I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Kitty and the Silver Bullet
by
Carrie Vaughn
It is part of the Kitty Norville #4 series and is a urban fantasy in Paperback edition on February 1, 2008 and has 326 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dark and Stormy Knights, Kitty Goes to Washington, Kitty and the Midnight Hour, "Kitty Meets the Band", Hex Appeal, Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand, Kitty Raises Hell, Kitty's House of Horrors, Kitty Goes to War, Kitty's Big Trouble, Kitty's Greatest Hits, Kitty Steals the Show, Kitty Rocks the House, Kitty in the Underworld
Fourth in the Kitty Norville urban fantasy series about a radio talk show host-cum-werewolf based in Denver, Colorado.
My Take
Whoa…talk about full circle! After spending so much time avoiding Denver, circumstances bring ’em right on back.
I do like how Vaughn has Kitty skittish about the relationship between Ben and herself. Just events that have caused them to bond. Form their little pack of two. A mated pair against their will. Sorta. I suspect it’s Kitty’s conversation with Drs. Luce and Schumacher that starts to make Kitty wonder about the true usefulness of Carl and Meg.
Ben definitely has his work cut out for him. Seems he really does like Kitty and wants a more normal relationship with her.
WHY is Kitty being so bloody deferential?? None of the vampires nor Carl or Meg have any authority over her. And she knows how horrible both Carl and Meg are. Ignorant, such a lack of self-esteem that they can’t allow anyone else to succeed at anything. Carl is a rapist. Meg is a betraying bitch, in every sense of the word. How can she not want to take ’em down? Just what kind of ditz is Cheryl? She knows her sister is a werewolf and she can’t be that ignorant of the violence that can revolve around the paranatural… To be honest, I thought that Vaughn was creating this situation just to create dramatic tension. It’s too lame to be anything else.
Then there’s the ending…never, ever saw that one coming.
The Story
Seems to be some question in Denver as to who should be ruling, and Rick wants to know whose side Kitty will support. *nudge, nudge, wink, wink* But Kitty’s too terrified of Carl and Meg, the leaders of her old pack, and she refuses to ally with anyone. After all, she need never return to Denver.
At least not until that frantic phone call from her dad with the news about her mom. Well, it’s not how Ben hoped to meet Kitty’s family…actually, he was hoping to put it off for a much longer time. Then Kitty lands the interview with a Broadway legend who wants to expose herself, well, Kitty can’t hide away from Denver residents anymore. And let’s just say that it’s something of a riot with pending coups. Including getting Rick on her talk show!
Cook’s duplicity, the up-close reality of the woman calling in about her friend who’s in danger, sisterly expectations, the need to protect, threats to her family, and war. Luckily for Kitty, Cormac has experience with strategy and Ben has experience in battle.
The Characters
Kitty Norville is our intrepid werewolf radio talk show host who is slipping into Denver, hiding from her old pack. After events in Kitty Takes a Holiday, she and her lawyer, Ben O’Farrell, are together, forming a pack of two while Cormac is serving time in Cañon City. Her mom and dad, Gail and Jim Norville, accept her condition. Her big sister Cheryl is married to Mark and they have two kids, Nicky and Jeffy. Matt from KNOB still handles the engineering albeit at a distance while Ozzie, KNOB’s manager, takes care of the legal end.
Dr. Luce is Kitty’s doctor with news that has its grim side. Dr. Elizabeth Schumacher is the new head of the Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology, taking Dr. Flemming’s position. The new head of the Paranatural Unit in Denver PD, Detective Jesse Hardin keeps in touch with Kitty as her go-to expert on the supernatural. Officer Sawyer is a bit quick off the trigger.
Rick is a somewhat independent and powerful vampire in Denver where Arturo rules as Master. He’s rather friendly with Kitty. Dack is an African wild dog shifter and an old friend of Rick’s. Violet and Charlie are a vampire pair channeling Bonnie and Clyde. Mercedes Cook is a legend on Broadway and she wants to come out on Kitty’s radio show.
Carl is the alpha of her old pack; Meg is his mate. In Kitty and the Midnight Hour, they murdered T.J. and banished Kitty with the understanding that if she ever showed up in their territory, she was dead meat. Becky is a member of their pack and concerned about Jenny. The new “Kitty” of the pack. Other pack members include Shaun who tends bar in Lodo and Mick, one of the tougher wolves.
Alette is the Mistress of Washington D.C.; Tom is one of her grandsons and takes care of her daytime needs. Ahmed is a friendly shifter who owns a Moroccan restaurant that seems to operate as a general headquarters for all shifters. A good city to send a terrified werewolf.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a blues and yellows background with its misty night in the woods with a full moon. Blonde Kitty dressed in black makes a good contrast with the white snarling wolf.
The title says it all as Kitty and the Silver Bullet do meet up in this tale.
