'Kitty's House of Horrors' by Carrie VAUGHN

From the BLURB:

Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a publicity stunt will turn into a fight for her life.

The cast members, including Kitty, arrive at the remote mountain lodge where the show is set. As soon as filming starts, violence erupts and Kitty suspects that the show is a cover for a nefarious plot. Then the cameras stop rolling, cast members start dying, and Kitty realizes she and her monster housemates are ironically the ultimate prize in a very different game. Stranded with no power, no phones, and no way to know who can be trusted, she must find a way to defeat the evil closing in . . . before it kills them all.

This is the first book to be released on my ‘most anticipated books of 2010’ list. I love, love, love the ‘Kitty Norville’ series – and this 7th instalment to the series definitely delivers.

About 60 pages into this 292-page book I was getting a little bit worried. The book’s plot has Kitty traipsing off into the Montana wilderness with a motley crew of supernatural celebrities to film a reality TV show, ‘Big Brother’ style. I was a bit put-off because the plot meant that Kitty was cut-off from home, hearth and all the secondary characters I have come to love. I had the same problem with 6th book, ‘Kitty Raises Hell’, in which Kitty and her mate Ben travel to Las Vegas. But at least in that book Ben was still around. In ‘House of Horrors’ there is only one small lovey-dovey scene between the two:

“I’m not going to wash the sheets ‘til you get back.”

I pulled away so I could look at him, and so he could see my goofy smile. “That’s so romantic.”

“It is? I was thinking it was another one of those creepy things that only a lycanthrope would say.”

“That, too,” I said. “Maybe I can get myself voted off the island early.”

“Hmm, cool.”

We kissed again, and again, and again.

I was also put-off by this books premise because very early on in the story it is announced that our favourite bounty hunter, Cormac, will be up for parole while Kitty is in Montana. I love Cormac, and he has been sorely missed since being thrown into jail back in book 3.

So, not a great start to one of my most anticipated books of 2010...

Boy, was I wrong to criticize.

I admit, the story does drag in the beginning while Kitty and the other celebrities make like MTV stars – but then things go pear-shaped and the novel kicks into high gear. Kitty and her cohorts are actually the targets of an elaborate hunting party – being picked off one by one for the cameras. The real story kicks in about page 100 and doesn’t let-up a fast and frantic pace until the very last page.

Carrie Vaughn has said on her blog that she is contracted for 3 more Kitty books after ‘Horrors’– ending the series with a total of 10 books. She has also said that she knows exactly how the series will end, but isn’t sure if the conclusion will come by book #10 or if she’ll be contracted for more books.

Whatever her plans, it becomes clear in ‘House of Horrors’ that Vaughn has a ‘long game’ plan for the series – and if the hints, twists and turns Vaughn drops in ‘Horrors’ are any indication, she is gearing up for one hell of a finale.

‘Kitty’s House of Horrors’ is a thrilling read – the drama is intense and the stakes are heightened for future books. And the ending is *amazing*, and makes me super excited for book #8. I’m not sure when book 8 will be released, because Carrie Vaughn has 2 Young Adult novels coming out this year. ‘Voices of Dragons’ is released March 16th and ‘Discord’s Apple’ July 20th – which probably means another Kitty book won’t be released until 2011. OH! The suspense!

5/5

I’m not overly concerned about waiting until 2011 for the next Kitty book, mostly because ‘Voices of Dragons’ sounds (and looks) amazing and I’m really looking forward to it:

No proper blurb has yet been released, but Vaughn describes the book thus;

Carrie's first young adult novel is just your typical "girl meets dragon" story. With bonus rock climbing and jet fighters!