Archer is struggling with a number of things; one of the Shadow Agents (under cover as Rose)
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has her sights set on Joanna's childhood sweetheart Ben, Joanna is being hunted by a mysterious doppleganger, something has happened to the changeling that protects Joanna, the Tulpa is still trying to woe Joanna to the "darkside", and on top of all this the third sign of the Zodiac is imminent. Of course there is also the issue of Joanna's daughter, Joanna's lack of a relationship with Hunter, and Joanna's missing mother. When you take it all in, there is a lot going on in this book.For the most part it was a very good book and I enjoyed it. I loved the addition of the doppleganger. I loved that more depth was added to Zane, the comic book store owner. I also liked that Joanna is learning more about her powers and finally taking a bit more responsibility for her actions. It was a very interesting book. I also liked that Pettersson is trying to take this a bit beyond most paranormals by adding a deep Mythos behind her characters and adding interesting theories of vibrational frequencies behind the power of the super heros.
There were a few things I didn't like though. For a lot of the book I feel like Joanna is confused and just has two much going on. It is almost like Joanna has horrible ADD and can't focus long enough to complete anything. It makes me wonder if maybe Pettersson is having some trouble focusing on what the point of the story is; maybe she's thrown too much at Joanna for this character to get things done in some symblance of order. Joanna's fixation with Ben and blindness towards him is irritating, as is her reluctance to accept her new life. Joanna's lack of training and knowledge is also irritating, usually in this type of story you would have at least a small period where the hero learns what their capabilities are and Joanna doesn't do that; she just stumbles through the story. Also, even though I liked the inclusion of scientific theory behind the special super hero powers, I felt like the vibrational theory explanation was a bit contrived. It felt like Pettersson was making up these theories on the fly and hadn't really thought them though.
Even though this wasn't the tightest most well put together story that I have ever read, and the main character seemed unfocused and scattered at times, it was still a very good book. Joanna has a lot of depth as a character and the story is wildly creative and interesting. Joanna does redeem herself at the end, showing that she is growing as a character and making progress in accepting who she is. This isn't quite the book I had hoped it would be, but I have high hopes for the next novel. These books are just a hair away from being something really extraordinary.
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LibraryThing member TheBooknerd
I started off loving this series, but by the time book three came around I'd started to lose interest. While I enjoyed some aspects of this book, overall it couldn't hold my attention for more than a few minutes at a time. Consequently, I had a hard time following the story. As it is, I'm not very
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fond of Joanna's character and can't bring myself to care about her. About halfway through this book, I gave up on this series entirely. Show Less
LibraryThing member tldegray
Okay, so there's a plot going on about a doppelganger and who wants to take over Joanna's life. The way it's going to do that is by eating her heart. It's also causing dimensional rifts when it tears through to our dimension to get at Joanna, rifts that could cause so much destruction (end of the
Meanwhile, Regan, a member of the Shadow Zodiac who we met in a previous book has begun dating Joanna's ex, Ben. She uses this to threaten Jo and intends to kill Ben. At the end, after all of her dreaming of being able to regain her own identity and reunite with Ben, Joanna realizes that the best thing she can do for him (and for herself) is to make him forget all about her so they both can move on and he can be safe.
There's quite a bit in this book about Zane, the comic book artist, and the creepy little Changeling kids that hang out in the store. (This is part of the mythos, established in earlier books. The comic books are actually "Light or Shadow Manuals" and only Light can read Light and Shadow can read Shadow. Joanna, being the Kairos--part Light, part Shadow--can read both. I'd always assumed Zane was just some kid but it turns out he isn't; he's trapped there and has been for decades.
I still adore Joanna blindly. She rushes in, she makes mistakes, and at the end of the day she does the right thing even if it hurts her to do it. I'm looking forward to the next book because I want to see Joanna moving on (maybe with Hunter), learn more about Zane, and hopefully more about Zoe Archer, Joanna's missing mother.
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world) that her father, the evil Tulpa, wants her to help him destroy it. This should be a straightforward threat, but sometimes the doppelganger actually seems to be helping her.Meanwhile, Regan, a member of the Shadow Zodiac who we met in a previous book has begun dating Joanna's ex, Ben. She uses this to threaten Jo and intends to kill Ben. At the end, after all of her dreaming of being able to regain her own identity and reunite with Ben, Joanna realizes that the best thing she can do for him (and for herself) is to make him forget all about her so they both can move on and he can be safe.
There's quite a bit in this book about Zane, the comic book artist, and the creepy little Changeling kids that hang out in the store. (This is part of the mythos, established in earlier books. The comic books are actually "Light or Shadow Manuals" and only Light can read Light and Shadow can read Shadow. Joanna, being the Kairos--part Light, part Shadow--can read both. I'd always assumed Zane was just some kid but it turns out he isn't; he's trapped there and has been for decades.
I still adore Joanna blindly. She rushes in, she makes mistakes, and at the end of the day she does the right thing even if it hurts her to do it. I'm looking forward to the next book because I want to see Joanna moving on (maybe with Hunter), learn more about Zane, and hopefully more about Zoe Archer, Joanna's missing mother.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2008-05-27
Physical description
416 p.; 4.19 inches
ISBN
0060898933 / 9780060898939