I know that some will argue that this book does not fall into the category of urban fantasy, because it does not involve, fae, vampires, werewolves, or any of the other usual suspects; however, I am going to call this urban fantasy, because it takes place in Las Vegas, which is an urban setting. I know that this is thin ground to stand on, but I am going to nonetheless.
The Zodiac warriors actually have powers and special weapons assigned to them based on what astrological sign they are born under. Joanna, the protagonist, is The Archer because her mother was a warrior of light and her father a warrior of the dark, and she shares her birthday with her parents. Her birth and ascension was foretold in their mythos, which btw can conveniently found in comic books written about them. Joanna refers to herself and the other agents of light as super heroes.
The story is actually quite intense and the world building quite subtle. I really do believe that Pettersson did a wonderful job writing the first book in this series. From early on we learn that Joanna was raped at 15 and left for dead in the desert. Her mother for reasons unknown leaves town, never to be heard from again. Joanna now only has her younger sister Oliva and her father Xavier. Of course, the relationship between Xavier and Joanna is contentious, and finally we learn that he is not really her biological father. No, her real father is the Tulpa, the leader of the dark forces. The Tulpa is a being who was specifically brought into being through deep meditation for years by a man seeking to create his own religion. Xavier quickly disinherits Joanna when he learns the truth of her parentage in favor of his daughter Oliva. Unfortunately for Olivia, she will not have long enough to be her father's heir, as she is murdered by Ajax, an agent of the dark forces.
