THE 'KITTY NORVILLE' SERIES: BOOKS 6 - 8.

Not just one review, not just two reviews, today I'm reviewing three books in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn, the first two of which were presents from Mr T, the third (on my TBR pile for quite a while) ex-library stock. For the synopsis of each book (be warned some of these may contain spoilers) and other details please click on the book title.


#6: KITTY RAISES HELL.

FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter 1}: I had to admit, this was pretty cool.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 208}: Grimacing now, with some kind of pent-up anger or righteousness of its own, it kept talking at me in its own clipped, musical language. It sounded superior, mocking. It had to know we couldn't understand it, right? 


#7: KITTY'S HOUSE OF HORRORS.

FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter 1}: I knew if I stayed in this business long enough, I'd get an offer like this sooner or later.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 166}: "Oh come on," I said. "We're all smart people here - we can handle this, right? It's not like we're stuck in a horror movie or something." Except we were. 


#8: KITTY GOES TO WAR.

FIRST SENTENCE {Chapter 1}: I sat at my desk, my monitor and microphone in front of me, maps and notebook paper spread over the whole surface.

MEMORABLE MOMENT {Page 282}: First though, I flipped open the phone so I could look at the picture. I'd never taken an art class in my life. I hoped the thunder gods were forgiving of my lack of talent.

MY THOUGHTS: A series best read from the beginning and in order as whilst each book features a stand-alone event some of the stories (as in the case of books 5 and 6) do follow on closely from the previous book. And besides which its good to follow Kitty's story from her being recently bitten to life as a fully fledged werewolf.

Set a matter of weeks after the last instalment (Dead Man's Hand) which saw Kitty and Ben in Vegas, this instalment sees a seemingly invisible, fire raising something or other essentially (what I won't say) stalking the whole of Kitty's pack. 

In my opinion missing much of the humour that I love (and that which sets the books apart from others of a similar genre). By no means the strongest book in the series, whilst Kitty Raises Hell was an enjoyable enough read I don't think it a particularly good reflection on the series as a whole.

Much more to my liking and largely back on form as a work of pure escapism ... with the addition of suspense and plenty of action ... was Kitty's House Of Horrors.  

A novel which sees Kitty, radio host come reality tv star, in a remote location along with, amongst other 'super naturals', a .... wait for it .... were-seal. 

Not an easy 'were character' to pull off but, neither a series that takes itself too seriously nor one that makes light of its characters to the point were you can't believe in them, Vaughn does so with aplomb in an episode that right up until the final chapters will have you wondering just who will escape with their lives in what I thought of as a take on Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'.  

With two strands to the story - one involving lycanthropic soldiers (cue an interesting reflection on mental illness), the other, the owner of Speedy Mart convenience stores accused of what is no less than 'weather terrorism' - it took for the two to combine before I was fully won over by Kitty Goes To War but, combined with the return of a favourite character of mine, won over I eventually was.

A great edition to the series which sees Kitty go from strength to strength. Alas, whilst good to have him back, it remains to be seen if the newly reformed/possessed? ****** (the afore mentioned favourite character of mine who I won't name here) will remain a favourite or if his story line will prove to be too absurd.

Awaiting books 6 & 7 before I read book 8 which has been on my TBR pile for a long while. Kitty Goes To War was read for the 2016 Reading Challenge: 'A Book You've Been Meaning to Read' category.