City of Souls is the fourth book in the Zodiac series, and the title itself shows further evolution and explication by Pettersson of eir alternate reality. The title goes by quickly, the rich prose of Pettersson going down like the sweetest drink. The story line that is weaved through this title is fleshed out but does not feel unnecessarily dragged down or wishy-washy; events, characters, and actions taken by these characters all are understandable when put to real life.
For those readers that have not had the chance to delve into Pettersson’s realm before, City of Souls focuses around Joanna Archer. This individual struggles to defeat evil (established here as Shadow), despite having inside eir part of what makes eir home city (Las Vegas) so decrepit. Where previous works in this line really showcased the depths of Shadow in Las Vegas, a child comes upon the scene that may change the entire way Archer understands the world and looks to change it.
City of Souls is a title that does not require that readers have already familiarized themselves with the preceding titles, but gives those readers that have a tremendous amount of further insight into the storyline here. In much the same way, getting a chance to sit down with City of Souls will ensure that readers will be amped up for the next title in the Zodiac series, whenever it may be destined to be released. Where I have found myself moving away from these styles of novels in the last decade or so, I find my interested piqued dramatically by City of Souls. If you are in the same boat, plop down the $8 and see exactly what you have been missing.
Rating: 8.8/10
Vicki Pettersson – City of Souls (Book) / 2009 EOS Books / 352 Pages / http://www.eosbooks.com / http://www.vickipettersson.com