Vaughn, Carrie: Kitty Raises Hell
Kitty Raises Hell (2009)
Written by: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 322
In case you were wondering, yes: Carrie Vaughn released two, brand-new books a month apart. I seem to remember this having something to do with the publication schedule or something wonky. Whatever the case, two new adventures, in two months, and it works out well, because Kitty Raises Hell picks up where Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand left off.
I'll be honest, after reading Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand, I was a little worried. Instinctively, I knew that book was set-up, but a part of me feared that it might be an indicator of how the series would go from that point on. I shouldn't have worried. Kitty Raises Hell gives us a much tighter story to chew on, and that's a good thing.
The premise: in book six of Vaughn's series, Kitty learns that what happens in Vegas actually DOESN'T stay in Vegas. Something is stalking her, and not just her, but her whole pack. That something is invisible, evil, and smells of fire and brimstone. Kitty is at a loss of how to protect her pack, and it gets worse when the television crew of a ghost-hunting gets involved. Then a new vampire comes to town, claiming to be a demon hunter and the only one who can help them, but his asking price may be too much . . .
Spoilers, spoilers everywhere.
Whew, back to the norm. We're back in Kitty's territory, back with her pack, and the emotional stake is more organic this time than contrived like the last book. Here, Kitty is seriously concerned for the safety of her whole pack. The demon that's after them, which is later revealed to a djinn (didn't see that one coming), is invisible and start fires spontaneously. Kitty's restaurant, New Moon, gets torched after a seance that gets a little out of control, and that's something too that Kitty has a stake in. The crew from the reality show, Paradox PI, is a welcome addition to the cast of the book, because we get a psychic out of the deal (and can I just say how amused I was that Tina was able to contact Houdini from the great beyond? This happened before the book even started, but the fact she did comes out at the end, a very cute moment). I was reminded a bit of Cherie Priest's Wings to the Kingdom because it also features a ghost-hunting crew with its own reality show, but the stories and subplots are all very different.
At any rate, there's actually not a whole lot to discuss in this book. I liked how we got to see Kitty as a wolf twice, instead of once, like the last time. I really liked how Roman was able to force the initial change. That was cool and creepy. I'm thrilled we got to see Cormac (twice!) and it's cool that he's got his own story playing out in prison. I think I heard that Vaughn's writing a short story featuring Cormac, so maybe this is leading into that tale. Whatever the case, I can't wait to see what he's up to. I also can't wait for him to get out, because I want to see how well he fits back into the real world, especially now that Ben and Kitty are married.
Ben and Kitty continue to be a realistic couple. They have problems. Getting married doesn't solve anything, but they love each other and recognize that relationships take work. I like how Ben is kind of Kitty's anchor and break from the craziness, even though he's a part of it. I loved his suggestion at the end of the book. It's cute and great and just perfect for them, because it strikes as something a real married couple would do. I also like how neither one of them was playing victim in the book, though Ben did have to save Kitty once. But it didn't read like a damsel in distress: Kitty started a fight, started LOSING the fight, so Ben backed her up. You know, like how he would in a pack.
Kitty does need to be saved at least once, though: when the djinn attacks outside of the apartment (that was where it happened, and I kept wondering why Ben didn't know or wasn't aware of what was going on down in the parking lot), it's Roman who comes to the rescue, only to turn on Kitty when she insults him and tries to hypnotize her into going on a killing rampage. It doesn't work because Rick's got a close eye on Kitty and he intervenes, but still. The saving grace here is that in the end, Kitty doesn't need saving from dire circumstance. Using all of her resources and people, she's able to trap the djinn, and that's a good thing.
We also peel back another layer to a larger story. While the Tiamat cult storyline is pretty much resolved (loved the return of Grant and his black box!), we learn that someone far more dangerous than the vampire priestess was pulling the strings. Roman, who actually is so old he was a GENERAL for the Roman army (get it, he calls himself ROMAN! HA!), has set his sights on Kitty because she's shaken up his work in "The Long Game," which we first heard about in book four, Kitty and the Silver Bullet. Now I'm a little interested in this Long Game and how it's going to affect Kitty and her wolves, especially since Rick seems to think she's somehow in the middle. Admittedly, Kitty draws trouble like a magnet, and while I was a little concerned with Rick's pronouncement, I'm looking forward to see where all of this is going.
Can I also say that I liked the subplot involving T.J.? It was a total surprise, but a welcome one. I liked meeting Peter and I was thrilled that he got hired on the reality show. :) That's just awesome. :) And I also liked the oh-so-subtle reminder that getting lycanthropy will reverse any illness. T.J. had HIV and was cured. And Kitty's mom still has cancer. I'm hoping, and maybe I'm demented for hoping this, that Kitty ends up having to change her mom, or at the very least, that the issue becomes a major dilemma for the family, even if the mom decides no in the end.
Oh, and I need to add something: I really liked seeing how difficult it was for Kitty to put on a strong face for her pack when she really wanted to run and hide from the horror that was happening. Kitty's unique in UF heroines in that way, because most I've read just strut forth with aggression and dominance, and Kitty has to fight to stay calm, focused, and confident. She doesn't want to appear weak in front of her pack, and it was great seeing that dynamic play out on the pages.
My Rating
Must Have: Vaughn back in form with this one, and it's a good thing. The emotional heart and tension is back in the story, and it doesn't feel as contrived as it did in the last book, because the last book was all about whether or not Kitty and Ben would get married (or whether someone would kill them before it could even happen), whereas this book threatens every one and every thing Kitty cares for: her family, friends, pack, and even her city, Denver. There are some excellent cast additions to this book, an exploration of new myths in terms of the supernatural as Kitty and her friends try to figure out what's hunting them, and better still, a few surprises and nods from previous books. We see Hardin again, and Cormac, and in a way, T.J. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand was DEFINITELY set up for this book, and this book pays off and throws a few more lures for later books, which I'm still looking forward to.
Cover Commentary: I didn't notice it on the cover of Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand until quiet_rebel pointed it out, and this book does the same thing: if you look very closely at Kitty's left hand, you'll see something shiny. I love that! I also like the coloring of this particular cover and the model's pose (I love the top she's wearing, but wish I had a skinny-enough waist to pull it off). And three cheers for NO TATTOOS!! Woot!
Next up (or I should say, still working on):
Drood by Dan Simmons