Book Review: Kitty in the Underworld by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville #12)

As Denver adjusts to a new master vampire, Kitty gets word of an intruder in the Denver werewolf pack’s territory, and she investigates the challenge to her authority. She follows the scent of the lycanthrope through the mountains where she is lured into a trap, tranquilized, and captured. When she wakes up, she finds herself in a defunct silver mine: the perfect cage for a werewolf. Her captors are a mysterious cult seeking to induct Kitty into their ranks in a ritual they hope will put an end to Dux Bellorum. Though skeptical of their power, even Kitty finds herself struggling to resist joining their cause. Whatever she decides, they expect Kitty to join them in their plot . . . willingly or otherwise.

My Review: 
This was the first book in the series that I wasn't greatly keen on. What works for me with Kitty is the group dynamic with Ben, Cormac, Rick, The Pack, the team at the radio show and their various allies, and this book was lacking in that department. It was pretty much a Kitty solo outing but that in itself wasn't the issue with the book.

Kitty gets some bad news about a lost ally and hears that Roman is looking for another magic relic to help his campaign. She is already trying to find a way to work with Angelo instead of Rick when a domestic problem takes her attention. She goes out with a Pack member to investigate rumours of an intruder in their territory and when they split up, Kitty is captured. She wakes up naked in a cell surrounded with silver, tired, hungry and scared, unaware of who her captors are or what they want. It soon becomes clear that they have a magic spell that they claim will destroy Ronan but they need Kitty to be a part of it, whether she is willing to do it or not. Kitty is tempted to try anything to get rid of her enemy but can she trust people who have chosen to imprison her against her will?

This book mostly takes place in the abandoned silver mine where the anti-Roman group have set up their base. It is the perfect place to imprison an angry werewolf and Kitty quickly realises how difficult it is going to be to escape and find help. She is left hoping that Ben and the Pack will be able to track her and come to the rescue. Despite her anger, she starts to listen to what the captors are saying about Roman and wonders if they really do have a way to stop him. If it was to work, there would be an end to The Long Game so Kitty starts to wonder if there is any harm in giving it a try, despite her doubts. The leader of the group is Kumarbis, the vampire who once turned Roman and now realises that he needs to stop him, feeling guilt for what he has unleashed on the world. He is assisted by a human witch, and a were-lion and her wolf mate. They regard Kitty as the Queen of the wolves and need her to complete the group before they can do the spells to locate and destroy Roman.  

OK here is where I have issues with the book. Firstly it is incredibly repetitive. We get day after day of Kitty alone in her cell, trying to work on a way to get out, waiting for food, sleeping, shifting. Over and Over. It just goes on for ages and I was finding it all pretty dull and wishing they would just get to the point. Kitty is drugged, locked in a cell, left naked, dirty and half starved for days before they even try to talk to her. If she is so important to the spell, surely the best way to get her cooperation was to approach her in Denver and convince her of the importance of the plan, rather than treat her the way they did. She is hardly going to trust them under these circumstances is she! Having her kept in such conditions is bad for her health-surely you would want her fit and well, and ready to take part in the ritual. It just seemed a bit dumb.

Sometimes I also get frustrated with Kitty for neglecting her Pack responsibilities. Her Pack led by Ben are going frantic trying to find her and yet when the chance to escape comes, she chooses not to go so she can take part in an untested hair-brained scheme without bothering to let everyone know that she is safe. She is always neglecting her Pack to do other things and this is another example. I also feel that the book might have been better if they had cut out some of Kitty in her cell and showed the POV of the search for her as they try to find her. Having the Pack and Cormac searching for her mixed in with her interactions with the group might have worked better. The ending, when they finally got to the rituals was more interesting but it doesn't make up for the very slow start.

Not a great book for me but one disappointment out of the twelve so far isn't really a bad ratio overall. There were some good bits but just too much fluff burying it for my liking.

Read September 2018
2.5 stars.