Book Review: Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville #9)

Kitty Norville is back and in more trouble than ever. Her recent run-in with werewolves traumatised 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 actually been supernatural? 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 ...

My Review: 
Kitty receives a call from Anastasia in San Francisco to say that Roman has been tracking her and a powerful object in the city, and needs help. Kitty, Ben and Cormac go to the city and are instantly attacked as they look for Roman. It is now a race to find a pearl that can replicate, and this power could be used to swiftly grow his army. Kitty gathers allies around her as the search begins but there is powerful magic working against her which may doom them to be stuck beneath the streets forever. 

I was pleased to read the entire Kitty series last year which I very much enjoyed though it has taken me ages to get these reviews written and posted! I'll be working on the rest of my Kitty reviews over the next week or so.

Being told the story that General Sherman was actually a werewolf has intrigued Kitty into wondering which dead celebrities may have been vampires or werewolves. With Rick hinting that he knew Wyatt Earp, Kitty goes looking for evidence that he may have been a vampire hunter in his time. Finding an old, starving vampire with Roman's mark is an unpleasant surprise, especially when Anastasia calls to ask for her help. As usual, Kitty attracts trouble as soon as she arrives in the city, with her stealth mission to find Roman goes south when his werewolves attack Kitty and Ben. They find an ally in the form of Grace, whose family have guarded the location of the pearl in tunnels under the city but when they arrive it is gone. Does Roman have it or are he and his people lost in the tunnels too?

I noticed that a few reviewers weren't keen on this Kitty story but I enjoyed the change of focus from the city on to a quest in the dark tunnels! Kitty is determined to stop the pearl falling into Roman's hands at all costs and is working with interesting new people. Grace and her family before her were trusted in keeping the pearl safe and she is horrified to find it gone from a secure hiding place. The local vampires quickly spot the werewolf intruders and want to speak to Kitty about her activities and I enjoyed their interactions. Sun was also a fun character when he was introduced but I can't say much about him without adding a few plot spoilers so I'll let the readers find that out for themselves!

It was good to get the back story on Anastasia's life as a human before she was turned and explore her connection to Roman. We also learn a bit more about Rick and although the Wyatt Earp story annoyed some readers, I found it fun to see Kitty out looking for evidence of celebrity vampire hunters! It was a good way to start the story and a light side plot before the darkness closes in literally! When the setting changes to a new city, a lot of it takes places in the secret tunnels below it. Now I'm a big fan of settings that are isolated, dark and deadly, with enemies lurking round every corner so I very much liked what the author did here. OK yes it is maybe a bit repetitive as it goes on but it was enjoyable for me. I also liked seeing a bit of Chinese mythology coming into the story, something I know nothing about. I liked that there was something new to enjoy.

This book edges closer to the war against Roman and his forces beginning for real. A few reviewers have said that there isn't really much to the book and while I can see where they are coming from, I liked that this book was about tension rather than lots of action, and exploring the past of some of the characters. It also goes into more detail about the complex relationship between Amelia and Cormac. I certainly thought it was a solid book in the series.  

Read September 2018
4 stars.