Kitty’s Greatest Hits

Kitty’s Greatest Hits (2011) Carrie Vaughn

Il Est Ne (Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (2008))
A Princess of Spain (The Secret History of Vampires (2007))
Conquistador de la Noche (Subterranean Online (2009))
The Book of Daniel (Talebones #39 (2009))
The Temptation of Robin Green (The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (2009))
Looking After Family (Realms of Fantasy (2007))
God’s Creatures (Dark and Stormy Knights (2010))
Wild Ride (Running with the Pack (2010))
Winnowing the Herd (Strange Horizons (2006))
Kitty and the Mosh Pit of the Damned (Weird Tales #338 (2006))
Kitty’s Zombie New Year (Weird Tales #345 (2007))
Life Is the Teacher (Hotter Than Hell (2008))
You’re on the Air
Long Time Waiting

This is the short stories, all set in Kitty’s world, all in one place.

These are NOT all Kitty stories. I think Kitty makes an appearance in only half the stories. However, don’t let that dissuade you from this collection.

Carrie Vaughn is very good at writing short stories, and my favorite story in this collection is set long before Kitty was even born.

Il Est Ne (Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (2008)) finds Kitty alone and isolated on Christmas. Her story is told in parallel with that of David, a lone wolf who has been on his own since he was turned.

A Princess of Spain (The Secret History of Vampires (2007)) is the story of Catherine of Aragon’s first marriage. Why was Arthur so sickly?

Conquistador de la Noche (Subterranean Online (2009)) is one of my favorite stories set in Kitty’s world. It’s the story of how Rick (Ricardo de Avila) became a vampire, and also gives you a glimpse into why he is so very different from the other vampires in Kitty’s world. It’s also the story of Coronado’s search for gold.

The Book of Daniel (Talebones #39 (2009)). What is weres had existed at the time of the Torah? I really like this story as well.

The Temptation of Robin Green (The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (2009)) is a story in which Rick makes a brief appearance. Robin is a cryptozologist for the US Army, and knows about all kinds of monsters the government has been keeping secret from the public. It’s also a far more realistic look at what a secret government facility might be like than you normally see.

Looking After Family (Realms of Fantasy (2007)) is Cormac’s story, right after the death of his father, and how Cormac and Ben slowly developed their close friendship.

God’s Creatures (Dark and Stormy Knights (2010)) is another Cormac story. It’s set before Cormac meets Kitty, and is one of the first times Cormac seems to have doubts about what he does.

Wild Ride (Running with the Pack (2010)) is the story of how TJ became a werewolf. It’s a fascinating idea, actually, that men and women might become weres to escape a terminal illness.

Winnowing the Herd (Strange Horizons (2006)) is a Kitty story, set before she started her Midnight Hour call-in show. It’s more of a glimpse into what like might be like for a werewolf rather than a true story.

Kitty and the Mosh Pit of the Damned (Weird Tales #338 (2006)) finds Kitty curious about the success of a metal/punk band with a history of violence at their live shows. It’s not really about Kitty at all, but it’s another story that is far better than its name would lead you to believe.

Kitty’s Zombie New Year (Weird Tales #345 (2007)). I hate zombies. Luckily, this is more a voodoo zombie than a BRAAAAAAAAINS zombie. It’s rather a sad story.

Life Is the Teacher (Hotter Than Hell (2008)) wasn’t one of my favorites. It’s the story of a young vampire and her first true hunt.

You’re on the Air is a very short story, giving the other side of a brief phone call in one of the Kitty books. When being a vampire isn’t all glamour and riches.

Long Time Waiting is the story of how Cormac and Amelia Parker came to their agreement.

Some of the stories are glimpses into characters who (for various reasons) can’t be well-developed in the books, and some of those glimpses are pretty fascinating.

Published by Tor

Rating: 9/10

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