Review: Kitty and The Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

My Rating: VG, P, B

Published: 2005
Publisher: Warner Books

Author's Website: carrievaughn.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com

Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station – and a werewolf in secret. Sick of lame requests, she accidentally starts ‘The Midnight Hour’, a late-night talk show for the supernaturally disadvantaged.

After desperate vampires, werewolves and witches across the country begin calling into share their woes, her new show is raging success. But it’s Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf hunter and a few homicidal undead on her trail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew…

Kitty and The Midnight Hour is the first novel in the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn. This book covers Kitty’s journey from the pack cub to a more dominant, self reliant woman/wolf.

Before Kitty became a werewolf she was a DJ and this is a job she still does. On an off night the talk turns to the supernatural and this causes Kitty’s DJ career to sky rocket over night. The pack leader and master vampire of the area aren’t happy and want her to quit the show but Kitty is happy with what she does as it’s something she enjoys and it’s all her own, and she won’t quit for anyone. You will see the constant struggle she has with the alpha of the pack to gain some independence. But is it all worth it?

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT)

Anything I say in the following paragraph could be deemed a spoiler, but I don’t think so but I added this in just in case.

I thought this book was well written and quite creative. This is the first book I think I have read that the main character is a werewolf. Everything else I have read, the main characters are mostly vampires or humans. The pack dynamic is slightly different from other packs in other novels I have read. The pack in this story are very touchy feely as it gives them a ‘safe’ feeling. I think this is transferred from their human side and isn’t just a wolf trait. A lot of people feel safer when they are being touched by someone they love and trust. The pack is just like that except they feel like they have to touch another to feel safe and have to touch each other all the time. The alpha has a mate, but can still sleep with all the females of the pack. I think this is wrong on so many levels but essential to this story.
(END OF SPOILER

Kitty isn’t the strong heroine we all expect her to be at the beginning. She grows out of her submissiveness and becomes the heroine we are all waiting to read about. It’s a slow journey but eventually she manages to gain her independence but at a huge cost. We see her constant struggle between her and her wolf all throughout the book. Kitty doesn’t want to like what her wolf likes. But who wins in the end? I’m not telling, you will just have to read the book for yourself.

I think my favourite part of the book was the first time we meet Cormac. This part in the book was very anti-climatic and had me sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. There was also a moment near the end of the book when Kitty meets with Arturo the Master vampire of the family in Denver. The description of Rick’s face had me literally laughing out loud.

Overall, I think this book was pretty good. It had a good plot line, a strong female character alongside many very strong male characters and was action packed. There was always a macho display going on and this isn’t just within the wolf pack. This book would be suitable for teenagers upwards. There’s nothing sexually explicit in this book but there are a few descriptive violence scenes but I’m sure it’s something a teenager can handle.

Disclaimer: I have not bought this book, I borrowed it from the library. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.