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Kitty Norville #14
Kitty Saves the World
The final novel in the New York Times bestselling series
It’s all come down to this, following the discoveries made by Cormac in Low Midnight, Kitty and her allies are ready to strike. But, when their assassination attempt on the evil vampire Dux Bellorum fails, Kitty finds herself running out of time. The elusive vampire lord has begun his apocalyptic end game, and Kitty still doesn’t know where he will strike.
Meanwhile, pressure mounts in Denver as Kitty and her pack begin to experience the true reach of Dux Bellorum’s cult. Outnumbered and outgunned at every turn, the stakes have never been higher for Kitty. She will have to call on allies both old and new in order to save not just her family and friends, but the rest of the world as well.
It’s all come down to this, following the discoveries made by Cormac in Low Midnight, Kitty and her allies are ready to strike. But, when their assassination attempt on the evil vampire Dux Bellorum fails, Kitty finds herself running out of time. The elusive vampire lord has begun his apocalyptic end game, and Kitty still doesn’t know where he will strike.
Meanwhile, pressure mounts in Denver as Kitty and her pack begin to experience the true reach of Dux Bellorum’s cult. Outnumbered and outgunned at every turn, the stakes have never been higher for Kitty. She will have to call on allies both old and new in order to save not just her family and friends, but the rest of the world as well.
325 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 4, 2015
83 people are currently reading
2911 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Vaughn
280 books4,540 followersCarrie Vaughn is the author more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories. She's best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. In 2018, she won the Philip K. Dick Award for Bannerless, a post-apocalyptic murder mystery. She's published over 20 novels and 100 short stories, two of which have been finalists for the Hugo Award. She's a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared world superhero books edited by George R. R. Martin and a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop.
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 324 reviews
September 2, 2015
It was a very good final book for the series, it really represented what I liked about Kitty in the first place and left me with good memories of the series. I feel quite relieved because I almost abandoned the series after books eleven and twelve, they made me furious at the slow pace of building the long arc of the series, they were just filler to sell books. When you love characters in a series it can be nice just to "visit" with them, but in a really long series it needs to have a sense of forward momentum, especially when there's an intriguing mystery that I really want to see explored. It's really frustrating when next to nothing happens with it for many books in a row. But I got back into it again when I found out she was wrapping it up in the next two books and now here we are. There was a lot of action in this book, many old friends coming together to support Kitty in her final confrontation with the Big Bad she's been battling for so long. I liked the idea that her friends are her real super power, because her ability to talk, to build relationships through conversation and communication, really is the central facet of her personality. There was a lot of action but also a lot of heart, and the characters felt very true and right. Yes, there was a good final battle, it was exciting and the long arc was wrapped up. But what I liked was the characters. Kitty and Ben, Cormac and Amelia, and all of the friends who came to help and even the bad guys a little. The people in the books felt absolutely real and true and just exactly who they were supposed to be. They aren't superheroes or incredibly powerful supernatural creatures, they're just people with a few extra abilities that can be positives or negatives depending on the situation. In the end it's the people I'll remember much more than any plots, they're why I love most books and definitely why I love this series. And lucky for us, Vaughn hinted (heavily) in her author's note that she's thinking about writing more about Cormac in the future, so we have more of our favorite characters and this world to look forward to.
October 7, 2015
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
It's always a bittersweet affair when one of your favorite series comes to a close. I've been listening to the Kitty Norville series for the past three years, so I haven't been following the series since its inception, but it still feels like it's over too soon. That being said I was worried when Carrie Vaughn introduced the idea of "the long game" that the series would start to drag or become repetitive. I did not ever find that too be the case, and I feel that KITTY SAVES THE WORLD is the perfect ending to such an amazing series.
I'm amazed at how well Carrie Vaughn put together the final book in the Kitty Norville series. There were so many things that I wanted to see happen, and I'm pretty sure that all of them happened. The book starts out where Kitty has always belonged, behind the microphone on her talk show. Kitty's talk shows have always been a highlight of every book for me. I was so fascinated with the original idea of a werewolf talk show host, and that was why I loved the first book, Kitty and the Midnight Hour, so much.
If you had a favorite character in the series, that hadn't died, than you're almost guaranteed to see that character in KITTY SAVES THE WORLD. For me Kitty Norville has always been about the characters, watching them grow and seeing new ones come into play. So I was worried that some of my favorite characters wouldn't get an appearance in the last book, just because there were so many characters in this series. Carrie Vaughn did an great job of bringing all the characters back together and giving them all important roles to help Kitty stop Roman and the apocalypse.
I could go on for many paragraphs about this book. I'm often disappointed with the final book of a series. There are so many things that I want to see and so many plots to tie up, most authors just don't do it that well. Carrie Vaughn wrapped up all the major plot lines and pulled everything together in the end. KITTY SAVES THE WORLD is probably my favorite final book in any series that I've read. I highly recommend KITTY SAVES THE WORLD.
Notes on the Audiobook: Though I did receive and ARC copy of KITTY SAVES THE WORLD. I still had to listen to it as well when the audiobook came out. I've listened to every other Kitty book so I couldn't not listen to the last one. Marguerite Gavin does an amazing job with these series, and her voice will always be Kitty's in my mind. The only thing that could make the audio better is if they actually played Bad Moon Rising before the Midnight Hour.
Sexual Content - Kissing and references to sex
It's always a bittersweet affair when one of your favorite series comes to a close. I've been listening to the Kitty Norville series for the past three years, so I haven't been following the series since its inception, but it still feels like it's over too soon. That being said I was worried when Carrie Vaughn introduced the idea of "the long game" that the series would start to drag or become repetitive. I did not ever find that too be the case, and I feel that KITTY SAVES THE WORLD is the perfect ending to such an amazing series.
I'm amazed at how well Carrie Vaughn put together the final book in the Kitty Norville series. There were so many things that I wanted to see happen, and I'm pretty sure that all of them happened. The book starts out where Kitty has always belonged, behind the microphone on her talk show. Kitty's talk shows have always been a highlight of every book for me. I was so fascinated with the original idea of a werewolf talk show host, and that was why I loved the first book, Kitty and the Midnight Hour, so much.
If you had a favorite character in the series, that hadn't died, than you're almost guaranteed to see that character in KITTY SAVES THE WORLD. For me Kitty Norville has always been about the characters, watching them grow and seeing new ones come into play. So I was worried that some of my favorite characters wouldn't get an appearance in the last book, just because there were so many characters in this series. Carrie Vaughn did an great job of bringing all the characters back together and giving them all important roles to help Kitty stop Roman and the apocalypse.
I could go on for many paragraphs about this book. I'm often disappointed with the final book of a series. There are so many things that I want to see and so many plots to tie up, most authors just don't do it that well. Carrie Vaughn wrapped up all the major plot lines and pulled everything together in the end. KITTY SAVES THE WORLD is probably my favorite final book in any series that I've read. I highly recommend KITTY SAVES THE WORLD.
Notes on the Audiobook: Though I did receive and ARC copy of KITTY SAVES THE WORLD. I still had to listen to it as well when the audiobook came out. I've listened to every other Kitty book so I couldn't not listen to the last one. Marguerite Gavin does an amazing job with these series, and her voice will always be Kitty's in my mind. The only thing that could make the audio better is if they actually played Bad Moon Rising before the Midnight Hour.
Sexual Content - Kissing and references to sex
August 12, 2015
**I received this book for free from (Publisher) via (NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*MY Thoughts*
Kitty Saves the World brings the Kitty Norville series to a final swan song after 10 years. This is the final showdown between Kitty aka Regina Luporum and her allies, verses Roman aka Dux Bellorum and his hoards of powerful vampires, werewolves, and magicians. Plus, there is a yet to be named Caesar who is waiting in the wings for his turn to enter the ring and make things even more challenging for Kitty. Just a bit of warning, please don't skip over Cormac's book, better known as Low Midnight before picking up this book. Believe me when I say that you will be sorry if you do since there is a pretty important discovery in that book that helps Kitty fight Roman. There are a whole lot of things that connect the books in this series.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Recvd via Widget from Publisher 06/01/2015* Published: August 4th 2015 by Tor Books
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Rating* 3.5
*MY Thoughts*
Kitty Saves the World brings the Kitty Norville series to a final swan song after 10 years. This is the final showdown between Kitty aka Regina Luporum and her allies, verses Roman aka Dux Bellorum and his hoards of powerful vampires, werewolves, and magicians. Plus, there is a yet to be named Caesar who is waiting in the wings for his turn to enter the ring and make things even more challenging for Kitty. Just a bit of warning, please don't skip over Cormac's book, better known as Low Midnight before picking up this book. Believe me when I say that you will be sorry if you do since there is a pretty important discovery in that book that helps Kitty fight Roman. There are a whole lot of things that connect the books in this series.
*Full Review Posted @ Gizmos Reviews*
http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/201...
*Recvd via Widget from Publisher 06/01/2015* Published: August 4th 2015 by Tor Books
August 16, 2015
The last book of the series. And unlike some other successful series, this ended strong, while the books were still good. I am choosing to ignore Kitty in the Underworld here... I am actually sorry to see Kitty leave. With Sookie I was glad she finally left, mostly intact, before going the way of Anita Blake.
The story started with a pretty gut wrenching event, that made me imagine all kinds of horror scenarios. I was not really sold on the plot though for about half of the book. It was well written, I liked it. This is not one of my all-time favourite UF series for nothing. But somehow I expected more tension, suspense, angst, drama, great balls of fire.... Not really sure, perhaps my expectations going in were too high. It is a good book, but the last spark, making me stay up and read till the middle of the night, was missing.
Finally we get closure on the supervillain... This trope of great, superpowerful, evil villains, who haunt series for several books in a row, has been going on my nerves lately. The storyline around Roman just dragged for me and went on for too many books. The plot idea of a is not my favourite, either. Sorry, I can't quite put my finger on why it makes my eyes roll a bit. Although, a spin-off of a
How about that for a plot bunny?
Funnily, after being happy that the big confrontation was coming, I was a bit meh about it. Roman did not seem very evil or supervillainy. Again, maybe this was more about me and my expectations. And about just having read another book with a great villain, that I adore.
And then we meet these mysterious guys, These guys just felt like a convenient way to get our MCs out of critical situations.
And that last twist with just about did me in. Really? Too. Much. Saccharine. Really, really did not need that. Despite that I liked the epilogue, it finished with a feel-good paragraph and made me smile.
I liked the Author's Note. The series is finished, but it sounds as if we can look ahead to more Cormac. And maybe a spin-off series with ? I think I would like that. And I enjoyed Low Midnight.
Don't get me wrong, this review sounds as if I did not like the book. I did, though. Carrie Vaughn writes good characters, Kitty Norville is one of my all-time favourite heroines. The plots are always well written and constructed, even if I just whined about this one a little.
I guess, this being the last of the series, there were a lot of loose ends and plot bunnies and requests by fans, that needed to be squeezed in. It's all good, it's a fantastic series all the way to the end (although the earlier books were the best). If you like kick-ass heroines with a smart mouth, read this series, read it, read it, read it!
The story started with a pretty gut wrenching event, that made me imagine all kinds of horror scenarios. I was not really sold on the plot though for about half of the book. It was well written, I liked it. This is not one of my all-time favourite UF series for nothing. But somehow I expected more tension, suspense, angst, drama, great balls of fire.... Not really sure, perhaps my expectations going in were too high. It is a good book, but the last spark, making me stay up and read till the middle of the night, was missing.
Finally we get closure on the supervillain... This trope of great, superpowerful, evil villains, who haunt series for several books in a row, has been going on my nerves lately. The storyline around Roman just dragged for me and went on for too many books. The plot idea of a is not my favourite, either. Sorry, I can't quite put my finger on why it makes my eyes roll a bit. Although, a spin-off of a
How about that for a plot bunny?
Funnily, after being happy that the big confrontation was coming, I was a bit meh about it. Roman did not seem very evil or supervillainy. Again, maybe this was more about me and my expectations. And about just having read another book with a great villain, that I adore.
And then we meet these mysterious guys, These guys just felt like a convenient way to get our MCs out of critical situations.
And that last twist with just about did me in. Really? Too. Much. Saccharine. Really, really did not need that. Despite that I liked the epilogue, it finished with a feel-good paragraph and made me smile.
I liked the Author's Note. The series is finished, but it sounds as if we can look ahead to more Cormac. And maybe a spin-off series with ? I think I would like that. And I enjoyed Low Midnight.
Don't get me wrong, this review sounds as if I did not like the book. I did, though. Carrie Vaughn writes good characters, Kitty Norville is one of my all-time favourite heroines. The plots are always well written and constructed, even if I just whined about this one a little.
I guess, this being the last of the series, there were a lot of loose ends and plot bunnies and requests by fans, that needed to be squeezed in. It's all good, it's a fantastic series all the way to the end (although the earlier books were the best). If you like kick-ass heroines with a smart mouth, read this series, read it, read it, read it!
August 3, 2015
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Easy title to live up to, no?
About the same time that I posted my review of the previous book, Low Midnight, where I talked about "future Kitty novels," Carrie Vaughn announced that this one would be the end. So much for my predictive abilitiy. Now, at the end, I see that Low Midnight was well-placed in the series, and I have a better understanding of the role it played in setting up this book. Which is not to say that I wouldn't have preferred a few more books in this series, but if Vaughn had to end it now, I'm glad she did it like this.
This couldn't be less obvious a last novel. Kitty name checks and/or visits everybody we've met along the way, it's like the last few minutes of "The End of Time" before The Doctor regenerates into Matt Smith. But Vaughn does it so smoothly, it's only when you stop and think about who's shown up that you even notice what she's done.
I don't really have much to say about this -- it's the 14th and final novel in a series. Don't let this be the first one you read -- do let this be the last. Start with one of the first few (if not the first, Kitty and the Midnight Hour).
This is different than the rest of the series, not just because it's the end. There's plenty of action to be found -- not a lot of time for character development, growth, relationships, new characters (well, maybe a couple) -- it's all about Regina Luporum and her allies versus Dux Bellorum, anything else is a distraction (however pleasant a distraction). Which isn't to say that the characters are unimportant -- it's Carrie Vaughn, characters are the core. But they're very busy here, and don't have a lot of time to chat, reflect, or anything like that -- they have a world to save.
The final showdown with Roman didn't go as expected, but better. The scenes following that were great, and the ending was everything a fan could hope for.
One criticism -- and, now that I think about it, this applies to the series as a whole -- Kitty tells us time after time that her pack is what's important, it drives her restauraunt/bar New Moon, it keeps her in Denver, it's what motivates her, blah, blah, blah. But really, outside of the occasional chat while picking up an order with Shaun and references to the group hunting on the Full Moon, we don't see them. The pack that Kitty cares about is the other one -- Ben, Cormac, Amelia, Alette, Odysseus Grant, Tina, Rick, Matt, and the others that fill her life and align themselves with her against the Long Game. I'd be fine with it if Kitty were just a little bit more honest with herself/us about it.
I'm going to miss Kitty, Ben, Cormac and the rest, and the next year is going to feel a little strange not getting any new adventures from them. But this was a great way to say goodbye.
Ack! I just realized that I forgot to say anything about receiving my copy from the Goodreads First Reads program. Great program.
Easy title to live up to, no?
About the same time that I posted my review of the previous book, Low Midnight, where I talked about "future Kitty novels," Carrie Vaughn announced that this one would be the end. So much for my predictive abilitiy. Now, at the end, I see that Low Midnight was well-placed in the series, and I have a better understanding of the role it played in setting up this book. Which is not to say that I wouldn't have preferred a few more books in this series, but if Vaughn had to end it now, I'm glad she did it like this.
This couldn't be less obvious a last novel. Kitty name checks and/or visits everybody we've met along the way, it's like the last few minutes of "The End of Time" before The Doctor regenerates into Matt Smith. But Vaughn does it so smoothly, it's only when you stop and think about who's shown up that you even notice what she's done.
I don't really have much to say about this -- it's the 14th and final novel in a series. Don't let this be the first one you read -- do let this be the last. Start with one of the first few (if not the first, Kitty and the Midnight Hour).
This is different than the rest of the series, not just because it's the end. There's plenty of action to be found -- not a lot of time for character development, growth, relationships, new characters (well, maybe a couple) -- it's all about Regina Luporum and her allies versus Dux Bellorum, anything else is a distraction (however pleasant a distraction). Which isn't to say that the characters are unimportant -- it's Carrie Vaughn, characters are the core. But they're very busy here, and don't have a lot of time to chat, reflect, or anything like that -- they have a world to save.
The final showdown with Roman didn't go as expected, but better. The scenes following that were great, and the ending was everything a fan could hope for.
One criticism -- and, now that I think about it, this applies to the series as a whole -- Kitty tells us time after time that her pack is what's important, it drives her restauraunt/bar New Moon, it keeps her in Denver, it's what motivates her, blah, blah, blah. But really, outside of the occasional chat while picking up an order with Shaun and references to the group hunting on the Full Moon, we don't see them. The pack that Kitty cares about is the other one -- Ben, Cormac, Amelia, Alette, Odysseus Grant, Tina, Rick, Matt, and the others that fill her life and align themselves with her against the Long Game. I'd be fine with it if Kitty were just a little bit more honest with herself/us about it.
I'm going to miss Kitty, Ben, Cormac and the rest, and the next year is going to feel a little strange not getting any new adventures from them. But this was a great way to say goodbye.
Ack! I just realized that I forgot to say anything about receiving my copy from the Goodreads First Reads program. Great program.
November 3, 2015
I hesitated to read this one because it's the last book in the series and I HATE reading final books in series. They make me sad because the story is over and I worry it won't live up to my expectations. "Kitty Saves the World" didn't blow me away but I liked it. The story did leave me with a desire to go back and re-read the first book. I didn't like it the first time I read it and gave away my copy. Then a friend gave me book two and I loved it. :D That pretty much sums up the series for me, it's been up and down all the way but it's been a heck of a ride. I wonder though if my reactions to that first book would have changed over time. I'm sure my library has it so I'll find out at some point. :)
Vaughn brought back characters from earlier books but she didn't go crazy; they served a purpose in the story and at least one is a fan fave. Certainly, I was happy to see that person return. There was also a surprise new character. I say surprise, but when I thought about, it made sense. He was interesting and I kinda liked him and I kinda wanted to drop him on Ceti Alpha 5 without any food or supplies. There are some other players, rather mysterious, that I have mixed feelings about. Their presence was logical given the introduction of the other new character but they felt too much of an easy out for some things. And there's a twist in Kitty and Ben's personal life that also left me with mixed feelings. I think the book would have been stronger without the epilogue.
The story brings the whole Long Game and Dux Bellorum story lines to a conclusion. It's not a rousing conclusion, it felt anti-climactic, but it did showcase Kitty's growth during the series: her strength, her ability to ask for and to accept help, her quick thinking, and her compassion. But story threads are tied up and there's even a happy ending. It was a little slow at times and there were a few too many convenient moments, but "Kitty Saves the World" was solid story telling with good character development and Kitty's trademark snark and wit.
I do hope Cormac and Amelia will get their own series, and not just because then we get to see more of Kitty, Ben, and the gang. I disliked the whole idea of Amelia when she was introduced but I've grown to like her and her and Cormac together. Cormac, of course, is just cool. :)
Go; grab "Kitty Saves the World". It may not blow your socks off but it's a good ending to the series.
Vaughn brought back characters from earlier books but she didn't go crazy; they served a purpose in the story and at least one is a fan fave. Certainly, I was happy to see that person return. There was also a surprise new character. I say surprise, but when I thought about, it made sense. He was interesting and I kinda liked him and I kinda wanted to drop him on Ceti Alpha 5 without any food or supplies. There are some other players, rather mysterious, that I have mixed feelings about. Their presence was logical given the introduction of the other new character but they felt too much of an easy out for some things. And there's a twist in Kitty and Ben's personal life that also left me with mixed feelings. I think the book would have been stronger without the epilogue.
The story brings the whole Long Game and Dux Bellorum story lines to a conclusion. It's not a rousing conclusion, it felt anti-climactic, but it did showcase Kitty's growth during the series: her strength, her ability to ask for and to accept help, her quick thinking, and her compassion. But story threads are tied up and there's even a happy ending. It was a little slow at times and there were a few too many convenient moments, but "Kitty Saves the World" was solid story telling with good character development and Kitty's trademark snark and wit.
I do hope Cormac and Amelia will get their own series, and not just because then we get to see more of Kitty, Ben, and the gang. I disliked the whole idea of Amelia when she was introduced but I've grown to like her and her and Cormac together. Cormac, of course, is just cool. :)
Go; grab "Kitty Saves the World". It may not blow your socks off but it's a good ending to the series.
March 26, 2016
I should note that I haven't found this series quite as enjoyable as it was before the introduction of the Long Game. You have no idea how tried I am of vampire politics in UF.
However, Carrie Vaughn deserves a huge around of applause and awards for actually ending the series and stepping back.
In some ways, it does feel like she is checking off points - and Amelia could have had a bigger role in this book to be honest - but it is a workable, if not great, conclusion to the series. It's an ending but Vaughn has left herself the opition to return to the world if not the characters.
The most disappointing and weakest parts of the book are . I do also wish that we saw Kitty and Ben as more involved with the pack. There has never been that much of a sense of Pack in terms of the werewolves in this series. Lip service yes, but Kitty's true pack isn't the wolves (and this would have been fine, if had really been played with a bit more). Despite that, it is a good ending.
However, Carrie Vaughn deserves a huge around of applause and awards for actually ending the series and stepping back.
In some ways, it does feel like she is checking off points - and Amelia could have had a bigger role in this book to be honest - but it is a workable, if not great, conclusion to the series. It's an ending but Vaughn has left herself the opition to return to the world if not the characters.
The most disappointing and weakest parts of the book are . I do also wish that we saw Kitty and Ben as more involved with the pack. There has never been that much of a sense of Pack in terms of the werewolves in this series. Lip service yes, but Kitty's true pack isn't the wolves (and this would have been fine, if had really been played with a bit more). Despite that, it is a good ending.
April 18, 2021
Kitty Saves the World by Carrie Vaughn
Kitty Norville book 14
15 books and the series ended. I'm sad that we won't get to see what crazy shenanigans Kitty gets into. But at last all good things have to come to an end.
I was recommended this series by a coworker when she saw me reading a similar book. She said I would love ot but maybe not the ending. Most people knows I absolutely hate book endings to be tied up in a pretty bow.
With that being said I absolutely love this series and the ending. Even though it was wrapped up in a pretty nice bow. But come on Kitty really deserved the perfect ending after all she been through.
Kitty, Cormic/Amelia, Ben, and all of our favorite people in Kitty's life are all together at different points to help her end the great evil magician. The only people to be missing was her pack which she found out they were missing when her bar blew up. They were taken without a trace for their and Kitty's protection. Whoever took them knew that her pack would be used against her in the last finale fee moments of this intense battle.
While Kitty and Ben where running around trying to figure out the last few mysteries of what is about to go down when she noticed that they were being followed by men in black.
Who are they? What do they want? Will kitty save the world? Will everyone that she holds dear to her heart be safe?
Raiting: 5 stars 🌟
Kitty Norville book 14
15 books and the series ended. I'm sad that we won't get to see what crazy shenanigans Kitty gets into. But at last all good things have to come to an end.
I was recommended this series by a coworker when she saw me reading a similar book. She said I would love ot but maybe not the ending. Most people knows I absolutely hate book endings to be tied up in a pretty bow.
With that being said I absolutely love this series and the ending. Even though it was wrapped up in a pretty nice bow. But come on Kitty really deserved the perfect ending after all she been through.
Kitty, Cormic/Amelia, Ben, and all of our favorite people in Kitty's life are all together at different points to help her end the great evil magician. The only people to be missing was her pack which she found out they were missing when her bar blew up. They were taken without a trace for their and Kitty's protection. Whoever took them knew that her pack would be used against her in the last finale fee moments of this intense battle.
While Kitty and Ben where running around trying to figure out the last few mysteries of what is about to go down when she noticed that they were being followed by men in black.
Who are they? What do they want? Will kitty save the world? Will everyone that she holds dear to her heart be safe?
Raiting: 5 stars 🌟
August 18, 2015
Like the stars say, it was okay. It has been apparent that Carrie Vaughn wanted to move on to other projects for the past few books now, and the more recent ones lack a lot of the energy and surprise of the earlier volumes. It was nice to get a little time with some old friends from the series, but this definitely had the feel of checking off items from a list as opposed to deeply felt literary project.
August 13, 2015
The last book! NOooooOOOO! I love this series. This is one series where you can actually see that the main character grows into someone who is strong and capable. Considering where she started, looking back it was a great ride. This is one of those series who may not love Kitty in the beginning but will LOVE her quickly and want to be her bff in the end. This book also has great secondary characters (off-shoot series??? *hopes*) so I can see Carrie Vaughn possibly heading in that direction if she has more to tell in this world. I will be a happy reader if that happens. However, I do understand that an author wants to leave a series on a up note rather than let it flounder before it ends.
In this book we finally get what we have been building toward for several books. The arc has been frustrating as you want it to end, but didn't want it to come too soon. I think this was the perfect balance and what an ending. I'm not always a fan of the ending series book, but this one had me from the beginning to the end. In fact I didn't want to read it too fast since I knew it was the last Kitty book.
I give this book 5 stars. I loved that this one had an epilogue and it was a perfect end to a fun series. The ending brought us back a bit but kept us moving forward to a future which is hopefully bright for the characters we leave for (possibly?) good. This is a series you want to start at the beginning and read all the way through to the end.
In this book we finally get what we have been building toward for several books. The arc has been frustrating as you want it to end, but didn't want it to come too soon. I think this was the perfect balance and what an ending. I'm not always a fan of the ending series book, but this one had me from the beginning to the end. In fact I didn't want to read it too fast since I knew it was the last Kitty book.
I give this book 5 stars. I loved that this one had an epilogue and it was a perfect end to a fun series. The ending brought us back a bit but kept us moving forward to a future which is hopefully bright for the characters we leave for (possibly?) good. This is a series you want to start at the beginning and read all the way through to the end.
February 2, 2020
This is fifteenth and final volume of Vaughn's Kitty Norville adventures, one of the best modern fantasy multi-volume series. It's a very well-written book, well-paced, and almost all of the major characters from previous stories make an appearance and do their part in the final face-off against Roman's long-game. The title is something of a spoiler, I wasn't really surprised by anything, but it's fun to see how it all plays out. I honestly was just a bit let-down by the conclusion, but after fourteen volumes of anticipation I suppose that's inevitable. I believe Kitty & Company are still out there howling and adventuring in the mountains... we're just not reading about it anymore.
August 29, 2015
I hate it when a really good series decides to say goodbye.
But at least this one went out strong. Our heroine Kitty Norville, werewolf, grew over the 14 books into a capable strong Regina Luporum. A radio talkshow host - The Midnight Hour - where she gave a voice to the supernatural and got to stir up trouble on a regular basis.
As this was the final book, all Kitty's allies made an appearance and in fact turned into her army against Roman the Master Vampire, the Dux Bellorum, General of the bad guys. Roman had vamps & demons on his side, not to mention dark magic which included volcanic eruptions. But who is Caesar?
On the good side we had Ben & Cormac/Amelia, of course, and Detective Jessi Hardin, Tina from the Paranormal P.I. show, Sun, Odysseus Grant from Vegas, Rick & his vampire ninjas and mysterious men in black. What was missing was the pack. They have been spirited away so they couldn't be used against her, but no one knows who did the spiriting.
A very good final showdown and a great personal ending for Kitty & Ben. Great to see an author that gives more than half a page to wrap up a story. Loved it.
But at least this one went out strong. Our heroine Kitty Norville, werewolf, grew over the 14 books into a capable strong Regina Luporum. A radio talkshow host - The Midnight Hour - where she gave a voice to the supernatural and got to stir up trouble on a regular basis.
As this was the final book, all Kitty's allies made an appearance and in fact turned into her army against Roman the Master Vampire, the Dux Bellorum, General of the bad guys. Roman had vamps & demons on his side, not to mention dark magic which included volcanic eruptions. But who is Caesar?
On the good side we had Ben & Cormac/Amelia, of course, and Detective Jessi Hardin, Tina from the Paranormal P.I. show, Sun, Odysseus Grant from Vegas, Rick & his vampire ninjas and mysterious men in black. What was missing was the pack. They have been spirited away so they couldn't be used against her, but no one knows who did the spiriting.
A very good final showdown and a great personal ending for Kitty & Ben. Great to see an author that gives more than half a page to wrap up a story. Loved it.
October 14, 2015
4.5
The End Game is here. Kitty, Ben, Cormac and many others step up to save the world, even with little hope of winning. Roman is not the top of the food chin there is someone darker, more evil pulling the strings. Oh it gets bad, really bad.
I swear, Ms. Vaughn did this to me many times in this final book. Many characters are brought back to finish of the story, we get to see where they have been. My heart was beaten, torn, exploded and then, oh you will love the ending Kitty fans. Just hold on the ride might kill you a little
The series has ended. I am sad to see it go. I loved Kitty and Ben, for over ten years. they were the unexpected and unwanted perfect couple. My reading time with them was fun adventurous, maddening, and heartbreaking at times. The lights have been dimmed and it's time say goodbye to old friends.
The End Game is here. Kitty, Ben, Cormac and many others step up to save the world, even with little hope of winning. Roman is not the top of the food chin there is someone darker, more evil pulling the strings. Oh it gets bad, really bad.
I swear, Ms. Vaughn did this to me many times in this final book. Many characters are brought back to finish of the story, we get to see where they have been. My heart was beaten, torn, exploded and then, oh you will love the ending Kitty fans. Just hold on the ride might kill you a little
The series has ended. I am sad to see it go. I loved Kitty and Ben, for over ten years. they were the unexpected and unwanted perfect couple. My reading time with them was fun adventurous, maddening, and heartbreaking at times. The lights have been dimmed and it's time say goodbye to old friends.
October 18, 2015
Kitty Saves the World - Carrie Vaughn
My review:
I expected something more epic in the conclusion of this series. Moreover, Kitty beats Roman but the person who ordered him is still there, so the long game is not actually done in my opinion. However, this is an enjoyable and quick read, full of action.
Mon avis :
Je m’attendais à quelque chose de plus épique en conclusion de cette série. De plus, Kitty gagne face à Roman mais la personne qui dirigeait celui-ci est toujours là, donc le long jeu n’est pas réellement terminé à mon avis. Cela reste, toutefois, une lecture agréable et rapide, pleine d’action.
My review:
I expected something more epic in the conclusion of this series. Moreover, Kitty beats Roman but the person who ordered him is still there, so the long game is not actually done in my opinion. However, this is an enjoyable and quick read, full of action.
Mon avis :
Je m’attendais à quelque chose de plus épique en conclusion de cette série. De plus, Kitty gagne face à Roman mais la personne qui dirigeait celui-ci est toujours là, donc le long jeu n’est pas réellement terminé à mon avis. Cela reste, toutefois, une lecture agréable et rapide, pleine d’action.
December 2, 2024
As a series, Kitty Norville struggled to find an identity outside of its opening gambit of werewolf radio talkshow host. To be fair, that sustained the series at some of its weakest entries, including its first book. However, the worldbuilding and characters of Kitty's universe have always been underdeveloped and underserved in a variety of ways, and not even the most thought-provoking and quirky interlude on her show could cover for that.
The cracks started to show in Dead Man's Hand, when the novelty of Kitty and her show had worn off and Vaughn was forced to fill in some of the broad strokes she'd alluded to for the last four books. In this case, I feel Vaughn got lost in the expanding world; she wasn't writing with a set world in mind, but adding to her canvas of werewolves and vampires (and fae) when a cool idea struck her fancy, without much consideration for how they might offset established norms in her own universe.
As a consequence, once Kitty's arc of self-reliance and belonging ended, the story became a calvacade of new characters, creatures and concepts Vaughn didn't have the time, or the interest, to explore meaningfully. So we got vampires accending to higher planes of existence, underground labrynthine dimensions, inchoate politics related to supernaturals existence with each other and the wider human world, the introduction of spells and magic, demons and angels, and, with this book, the confirmation of Lucifer and all the biblical implications therein.
If that was an exhausting paragraph to read, imagine it spread out indecorously through fourteen books.
The basic plot of Kitty Saves the World (yes, that is the real title) is Kitty finally getting a little proactive for once in the fight against Roman. It took half the series, but she got there. Roman has an ancient artefact called the Manus Herculei he can use to cause all manner of destruction, specifically of the geological variety: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions.
We thankfully learn why Roman was laser-focused on Denver: his plan is to put the world into a nuclear winter by erupting the Yellowstone supervolcano. It's suitably catastrophic but begs the question of why he left Kitty in play for so long. According to the book, he needed vampire minions to secure Denver for the ritual, but left that on the long finger for some reason.
The excuse of Roman simply underestimating Kitty can only function as a stalling tactic for so long, and I'd say that was around Kitty's Big Trouble. After that, Roman should have snapped her neck and got on with his business. With the way it plays out here, it almost feels like Roman has other things going on in his life — procuring the Manus Herculei and securing Denver, the two most crucial elements of his plan, he leaves until the very last moments.
That is probably my biggest issue with the series: the pervasive lack of urgency.
Spending the majority of this series with a protagonist as reactive as Kitty isn't ideal. After all, if Kitty couldn't really be bothered, why should I? She has a show to do on Friday, a book to finish, etc.
Until now, and I hated every second of it. In the same breath we get confirmation of supernaturals godly origins from the "Caesar," who is actually Lucifer, we get another unconvincing shilling of Kitty and her alleged powers of persuasion. We're genuinely supposed to believe Kitty is a formidable foe. That she has any place on a war table that includes fallen angels and thousand-year-old vampires. I mean, what has this persuasion actually accomplished? It's not exactly as if she's managed to band together a fellowship of supernaturals to combat Roman and Lucifer. All her supernatural allies are superficial contacts that don't even show up to the final fight.
Her biggest sphere of influence is her pack and she spent most of the series neglecting them and only fended off a coup a few books ago. They are so insignificant, they are deus ex machina-ed from the story.
The things that should actually distinguish her are her platform and advocacy for supernatural rights. Which is something she fumbled so gloriously in London that she destroyed her credibility. Outside of that, Kitty Norville's exceptional in one way and one way only: she's the protagonist.
The final confrontation with Roman at Yellowstone is a blink-and-you'll-miss it affair that amounts to Kitty lobbing a spell-rebounding talisman just as Roman finishes his spell. Its anticlimactic to such an extreme, I was expecting a subversion when Lucifer came, but no, he accepts defeat and leaves. Its genuinely awful.
The conversation between Kitty and Roman is too little, too late. Same for Hardin's speech about why she chose to be a cop. After that, Kitty also gets rewarded for saving the world: for a year she won't shift, so she can concieve and bring a child to term. It's a fairy tale ending that feels out of place here, but that could be said for the Men in Black themselves, the left turn into clear-cut theology guiding this world, any of these late-stage additions. And then there's the fact that no one dies.
The more I think about it, the more I wish this series had ended with Silver Bullet. I genuinely can't believe Silver Bullet is in the same series as Saves the World. Basically, I expected to be let down by whatever conclusion Vaughn drummed up, but I was surprised by how little impact it had.
The cracks started to show in Dead Man's Hand, when the novelty of Kitty and her show had worn off and Vaughn was forced to fill in some of the broad strokes she'd alluded to for the last four books. In this case, I feel Vaughn got lost in the expanding world; she wasn't writing with a set world in mind, but adding to her canvas of werewolves and vampires (and fae) when a cool idea struck her fancy, without much consideration for how they might offset established norms in her own universe.
As a consequence, once Kitty's arc of self-reliance and belonging ended, the story became a calvacade of new characters, creatures and concepts Vaughn didn't have the time, or the interest, to explore meaningfully. So we got vampires accending to higher planes of existence, underground labrynthine dimensions, inchoate politics related to supernaturals existence with each other and the wider human world, the introduction of spells and magic, demons and angels, and, with this book, the confirmation of Lucifer and all the biblical implications therein.
If that was an exhausting paragraph to read, imagine it spread out indecorously through fourteen books.
The basic plot of Kitty Saves the World (yes, that is the real title) is Kitty finally getting a little proactive for once in the fight against Roman. It took half the series, but she got there. Roman has an ancient artefact called the Manus Herculei he can use to cause all manner of destruction, specifically of the geological variety: earthquakes, volcanic eruptions.
We thankfully learn why Roman was laser-focused on Denver: his plan is to put the world into a nuclear winter by erupting the Yellowstone supervolcano. It's suitably catastrophic but begs the question of why he left Kitty in play for so long. According to the book, he needed vampire minions to secure Denver for the ritual, but left that on the long finger for some reason.
The excuse of Roman simply underestimating Kitty can only function as a stalling tactic for so long, and I'd say that was around Kitty's Big Trouble. After that, Roman should have snapped her neck and got on with his business. With the way it plays out here, it almost feels like Roman has other things going on in his life — procuring the Manus Herculei and securing Denver, the two most crucial elements of his plan, he leaves until the very last moments.
That is probably my biggest issue with the series: the pervasive lack of urgency.
Spending the majority of this series with a protagonist as reactive as Kitty isn't ideal. After all, if Kitty couldn't really be bothered, why should I? She has a show to do on Friday, a book to finish, etc.
"Lucifer made monsters to stand against His righteousness at the end of time? Those stories that annoy you so much when people call into your show with them? Turns out they're true."When building a world of supernatural elements, the whys aren't half as interesting, entertaining, or necessary as the hows. By hows I mean the rules the world abides by. You can do almost anything without deep explanation, as long as you follow your own set rules. Much of Kitty's show is about teasing out potential whys and mining some entertainment value from them — and up to this point, the series has been careful not to overstep into anything more than academic speculation.
Until now, and I hated every second of it. In the same breath we get confirmation of supernaturals godly origins from the "Caesar," who is actually Lucifer, we get another unconvincing shilling of Kitty and her alleged powers of persuasion. We're genuinely supposed to believe Kitty is a formidable foe. That she has any place on a war table that includes fallen angels and thousand-year-old vampires. I mean, what has this persuasion actually accomplished? It's not exactly as if she's managed to band together a fellowship of supernaturals to combat Roman and Lucifer. All her supernatural allies are superficial contacts that don't even show up to the final fight.
Her biggest sphere of influence is her pack and she spent most of the series neglecting them and only fended off a coup a few books ago. They are so insignificant, they are deus ex machina-ed from the story.
The things that should actually distinguish her are her platform and advocacy for supernatural rights. Which is something she fumbled so gloriously in London that she destroyed her credibility. Outside of that, Kitty Norville's exceptional in one way and one way only: she's the protagonist.
The final confrontation with Roman at Yellowstone is a blink-and-you'll-miss it affair that amounts to Kitty lobbing a spell-rebounding talisman just as Roman finishes his spell. Its anticlimactic to such an extreme, I was expecting a subversion when Lucifer came, but no, he accepts defeat and leaves. Its genuinely awful.
The conversation between Kitty and Roman is too little, too late. Same for Hardin's speech about why she chose to be a cop. After that, Kitty also gets rewarded for saving the world: for a year she won't shift, so she can concieve and bring a child to term. It's a fairy tale ending that feels out of place here, but that could be said for the Men in Black themselves, the left turn into clear-cut theology guiding this world, any of these late-stage additions. And then there's the fact that no one dies.
The more I think about it, the more I wish this series had ended with Silver Bullet. I genuinely can't believe Silver Bullet is in the same series as Saves the World. Basically, I expected to be let down by whatever conclusion Vaughn drummed up, but I was surprised by how little impact it had.
February 10, 2023
It's been seven years since I last read this book, and it shows. How could I forget that ending? This is the first time that I read the series straight through--from book 1 to 14. I can say that Vaughn clearly foreshadowed what she was doing, and that was good to see. That said, I think the ending of this series creates some real problems within the worldbuilding. I did enjoy this series, but I also stand by my feeling that the first books were the best. And I really need to read the Cormac books now.
July 19, 2017
Last book in this series and it wraps it up nicely, albeit a bit abruptly. I honestly expected the final showdown between Kitty and Roman to be longer and a little more action packed. However, there was plenty of action ahead of it with appearances from many of Kitty's allies.
Final lesson learned - your Pack (however you define it) is everything.
Final lesson learned - your Pack (however you define it) is everything.
September 30, 2015
The battle between Kitty and Roman is finally coming to a head as Roman’s master is revealed – and that master’s plan is finally being executed, possibly leading to the end of the world
Leaving only Kitty and her friends to stand against him – even if she has damaged her own credibility by trying to rally people against Roman’s plotting.
She doesn’t know where he is or how to stop Roman’s immense magic – nor even how to avoid the vast power of his influence, but the world hangs in the balance.
This is the final instalment in Kitty’s story and, thematically, it works. The primary emotions of Kitty here are fear and tiredness. Kitty is ready to stop the fight. She is ready to live, to have a family, to not be afraid, to not keep fighting. It makes the ending especially satisfying since it doesn’t have a huge lavish gift of riches for Kitty so much as a mundane peaceful life. I do find it awfully cliché and such a deeply stereotypical ending for how a woman’s Happily Ever After simply must pan out
It leaves no threads untied and it flows through a lot of action and some very well maintained emotional tension
I find myself immensely frustrated by this book on several levels, especially as a conclusion to this entire series. Here is Kitty’s final showdown with Roman, the final explanation of him and the general conclusion of all of it. And I’m disappointed
I’m disappointed because the whole point of Kitty, as the Regina Luporum, was set up as the major opponent of Roman because she was developing her own coalition. She had allies. She had friends. Even in this book it made a repeated point that Kitty’s super power is her friends. That has always been an excellent point of the series – she isn’t the most powerful werewolf, she isn’t the most powerful supernatural. She doesn’t have super powers, she doesn’t have any secret weapons – but she has friends and allies who are willing to work with her, trust her and make her their leader. She is the opposition to Roman because she was building her own army to match his but in a very different way
So in this book I expected those friends to gather. I expected Kitty to lead them, to gather her coalition, to take advantage of the group she’s put together. And she doesn’t. Oh, those friends appear – Grant, Rick, Tina, Sun and a few others. But they appear because “fate” or because “magic” or some other mystical force guided them. Fate is such a very lazy way of writing because it can justify just about any kind of coincidence. There’s very little emphasis on these people, what they bring to the party or much of their history and involvement with Kitty or why they matter now. And, again, most of her contacts are just irrelevant here (and even most who turn up basically fight a battle where we and Kitty are not).
Ok, the point can be made that the reason fate is directing all of these people towards Kitty and I can concede that. But it still rather robs Kitty of leading this book which is another main problem I have with it. After an initial attempt at a trap in the opening scene (which Kitty fiercely opposes) the rest of the story is out of Kitty’s hands, she completely fails to direct the plot or even actively oppose Roman. Honestly, if Roman and his boss had just decided to skip Denver, Kitty wouldn’t have been involved in the plot at all. They didn’t need to try and bribe her, or conveniently capture her or hunt her – they could have just got on with their plot and Kitty wouldn’t have had a clue of how to stop him nor would he really have done much other than run around and be panicked and worried.
Which brings me to the third element that didn’t enthral me in this book. The enemies. Firstly this whole volcano thing which has been rumbling around for some time now. Roman has a spell he is gathering that will cause a volcano to erupt. Which… ok…? I mean it’s powerful and scary but what are you actually going to do with that? It’s hardly going to give him command of the world or anything else, certainly not more so than all the people he’s rallied to support him. It isn’t necessary to bring down Kitty (in fact, tangential rant, why is Roman and boss bribing Kitty or messing with the odd vampire – why not just send 20-30 vampires to her back garden and tear her into teeny tiny pieces?) because you don’t need a volcano to kill one person. Even when we learn the true plot, I can’t see Roman or his boss particularly seeing any advantage to reducing the whole world to a wasteland…. Why do that? When they’re already gaining so much power and influence, why decide to reduce the world to a wasteland? What does this gain? I’m not saying it can’t be a motive, but this book didn’t really sell it or explain it to me.
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Leaving only Kitty and her friends to stand against him – even if she has damaged her own credibility by trying to rally people against Roman’s plotting.
She doesn’t know where he is or how to stop Roman’s immense magic – nor even how to avoid the vast power of his influence, but the world hangs in the balance.
This is the final instalment in Kitty’s story and, thematically, it works. The primary emotions of Kitty here are fear and tiredness. Kitty is ready to stop the fight. She is ready to live, to have a family, to not be afraid, to not keep fighting. It makes the ending especially satisfying since it doesn’t have a huge lavish gift of riches for Kitty so much as a mundane peaceful life. I do find it awfully cliché and such a deeply stereotypical ending for how a woman’s Happily Ever After simply must pan out
It leaves no threads untied and it flows through a lot of action and some very well maintained emotional tension
I find myself immensely frustrated by this book on several levels, especially as a conclusion to this entire series. Here is Kitty’s final showdown with Roman, the final explanation of him and the general conclusion of all of it. And I’m disappointed
I’m disappointed because the whole point of Kitty, as the Regina Luporum, was set up as the major opponent of Roman because she was developing her own coalition. She had allies. She had friends. Even in this book it made a repeated point that Kitty’s super power is her friends. That has always been an excellent point of the series – she isn’t the most powerful werewolf, she isn’t the most powerful supernatural. She doesn’t have super powers, she doesn’t have any secret weapons – but she has friends and allies who are willing to work with her, trust her and make her their leader. She is the opposition to Roman because she was building her own army to match his but in a very different way
So in this book I expected those friends to gather. I expected Kitty to lead them, to gather her coalition, to take advantage of the group she’s put together. And she doesn’t. Oh, those friends appear – Grant, Rick, Tina, Sun and a few others. But they appear because “fate” or because “magic” or some other mystical force guided them. Fate is such a very lazy way of writing because it can justify just about any kind of coincidence. There’s very little emphasis on these people, what they bring to the party or much of their history and involvement with Kitty or why they matter now. And, again, most of her contacts are just irrelevant here (and even most who turn up basically fight a battle where we and Kitty are not).
Ok, the point can be made that the reason fate is directing all of these people towards Kitty and I can concede that. But it still rather robs Kitty of leading this book which is another main problem I have with it. After an initial attempt at a trap in the opening scene (which Kitty fiercely opposes) the rest of the story is out of Kitty’s hands, she completely fails to direct the plot or even actively oppose Roman. Honestly, if Roman and his boss had just decided to skip Denver, Kitty wouldn’t have been involved in the plot at all. They didn’t need to try and bribe her, or conveniently capture her or hunt her – they could have just got on with their plot and Kitty wouldn’t have had a clue of how to stop him nor would he really have done much other than run around and be panicked and worried.
Which brings me to the third element that didn’t enthral me in this book. The enemies. Firstly this whole volcano thing which has been rumbling around for some time now. Roman has a spell he is gathering that will cause a volcano to erupt. Which… ok…? I mean it’s powerful and scary but what are you actually going to do with that? It’s hardly going to give him command of the world or anything else, certainly not more so than all the people he’s rallied to support him. It isn’t necessary to bring down Kitty (in fact, tangential rant, why is Roman and boss bribing Kitty or messing with the odd vampire – why not just send 20-30 vampires to her back garden and tear her into teeny tiny pieces?) because you don’t need a volcano to kill one person. Even when we learn the true plot, I can’t see Roman or his boss particularly seeing any advantage to reducing the whole world to a wasteland…. Why do that? When they’re already gaining so much power and influence, why decide to reduce the world to a wasteland? What does this gain? I’m not saying it can’t be a motive, but this book didn’t really sell it or explain it to me.
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October 21, 2019
This was a very lame, disappointing and anti-climactic end to a sometimes fun series. The author clearly lost interest in these characters and story line and made little effort in wrapping things up. Such a shame.
January 15, 2019
After the last two padded books which seemed to be delaying the inevitable, finally we get to battle against Roman and his people that we have been waiting for. The Long Game is in play and Kitty and her allies have to stop it and destroy him.
Amelia replies to Roman's online message and with Kitty's agreement, they set up a meeting. Cormac can't go to the meeting as Roman know him so kitty asks Tina, who had just arrived in Denver if she will agree to play Amelia for them. Jessi insists on going with them while Kitty hears that Mercedes is back in the US, which upsets the already skittish Angelo. Without vampire support it is up to Kitty, Cormac and Jessi to protect Tina at the meeting but of course things go rapidly downhill when Roman arrives, leaving them forced to flee and come up with a better plan. It is then that Kitty realises that she can't contact anyone else in her Pack and fears that Roman may have got to them, while Jessi gets word of a fire at New Moon.
Naturally I'm not going to go into details about the plot of the book with this being the last in the series but I can tell you about the characters who are coming for the final battle. Tina has a feeling that she needs to be in Denver and arrives to see Kitty, just in time to reluctantly agree to be 'Amelia' for the meeting. After the first plan goes belly up and they rush back to see what the damage is in Denver and that is where Grant appears to offer his help. Kitty has to try and track down a terrified Angelo who tells her to flee town and save herself and says he has no idea what happened to her Pack. There is also the arrival of a mysterious arrival of a man claiming to be there to offer her a TV contract if she moves to LA or New York, which she instantly finds suspicious. But even Kitty has no idea of who and what he really is or the danger that she is going to be placed in.
My one frustration here is that yet again, Kitty's Pack are sidelined for the action. They are all meant to be capable werewolves yet Kitty has never really trusted them to take part in any of her plans through the series except when she is desperate. It doesn't show a lot of faith in them and it leaves them unprotected. She needs all the help she can get to tackle Roman but instead she goes off with her small posse and leaves them behind again. Kitty treats her Pack more like newborn precious puppies that need to be hidden away and protected rather than used as strong allies, which is a little disappointing when you compare them to the werewolf packs in Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series or Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld. I feel the Pack have been a bit underused in the series.
I liked the new allies that appear for the big battle and they are so interesting that I'd have liked to have seen more of them in the series. The mixture of old and new allies have to face the odds and fight to stop Roman completing the ritual, using the artifact that Amelia and Cormac recovered. I liked the mixture of brawn and magic used in the battle and overall I'd say this was a good story which brings the series to a satisfying end.
Amelia replies to Roman's online message and with Kitty's agreement, they set up a meeting. Cormac can't go to the meeting as Roman know him so kitty asks Tina, who had just arrived in Denver if she will agree to play Amelia for them. Jessi insists on going with them while Kitty hears that Mercedes is back in the US, which upsets the already skittish Angelo. Without vampire support it is up to Kitty, Cormac and Jessi to protect Tina at the meeting but of course things go rapidly downhill when Roman arrives, leaving them forced to flee and come up with a better plan. It is then that Kitty realises that she can't contact anyone else in her Pack and fears that Roman may have got to them, while Jessi gets word of a fire at New Moon.
Naturally I'm not going to go into details about the plot of the book with this being the last in the series but I can tell you about the characters who are coming for the final battle. Tina has a feeling that she needs to be in Denver and arrives to see Kitty, just in time to reluctantly agree to be 'Amelia' for the meeting. After the first plan goes belly up and they rush back to see what the damage is in Denver and that is where Grant appears to offer his help. Kitty has to try and track down a terrified Angelo who tells her to flee town and save herself and says he has no idea what happened to her Pack. There is also the arrival of a mysterious arrival of a man claiming to be there to offer her a TV contract if she moves to LA or New York, which she instantly finds suspicious. But even Kitty has no idea of who and what he really is or the danger that she is going to be placed in.
My one frustration here is that yet again, Kitty's Pack are sidelined for the action. They are all meant to be capable werewolves yet Kitty has never really trusted them to take part in any of her plans through the series except when she is desperate. It doesn't show a lot of faith in them and it leaves them unprotected. She needs all the help she can get to tackle Roman but instead she goes off with her small posse and leaves them behind again. Kitty treats her Pack more like newborn precious puppies that need to be hidden away and protected rather than used as strong allies, which is a little disappointing when you compare them to the werewolf packs in Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series or Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld. I feel the Pack have been a bit underused in the series.
I liked the new allies that appear for the big battle and they are so interesting that I'd have liked to have seen more of them in the series. The mixture of old and new allies have to face the odds and fight to stop Roman completing the ritual, using the artifact that Amelia and Cormac recovered. I liked the mixture of brawn and magic used in the battle and overall I'd say this was a good story which brings the series to a satisfying end.
September 12, 2015
And so it comes to an end. I have gone through a lot of ups and downs with the Kitty Norville series, and I admit that I skipped the previous book in this series as it was about Cormac. Why, you may ask? Well, a lot of my issues with this series center around his character. Because I LOVE his character so much. And I really dislike where his storyline went from quite early on in this series. Instead of being bitchy about his one solo story, I decided to skip. I know nothing good awaited for me there, and I considered dropping the series altogether. But then this came up and I saw it was the end. And my OCD told me you have to know what happens.
KITTY SAVES THE WORLD is action packed and wraps up storylines that were previously started. It is a good wrap up book to consolidate this series and if you’ve been a fan all along this will be a great end cap. I tried to put my issues aside and just enjoy this book for what the author gave us, and I managed to enjoy the story.
Kitty is still a very real character. She struggles with the chaos in the paranormal world and the fact that the responsibility to save the world depends solely on her. But all she really wants in the end is to be normal. Enjoy life with her husband Ben, run with her pack, maybe have a couple of kids that call her mom running around. She knows a lot of that is not in the cards for her, but that doesn’t take away the desire.
I found myself liking her again because of that. There’s something very real and human about her character in this book. And she is still very much kick ass.
Then we have Ben. I came to terms with the fact he’s her mate. And learned to like him in this book. No, I’m not happy. No, I’m not satisfied. But he is a good mate for her and I saw a ruthless side to him that would do anything and risk anything to protect her.
I was glad to not see a lot of Cormac in this book. God, it hurts to say that. I didn’t want to deal with the Amelia issues in his head or see a lot more of that, so his presence is nice but he’s a side character here and I was ok with that. The one reference that is made at the what ifs might’ve hit too close to home.
I loved the actual conflict. As usual with this series, that is something Carrie Vaughn does very well. None of these books are ever repetitive and they always have a great obstacle that the characters must overcome. This was no different and quite a fast paced read.
I am happy to have read this, but I’m also ok with letting go of this world. KITTY SAVES THE WORLD was a bittersweet end for me.
August 31, 2015
ORIGINAL POST: KITTY SAVES THE WORLD A Pan-theistic End of the Series (giveaway)
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Audiofile provided by Tantor Media for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.
This novel wraps up the Kitty Norville series and does it well. I like that Carrie is ending the series before it gets stale and with the culmination of a great hope for Kitty. There are, I noted, a lot of dei ex machina (plural of deus ex machina) and the return of past characters, as well as nods to at least one popular movie franchise. The first two provide answers to questions about what happened to those characters and help save the day, and the latter provide an amusing and comforting familiarity.
If you have read the series you’ll want to read this and be on edge for what may be horrible, indeed, intolerable losses because of the great danger Dux Bellorum* poses to Kitty’s personal world and the world at large. You’ll learn who Dux Bellorum follows and the origin of the vamps and were-critters. If you haven’t read the series you do not want to start with this book, but you do want to start the series — especially if you enjoy paranormal romance and urban fantasy with more story than sex.
And, if you also prefer “familiar monsters:” vampires who are nearly immortal, who don’t come out in the day and who do not sparkle, and werewolves who have to change on the full moon. Ghosts who can possess humans are about as crazy as the world-building gets.
As always, Kitty Norville is “everywoman” if “everywoman” were a werewolf with a sense of decency and a gentler alpha nature. She is a very likeable character to whom something bad happens and whose life is thrown into chaos. But, she makes the best of it, through her radio program and adventures. Highly recommended series.
* “Dux Bellorum” means “war or battle” commander.
King Arthur, in one of his earliest literary appearances, is described as dux bellorum (“dux of battles”) among the kings of the Romano-Britons in their wars against the Anglo-Saxons. (wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dux) Dux is the origin of the title “Duke.”
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/201...
Audiofile provided by Tantor Media for review. No remuneration was exchanged and all opinions presented herein are my own except as noted.
This novel wraps up the Kitty Norville series and does it well. I like that Carrie is ending the series before it gets stale and with the culmination of a great hope for Kitty. There are, I noted, a lot of dei ex machina (plural of deus ex machina) and the return of past characters, as well as nods to at least one popular movie franchise. The first two provide answers to questions about what happened to those characters and help save the day, and the latter provide an amusing and comforting familiarity.
If you have read the series you’ll want to read this and be on edge for what may be horrible, indeed, intolerable losses because of the great danger Dux Bellorum* poses to Kitty’s personal world and the world at large. You’ll learn who Dux Bellorum follows and the origin of the vamps and were-critters. If you haven’t read the series you do not want to start with this book, but you do want to start the series — especially if you enjoy paranormal romance and urban fantasy with more story than sex.
And, if you also prefer “familiar monsters:” vampires who are nearly immortal, who don’t come out in the day and who do not sparkle, and werewolves who have to change on the full moon. Ghosts who can possess humans are about as crazy as the world-building gets.
As always, Kitty Norville is “everywoman” if “everywoman” were a werewolf with a sense of decency and a gentler alpha nature. She is a very likeable character to whom something bad happens and whose life is thrown into chaos. But, she makes the best of it, through her radio program and adventures. Highly recommended series.
* “Dux Bellorum” means “war or battle” commander.
King Arthur, in one of his earliest literary appearances, is described as dux bellorum (“dux of battles”) among the kings of the Romano-Britons in their wars against the Anglo-Saxons. (wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dux) Dux is the origin of the title “Duke.”
November 3, 2015
Writing: 2
Story: 2
Satisfaction: 3
Honestly I've been pretty meh about this series for awhile now and though this final book wasn't particularly worthwhile, I'm glad I read it and I admire the author for having finished the series.
So this is the end of the Kitty story; in which she finally faces Roman in a battle for the fate of the world after several books of wandering around. Roman wants to destroy civilization as we know it for some reason that is never explained and for some motive that no one knows. Ah but we finally meet the "Caesar" to "Dux Bellorum" buy the end. It's kind of anti-climatic and with surprising lack of character depth.
Some of the side characters from previous books show up, the magician from Las Vegas and the psychic from the TV show, but they are basically just extras to fill out the party and to keep Ben company when Kitty gets kidnapped and magically spirited away yet again.
On the more positive side, this book is definitely all forward motion. The lingering of the past few books is past us and from the beginning this book is all "it's time to kill Roman."
As for the series as a whole, I still remember the first few books fondly and I don't necessarily regret having read the rest of them but looking back, there are a few things that bothered me throughout.
The character roles seemed pretty limited. Besides tough-guy Cormac, most of the sidekick characters are indistinguishable. They have a similar sense of humor and react in the same dubious-about-Kitty's-actions way. Perhaps this is a side effect of multiple side characters introduced in each book but after a few sets, they all start blending together.
The overarching, Long Game storyline as a whole was kind of awkward. The books that focused on the Long Game specifically were even more so. I know that Kitty wasn't Roman's main foe or even primary enemy - because everyone kept saying so - but Kitty's path seemed aimless despite the clues and hints at the end. I kind of wish that the series had remained more episodic though series like that tend to degrade faster.
Still a solid "meh" though halfhearted and without any resentment.
Story: 2
Satisfaction: 3
Honestly I've been pretty meh about this series for awhile now and though this final book wasn't particularly worthwhile, I'm glad I read it and I admire the author for having finished the series.
So this is the end of the Kitty story; in which she finally faces Roman in a battle for the fate of the world after several books of wandering around. Roman wants to destroy civilization as we know it for some reason that is never explained and for some motive that no one knows. Ah but we finally meet the "Caesar" to "Dux Bellorum" buy the end. It's kind of anti-climatic and with surprising lack of character depth.
Some of the side characters from previous books show up, the magician from Las Vegas and the psychic from the TV show, but they are basically just extras to fill out the party and to keep Ben company when Kitty gets kidnapped and magically spirited away yet again.
On the more positive side, this book is definitely all forward motion. The lingering of the past few books is past us and from the beginning this book is all "it's time to kill Roman."
As for the series as a whole, I still remember the first few books fondly and I don't necessarily regret having read the rest of them but looking back, there are a few things that bothered me throughout.
The character roles seemed pretty limited. Besides tough-guy Cormac, most of the sidekick characters are indistinguishable. They have a similar sense of humor and react in the same dubious-about-Kitty's-actions way. Perhaps this is a side effect of multiple side characters introduced in each book but after a few sets, they all start blending together.
The overarching, Long Game storyline as a whole was kind of awkward. The books that focused on the Long Game specifically were even more so. I know that Kitty wasn't Roman's main foe or even primary enemy - because everyone kept saying so - but Kitty's path seemed aimless despite the clues and hints at the end. I kind of wish that the series had remained more episodic though series like that tend to degrade faster.
Still a solid "meh" though halfhearted and without any resentment.
August 19, 2015
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
If you read my reviews, you know I have a tendency to pick up books in a series out of order. Sometimes a book hits my inbox that I can't resist-- such was the case with this one. No, I haven't read any other books in the series, but the series has been on my TBR for a while. It was funny actually... I was enjoying the book so much, I thought about setting it aside and reading all the rest first. But I was already so engrossed, I needed to read to the end.
Kitty Saves the World was an amazing read. It was fun, had intriguing characters, a quick pace, and a great plot. Kitty is now one of my favorite female leading ladies, and her mate, Ben, is equally wonderful. In fact all of the characters, including the baddies were well-written. I can't wait to go back and read all thirteen Kitty novels. Sure the plot was really interesting, but the characters were what drew me in to the point that I couldn't put the book down.
I loved the supernatural radio show-- what a fun idea. I got in just at the tail end of Kitty's saga, but it seemed that Rowan spent many hours making Kitty's life difficult. The pacing of the novel was tight with lots of action-- along with plenty of information to make the plot come to life. I liked the end game Ms. Vaughn created for her bad guys-- the closing action scenes were thrilling.
Speaking of endings-- I loved this ending. I don't say that often, I know. Kitty Saves the World was one of the most enjoyable books I've read all year. But don't do what I did. Start with book one :)
If you read my reviews, you know I have a tendency to pick up books in a series out of order. Sometimes a book hits my inbox that I can't resist-- such was the case with this one. No, I haven't read any other books in the series, but the series has been on my TBR for a while. It was funny actually... I was enjoying the book so much, I thought about setting it aside and reading all the rest first. But I was already so engrossed, I needed to read to the end.
Kitty Saves the World was an amazing read. It was fun, had intriguing characters, a quick pace, and a great plot. Kitty is now one of my favorite female leading ladies, and her mate, Ben, is equally wonderful. In fact all of the characters, including the baddies were well-written. I can't wait to go back and read all thirteen Kitty novels. Sure the plot was really interesting, but the characters were what drew me in to the point that I couldn't put the book down.
I loved the supernatural radio show-- what a fun idea. I got in just at the tail end of Kitty's saga, but it seemed that Rowan spent many hours making Kitty's life difficult. The pacing of the novel was tight with lots of action-- along with plenty of information to make the plot come to life. I liked the end game Ms. Vaughn created for her bad guys-- the closing action scenes were thrilling.
Speaking of endings-- I loved this ending. I don't say that often, I know. Kitty Saves the World was one of the most enjoyable books I've read all year. But don't do what I did. Start with book one :)
August 5, 2015
a very satisfying end to the series
I don't know how she did it, but Carrie Vaughn managed to wrap up Roman's Long Game gambit in thoroughly fulfilling fashion. Nothing extraneous, nothing skimped on, or neglected. Even the action scenes at the climax and beyond were just the right amount of description, movement and feeling. It all felt very right--this book rounds out and completes the series perfectly, and makes it easier to let go of Ben and Kitty's story. I am looking forward, though, to Vaughn's promised books about Cormac and Amelia's ventures, and I really wish she'd do more with Odysseus Grant. The people and the world she's made are too good to let go of completely...
I don't know how she did it, but Carrie Vaughn managed to wrap up Roman's Long Game gambit in thoroughly fulfilling fashion. Nothing extraneous, nothing skimped on, or neglected. Even the action scenes at the climax and beyond were just the right amount of description, movement and feeling. It all felt very right--this book rounds out and completes the series perfectly, and makes it easier to let go of Ben and Kitty's story. I am looking forward, though, to Vaughn's promised books about Cormac and Amelia's ventures, and I really wish she'd do more with Odysseus Grant. The people and the world she's made are too good to let go of completely...
January 11, 2016
So here we are at the end. I've come this far, so of course I'm going to see it through.
I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but characters I enjoyed were sidelined (including the entire pack in a piece of deus ex machina that I'm still sort of shaking my head over) and ultimately it didn't feel well planned out, on a character level—especially for something that's been in progress for centuries—but also on the level of the novel itself. I'm glad Kitty got her happily ever after (another piece of deux ex machina that I'm less irritated with), but mostly at the end I felt like "Well. That's done, then."
I'm ready for the adventures of Cormac-Amelia, though. That, I'd be into.
I really wanted to enjoy this more than I did, but characters I enjoyed were sidelined (including the entire pack in a piece of deus ex machina that I'm still sort of shaking my head over) and ultimately it didn't feel well planned out, on a character level—especially for something that's been in progress for centuries—but also on the level of the novel itself. I'm glad Kitty got her happily ever after (another piece of deux ex machina that I'm less irritated with), but mostly at the end I felt like "Well. That's done, then."
I'm ready for the adventures of Cormac-Amelia, though. That, I'd be into.
August 5, 2015
For the last book, it was definitely a strong one. There's so much going on and we get characters from previous books that help make it happen. I liked seeing (reading) Tina, Grant, Anastasia, and Rick again. Old times. How this stands in regards to the rest of the series, is it is one of the better books. This one and Low Midnight, help make up for the lackluster (IMO) books 11 and 12.
A few things kept this from being a 5 star read for me. The first was the lack of page time for Kitty's pack. The other being a certain event was foreshadowed and I had hoped it wouldn't happen. It felt too convenient. ("It gives you a year and a day.")
A few things kept this from being a 5 star read for me. The first was the lack of page time for Kitty's pack. The other being a certain event was foreshadowed and I had hoped it wouldn't happen. It felt too convenient. ("It gives you a year and a day.")
July 7, 2016
Audiobook
I think this was a perfect end to a great series. Yes, none of the good guys were killed although a bunch of bad guys were. And also the angels and the demons and the Chinese gods all mixed together left me a lot confused, hence the missing star. The ending was a HEA (happy ever after - ish) leaving open the possibility of another series. A good/very good series that I would recommend.
I think this was a perfect end to a great series. Yes, none of the good guys were killed although a bunch of bad guys were. And also the angels and the demons and the Chinese gods all mixed together left me a lot confused, hence the missing star. The ending was a HEA (happy ever after - ish) leaving open the possibility of another series. A good/very good series that I would recommend.
August 24, 2015
This was a highly satisfying series finale. I teared up a few times and screamed twice aloud at the end. That said, I refuse to let go of Cormac. He has so much story left to tell. He's probably my fave male character of all time b
September 8, 2015
3.5 stars. Not as great an ending to the series as I would have liked, but decent.
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