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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Jermaine Bell Jr.’s Zodiac Defenders: Virgo Rising, a woman named Serenity lives quietly in the coastal city of Drokeo Bay until a supernatural encounter awakens a power linked to the Virgo zodiac spirit in her body. Dante, a messenger from a higher realm, informs her that a figure called Argasis the Thirteenth will one day threaten the city and that Serenity must prepare to face him. Across Drokeo Bay, other individuals begin receiving abilities through zodiac spirits who choose human hosts to act as defenders. Among them are Daiyu, Katrina, Rosco, Samuel, Jasiah, and K.C., each drawn into the same unfolding conflict. These are all very new hosts who are attempting to understand their powers, when a mysterious fighter named Maine begins targeting them through violent confrontations designed to test their strength. As attacks spread through the city, Serenity must learn how to control her abilities and gather allies before a larger threat emerges.
Jermaine Bell Jr.’s Zodiac Defenders: Virgo Rising is a fantastic novel that leans into the Virgo constellation and the moment when Serenity’s Virgo power surfaces. I love, love, love astrological fiction, and Bell delivers everything my heart hoped for going in. Serenity is an absolute powerhouse of a protagonist, courageously taking action even while unsure of her abilities. Daiyu Cze Feng Li is the second most fascinating character to me, tapping into Motherly Intuition. Bell's world-building is pitch-perfect and gets into cinematic territory in places like the River of Intuition, where water spirals form towering whirlpools during a battle, and the Zodiac Grounds, where mountains shaped for each elemental sign surround Serenity during her weapons training. Bell has crafted a brilliant hierarchy of zodiac spirits, who choose human hosts and merge with a companion spirit tied to planetary forces. This series is a match for readers who enjoy expansive fantasy worlds with cosmic mythology, and I'm excited to see where Bell takes us next.
