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
Alien Proliferation
by
Gini Koch
It is part of the Katherine "Kitty" Katt #4 series and is a romance, science fiction in Paperback edition that was published by DAW Books on December 6, 2011 and has 458 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Touched by an Alien, Alien Tango, Alien in the Family, Alien Diplomacy, Alien vs. Alien, Alien in the House, Alien Research, Alien Collective, Universal Alien, Alien Separation, Alien in Chief, Alien Nation, Camp Alien, Alien Education, Aliens Abroad
Fourth in the Katherine “Kitty” Katt science fiction-romance series revolving around a former advertising manager and her alien husband.
My Take
It’s like reading the comics in text form without the graphics! I have to confess, as much as I loved my comics as a kid, I do prefer this format.
Whoa, lots of changes in this one with an emphasis on Chuck’s strengths — detecting conspiracies. And reading this story just makes me so confused…! It’s a Keystone Kops of round and round about. It’s also an adventurous bridge novel with Kitty’s pregnancy, rooting out the bad guys, and changes in both the command structure which lead to lots and lots of changes. Betrayals on betrayals, mind wipes, train chases, and explosions galore. Yet more reveals and backstories.
I’m getting as tired of Jeff’s jealousy as Kitty is. If he can feel how much Chuck wants Kitty, can’t he feel how much Kitty wants him? If you can just read fast or skim through all the jealousy scenes, you’ll enjoy the rest. However, do not even try to make sense of Kitty’s unveiling of the clues she’s deciphered. You’ll spend a lot of time and just raise more questions. Just accept, and read on.
It does crack me up how “unwomanly” Kitty is. She hates shopping, can’t be bothered with a baby shower, and keeps referring to “the torpedos”.
There’s a great section where Kitty is giving birth (and having a dying experience) that is fascinating. All the possible storylines… The explanation about the cube was interesting. I hadn’t paid attention in the earlier stories, but Koch is certainly making an issue now.
Oh, it’s so sad…
Chuckie walks Jamie-Kat and then thanks Kitty for letting him pretend.”
Ya just know how closely aligned humans are with A-Cs as they have the same emotional issues: envy, greed, feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, love, anger.
I’m confused. The big torture scene where Kitty is waffling about, and she’s got a purse-full of Poofs who can destroy anything. And she does nothing?
It’s upheaval and confusion as traitors on both sides do their best to push their own agendas.
The Story
Kitty may be confined to bed rest, but she’s still in the thick of it. A good thing too as there’s something odd about these aliens. And there are so many of them.
Something is screwing with Security and the computers. Something is messing with their minds. There are enough that they start to pull the families in to safety, while Chuck is growing more and more concerned with traitors. The ones that the most powerful empath on the planet can’t find as well as the ones on the human side.
And someone is using Amy.
The Characters
Missus Commander Kitty Katt Martini is very pregnant — confined-to-bed-and-bored-to-tears pregnant. The Poofs adore Kitty; Poofikins is hers. Commander Jeff Martini is in charge of all the Alpha-Centaurions (A-C) on earth. He’s also Kitty’s strongly empathic and incredibly possessive, jealous A-C husband; Harlie is his Poof. Commander Christopher White is Jeff’s cousin, an Imageer. Toby is his Poof.
The various human government types include:
Charles “Chuckie” Reynolds, a.k.a., Conspiracy Chuck, has been Kitty’s best guy friend since high school when he was a geeky brainiac. Sure, he’s still in love with Kitty, but he’s also head of the CIA’s ET Division, working to keep the A-Cs from being forcibly turned into a War Division. He’s just not doing so well. Fluffy has adopted Chuck.
Angela Katt is Kitty’s mother, head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU), and the first non-Jew, non-Israeli in the Mossad. Sol Katt, Kitty’s dad, has a cover as a history professor at Arizona State University with his real work as a cryptologist for NASA’s ET cryptology division. Even the Marines take part with Major General Mortimer Katt, who is Kitty’s very protective uncle. Kevin Lewis is Angela’s second-in-command and, since Alien Tango, 2, has been permanently assigned to Alpha Team. Denise Lewis is his very hot wife with their equally gorgeous young son.
John Cooper of the CIA is plotting to take Chuck’s job. Madeline Cartwright is the Pentagon liaison. Esteban Cantu is the head of Antiterrorism.
Additional Airborne and Alpha Team members include:
Paul Gower is a half-A-C/half-human and can read dreams and memories; he’s also ACE’s habitat after events in Alien Tango; Head of Recruitment; the Pontifex’s right-hand man; and, Jeff’s cousin. Captain James Reader is a gorgeous former supermodel, who is in a relationship with Paul; Kitty considers him one of her best guy friends. Gatita is Reader’s Poof.
Brian, Kitty’s old boyfriend (see Alien Tango for the scoop), is married to the pregnant Serene, the A-C who can see through the illusions created by imageers and shapeshifters. Tito Hernandez hires on with the A-Cs in
Alien in the Family
, 3, and is part of Alpha and Airborne Teams. He’s gotten his medical degree, and he’s Kitty’s ob/gyn. Camilla is a science-side A-C.
Captain Tim Crawford is on the team as Kitty’s official driver; he’s still dating Alicia Young (see Alien Tango). For some reason, he’s the only one who knows how to pull Kitty back. Melanie and Emily are Lorraine and Claudia’s moms and just as dazzling. Gladys is Head of Security with a high level of sarcasm. She’s also Richard’s half-sister married to Harold Gower, Stanley’s brother. Wayne, an empath, and William, an imageer, are brothers and the A-Cs charged with setting up the video-conferencing equipment. Walter is their little brother with no A-C powers.
The Airborne Command pilots
All five of Kitty’s Top Gun Navy pilots—Captain Jerry Tucker, Hughes, Walker, Joe Billings (married to the pregnant Lorraine), and Randy Muir (married to the pregnant Claudia)—enjoy seeing what they’re fighting for — torpedoes away! — and take a stab at being Kitty’s sounding board.
ACE is an alien entity, who thinks Kitty walks on water—he was created to monitor the PPB force field surrounding earth and preventing its inhabitants from venturing too far out into space. During events in Alien Tango, he chose to side with the humans. Turns out he’s been interfering on earth for a lot longer in other ways. Richard White is the Supreme Pontifex, Christopher’s dad, and reigning religious leader of the A-Cs.
Alfred and Lucinda are Jeff’s parents (we met them and the rest of the family in Alien Tango), and they’re taking in refugees. Sylvia is Jeff’s oldest sister; Clarence Valentino is her husband. They’re both at the base. Stephanie is their daughter. Marianne and Jonathan are at the Martini estate.
Ericka (she’s human) and Stanley Gower (he’s the A-C) are Paul’s parents. Michael Gower is Paul’s younger manwhore of a brother with no A-C powers and a NASA astronaut (we met him in Alien Tango too). Fuzzball is his Poof. Paul’s sisters are Abigail (she doesn’t need the implants to manipulate the gases to prevent panic) and Naomi (can read, manipulate, and change dreams and memories); they each have expanded powers.
Some of the Alpha Centaurions from A-C whom we met in Alien in the Family include:
The “Iguanadon” couple, Neeraj and Jareen, are expecting, but don’t know it yet. Alexander, the new king of Alpha Four, and Leyton Leonidas, his chief councillor, are having some doubts.
Other humans who are involved include:
Amy Gaultier, one of Kitty’s best friends from high school, is a lawyer working in Paris these days. Her wealthy industrialist father, Herbert Gaultier, is married to his mistress, LaRue. Joel Oliver is their pet paparrazo from World Weekly News whom we met in Alien in the Family. Sheila, one of her best girlfriends from high school, is a housewife, married to Roger (a nerd!), and has four kids. Caroline is Kitty’s sorority roommate who works for Arizona’s senior senator.
Ronald Yates was an A-C who got “possessed” by Mephistopheles, a superbeing, in Touched by an Alien, 1, and Kitty was forced to kill him. He was also Jeff and Christopher’s grandfather. Amy knew him as a friend of her parents. Seems Ronaldo Al Dejahl is Yates’ son and bent on revenge. The Pontifex, Gladys, Alfred, and Serene are all Yates’ kids.
The A-C Diplomatic Corps has a great deal of power on Alpha Centauri — and Earth.
Robert Coleman is the head diplomat; Barbara is his wife and they had expected their daughter Doreen to marry Jeff, a member of the royal family. Yeah, they were pretty vicious to Kitty in Alien Tango. Doreen, however, is happily married to a human, Irving Weisman. And pregnant. Must be something in the water…
Dazzlers are how Kitty collectively refers to the A-C females because that’s what they do, they dazzle everyone with their beauty, intelligence, and compassion. They’ll choose brains over beauty any day, and Kitty worries about their overwhelming Stephen Hawking. Imageers manipulate images electronically and in front of you and can learn all about a person simply by touching an image. Empaths feel emotions. Poofs are size-changeable bundles of fluff who are the ultimate arbiter of who becomes or stays king of Alpha Centauri; they’re very, very protective. Once you name one, they’re yours for life. Your life. Since they live just about forever.
The Cover and Title
The cover is alive with motion as a vintage phone, a baby bottle, paperwork, and a teddy bear float through the air with Kitty, who is in her worn and torn jeans, wearing a cropped tank top, a suspended-in-gravity tote bag (diaper bag?), and getting ready to shoot someone. Jeff is in his comfy clothes — that black Armani suit—holding the baby in one arm with a gun in the other. Check out the cute little Poofs in the lower left corner!
The title is right on as it is an Alien Proliferation. They’re practically coming out of the walls like cockroaches!
