Kitty and the Midnight Hour ( Kitty Norville 1) by Carrie Vaughn

Hello!

            There are some series i've heard about ( sometimes for years ) but haven't tried yet either because i hadn't the book(s) or simply for lack of time... in 2014 i decided to change that and finally start those series and perhaps i will add some favourites to my list ... the list is long ( Dresden i will reach you, .....one day!) but i'm starting by a series with already a lot of books released ( though since i'm way behind it will often be the case, i fear) because i have book 1 and it has shifters so too tempting to resist.

Which one did i pick this time? Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn.


 Happy reading

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication: 2005

ISBN:  0446616419

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: mild
sex: strong (rape mentions)
Public: 18+

Source: won
 

Short description from goodreads :

 Kitty Norville is a midnight-shift DJ for a Denver radio station - and a werewolf in the closet. Her new late-night advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged is a raging success, but it's Kitty who can use some help. With one sexy werewolf-hunter and a few homicidal undead on her tail, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew?

My opinion:

          Sadly I got to high expectations about this book… it was a pleasant read but I didn’t like it as much as I hoped.

I guess I deserve some explanations. As a whole this universe is interesting and more even if we get only a glimpse of it and more specifically on the werewolves part, we see a little of the vampires but there is so much more to discover I’m sure. It’s only the second time I come across a paranormal series where the heroine ( yes both time it’s a female^^) is working in a reading station and I must say it makes me curious to listen to one because it sound so different than those in my country.

There are shifters, vampires, a touch of romance; some characters like Cormac are definitively funny and intriguing. The rhythm of the story is just what is needed and while we get enough info to understand the story there are more to come but we are left hanging either. Those are the good parts and why I will give this series another try later this year.

Now why didn’t love it?  It simply clashed too much with my view on werewolves… now it’s personal of course but I envision them as loyal, protective yes ferocious when needed but mostly fair I guess…. For me the pack hierarchy serves that purpose too…..weaker ones are protected….not abused and that’s where it start to get on my nerves…oki let precise first that in this book we only learn about ONE pack so others can be run very differently true and even in this pack TJ and Kitty are not like the others. Still imagining a pack leader.. (a wolf!) that abuses his position to sleep around?!! I mean wolves don’t do that and from the author description of the wolf part of Kitty… it’s really like a normal wolf so that part clashed hard with me…

 Also the fact that Carl not only abuse his position but doesn’t protect the pack and all his members and worse he doesn’t even fight fair… a challenge between 2 members of a pack no one interfere….but he doesn’t care for that… he even goes back on his word…. That I couldn’t accept… if an alpha acted like that the pack wouldn’t turn on him not readily accept him.

Also back on the wolf part but strongly linked to the human one…we learn than Kitty was raped just before becoming a werewolf…it makes 2 traumatic events..so big that it should have an impact. I mean yes there are nearly simultaneous but her dual personality make them quite separated…so if you follow me you can see how for me it was completely absurd to see her sexually submit to Carl….it’s not realistic…she was sexually aggressed and then she accept to sleep with someone who use that to show his position? Even if she was in a long lasting, trusting relation before than happened she would have had an hard time to accept to be touched… we are not even speaking about enjoying being touched…and in this case Carl was an unknown , yes perhaps months passed before it started but it’s not something you forget ion month or years…the human part should rebel, be disgusted, react! The wolf part… like I say wolf usually have one mate only so submit like that to a male who has mate isn’t likely and the fear from the human part should  I don’t know invoke some protection instinct and make her fight not accept that as normal and something she long for. ( that’s where TJ disappointments me.. while honourable, protective he let the situation pass as normal perhaps because of his love for Carl but it’s no excuse).

 Kitty could be a promising heroine but so far so lack credibility ( and in my eyes urban fantasy  need some touch of reality, you need to believe it could happen)…it’s great to have her “wolf’s” point of view but it doesn’t sound like a wolf… Then she wants to act like a human being and mostly it works except in most important part…she was to keep her nature a secret she tells it while on air…she fears vampires but she plans on confronting their master…and she goes back to Carl while she despites him and while her maker is there and in a way protected…I guess I would have loved her to either plan more carefully her actions or to really act on her wish like leave the pack to keep her show.. I wanted her more  determined, sure of herself, to believe in herself… it could still happen so I will continue the series a little bit but this tome I just liked it

I can’t really recommend this series so far so I will let you decide what you think about reading this humble opinion..; some readers absolutely love this series so far I can’t say it’s my case but perhaps it will be yours.

Score:  2,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Are there some series  often recommended to you that you still haven't tried? Have you read this one?