ARC Review: Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Steals the Show

by Carrie Vaughn

(Kitty Norville # 10)

Original and action packed, with a lot of familiar faces that I loved seeing again!  Carrie Vaughn takes Kitty to London.  Why?  To participate in the First International Conference of Paranatural Studies.  Along for the ride are Ben and Cormac, of course.  And wherever Kitty goes, trouble arises.

In between trying to attend some of the interesting lectures, being the keynote speaker for the conference (oh yeah, she still has to write that speech!) and sightseeing in wonderful London (she even gets to meet a vampire who was friends with Shakespeare), Kitty finds herself in the middle of a vampire war.  You guessed it, Roman.  He's been the predominant bad guy in town and it seems that with each passing book he's getting closer and closer to setting up a major disaster for the supernatural community.

New and old faces show up and this was one of my favorite things about this book.  I had a crush on Luiz when Kitty had a little fling with him around the second book in this series (I mean....he purrs!) and it was great to see him at the conference.  He even managed to get a reaction out of straight-laced Ben.  Yes, he was jealous.

So that brings me to Kitty and Ben.  I have grown accustomed to their relationship and it was a nice change to see some passion from Ben.  I do see him as the quiet type that has to go along with whatever trouble Kitty finds and sometimes just has to get her out.  But he showed some claws in this book.  I was very impressed with him and with the dynamic of his and Kitty's marriage.  I am starting to see how they do work together, that they care about one another and that they are the perfect compliment to each other.

Then there's Cormac.  It pains me to say this, I am still unhappy with how his character was changed.  But I did enjoy that he goes looking for Amelia's old home and family.  Amelia being back in Britain after such a long time is not just concerned with how the country has changed, there is something she wants from her home and she finds living relatives of hers.  This was a bit bittersweet and maybe have even gotten a tear out of me.  Even though it took Cormac out of the picture for quite a bit of the book, which makes me unhappy.

I've gone through the ups and downs this series has brought for me.  I've learned to deal with the fact that the direction the series has gone in and the things that have happened may have not been what I wanted.  But even after all those things, Carrie Vaughn manages to write an entertaining story and characters that you enjoy reading about.  What's to come next?  Well, with Kitty's mind overflowing with conspiracy theories, you never know who she'll try to go after next.

*ARC provided by publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Review: Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty's Big Trouble

by Carrie Vaughn

(Kitty Norville # 9)

Well this just pains me.  I think this series is very original as far as the storylines and the things Kitty encounters and has to go through.  More so than maybe any other UF series out there.  Everything is done with just enough action, a little humor and a great set of characters that you can't help but love.  But somehow it has gotten to the point where it's not working as well for me.

This in big part is due to the fact that in book one I fell in love with Cormac.  He's tough, sexy, badass, a bad boy shifter killer.  And he had this instant, sparks-flying everywhere connection with Kitty.  And then his cousin Ben got bit and turned into a werewolf and he brought him to Kitty to help through the transition.  And it all went downhill from there between these two.

Now Cormac is back in the story but he is SOOOOOO not him.  Granted he is kind of possessed, but it almost pains me to read parts about him and how different he's become.  Especially in this book.  Kitty remembers the way Cormac used to smell, the way she always went to him first when there was an issue and she wanted advice.  It was just hard to read that being a Kitty/Cormac hopeful.

I have come to terms with the fact that Kitty is with Ben.  He is more of a beta male in my eyes and that's not my favorite type of hero.  I definietely see her as more dominant than him, but he does love her.

So now onto this story.  Yes, rant over about what apparently will never be.  Kitty, being curious and nosy as always goes looking for proof that some important historical figure was in fact a werewolf.  While she's researching that (and dragging Cormac and Ben along) they come across Anastasia.  She enlists them to help stop Roman from taking an ancient artifact with immense power.  Action pact as usual and another great installment that would make a kick ass movie if they ever made one!

TEAM CORMAC!

Sorry that just came out of nowhere...

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Kitty Goes To War by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Goes To War

by Carrie Vaughn

(Kitty Norville # 8)

Just as the title would make you guess, Kitty is being called on to help the military. Or well, some soldiers who are now werewolves and lost their alpha. Sort of like a rehabilitation.

While that is going on of course Kitty has to get in trouble. She starts off by asking her listeners to report any suspicious vamp activity at any Speedy Mart locations. Of course the owner right away sues her and now she has to prove that she had basis to suspect as her defense.

For this she enlists the help and expertise of Cormac. *sigh* I'll come back to him in a bit. So Cormac somehow manages to uncover that the owner of Speedy Mart is actually using magic to create major weather-related catastrophes and he's now planning a huge blizzard.

Again I love how Kitty can get into these situations, still manage to be strong and come out on top. Ben is there to support her. Her pack is loyal to her. It was nice to see that people had her back and her circle of influence is expanding.

And then that brings me back to Cormac. Even though I really enjoyed the storyline and the action and suspense of the whole book I was sadly traumatized to see this new shadow-of-a-person that Cormac has become. Where is my badass, sexy as hell, bad boy who smells like leather and gun powder?!?!? I was not entirely happy with the explanation for his behavior and I hope and pray that in the next book this gets resolved. I still feel that his feelings for Kitty where left unresolved and Kitty's feeling for him as well. This is still hanging over their heads and I feel some sort of tension still there. Can we please get some sort of closure? It just breaks my heart to hear him say that she looked happy with Ben. I wanted to shake Kitty right there and then. But this is all in my head. I know that's probably not the direction the series will go in and at some point, maybe I'll come to terms with it.

A great, action-packed installment and I can't wait for the next. 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Kitty's House of Horrors by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty's House of Horrors

by Carrie Vaughn

(Kitty Norville # 7)

Kitty knows how to get in trouble! I really enjoyed this installment of the Kitty Norville series. Why? Because the storyline was so different from anything I've read! Carrie Vaughn manages to keep this series fresh and interesting, throwing scenarios at Kitty that, even though deal with the same general ideas, are still original.

So what's Kitty's latest mess? She's always looking for a way to get some media exposure and she's being offered to participate in a reality show. Put a few supernaturals in a house with one skeptic human and they are supposed to change his beliefs that they're all full of shit without doing the obvious (ie shifting).

What starts out as a fun idea changes into a weird situation where some powerful supernaturals are being tested and eventually it turns into a Survivor show. Supernaturals are being killed one by one but by whom, and more importantly why?

And while Kitty is off by herself trying to stay alive, back on the home front Cormac is actually being released from jail. OMG Finally! You know what I realized with this book? Two things really. The first is that Kitty always thinks of Cormac. Constantly. He keeps her alive through this whole ordeal. What would Cormac do? And the second thing is that I have finally come to terms with the fact that Kitty and Ben love each other. Their relationship will never be the passionate, loving relationship I expect to see in the main couple of a series, not even close to the potential that I still could see between Kitty and Cormac, but if we are never to have that, then I might be ok with Ben by her side. He is loyal and he will protect her. He keeps her grounded.

A new storyline is introduced that I'm sure will resurface in future books, and it has to do with the vampires, so I'm very curious to see where this will lead us. And of course I can't wait to get to the next book, if nothing else because I can get some Cormac in action! Yeah baby! 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn

3.5 Feathers

Kitty Raises Hell

by Carrie Vaughn

(Kitty Norville # 6)

In continuing with the media style unique storylines I have come to expect from Kitty, radio talk show host extraordinaire, in this installment she joins forces with a paranormal reality TV show.

Paradox PI is a group of "psychics" and "ghost busters". They go around haunted houses and track down ghost activity, feel for a presence, etc. When they come to town, Kitty of course wants in on the action. She wants an interview, they want her on the show. What better way than to have the interview live while they work and as their shows gets recorded.

Sounds simple and entertaining, right? But of course, nothing is simple in Kitty's life. Someone is after her again. This time is an entity that she'll have to figure out what, who and why wants to harm her, and maybe go through great lengths to protect those she loves. Even if that means dealing with the devil (or vampire, as it may be).

Vampire intrigue, a psychic who uses a ouija board to talk to ghosts, and strangers from Kitty's past, but sadly, a Cormac sized hole. Although the story was great, I made the grave mistake, apparently, of falling in love with Cormac early on in this series only to have him disappear for a great part of it. Yes, Ben loves Kitty, but sometimes that is not enough for me. We'll see what craziness Kitty can get into next. 

Purchase Links: Amazon