Reviews with content warning for Death - Zodiac

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Zodiac by Romina Russell

5 reviews

tiana_king's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This love triangle was done really poorly. Other than that though the book was great! Interesting premise, good plot, and lots of action.

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krystalg's review

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adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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nytephoenyx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’ve been anticipating reading Zodiac for a while, so this book had a lot to live up to. I really liked it, fully acknowledging that there are things about it that just aren’t perfect. It’s the conviction, the constant movement, and the universe of the Zodiac that really got me. This book doesn’t give you a lot of time to adjust before it takes you off running.

Zodiac begins with the anticipation of an exam and band performance, but quickly explodes into a galactic terrorist attack and the struggle to convince seasoned politicians to do the right thing even if it’s difficult to understand. Rho, a Cancerian, is joined by her chief advisor, a “diplomatic emissary” from the Libra constellation, and at first one of the twins from Gemini seeking to warn the other Zodiac Houses. And so it begins.

The beginning and the ending were my least favorite parts of Zodiac. The book sets up a typical YA underdog situation focusing on teen life, but immediately throws that away for the greater plot. The ending pulls out a common trope used in first books that, in many ways, makes the events of the entire book feel pointless other than world building and character introductions.

Rhoma Grace is an okay character, but she’s nothing special. Zodiac is more plot-centric than character-centric, so we don’t have a lot of time to think about how two-dimensional Rho is while reading – there’s far too much going on. Much of what we know about Rho, Nishi, Mathais, and Hysan is told to us in dialogue. Rho has some flashbacks that give us context, particularly earlier in the book. We know she cares for her family and loves her planet and her Sign, but otherwise, we don’t know much about Rho. We don’t know what drives her, what makes her happy, what makes her sad. Her reactions are blindly driven by a singular focus on her task – something even the Jury at Libra’s Embassy notes. If you’re looking for deep, complex characters… look elsewhere.

The world of the Zodiac really interests me. The various Houses have been thought out in detail – everything to the different terminology they use for communication devices to the way they say hello and goodbye. Each house embodies a different trait and each Guardian – for how little we see most of them – is distinguished and unique. The atmosphere and temperament of each of the planets is extremely different. We even learn a bit about lifestyles in Gemini and Virgo. Altogether, it was the world building and the plot that kept me so curious and engaged. Every time Rho and her companions landed on a new planet, I wanted to know everything.

In addition, the plot tugs you forward as the passengers of the Equinox struggle to stay ahead of Ochus and his Psy attacks. Whether it’s a one-on-one battle or a planet-wide attack, there’s a lot happening in Zodiac. You root for Rho not because you’re loyal to her, but because she’s the only one trying to stop the destruction. There’s not enough time for Zodiac to get boring because every handful of chapters, there’s a new problem or a new place they have to go. I thought the pacing was really quick, but I liked it this way because in Zodiac, that added to the urgency.

If you’re a character-driven reader, you may not enjoy Zodiac. But I recommend you give it a try if you’re into science fiction and mythology and like a good action story! It’s loads of fun. Will be reading on for sure.

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katreadswaytoomuch's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my first reread of Zodiac, and I can’t believe I forgot how good this book is!

I love how real Rhoma feels, and she has beautiful character development. I found her realistic and her motivations very fluid and natural.

I also love how Russell takes the characteristics of the Western Zodiac signs and creates complex societies with unique politics and cultures. A beautiful blend of sci-fi and mythology!

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hopearianna's review

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adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Very entertaining and fast-paced. I liked the story and will definitely continue on with the series. Sometimes it was a little too fast paced, and things just kind of conveniently happened. There was also a bit of telling rather than showing. Also, there was no need for one of the love interests for a 16 year old to be 22. But since it’s a debut, I’m hoping to see the writing improve a lot in the next books.

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