A closet readers take on: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, YA Fiction & Audiobooks

Thursday, October 27, 2011

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Carrie Vaughn's KITTY'S GREATEST HITS



Title: KITTY’S GREATEST HITS
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Narrator: Marguerite Gavin
Release Date: August 16, 2011
Format: MP3 Audiobook CD
Length: 11 Hrs
List Price: $29.99
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Language: English
ISBN-10: 140016804X
ISBN-13: 978-1400168040


My Ratings

Plot: 4/5
Setting: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 4/5
Characters Development: 4/5
Ending: 4/5
Narration 5/5
Cover Art: 4.5/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 4/5

Overall: 39/45 = 86%


Synopsis

Kitty Norville, star of a New York Times bestselling series, is everybody's favorite werewolf DJ and out-of-the-closet supernatural creature. Over the course of eight books she's fought evil vampires, were-creatures, and some serious black magic. She's done it all with a sharp wit and the help of a memorable cast of werewolf hunters, psychics, and if-not-good-then-neutral vampires by her side. Kitty's Greatest Hits not only gives listeners some of Kitty's further adventures, it offers longtime fans a window into the origins of some of their favorite characters.

In "Conquistador de la Noche," we learn the origin story of Denver's Master vampire, Rick; with "Wild Ride," we find out how Kitty's friend T.J. became a werewolf; and in "Life Is the Teacher," we revisit Emma, the human-turned-unwilling-vampire who serves the aloof vampire master of Washington, D.C.

This entertaining collection includes two brand-new works: "You're on the Air," about one of Kitty's callers after he hangs up the phone; and the eagerly awaited "Long Time Waiting," the novella that finally reveals just what happened to Cormac in prison, something every Kitty fan wants to know.


My Review

KITTY’S GREATEST HITS is a collection of Kitty Norville short stories written by Carrie Vaughn. Some of these stories are recent and occur around the same time as the Kitty Norvile Series, while other stories help shine a light on your favorite characters pasts. Did you ever wonder how Cormac and Amelia found each other in prison or how Rick became a vampire? These short stories shed a light on unknown stories from Kitty and her group of friends.

My favorite short story of the bunch was "Long Time Waiting". I have a massive soft spot when it comes to Cormac. His time in prison was like a black hole in the storyline. Everything that happened inside the jail never come out, until now. I always felt that he and Amelia were such and odd pairing, but after reading this short story I really was able to understand. It was also nice to see that even though Cormac’s so dark, he has a place of light inside that basically no one could touch. It makes him more human.

My second favorite short story was, “Kitty and the Mosh Pit of the Damned”. This story most of all felt like a true Kitty Norville story. Kitty’s goes into a club to get a harmless interview with a popular local band, and gets herself in way over her head. It had the energy, wit, and mythos I have come to expect from this series. It’s always fascinating when Carrie brings new monsters to the party!

“Temptation of Robin Greene”
was the most unique of the bunch. Robin is a scientist with observing and caring for a group of mythical creatures, including Kitty’s best-vamp cohort Rick. Everything changes for Robin when a a male selkie is brought into the lab. While I found this story haunting in the end, I just wished it had been a stand alone book. It was such an ingenious story line, I didn’t want it to end. Plus, I loved the role Rick played in this short story.

While I found most of the short stories to fascinating, some I had a hard time connecting the dots and finding their ties to Kitty’s world. And some had no connections what-so-ever, which confused me. I wish that their had been an introduction at the beginning of each story explaining it’s importance.

As the narrator, Marguerite Gavin has an uncanny ability to really set the perfect mood for a story. Whether bright and cheery or dark and mysterious, she is able to transport the reader alone for the ride. Marguerite’s wide range of character voices brings each story to life in my head. I also find myself forgetting that this series is narrated by a female narrator alone, because she does a wonderful job voicing each male so flawlessly.

While I connected with some short stories more then others, I enjoyed listening to them as a whole. I would defiantly recommend this audiobook to anyone who loves Kitty and her cast of characters. KITTY’S GREATEST HITS was fantastic chance to revisit past and present characters from Kitty’s world and getting to know a little more about each one!


Kitty Norville Series

1) Kitty and the Midnight Hour
2) Kitty Goes to Washington
3) Kitty Takes a Holiday
4) Kitty and the Silver Bullet
5) Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand
6) Kitty Raises Hell
7) Kitty's House of Horrors
8) Kitty Goes to War
9) Kitty's Big Trouble
9b) Kitty's Greatest Hits (Anthology)


Related Websites

Buy KITTY'S GREATEST HITS on Audiobook
Marguerite Gavin - Narrator
Carrie Vaughn - Authors Site
Carrie Vaughn's Blog

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