Kitty's Mix-Tape

July 13, 2020
Vaughn offers readers one last trip into the world of Kitty Norville, the werewolf talk radio host last seen in 2015’s Kitty Saves the World, in this nostalgic collection of 15 urban fantasy shorts, which splits focus between the delightful Kitty and other fan favorite characters who’ve been caught up in her adventures over the years. Vaughn offers star turns to Kitty’s lawyer husband Ben (“What Happened to Ben in Vegas”), ancient vampire Rick (“It’s Still the Same Old Story”), and bounty hunter Cormac (“Kitty and Cormac’s Excellent Adventure”). Kitty’s own jaunts—which see her attending her high school reunion (“Kitty Walks on by, Calls Your Name”), dealing with bureaucracy (“Kitty Busts the Feds”) and investigating a werewolf boxer (“Kitty Learns the Ropes”)—are suffused with humor and pop culture references. A genuine sense of playfulness abounds, especially in several cute flash fiction pieces about the effects of different lunar events on Kitty’s lycanthropy. Though the uninitiated won’t want to start with this, the insights into Kitty’s supporting cast and illumination of previously unseen moments from the series will delight longtime readers. For those devoted fans, this will be a delicious final taste of Kitty’s complicated life.

July 10, 2020

Sometimes you just have to revisit an old playlist, and in this last collection of Kitty Norville short stories, readers will get to see the werewolf radio show host and other favorites get into mishaps and take on the bad guys. Starting with everyone's nightmare of the high school reunion, especially one with vampires and hunters in "Kitty Walks On By, Calls Your Name." A young man discovers that werewolves are real and serving the Nazis in "Unternehmen Werwolf." The mystery behind what Ben was up to during Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand is finally solved in "What Happened to Ben in Vegas." Fifteen stories, with four original to the volume, are followed by delightful notes and a song list. An introduction by author Emma Bull (Bone Dance) highlights the community, fun, and mystery that was the "Kitty Norville" novels. VERDICT A wonderful companion to this urban fantasy series, this final volume will give readers one last look at some favorite characters.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
For many, reading in the time of COVID-19 is a challenge, making comfort books a good fallback. This collection of paranormal stories of various lengths is a delightful read for those who have enjoyed Vaughn's novels featuring Kitty Neville, the late-night talk show DJ who was bitten by and turned into a werewolf, including Kitty Rocks the House (2013). Her call-in show featuring all kinds of somewhat monstrous beings made her a national authority on the supernatural, and in her adventures she gets involved with Ben, the love of her life; Conrad, a bounty hunter; Rick, a powerful vampire; and many more. Ten previously published stories are joined by three original tales and the story notes and playlists add interest, though beware of ear worms. While some tales feature Kitty and her associates, others are set in various times and places, such as a paranormal historical story set in Regency England, and one in WWII Germany. A male selkie, a magician, and a manananggal, a horrific monster from Philippine folklore, also appear.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)