Title: Looking After Family
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville #0.6
In: Kitty’s Greatest Hits (Carrie Vaughn)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Werewolves
Dates read: 15th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: The moonlit world was bright, but a kind of filtered brightness.
Cormac managed to avenge his father’s death. But, he doesn’t think he’s quite done yet. When his younger cousin Bill follows him into the darkness, he realises that he may just have to readjust his priorities.
As a pre-story to a series about a woman who is a werewolf, I was kind of surprised to find a story about a young werewolf hunter. One that starts with the boy killing a werewolf in revenge for his father’s death and continues with his journey for revenge. Yet, I’m pretty sure that this is an origins story, one that will make a lot more sense when I meet Cormac and Bill in the full-length novels.
Bill and Cormac are a fantastic pair of cousins. Like two sides of the same coin – one is a tough, no nonsense, serious boy. The other is kind of needy, wants to impress his older cousin and show that he’s made of sterner stuff. Yet, it is ultimately this difference in personality and relationship that saves both boys – their differences and ability to accept each other that gives Cormac a chance to move on from his father’s death and live his life.
This story really asks – when is someone actually a monster? Is it just because they can kill you? Or because they do? I wonder how Cormac will answer this question as the series unfolds…
Earth and Skye 
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