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Katherine "Kitty" Katt #8
Alien Research
When rumors of a new super-drug surface, the FBI comes to Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini for help. It becomes quickly apparent that the drug is merely the tip of a deadly iceberg and a much more insidious plan is underway involving Titan Security, Gaultier Enterprises, and YatesCorp.
As newly discovered A-Cs and hybrids begin to surface, each with expanded and deadly talents, more and more signs point to a new evil genius who’s using the A-Cs and their enemies both as guinea pigs. Then Area 51 and the Dulce Science Center go silent while Alpha Team, Airborne, and most of the worldwide A-C Security team are there for training. And if that’s not bad enough, Centaurion Division is hit with more bad, and deadly, news: Chernobog the Ultimate, isn’t a hacker myth, he’s a real person -- and he’s on the bad guys’ side.
Now Kitty and company must find the real Dr. Feelgood and stop him or her before the latest version of Surcenthumain hits the streets and more people they love are harmed, or worse. But when the inconceivable happens, Kitty’s focused on two things only: reviving the ACE entity before their enemies realize Earth’s best protection isn’t actually active…and revenge.
As newly discovered A-Cs and hybrids begin to surface, each with expanded and deadly talents, more and more signs point to a new evil genius who’s using the A-Cs and their enemies both as guinea pigs. Then Area 51 and the Dulce Science Center go silent while Alpha Team, Airborne, and most of the worldwide A-C Security team are there for training. And if that’s not bad enough, Centaurion Division is hit with more bad, and deadly, news: Chernobog the Ultimate, isn’t a hacker myth, he’s a real person -- and he’s on the bad guys’ side.
Now Kitty and company must find the real Dr. Feelgood and stop him or her before the latest version of Surcenthumain hits the streets and more people they love are harmed, or worse. But when the inconceivable happens, Kitty’s focused on two things only: reviving the ACE entity before their enemies realize Earth’s best protection isn’t actually active…and revenge.
521 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 3, 2013
29 people are currently reading
680 people want to read
About the author
Gini Koch
80 books911 followersGini Koch lives in Phoenix, Arizona and writes the bestselling fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series. Alien in the House, Book 7 in her long-running Alien series, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award as the Best Futuristic Romance of 2013. Book 14, Alien Nation, won the Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice Award for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel of 2016. Alien Education releases May 2, 2017, and DAW Books has just contracted through Book 20 in the Alien series.
As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series and she’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing under a variety of other pen names as well, including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch.
In addition to her upcoming Alien Series releases, she has stories featured in a variety of anthologies available now and coming soon, writing as Gini Koch, Anita Ensal, J.C. Koch, and Jemma Chase. Writing as A.E. Stanton she will have an audiobook release in 2017, Natural Born Outlaws (The Legend of Belladonna Part 1) coming from Graphic Audio.
For full details on all releases, all the news about Gini's books, signings, events, excerpts, and more, visit her website: http://www.ginikoch.com.
As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series and she’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing under a variety of other pen names as well, including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch.
In addition to her upcoming Alien Series releases, she has stories featured in a variety of anthologies available now and coming soon, writing as Gini Koch, Anita Ensal, J.C. Koch, and Jemma Chase. Writing as A.E. Stanton she will have an audiobook release in 2017, Natural Born Outlaws (The Legend of Belladonna Part 1) coming from Graphic Audio.
For full details on all releases, all the news about Gini's books, signings, events, excerpts, and more, visit her website: http://www.ginikoch.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
December 23, 2013
*Genre* Science Fiction
*Rating* 4.0
*Brief Summary*
Except for perhaps 2 chapters that I found a bit political in nature, (which I try to avoid like coming in contact with plague victims), Alien Research took me on an emotional ride which lead to a very emotional ending. I really didn't see the carnage coming that Koch left behind and was a bit shocked and surprised by the number of characters that Koch choose to put in harms way. That's a nice way of saying that some characters meet their destinies.
I still have some huge questions as to whom the real Mastermind is and whether this person is standing right in front of Kitty. There are SO many different people surrounding Kitty right now that I am not 100 percent sure that they are all trustworthy.
I liked the fact that Kitty does meet a surprise character that has been creating lots and lots of questions about who they are and how they are able to do the things they do since Kitty joined the A/C gang. HINT: The Operation Elves. I also found the question of using or denying free will and free choice a conversation that probably needs to be discussed further in light of events that happen in this book.
As usual, Kittyism is out in full force and this novel can be considered Operation Infiltration because the bad buys really throw the gang into utter chaos. Whenever I read a novel in this series, I take out my chalkboard (Kidding!) and write down every single character that Kitty comes in contact with and whether or not they are important to the overall telling of the story. It is interesting that Kitty gathers people around her like moths to a flame. That being said, yet another character is added to Kitty's ever growing gang of misfits and her abilities are Storm like.
I really do want to go back and write down every song that Koch comes up with in this story. In fact, it would probably behoove me to do so to each of the series books and make a customized CD out of them. I love the fact that Koch has a new song for each situation Kitty encounters.
Koch enjoys taking Kitty and Jeff to new heights in the romance department. With Kitty's ever growing abilities, you never know what they will do next. On the Smexy scale, I would rate this an 8.
I'm a bit on the unforgiving side when it comes to Christopher this time out. I think his churlish comments and behaviors necessitated a smack down by Kitty and Amy. I totally understand his feeling a bit bummed out about things but come on dude, strap on your jock strap and be a man about things!
I wonder when Kitty is going to get a break from both her friends, and enemies. Although she is clearly smart, brave, inquisitive, and dangerous to the Mastermind's world domination because she thinks way, way outside of the box, there are those who clearly think she's a lunatic and the comments that get tossed her way are a bit mind boggling.
Alien Collective is the next book in this series, and releases May 2014.
*11/12/2013* Recvd from Publisher! Released: December 3rd 2013 by DAW
*Rating* 4.0
*Brief Summary*
Except for perhaps 2 chapters that I found a bit political in nature, (which I try to avoid like coming in contact with plague victims), Alien Research took me on an emotional ride which lead to a very emotional ending. I really didn't see the carnage coming that Koch left behind and was a bit shocked and surprised by the number of characters that Koch choose to put in harms way. That's a nice way of saying that some characters meet their destinies.
I still have some huge questions as to whom the real Mastermind is and whether this person is standing right in front of Kitty. There are SO many different people surrounding Kitty right now that I am not 100 percent sure that they are all trustworthy.
I liked the fact that Kitty does meet a surprise character that has been creating lots and lots of questions about who they are and how they are able to do the things they do since Kitty joined the A/C gang. HINT: The Operation Elves. I also found the question of using or denying free will and free choice a conversation that probably needs to be discussed further in light of events that happen in this book.
As usual, Kittyism is out in full force and this novel can be considered Operation Infiltration because the bad buys really throw the gang into utter chaos. Whenever I read a novel in this series, I take out my chalkboard (Kidding!) and write down every single character that Kitty comes in contact with and whether or not they are important to the overall telling of the story. It is interesting that Kitty gathers people around her like moths to a flame. That being said, yet another character is added to Kitty's ever growing gang of misfits and her abilities are Storm like.
I really do want to go back and write down every song that Koch comes up with in this story. In fact, it would probably behoove me to do so to each of the series books and make a customized CD out of them. I love the fact that Koch has a new song for each situation Kitty encounters.
Koch enjoys taking Kitty and Jeff to new heights in the romance department. With Kitty's ever growing abilities, you never know what they will do next. On the Smexy scale, I would rate this an 8.
I'm a bit on the unforgiving side when it comes to Christopher this time out. I think his churlish comments and behaviors necessitated a smack down by Kitty and Amy. I totally understand his feeling a bit bummed out about things but come on dude, strap on your jock strap and be a man about things!
I wonder when Kitty is going to get a break from both her friends, and enemies. Although she is clearly smart, brave, inquisitive, and dangerous to the Mastermind's world domination because she thinks way, way outside of the box, there are those who clearly think she's a lunatic and the comments that get tossed her way are a bit mind boggling.
Alien Collective is the next book in this series, and releases May 2014.
*11/12/2013* Recvd from Publisher! Released: December 3rd 2013 by DAW
December 6, 2013
I have enjoyed all of Kitty and Jeff's adventures in Gini Koch's very entertaining series. As the cast of characters has grown, sometimes I've had a hard time keeping up with the gang, but I've enjoyed every adventure. I enjoyed this one too, though it definitely should be read in order to get the full context.
Instead of a step forward, I feel the series took two steps back.
Instead of a step forward, I feel the series took two steps back.
May 13, 2016
I absolutely love this series so I couldn't wait to read Alien Research and yet again Gini Koch has delivered a fun and action packed story full of my favourite characters. One of the things I loved most about this book was seeing Kitty and Jeff get to take a step away from Washington politics and back into their role as joint heads of operations. When both Area 51 and the Dulce Science Centre are taken offline with pretty much the entire security staff inside Kitty and Jeff don't have much choice but to get back into the thick of things and try to discover what is happening. As much as I love this series I have missed them taking a more active role so it was great to see them getting back to what they do best.
As always Gini Koch has woven this story in an intricate pattern using multiple plot threads and huge cast of characters we're already familiar with along with a few new faces too. She throws in so many twists and the way she ties everything together in the end is nothing short of masterful. You just never know what she is going to throw at Kitty and the gang next and in this book they are definitely in for heartbreak. There are some really shocking and emotional events that I would never have predicted and I was on the edge of my seat dreading what else she could do. There were actually a couple of occasions I was in tears so this is the first time I'm going to warn you to have tissues on hand for this series.
I love all of these characters and considering how many of them there are I'm always surprised by how quickly I can slip back into this world and just know who everyone is. With a lot of series I find I struggle to remember who the main players are or how everyone is connected but I don't tend to have that problem here. I would really like a family tree though to remind me quite how everyone is related, especially now we have so many marriages and children amongst the group. I love that the animals play such important roles in the series too, the poofs and peregrines add so much humour to the story - I just wish they were real and I could adopt some!
If you're a fan of this series you won't want to miss Alien Research, it really is another fabulous instalment. If you haven't discovered these books yet but are looking for a fast paced, action packed series full of humour and sexy aliens then I can't recommend it highly enough - you really do need to read the books in order though so make sure you start with Touched by an Alien.
As always Gini Koch has woven this story in an intricate pattern using multiple plot threads and huge cast of characters we're already familiar with along with a few new faces too. She throws in so many twists and the way she ties everything together in the end is nothing short of masterful. You just never know what she is going to throw at Kitty and the gang next and in this book they are definitely in for heartbreak. There are some really shocking and emotional events that I would never have predicted and I was on the edge of my seat dreading what else she could do. There were actually a couple of occasions I was in tears so this is the first time I'm going to warn you to have tissues on hand for this series.
I love all of these characters and considering how many of them there are I'm always surprised by how quickly I can slip back into this world and just know who everyone is. With a lot of series I find I struggle to remember who the main players are or how everyone is connected but I don't tend to have that problem here. I would really like a family tree though to remind me quite how everyone is related, especially now we have so many marriages and children amongst the group. I love that the animals play such important roles in the series too, the poofs and peregrines add so much humour to the story - I just wish they were real and I could adopt some!
If you're a fan of this series you won't want to miss Alien Research, it really is another fabulous instalment. If you haven't discovered these books yet but are looking for a fast paced, action packed series full of humour and sexy aliens then I can't recommend it highly enough - you really do need to read the books in order though so make sure you start with Touched by an Alien.
January 15, 2014
Lyndsey’s Rating Scale:
1 - Horrible (DNF)
2 - Not Horrible, BUT Not Much Better
3 - Nothing Special
4 - The Good Stuff
5 - Loved It! Can’t Live Without It! Buying the Hardcopy!!!
Overview:
If you've never read this series before then I need to stop you now and tell you to go read the first book(Touched by an Alien). If you don't I feel you won't understand the pressing need to stick by Kitty's side while she's ranting, raving, and rescuing all over the place. This is a long book, you have to love it!
Now for those of you who are dedicated readers of this wonderful series.... Like usual this story has everything but the kitchen sink. There are aliens, yes aliens - I have a sarcasm nob on occasion as well, multiple plots, and Kitty finally gets to kick butt again. I can't really give you much more without it being a spoiler but we get to meet the A-C Elf!!! *Sqqueee!!!!*
Thoughts, Likes, Dislikes:
I'm glad Kitty was finally able to get back into action and kick some evil guy a$$. The last couple of books have been more about Kitty and Jeff getting into their new roles but like the MC's I miss them being the ones actually out there fighting the bad guys on a day-to-day basis. However, with that said, it truly was the next step for them to move into political roles (ok I'm soap boxing, time to move on). I truly adored all the new characters but I'm on pins and needles trying to figure out who the Mastermind is... I'm going for Omega Red (is he really blind????). Anyways, as always I enjoyed the multiple plots, Kitty's continued focus on what's important (personally I could always use some more of this but I'm a total smut slut sometimes), and the group's general return to action. If you haven't tried this series before I would encourage it 100% but please start at the beginning. Until next time Kitty fan's!!!
Happy Reading!!! Lynz
1 - Horrible (DNF)
2 - Not Horrible, BUT Not Much Better
3 - Nothing Special
4 - The Good Stuff
5 - Loved It! Can’t Live Without It! Buying the Hardcopy!!!
Overview:
If you've never read this series before then I need to stop you now and tell you to go read the first book(Touched by an Alien). If you don't I feel you won't understand the pressing need to stick by Kitty's side while she's ranting, raving, and rescuing all over the place. This is a long book, you have to love it!
Now for those of you who are dedicated readers of this wonderful series.... Like usual this story has everything but the kitchen sink. There are aliens, yes aliens - I have a sarcasm nob on occasion as well, multiple plots, and Kitty finally gets to kick butt again. I can't really give you much more without it being a spoiler but we get to meet the A-C Elf!!! *Sqqueee!!!!*
Thoughts, Likes, Dislikes:
I'm glad Kitty was finally able to get back into action and kick some evil guy a$$. The last couple of books have been more about Kitty and Jeff getting into their new roles but like the MC's I miss them being the ones actually out there fighting the bad guys on a day-to-day basis. However, with that said, it truly was the next step for them to move into political roles (ok I'm soap boxing, time to move on). I truly adored all the new characters but I'm on pins and needles trying to figure out who the Mastermind is... I'm going for Omega Red (is he really blind????). Anyways, as always I enjoyed the multiple plots, Kitty's continued focus on what's important (personally I could always use some more of this but I'm a total smut slut sometimes), and the group's general return to action. If you haven't tried this series before I would encourage it 100% but please start at the beginning. Until next time Kitty fan's!!!
Happy Reading!!! Lynz
December 9, 2013
I haven't come across a book in this series I didn't like yet, but there have been some books that I loved more than others. The previous book in this series was fun, but a bit confusing at times. There was a lot of talking and politics, and even though I really liked the book, I found myself secretly missing the action I got used to in the other books in this series.
So I was curious when I started Alien Research. Would it be like Alien Diplomacy and focus on story lines that didn't need action or would it be more like Alien Proliferation, which had action abound?
I'm glad to say this book is an action packed adventure that actually came close to equaling my favorite books in this series. There's a lot going on as always, and you have to keep paying attention, but luckily there were fewer characters to keep apart from each other than in Alien Diplomacy, so I could easily keep up with things.
There are some very interesting developments and revelations, and a few new and very intriguing characters get introduced (I'm already in love with one of them, I will confess). There's lots of suspense, intrigue and even heartbreak as well. I was shocked by some of the events, and had to blink away a few tears.
All in all I loved this book: it's fun, intense and full of surprises. I hope Gini Koch keeps them coming, because this series keeps on entertaining me. And certain events in this book make me curious what will be next as well.
So I was curious when I started Alien Research. Would it be like Alien Diplomacy and focus on story lines that didn't need action or would it be more like Alien Proliferation, which had action abound?
I'm glad to say this book is an action packed adventure that actually came close to equaling my favorite books in this series. There's a lot going on as always, and you have to keep paying attention, but luckily there were fewer characters to keep apart from each other than in Alien Diplomacy, so I could easily keep up with things.
There are some very interesting developments and revelations, and a few new and very intriguing characters get introduced (I'm already in love with one of them, I will confess). There's lots of suspense, intrigue and even heartbreak as well. I was shocked by some of the events, and had to blink away a few tears.
All in all I loved this book: it's fun, intense and full of surprises. I hope Gini Koch keeps them coming, because this series keeps on entertaining me. And certain events in this book make me curious what will be next as well.
May 2, 2017
This one gets a 4 for the story and 5 for the emotional roller coaster.
Don't really want to say too much because you really need to read the story as it unfolds or it just won't have the right impact.
The story unfolds as all Kitty Katt stories do, bad guys trying to take over the AC population and particularly Kitty's daughter Jamie, and the ACs fighting back. However, things take a turn for the worst, and keep going bad from there.
On a side note, we finally get the explanation for the AC Elves, known as the Operations Team.
The Mastermind is in full swing, can Kitty save the day?
Don't really want to say too much because you really need to read the story as it unfolds or it just won't have the right impact.
The story unfolds as all Kitty Katt stories do, bad guys trying to take over the AC population and particularly Kitty's daughter Jamie, and the ACs fighting back. However, things take a turn for the worst, and keep going bad from there.
On a side note, we finally get the explanation for the AC Elves, known as the Operations Team.
The Mastermind is in full swing, can Kitty save the day?
November 11, 2017
This book took me forever to read but I think that was more me than it. Work craziness has wrecked my concentration and even though these are typically "fun" reads, they are packed with characters and plot so you have to keep up. I think this one felt overpacked and that's why I kept reading in small doses. The ending was more emotional than I was expecting and that probably raised my rating. I'm not sure about some of the changes that happened but I'll check out the next one to see.
November 25, 2013
Originally Posted at Welcome to Larissa & Friends' Bookish Life
It's that time of the year again, time for another Alien novel by the awesome Gini Koch. The Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is one of my all time favorites and Gini continues to deliver amazing heart-stopping stories that make me keep begging for more each time.
Alien Research is no exception and I will go as far to say that it might the best Alien novel yet.
I mean, I personally LOVE all of Gini's books and this series sucks you in like no other, but after a while and a few books in, things tend to slow down a bit. That couldn't be further from the truth in Alien research.
I do recommend tou read the previous novels before sinking your teeth into this one. This is not a series you can just pick up anywhere and even I that have read all the books can get a bit overwhelmed by all the characters that exist in this fantastic world.
However, I did feel I could follow everything and enjoy the novel just as much even if O couldnt really place a couple people mentioned. i haven said this to Gini on Twitter, that I feel the Alien series would greatly benefit from a Character Guide/Glossary at the end of the novels :)
All in all, Alien Research had me panting for the next page at every second. Kitty, Martini and co get themselves in huge messes as usual and with it bring on the hilarity and extremely fast paced action. I LOVED IT!
If you enjoy Sci-fi that tickles your funny bone while not allowing you to but down the book, the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is definitely the one for you!
It's that time of the year again, time for another Alien novel by the awesome Gini Koch. The Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is one of my all time favorites and Gini continues to deliver amazing heart-stopping stories that make me keep begging for more each time.
Alien Research is no exception and I will go as far to say that it might the best Alien novel yet.
I mean, I personally LOVE all of Gini's books and this series sucks you in like no other, but after a while and a few books in, things tend to slow down a bit. That couldn't be further from the truth in Alien research.
I do recommend tou read the previous novels before sinking your teeth into this one. This is not a series you can just pick up anywhere and even I that have read all the books can get a bit overwhelmed by all the characters that exist in this fantastic world.
However, I did feel I could follow everything and enjoy the novel just as much even if O couldnt really place a couple people mentioned. i haven said this to Gini on Twitter, that I feel the Alien series would greatly benefit from a Character Guide/Glossary at the end of the novels :)
All in all, Alien Research had me panting for the next page at every second. Kitty, Martini and co get themselves in huge messes as usual and with it bring on the hilarity and extremely fast paced action. I LOVED IT!
If you enjoy Sci-fi that tickles your funny bone while not allowing you to but down the book, the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is definitely the one for you!
June 18, 2025
Kitty Martini is now settled in Washington and her role as head of the diplomatic corpse of American Centaurion. But suddenly AC has militant protesters on their doorstep and Kitty realizes that Club 51 is back in business with a new head honcho and united with a fanatic religious group. They cause big trouble but this is nothing compared to what happens next. Gladys Gower, the head of AC security, calls all important staff for an ad hoc meeting to Dulce Base. When Kitty receives a call from her security guy Walter who calls for help and the line goes dead, they know that something is not right. Nobody at Dulce answers their phones! She assembles her friend for a rescue mission and when they go, everthing went from DEFCON worse to DEFCON OH MY GOD..
Gini Koch, what are you doing to me?!? I expected funny stuff and you had me reaching for Kleenex instead!!!
The book was intense and after I finished it last night, I was like: Holy Moly.. I was a fan from the first book which I already read five times. However, the first books were funny and entertaining and from book 5 on things got more serious. There is still the great writing and the even better dialogues but there was also some graveness to the story. It is hard to find the right words to do the book justice and not spoil the fun for other readers. Let me just say: Best book in this series so far and READ IT!!! :-)
**UPDATE**
Even on fourth reread, this book as an emotional punch to the gut. I still love this series so much; it's like old wine, it's getting better and better with each time I read it.
Gini Koch, what are you doing to me?!? I expected funny stuff and you had me reaching for Kleenex instead!!!
The book was intense and after I finished it last night, I was like: Holy Moly.. I was a fan from the first book which I already read five times. However, the first books were funny and entertaining and from book 5 on things got more serious. There is still the great writing and the even better dialogues but there was also some graveness to the story. It is hard to find the right words to do the book justice and not spoil the fun for other readers. Let me just say: Best book in this series so far and READ IT!!! :-)
**UPDATE**
Even on fourth reread, this book as an emotional punch to the gut. I still love this series so much; it's like old wine, it's getting better and better with each time I read it.
September 23, 2014
Eighth in the Katherine "Kitty" Katt science fiction romance series and revolving around aliens who fight to save the day. While this story is mostly in Washington D.C., it does zip over to Guantanamo Bay.
My Take
Koch uses a lot of music in writing this series, and she really goes for it in Alien Research as secondary communication between Kitty and Algar. Yep, we finally meet the Operations Team!! I still can't decide if I'm appalled, cracking up, or still stunned… I suspect most of that stunned has to do with the bad guys' evil plan that almost succeeds. It does succeed in one horrendous detail. One that will leave you crying. And pose a difficult funerary question for the A-Cs. They don't believe in 'em, and yet the president is asking for one. A formality that requires attendance and focus — and great cover. No enemy will dare not attend, not when public opinion is on the line.
There are so many situations in this that put the A-Cs between a rock and a hard place. They need to keep safe and yet no one wants a massacre. There have been enough. God knows, there have been more than enough. I have to confess that Alien Research is not one of my favorites. On the one hand, for the obvious reasons. On the other hand, this one is too serious. Which, I suppose can be explained by all that sadness.
Part of the evil plan that Kitty points out is how Titan was "building freaking super soldiers that they sent against the President of the United States, and yet there they are, back in business, and everyone's acting like they just had a little run of bad management". What's sad is this sounds like business as usual in the real world. And what does that say about our political and judicial system? Nothing good.
Bits and pieces in the story include that FBI guy, Vander, who has been in D.C. too long, what with all his mind games; Walter's bit of luck in getting that warning out; the lack of luck when even Hacker International is surprised; thank god for Olga's experience and memory, although it doesn't compensate for Chernobog's existence; and, more fears and terrors.
A bit of the positive is that Malcolm's having reactions to the drug he was hit with and bits of memory are coming back.
The pluses include Kitty and Jamie's priorities: Poofs for everyone — and Kitty reckons even the dogs and cats have their own Poofs! Kitty's brilliant plan to get rid of all the protesters! Go team! No, not that team, this is another, most unexpected one that will crack you up.
Finally, your faith in human nature will be restored by the call Mister Joel Oliver put out. It was answered, and wow, was it ever answered! The Poofs give a hand too, at clothing removal, lol. There are times when the press is our friend…*giggle*…
Finally, there's a great message at a most emotional time, and one that should reverberate with any decent person…
The Story
Kitty is under siege from so many directions: bad dreams, hate groups dogging everyone. But she's determined to keep up the appearance of business as usual. A goal that will take some doing to escape and head out for breakfast, and it almost looks like it succeeds. Instead, it's an ambush by the Axis of Evil who are trying very hard to break up the cozy group.
There's a new acquaintance who has Kitty's radar up, tempered by the knowledge that Chuckie respects him.
Then comes Walter's call for help from Dulce Science Center…and no one is answering. Kitty's certain the baddies are after the kids, and the animals have pretty much confirmed it. Just one of too many attacks.
The Characters
Kitty is Jeff's wife, half-A-C due to drugs given her by their enemies in an earlier installment, and the American Centaurion Head Ambassador. She's also Megalomaniac Girl! Bruno and Lola are their peregrine pair; Poofikins is her Poof. Jeff Martini is a Congressman for New Mexico's 2nd District, and Harlie is his Poof. Jamie is their 18-month-old daughter; Mous-Mous is her Poof. Kitty's mother is Angela Katt, the head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU), although Kitty had thought for the longest time that her mother was a consultant and her father a history professor. Dad (Sol) actually does a lot of cryptology work for NASA. Uncle Mort, Major General Mortimer Katt, is with the Marines.
As for what Kitty thought Chuck was, well, she thought her oldest and best friend, Charles Reynolds, was a self-made millionaire and international playboy. Not the head of the C.I.A.'s E-T Division. He and Naomi got married six months ago, and they've been so happy. Naomi "Auntie Mimi" Gower-White (and A-C godmother) and her sister, Abigail (Auntie Abby), are the embassy cultural attachées. Erika/Ericka is their mother; Stanley is their father. Her eldest brother, Paul Gower, is the A-C's Supreme Pontifex and married to James Reader, Jamie's human godfather. Richard White is the former Pontifex, Kitty's partner in the field, and hooked up with Nurse Magdalena Carter.
Christopher White, Jeff's cousin, (and the Minister of Sulky Pouts) intentionally enhanced himself and is married to Amy Gaultier-White, Jamie's human godmother. Toby is his Poof. Brian Dwyer is Serene's husband, and Patrick is their hybrid son.
Michael Gower (his Poof is Fuzzball), the astronaut and Paul's brother who's engaged to Caroline.
Pierre is the embassy concierge and majordomo. Doreen and Irving have been herded by the peregrines into the daycare center. Dr. Tito Hernandez is human and the A-C doctor looking into the Yates Gene. Francine from Euro Base is Kitty's assigned imitator. Nadine is Serene's imitator. Mister Joel Oliver is an investigative journalist the A-Cs and Kitty trust.
Airborne includes:
Lorraine and Claudia are Dazzlers married to flyboys, Joe Billings (their son is Ross Edward) and Randy Muir (their son is Sean Zachary), respectively. Emily Balducci and Melanie Colangelo are Dazzlers and Lorraine's and Claudia's mothers. The dads are Zacharacy Balducci and Edward Colangelo and some of the rescued. Tim Crawford; Jerry Tucker is Kitty's favorite flyboy and flight instructor and has ensured that Kitty could fly anything necessary; Matt Hughes; and, Walker are more of Airborne.
Len and Kyle are still Kitty's bodyguards, well, driver and bodyguard courtesy of the CIA. Malcolm Buchanan has security override. He's been appointed Kitty's bodyguard by her mother. Burton Falk is one of his men. Jennifer Barone, an imageer, and Jeremy Barone, an empath, are siblings and at the same security seminar. Camilla is the best A-C liar and she's currently undercover at Gaultier.
Walter Ward is usually in charge of security at that embassy; William is his older brother and filling in for Walter. Gladys, a memory reader-empath, is in overall charge of security, and she scares Kitty's pants off.
The embassy Troubadour-at-Large is Rajnish Singh; he's also the Embassy Public Relations Minister. Denise Lewis runs the embassy daycare. She's human and married to another human, Kevin Lewis, Kitty's mom's right-hand man in the PTCU as well as the embassy's Defense Attaché. Aikiko is the embassy clothing designer.
Algar is the elves, the Operations Team.
Viola Sciacca is in charge of sciences, she thinks. Carmine Giordano has Security and the Gates. Romeo Ruggero is military.
ACE is an alien entity who was living inside Paul until he sacrificed himself for the A-Cs. He thought Kitty walked on water.
Princesses Rahmi and Rhee are from Beta Twelve, the planet of Free Women, Amazonian warriors and shapeshifters. They're also sisters and Queen Renata's daughters. Adriana is the granddaughter of the Romanian Ambassador and his wife, her wheelchair-bound grandmother with MS, Olga, who is training her in the old ways of the KGB.
Hacker International…
… is the computer lab where Stryker Dane, a.k.a., Eddy Simms; Big George Lecroix; Dr. Henry Wu; Ravi Gaekwad (he's engaged to Jennifer, a Dazzler); and, Yuri Stanislav, a.k.a., Omega Red, who is blind and buff, are the computer geniuses now working for the A-Cs through the CIA.
Cliff Goodman is Head of Special Immigration Services and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. And one of Chuckie's few close friends. Evander "Vander" Horn is the new head of the FBI's Alien Activities Division. Officer Melville is now head of the K-9 department and a personal friend. Colonel Franklin is the new man in charge at Andrews Air Force Base after Colonel Marvin Hamlin who had been in charge, went AWOL and then kidnapped by the now-late Clarence Valentino.
Rosemarie and Douglas operate the the Teetotaler, the Katt-Martinis' favorite restaurant, and keep Kitty and company happy.
Some of the A-Cs' government friends include Senators Vincent Armstrong and Donald McMillan and Representative Nathalie Gagnon-Brewer who was asked to take Edmund's seat in the House when he was assassinated (she and her late husband introduced Kitty and Jeff to the Teetotaller). Caroline Chase is McMillan's Girl Friday, Kitty's sorority bestie, and Michael's fiancée. Vance Beaumont and Guy Gadoire attend the funeral. Lillian Culver is a lobbyist for defense contractors, and she'd never dare go against Kitty, thanks to Kitty's "uncles". Abner Schnekedy is her husband.
Langston Whitmore is the Secretary of Transportation and not one of Kitty's fans.
Mahin Sherazi is Iranian with an American mother, a reporter from YatesCorp. Her hybrid power is manipulating dirt. Her Poof is Fluffball.
Kitty's Personal Axis of Evil: Gaultier Enterprises, Titan Security, & YatesCorp
Ansom Somerall is the current acting chairman of the board for Gaultier, and he and the creepy Quinton Cross and Janelle Gardiner are the main force fighting Amy for control. Thomas Kendrick is former military and head of Titan, appointed by the DoD, so he might be okay. Amos Tobin is in charge of YatesCorp…the Southern godfather.
Ronald Yates had two children we know of: Ronaldo Al Dehajl and Serene Dwyer, younger siblings of Richard White and Lucinda (Jeff's mother), and Gladys Gower. Jeff and Christopher are his grandsons making Patrick (Brian and Serene's) and Jamie Ronald's first official great-grandchildren.
Ronaldo Al Dejahl is probably still alive. He's dangerous due to his imageer ability to convince anyone to think he was someone completely different with a troubadour talent to reinforce that, and excellent at mind control. There aren't many humans or A-Cs who can escape it.
YatesCorp has a standing rule out, the Relative's Clause, that any Yates' descendant can join the board. A problem as they're likely to be powerful hybrids or full blood A-Cs. In truth, it's simply a ploy to gather up all the samples they can of the Yates gene.
Herbert Gaultier was Amy's father and dead. Thank god. Even better, Leventhal Reid, a representative from Florida, is dead, although his kid clone is alive and evil, leering away at Kitty. LaRue Demorte Gaultier was Herbert's second wife and killed by Esteban Cantu who was killed by other bad guys. Yeah, her kid clone is up and gloating too. Raul and Anniette Dier are assassins.
Chernobog the Ultimate is the supreme hacker of the world. Russell Kozlow is her imprisoned Israeli son. Yep, cyber crimes. Darryl Lowe is an airbender.
Kitty's Israeli friends, Oren, Jakob, and Leah, are checking on Kozlow.
Club Fifty-One is an anti-alien group who's jumped on the bandwagon protesting the suspension of the constitution after events in Operation Destruction when the aliens attacked. Harley Gutermuth is part of the anti crowd. Farley Pecker is the Head Asshat of the Church of Intolerance
Poofs are fluffy balls of fur who look like stuffed animals, bond with whoever names them, and get large-and-in-charge if anyone threatens their human.
Katherine is just one of many decent people who show up.
The exiles from Alpha Four are religious ones. The neighboring building has been nicknamed the Zoo and is handy for overflow personnel. Surcenthumain is a drug that will make humans and A-Cs enhanced. The Z'porrah construct is an alien box, the cube from earlier stories, that the Poofs prefer to keep under their control. They're allied with the Royal Peregrines who have become very welcome gifts from King Alexander; they make great guardians and help the gifted with their powers. Dazzlers are how Kitty collectively refers to the A-C females because that's what they do: they dazzle everyone with their beauty, intelligence, and compassion. Imageers manipulate images electronically and in front of you and can learn all about a person simply by touching an image. Empaths feel emotions. The Elves are Kitty's term for those invisible helpers who produce anything and everything...and clean it as well. They exist in any habitation for A-Cs.
The Cover
There’s a Mad Max feel to this cover with huge military vehicles blowing up in the background, a huge gun in the far back with Jeff riding one of the exploding vehicles. Yeah, he’s in Armani casual while Kitty is more casually dressed for success in black jeans, a white wifebeater, and some big shawls in dark clay and turquoise, her hair flying, a gun in one hand, and a laptop in the other. This one’s serious…
The title is most depressing as it is Alien Research that is the greatest threat.
My Take
Koch uses a lot of music in writing this series, and she really goes for it in Alien Research as secondary communication between Kitty and Algar. Yep, we finally meet the Operations Team!! I still can't decide if I'm appalled, cracking up, or still stunned… I suspect most of that stunned has to do with the bad guys' evil plan that almost succeeds. It does succeed in one horrendous detail. One that will leave you crying. And pose a difficult funerary question for the A-Cs. They don't believe in 'em, and yet the president is asking for one. A formality that requires attendance and focus — and great cover. No enemy will dare not attend, not when public opinion is on the line.
There are so many situations in this that put the A-Cs between a rock and a hard place. They need to keep safe and yet no one wants a massacre. There have been enough. God knows, there have been more than enough. I have to confess that Alien Research is not one of my favorites. On the one hand, for the obvious reasons. On the other hand, this one is too serious. Which, I suppose can be explained by all that sadness.
Part of the evil plan that Kitty points out is how Titan was "building freaking super soldiers that they sent against the President of the United States, and yet there they are, back in business, and everyone's acting like they just had a little run of bad management". What's sad is this sounds like business as usual in the real world. And what does that say about our political and judicial system? Nothing good.
Bits and pieces in the story include that FBI guy, Vander, who has been in D.C. too long, what with all his mind games; Walter's bit of luck in getting that warning out; the lack of luck when even Hacker International is surprised; thank god for Olga's experience and memory, although it doesn't compensate for Chernobog's existence; and, more fears and terrors.
A bit of the positive is that Malcolm's having reactions to the drug he was hit with and bits of memory are coming back.
The pluses include Kitty and Jamie's priorities: Poofs for everyone — and Kitty reckons even the dogs and cats have their own Poofs! Kitty's brilliant plan to get rid of all the protesters! Go team! No, not that team, this is another, most unexpected one that will crack you up.
Finally, your faith in human nature will be restored by the call Mister Joel Oliver put out. It was answered, and wow, was it ever answered! The Poofs give a hand too, at clothing removal, lol. There are times when the press is our friend…*giggle*…
Finally, there's a great message at a most emotional time, and one that should reverberate with any decent person…
"…they're all smart enough to know that skin tones and sexual orientation aren't what actually matters about a person. How they live their life is what matters, what they do when faced with evil what they do when no one's looking."
The Story
Kitty is under siege from so many directions: bad dreams, hate groups dogging everyone. But she's determined to keep up the appearance of business as usual. A goal that will take some doing to escape and head out for breakfast, and it almost looks like it succeeds. Instead, it's an ambush by the Axis of Evil who are trying very hard to break up the cozy group.
There's a new acquaintance who has Kitty's radar up, tempered by the knowledge that Chuckie respects him.
Then comes Walter's call for help from Dulce Science Center…and no one is answering. Kitty's certain the baddies are after the kids, and the animals have pretty much confirmed it. Just one of too many attacks.
The Characters
Kitty is Jeff's wife, half-A-C due to drugs given her by their enemies in an earlier installment, and the American Centaurion Head Ambassador. She's also Megalomaniac Girl! Bruno and Lola are their peregrine pair; Poofikins is her Poof. Jeff Martini is a Congressman for New Mexico's 2nd District, and Harlie is his Poof. Jamie is their 18-month-old daughter; Mous-Mous is her Poof. Kitty's mother is Angela Katt, the head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU), although Kitty had thought for the longest time that her mother was a consultant and her father a history professor. Dad (Sol) actually does a lot of cryptology work for NASA. Uncle Mort, Major General Mortimer Katt, is with the Marines.
As for what Kitty thought Chuck was, well, she thought her oldest and best friend, Charles Reynolds, was a self-made millionaire and international playboy. Not the head of the C.I.A.'s E-T Division. He and Naomi got married six months ago, and they've been so happy. Naomi "Auntie Mimi" Gower-White (and A-C godmother) and her sister, Abigail (Auntie Abby), are the embassy cultural attachées. Erika/Ericka is their mother; Stanley is their father. Her eldest brother, Paul Gower, is the A-C's Supreme Pontifex and married to James Reader, Jamie's human godfather. Richard White is the former Pontifex, Kitty's partner in the field, and hooked up with Nurse Magdalena Carter.
Christopher White, Jeff's cousin, (and the Minister of Sulky Pouts) intentionally enhanced himself and is married to Amy Gaultier-White, Jamie's human godmother. Toby is his Poof. Brian Dwyer is Serene's husband, and Patrick is their hybrid son.
Michael Gower (his Poof is Fuzzball), the astronaut and Paul's brother who's engaged to Caroline.
Pierre is the embassy concierge and majordomo. Doreen and Irving have been herded by the peregrines into the daycare center. Dr. Tito Hernandez is human and the A-C doctor looking into the Yates Gene. Francine from Euro Base is Kitty's assigned imitator. Nadine is Serene's imitator. Mister Joel Oliver is an investigative journalist the A-Cs and Kitty trust.
Airborne includes:
Lorraine and Claudia are Dazzlers married to flyboys, Joe Billings (their son is Ross Edward) and Randy Muir (their son is Sean Zachary), respectively. Emily Balducci and Melanie Colangelo are Dazzlers and Lorraine's and Claudia's mothers. The dads are Zacharacy Balducci and Edward Colangelo and some of the rescued. Tim Crawford; Jerry Tucker is Kitty's favorite flyboy and flight instructor and has ensured that Kitty could fly anything necessary; Matt Hughes; and, Walker are more of Airborne.
Len and Kyle are still Kitty's bodyguards, well, driver and bodyguard courtesy of the CIA. Malcolm Buchanan has security override. He's been appointed Kitty's bodyguard by her mother. Burton Falk is one of his men. Jennifer Barone, an imageer, and Jeremy Barone, an empath, are siblings and at the same security seminar. Camilla is the best A-C liar and she's currently undercover at Gaultier.
Walter Ward is usually in charge of security at that embassy; William is his older brother and filling in for Walter. Gladys, a memory reader-empath, is in overall charge of security, and she scares Kitty's pants off.
The embassy Troubadour-at-Large is Rajnish Singh; he's also the Embassy Public Relations Minister. Denise Lewis runs the embassy daycare. She's human and married to another human, Kevin Lewis, Kitty's mom's right-hand man in the PTCU as well as the embassy's Defense Attaché. Aikiko is the embassy clothing designer.
Algar is the elves, the Operations Team.
Viola Sciacca is in charge of sciences, she thinks. Carmine Giordano has Security and the Gates. Romeo Ruggero is military.
ACE is an alien entity who was living inside Paul until he sacrificed himself for the A-Cs. He thought Kitty walked on water.
Princesses Rahmi and Rhee are from Beta Twelve, the planet of Free Women, Amazonian warriors and shapeshifters. They're also sisters and Queen Renata's daughters. Adriana is the granddaughter of the Romanian Ambassador and his wife, her wheelchair-bound grandmother with MS, Olga, who is training her in the old ways of the KGB.
Hacker International…
… is the computer lab where Stryker Dane, a.k.a., Eddy Simms; Big George Lecroix; Dr. Henry Wu; Ravi Gaekwad (he's engaged to Jennifer, a Dazzler); and, Yuri Stanislav, a.k.a., Omega Red, who is blind and buff, are the computer geniuses now working for the A-Cs through the CIA.
Cliff Goodman is Head of Special Immigration Services and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. And one of Chuckie's few close friends. Evander "Vander" Horn is the new head of the FBI's Alien Activities Division. Officer Melville is now head of the K-9 department and a personal friend. Colonel Franklin is the new man in charge at Andrews Air Force Base after Colonel Marvin Hamlin who had been in charge, went AWOL and then kidnapped by the now-late Clarence Valentino.
Rosemarie and Douglas operate the the Teetotaler, the Katt-Martinis' favorite restaurant, and keep Kitty and company happy.
Some of the A-Cs' government friends include Senators Vincent Armstrong and Donald McMillan and Representative Nathalie Gagnon-Brewer who was asked to take Edmund's seat in the House when he was assassinated (she and her late husband introduced Kitty and Jeff to the Teetotaller). Caroline Chase is McMillan's Girl Friday, Kitty's sorority bestie, and Michael's fiancée. Vance Beaumont and Guy Gadoire attend the funeral. Lillian Culver is a lobbyist for defense contractors, and she'd never dare go against Kitty, thanks to Kitty's "uncles". Abner Schnekedy is her husband.
Langston Whitmore is the Secretary of Transportation and not one of Kitty's fans.
Mahin Sherazi is Iranian with an American mother, a reporter from YatesCorp. Her hybrid power is manipulating dirt. Her Poof is Fluffball.
Kitty's Personal Axis of Evil: Gaultier Enterprises, Titan Security, & YatesCorp
Ansom Somerall is the current acting chairman of the board for Gaultier, and he and the creepy Quinton Cross and Janelle Gardiner are the main force fighting Amy for control. Thomas Kendrick is former military and head of Titan, appointed by the DoD, so he might be okay. Amos Tobin is in charge of YatesCorp…the Southern godfather.
Ronald Yates had two children we know of: Ronaldo Al Dehajl and Serene Dwyer, younger siblings of Richard White and Lucinda (Jeff's mother), and Gladys Gower. Jeff and Christopher are his grandsons making Patrick (Brian and Serene's) and Jamie Ronald's first official great-grandchildren.
Ronaldo Al Dejahl is probably still alive. He's dangerous due to his imageer ability to convince anyone to think he was someone completely different with a troubadour talent to reinforce that, and excellent at mind control. There aren't many humans or A-Cs who can escape it.
YatesCorp has a standing rule out, the Relative's Clause, that any Yates' descendant can join the board. A problem as they're likely to be powerful hybrids or full blood A-Cs. In truth, it's simply a ploy to gather up all the samples they can of the Yates gene.
Herbert Gaultier was Amy's father and dead. Thank god. Even better, Leventhal Reid, a representative from Florida, is dead, although his kid clone is alive and evil, leering away at Kitty. LaRue Demorte Gaultier was Herbert's second wife and killed by Esteban Cantu who was killed by other bad guys. Yeah, her kid clone is up and gloating too. Raul and Anniette Dier are assassins.
Chernobog the Ultimate is the supreme hacker of the world. Russell Kozlow is her imprisoned Israeli son. Yep, cyber crimes. Darryl Lowe is an airbender.
Kitty's Israeli friends, Oren, Jakob, and Leah, are checking on Kozlow.
Club Fifty-One is an anti-alien group who's jumped on the bandwagon protesting the suspension of the constitution after events in Operation Destruction when the aliens attacked. Harley Gutermuth is part of the anti crowd. Farley Pecker is the Head Asshat of the Church of Intolerance
Poofs are fluffy balls of fur who look like stuffed animals, bond with whoever names them, and get large-and-in-charge if anyone threatens their human.
Katherine is just one of many decent people who show up.
The exiles from Alpha Four are religious ones. The neighboring building has been nicknamed the Zoo and is handy for overflow personnel. Surcenthumain is a drug that will make humans and A-Cs enhanced. The Z'porrah construct is an alien box, the cube from earlier stories, that the Poofs prefer to keep under their control. They're allied with the Royal Peregrines who have become very welcome gifts from King Alexander; they make great guardians and help the gifted with their powers. Dazzlers are how Kitty collectively refers to the A-C females because that's what they do: they dazzle everyone with their beauty, intelligence, and compassion. Imageers manipulate images electronically and in front of you and can learn all about a person simply by touching an image. Empaths feel emotions. The Elves are Kitty's term for those invisible helpers who produce anything and everything...and clean it as well. They exist in any habitation for A-Cs.
The Cover
There’s a Mad Max feel to this cover with huge military vehicles blowing up in the background, a huge gun in the far back with Jeff riding one of the exploding vehicles. Yeah, he’s in Armani casual while Kitty is more casually dressed for success in black jeans, a white wifebeater, and some big shawls in dark clay and turquoise, her hair flying, a gun in one hand, and a laptop in the other. This one’s serious…
The title is most depressing as it is Alien Research that is the greatest threat.
December 3, 2013
Kitty is ready for a quiet day spent with her daughter Jamie and her friends, while her husband Jeff is going to work at Congress. She is still not really used to the fact that Jeff is a member of Congress. But as soon as the limo taking them to their favourite restaurant for breakfast leaves the Embassy, that peace is destroyed. Members of Club 51 and other hate groups are protesting their existence, and bombarding the limo with dirt and garbage.
And later, when they want to leave the restaurant, they get a visit from the Cabal of Evil, wanting to make deal with Kitty. Of course Kitty is not interested in it at all, her best friend Amy is still trying to get control over her father’s company, and the Board is preventing that from happening.
Back home at the Embassy, there is more bad news waiting for Kitty. The FBI has finally come up with their own version of an Alien Division, just like Chucky is heading for the CIA. And the new director is testing them, wanting to start a congressional inquiry into the happenings at Gaultier Enterprises and Titan Security. Of course the A-C’s don’t want that to happen, too many secrets might come to light, like them killing some of the really evil bad guys. Then Kitty gets a phone call from Walter, who usually runs security at the Embassy, that he and all the other security personnel who went for training to Dulce, are in big trouble. Before Kitty can react to that, the unthinkable happens, and they are hacked. Their complete database is stolen, and all their data is wiped out. Their own resident hackers are powerless to counter that. There is only one hacker in the world who could have done that, and that is Chernobog the Ultimate. Most think he is only a rumor, but one of them knows it for a fact. And Olga acknowledges it, she even knows the woman personally. Now they will have to find their lost data again, and get some revenge on whoever did this.
But first, they will have to safe their missing friends and personnel, with Kitty in charge of it all.
I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to start this new book, as I did not really like all the politics in the previous one. But well, it is a Gini Koch book, and I am unable to let it just lie on my desk. So, I started reading it on Saturday, and kept on reading until I had to give up at 4 a.m. The next morning when I woke up I immediately continued reading until I was finished. And my verdict: I loved this book. It is completely action packed again, with Kitty and the gang having to run all over the place to safe everyone else. The complots were mind boggling until Kitty explained it al, and I just had so much fun reading this book. There are also some very sad scenes in the book though, so have some tissues ready.
I am a big fan of Kitty and how she always manages to unravel a complot against them. The Poofs and Peregrines play a big part in this book, and I do love that. And finally Kitty discovers the truth about the AC-elves. I loved those parts. Okay, I notice I am using the word “love” way too much in this review, but I can’t help myself.
Gini Koch has a truly unique writing style, and it fits what I like perfectly. I love most of the characters. I have to make an exception for Christopher, as I just can’t like him. The book is action packed, and filled with surprising twists and new characters. I can never predict what will happen next and I dare you to try. But don’t worry, there is a bit of time left for Kitty and Jeff to enjoy their sex life, and to have some family time with Jamie. There is also violence and death, and I do wonder why evil guys never really die.
If you haven’t read the previous books, please don’t dive into this one as you will have no idea whatsoever about who is who or what has happened before.
10 stars.
And later, when they want to leave the restaurant, they get a visit from the Cabal of Evil, wanting to make deal with Kitty. Of course Kitty is not interested in it at all, her best friend Amy is still trying to get control over her father’s company, and the Board is preventing that from happening.
Back home at the Embassy, there is more bad news waiting for Kitty. The FBI has finally come up with their own version of an Alien Division, just like Chucky is heading for the CIA. And the new director is testing them, wanting to start a congressional inquiry into the happenings at Gaultier Enterprises and Titan Security. Of course the A-C’s don’t want that to happen, too many secrets might come to light, like them killing some of the really evil bad guys. Then Kitty gets a phone call from Walter, who usually runs security at the Embassy, that he and all the other security personnel who went for training to Dulce, are in big trouble. Before Kitty can react to that, the unthinkable happens, and they are hacked. Their complete database is stolen, and all their data is wiped out. Their own resident hackers are powerless to counter that. There is only one hacker in the world who could have done that, and that is Chernobog the Ultimate. Most think he is only a rumor, but one of them knows it for a fact. And Olga acknowledges it, she even knows the woman personally. Now they will have to find their lost data again, and get some revenge on whoever did this.
But first, they will have to safe their missing friends and personnel, with Kitty in charge of it all.
I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to start this new book, as I did not really like all the politics in the previous one. But well, it is a Gini Koch book, and I am unable to let it just lie on my desk. So, I started reading it on Saturday, and kept on reading until I had to give up at 4 a.m. The next morning when I woke up I immediately continued reading until I was finished. And my verdict: I loved this book. It is completely action packed again, with Kitty and the gang having to run all over the place to safe everyone else. The complots were mind boggling until Kitty explained it al, and I just had so much fun reading this book. There are also some very sad scenes in the book though, so have some tissues ready.
I am a big fan of Kitty and how she always manages to unravel a complot against them. The Poofs and Peregrines play a big part in this book, and I do love that. And finally Kitty discovers the truth about the AC-elves. I loved those parts. Okay, I notice I am using the word “love” way too much in this review, but I can’t help myself.
Gini Koch has a truly unique writing style, and it fits what I like perfectly. I love most of the characters. I have to make an exception for Christopher, as I just can’t like him. The book is action packed, and filled with surprising twists and new characters. I can never predict what will happen next and I dare you to try. But don’t worry, there is a bit of time left for Kitty and Jeff to enjoy their sex life, and to have some family time with Jamie. There is also violence and death, and I do wonder why evil guys never really die.
If you haven’t read the previous books, please don’t dive into this one as you will have no idea whatsoever about who is who or what has happened before.
10 stars.
© 2013 Reviews by Aurian
January 10, 2017
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: In this heartbreaking installment, Kitty and the A-C’s are dealt the biggest blow now that they’ve been outed to the humans.
Opening Sentence: In all the time man has been on our good planet Earth, we’ve stared at and striven for the stars, at least in some way.
The Review:
Alien Research marks a turning point for the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series. Kitty and her crew have to deal with some truly heartbreaking events. These novels are richly creative and I never have any idea where the story will lead since there is always so much going on, hence the hefty page number of the novels.
In this novel, six months have passed since Operation Sherlock where many of the House of Representatives were killed which strangely opened the way for Jeff Martini to become a Representative from New Mexico and also since Naomi and Chuckie were married. Kitty is having strange dreams that may or may not be somewhat prophetic. Then Kitty gets a call for help and discovers that a bunch of A-C’s have disappeared on a so called security training exercise.
I will reiterate that there is so much going on because the missing A-C’s has Kitty realizing that Gladys the head of Security is still a security risk. Then a prison break adds another A-C relation to Yates into the fold. Then the entirety of A-C computer system is wiped out by a hacker but thankfully Tito didn’t put his research into the Yates DNA online. But then the bad guys have been doing a little research of their own that Kitty uncovers. All of these events have to be treated carefully now that everyone knows that Aliens are living on earth and since Martini is a Representative now he must abide by U.S. politics and rules.
The writing definitely pays attention to detail which is nice because this world is now terribly complicated but fun. The one thing I don’t like is that since the conversations often reveal all the clues to what is going on they often argue or talk in circles which for me just adds up the page count. The books are dark but not overly dark because there is still a really fun and dysfunctional sense of humor that I really enjoy. This novel was a little harder because the deaths actually did affect me more than I thought they would because there are so many characters but the way they were all handled did make me a bit teary eyed.
This novel also introduces two new characters who may have bigger roles in the future. Also, Kitty finally learns the actual truth of the A-C elves. The cover isn’t quite as accurate as normal but it was still a crazy badass scene between a tank, BUFF and a “dirt devil”. There is one scene towards the end that was definitely action movie material.
Overall, the aftermath of the events in this novel will weigh heavily on the Alpha Centurion and Kitty for the foreseeable future in the upcoming novels. I’m not very thrilled with all the bad that happened in this novel but everything happens for a reason so I do look forward to see where Kitty goes from here.
Notable Scene:
“What is she talking about?” Gower asked as he and White held Chuckie down.
Now wasn’t the time to explain that multiple universes existed. Now was the time to share that we were well on our way to DEFCON Oh My God. “Dude, she is not in her right mind. She’s injected at least thirteen syringes full of Surcenthumain Pure. She did it to protect us. But it’s, ah, affecting her. Like, for instance, she may now think—“
“Chuck, why did you marry me if you still love Kitty more?”
“That. She may think that.”
“Seriously?” Jeff asked. Chuckie looked to shocked to speak.
FTC Advisory: DAW/Penguin provided me with a copy of Alien Research. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: In this heartbreaking installment, Kitty and the A-C’s are dealt the biggest blow now that they’ve been outed to the humans.
Opening Sentence: In all the time man has been on our good planet Earth, we’ve stared at and striven for the stars, at least in some way.
The Review:
Alien Research marks a turning point for the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series. Kitty and her crew have to deal with some truly heartbreaking events. These novels are richly creative and I never have any idea where the story will lead since there is always so much going on, hence the hefty page number of the novels.
In this novel, six months have passed since Operation Sherlock where many of the House of Representatives were killed which strangely opened the way for Jeff Martini to become a Representative from New Mexico and also since Naomi and Chuckie were married. Kitty is having strange dreams that may or may not be somewhat prophetic. Then Kitty gets a call for help and discovers that a bunch of A-C’s have disappeared on a so called security training exercise.
I will reiterate that there is so much going on because the missing A-C’s has Kitty realizing that Gladys the head of Security is still a security risk. Then a prison break adds another A-C relation to Yates into the fold. Then the entirety of A-C computer system is wiped out by a hacker but thankfully Tito didn’t put his research into the Yates DNA online. But then the bad guys have been doing a little research of their own that Kitty uncovers. All of these events have to be treated carefully now that everyone knows that Aliens are living on earth and since Martini is a Representative now he must abide by U.S. politics and rules.
The writing definitely pays attention to detail which is nice because this world is now terribly complicated but fun. The one thing I don’t like is that since the conversations often reveal all the clues to what is going on they often argue or talk in circles which for me just adds up the page count. The books are dark but not overly dark because there is still a really fun and dysfunctional sense of humor that I really enjoy. This novel was a little harder because the deaths actually did affect me more than I thought they would because there are so many characters but the way they were all handled did make me a bit teary eyed.
This novel also introduces two new characters who may have bigger roles in the future. Also, Kitty finally learns the actual truth of the A-C elves. The cover isn’t quite as accurate as normal but it was still a crazy badass scene between a tank, BUFF and a “dirt devil”. There is one scene towards the end that was definitely action movie material.
Overall, the aftermath of the events in this novel will weigh heavily on the Alpha Centurion and Kitty for the foreseeable future in the upcoming novels. I’m not very thrilled with all the bad that happened in this novel but everything happens for a reason so I do look forward to see where Kitty goes from here.
Notable Scene:
“What is she talking about?” Gower asked as he and White held Chuckie down.
Now wasn’t the time to explain that multiple universes existed. Now was the time to share that we were well on our way to DEFCON Oh My God. “Dude, she is not in her right mind. She’s injected at least thirteen syringes full of Surcenthumain Pure. She did it to protect us. But it’s, ah, affecting her. Like, for instance, she may now think—“
“Chuck, why did you marry me if you still love Kitty more?”
“That. She may think that.”
“Seriously?” Jeff asked. Chuckie looked to shocked to speak.
FTC Advisory: DAW/Penguin provided me with a copy of Alien Research. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 11, 2013
I liked this slightly better than the last one, but it was still not as good as I would have hoped. A few of the other reviews hit on the problem of having way too many characters in Kitty's entourage. Stopping to describe in detail: who everyone is, what they look like, Kitty's nickname for them, and the history of their previous interactions with Kitty and the members of her inner circle, weighs down the story to a significant degree. It could help that a few characters died or went away, but I think we got enough new ones that we either broke even or still added one. Sometimes the author makes an attempt to minimize the word count by relating all of these character names and details at once. The effect of this is having run-on sentences that are so long it takes several rereads to figure out what the hell is actually happening. There is almost never any need for us to have every one of these details before or during the action. There is also way too much time spent having to round up the entire gang every time Kitty travels from one place to another. Obviously, there are some major deficiencies in the editing process.
The narrative style the author adopted for this series is apparently meant to be the complete expression of Kitty's personality, but there is a point at which the author needs to realize that it is ok to just write regular normal english language sentences. The reader also can get certain information without it being broadcast first in Kitty's ridiculous abbreviations or nicknames then translated back through the other characters. The dialogue that consists of Kitty spouting half a thought that reveals an important plot point and then having the other characters go "Huh? You lost me." and then having her fully explain her theory to everyone on her team has been done to death. I always thought the strength of this series was the action and the originality of the characters and this alternate universe. It all takes a backseat now to retelling everything that happened in previous books and listening to Kitty explain why she is the most important, brilliant, and wonderful person in the known universe.
One of the high points for me was that Jeff and some of the other ACs actually stepped up with their powers and did more of the heavy lifting during the action scenes. Kitty didn't handle everything all by herself and rescue everyone all the time in this one. There were some deaths and I didn't necessarily agree with all of those choices, but I was glad that one particular character will not be around anymore. The relationship that they have with Ace will be much different from now on, and I don't know how I feel about that just yet. It seems that the author has traded some problems for others in trying to tie up this loose end. The progress being made to some sort of ultimate showdown is moving slowly forward. I would like to see what happens with the rest of this series since I have made it this far, but after two disappointing books in a row, I'm not enthusiastic about continuing.
The narrative style the author adopted for this series is apparently meant to be the complete expression of Kitty's personality, but there is a point at which the author needs to realize that it is ok to just write regular normal english language sentences. The reader also can get certain information without it being broadcast first in Kitty's ridiculous abbreviations or nicknames then translated back through the other characters. The dialogue that consists of Kitty spouting half a thought that reveals an important plot point and then having the other characters go "Huh? You lost me." and then having her fully explain her theory to everyone on her team has been done to death. I always thought the strength of this series was the action and the originality of the characters and this alternate universe. It all takes a backseat now to retelling everything that happened in previous books and listening to Kitty explain why she is the most important, brilliant, and wonderful person in the known universe.
One of the high points for me was that Jeff and some of the other ACs actually stepped up with their powers and did more of the heavy lifting during the action scenes. Kitty didn't handle everything all by herself and rescue everyone all the time in this one. There were some deaths and I didn't necessarily agree with all of those choices, but I was glad that one particular character will not be around anymore. The relationship that they have with Ace will be much different from now on, and I don't know how I feel about that just yet. It seems that the author has traded some problems for others in trying to tie up this loose end. The progress being made to some sort of ultimate showdown is moving slowly forward. I would like to see what happens with the rest of this series since I have made it this far, but after two disappointing books in a row, I'm not enthusiastic about continuing.
January 25, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/al...
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
This is not a stand alone book! If you haven’t read the others stop reading this one it will make it much easier to understand. The synopsis on the back cover sounded so interesting and something I would have loved. Hence the choice of reading it, but, there are so many characters and relationships that it is really difficult to follow also the politics of this story are heavy and intricate. Since I have not read any of the other books I felt like I was missing way to much.
However,this story was really well written, the characters obviously have rich and varied backgrounds. The world the author built is amazing. Trying to figure out who was who was a nightmare just to much going on with not knowing the back stories.
I enjoyed the dialog between many of the characters. My favorite quote:
“She’s like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon, but with a different kind of crazy.“
Having said all of this, I didn’t finish this book. Not because of any other reason than I felt lost. I gave it my best shot, but didn’t have enough information to make connections.
So I’m not sure how to rate this book. For the writing style and excellently written fleshed out characters, I give it 4 stars.
I recommend this book only for people who have been following this series. I will go back and start at the beginning.
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Sammy
This is not a stand alone book! If you haven’t read the others stop reading this one it will make it much easier to understand. The synopsis on the back cover sounded so interesting and something I would have loved. Hence the choice of reading it, but, there are so many characters and relationships that it is really difficult to follow also the politics of this story are heavy and intricate. Since I have not read any of the other books I felt like I was missing way to much.
However,this story was really well written, the characters obviously have rich and varied backgrounds. The world the author built is amazing. Trying to figure out who was who was a nightmare just to much going on with not knowing the back stories.
I enjoyed the dialog between many of the characters. My favorite quote:
“She’s like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon, but with a different kind of crazy.“
Having said all of this, I didn’t finish this book. Not because of any other reason than I felt lost. I gave it my best shot, but didn’t have enough information to make connections.
So I’m not sure how to rate this book. For the writing style and excellently written fleshed out characters, I give it 4 stars.
I recommend this book only for people who have been following this series. I will go back and start at the beginning.
December 5, 2013
I woke up yesterday, all full of the happys…..because I had pre-ordered "Alien Research" on my Nook and it was already downloaded before I woke up…..
I went to bed sobbing….and no, I'm not gonna tell you what happened (if you follow Gini's blog that's posted here on Goodreads, I already did the spoilers, and forgot to post a warning….so if you saw that and feel that I've spoiled the book….sorry! Mea culpa. My only excuse is it was 1:30 am, and too much Nyquil because of the cold)….
This was a hard book to read at times, because I got so caught up in the emotions--but it was also an absolutely fabulous book to read. Kitty and Co are up to their necks in Plots and Subplots, once again….
But good news, to those of us who are growing quite fond of Malcolm Buchanan--he's taken a more active role in this adventure and has some great lines!
I went to bed sobbing….and no, I'm not gonna tell you what happened (if you follow Gini's blog that's posted here on Goodreads, I already did the spoilers, and forgot to post a warning….so if you saw that and feel that I've spoiled the book….sorry! Mea culpa. My only excuse is it was 1:30 am, and too much Nyquil because of the cold)….
This was a hard book to read at times, because I got so caught up in the emotions--but it was also an absolutely fabulous book to read. Kitty and Co are up to their necks in Plots and Subplots, once again….
But good news, to those of us who are growing quite fond of Malcolm Buchanan--he's taken a more active role in this adventure and has some great lines!
December 7, 2013
Will Kitty ever get a quiet day? The answer is no. There are always plots out there to take them down.
Now how to review this book? Omg, you can't review a Koch book properly. I can't begin to explain all the things going on, it has to be experienced. You know what, I just realized what an awesome tv-series this would be..ok back to the point now.
Stuff is going down! Evil guys are back. Plans are made. Crazy religious nuts are protesting. ACE is still missing. There will be struggles.
This book felt darker than the rest, I will not tell you why, but it was.
Non-stop action and good things at the end that made me want to read more at once. Oh oh! I almost forgot about a certain revelation, I did not see that coming!
See, the review makes no sense. Just go and read this series!
Cover
Love
Now how to review this book? Omg, you can't review a Koch book properly. I can't begin to explain all the things going on, it has to be experienced. You know what, I just realized what an awesome tv-series this would be..ok back to the point now.
Stuff is going down! Evil guys are back. Plans are made. Crazy religious nuts are protesting. ACE is still missing. There will be struggles.
This book felt darker than the rest, I will not tell you why, but it was.
Non-stop action and good things at the end that made me want to read more at once. Oh oh! I almost forgot about a certain revelation, I did not see that coming!
See, the review makes no sense. Just go and read this series!
Cover
Love
November 9, 2014
I loved Alien Research even though I cried through parts of it. I was happy to see some of the original core characters more involved and active in this book. The snappy and snarky dialogue was great. Kitty has really grown into her role wile maintaining who she is.
Alien Research was hard to put down. Kitty solved the A-C Elves mystery and I love the new character, some questions were answered and new ones asked. I know characters have to come and go, but...
To really understand what is going on you need to start with the first book and read them sequentially. I will be preordering the next book soon!
Alien Research was hard to put down. Kitty solved the A-C Elves mystery and I love the new character, some questions were answered and new ones asked. I know characters have to come and go, but...
To really understand what is going on you need to start with the first book and read them sequentially. I will be preordering the next book soon!
August 24, 2014
Reading a "Kitty" Katt novel is like driving a convertible, top down, with the pedal to the metal. A thrilling, non stop trip. Koch keeps readers on their toes as evil looms around every corner. Can't Kitty have just one day out with the family without drama? Apparently not! Get ready to encounter everything from hybrids to hackers as Kitty takes down the enemy. Alien Research has an edge to it, that left me yearning to know more. Kitty Katt and her gang rock! They continue to draw my attention time and time again. Be prepared to be surprised.
December 7, 2013
Continue to love these books! New characters introduced, some we've had hinted at since the beginning. Old characters drastically changed, for better and for worse. The soundtrack is still rocking, and we find out just how important those tunes can be. Kitty finally learns how those Elves work
Spoiler, but still another aspect I loved:
Spoiler, but still another aspect I loved:
July 8, 2023
Great addition to my favorite series! Lots of action, plenty of laughs (especially at the beginning of the book, before the danger kicks in). The good guys take some losses in this book, and while they were sad, they move the overall story forward. A couple long-term secrets in the series are addressed in this book. So much fun - I'm already looking forward to reading it again.
December 16, 2013
I love how this book went back to the roots of the 'Alien' series by sending Kitty and Jeff back into field situations. While heavier than most of the series Koch kept Kitty's spirit alive by whipping out the humor and banter at every turn and infusing it with good old fashion ass kicking. Can't waiting for the next one!
December 22, 2013
It was really a good read, I was on an emotional roller coaster all the time and I was really saddened too... I don't want to spoil so I'll keep my mouth shut. The author really outdone herself on this book.
December 5, 2013
I could write a normal fancy review of how awesome this book was but I will just go with:
Sooooo my child may have missed the school bus because I was reading this until 4:30 in the morning :)
Sooooo my child may have missed the school bus because I was reading this until 4:30 in the morning :)
December 17, 2014
Starting to become bored with all the politics. Plenty of action but a bit talky. This makes me sad. I did really like the book though.
August 9, 2018
Well. Wow.
Okay, so, I've been blitzing through this series... and I do mean blitzing. Anyone who follows my reviews will notice that I have read these first 8 books in probably the last 10 days. And so you'll know that I liked the first 3 or so VERY much. Disliked the next 3 VERY much. Was hopeful after the last book. And now we're here.
Guys, I loved everything about this book. And I bawled my eyeballs out through most of it. I mean, at a couple points, huge sobs meant I had to get it together to continue onward.
The two threads I've hated most in earlier books - "Jeff the jealous douche" and "let's keep Kitty in the dark on what's going on, to "protect" her, even though it backfired on us the last 234987 times but maybe it will really work this time" - seem to be officially dead, as neither was a real presence in this book. And hallelujah for that. Additionally, we have less of Reader swinging the big dick (and being a big dick) about "YOU WILL ALL RESPECT MY AUTHORI-TAY" (yes, Cartman-style), which was the thing seriously getting on my nerves since the DipCorps transition. So hooray for that.
I don't want to talk about a whole lot, because I feel like almost anything will be a spoiler. So incredibly much goes on in this book, and all of it is just captivating. It's an emotional rollercoaster. I just want to say one thing, to folks who were perhaps as unhappy with the earlier books as I was: this book is well-worth holding out for. I'm so happy I did.
One other thing I want to talk about that I haven't mentioned in other reviews of this series. I know the pacing of this series is break-neck, and sometimes it feels exhausting. But I also think that's why I've been so captivated by the series. It's a fascinating and unusual way to move through a plot. In most other books - including my favorites - the heroes unfold / unravel the evil plot piece by piece... like building a puzzle that you patiently assemble as you get each new piece and figure out where it goes, slowly revealing the picture.
In this series, every time the heroes get a new piece, they make plans, form theories, and re-assess what they think the picture is. They're not always right, or not entirely right, and so through the book there's a constant narrative of refining the plan and re-assessing the picture as they move forward and we find a new piece. That means we get false starts, like "OMG THIS is where they are going!" We also get plans they are put into motion and are later discarded - . It makes the pacing very fast and sometimes confusing. But it also makes it ... very real. And I think that's why I am so sucked into the series. Because in reality, there would be no calm, patient puzzle solving. You'd have a theory, an alternate theory (probably several)... and plans and contingencies for handling them. All that you'd be constantly reshaping on the fly as you move forward and learn more. I honestly don't know that I've ever read another book written that conveys that kind of ... erratic, reactive scramble to put things together on the fly better than the books in this series.
And that's why even the books that seriously pissed me off a few books ago didn't end up being deal-breakers, because the fascination on the threads finally pulling together was enough to keep me invested. I'm not saying I wouldn't have thrown in the towel if that continued on - I would have, because I was hitting a place where I seriously disliked several major characters - but it's why I held out longer than I think I usually would.
I just wanted to touch on that, because it's so different from anything I can recall reading before. I love it, and I'm excited to see where it goes next. But I need a pause. Like, for a day or two. Because I'm all cried out, and I can't imagine things will get easier from here.
*****5 stars*****
Okay, so, I've been blitzing through this series... and I do mean blitzing. Anyone who follows my reviews will notice that I have read these first 8 books in probably the last 10 days. And so you'll know that I liked the first 3 or so VERY much. Disliked the next 3 VERY much. Was hopeful after the last book. And now we're here.
Guys, I loved everything about this book. And I bawled my eyeballs out through most of it. I mean, at a couple points, huge sobs meant I had to get it together to continue onward.
The two threads I've hated most in earlier books - "Jeff the jealous douche" and "let's keep Kitty in the dark on what's going on, to "protect" her, even though it backfired on us the last 234987 times but maybe it will really work this time" - seem to be officially dead, as neither was a real presence in this book. And hallelujah for that. Additionally, we have less of Reader swinging the big dick (and being a big dick) about "YOU WILL ALL RESPECT MY AUTHORI-TAY" (yes, Cartman-style), which was the thing seriously getting on my nerves since the DipCorps transition. So hooray for that.
I don't want to talk about a whole lot, because I feel like almost anything will be a spoiler. So incredibly much goes on in this book, and all of it is just captivating. It's an emotional rollercoaster. I just want to say one thing, to folks who were perhaps as unhappy with the earlier books as I was: this book is well-worth holding out for. I'm so happy I did.
One other thing I want to talk about that I haven't mentioned in other reviews of this series. I know the pacing of this series is break-neck, and sometimes it feels exhausting. But I also think that's why I've been so captivated by the series. It's a fascinating and unusual way to move through a plot. In most other books - including my favorites - the heroes unfold / unravel the evil plot piece by piece... like building a puzzle that you patiently assemble as you get each new piece and figure out where it goes, slowly revealing the picture.
In this series, every time the heroes get a new piece, they make plans, form theories, and re-assess what they think the picture is. They're not always right, or not entirely right, and so through the book there's a constant narrative of refining the plan and re-assessing the picture as they move forward and we find a new piece. That means we get false starts, like "OMG THIS is where they are going!" We also get plans they are put into motion and are later discarded - . It makes the pacing very fast and sometimes confusing. But it also makes it ... very real. And I think that's why I am so sucked into the series. Because in reality, there would be no calm, patient puzzle solving. You'd have a theory, an alternate theory (probably several)... and plans and contingencies for handling them. All that you'd be constantly reshaping on the fly as you move forward and learn more. I honestly don't know that I've ever read another book written that conveys that kind of ... erratic, reactive scramble to put things together on the fly better than the books in this series.
And that's why even the books that seriously pissed me off a few books ago didn't end up being deal-breakers, because the fascination on the threads finally pulling together was enough to keep me invested. I'm not saying I wouldn't have thrown in the towel if that continued on - I would have, because I was hitting a place where I seriously disliked several major characters - but it's why I held out longer than I think I usually would.
I just wanted to touch on that, because it's so different from anything I can recall reading before. I love it, and I'm excited to see where it goes next. But I need a pause. Like, for a day or two. Because I'm all cried out, and I can't imagine things will get easier from here.
*****5 stars*****
April 28, 2018
68 points/100 (3.5 stars/5)
A new book, a new disaster. Their people are off on a training mission turned kidnapping, Al Dejahl and his gang of horrible people are back, Kitty has to polish off her airplane piloting skills and we meet the mystery Elves. An action packed, emotional addition to this series starts off right and just keeps on going.
On the one hand I have no idea why I still read this series. On the other hand why don't I read it more often? This series annoys me, exasperates me, and makes me roll my eyes so damn hard I think i might strain something, yet there is something about it that keeps drawing me back.
This was actually a much better book than the last installment in this series. The pacing wasn't as frenetic. The plot wasn't as full of nothingness. Everything seemed to have a point to it. Plus, it was actually really emotional at points. I honestly did not expect there to have ever been any consequences in this series at all. I'm actually rather looking forward to seeing what the effects of this book are going to on the rest of the series.
The characters are actually starting to show some growth in this book, too. Kitty makes a controlled speech at the end that really hits all the right notes to a group of politicians. I really enjoyed the speech she made, even though the circumstances surrounding the speech sucked. The protests against aliens throughout the books, and then before this speech felt a little too much for this book, unfortunately.
A new alien race is introduced into this series! They are immortal, they live on a planet that is inside a black hole, and are generally fucking ridiculous. I guess I understand why she had to make up something to fill in this hole. It just.. It really annoys me that this thing exists. First ACE as their go to problem solver, and now this new character. It is growing to be a bit too much.
This was a lot less political in nature than Alien in the House. While I don't understand how Jeff could just fuck off from the Senate and be with Kitty the whole book, I guess I can understand not wanting to separate them - it just wouldn't be in line with the story until now. I think that is why I enjoyed this book so much more than the last one. This one was back to the fun action movie stuff, instead of the boring made up terrible politics and things go boom stuff.
While still fun, this is a serious installment to the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series. Every part of this book was in some way connected to the story already established or setting up for future books. There weren't any side adventures. A good installment to the series.
A new book, a new disaster. Their people are off on a training mission turned kidnapping, Al Dejahl and his gang of horrible people are back, Kitty has to polish off her airplane piloting skills and we meet the mystery Elves. An action packed, emotional addition to this series starts off right and just keeps on going.
On the one hand I have no idea why I still read this series. On the other hand why don't I read it more often? This series annoys me, exasperates me, and makes me roll my eyes so damn hard I think i might strain something, yet there is something about it that keeps drawing me back.
This was actually a much better book than the last installment in this series. The pacing wasn't as frenetic. The plot wasn't as full of nothingness. Everything seemed to have a point to it. Plus, it was actually really emotional at points. I honestly did not expect there to have ever been any consequences in this series at all. I'm actually rather looking forward to seeing what the effects of this book are going to on the rest of the series.
The characters are actually starting to show some growth in this book, too. Kitty makes a controlled speech at the end that really hits all the right notes to a group of politicians. I really enjoyed the speech she made, even though the circumstances surrounding the speech sucked. The protests against aliens throughout the books, and then before this speech felt a little too much for this book, unfortunately.
A new alien race is introduced into this series! They are immortal, they live on a planet that is inside a black hole, and are generally fucking ridiculous. I guess I understand why she had to make up something to fill in this hole. It just.. It really annoys me that this thing exists. First ACE as their go to problem solver, and now this new character. It is growing to be a bit too much.
This was a lot less political in nature than Alien in the House. While I don't understand how Jeff could just fuck off from the Senate and be with Kitty the whole book, I guess I can understand not wanting to separate them - it just wouldn't be in line with the story until now. I think that is why I enjoyed this book so much more than the last one. This one was back to the fun action movie stuff, instead of the boring made up terrible politics and things go boom stuff.
While still fun, this is a serious installment to the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series. Every part of this book was in some way connected to the story already established or setting up for future books. There weren't any side adventures. A good installment to the series.
February 28, 2019
Es ist immer wieder erstaunlich, wie viel Spaß und Spannung die Alien-Romane mit sich bringen. Kittys Ton voller Humor, Sarkasmus und frecher Retourkutschen sorgt dafür, dass die action- und spannungsreichen Geschichten nicht zu düster werden und die Crew um Kitty und Jeff kennt man inzwischen fast so gut wie die eigene Familie. Der Cast an Figuren ist mir allerdings inzwischen fast etwas zu groß. Nach längerer Zeit zwischen den Bänden bleiben einfach nicht alle der zahlreichen Nebenfiguren im Gedächtnis. Insgesamt schafft es die Autorin aber recht gut, Erinnerungshilfen einzubauen, ohne dass dies in langatmige Zusammenfassungen vorangegangener Bände ausartet.
In Alien Research sehen wir Kitty erfreulicherweise wieder stärker als "Agentin" denn als Diplomatin im Einsatz, da sie kurzfristig als Kommandeur einspringen muss, als der Kontakt zum Hauptquartier der AC-Aliens abbricht. Damit nähert sich dieser Band wieder den frühen Romanen der Reihe an und das kann ich nur begrüßen, da mich die politischen Intrigen und Missionen nicht ganz so packen, auch wenn sie bisher genauso unterhaltsam waren. Dieser Band bringt einige schmerzhafte Verlust mit sich und ist nicht zuletzt dadurch ergreifend und in gewissem Maße auch realistisch, denn auch Kitty kann eben nicht jede Katastrophe verhindern, auch wenn sie großartig ist und wie immer Verbindungen zwischen scheinbar völlig zusammenhangslosen Informationen und Vorkommnissen herstellen kann, auf die man selbst nie gekommen wäre. Wie immer also ein wildes und witziges Abenteuer, das bestens unterhalten kann.
In Alien Research sehen wir Kitty erfreulicherweise wieder stärker als "Agentin" denn als Diplomatin im Einsatz, da sie kurzfristig als Kommandeur einspringen muss, als der Kontakt zum Hauptquartier der AC-Aliens abbricht. Damit nähert sich dieser Band wieder den frühen Romanen der Reihe an und das kann ich nur begrüßen, da mich die politischen Intrigen und Missionen nicht ganz so packen, auch wenn sie bisher genauso unterhaltsam waren. Dieser Band bringt einige schmerzhafte Verlust mit sich und ist nicht zuletzt dadurch ergreifend und in gewissem Maße auch realistisch, denn auch Kitty kann eben nicht jede Katastrophe verhindern, auch wenn sie großartig ist und wie immer Verbindungen zwischen scheinbar völlig zusammenhangslosen Informationen und Vorkommnissen herstellen kann, auf die man selbst nie gekommen wäre. Wie immer also ein wildes und witziges Abenteuer, das bestens unterhalten kann.
January 12, 2020
I have no idea what happened, changed, was inspired, or whatever but it was almost like Gini... cared again? This book wasn’t too political, nothing felt rushed, the action scenes were great, the new plot points were great, evil genius plans were foiled and we are a smidge closer to knowing who the mastermind is! At the start of this book I wasn’t so sure I wanted to continue on with this series but now I have a huge desire to go book shopping for the whole other half of this series! So fun, so fresh, nice sex, great animals, cool characters. So good. Also I loved the development and addition of He Who Shall Not Be Named.
April 18, 2019
I have been binging the Kitty Katt series since I read the first book about two weeks ago, but now that the story has evolved from the alien secret government agency to alien politics and terrorism, I’m finding it a lot more bogged down in plots and subplots, betrayal, secrets and who knows what else. I miss the action packed straight forward military escapades as they fight the superbeings. None of those now, but clones and androids which aren’t anywhere near as entertaining as the Earwig, or the Pachyderm.
Will trudge on, I’m determined to get through this whole series.
3 stars
Will trudge on, I’m determined to get through this whole series.
3 stars
September 7, 2017
A great addition to one of the best Series that I have read. Alien Research takes our emotions through
the whole gambit, from laughter to tears. This book has both selfish conquests to loving sacrifice.
It doesn't get any better than this.
the whole gambit, from laughter to tears. This book has both selfish conquests to loving sacrifice.
It doesn't get any better than this.
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