I used to be so anal when it came to reading installments of a series. Unable to just jump in with the latest release, I had to know everything. If the third book in a trilogy was the one to get my attention, I had to read the other two first. Going out of order makes me very uncomfortable.
So, when Kitty Steals The Show arrived in my mail slot, I went a little mad for a minute.
See, Kitty Steals The Show is the TENTH EFFING INSTALLMENT. In a series I’d never read before and knew nothing about. I’ve gotten to the point where picking up book two in a series isn’t a big deal. I don’t like it, but I don’t lose it, either.
But, book ten? That’s waaaay outside my comfort zone. I wound up picking the book up, though, because I got trapped in the living room with it while waiting for the new fridge to be delivered (you can’t go more than a few feet away from the front door when waiting on a delivery out here – they knock and run. I don’t even know how many times John has chased the UPS truck down the street).
And it wasn’t horrible. The book wasn’t bad, either.
Kitty Norville, the title character is a very likable werewolf. She’s the alpha of the Denver pack and a paranormal celebrity who hosts a nationally syndicated radio show. Naturally, Kitty is tough and scrappy and can hold her own in a fight. What I like most about her is that she only uses violence as a last resort, preferring to talk her way out of tight spots.
The premise of Kitty Steals The Show takes her to London for the International Conference on Paranatural Studies, where she is the keynote speaker. Considering that this conference is bringing together all manner of paranormal folk from all over the world, there is ample opportunity for trouble. And she finds it in the form of vampires.
Like a lot of urban fantasy, Kitty Steals The Show is familiar territory. There’s nothing hugely different about the paranormal folk in this book compared to others. Truthfully, I could see this and Sookie Stackhouse occupying the same universe. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Ultimately, Kitty Steals The Show is competently written and Kitty Norville is a fun character who I don’t want to punch at all. It’s light, easy way to pass the time while waiting for a delivery.
Cheese Rating Scale: Borden Chipotle Cheddar Singles. Not terribly substantive, but the flavor shows an effort to move past pedestrian American cheese.
Twihard Rehabilitation Factor: Moderate. Kitty Norville isn’t an ingenue and has a stable, healthy relationship with her husband, so she may not immediately interest the average Twihard. She can, however, teach them a thing or two about being plucky.
Review copy provided by Tor.
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Lisa Fary's earliest influences are Princess Leia, Rainbow Bright, Astronaut Barbie, and her 6th grade teacher, Ms. Palmer. She's angry that it's 2011 and she still doesn't have a hovercraft, but will accept a jetpack as consolation. That jetpack had better be pink with a rhinestone monogram. 
From now on I will judge things on a scale of 0-10 punches. Zero meaning I never want to punch them in the face and 10 being I want to pummel them to death with their own fists.
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