Kitty Norville Series #5-7 Mini Reviews

I got to do what I do enjoy in a series... read several books back to back.

 Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand (Kitty Norville #5)

Already the alpha pair of Denver's werewolf pack, Kitty and Ben now plan to tie the knot human-style by eloping to Vegas. Kitty is looking forward to sipping fru-fru drinks by the pool and doing her popular radio show on live TV, but her hotel is stocked with werewolf-hating bounty hunters. Elsewhere on the Strip an old-school magician might be wielding the real thing; the vampire community is harboring a dark secret; and the irresistible star of a suspicious animal act is determined to seduce Kitty. Sin City has never been so wild, and this werewolf has never had to fight harder to save not only her wedding, but her very life.

It has been a while since I had been back with Kitty the werewolf and her gang. However, slipping into this book was like meeting old friends again and it was easy to come back to what I remembered. I also have to admit I was never totally sure I wanted Kitty with Ben. It didn't seem to totally mesh with me, but who am I to argue with the wolf inside both of them. I do remember liking Ben so much more in the last book, Kitty and the Silver Bullet. This one, I really felt that they belong to each other. 

The action was good in this one and the twists and turns within what was going on and who was involved was pretty good and kept me guessing. It also left a big opening for the next book, but it was still not a cliffie. I give this one 4 stars and really enjoyed my time back with Kitty and Ben.

Kitty Raises Hell (Kitty Norville #6)

Sometimes what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas.

Kitty and Ben flee The City That Never Sleeps, thinking they were finished with the dangers there, but the sadistic cult of lycanthropes and their vampire priestess have laid a curse on Kitty in revenge for her disrupting their rituals. Starting at the next full moon, danger and destruction the form of fire strikes Kitty and the pack of werewolves she's sworn to protect.

She enlists the help of a group of TV paranormal investigators - one of whom has real psychic abilities - to help her get to the bottom of the curse that's been laid on her. Rick, the Master vampire of Denver, believes a deeper plot lies behind the curse, and he and Kitty argue about whether or not to accept the help of a professional demon hunter - and vampire - named Roman, who arrives a little too conveniently in the nick of time.

Unable to rely on Rick, and unwilling to accept Roman's offer of help for a price, Kitty and her band of allies, including Vegas magician Odysseus Grant and Kitty's own radio audience, mount a trap for the supernatural being behind the curse, a destructive force summoned by the vengeful cult, a supernatural being that none of them ever thought to face.

The book starts off where the last one left off. The cult that caused problems in the first is still wrecking havoc on our beloved duo. So, what stays in Vegas... doesn't always stay. A new paranormal problem crops up and they are at a loss of what to do. Good thing they met up with a ally in Vegas and a few new allies made up of paranormal investigators. Ones that feel like they are based on people in those paranormal investigating shows today. This one almost seems impossible to deal with, but you know Kitty, she won't stop until it's over.

I have to admit, I didn't enjoy this one as much as I thought I would. I was a bit put off by the paranormal investigating team and those characters just seemed a mess. However, by the end I was right back with the group and enjoying the ending as I usually do in a Kitty novel. Therefore I give this one 3 1/2 stars. It really came together in the end for me.

Kitty's House of Horrors (Kitty Norville #7)

In the seventh entry in Carrie Vaughn's bestselling Kitty Norville series, a publicity stunt turns into a fight for the popular radio talk show host's life.

Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a publicity stunt will turn into a fight for her life.

The cast members, including Kitty, arrive at the remote mountain lodge where the show is set. As soon as filming starts, violence erupts and Kitty suspects that the show is a cover for a nefarious plot. Then the cameras stop rolling, cast members start dying, and Kitty realizes she and her monster housemates are ironically the ultimate prize in a very different game. Stranded with no power, no phones, and no way to know who can be trusted, she must find a way to defeat the evil closing in . . . before it kills them all.

I'd have to say this was one of my favorite Kitty novels. In this one we find ourselves with Kitty on a mountain retreat filming a reality tv show. A host of paranormal advocates and creatures gather to convince on hardened sceptic that they exist. However, we know Kitty so it doesn't surprise any of us that this is more than it seems.

It's a story that reminds me of The Most Dangerous Game in where humans were considered the ultimate prey. Now consider humans with supernatural abilities all gathered in one spot. This book was very much on the edge of the seat kind of reading. You didn't know how it would turn out nor who was in on the conspiracy. Even when all the players are accounted for and sides specifically drawn, you still were wondering who would get out of there alive. Not all make it and it is also heart wrenching to say the least. This is a great addition to this UF series. I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I can't wait for the next.