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kathydavie's review
3.0
Eighth in the Katherine "Kitty" Katt science fiction romance series and revolving around aliens who fight to save the day. While this story is mostly in Washington D.C., it does zip over to Guantanamo Bay.
My Take
Koch uses a lot of music in writing this series, and she really goes for it in Alien Research as secondary communication between Kitty and Algar. Yep, we finally meet the Operations Team!! I still can't decide if I'm appalled, cracking up, or still stunned… I suspect most of that stunned has to do with the bad guys' evil plan that almost succeeds. It does succeed in one horrendous detail. One that will leave you crying. And pose a difficult funerary question for the A-Cs. They don't believe in 'em, and yet the president is asking for one. A formality that requires attendance and focus — and great cover. No enemy will dare not attend, not when public opinion is on the line.
There are so many situations in this that put the A-Cs between a rock and a hard place. They need to keep safe and yet no one wants a massacre. There have been enough. God knows, there have been more than enough. I have to confess that Alien Research is not one of my favorites. On the one hand, for the obvious reasons. On the other hand, this one is too serious. Which, I suppose can be explained by all that sadness.
Part of the evil plan that Kitty points out is how Titan was "building freaking super soldiers that they sent against the President of the United States, and yet there they are, back in business, and everyone's acting like they just had a little run of bad management". What's sad is this sounds like business as usual in the real world. And what does that say about our political and judicial system? Nothing good.
Bits and pieces in the story include that FBI guy, Vander, who has been in D.C. too long, what with all his mind games; Walter's bit of luck in getting that warning out; the lack of luck when even Hacker International is surprised; thank god for Olga's experience and memory, although it doesn't compensate for Chernobog's existence; and, more fears and terrors.
A bit of the positive is that Malcolm's having reactions to the drug he was hit with and bits of memory are coming back.
The pluses include Kitty and Jamie's priorities: Poofs for everyone — and Kitty reckons even the dogs and cats have their own Poofs! Kitty's brilliant plan to get rid of all the protesters! Go team! No, not that team, this is another, most unexpected one that will crack you up.
Finally, your faith in human nature will be restored by the call Mister Joel Oliver put out. It was answered, and wow, was it ever answered! The Poofs give a hand too, at clothing removal, lol. There are times when the press is our friend…*giggle*…
Finally, there's a great message at a most emotional time, and one that should reverberate with any decent person…
The Story
Kitty is under siege from so many directions: bad dreams, hate groups dogging everyone. But she's determined to keep up the appearance of business as usual. A goal that will take some doing to escape and head out for breakfast, and it almost looks like it succeeds. Instead, it's an ambush by the Axis of Evil who are trying very hard to break up the cozy group.
There's a new acquaintance who has Kitty's radar up, tempered by the knowledge that Chuckie respects him.
Then comes Walter's call for help from Dulce Science Center…and no one is answering. Kitty's certain the baddies are after the kids, and the animals have pretty much confirmed it. Just one of too many attacks.
The Characters
Kitty is Jeff's wife, half-A-C due to drugs given her by their enemies in an earlier installment, and the American Centaurion Head Ambassador. She's also Megalomaniac Girl! Bruno and Lola are their peregrine pair; Poofikins is her Poof. Jeff Martini is a Congressman for New Mexico's 2nd District, and Harlie is his Poof. Jamie is their 18-month-old daughter; Mous-Mous is her Poof. Kitty's mother is Angela Katt, the head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU), although Kitty had thought for the longest time that her mother was a consultant and her father a history professor. Dad (Sol) actually does a lot of cryptology work for NASA. Uncle Mort, Major General Mortimer Katt, is with the Marines.
As for what Kitty thought Chuck was, well, she thought her oldest and best friend, Charles Reynolds, was a self-made millionaire and international playboy. Not the head of the C.I.A.'s E-T Division. He and Naomi got married six months ago, and they've been so happy. Naomi "Auntie Mimi" Gower-White (and A-C godmother) and her sister, Abigail (Auntie Abby), are the embassy cultural attachées. Erika/Ericka is their mother; Stanley is their father. Her eldest brother, Paul Gower, is the A-C's Supreme Pontifex and married to James Reader, Jamie's human godfather. Richard White is the former Pontifex, Kitty's partner in the field, and hooked up with Nurse Magdalena Carter.
Christopher White, Jeff's cousin, (and the Minister of Sulky Pouts) intentionally enhanced himself and is married to Amy Gaultier-White, Jamie's human godmother. Toby is his Poof. Brian Dwyer is Serene's husband, and Patrick is their hybrid son.
Michael Gower (his Poof is Fuzzball), the astronaut and Paul's brother who's engaged to Caroline.
Pierre is the embassy concierge and majordomo. Doreen and Irving have been herded by the peregrines into the daycare center. Dr. Tito Hernandez is human and the A-C doctor looking into the Yates Gene. Francine from Euro Base is Kitty's assigned imitator. Nadine is Serene's imitator. Mister Joel Oliver is an investigative journalist the A-Cs and Kitty trust.
Airborne includes:
Lorraine and Claudia are Dazzlers married to flyboys, Joe Billings (their son is Ross Edward) and Randy Muir (their son is Sean Zachary), respectively. Emily Balducci and Melanie Colangelo are Dazzlers and Lorraine's and Claudia's mothers. The dads are Zacharacy Balducci and Edward Colangelo and some of the rescued. Tim Crawford; Jerry Tucker is Kitty's favorite flyboy and flight instructor and has ensured that Kitty could fly anything necessary; Matt Hughes; and, Walker are more of Airborne.
Len and Kyle are still Kitty's bodyguards, well, driver and bodyguard courtesy of the CIA. Malcolm Buchanan has security override. He's been appointed Kitty's bodyguard by her mother. Burton Falk is one of his men. Jennifer Barone, an imageer, and Jeremy Barone, an empath, are siblings and at the same security seminar. Camilla is the best A-C liar and she's currently undercover at Gaultier.
Walter Ward is usually in charge of security at that embassy; William is his older brother and filling in for Walter. Gladys, a memory reader-empath, is in overall charge of security, and she scares Kitty's pants off.
The embassy Troubadour-at-Large is Rajnish Singh; he's also the Embassy Public Relations Minister. Denise Lewis runs the embassy daycare. She's human and married to another human, Kevin Lewis, Kitty's mom's right-hand man in the PTCU as well as the embassy's Defense Attaché. Aikiko is the embassy clothing designer.
Algar is the elves, the Operations Team.
Viola Sciacca is in charge of sciences, she thinks. Carmine Giordano has Security and the Gates. Romeo Ruggero is military.
ACE is an alien entity who was living inside Paul until he sacrificed himself for the A-Cs. He thought Kitty walked on water.
Princesses Rahmi and Rhee are from Beta Twelve, the planet of Free Women, Amazonian warriors and shapeshifters. They're also sisters and Queen Renata's daughters. Adriana is the granddaughter of the Romanian Ambassador and his wife, her wheelchair-bound grandmother with MS, Olga, who is training her in the old ways of the KGB.
Hacker International…
… is the computer lab where Stryker Dane, a.k.a., Eddy Simms; Big George Lecroix; Dr. Henry Wu; Ravi Gaekwad (he's engaged to Jennifer, a Dazzler); and, Yuri Stanislav, a.k.a., Omega Red, who is blind and buff, are the computer geniuses now working for the A-Cs through the CIA.
Cliff Goodman is Head of Special Immigration Services and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. And one of Chuckie's few close friends. Evander "Vander" Horn is the new head of the FBI's Alien Activities Division. Officer Melville is now head of the K-9 department and a personal friend. Colonel Franklin is the new man in charge at Andrews Air Force Base after Colonel Marvin Hamlin who had been in charge, went AWOL and then kidnapped by the now-late Clarence Valentino.
Rosemarie and Douglas operate the the Teetotaler, the Katt-Martinis' favorite restaurant, and keep Kitty and company happy.
Some of the A-Cs' government friends include Senators Vincent Armstrong and Donald McMillan and Representative Nathalie Gagnon-Brewer who was asked to take Edmund's seat in the House when he was assassinated (she and her late husband introduced Kitty and Jeff to the Teetotaller). Caroline Chase is McMillan's Girl Friday, Kitty's sorority bestie, and Michael's fiancée. Vance Beaumont and Guy Gadoire attend the funeral. Lillian Culver is a lobbyist for defense contractors, and she'd never dare go against Kitty, thanks to Kitty's "uncles". Abner Schnekedy is her husband.
Langston Whitmore is the Secretary of Transportation and not one of Kitty's fans.
Mahin Sherazi is Iranian with an American mother, a reporter from YatesCorp. Her hybrid power is manipulating dirt. Her Poof is Fluffball.
Kitty's Personal Axis of Evil: Gaultier Enterprises, Titan Security, & YatesCorp
Ansom Somerall is the current acting chairman of the board for Gaultier, and he and the creepy Quinton Cross and Janelle Gardiner are the main force fighting Amy for control. Thomas Kendrick is former military and head of Titan, appointed by the DoD, so he might be okay. Amos Tobin is in charge of YatesCorp…the Southern godfather.
Ronald Yates had two children we know of: Ronaldo Al Dehajl and Serene Dwyer, younger siblings of Richard White and Lucinda (Jeff's mother), and Gladys Gower. Jeff and Christopher are his grandsons making Patrick (Brian and Serene's) and Jamie Ronald's first official great-grandchildren.
Ronaldo Al Dejahl is probably still alive. He's dangerous due to his imageer ability to convince anyone to think he was someone completely different with a troubadour talent to reinforce that, and excellent at mind control. There aren't many humans or A-Cs who can escape it.
YatesCorp has a standing rule out, the Relative's Clause, that any Yates' descendant can join the board. A problem as they're likely to be powerful hybrids or full blood A-Cs. In truth, it's simply a ploy to gather up all the samples they can of the Yates gene.
Herbert Gaultier was Amy's father and dead. Thank god. Even better, Leventhal Reid, a representative from Florida, is dead, although his kid clone is alive and evil, leering away at Kitty. LaRue Demorte Gaultier was Herbert's second wife and killed by Esteban Cantu who was killed by other bad guys. Yeah, her kid clone is up and gloating too. Raul and Anniette Dier are assassins.
Chernobog the Ultimate is the supreme hacker of the world. Russell Kozlow is her imprisoned Israeli son. Yep, cyber crimes. Darryl Lowe is an airbender.
Kitty's Israeli friends, Oren, Jakob, and Leah, are checking on Kozlow.
Club Fifty-One is an anti-alien group who's jumped on the bandwagon protesting the suspension of the constitution after events in Operation Destruction when the aliens attacked. Harley Gutermuth is part of the anti crowd. Farley Pecker is the Head Asshat of the Church of Intolerance
Poofs are fluffy balls of fur who look like stuffed animals, bond with whoever names them, and get large-and-in-charge if anyone threatens their human.
Katherine is just one of many decent people who show up.
The exiles from Alpha Four are religious ones. The neighboring building has been nicknamed the Zoo and is handy for overflow personnel. Surcenthumain is a drug that will make humans and A-Cs enhanced. The Z'porrah construct is an alien box, the cube from earlier stories, that the Poofs prefer to keep under their control. They're allied with the Royal Peregrines who have become very welcome gifts from King Alexander; they make great guardians and help the gifted with their powers. Dazzlers are how Kitty collectively refers to the A-C females because that's what they do: they dazzle everyone with their beauty, intelligence, and compassion. Imageers manipulate images electronically and in front of you and can learn all about a person simply by touching an image. Empaths feel emotions. The Elves are Kitty's term for those invisible helpers who produce anything and everything...and clean it as well. They exist in any habitation for A-Cs.
The Cover
There’s a Mad Max feel to this cover with huge military vehicles blowing up in the background, a huge gun in the far back with Jeff riding one of the exploding vehicles. Yeah, he’s in Armani casual while Kitty is more casually dressed for success in black jeans, a white wifebeater, and some big shawls in dark clay and turquoise, her hair flying, a gun in one hand, and a laptop in the other. This one’s serious…
The title is most depressing as it is Alien Research that is the greatest threat.
My Take
Koch uses a lot of music in writing this series, and she really goes for it in Alien Research as secondary communication between Kitty and Algar. Yep, we finally meet the Operations Team!! I still can't decide if I'm appalled, cracking up, or still stunned… I suspect most of that stunned has to do with the bad guys' evil plan that almost succeeds. It does succeed in one horrendous detail. One that will leave you crying. And pose a difficult funerary question for the A-Cs. They don't believe in 'em, and yet the president is asking for one. A formality that requires attendance and focus — and great cover. No enemy will dare not attend, not when public opinion is on the line.
There are so many situations in this that put the A-Cs between a rock and a hard place. They need to keep safe and yet no one wants a massacre. There have been enough. God knows, there have been more than enough. I have to confess that Alien Research is not one of my favorites. On the one hand, for the obvious reasons. On the other hand, this one is too serious. Which, I suppose can be explained by all that sadness.
Part of the evil plan that Kitty points out is how Titan was "building freaking super soldiers that they sent against the President of the United States, and yet there they are, back in business, and everyone's acting like they just had a little run of bad management". What's sad is this sounds like business as usual in the real world. And what does that say about our political and judicial system? Nothing good.
Bits and pieces in the story include that FBI guy, Vander, who has been in D.C. too long, what with all his mind games; Walter's bit of luck in getting that warning out; the lack of luck when even Hacker International is surprised; thank god for Olga's experience and memory, although it doesn't compensate for Chernobog's existence; and, more fears and terrors.
A bit of the positive is that Malcolm's having reactions to the drug he was hit with and bits of memory are coming back.
The pluses include Kitty and Jamie's priorities: Poofs for everyone — and Kitty reckons even the dogs and cats have their own Poofs! Kitty's brilliant plan to get rid of all the protesters! Go team! No, not that team, this is another, most unexpected one that will crack you up.
Finally, your faith in human nature will be restored by the call Mister Joel Oliver put out. It was answered, and wow, was it ever answered! The Poofs give a hand too, at clothing removal, lol. There are times when the press is our friend…*giggle*…
Finally, there's a great message at a most emotional time, and one that should reverberate with any decent person…
"…they're all smart enough to know that skin tones and sexual orientation aren't what actually matters about a person. How they live their life is what matters, what they do when faced with evil what they do when no one's looking."
The Story
Kitty is under siege from so many directions: bad dreams, hate groups dogging everyone. But she's determined to keep up the appearance of business as usual. A goal that will take some doing to escape and head out for breakfast, and it almost looks like it succeeds. Instead, it's an ambush by the Axis of Evil who are trying very hard to break up the cozy group.
There's a new acquaintance who has Kitty's radar up, tempered by the knowledge that Chuckie respects him.
Then comes Walter's call for help from Dulce Science Center…and no one is answering. Kitty's certain the baddies are after the kids, and the animals have pretty much confirmed it. Just one of too many attacks.
The Characters
Kitty is Jeff's wife, half-A-C due to drugs given her by their enemies in an earlier installment, and the American Centaurion Head Ambassador. She's also Megalomaniac Girl! Bruno and Lola are their peregrine pair; Poofikins is her Poof. Jeff Martini is a Congressman for New Mexico's 2nd District, and Harlie is his Poof. Jamie is their 18-month-old daughter; Mous-Mous is her Poof. Kitty's mother is Angela Katt, the head of the Presidential Terrorism Control Unit (PTCU), although Kitty had thought for the longest time that her mother was a consultant and her father a history professor. Dad (Sol) actually does a lot of cryptology work for NASA. Uncle Mort, Major General Mortimer Katt, is with the Marines.
As for what Kitty thought Chuck was, well, she thought her oldest and best friend, Charles Reynolds, was a self-made millionaire and international playboy. Not the head of the C.I.A.'s E-T Division. He and Naomi got married six months ago, and they've been so happy. Naomi "Auntie Mimi" Gower-White (and A-C godmother) and her sister, Abigail (Auntie Abby), are the embassy cultural attachées. Erika/Ericka is their mother; Stanley is their father. Her eldest brother, Paul Gower, is the A-C's Supreme Pontifex and married to James Reader, Jamie's human godfather. Richard White is the former Pontifex, Kitty's partner in the field, and hooked up with Nurse Magdalena Carter.
Christopher White, Jeff's cousin, (and the Minister of Sulky Pouts) intentionally enhanced himself and is married to Amy Gaultier-White, Jamie's human godmother. Toby is his Poof. Brian Dwyer is Serene's husband, and Patrick is their hybrid son.
Michael Gower (his Poof is Fuzzball), the astronaut and Paul's brother who's engaged to Caroline.
Pierre is the embassy concierge and majordomo. Doreen and Irving have been herded by the peregrines into the daycare center. Dr. Tito Hernandez is human and the A-C doctor looking into the Yates Gene. Francine from Euro Base is Kitty's assigned imitator. Nadine is Serene's imitator. Mister Joel Oliver is an investigative journalist the A-Cs and Kitty trust.
Airborne includes:
Lorraine and Claudia are Dazzlers married to flyboys, Joe Billings (their son is Ross Edward) and Randy Muir (their son is Sean Zachary), respectively. Emily Balducci and Melanie Colangelo are Dazzlers and Lorraine's and Claudia's mothers. The dads are Zacharacy Balducci and Edward Colangelo and some of the rescued. Tim Crawford; Jerry Tucker is Kitty's favorite flyboy and flight instructor and has ensured that Kitty could fly anything necessary; Matt Hughes; and, Walker are more of Airborne.
Len and Kyle are still Kitty's bodyguards, well, driver and bodyguard courtesy of the CIA. Malcolm Buchanan has security override. He's been appointed Kitty's bodyguard by her mother. Burton Falk is one of his men. Jennifer Barone, an imageer, and Jeremy Barone, an empath, are siblings and at the same security seminar. Camilla is the best A-C liar and she's currently undercover at Gaultier.
Walter Ward is usually in charge of security at that embassy; William is his older brother and filling in for Walter. Gladys, a memory reader-empath, is in overall charge of security, and she scares Kitty's pants off.
The embassy Troubadour-at-Large is Rajnish Singh; he's also the Embassy Public Relations Minister. Denise Lewis runs the embassy daycare. She's human and married to another human, Kevin Lewis, Kitty's mom's right-hand man in the PTCU as well as the embassy's Defense Attaché. Aikiko is the embassy clothing designer.
Algar is the elves, the Operations Team.
Viola Sciacca is in charge of sciences, she thinks. Carmine Giordano has Security and the Gates. Romeo Ruggero is military.
ACE is an alien entity who was living inside Paul until he sacrificed himself for the A-Cs. He thought Kitty walked on water.
Princesses Rahmi and Rhee are from Beta Twelve, the planet of Free Women, Amazonian warriors and shapeshifters. They're also sisters and Queen Renata's daughters. Adriana is the granddaughter of the Romanian Ambassador and his wife, her wheelchair-bound grandmother with MS, Olga, who is training her in the old ways of the KGB.
Hacker International…
… is the computer lab where Stryker Dane, a.k.a., Eddy Simms; Big George Lecroix; Dr. Henry Wu; Ravi Gaekwad (he's engaged to Jennifer, a Dazzler); and, Yuri Stanislav, a.k.a., Omega Red, who is blind and buff, are the computer geniuses now working for the A-Cs through the CIA.
Cliff Goodman is Head of Special Immigration Services and reports directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security. And one of Chuckie's few close friends. Evander "Vander" Horn is the new head of the FBI's Alien Activities Division. Officer Melville is now head of the K-9 department and a personal friend. Colonel Franklin is the new man in charge at Andrews Air Force Base after Colonel Marvin Hamlin who had been in charge, went AWOL and then kidnapped by the now-late Clarence Valentino.
Rosemarie and Douglas operate the the Teetotaler, the Katt-Martinis' favorite restaurant, and keep Kitty and company happy.
Some of the A-Cs' government friends include Senators Vincent Armstrong and Donald McMillan and Representative Nathalie Gagnon-Brewer who was asked to take Edmund's seat in the House when he was assassinated (she and her late husband introduced Kitty and Jeff to the Teetotaller). Caroline Chase is McMillan's Girl Friday, Kitty's sorority bestie, and Michael's fiancée. Vance Beaumont and Guy Gadoire attend the funeral. Lillian Culver is a lobbyist for defense contractors, and she'd never dare go against Kitty, thanks to Kitty's "uncles". Abner Schnekedy is her husband.
Langston Whitmore is the Secretary of Transportation and not one of Kitty's fans.
Mahin Sherazi is Iranian with an American mother, a reporter from YatesCorp. Her hybrid power is manipulating dirt. Her Poof is Fluffball.
Kitty's Personal Axis of Evil: Gaultier Enterprises, Titan Security, & YatesCorp
Ansom Somerall is the current acting chairman of the board for Gaultier, and he and the creepy Quinton Cross and Janelle Gardiner are the main force fighting Amy for control. Thomas Kendrick is former military and head of Titan, appointed by the DoD, so he might be okay. Amos Tobin is in charge of YatesCorp…the Southern godfather.
Ronald Yates had two children we know of: Ronaldo Al Dehajl and Serene Dwyer, younger siblings of Richard White and Lucinda (Jeff's mother), and Gladys Gower. Jeff and Christopher are his grandsons making Patrick (Brian and Serene's) and Jamie Ronald's first official great-grandchildren.
Ronaldo Al Dejahl is probably still alive. He's dangerous due to his imageer ability to convince anyone to think he was someone completely different with a troubadour talent to reinforce that, and excellent at mind control. There aren't many humans or A-Cs who can escape it.
YatesCorp has a standing rule out, the Relative's Clause, that any Yates' descendant can join the board. A problem as they're likely to be powerful hybrids or full blood A-Cs. In truth, it's simply a ploy to gather up all the samples they can of the Yates gene.
Herbert Gaultier was Amy's father and dead. Thank god. Even better, Leventhal Reid, a representative from Florida, is dead, although his kid clone is alive and evil, leering away at Kitty. LaRue Demorte Gaultier was Herbert's second wife and killed by Esteban Cantu who was killed by other bad guys. Yeah, her kid clone is up and gloating too. Raul and Anniette Dier are assassins.
Chernobog the Ultimate is the supreme hacker of the world. Russell Kozlow is her imprisoned Israeli son. Yep, cyber crimes. Darryl Lowe is an airbender.
Kitty's Israeli friends, Oren, Jakob, and Leah, are checking on Kozlow.
Club Fifty-One is an anti-alien group who's jumped on the bandwagon protesting the suspension of the constitution after events in Operation Destruction when the aliens attacked. Harley Gutermuth is part of the anti crowd. Farley Pecker is the Head Asshat of the Church of Intolerance
Poofs are fluffy balls of fur who look like stuffed animals, bond with whoever names them, and get large-and-in-charge if anyone threatens their human.
Katherine is just one of many decent people who show up.
The exiles from Alpha Four are religious ones. The neighboring building has been nicknamed the Zoo and is handy for overflow personnel. Surcenthumain is a drug that will make humans and A-Cs enhanced. The Z'porrah construct is an alien box, the cube from earlier stories, that the Poofs prefer to keep under their control. They're allied with the Royal Peregrines who have become very welcome gifts from King Alexander; they make great guardians and help the gifted with their powers. Dazzlers are how Kitty collectively refers to the A-C females because that's what they do: they dazzle everyone with their beauty, intelligence, and compassion. Imageers manipulate images electronically and in front of you and can learn all about a person simply by touching an image. Empaths feel emotions. The Elves are Kitty's term for those invisible helpers who produce anything and everything...and clean it as well. They exist in any habitation for A-Cs.
The Cover
There’s a Mad Max feel to this cover with huge military vehicles blowing up in the background, a huge gun in the far back with Jeff riding one of the exploding vehicles. Yeah, he’s in Armani casual while Kitty is more casually dressed for success in black jeans, a white wifebeater, and some big shawls in dark clay and turquoise, her hair flying, a gun in one hand, and a laptop in the other. This one’s serious…
The title is most depressing as it is Alien Research that is the greatest threat.
katyanaish's review against another edition
5.0
Well. Wow.
Okay, so, I've been blitzing through this series... and I do mean blitzing. Anyone who follows my reviews will notice that I have read these first 8 books in probably the last 10 days. And so you'll know that I liked the first 3 or so VERY much. Disliked the next 3 VERY much. Was hopeful after the last book. And now we're here.
Guys, I loved everything about this book. And I bawled my eyeballs out through most of it. I mean, at a couple points, huge sobs meant I had to get it together to continue onward.
The two threads I've hated most in earlier books - "Jeff the jealous douche" and "let's keep Kitty in the dark on what's going on, to "protect" her, even though it backfired on us the last 234987 times but maybe it will really work this time" - seem to be officially dead, as neither was a real presence in this book. And hallelujah for that. Additionally, we have less of Reader swinging the big dick (and being a big dick) about "YOU WILL ALL RESPECT MY AUTHORI-TAY" (yes, Cartman-style), which was the thing seriously getting on my nerves since the DipCorps transition. So hooray for that.
I don't want to talk about a whole lot, because I feel like almost anything will be a spoiler. So incredibly much goes on in this book, and all of it is just captivating. It's an emotional rollercoaster. I just want to say one thing, to folks who were perhaps as unhappy with the earlier books as I was: this book is well-worth holding out for. I'm so happy I did.
One other thing I want to talk about that I haven't mentioned in other reviews of this series. I know the pacing of this series is break-neck, and sometimes it feels exhausting. But I also think that's why I've been so captivated by the series. It's a fascinating and unusual way to move through a plot. In most other books - including my favorites - the heroes unfold / unravel the evil plot piece by piece... like building a puzzle that you patiently assemble as you get each new piece and figure out where it goes, slowly revealing the picture.
In this series, every time the heroes get a new piece, they make plans, form theories, and re-assess what they think the picture is. They're not always right, or not entirely right, and so through the book there's a constant narrative of refining the plan and re-assessing the picture as they move forward and we find a new piece. That means we get false starts, like "OMG THIS is where they are going!" We also get plans they are put into motion and are later discarded -. It makes the pacing very fast and sometimes confusing. But it also makes it ... very real. And I think that's why I am so sucked into the series. Because in reality, there would be no calm, patient puzzle solving. You'd have a theory, an alternate theory (probably several)... and plans and contingencies for handling them. All that you'd be constantly reshaping on the fly as you move forward and learn more. I honestly don't know that I've ever read another book written that conveys that kind of ... erratic, reactive scramble to put things together on the fly better than the books in this series.
And that's why even the books that seriously pissed me off a few books ago didn't end up being deal-breakers, because the fascination on the threads finally pulling together was enough to keep me invested. I'm not saying I wouldn't have thrown in the towel if that continued on - I would have, because I was hitting a place where I seriously disliked several major characters - but it's why I held out longer than I think I usually would.
I just wanted to touch on that, because it's so different from anything I can recall reading before. I love it, and I'm excited to see where it goes next. But I need a pause. Like, for a day or two. Because I'm all cried out, and I can't imagine things will get easier from here.
*****5 stars*****
Okay, so, I've been blitzing through this series... and I do mean blitzing. Anyone who follows my reviews will notice that I have read these first 8 books in probably the last 10 days. And so you'll know that I liked the first 3 or so VERY much. Disliked the next 3 VERY much. Was hopeful after the last book. And now we're here.
Guys, I loved everything about this book. And I bawled my eyeballs out through most of it. I mean, at a couple points, huge sobs meant I had to get it together to continue onward.
The two threads I've hated most in earlier books - "Jeff the jealous douche" and "let's keep Kitty in the dark on what's going on, to "protect" her, even though it backfired on us the last 234987 times but maybe it will really work this time" - seem to be officially dead, as neither was a real presence in this book. And hallelujah for that. Additionally, we have less of Reader swinging the big dick (and being a big dick) about "YOU WILL ALL RESPECT MY AUTHORI-TAY" (yes, Cartman-style), which was the thing seriously getting on my nerves since the DipCorps transition. So hooray for that.
I don't want to talk about a whole lot, because I feel like almost anything will be a spoiler. So incredibly much goes on in this book, and all of it is just captivating. It's an emotional rollercoaster. I just want to say one thing, to folks who were perhaps as unhappy with the earlier books as I was: this book is well-worth holding out for. I'm so happy I did.
One other thing I want to talk about that I haven't mentioned in other reviews of this series. I know the pacing of this series is break-neck, and sometimes it feels exhausting. But I also think that's why I've been so captivated by the series. It's a fascinating and unusual way to move through a plot. In most other books - including my favorites - the heroes unfold / unravel the evil plot piece by piece... like building a puzzle that you patiently assemble as you get each new piece and figure out where it goes, slowly revealing the picture.
In this series, every time the heroes get a new piece, they make plans, form theories, and re-assess what they think the picture is. They're not always right, or not entirely right, and so through the book there's a constant narrative of refining the plan and re-assessing the picture as they move forward and we find a new piece. That means we get false starts, like "OMG THIS is where they are going!" We also get plans they are put into motion and are later discarded -
Spoiler
the elaborate funeral ruse in this book, for exampleAnd that's why even the books that seriously pissed me off a few books ago didn't end up being deal-breakers, because the fascination on the threads finally pulling together was enough to keep me invested. I'm not saying I wouldn't have thrown in the towel if that continued on - I would have, because I was hitting a place where I seriously disliked several major characters - but it's why I held out longer than I think I usually would.
I just wanted to touch on that, because it's so different from anything I can recall reading before. I love it, and I'm excited to see where it goes next. But I need a pause. Like, for a day or two. Because I'm all cried out, and I can't imagine things will get easier from here.
*****5 stars*****
blodeuedd's review
4.0
Will Kitty ever get a quiet day? The answer is no. There are always plots out there to take them down.
Now how to review this book? Omg, you can't review a Koch book properly. I can't begin to explain all the things going on, it has to be experienced. You know what, I just realized what an awesome tv-series this would be..ok back to the point now.
Stuff is going down! Evil guys are back. Plans are made. Crazy religious nuts are protesting. ACE is still missing. There will be struggles.
This book felt darker than the rest, I will not tell you why, but it was.
Non-stop action and good things at the end that made me want to read more at once. Oh oh! I almost forgot about a certain revelation, I did not see that coming!
See, the review makes no sense. Just go and read this series!
Cover
Love
Now how to review this book? Omg, you can't review a Koch book properly. I can't begin to explain all the things going on, it has to be experienced. You know what, I just realized what an awesome tv-series this would be..ok back to the point now.
Stuff is going down! Evil guys are back. Plans are made. Crazy religious nuts are protesting. ACE is still missing. There will be struggles.
This book felt darker than the rest, I will not tell you why, but it was.
Non-stop action and good things at the end that made me want to read more at once. Oh oh! I almost forgot about a certain revelation, I did not see that coming!
See, the review makes no sense. Just go and read this series!
Cover
Love
vikcs's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lessa_riel's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bewoelkt_aber_heiter's review
4.0
Es ist immer wieder erstaunlich, wie viel Spaß und Spannung die Alien-Romane mit sich bringen. Kittys Ton voller Humor, Sarkasmus und frecher Retourkutschen sorgt dafür, dass die action- und spannungsreichen Geschichten nicht zu düster werden und die Crew um Kitty und Jeff kennt man inzwischen fast so gut wie die eigene Familie. Der Cast an Figuren ist mir allerdings inzwischen fast etwas zu groß. Nach längerer Zeit zwischen den Bänden bleiben einfach nicht alle der zahlreichen Nebenfiguren im Gedächtnis. Insgesamt schafft es die Autorin aber recht gut, Erinnerungshilfen einzubauen, ohne dass dies in langatmige Zusammenfassungen vorangegangener Bände ausartet.
In Alien Research sehen wir Kitty erfreulicherweise wieder stärker als "Agentin" denn als Diplomatin im Einsatz, da sie kurzfristig als Kommandeur einspringen muss, als der Kontakt zum Hauptquartier der AC-Aliens abbricht. Damit nähert sich dieser Band wieder den frühen Romanen der Reihe an und das kann ich nur begrüßen, da mich die politischen Intrigen und Missionen nicht ganz so packen, auch wenn sie bisher genauso unterhaltsam waren. Dieser Band bringt einige schmerzhafte Verlust mit sich und ist nicht zuletzt dadurch ergreifend und in gewissem Maße auch realistisch, denn auch Kitty kann eben nicht jede Katastrophe verhindern, auch wenn sie großartig ist und wie immer Verbindungen zwischen scheinbar völlig zusammenhangslosen Informationen und Vorkommnissen herstellen kann, auf die man selbst nie gekommen wäre. Wie immer also ein wildes und witziges Abenteuer, das bestens unterhalten kann.
In Alien Research sehen wir Kitty erfreulicherweise wieder stärker als "Agentin" denn als Diplomatin im Einsatz, da sie kurzfristig als Kommandeur einspringen muss, als der Kontakt zum Hauptquartier der AC-Aliens abbricht. Damit nähert sich dieser Band wieder den frühen Romanen der Reihe an und das kann ich nur begrüßen, da mich die politischen Intrigen und Missionen nicht ganz so packen, auch wenn sie bisher genauso unterhaltsam waren. Dieser Band bringt einige schmerzhafte Verlust mit sich und ist nicht zuletzt dadurch ergreifend und in gewissem Maße auch realistisch, denn auch Kitty kann eben nicht jede Katastrophe verhindern, auch wenn sie großartig ist und wie immer Verbindungen zwischen scheinbar völlig zusammenhangslosen Informationen und Vorkommnissen herstellen kann, auf die man selbst nie gekommen wäre. Wie immer also ein wildes und witziges Abenteuer, das bestens unterhalten kann.
lalabristow's review
5.0
Originally Posted at Welcome to Larissa & Friends' Bookish Life
It's that time of the year again, time for another Alien novel by the awesome Gini Koch. The Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is one of my all time favorites and Gini continues to deliver amazing heart-stopping stories that make me keep begging for more each time.
Alien Research is no exception and I will go as far to say that it might the best Alien novel yet.
I mean, I personally LOVE all of Gini's books and this series sucks you in like no other, but after a while and a few books in, things tend to slow down a bit. That couldn't be further from the truth in Alien research.
I do recommend tou read the previous novels before sinking your teeth into this one. This is not a series you can just pick up anywhere and even I that have read all the books can get a bit overwhelmed by all the characters that exist in this fantastic world.
However, I did feel I could follow everything and enjoy the novel just as much even if O couldnt really place a couple people mentioned. i haven said this to Gini on Twitter, that I feel the Alien series would greatly benefit from a Character Guide/Glossary at the end of the novels :)
All in all, Alien Research had me panting for the next page at every second. Kitty, Martini and co get themselves in huge messes as usual and with it bring on the hilarity and extremely fast paced action. I LOVED IT!
If you enjoy Sci-fi that tickles your funny bone while not allowing you to but down the book, the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is definitely the one for you!
It's that time of the year again, time for another Alien novel by the awesome Gini Koch. The Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is one of my all time favorites and Gini continues to deliver amazing heart-stopping stories that make me keep begging for more each time.
Alien Research is no exception and I will go as far to say that it might the best Alien novel yet.
I mean, I personally LOVE all of Gini's books and this series sucks you in like no other, but after a while and a few books in, things tend to slow down a bit. That couldn't be further from the truth in Alien research.
I do recommend tou read the previous novels before sinking your teeth into this one. This is not a series you can just pick up anywhere and even I that have read all the books can get a bit overwhelmed by all the characters that exist in this fantastic world.
However, I did feel I could follow everything and enjoy the novel just as much even if O couldnt really place a couple people mentioned. i haven said this to Gini on Twitter, that I feel the Alien series would greatly benefit from a Character Guide/Glossary at the end of the novels :)
All in all, Alien Research had me panting for the next page at every second. Kitty, Martini and co get themselves in huge messes as usual and with it bring on the hilarity and extremely fast paced action. I LOVED IT!
If you enjoy Sci-fi that tickles your funny bone while not allowing you to but down the book, the Katherine "Kitty" Katt series is definitely the one for you!
melodicfate's review
3.0
3.5 stars.
I keep saying the same thing about the installments of this series, but this story took me quite a while. I enjoyed seeing Kitty and Jeff back in Commander roles again. There was a lot of action and trying to figure out the Big Plan. In this book, though, there was a lot of sadness. This is really where things get real. I definitely need to figure out how some characters end up after the way this novel went. It was a crazy mix of emotions, and the series will be different from now on.
I keep saying the same thing about the installments of this series, but this story took me quite a while. I enjoyed seeing Kitty and Jeff back in Commander roles again. There was a lot of action and trying to figure out the Big Plan. In this book, though, there was a lot of sadness. This is really where things get real. I definitely need to figure out how some characters end up after the way this novel went. It was a crazy mix of emotions, and the series will be different from now on.
cj13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Animal death
jbrooxd's review
5.0
Great addition to my favorite series! Lots of action, plenty of laughs (especially at the beginning of the book, before the danger kicks in). The good guys take some losses in this book, and while they were sad, they move the overall story forward. A couple long-term secrets in the series are addressed in this book. So much fun - I'm already looking forward to reading it again.