Member Reviews
I'm sure this is a great book with a great ending to the series. I don't mind reading books out of order, so I planned on reading this months ago. I opened the file when I first downloaded it to Pocketbook. Now I cannot open the file and I don't want it held against me.
I have tried for months to open it and I keep on getting told it it is already open so I can't access it.
This has happened before where I can't open a book and a few months later, it opened with no error message and no problems.
I even bought a book I couldn't open off Amazon for $5 because I didn't want to have it held against me by Netgally.
This book is $12 so I will wait some more until the price goes down or I get a giftcard for my birthday and see it a B&N.
I really love Kitty.
This delightful collection of short pieces – some previously published stories, others slice-of-life vignettes – is like a series of tea parties – or songs, if you will – from Vaughn’s urban fantasy world and its characters. Werewolves and vampires and selkies, oh my! Vaughn’s prosecraft and story-telling skills are up to their usual superb level.
The organizing thread is the werewolf DJ, Kitty Norville. I met Kitty (and some of the other characters) tangentially in other works set in this same world. I loved finding out more about them, peeking into the hidden corners of their better-known adventures. I suspect that those who are familiar with Kitty’s world and its denizens will derive particular delight in meeting them again, but the stories are so well told and carefully ordered that newcomers will not be lost, only enchanted.
this is book 16 in the Kitty Norville series and I'm sad to see it's the last. Kitty and her paranormal friends share their last adventures in a series of short stories. Happy to say you can read this as a stand alone book and then go back and find the rest of the series to enjoy. Some of the best paranormal creatures I've run across, a great mix of vampires and werewolves. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Congratulations! Your review for Kitty’s Mix-tape, captioned
below, has been published. Visit
<https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=72758> to view your
published review.
Please share your review via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest,
Instagram and other social media venues. Include the #FFreview
hashtag or @FreshFiction in your posts.
As the title indicates this was a very mixed bag, some of the stories were quite long and others were barely a few pages and they deal with many characters, some main some marginal, from the Kittyverse. Obviously the quality also varies but I am really glad to have read this collection because for every story that was slight or forgettable there were at least two that will stay with me for a very, very long time. I do hope Carrie Vaughn builds on some of the foundations that she has laid here to create future novels. I will be first in line to read them. Creative and imaginative fantasy at its best.
Thanks to net Galley for allowing me to read this ARC.
I had never heard of this series or this author. These stories were a lot of fun. Some of them felt a bit out dated but, I still enjoyed them. I plan on reading the series with Kitty now. These kind of short story books can really help you find new authors.
The stories happen in current times but, the supernatural has been exposed. This is a common theme in the genre but, this author has a different approach.
Carrie Vaughn may (or may not) be done writing novels about a werewolf named Kitty. Luckily, she's collected fourteen stories in her latest anthology, Kitty's Mix-Tape. Like a mix-tape, some stories are stronger than others. Half feature Kitty, and the other half feature major and minor characters from the series.
First up is a story about Kitty and Ben attending her high school reunion. It's a nice break for Kitty, but naturally, trouble is never far away. It's a bit bittersweet, too, in that Kitty is reminded of who she was and what she might have been, had she not been attacked and infected with lycanthropy.
Fan favorites Rick, a master vampire, and Odysseus Grant, a magician, get solid outings. Detective Jessi Hardin solves a case with only half a corpse to work with, and Cormac appears in that story. He also has a case where Kitty tags along and they find a shape-shifter who may be more than he seems.
It's been a while since the series ended, and even longer since I'd read some of the books, so I had trouble placing a few of the characters. While the backstories were nice, I'd rather have had more Kitty tales (pun intended).
Overall, this is a 3.5/5.
I received a free copy from the Tachyon Publications in exchange for an honest review.
Kitty's Mix Tape is a collection of short stories featuring Carrie Vaughn's popular series character Kitty Norville, a werewolf radio talk show host, and her various friends and enemies. Carrie Vaughn, who will be a returning Guest of Honor at Virtual Capclave 2020 in October, first wrote about Kitty in a short story, "Doctor Kitty Solves All Your Love Problems" in Weird Tales #324, Summer 2001. Kitty has appeared in fourteen novels and one previous story collection.
This collection has seventeen stories with author notes and a music playlist for each. Fellow urban fantasy writer Emma Bull contributes a nice introduction. Four stories are original to this collection and two previously appeared on Vaughn's website. The others originally appeared in magazines and anthologies. Six stories feature Kitty.
Fans of Kitty will welcome her reappearance here especially since the author had said the series was finished. Readers new to Kitty and her adventures will find this book a decent way to start their acquaintance, although they will miss some aspects of the stories if they do not know who these characters are and what their connection is to Kitty. Still, some of the stories are about the early history of the characters, before they meet Kitty, and Vaughn successfully provides information about the major characters in Kitty's life.
"Kitty Walks On By, Calls Your Name" is about Kitty and her husband Ben attending Kitty's 10th high school reunion. This shows how she has divided her life into before becoming a werewolf and after. There is a bit that comes a little too close to a certain movie, and having a character comment on the resemblance does not excuse the borrowing.
"Kitty and the Full Super Bloodmoon Thing" is a cute glimpse of the relationship between Kitty and Ben that shows what happens to werewolves when a supermoon (when the moon is closest to the Earth) and a lunar eclipse happen at once.
In "Kitty Learns the Ropes" Kitty has to decide whether to "out" a champion boxer as a werewolf. Is it fair for a supernatural creature with enhanced strength and healing to compete at a sport with regular humans?
"Kitty and Cormac's Excellent Adventure" has Cormac, a bounty hunter specializing in supernatural creatures, ask Kitty for help with delivering a message. This leads to a mysterious quest that may be part of someone else's story; unfortunately, this mysteriousness deprives the otherwise interesting story of a meaningful ending.
In "Kitty Busts the Feds", two agents from the Paranatural Security Administration burst into Kitty's recording studio in the middle of a broadcast, demanding that Kitty share recordings of the show and identify the vampire masters of various cities.
"What Happened to Ben in Vegas" only has Kitty at the very end although she is very much on the mind of Ben, who is kidnapped on the day of his wedding to Kitty. The notes say this story reveals what happens to Ben after he goes missing in Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand.
"Kitty and the Super Blue Blood or Whatever Moon Thing" is another Kitty and Ben conversation before moonrise.
The other stories involve other characters from the Kitty universe.
"It's Still the Same Old Story" stars Kitty's vampire friend Rick as he investigates the murder of an old friend who witnessed a crime in 1947. It also features Detective Hardin, a policewoman who knows about the supernatural.
"The Island of Beasts" tells a survival story of the lone female werewolf trying to maintain civilized neutrality while marooned on an island with two waring packs of male werewolves.
"The Beaux Wilde" answers the question "What would life be like for werewolves in Regency England" as a very shy lady "of great fortune and little accomplishment", but a secret talent, encounters the Misters Wilde, three brothers who are really werewolves.
"Unternehmen Werwolf" shows how the Nazis trained werewolves for special missions, in this case killing a witch, giving the history of a minor character in Kitty Goes to Washington.
"Sealskin" is about a Navy Seal with webbed hands and feet who goes to Ireland to learn about his father, about whom his mother only said that "he was like something out of a fairy tale".
"Defining Shadows" features Detective Jessi Hardin who tries to solve a murder case involving half a body. This is an excellent mystery involving a rather obscure bit of folklore.
"The Arcane Art of Misdirection" is another mystery as casino blackjack dealer Julie and magician Odysseus Grant confront a card cheat who is a master of illusion.
"Bellum Romanum" shows what led Gaius Albinus to become a world-threatening villain.
Reading this book caused me to remember how much fun is in the Kitty books and I've started re-reading them, which considering the size of my to-be-read pile is a strong endorsement for this book.
Kitty's Mix-Tape, by Carrie Vaughn, is a new collection (with a few old favorites) of short stories set in the world of Kitty Norville - werewolf night DJ.
When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I love Kitty Norville and all of the other characters in the series, and I really just love how these stories are written. You fall into them, and are taken into their world so completely.
This was particularly nice because we got to see a wide variety of characters - there are a few that I really want their short stories to be turned into a full novel (hint, they don't have Kitty in them at all), and I think that is part of what makes this collection great.
When I read this, I wanted to go back and re-read the whole series again. It gave me a little hype to want to experience it all again, and I'm sure if you have never read any other book by Vaughn, this collection would make you want to go devour everything you can that is in this world.
Absolutely I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Urban Fantasy, who likes some stakes in their stories, or even those who like some re-imagined historical fantasy.
If you are looking for hot and heavy, keep looking, but otherwise I would hands down say give this collection a shot.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not usually a huge fan of short stories, but this world is one of my favorites, so I gave it a pass and picked this one up. If you're a Kitty fan, this is peppered with characters from throughout her "career" and we get a few with her and Ben, too!
There's a wide variety of tales in this book, so I'm sure there is something in here for everyone. Some are more somber, some are set in the past, and some are quirky fun rides. Those last ones are my favorite, so that's what I would recommend if I were someone who could hop around in an anthology. There is a particularly fun one that takes Kitty to her high school reunion that kept me entertained. The general feeling of the anthology is one of "bonus stories" not necessarily "filling in the blanks." If you are not hung up on completing the series "completely" then you can pick and choose. Me? I gobbled them all up!
A fun collection of short stories from the Kitty world. It's been roughly five years since the last book in the series so this was a nice nostalgic collection and a chance to revisit some of our favorite characters. I thoroughly enjoyed it and if you're a fan of Kitty, you'll definitely want to read it!
In 2005, Carrie Vaughn introduced us to Kitty Norville, a late night radio DJ who also happens to be a werewolf. I read the first book then and I've been a dedicated fan ever since. In 2015, Kitty saved the world and retired. But Carrie Vaughn has given us a gift in KITTY'S MIX-TAPE. Just like a mixed cassette tape, she has included stories that will make you feel happy, sad, mad, and every other emotion in between. Each story revolves around one of the characters that helped Kitty's stories become fan favorites. I enjoyed each of them but was left wanting just a few more. Maybe Carrie will gift us another soon.....
I enjoyed these stories. I’ve missed Kitty since Kitty Saves the World. I loved Rick's story in The Last Conquistador. I’m usually not into anthologies but this one was good because it had an odd assortment of stories. I loved the ones from Kitty’s world the most but the others were good,too. Some could be the basis of a new Kitty world storyline. In fact, I wouldn’t mind an Odysseus Grant book or more about Richard the half-Selkie seal prince. I hope Ms. Vaughn will develop some of these stories into Kitty-world books of their own. I’m looking forward to it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
This review was originally posted on <a href="https://booksofmyheart.net/2020/10/20/kittys-mix-tape-by-carrie-vaughn/" target="_blank"> Books of My Heart</a>
<i>Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i>
3.5 hearts
It's been five years since <strong>Kitty Saves the World</strong> and I loved the recent book about her good friend, Rick in <strong>The Immortal Conquistador.</strong> <strong>Kitty's Mix Tape</strong> is a collection of new and reprinted stories in her world. I always appreciate short story anthologies so one doesn't have to go out and find them separately in different publications. I don't know the mix of old vs. new but I was unfamiliar with them and I always try to read everything in a series.
Other than Kitty or Ben, there are stories about many other favorite characters in the world, as well as a main villain. I enjoyed the stories with Kitty in them the most, or Rick, but they are all great character development additions to the series.
It took me a long time to read because some stories were more interesting to me than others. I would not recommend this for those who have not read the series. As a fan who has read every book in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/40485-kitty-norville" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><strong>Kitty Norville</strong></em></a> series, I enjoyed it.;
i really enjoyed reading this book, I enjoyed the use of werewolves and that there is a werewolf named Kitty. It was a great read and I look forward to more from the author.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve read a Kitty book, and reading this book made me really miss her. It was great being back with the characters and visiting the world again. I admit that short stories are my favorite, but I’m just so glad to be back, I enjoyed myself very much. I didn’t love every one of the stories, but I did really like them all. I would suggest, though, that this not be a reader’s first foray into the world. Start with the first book and work up to this one. This is definitely for those who miss Kitty. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
It has been awhile since I read anything in the Kitty Norville universe and this was an enjoyable reminder of just how much I enjoyed the series and how much I’d like to see more stories of Kitty. These stories also show just how interesting some of the minor players in her universe are. Favorite stories in this collection were Kitty Walks On By, Calls Your Name where Kitty goes to her high school reunion, It’s Still the Same Old Story with Rick the vampire and The Arcane Art of Misdirection which just makes me want to see a whole series focusing on Odysseus Grant, a stage magician who is so much more.
If you have never delved into Kitty’s world this collection can still be enjoyed as well as acting as an introduction to the series. I am inspired to go and read the whole series again from the beginning - I mean, who can resist a werewolf named Kitty. Highly recommended.
Kitty's Mix-Tape is a delightful mix of vignettes featuring characters from the world of werewolf DJ Kitty Norville. I love this series and miss the characters so this was like a gift. We discover Dux Bellorum’s backstory. We get to hang out with Kitty, Ben and Cormac in various locations doing what comes natural. Even Rick the vampire gets a story. I truly enjoyed revisiting these characters. Rock on, Kitty, rock on.
Kitty's Mix-Tape by Carrie Vaughn, another solid book in the series! Kitty is going to school again, well a school reunion and what she finds there is not what she expected...
An amalgamation of short stories with a kaleidoscope of themes. Some Kitty related but many not. An enjoyable collection.