Book Chick City: July 2011

BOOK REVIEW: 'Awaken the Highland Warrior' by Anita Clenney

Sunday, July 31, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

Title: Awaken the Highland Warrior (Connor Clan #1)
Author: Anita Clenney
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: 1st May 2011
ARC: 426 Pages
Genre: Paranormal/Time Travel Romance
Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by Laura

RATING: 7/10 - Very good, would definitely recommend

GOODREADS:

A man from another time...

Faelan is from an ancient clan of Scottish Highland warriors, charged with shielding humanity from demonic forces. Betrayed and locked in a time vault, he has been sleeping for nearly two centuries when spunky historian Bree Kirkland inadvertently wakes him. She's more fearsome than the demon trying to kill him, and if he's not careful, she'll uncover the secrets his clan has bled and died to protect...

Could be the treasure she's been seeking all her life...

When Bree inherits an old treasure map, she discovers a warrior buried in her backyard. But the warrior isn't dead. Bree shocks Faelan with her modern dress and her boldness, and he infuriates Bree every time he tries to protect her.

With demons suddenly on the move, Bree discovers that Faelan's duty as protector is in his blood, and that her part in this fight was destined before she was born. But nothing is ever what it seems...

REVIEW:

Having read quite a few time travel romances, I started this book with a certain set of expectations. Hero travels forwards in time, has to come to terms with the modern world, believes women are to be protected and are not necessarily equals and spends a good part of the book learning to live and of course love again. And I have to confess as formulaic as they often are as long as they have a good plot, in general I love them.

But 'Awaken The Highland Warrior' is so much more than this. The time travelling hero is actually only really a small part of the story. At the centre is a group of brave and determined warriors battling evil demons and trying to save the human race. All in yummy kilts too! It also manages to steer away from being quite corny which would have been very easy to do.

Our heroine Bree inherits a map she believes will lead her to a treasure chest, and instead finds Faelan, a warrior who has been trapped in a time vault for one hundred and fifty years. Before she knows it all sorts of crazy things are going on around her family home, with demons attacking and general mystery and mayhem.

The last thing Faelan remembers is being attacked by a demon and now he's alive in the 21st century, knowing only that he must stop that very demon from killing the human race. But first he must come to terms with not only all of the changes in the world, but the loss of his immediate family too.

This book has a lot going on in it, but not in a way that you struggle to keep up. There are some great characters, I love the inventive world that Clenney has created with warriors, time vaults and of course demons. It mixes action and romance, whilst at the same time encapsulating some of the emotion you would genuinely imagine feeling if you had been propelled forwards in time.

The relationship between Faelan and Bree has quite a bit of suspicion in it, with both at one time or another suspecting the other to be a demon. Which did get a tad ridiculous towards the end, how much proof did they need? But apart from that I really enjoyed it.

The pace began to loose a little momentum towards the middle of the book, but really picked up when Bree and Faelan go to Scotland. You then begin to see try scale of the demon war, as well as meet some fabulous Scottish, kilted men which I can't wait to meet again in the subsequent books.

VERDICT:

This is a great book. If you usually steer clear of time travel books, but enjoy a good paranormal romance then I would recommend you give it a try. Another paranormal series to add to my wishlist :-)

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Books In Series Order:

1. Awaken the Highland Warrior
2. Embrace the Highland Warrior
3. Unleash the Highland Warrior

This book counts towards the following BCC Reading Challenges:
Book #45 100+ Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
Book #6 Summer Romance Reading Challenge 2011

Labels: 7/10 Rating, Authors A-D, Book Reviews, Paranormal Romance, Reviews by Laura, Sourcebooks |

4 comments |

On My Wishlist (#82)

Saturday, July 30, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.

Love the cover - sounds like a great start to a new UF series...

Bloodlands (Bloodlands Trilogy #1)

Christine Cody (Ace)

Publication Date: July 2011

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Goodreads

Summary:

It was called the New Badlands, home to the survivors of a cataclysm that altered the entire nation. Then the vampires arrived, and it was rechristened the Bloodlands. Not because of the vampire, but because of the gun-for-hire who'd decided to slay every monster in the country by any and every means necessary. (Goodreads)

This looks so much fun!

A Taste of the Nightlife (Vampire Chef Mystery #1)

Sarah Zettel (Signet)

Publication Date: July 2011

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Goodreads

Summary:

Charlotte Caine isn't called the Vampire Chef" because she's a member of New York's undead community-she just cooks for them. Her restaurant, Nightlife, is poised to take the top slot in the world of "haute noir" cuisine.

But when a drunk customer causes a scene, a glowing review from the city's top food critic doesn't seem likely-especially when that customer winds up dead on Nightlife's doorstep. Now, with her brother under suspicion for the murder, Charlotte has to re-open her restaurant and clear her brother's name-before they both become dinner. (Goodreads)

So that's what's on my wishlist this week - what's on yours?

Labels: On My Wishlist |

17 comments |

Kitty Norville Month - BOOK REVIEW: 'Kitty's Big Trouble' by Carrie Vaughn

Friday, July 29, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: Kitty's Big Trouble (Kitty Norville #9)

Author: Carrie Vaughn

Publisher: Gollancz (UK) | Tor (US)

Publication Date: July 2011 (UK) | June 2011 (US)

Paperback: 307 pages

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by: Carolyn

RATING: 6/10 - good

SUMMARY:

Kitty Norville is back and in more trouble than ever. Her recent run-in with werewolves traumatized by the horrors of war has made her start wondering how long the US government might have been covertly using werewolves in combat. Have any famous names in our own history might have actually been supernatural? She's got suspicions about William Tecumseh Sherman. Then an interview with the right vampire puts her on the trail of Wyatt Earp, vampire hunter.

But her investigations lead her to a clue about enigmatic vampire Roman and the mysterious Long Game played by vampires through the millennia. That, plus a call for help from a powerful vampire ally in San Francisco, suddenly puts Kitty and her friends on the supernatural chessboard, pieces in dangerously active play. And Kitty Norville is never content to be a pawn...

REVIEW:

"Kitty's Big Trouble" is the 9th book in the 'Kitty Norville' series and it's still going pretty strong. I continue to find all the characters interesting and most of the time, likable. However, I didn't quite like the plot in this one as much as I have in previous books. There's a lot going on with many different threads. It's not difficult to understand as Vaughn does a great job at keeping everything easy but it did get a little tiresome with jumping from one storyline to another.

Kitty is on the hunt for another story for her talk-radio show and is looking into the history of different famous people from the past. She finds some interesting facts about them. She's also helping Anastasia, along with Ben and Cormac, in the quest to find the Dragon's Pearl, where the gang come face to face with Roman, a two thousand year old vampire, who they met for the first time in 'Kitty Raises Hell'.

I felt a slight atmosphere change in this book, it just doesn't have the same feel as the preceding books. I'm not sure if it's because it contained a lot more magic, or if it was due to the inclusion of Gods and mythology, but there is a definite shift in tone. And although there's plenty of action as always, which I usually love, this time I found my mind drifting, I just wasn't as engaged.

Even after all this time, I still find it difficult to believe in Kitty as a warrior, a true alpha, as she doesn't fight with weapons, has no magical ability and hardly ever fights as a werewolf, therefore all that's left is her human side, which surely has no hope against a two thousand year old vampire. And yet Roman seems concerned by her and her ability to thwart him. Kitty manages to stop evil in its tracks just by being there and being her sarcastic, snarky self.

Also, what is happening to Cormac? This is not how I imagined his character to end up. He's a bounty hunter and yet he now feels stripped of that ruggedness I loved so much in earlier books. I'm not sure I like this turn of events for him and want him to be the guy I met in 'Kitty and the Midnight Hour'.

I'm also not sure about the inclusion of Gods - there are enough supernaturals in this series: werewolves, vampires, demons, psychics, wizards, ghosts, magicians, without having to add mythology and Gods to the equation - this is just overload. Although I must admit I did like Sun - he was pretty dishy ;)

VERDICT:

Despite "Kitty's Big Trouble" not being the strongest book in the series, there's still plenty to keep the interest of Kitty fans. I'm intrigued to find out what happens next for Kitty and her band of merry men, and I look forward to reading 'Kitty Steals the Show' when released summer 2012.

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Books in Series Order:

1. Kitty and the Midnight Hour

2. Kitty Goes to Washington

3. Kitty Takes a Holiday

4. Kitty and the Silver Bullet

5. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

6. Kitty Raises Hell

7. Kitty's House of Horrors

8. Kitty Goes to War

9. Kitty's Big Trouble

This book counts towards the following BCC reading challenges:

Book #32 Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011

Book #40 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011

Labels: 6/10 Rating, Authors U-Z, Book Reviews, Carrie Vaughn, Gollancz, Kitty Norville Month, Reviews by Carolyn, Tor US, Urban Fantasy |

3 comments |

GUEST REVIEW: 'Touch If You Dare' by Stephanie Rowe

Thursday, July 28, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: Touch if You Dare (Soulfire #2)

Author: Stephanie Rowe

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publication Date: July 2011

ARC: 383 pages

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Source: Review copy from publisher

Guest Review by Andrea

@viralpunk

RATING: 5/10

SUMMARY:

He's just about the hottest warrior she's ever seen...

Reina Fleming really appreciates a man who's on a mission-especially when he's a badass warrior doing his best to impress her. And Jarvis is charmed by the way Reina's magic touch can soothe his dark side.

But when Jarvis's attention puts her job, her home, and her family in danger, Reina has to decide whether love is worth the price...

Enter the nonstop, action-packed world of Stephanie Rowe's love stories-you'll never think of the manly arts in the same way again.

REVIEW:

“Touch if You Dare” is the second in Rowe’s 'Soulfire' series. Jarvis is a bad-ass warrior and the guardian of hate. He’s spent over 100 years as a prisoner in the clutches of Death’s evil grandma, and finally he and some of his warrior friends have managed to escape.

But it’s not all hugs and puppies now he’s free. He is the guardian of hate and anyone who touches him starts to feel it. It makes him a lethal warrior, but emotionally stunted. The hate is growing rapidly inside him and it’s only a matter of time before he can’t contain it anymore and it spreads throughout the world. He needs to find his brother, the guardian of love, to help stop it spreading, but the guardian of love is on a suicidal mission and Death is not going to give him up.

Reina works for Death as a reaper, in the hopes of harvesting enough souls to be promoted, thus finding a cure to save her only surviving sister. She’s supposed to kill an immortal assassin, if she wants the promotion. Bring in Jarvis. He needs to speak to death, and she needs to kill an immortal warrior.

I’m really unsure if I actually liked this book or not. The premise is definitely interesting, and reminds me a little of Gena Showalter’s Lords of the Underworld, but with a little more humour. And I think that is where it fails in my opinion.

I love a bit of humour with my bad-ass warrior types, but for me, “Touch if You Dare” took it too far; far enough that it pulled me out of the story and I couldn’t suspend my disbelief any longer.

The opening paragraph is definitely unique and had me grinning and wanting to read more. I knew it wasn’t going to be a serious novel from the opening, and I was looking forward to something a bit lighter.

Sometimes rescuing a bunch of almost-dead warriors form black magicked pit vipers was just the kind of thing a man needed to help him forget the fact that he could not, for the life of him, figure out how to knit.

An awesome opener don’t you think? Warriors who want to show their softer side! Jarvis and his inability to knit sucked me straight in.

I haven’t read the first novel in the series, 'Kiss at Your Own Risk', and felt a little lost in this at first. It wasn’t bad enough that I couldn’t make sense of what was happening, and on large I was enjoying this, but humour has a way of dampening my emotions to what is happening to the characters. Something really important can happen but because it’s written in such a humorous way I don’t worry and don’t feel a connection.

I think the first tendrils of doubt started to filter in, when, in passing Jarvis’ torture and rape (though it’s never really stated so blatantly) by Death’s dear grandma was written in a blasé, humorous way. Maybe I’m being too sensitive about this, or not reading it the right way, but the way his torture is made light of had me cringing.

He hadn’t had the upper hand with a female in, oh, about a hundred and fifty years. His quality time with chicks usually ended with him skewered, stuffed, skinned, trying to remember why he bothered to keep reviving each time Death offered him an invite to a happier place.

There is also a passing reference to being trained like Pavlov’s dogs towards women that had me frowning, and maybe I really am taking it too seriously; it’s from Jarvis’ POV after all, and it could be his way with dealing with what happened to him; to pass it off as a joke.

But this wasn’t really the issue I had with this book, I could explain it away by telling myself it was Jarvis’ way of coping with being tortured for 150 years.

The part that had me rolling my eyes, humour now gone overboard, skip 3 paragraphs if you don’t want to be spoiled...

... was the guardian of love trying to slit his throat using the strings on his harp (while they’re still attached) and Death stopping him.

It just went too far me. I like my paranormal romances angst-filled, but with a happy ending, and if it’s a series, then some in jokes and banter.

I just couldn’t take it seriously after this, even with all the action, drama, worry, and love flying around, I couldn’t stop picturing Cupid with a beer belly trying to slit his throat on harp strings. OK, it’s funny, but it just stopped the rest of the story being credible for me. I wanted Cupid to succeed!

I loved the character of Jarvis and the idea of a warrior as the guardian of hate, Reina’s love for her family driving her to do whatever she can to save them is heartfelt, and together they are the perfect match. You can’t help but want them to succeed and get together because each of them seem so starved of affection in their own way. I really had no problem with the overall plot or characters; I think I just didn’t mesh with the style of the writing at the end of the day.

VERDICT:

Maybe it’s just me. I like more angst and less humour, it’s why I’ve never been able to get into Terry Pratchett, but the overload of humour, especially at what I considered inappropriate at times made what was a fantastic basis for a new and fun paranormal romance series into something less enjoyable. I can’t say I didn’t like reading it, I liked the characters, and the idea, I just thought it needed more angst and less of the funny. If you enjoy a lot of laughs in your paranormal romance, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this more than I did!

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Books in Series Order:

1. Kiss At Your Own Risk

2. Touch If You Dare

3. Hold Me If You Can

Labels: 5/10 Rating, Authors Q-T, Book Reviews, Guest Review, Paranormal Romance, Sourcebooks |

4 comments |

Kitty Norville Month - Interview with Carrie Vaughn (Part 2) plus Giveaway!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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I love urban fantasy and I've wanted to read the Kitty Norville series for some time. So this month I will be reviewing all the books in the series, I also have a fantastic interview with the author, Carrie Vaughn, an interview with Kitty herself, a guest post from book cover designer, Nick Castle, and a fab giveaway! I hope you enjoy! :D

This is the second part of my interview with the fab, Carrie Vaughn (go HERE for part 1). Thanks again to Carrie for answering my questions.

As well as the Kitty Norville series, Carrie is the author of 'After the Golden Age' published 2011 and young adult novels: 'Voices of Dragons' published 2010 and 'Steel' published 2011. Carrie currently lives in Boulder, Colorado.

One lucky reader has the chance to win the entire Kitty series, so make sure you enter at the end of the interview.

BCC: What do you do to relax when you're not writing?

CARRIE: I'm pretty crafty -- knitting, sewing, costuming. I walk my dog, watch movies, try to spend a lot of time outside.

BCC: What kind of books do you read yourself, and who are your favourite authors?

CARRIE: I read a little bit of everything. I love a good space opera, and beautifully written stand-alone fantasy. My must read authors right now are Robin McKinley, Patricia McKillip, Lois McMaster Bujold, and Steven Erikson.

BCC: What's the worst piece of advice given to you while you where struggling to get published?

CARRIE: "You have to write to the market, and you have to know somebody to break into publishing." Because both of those aren't true, but they sound true so people repeat them a lot. What worked for me: write what you love, and keep trying.

BCC: What's the weirdest thing a fan has said or sent to you?

CARRIE: I've gotten a couple of emails from people who insist that I must have special knowledge about werewolves because I write about them so realistically. Those leave me scratching my head.

BCC: What's you favourite genre or author to read on a long journey?

CARRIE: Usually whatever I happen to be reading. No particular favorite.

BCC: Favourite comfort food?

CARRIE: Mexican food. Ice cream.

BCC: What's your favourite city?

CARRIE: I have lots: Denver, London, New York.

BCC: Tell us one thing readers may be surprised to know about you?

CARRIE: I don't know -- I'm not all that surprising! I used to do a lot of acting when I was in high school...

BCC: Favourite song/band to chill out to?

CARRIE: Again, too many to name! I like Paul Simon, and an obscure band from my college days called Too Much Joy.

BCC: Ice-cream or chocolate?

CARRIE: Chocolate ice cream of course.

BCC: If you could meet any urban fantasy heroine, who would it be?

CARRIE: Kitty! The rest of them scare me a little.

BCC: Quite or chaos?

CARRIE: Depends. I like a balance of both.

BCC: Organisation or disarray?

CARRIE: My disarray is actually pretty organized.

BCC: Sunrise or sunset?

CARRIE: Sunset.
Thanks Carrie!

You can find out more about the author here:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads
GIVEAWAY!

There's still time to enter my fab giveaway of the entire Kitty Norville series thanks to Gollancz!

1. Kitty and the Midnight Hour
2. Kitty Goes to Washington
3. Kitty Takes a Holiday
4. Kitty and the Silver Bullet
5. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand
6. Kitty Raises Hell
7. Kitty's House of Horrors
8. Kitty Goes to War
9. Kitty's Big Trouble

This giveaway is open to UK/Rep of Ireland residents only (publisher's request) and ends 29th July 2011.

**If you've already entered DO NOT enter again as only one entry per person is permitted - any duplicate entries will be disqualified**

If you haven't already entered then all you have to do is the following:

1. Leave a comment for Carrie
2. Read Book Chick City's giveaway policy
3. Fill out this form
4. One entry per person

GOOD LUCK!

Labels: Author Interviews, Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Norville Month |

8 comments |

GUEST REVIEW: 'Huntress' by Malinda Lo

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: Huntress

Author: Malinda Lo

Publisher: Atom

Publication Date: May 2011

Paperback: 384 pages

Genre: Fantasy, LGBT interest

Young Adult

Source: Review copy from publisher

Guest Review by Andrea

@viralpunk

RATING: 9/10

SUMMARY:

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn't shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people's survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Tanlili, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls' destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo's highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

REVIEW:

There aren’t enough young adult fantasy novels, so I was really excited when I received this book to review. For one, it looks like it could be just as at home in the adult section of a book store as it could in the young adult section, and secondly the blurb gave me enough information to be intrigued. I really was not disappointed in “Huntress”.

Taisin is a gifted student, studying to become a Sage. She has powerful sight and can see into the future. She sees Kaede in her future, and doesn’t understand the feelings she had when she watched the vision of Kaede fade into the distance.

Kaede is the daughter of the chancellor to the king, and has no gift with magic whatsoever. She only got into the school because of her father, and although she excels at the practical, she knows she will never be a Sage like Taisin. In fact, if her father has his way she will be married off as soon as she finishes her studies.

Taisin knows her vision is related to the change in the seasons, or the lack of change. This coincides with an invitation for the king to visit the fey; an invitation like that hasn’t been given in centuries, and so Taisin and Kaede journey with the king’s son, Con to visit the fey, and find out what the weird creatures that keep appearing are, and if they have anything to do with the unchanging seasons.

Taisin remembers how she felt towards Kaede in her vision and tries her hardest to stay away from her. If she is to become a sage then she has to be celibate; there is no room for love in her world. But they are drawn together slowly, gently…

First of all, this is a fantasy novel that explores magic, the fantastic, and what could happen if the atmosphere changed so abruptly. Crops stop growing, food becomes scarce, people start to panic. The love story is secondary, but no less important. It adds depth, and character to both Taisin and Kaede. You can’t help but root for them, and hope against all odds that they can be together.

The fact that they’re both women is almost inconsequential. That makes this novel even better. I admit, I have a weakness for LGBT novels; mix that with the fantasy genre and I’m in my element. I had no idea that this would be, not only a fantasy novel, but also lesbian interest. It’s all very subtle and tastefully done, and done in such a way where the sex of the characters isn’t as important as the love they feel.

This aspect of the novel could have easily taken over; it could have been sensationalised and even classed as lesbian fiction instead, but I’m glad it’s not. I’m glad that the sexual preference of the characters didn’t overtake the plot, at the same time I almost wished there was more of a hint of it on the blurb of the book, so to appeal to those in categories that are often overlooked.

So, if you want to read a brilliant fantasy novel full of magic, fey, with a brilliant world and a great plot, where the main characters happen to be the same sex--and fall in love with each other--then this is the novel for you.

I really love that a YA novel outside of the norm has been published by such a well known publisher and treated like, and given the same amount of attention and backing as more run of the mill novels. This needs to happen more often!

VERDICT:

I was looking forward to reading this novel from the offset, it’s thoughtful, understanding and it slowly builds in pace, it raises issues such as same sex relationships in the safety of a fantasy novel, and it’s hard not to feel the love growing between them. Taisin and Kaede are easy to identify with and I couldn’t help but love them, and worry about them. I only found upon finishing it that it’s the prequel to Ash, but it definitely stands strong alone, and I urge anyone to read it whether they’ve read Ash or not.

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

Labels: 9/10 Rating, Atom, Authors I-L, Book Reviews, Fantasy, Guest Review, Young Adult |

6 comments |

Kitty Norville Month - BOOK REVIEW: 'Kitty Goes to War' by Carrie Vaughn

Monday, July 25, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Title: Kitty Goes to War (Kitty Norville #8)

Author: Carrie Vaughn

Publisher: Gollancz (UK) | Tor (US)

Publication Date: Jan 2011 (UK) | June 2010 (US)

Paperback: 334 pages

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by: Carolyn

RATING: 7/10 - very good

SUMMARY:

Kitty Norville, werewolf radio call-in show host, gets a call from an old friend at the NIH’s Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology, a friend with a problem, who doesn’t know where else to turn. Three Army soldiers who have recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are in custody at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They’re also werewolves suffering from post traumatic stress, unable to control their shape-shifting, unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, curious and wanting to help.

Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for slander after featuring Speedy Mart—a chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting the supernatural—on her show, and an old friend-and-adversary has just been released from jail.

REVIEW:

**Warning - possible spoilers - read at your own risk!**

"Kitty Goes to War" is the 8th book in the Kitty series. Kitty, Ben and Cormac are back together, the "pack of three", and it's fun reading. I can't tell you how glad I am to see Cormac out of jail!

There are two main plots running through this novel. Firstly there's something going on with Speedy Mart stores across the country and Kitty as usual is in the thick of it trying to find out what is going on. Of course, because of this she nearly gets herself killed along with Ben and Cormac.

The second plot is that Kitty has been asked by the military to help three werewolf soldiers back from the war in Afghanistan who are finding it difficult to stay human. The military wants to know if these men can be rehabilitated or if there is just no hope for them. This was my favourite part of the book. As always the action flows and the pages fly by due to the easy nature of Vaughn's writing style.

Kitty has grown a lot throughout the series and I definitely felt she was making more of the decisions herself in this instalment rather than relying on others as she had done previously. Her compassion and understanding of the soldiers was really good.

Cormac is back but he's a bit different. I'm not sure I like what's happened to his character but I'm certainly intrigued. I also don't really know if the feelings between Kitty and Cormac are well and truly in the past as there are a few hints that they both still have feelings for one another, but nothing is said. I wish this would resolve as it's really not fair on Ben, even if I do want him OUT and Cormac IN! ;)

VERDICT:

"Kitty Goes To War" is not as good as the previous book, 'Kitty's House of Horrors', which is my favourite in the series, but it's definitely another great instalment for Kitty fans!

You can find out more about the author here:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Goodreads

Books in Series Order:

1. Kitty and the Midnight Hour

2. Kitty Goes to Washington

3. Kitty Takes a Holiday

4. Kitty and the Silver Bullet

5. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand

6. Kitty Raises Hell

7. Kitty's House of Horrors

8. Kitty Goes to War

9. Kitty's Big Trouble

This book counts towards the following BCC reading challenges:

Book #31 Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2011

Book #39 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011

Labels: 7/10 Rating, Authors U-Z, Book Reviews, Carrie Vaughn, Gollancz, Kitty Norville Month, Reviews by Carolyn, Tor US, Urban Fantasy |

0 comments |

This week on BCC...

Sunday, July 24, 2011 | Posted by Book Chick City |

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Happy Sunday! Hope you're all having a fab weekend!

I have lots of great posts and reviews coming up this week, including the second part of my Carrie Vaughn interview as part of my Kitty Norville Month! Enjoy :)

This Week on Book Chick City

On Monday I will be reviewing the 8th book in the Kitty Norville series, "Kitty Goes to War" by Carrie Vaughn for my Kitty Norville Month.

On Tuesday Andrea will be reviewing young adult novel, 'Huntress' by Malinda Lo.

On Wednesday, I will be posting Carrie Vaughn Interview Part 2 for my Kitty Norville Month.

On Thursday Andrea will be reviewing paranormal romance, 'Touch If You Dare' by Stephanie Rowe.

On Friday I will be reviewing 'Kitty's Big Trouble' the 9th book in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn.

On Saturday 'On My Wishlist' will be posted as usual - you are welcome to join in, just stop by and add your direct URL to Mr Linky. Click here for more info.