Cheat the Grave: The Fifth Sign of the Zodiac (Signs of the Zodiac, #5)

by Vicki Pettersson

"[A] very exciting series...it'll keep you up past your bedtime." -Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels Return now to the battle between Shadow and Light being fought in the dark, unseen corners of "Sin City" Las Vegas. The fifth book in Vickie Petterson's New York Times bestselling Signs of the Zodiac series, Cheat the Grave follows newly mortal Joanna Archer on her most chilling adventure of all. Are you a True Blood aficionado? Do you like the sexy, supernatural visions of Kim Harrison, Laurell K. Hamilton, Kelley Armstrong, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, and Jeaniene Frost? Then give Vickie Petterson a try!

• ISBN10: 0061456772
• ISBN13: 9780061456770
• Publish Date: 15 May 2010
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 4 October 2022
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Harper Voyager
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

After the outrageous events of City of Souls, I had no idea what would happen next in Cheat the Grave! It picks up ten weeks later, and Joanna is still learning how to be mortal. Everything can hurt her again, and her super senses no longer work, so she's been a bit paranoid as she helps Suzanna with her wedding preparations. When someone from her past attacks the bachelorette party, Joanna knows she's going to need some new allies in order to survive. Her ex-troop isn't allowed to give her any special protection, and Skamar is wholly focused on destroying the Tulpa. That just leaves the rogue agents, but they're not as bad as Joanna was led to believe and are probably her only hope in this battle.

I didn't like Cheat the Grave as much as the previous book, but I still think it's really good. At least near the end. The beginning was kind of strange and boring, as Joanna goes about wedding type stuff and worries about being murdered all of the time. Then we're introduced to a whole bunch of new characters, which was a bit jarring. It was hard to tell who to trust, who was an enemy and who's an ally, but that cleared up soon enough. Hunter also becomes even more important in this one, and I'm less mad at him now since some very interesting pieces of information come out.

I did guess at one of the major twists in Cheat the Grave. I did think I was just being overly suspicious, but then it turns out that I was right! I was shocked even though I had guessed at it! I was so happy for Joanna, but also kind of mad, since it's been right there this entire time! How frustrating! Some of the other twists were just kind of whatever. Like Joanna still being able to wield magical weapons and how she discovers new ways to enter Midheaven (although, that's not really somewhere you want to go willingly!).

Cheat the Grave was exciting. Most of that excitement is in the last third when things finally start coming together. Joanna has a plan to take out her enemies, but it requires working with the rogues, which is frowned upon by Warren who is still majorly pissing me off! He's so two faced, and I hope he gets what's coming to him in the final book!

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.