Carrie VaughnReseñas

DAMMIT, I just lost everything I typed. *mopes*

I just read six of these in a row, and I think I'm done for now. I'll spare you separate reviews of all of them.

One of Vaughn's more... unique... writing traits is a tendency to wrap up major plotlines halfway or 75% of the way through the book. No way was that the end, you think, they only thought they defeated the baddie, and it's going to come roaring back when we least expect it. But no. The third book was a particularly strong example: you discover who, how, and a little of why, but in the end it isn't enough to save the day after all. It does serve to make a simple series of books a little less formulaic, so I don't really object.

I think my favorite remains the first one, with its unique take on domestic violence. When reading, you can generally spot an abusive relationship a mile off: you have fairly dispassionate access to all the abuser's actions at once, and you're not quite as subject to their charms. The Midnight Hour suckered me in, though: Well, they're werewolves, they have an animalistic side, I can't understand exactly how their social system works, isn't this just how you run a pack? Nope. Carl may be a werewolf, but his (and other pack members') manipulation and control tactics are inescapably human. You realize along with Kitty that just because you're not strictly human doesn't mean others are allowed to treat you inhumanly.

Okay, I admit it, it's a reread. A nice, lightweight novel about a Denver werewolf who starts a talk-radio show for the supernatural community. Nicely written; enjoyable characters. I admit that the Denver references were part of the draw!

Kitty Steals the Show
Kitty Norville, Book 10

I Picked Up This Book Because: Continue the series.

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Hoopla
Dates Read: 1/15/24 - 1/17/24
Stars: 3 Stars
Narrator(s): Marguerite Gavin

The Characters:

Kitty Norville
Ben O’Farrell
Cormac Bennett, Ned, Young Female Vampire who’s name I cannot remember

The Story:

I haven’t listened to this series in a very long time so there was some confusion on characters and past events, but it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story. Kitty has found herself in a heck of a mess by the end only time will tell…

2.5 stars. I could discuss the various and sundry reasons for this rating, but I’m still deciding how I feel about the book. Maybe later.

Cormac Bennett is an ex-con, an ex-bounty hunter, and now a paranormal investigator, and his spirit/ghost partner is Amelia Parker, a wizard from the Victorian era. Even though I haven't read any of the other books in this series, the story is still easy to follow, and there's enough information to allow the reader to figure out their relationship. Cormac and Amelia are hired to investigate the death of a ranger who died from starving, which was odd in itself since his cabin is filled with all varieties of food. The villain was pretty easy to guess, and there's a huge twist about the "who's" and the "what's" at the end. Overall: It's a short, interesting little mystery with a touch of magic and historical fiction. The writing was good, and the story ran along quickly and smoothly but I don't think the series will be on my "books I need to read more than I need to breathe" list.

Prelim Review: I grew up adoring superheroes. Barry Allen (Silver Age Flash) was my absolute hands down favorite of them all. I idolized him like most people idolized movie stars. He was Silver Age (50's/60's/70's) of comics, in the 90's, when I began branching out I stumbled upon Alex Ross and Mark Waid's epic [b:Kingdom Come|93338|Kingdom Come|Elliot S. Maggin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328005937s/93338.jpg|43059188].

It changed how I viewed heroes rather profoundly.

This too has changed how I view certain aspects of being a hero. I read very 'hero' books in which the characters have a kid. Sometimes it'll happen, but almost never did I stick with a series (or character) long enough to watch that kid grow up. I didn't consider how it must be on either side of the equation, the helplessness both sides feel, the uncertainty of what could happen at any moment. Its not really that different from regular parents or kids who's parents are in law enforcement (like cops or fire fighters), but there's a stark difference between the Joker and Joe Schmo bank robber.

I wish that we could have seen more flashbacks of Celia's childhood. The brief interludes did a lot to sort of bridge the gap between the Celia of now and the Celia who was then. I'll tell you one thing, the memory of her at two years old had me practically crying it was sad...heart-wrenchingly so.

I was captivated by this story. It held me engrossed as I watched how the completely ordinary daughter of the world's greatest heroes struggled to come to terms with herself. Whether Celia truly felt reconciled to the fact that she was merely normal, especially after the past reveals how involved her family has been from the very beginning, is left up in the air. I don't think by the end of it she felt bitter that she wasn't the Golden Child her parents had wanted. And they weren't the heroes everyone saw them as. It was hard for her to reconcile that the most--the world kept telling her 'Your parents are heroes. They're like Gods.' and to her they were just Mom and Dad, adults who let her down more often then she liked.

There's a little romance throughout, and anyone with braincells will be able to see how things turn out for Celia, but I was more interested in how everyone around her reacted when her secret came out. In one memorable rant after it comes out, Celia demands to know if she is any different then she was before:

[Celia]"..How many times do I have to say it: I've spent the last eight years trying to make up for one mistake, and the only message I'm getting is that isn't possible. Yesterday I was a respectable upstanding citizen, and today, suddenly, I'm dirt...what the hell happened?"



[Analise]"How do I know you won't do something like that again?" (pg. 139)

That interchange, about halfway through the book, sums up something important I think. Never mind heroes vs. villains, everybody faces this. You can spend your entire life as the good kid and one mistake, one misstep, and that's something know one will forget. After the Golden Age, the title in and of itself I think refers to this. There's the Celia before The Incident, the Celia who tried her best but couldn't live up to her parents' expectations, when there was still the chance she could be so much more.

Then there's the Celia after The Incident, who couldn't fully reconcile with her parents, who felt inadequate next to almost everyone around her. She wasn't alone though. It wasn't touched upon directly, but through the flashes of time from Celia's childhood and beyond we kind of see that her parents weren't just disappointed in her lack of superpowers, but weren't sure how to deal with her because of it. Its fairly typical when a family is so devoted to one certain aspect--sports, the arts, music--and is confronted with a child with no aptitude. How do they relate? How do they treat that kid? It must have been worse for the Wests since the added burden that Celia couldn't protect herself--physically at least--like they could.

I'll discuss the romance only briefly, because its not a big deal of the book. The connection is the draw, the force behind it. Through her connection with the her love interest she feels understood. Not perfect or a disappointment, but a flawed human being stumbling around trying to find her way. Its a little heavy-handed at times, especially after the Incident is publicly known, but effective. I wish she had this same feeling with someone else--Analise maybe, who I can't quite forgive for being so judgmental of Celia's past.

And the ending...well. There was tears. I don't think we needed the extra 'and this is what happened' bit after the confrontation, but the confrontation was almost perfect to my mind whether you are a comic fan or not. It had the big life or death plot, but very real consequences and emotions that took center stag

When I first heard about Voices of Dragons, I had no idea it was a young adult urban fantasy. Actually I had no idea what it was about at all, but Dragons are a surefire way to get my attention at least. As I heard more about it, I was a little skeptical over the premise. It truly did sound like a Romeo & Juliet set-up but with a Dragon and a girl. The book more then exceeded my expectations however.

There was something very real about the situation to me, or perhaps the reactions of the characters. Kay is described early on, through actions and her own self-evaluation, as being prone to doing reckless things for adventure. Throughout the book she does just that; climbing cliffs without lines (or a climbing buddy), choosing to continue to meet with Artegal and then enthusiastically agreeing that they should try flying. Truly the two of them were a matched set--neither seemed overly afraid of the consequences, could only see the adventure of it.

The relationships with her human friends and family were a little more strained. Aside from keeping the monumental secret that was Artegal, Kay was also neck deep in the terrifying ritual of High School dating. On the one hand her best friend Tam was deep certain that if Kay just let it happen it would be the best thing ever. After all it was for her, so why wouldn't it be for everyone else? On the other hand Kay's uncertain feelings for her other best friend Jon wavered back and forth, plaguing her with doubts and 'what ifs'. Her time with Artegal gave her a peace and serenity, despite the danger, that she desperately needed.

When the tensions began they happened fast and then kept going. I was worried about an unexpected death creating friction between Artegal and Kay, but there wasn't any. Kay was an amazingly mature girl, able to see beyond anger and fear, able to understand because of her friendship with Artegal. The last third of the book felt rushed however, as Vaughn tried to cram as much into the space as possible to wrap up the story on a satisfactory point. The military came off as being brash, aggressive and bloodthirsty honestly and I felt nothing but sympathy for the dragons' side of the conflict. I don't think enough information was provided to really support the military's aggressive stance.

The twist at the end, regarding an old wives' tale about virgins and dragons, was amusing to see played out. It was clever of them to think of it and their escape promised a continuing story I'd be most eager to read. And for the record it was downright refreshing to read a paranormal/urban fantasy novel (mainstream or young adult) that featured two characters building a true bond of friendship that was the strongest factor.

I am not sure how this one got such a low avg rating.
It's entertaining and surprisingly well crafted.
I had these moments a few times of "are you kidding me? this is bs. no one would do that/act like that" but a lot of times after considering human nature I had to concede that it actually wasn't unrealistic.
In the end, I believe this is one of the more believable stories that describe a coming out for werewolves etc. in a way I believe would actually be much more likely to happen.
This book abuses the strict pack trope to an extreme that has nothing to do with actual wolves anymore. It really abuses the "its the pack" thing to get away with a lot of crap that would neither stand in a wolfpack nor a human group.
One could argue that its different with werewolves but then the constant pounding on the "inner wolf" thing is bs.
Either way, wolf nature is used too much as a scapegoat for acceptance of the unacceptable for plot reasons.
Apart from that, the worldbuilding neglects a lot of possibilities and suggests a rather stark, hopeless and incredibly simplistic situation for basically all vampires and werewolves.
In the next book, it becomes clear that this indeed is just a misconception of our main character but it threw me pretty badly and I would expect an average intelligence human to be able to reason this out on their own. Well, we are told repeatedly that the mc isn't particularly bright. Usually, this is just self-deprecation but in this case, it really is true but only if it is convenient for the plot.
At other times intelligence and quick wit go through the roof.
There are attempts at character growth but sadly none of it goes anywhere. The growth survives exactly as long as it is convenient and immediately regresses if it would get in the way of the plot.
This ultimately was the reason for me to drop the series in book 3.
The circumstances change but the mc doesn't which for some is exactly what they want but that's just not my thing.
I think you can spot a pattern here. Plot convenience is probably the main flaw but I have to say I've read a lot worse with much better ratings. It's mostly subtle and if you just don't think about it too hard and go along for the ride this can be quite enjoyable.
I enjoyed the easy-to-read writing and the pacing was fine. There were no 180s or other big failings that stood out like a sore thumb.
From my experience, I would've expected this to be at around 3.85 avg rating.
This is another example of why I should stop holding onto avg ratings as a measure of what to read.

As always, Vaughn delivers a solidly entertaining story with her trademark humor and wit. I enjoyed this one from cover to cover and hope we are gifted with another snapshot into the lives of Polly and Charles at some future point!

I loved everything about this novella. Witty, charming, mischievous and nostalgic, it had everything I was looking for in a Sherwood story and more. Absolutely give it a go! I already can't wait for the next one!

I absolutely loved this story and can’t wait for the next installment! One thing I especially appreciate is that, while this is obviously dystopian in nature – it doesn't move through the entire fall of a civilization in one novel. What’s happening here is slower than that and MUCH more personal. The reader might be confused as to what exactly preempted “The Fall” and why banners are such a big deal – but we aren’t left with those questions unanswered so much as the details unexplored. To me, this book addresses a major criticism of dystopian writing – that the story moves so fast the characters are lost in the current. It absolutely addresses ALL of those complaints while moving at a pace that keeps the reader engaged and curious about the characters and the world they live in.

I'd absolutely recommend this read, which is now the winner of the Philip K. Dick award!

While still an immensely enjoyable and well-written (as always) read, I found this one a tad lackluster after the beautifully braided storylines of the first installment ("Bannerless"). Still very much looking forward to the third!

If you haven't picked this series up yet, what are you waiting for?! You're in for a treat. :)

So sad this series has reached its conclusion - but SUPER hopeful that we'll get a future series with Jr.~!!!! Really looking forward to Bannerless!

This is a lovely book. Interesting plot, good main characters and Hera was well written. I understood her actions and I like it when I understand the enemy. It makes the story believable.

It took some getting used to because of the four different storylines, but I liked that in the end. It would have been a better book if it was less full of....all kinds of things. There is a lot of backstory and none of it is being told in detail. I would have told this story in two books I think. There is so much I still want to know about this world. Or I would have mentioned less. Both choices would have made the story better, but in the end it doesn't matter. I love this book and I will probably read it again.

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Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

This book was absolutely everything I expected it to be and more. There’s always that worry when someone’s writing a geeky book that it is going to be horribly cringe-worthy, and I was pretty sure that this was in good hands, but having read the book and then Carrie Vaughn’s acknowledgement’s I can confirm that we’re good folks – she’s one of ours. Vaughn is a self-acclaimed geek (it’s blazed across her website header proudly) and she’s certainly screaming it from the rooftops with every single moment in Questland. From the premise of an island where fantasy has come alive and has been designed and brought to life by teams of designers and engineers who are all geeks themselves, to the quotes and random pop culture moments thrown in at perfectly timed intervals.

Then there’s the protagonist Addie Cox. Addie is a literature professor teaching a pop culture course (aka any book geeks dream) and is essentially the wizard of her party because this isn’t a military operation, it’s very much a quest to find out what’s happening and Addie is the only one who speaks the arcane language of fantasy, geeks and gamers. But like all geeks, Addie isn’t super confident, and that’s not because she’s an introvert stereotype who doesn’t go out at all. No, as a geek Vaughn is very aware of the stereotypes and Addie has a complicated backstory that is all too believable in modern-day America. The tragedy and trauma that Addie went through led her to tabletop RPGs and the concise rules of gaming ruled by the throw of a dice helped her get through the darkest times of her life.

It means she speaks a language that none of the soldiers in her party speaks, and as Addie remarks to herself throughout their time together, they may have high stats in strength and constitution like a barbarian but she has the high stats in intellect. Addie sees the world as a roleplayer, thinking of things in terms of dice rolls for perception and at one point she even tells the Captain to make sure he does a perception check. By this point, she’s proved her value to the team and he doesn’t look at her twice, he just takes it under advisement and checks for traps.

My only issue with Questland is how heavily it draws from Tolkien because as regular readers of my blog know, I’m not a fan (an admirer of his skill, but not a fan) and this book is filled with hero worship. Many of the elements of this book and the character themselves are Tolkien hero worshippers and many people forget that Tolkien didn’t actually create elves or dwarves. He just borrowed them from mythology and folklore, and while there is a moment where things are correctly credited to the legends Tolkien admired so much, it is a fleeting moment. It’s understandable; Vaughn is a huge fan herself, and it is her book, I just wish that a book about geeks and filled with geek characters didn’t essentially fall into the stereotype of “all fantasy fans are obsessed with Lord of the Rings”.

Despite my one misgiving about Questland what Vaughn has achieved in one novel is to be commended. There are so many random genuine snippets of conversation that would be at home in any group of geek friends or work colleagues. References to video games, film and book quotes and other pop culture moments are not awkward added to make it look real. It is real. These are like conversations I have on a daily basis with my fiance. Just a couple of geeks being geeks. These dialogue moments compliment Addie’s inner dialogue as a geek seeing fantasy and magic brought to life by technology which is on point at every turn. Vaughn’s rich narrative describing the wonders of the island makes you feel as if you are right there with Addie, uncovering this magical place one step at a time.

Welcome to Questland; are you ready for your quest?

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I’ll be completely honest; I had absolutely zero interest in The Immortal Conquistador until I read the short story Conquistador de la Noche in Kitty’s Greatest Hits. I liked Ric as a character, but I was never a huge fan of him. Normally I feel drawn to vampires and want to know more about them, especially their history, however, Ric is such a private character that he never piqued my interest. He was created purposely not to be a typical vampire, and while I can appreciate that he just always felt a little flat to me. That was until we finally got his story in Conquistador de la Noche and I was able to appreciate that my issues with him were a lack of information rather than character faults.

Once I’d finished the two short story collections the only book left unread was The Immortal Conquistador; the Ric novella. I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting it actually was, and enjoyed reading about historical periods and places that I (as a Brit) know nothing about through Ric’s eyes. All those times he teased Kitty with comments and looks where she just knew he had a lifetime of juicy stories just waiting to be told, and yup, he does. This is the story that Kitty might just very well kill to get her hands on.

It can be read by readers who have never read the Kitty Norville series, however, you will probably get much more from it if you have read the series. This is an additional story for fans and ties in with the series.

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Kitty’s Greatest Hits is a collection of short stories that Carrie Vaughn has collected together under one anthology. Many have been part of other anthologies and I’d already read two of them (Il Est Ne and The Temptation of Robin Green), but there are also a few never before seen ones. One is a small story that spins off from one of Kitty’s on-air callers after he hangs up the phone and the other is the novella written about Cormac, one of the main characters, and events that happened to him ‘off screen’.

The stories cover a wide range of topics and characters, from historical periods and even an alternative take on a popular biblical tale (which I really enjoyed). Kitty features with her usual flair for getting caught up in things that only she can get caught up in and the wider view of the entire Kitty Norville universe just made me ache for more. These short stories show just how big the supernatural world that Vaughn created is and it feels like she barely scraped the surface of it in the series, which is a little bittersweet.

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Unlike the other short story collection, this one was mostly fresh to me with the exception of one story that featured in the Urban Enemies anthology. This time the stories focused more on Kitty and Ben and their escapades, including some short but fun stories where the author, Carrie Vaughn, clearly had fun pondering what happens to werewolves during supermoons, blue moons and all other sorts of moon phenomena. They were interjected between other stories intended to give the reader a giggle and they did just that!

As with the other anthology I was left with a deep desire for more. Two stories, in particular, stood out to me for showing the potential for a new series branding off from the Kitty Norville one that explored the wider supernatural world. These were The Island of Beasts which was set in England in the early 1800s and gives us a glimpse of how things were for werewolves in Britain at that time. It hints at various things and just made me want to know more. Then there is Sealskin which is a follow up to a story in the previous short story collection (The Temptation of Robin Green) which opens the doors to a whole new world of, as you can guess from the name, selkies and quite possibly even more. The original story with Robin Green included a variety of mythological creatures so there has already been a hint of what exists.

Overall Kitty’s Mix Tape is a good anthology and unlike the previous one, it serves as a good starter/sampler for people who are not familiar with the series as well as a goodbye to those of us who have finished it. The stories are entertained and varied, offering a full glimpse of what you can expect from the full Kitty Norville series.

It took me a long time to get into this book because it starts off so slowly. Once it sped up it was great, although it only gets 3 stars because I felt the big finale was rushed. Throwing in a new-ish player/character in the final book just seemed off to me as well. Still enjoyable, just could have been better.