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 vs. Alien
by
Gini Koch
It is part of the Katherine "Kitty" Katt #6 series and is a romance, science fiction in Paperback edition that was published by DAW Books on December 4, 2012 and has 489 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 Proliferation, Alien Diplomacy, Alien in the House, Alien Research, Alien Collective, Universal Alien, Alien Separation, Alien in Chief, Alien Nation, Camp Alien, Alien Education, Aliens Abroad
Sixth in the Katherine “Kitty” Katt romantic science-fiction series starring Kitty Katt Martini and her troupe of hunky, gorgeous, delicious-looking aliens.
My Take
On the whole, while it was another fun read from Koch — I did enjoy Kitty’s rapport with the Peregrines — can I get an amen! — I can do without Bellie and the too many paths with even more cartoonish effects. It simply left me very confused as to who is doing what and to whom when it comes to the intelligence being thrown about. Heck, with everything being thrown around. What was with those dino birds? It felt as if Koch tried to consider every possibility and couldn’t consider leaving even one of ’em out. I’m not saying there wasn’t a plot, it was just so buried…
Still, it’s a friendly bunch of characters in this series, a cast to which Koch keeps adding more and more. Almost like the various twists and turns and all the action sequences in Alien Diplomacy, 5.
We had the older Martinis upset about Christopher and Amy’s impromptu wedding as the “normal” scene to ground us in the story — just another case of a lack of communication and cultural differences, letting us know how human everyone is. But then we get the stupid HSAC test dropped on us. I can’t believe everyone is buying into this. It’s just lame. The situation isn’t consistent with the characters, which just ticks me off. Then the Royal Peregrines getting dropped in and all their antics. Admittedly it is funny with Kitty’s interactions with them, but oh brother.
I do love Kitty’s categories for Jamie’s squeals. It is so sweet how much time Kitty and Jeff are able to — and want to — spend with their daughter.
Hmmm, how very convenient of the Czech embassy building…
Oops, dissension in the ranks! That could turn out to be interesting — I’m wondering what will happen with the current embassy people in Alien in the House?
I don’t care…I want the A-C elves to come visit me. A lot!
Ah well, later, Eddie…
The Story
Poor Jamie-Kat…she’s teething and her agony is cutting away at her daddy’s control, so Kitty and Jamie are at the Martini Manor in Florida where they’re forced to endure a visit from Senator Armstrong and Guy Gadoire. One which raises some hefty blackmail issues.
Then there’s the HSAC clearance testing. Kitty claims she’s done a lot of testing like this in the past, and I’m sure the others have done testing like this as well, and nobody questions the type of questions being asked?? Nuh-uh.
It’s all careful preparation…
The Characters
Kitty and Jeff Martini, the world’s strongest telepath, are both ambassadors for the American Centaurion Diplomatic Corps. Jamie-Kat is their five-month-old baby girl with hybrid powers. Bellie is Jeff’s new best friend and a real challenge for Kitty, a gift from Peter the Dingo Dog. Bellie likes Jeff, Chris, well, heck all the boys. She just doesn’t like any of the girls. The Poofs have expanded their circle of love to include Jamie Kat: Poofikins is Kitty’s and Harlie is Jeff’s Poof (he’s head Poof). And Jamie-Kat names her Poof, Mous-mous. Mom, Angela Katt, is head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU) and the only non-Jew to ever be in Mossad.
Christopher White is Jeff’s cousin and an Imageer married to Amy Gaultier White, one of Kitty’s best friends from high school and a lawyer. (see Alien Proliferation, 4). Toby is his Poof; Mignon is Amy’s. Through some, um, misadventures, Jeff has been enhanced too. Alfred and Lucia Martini are Jeff’s parents. Clarence Valentino is Sylvia‘s husband (Jeff’s oldest sister) and both are traitors (also Alien Proliferation).
Charles Reynolds has been Kitty’s best friend since they were thirteen; now he’s a self-made multi-millionaire, head of the CIA’s Extra-Terrestrial Division, and always the smartest guy in the room — and Fluffy is his Poof. Esteban Cantu is also CIA, but a suspected rogue. Clifford Goodman is the new Head of Special Immigration Services and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Embassy inhabitants includes:
Len and Kyle are former college football players who are now CIA bodyguards for Kitty and Jamie (see Alien in the Family, 3 and Alien Diplomacy, 5). Malcolm Buchanan is a bodyguard assigned by Kitty’s mother in Alien Diplomacy. Former Pontifex Richard White is Kitty’s new partner and has a thing for the catsuit. Dr. Tito Hernandez (Alien in the Family) is Kitty and Jamie-Katt’s personal physician while Melanie and Emily, both Dazzler A-Cs, assist Tito. Walter Ward is in charge of embassy security; his brother, William, is an imageer. Pierre is quite talented in styling, culture, and manners and very useful as the new Majordomo Concierge. Denise Lewis is Kevin”s wife, in charge of the embassy daycare, and teacher (Kevin is Kitty’s mom’s second-in-command at PTCU) and they, with their children, Raymond and Rachel, are living at the embassy. Doreen and Irving Weisman with baby Ezra also live at the embassy. Nurse Magdalena Rijos-Carter has signed on to help Tito.
Alpha team includes:
Paul Gower is a half-A-C/half-human and can read dreams and memories; he’s ACE’s habitat and the new Supreme Pontifex. Commander James Reader is a gorgeous former supermodel, who is in a relationship with Paul and Head of the Field for Centaurion Division; Kitty considers him one of her best guy friends. Gatita is Reader’s Poof. ACE is an alien entity, who thinks Kitty walks on water, and lives inside Paul. Michael Gower is Paul’s younger brother and an astronaut at NASA; Fuzzball is his Poof. Naomi and Abigail are Paul’s hybrid sisters and the new cultural attaches. Erika is their mother; Stanley is their father. Serene (Ronald Yates’ daughter and a full-A-C) is still pregnant and the head of Imageering; she’s married to Brian Dwyer (Kitty’s old boyfriend).
Gladys is head of overall security for the A-Cs. Jeremy Barone and his sister, Jennifer, are pulled in to help police the festival.
Airborne includes:
Captain Tim Crawford is the new head of Airborne in Kitty’s place.
The unmarried ones include Captain Jerry Tucker, Matt Hughes, and Walker. Joe Billings is married to Captain Lorraine, and they have a son, Ross Edward. Randy Muir is married to Captain Claudia, and they have a son as well, Sean Zachary.
Mister Joel Oliver is a photographer with World Weekly News. Olga Dalca and Adriana, her granddaughter, are with the Romanian embassy and very interested in events at the AC embassy after events in Alien Diplomacy. Adrien is Olga’s husband, the ambassador, and has no idea what’s going on.
Senator Vincent Armstrong is the senior senator from Florida and not one of Kitty’s favorite people. Guy Gadoire is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry and in interested in enticing Kitty into bed with he and his lover, Vance Beaumont. Mona Nejem and her driver, Khalid, are Bahraini; Oren and Jakob are Mossad. Prince is Officer Melville‘s German shepherd and they’re part of the K-9 unit from Alien Proliferation. The Feliniad, Canus Majorian, and Reptilians show up, thank you very much. King Alexander, the king of Alpha Four and Jeff’s cousin, is very useful with the gifts and spaceships.
John and Sandra is in charge of the testing at Kennedy.
Ronaldo Al Dejahl is Yates’ son and bent on revenge. The Pontifex, Gladys, Alfred, and Serene are all Ronaldo’s siblings. Amy’s father’s second wife, LaRue Demorte Gaultier, was the brains behind everything in Alien Proliferation and she fled Earth orbit. God knows where! Casey Jones is the stewardess from Operation Drug Addict and a member of Club 51.
The Z’porrah look like mini T-rexes and are too totally clueless. Unfortunately, they do have a lot of power.
Colonel Marvin Hamlin is Cliff’s boss. Colonel Franklin is in charge of Andrews Air Force Base; Captain Gil Morgan, his adjunct, is “required” at the Dome. Them Dazzlers do like a smart boy!
Stryker Dane, a.k.a., Eddy Simms, is a brilliant hacker who is the resident UFO and extraterrestrial languages expert and undercover in the military along with Big George Lecroix, who is Europe’s best hacker and speaks some twenty languages fluently. Also Doctor Wu, a.k.a., Henry, is a software expert, China’s most expert hacker, and covers the languages the others don’t; Ravi Gaekwad is India’s best hacker and big on hardware and software; and, Omega Red, a.k.a., Yuri Stanislav, is blind but killer with audio cryptology.
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. 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 look like “tiny, fluffy kittens with no ears or tails, but with shiny black button eyes”, who can morph into Jeff-sized, very, very protective critters. Once you name one, they’re yours for life. With all the weddings, there are LOTS more Poofs. The Royal Peregrines are, initially, a most unwelcome gift from King Alexander that suddenly pops in during the night. Bruno appears to be Kitty’s Peregrine; Lola is his mate. Richard’s birds are Samson and Delilah; Kyle’s are Fred and Wilma; Len’s are Barney and Betty. I think George and Gracie belong to Walter; Chuckie’s are Han and Leia; and, Harold and Maude are stressed about an invasion.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a scene from the book with fires and monsters on the ground, alien ships in the sky shooting lasers, Royal Peregrines clawing, and Jeff with his back to us protecting Kitty and the baby.
The title is accurate enough, if not descriptive enough, to describe the battles of Alien vs. Alien in Washington, D.C.
