Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If I could choose 3.5 stars in this system, I would. I was torn between the two ratings. First and foremost, my biggest complaint was how Tyler’s part in the story was wrapped up. I would have liked to see him taken into Kitty’s pack and become a regular character in the series rather than how it worked out in the end. Since that was really my biggest complaint, I went with the higher rating.
What I have really enjoyed throughout the series is watching Kitty grow into her own skin as a werewolf, a wife, an Alpha, and everything else that makes her what she is. She is quick to correct people that she is not an expert, that she is new to the Alpha thing, etc. Kitty is not at all “This is how I think it should be so this is how it will be” but is constantly questioning and HOPING that things work out. When she is called in to evaluate a few rogue werewolves suffering from PTSD, fresh from Afghanistan, Kitty is quick to hope that they can be saved. Not because werewolves have to stick together. Not because they are soldiers who were serving their country. But because she had to cling to the hope that werewolves were still human; that SHE was still human.
Often, I find great interest in a story not because of the action but because of the psychology and mindsets of the characters presented. It was interesting to ‘watch’ the three soldiers struggle between their wolves and their humanity while warring with their military disciplines and loyalties. Watching Tyler’s mental and emotional evolution was equally as fascinating to me.
All in all, the book was sort of odd to me within the series because of the new subjects brought forth. But clearly, such things will be utilized in future books so it is easy to see what doors have been unlocked within this world for future exploration.
