Kitty‘s Big Trouble (Kitty Norville, #9) by Carrie Vaughn. © 2011 Tor. ISBN 9780765365651. Mass Media Paperback. Urban Fantasy. 320 pages. Source: ARC provided by the publishers.

Back Cover Blurb: 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 United States government might have been covertly using werewolves in combat. Have any famous names in our own history been actually 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 the enigmatic vampire Romance and the mysterious Long Game played by vampires through the millennia. That clue, plus a call from a powerful vampire in San Francisco, suddenly puts Kitty and her friends on the supernatural chessboard, turning them into pieces in a dangerously active play. But Kitty Norville is never content to be a pawn…

Review: The “Kitty Norville” series is excellent in the way that it’s almost episodic. Yet while Kitty’s Big Trouble has lots of fantastic action and draws in bits from previous books—giving us that overarching episodic feel—I can’t say that I loved this installment.

It was enjoyable but it just felt weird in places and I found myself putting it down several times (I even think I read a couple of books before coming back to it). Kitty is in a completely new world—one hidden within, or rather underneath, San Francisco—full of Chinese mythology where she discovers even more supernatural creatures to wrap her head around. Good, but not crazy good and probably my least favorite of the series thus far. Still, this remains my favorite series and I’m really looking forward to #10! 3/5.

Teresa

Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.

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DEAD IRON is Devon Monk’s foray into the mesmerizing, up-and-coming steampunk genre. Known for her popular Allie Beckstrom series that takes place in an alternate Portland where magic, ghosts, and other supernatural beings rule, Devon is a master of weaving romance and adventure into one exciting story!

Set in an alternate 1800s where technology is made up of fantastical steam powered devices, Devon Monk’s DEAD IRON is Ilona Andrews meets 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In Devon Monk’s steampunk America—where strange creatures, machines, and magic rule—Cedar Hunt, a cursed bounty hunter who turns into a wolf every full moon, must fight to hold on to what is left of his humanity.

Rosanne at Penguin has one copy available for one lucky Read All Over Reviews reader. Enter here! USA only, sorry. ETA: ends July 27th.

Teresa

Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.

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Club Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #3) by Charlaine Harris. © 2003 Ace Books. ISBN 9780441010516. Mass Market Paperback. Paranormal Romance/Mystery. 292 pages. Source: borrowed a copy from my sister.

Synopsis: There’s only one vampire Sookie Stackhouse is involved with (at least voluntarily) and that’s Bill. But recently he’s been a little distant – in another state, distant. His sinister and sexy boss Eric has an idea where to find him. Next thing Sookie knows, she is off to Jackson, Mississippi to mingle with the under-underworld at Club Dead. It’s a dangerous little haunt where the elitist vampire society can go to chill out and suck down some type O. But when Sookie finally finds Bill – caught in an act of serious betrayal – she’s not sure whether to save him…or sharpen some stakes.

Review: In my attempt to get some background info while waiting impatiently for the new season of True Blood, I borrowed a couple of the Sookie Stackhouse novels from my little sister.

In this book, Bill takes a trip to Jackson, MS (though he told Sookie it was Seattle) and ends up being held hostage by Mississippi’s vampire king, Russell Edgington and the mysterious Lorena. As Sherriff of Louisiana’s Area 5, Eric is duty-bound to get Bill back but once again needs Sookie’s telepathic abilities in order to do so. Eric charges werewolf Alcide Herveaux with the job of escorting Sookie to Jackson, where both must masquerade as a couple in order to learn more from the patrons of Josephine’s (a.k.a., Club Dead). As you can expect, danger and mystery find Sookie and the shit hits the fan when Bill betrays her.  Read more

Teresa

Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.

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When it comes to werewolf movies, I’ll give any a chance but my favorites are normally ones from the last 15 years. This will probably cause people to scuff and deem me not a true lover of lycans, but I prefer effects that won’t leave me laughing ;) Some people love B-flicks but I’m not one of them. So without further ado, I present my top 5 werewolf films in no specific order …

1. An American Werewolf in Paris (1998)

I was not raised on horror movies, in fact I spent a lot of my adolescence running scared from them (you wouldn’t think that now though, as a I revel in the horrific), but it was An American Werewolf in Paris that helped my love of lycans blossom. Thank you, Thomas Everett Scott.

2. Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)

Middle ages? Check. Awesome costumes that totally don’t fit the period? Check. Kick-ass action scenes? Check. Hot taboo vampire/werewolf sex on a cliff ledge? Check. Michael Sheen walking around shirtless? Check. So, I’m shallow when it comes to my werwolf movies. Sue me. I adore the entire Underworld trilogy, but this is by far the best. Here we learn how and why the fight between the lycans and werewolves began, and learn about the forbidden love between Sonya and Lucian.

3. Blood and Chocolate (2007)

Oh my god. Can it be? Werewolves … that look like … wolves?! Hallelujah! That’s what I’m talking about! Not that I don’t enjoy a good hairy lycan on two legs, but to me a werewolf should be a frickin’ wolf. That on top of the male lead falling for the female werewolf—instead of the other way around like you normally find … probably one reason I adore Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series so much—and Hugh Dancy (*swoon*), and you have my undivided attention. I plan on reading the book this was based off of soon, so stay tuned for my review (and possible book-to-screen comparison post).

4. Cursed (2004)

I have a huge thing for bumbling, geek werewolves and no one (save perhaps Russell Tovey – go watch Being Human, I command thee!) fits that role better than Jesse Eisenberg. I loved the cheese of this movie, the cast, the plot, the melodrama and gore … I found it fantastic. This probably counts as  B-movie, but I don’t care.

5. Van Helsing (2004)

Van Helsing is an amazing homage to the old horror movies of the 30s: Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolfman. Not only that, but they somehow managed to throw in my love of angels. I won’t say how because I know there are probably those who haven’t seen it but suffice it to say, I love this movie. And I don’t care what anyone says, I want a fecking sequel!

Teresa

Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.

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