This really should be 2 1/2 stars. Maybe even 2 3/4 stars. Why? Well I'll tell you. 
 I love Carrie Vaughn. I love Kitty Norville. So when this book came out I was ecstatic. But as I read it, something occurred to me...where the hell was it going? The plot seems to struggle to find itself, and even the impetus of the whole adventure feels a bit weak. I just don't feel that Kitty did anything noteworthy here except be obnoxious. Sometimes her mouthiness can be a little funny, but there were several moments where she ran her mouth, and I only wanted her to be quiet! I don't feel like typing out a spoiler for you, but if you read the book, you may be able to guess the moments I'm talking about. 
 Don't get me wrong. It still has the FEEL of a Kitty book--the witty humor, the unusual dynamics, the urban adventure...but the titular character fell short of her role as heroine. Vaughn had some AWESOME ideas--the main of course being the introduction of Chinese mythology into the real world...but really? After the initial fan girl squealing ended, I was left disappointed. The ending wasn't as strong as it could be, and yet again, there were many things left unresolved. 
 I can only hope for the next book to be HUNDREDS of times better. But if you're a Kitty fan...geez, you may as well read this one. It's still a part of the series, after all, and really, you could do worse.