The Scent of Shadows | ||||||||
Vicki Pettersson | ||||||||
HarperVoyager, 456 pages | ||||||||
|
A review by David Hebblethwaite
In a sub-genre whose text are too often much of a muchness, Vicki Pettersson's first novel stands out as aiming to be
different. It's not so much the set-up that leaves this impression (though Pettersson does have one of her characters
state that vampires don't exist in this fictional world, as though to highlight the difference) as all the occasions
when the author takes an unexpected path, whether with plot or characterization. For example, Olivia Archer and her
best friend, Cher, may be party girls with a love of high heels and all things pink, but there's more to their
characterization than the stereotypes that would be so easy to fall into. Olivia is not the bimbo she appears to
be: she runs an underground website for hackers in her spare time. And, when there's a confrontation between Joanna
and Cher, Pettersson puts a human face on Olivia's friend, a character who could have been no more than a
one-dimensional airhead. The plot also surprises, particularly in its earlier stages, with twists that I didn't
see coming, and which make Joanna's situation all the more interesting.
That said, The Scent of Shadows is clearly a beginning, for both its series and its author. The pacing of the
novel is a little off, with Joanna spending too much of the second half in the Zodiac troop's alternate-reality enclave,
such that the ending arrives in a rush. Also, the secondary members of the troop are not yet as well-rounded as they
really ought to be. But there is plenty to anticipate in future volumes. This book is at its best and most interesting
when the world of the Zodiac intersects with mundane reality; one hopes that intersection will continue, and perhaps
increase, as the series progresses. Joanna's nature as a combination of Light and Shadow provides great scope for
conflict, especially since she isn't always a very likeable character; even in this first novel, she does some
pretty reprehensible things -- and, though she tries to justify herself, her reasoning doesn't necessarily
wash. And, of course, it would be great to see the plot twists remain a regular feature. The Scent of Shadows
may have its flaws, but there is clear evidence that Pettersson's series could become a superior example of its kind.
David lives in Yorkshire where he reads a lot of books and occasionally does other things. His reviews have appeared in various venues and are all logged at his review blog He also maintains a personal blog, Reading by the Moon. |
If you find any errors, typos or anything else worth mentioning,
please send it to editor@sfsite.com.
Copyright © 1996-2014 SF Site All Rights Reserved Worldwide