Alien in the Family

Katherine "Kitty" Katt #3

by Gini Koch

Planning any wedding is hard enough, but Katherine "Kitty" Katt and Jeff Martini have a lot more to worry about than seating arrangements, because multiple inter-stellar invasions, Alpha Team in mortal peril, and inter-alien conspiracies are all on the guest list—and the gifts they've brought contain some explosive surprises.

The discovery that Martini is actually a member of the Alpha Centaurion Royal Family brings additional bad news—emissaries are on their way to see if Kitty's royal bride material. And they're not the only things coming from the Alpha Centauri system. Amazonian assassins, spies, alien beasties, shape-shifters, and representatives from the Planetary Council, combined with a tabloid reporter who's a little too on the mark, create a deadly situation for Kitty and the rest of Alpha Team. When the assassins strike far too close to home for anyone's comfort, Kitty realizes it's going to come down to more than throwing a bouquet—she's going to have to face an entire planetary consciousness and dethrone a monarch in order to make it to the church on time...

Genres: Science Fiction, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Aliens, Paranormal, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

472 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 23, 2011

About the author

Gini Koch lives in Phoenix, Arizona and writes the bestselling fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files series, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles series. Alien in the House, Book 7 in her long-running Alien series, won the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award as the Best Futuristic Romance of 2013. Book 14, Alien Nation, won the Preditors and Editors Reader's Choice Award for Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Novel of 2016. Alien Education releases May 2, 2017, and DAW Books has just contracted through Book 20 in the Alien series.

As G.J. Koch she writes the Alexander Outland series and she’s made the most of multiple personality disorder by writing under a variety of other pen names as well, including Anita Ensal, Jemma Chase, A.E. Stanton, and J.C. Koch.

In addition to her upcoming Alien Series releases, she has stories featured in a variety of anthologies available now and coming soon, writing as Gini Koch, Anita Ensal, J.C. Koch, and Jemma Chase. Writing as A.E. Stanton she will have an audiobook release in 2017, Natural Born Outlaws (The Legend of Belladonna Part 1) coming from Graphic Audio.

For full details on all releases, all the news about Gini's books, signings, events, excerpts, and more, visit her website: http://www.ginikoch.com.

Reviews

[Lynette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I commence with this review, let me say that I am a fan of this series and will probably buy the next book. As you know, I try not to buy anything and for me to say that I’m buying something really is important. Now that I have stated this, it’s time for Lynette to be a complete and total hypocrite by listing why ALIEN IN THE FAMILY drove me crazy. I apologize in advance and I know I’m going to piss off a lot of you, because my filter is off. I’m going to try to go through this review and clean it up later and make it less ranting, but I don’t know if I can. At least you can’t say that I am not emotionally invested into this series.

The first several chapters of ALIEN IN THE FAMILY where hard for me to read. I actually put the book down and didn’t pick it back up again for several days. The narrative of the story dragged as the author felt the need to do very long and drawn out summary of what had happened in the previous two books in the series that unfortunately fell short for me as I wanted the narrative to focus on what was occurring at that moment. Kitty is an interesting character, but she often feels too slap stick for me, where none of the actions are grounding in reason and common sense and since she is just Kitty and supposedly so amazing we are just supposed to go with it. This time, I had a harder time going with it.

I am also getting annoyed with Kitty and her (excuse me, but I can’t think of another word to describe this) golden p-ssy. Every and I mean EVERY man she meets wants to screw her, falls in love with her, etc. I seriously don’t get it. Why? This needs to be explained to me a little bit more. Why does every man she meets want her, even when she makes it clear that she doesn’t want them, she has several men pining for her. WHY, WHY, WHY? I get that you want to make her appealing, but REALLY? REALLY?

Another one of my pet peeves that occurred in ALIEN IN THE FAMILY and in fact the entire series is that there is really not a lot of conflict. The premise of this series is that through some amazing circumstances, Kitty learns that there are aliens on the planet and takes a top secret job to protect the planet ala Men In Black. However, everyone is in on her secret life. Everyone who is close to her is in on it. As each book progresses, I’ve never quite grasped why her parents, best friend, former boyfriends are in on this top-level secret except that is convenient for the author to do so so that Kitty doesn’t feel as isolated in her new life. And with each book, I get more annoyed that Kitty doesn’t have to work for anything in her life, that the series doesn’t really have any internal conflict.

I also don’t understand the chemistry between Kitty and Jeff besides that he’s a hot looking alien and they have awesome sex together. Despite Kitty’s golden p-ssy, I get more why Kitty would appeal to Jeff, but what is it about him (besides beinghot) that does it for her. There are tons of other hot men who want her. To put it plainly, I am a die-hard romance reader at heart and for me it’s all about the emotional connection between the hero and heroine. I don’t get a deep emotional connection on her end. Her behavior doesn’t support it. I was hoping for more when as her wedding draws near and she’s trying to puzzle out what it is about Jeff that makes her want to spend the rest of her life with him. The explanations she gives herself and Jeff on why him fell flat to me. Of course I don’t believe ALIEN IN THE FAMILY is really marketed as a romance, so I can kinda cut the author some slack.

However, this is my blog and my rant about the series. I still enjoy the series despite myself, but these issues that I have with ALIEN IN THE FAMILY keep me up at night. Seriously. They bug the heck out of me and I had to get them off my chest or I was going to burst. Thanks for listening.

While the beginning of ALIEN IN THE FAMILY dragged and drove me crazy on so many levels (really, you see no problem with your best friend who is in love with you calling a meeting not only in the same city but the same hotel, the same freaking suite where you guys had wild monkey sex. You don’t put your foot down out of respect for your fiancé? You don’t tell your friend point blank to stop disrespecting your man and this was some immature crap? Not once? – Sorry, couldn’t help myself again), the middle picked and became quite interesting. However, the ending was blah. It was a little disjointed and I wished that all the plot threads were tied up a little neater.

Yet, there is something about Kitty and Ms. Koch’s writing that despite all my ranting and raving, makes me eager to read her work and to see what’s coming next.

Hello, my name is Lynette and I am a hypocrite.

[Ira · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I love this series:)
It's funny and a non stop action story with plenty aliens in it.
You probably will love it too if you were growing up watching Lost in Space and Star Trek on telly like me, hah!
And you will love it more if you have at least tiny geek in you too, lol.

When the relationship between our Alien hero, who was born on earth with his earth heroine is quite hot, this book is not an alien need a woman erotica story.

And did you see it's cover? That sum up what was happening in this story!:)

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review has been posted on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

This is a hard book for me to review, mainly because I loved the previous two books in the series but have decided to stop after this one. I enjoyed the series to date due to it’s originality, action, hot aliens in Armani suits and it’s charming narrator Kitty, who ultimately led to the downfall of the series for me.

As a member of the Alpha Centaurian Division, filled with A-C’s or ultra good looking, stamina-filled, emotion-reading men who have an affinity for Armani suits, Kitty is surrounded by temptations everywhere. Not only does she constantly fantasise and drool over the men in her division, but she’s slept with at least three of them, and constantly flirts with pretty much the whole team. Although the A-C women are blessed with supermodel genes and smarts, all these men are supposedly so bedazzled by Kitty that they constantly coddle her, compliment her, and make passes at her.

Kitty’s ego has gotten so big in this book, that she uses her body and sexuality to get her way. Despite being engaged to Martini, probably the hottest alien there is, she constantly pines after her best friend Chuckie, flirts with random men in public, and gets a bit too close for comfort with her best gay friend, Reader. These men absolutely worship the ground she walks on, and she knows it. So much so that instead of giving her the respect she deserves as a Commander of her division, when the men are fighting about the ‘important things’, she flashes everyone by pulling up her top to get their attention.

When it hit that part of the book, with everyone’s jaw dropping and the Earth pretty much stopping after she did that, I well and truly decided that was the end of the series for me. I’m not sure whether the series is written for men with Kitty’s sluttiness or for women with the hot A-C aliens but Kitty is the girl that every woman loves to hate. Kitty is pretty much that Sim with the ‘love’ ambition whose only focus is to sleep with as many people as possible.

Not only did all that annoy me at the start of the book, but there were some pretty teeth grinding scenes where Kitty interrogates some captured aliens that made me despise her even more. When an Amazonian woman infiltrates her wedding gown shopping trip and nearly kills her best friend Reader, she gets on her high horse after the alien has been captured and says some nasty things, just because she can. Of course, everyone is egging her on as she does it, making it more annoying than ever. This is followed by a bunch of unidentified aliens from other planets being captured as well, and Kitty’s bigotry, over-confidence and constant insults between these aliens and their customs and race were almost too much to bear.

Luckily, the last half the book made the slog a little more tolerable for me. Once we got to know the aliens’ true intentions, and we were introduced to the royal pet poofs which are fluffy, deadly little pets and we stopped obsessing over Kitty, I started to enjoy the book a little more. While this review has been quite negative, it’s not all bad. The series offers plenty of political movements between the A-Cs on Earth and their home planet, and with Kitty and Martini’s wedding on the horizon, there was plenty of action to be had over this. The wedding ceremony was also a welcome distraction from the rest of the series.

This is a series enjoyed by many, but sadly comes to an end for me. This review is based on my opinion only, and in no way is this a bad series. If Kitty’s annoying character traits, I would consider to continue reading, but unfortunately it underpins the whole series.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I've had too many friends get raped to find rape jokes funny. Or maybe I just take things too seriously. Whatever, they bothered me.

Kitty's descent into Mary Sue territory and how she jerked around Jeff by continually prodding his jealousy button also bothered me (she comments at one point that she likes that he has potential stalker tendencies, but even though they're engaged, her wishy-washy commitment to him seemed kind of cruel? needy? in an unpleasant way). Add in an increasingly zany, decreasingly coherent world, plotting and cast of characters and... bleh.

I enjoyed the first two books, but the things that mildly annoyed me are taking over. I'm done.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Getting bored of this series. Some parts are still entertaining, but I think it's gotten too political and procedural.

It's ridiculous how many problems the heroine singlehandedly resolves. And that she never knew what her parents really did for a living. Never got over that. Also, the hero's jealousy is just annoying at this point. Gay best friend who calls her "girlfriend" entirely too much. Ridiculous, but funny plots and situations are no longer that funny.

I might pick this series up again later...much later.

[Rachel-RN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kitty and Jeff are getting married. But first they have to figure out who is spying on them, why, and trying to kill them. Kitty also has to face a test to see if she is worthy of Jeff. Oh, and Jeff is a member of the royal family.
I have to admit that this was a fun series until this book. This book just annoyed me. Kitty's angst (she loves Chucky! She loves Jeff!) got so old. I am so over it. Then there were the alien assassins. Strong women who are (wait for it) lesbians and hate men. I think I rolled my eye so hard they got stuck in the back of my head.
Kitty's super "hotness" and "specialness" that all the men loved just got old. And the rape jokes? Not funny. The space "poofs" were cute!
And this annoying tidbit: Jeff knew Kitty was pregnant before she did. At about 1 1/2 weeks.

[ALPHAreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

** Contains spoilers of ‘Alien Tango’ **

Kitty’s back, and so is her Armani alien army.

Following the events of ‘Alien Tango’, Katherine ‘Kitty’ Katt and her fiancée, Jeff Martini, are planning the wedding of the galaxy, literally. For Kitty and co it’s going to be a case of something old, something blue, something borrowed and some inter-galactic wedding crashers . . .

‘Alien in the Family’ is the third book in Gini Koch’s space-spectacular ‘Katherine “Kitty” Katt’ series.

I won’t lie to you, I squealed a little when my letterbox revealed this advanced reader copy for my perusal. And since I'm being honest, I’ll admit that there may have been some happy-dancing involved too. And it turns out that all that squealing happy-dancing was well deserved, because Ms Koch has done it again . . .

So much happened in the last book. ‘Alien Tango’ introduced us to the wider Alpha Centauri alien race, including Martini’s (dysfunctional) family. A big focus of that book was the social norms and prejudices of the A-C’s, including the perceived prejudice of alien/human couplings. ‘Alien in the Family’ brings the book back to Kitty and Martini, while also expanding the universe. Gini Koch is introducing a whole new crop of characters in this third instalment – from Amazonian assassins to space corgis. She’s also putting Kitty and Martini’s relationship to the test, before they tie the knot.

“I want it in writing, and I’ll be going over it for loopholes.”
He laughed. “Not a problem.” He looked back at Martini. “Okay?”
“No, but we’ll deal with it. Officially, Centuarion unwillingly concedes the C.I.A’s limited authority during a time of interworld crisis.”
“And unofficially?” Chuckie sounded supportive, not challenging.
Martini closed his eyes. “Unofficially,” he opened his eyes, “help us. Please.”

In ‘Alien Tango’, Koch introduced us to the character of Chuckie. Chuckie is Kitty’s best friend from high school, who was mentioned in ‘Touched by an Alien’, but made his first appearance in ‘Tango’. For a long time Kitty thought of Chuckie as her rich, globetrotting bestie – the man she had one (spectacular) one-night-stand with, and was perhaps even maybe subconsciously pining for. Until Jeffrey Martini came along – in all his suited Neanderthal glory. But much was revealed in ‘Tango’, about Chuckie’s occupation, and his feelings for Kitty – which resulted in a marriage proposal, and one very unhappy Martini.

I love Chuckie’s character, both for his very Kitty-like sense of humour, and the role he plays in causing some delicious tension between Kitty and Martini. One of the best things about ‘Touched by an Alien’ was the immediate intimacy between Kitty and Martini. Martini was literally proposing to Kitty from the get-go, and they’ve both been mutually infatuated ever since. It’s a rather unusual coupling for a series – that the protagonist has found her true love and is sticking with him, no matter what. There’s no will-they-or-won’t-they to Kitty and Martini. There’s just love. That’s not to say there isn’t any tension . . . Koch has written Martini as a deliciously territorial Neanderthal, and Kitty is an alien-magnet who has attracted her fair share of crushes (including Martini’s cousin, Christopher). But Chuckie poses an entirely new set of jealous problems for Martini. Chuckie has known Kitty for longer, they have a romantic history, and in light of recent inter-galactic wedding complications, the human Chuckie could potentially be an easier relationship for Kitty.

I really love that Koch has found new ways to explore and strengthen Kitty and Martini’s relationship. Not only is Chuckie a hilarious addition to the cast (seriously, Martini’s responses to him are priceless!), but his presence has triggered a whole new dynamic between Kitty and Martini.

I thought Koch outdid herself in ‘Alien Tango’ when she introduced a whole cachet of fascinating secondary characters – from alien consciousness ‘ACE’ to hottie agent Kevin. But Koch absolutely goes above and beyond in ‘Family’. Expect to see some very drunk, but very helpful college footballers and a new human addition to the A-C team. But best of all are the fun and furry new characters, named ‘Poofs’. Yes, the name sounds awful out of context, but these alien fur-balls are total scene-stealers, and you’ll finish the book wishing these was a plush Poof doll tie-in.

The stand-out of any Kitty Katt novel is the relationship of Kitty and Martini. These two are the hottest couple in the universe – the Brangelina of outer space, if you will. I am happy to report that Kitty and Martini meet their smut quota in ‘Family’, but readers should also be prepared for some sweet romantic moments that require tissues. Plus, there’s a bonus musical appearance that will send you head over heels.

At this point in the series it should be apparent that Gini Koch can do no wrong. ‘Alien in the Family’ is yet another book-blockbuster of fantastic proportions. Kitty and Martini have one of the most envious fictional relationships and Kitty is the most rockin ass-kicker to grace the space-opera genre. This third instalment is phenomenal, but fans should be warned that an ‘OMIGOD!’ ending will make the months drag by until the December release of ‘Alien Proliferation’.

[Ratkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

First the necessary disclaimer: This review is based on my having read an Advanced Reader Copy of "Alien in the Family." Said ARC was won in a contest on the author's website. Thanks, Gini! (By the way, if you're a fan of Gini Koch's books and you're not part of her "Hook Me Up" e-mail list...you should be. You can sign up at her website, www.ginikoch,com .)

"Alien in the Family" is the third book in Ms. Koch's series about the exploits of Katherine "Kitty" Katt, following series debut "Touched By An Alien" and "Alien Tango." My personal recommendation would be to read the first two books before digging into the new one. This is in no way a reflection on the author's ability to quickly bring newcomers up to date on past events; it is solely a reflection of my belief that everyone should be reading the Kitty Katt series. All three books are well imagined, well written and incredible fun to read.

Before I tackle a discussion of this new book, let me just say that the series as a whole is a masterful blend of Science Fiction, Romance, and Comedy. As a male who is well into his middle-age years (OK, OK..."on his way out of" is probably more accurate), I'm not part of the usual demographic for a series that's even partially a Romance. Doesn't matter. You may be reading a Romantic Science Fiction story with a lot of humor, but I'm reading a funny Science Fiction series that happens to have some romantic moments along the way. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

By the way, I'm using the term "Science Fiction" fairly loosely. I'm using it because a more accurate description, like "a Fiction story that has Aliens, portals, creatures from Outer Space and other elements of actual Science Fiction but is completely lacking in Science" is just too cumbersome. If you demand actual, logical, scientific explanations for the things that go on in the wonderful world Gini Koch has created, you probably want to skip the rest of this review and look for some other book. (You'll be missing out on a lot of fun if you do, but that's your problem.) The author has developed an impressive arsenal of ways to avoid scientific explanations. I think my favorite so far occurs in this new book, when someone (on the phone, so we're not privy to the conversation) gives the explanation to Chuckie so he can explain it to the less scientifically oriented Kitty. He never does.

On to "Alien in the Family." I loathe plot descriptions, so I'll keep this short. It's six months after the events in "Alien Tango," and Kitty is slowly preparing for her marriage to Martini. Very slowly. Kitty discovers that Martini is a member of the A-C royal family back on the home planet, and it becomes apparent that representatives are coming to Earth to test Kitty and see if they approve of her marrying into royalty. Lots of interesting and fun stuff happens after that. Too short? Go back and re-read the second sentence of this paragraph, and insert the word "really" between the first and second words.

From here, it's hard to get more detailed without giving things away. The first two books in the series are characterized by fast-moving plots with lots of action, and this third book follows that tradition. There are a lot of new characters who pop up, both in terms of aliens (keeping in mind that it already been established that there are a bunch of other planets in the A-C solar system(s)) and in meeting Kitty's extended family. There are Good Guys, Bad Guys, Good Guys who turn out to be Bad Guys, Bad (or at least Anti-Social) Guys who turn into Good Guys, and just about any other variation you could ask for. And that's not even talking about the family! And the Poofs! Everybody will love the Poofs!

I can't resist one spoiler. Ready? Here it is: Alliflash and Gigantigator don't make it to the wedding! There...I said it!

I love the Kitty Katt books, and "Alien in the Family" is a wonderful addition to the series. I heartily recommend it, and urge you to read it (and the other books, if you haven't already). They're simply too much fun to avoid.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book again, of Kitty first using the thinking of chess moves to figure out the bad guys plans! So great!

*First read December 1st, 2016*
Oh, yeah, this was another fantastic book in this series! So enjoyable, and yeah, I've decided I have to catch up with this series to what's been published, so reading up and including Alien Nation this coming week!

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st Re-read: 9 August 2022 - 11 August 2022



3.5 Stars

Again laugh central. Also I abso-fucking-lutely loved the pets! ♥

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life

*Contains MINOR SPOILERS for the previous books in the series.

Kitty, Martini and the whole gang are back with a vengeance and Gini does the seemingly impossible, by delivering a third book in a series that leaves nothing to be desired when put up against the previous installments. We all know how hard it is for a series to be consistently amazing, book after book, capturing our attention and hearts with every single one that the author puts out. If someone has the knack of accomplishing that task, in spades, that person is Gini Koch!

It has been an year since Kitty’ world was turned upside down. One simple year since she killed a super being with a Mont-Blanc pen and found out that Aliens have been living inconspicuously amongst humans for a long time. A lot has happened since then, Fuglies has been constantly attacking, political maneuvers are all around, killer alligators, sentient beings, her boyfriend’s not-so-friendly mother, interplanetary biggots and so much more…

In Alien in the Family Kitty and Martini are finally planning their wedding, but it’s not all that easy as being in love. There are a lot of people that don’t want this wedding to happen and they will do whatever it takes to keep these two apart.

I LOVED Alien in the Family! Gini has created such an amazing world that so fascinating and fun that I can’t help but being completely obsessed with it. Kitty is the ultimate kick-ass heroine! She is fun, smart, sexy, hilarious, quirky and doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty when the need arises. She is also fiercely loyal to her people and that makes her absolutely ruthless when she knows they are in danger.

SO much happens in Alien in the Family, but it feels so natural that I guarantee you’ll devour this incredible novel in just a few hours. I really tried to pace myself, at least a little bit, just so I could enjoy the book more. However, I found that to be impossible when it comes to Martini, Reader, Kitty, Chuckie, Christopher and every single one of the superb characters that bring this series to life.

Alien in the Family has a little bit of goodness for everyone. A lot of Kitty and Martini, Kitty and Reader, Kitty and Chuckie, awesone new characters, action packed and full of heart. Oh, and there are also The Poofs {It’s all about the Poofs, baby!}, the perfect package for any fan of Kitty’s adventures. Gini has done it again and brought us another deliciously succulent installment of a series that I hope will be around for many more books to come. If you haven’t read this series yet, I absolutely advise you to pick up Touched by an Alien and Alien Tango as soon as possible, I promise you won’t regret it for a second!

[Jessica Buwalda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alien in the family was the best book of the series so far. And its all because of the wedding and Jeff Martini. As Kitty sprints down the ile—err, literally—she has many things to deal with, lesbians that grope her, injured friends, alien invasion, passing a test from Jeff’s homeworld, and again figuring out her feelings about everything before anyone else does. That’s the one thing I find weird everyone in this novel seems to know Kitty’s feelings before her, but whatever it seems to all work out. Now, a surprise Vegas wedding… that’s my style of wedding lol. But, if you’ve read the other books in the series, you know what went down once before in Vegas….I think Kitty might be a little hot under the collar in this one. But not worries because Jeff is there this time. And Jeff Martini is by far the most romantic man I’ve seen around in a while, especially in this novel. He buys her some nice clothes (*cough, cough) some jewellery, and just plain loves her and showers her with love in this novel. I’m swooning right now just thinking about it. And the wedding is by far the most entertaining wedding I’ve ever read about. Only kitty would do what she does at her wedding, and only sexy romantic Jeff would laugh about it and join in with her.
Good:
Kitty: She’s funny. She also just doesn’t care and gets right up into people’s faces and says it.
Jeff Martini: Sexy alien. Romantic man. What a catch. I like his style, and I like how he thinks.
James Reader: Gay best friend. Greatest man around. Did I mention Ex-male model? That sums it up.
Christopher: I’m come to love Christopher more and more. Someone needs to find him a woman so he can live happily every after.
Poofs: Poofs are the greatest animals not from this earth. If there were ever to be Alien visitors I want, no, demand they bring me one. I would treat it with love and tender care. Scouts honour. I mean…girl scouts honour. You know what I mean.
Bad:
Kitty: I know, I know, the same story going on here. Although I still hate that Kitty STILL has cold feet about Jeff, I am happy that she makes up her mind and realizes how lucky she is.
Overall (Writing style, story line, and general):
Overall there were some times that I had to re-read things to complete understand what was going on. There were also times when I stopped re-read something thinking “What?” and realized “Ya, that really did just happen.” This novel has some twists and turn, some visitors, some scary moments, some stupid moments, some Xena Warrior Princess moments, and some lovely romantic moments…and others that were too hot to mention. It also seems that the book just keep getting bigger and bigger in the series. I have no clue how I can speed through them so quickly other than they must be really good.

View more of my review and others at my blog: www.mynotsovacantshelf.blogspot.com

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alien in the Family continues the story six months on from the ending of Alien Tango, Kitty and Martini's relationship is stronger than ever and they are in the middle of planning their wedding. Their only worry should be how to keep the fact that Martini's family are all aliens a secret from Kitty's family but their lives are never that simple. It turns out that Martini is in fact a member of the Alpha Centaurion Royal Family and they're about to have visitors who want to make sure Kitty is a suitable wife for him. They aren't the only new additions to the guest list though, members of the Planetary Council are also on their way and things are about to get complicated!

If you've read any of my previous reviews for this series you'll already know that I've become a massive fan of Gini Koch - it's been a while since a new series hooked me in quite so quickly. I'm not sure how Gini does it but the series just keeps on getting better and better with each new installment. To say Alien in the Family is action packed is an understatement, the surprises just keep coming and it makes for an addictive read. When I pick up one of these books I have to know I've got plenty of time to read - I can easily devour each book in one sitting and find them nearly impossible to put down once I get started.

I don't want to give spoilers by telling you any more about the plot so I'm just going to say if you love Kitty, Martini and the gang you're going to love this installment. There are some fantastically sweet moments between Kitty & Martini, I love the friendship between Kitty & Reader and Kitty gets some fab new pets (OMG I want a Poof of my own!). Along with the team we know and love we are also introduced to some great new characters, Kitty gets to meet her alien soul sister and she also adds some new members to the airborn crew.

This story made me laugh and cry, it was an emotional roller coaster and I loved every minute of it. It's going to be a long wait until Alien Proliferation comes out in December and I know it will be a book I devour as soon as I can get my hands on a copy. Kitty and Martini remain one of my favourite fictional couples and I'm already looking forward to their next adventure. In the meantime I feel a re-read coming on! If you're yet to discover this series don't let the science fiction label put you off, if you're an urban fantasy fan who enjoys a fast paced story line with sexy characters and non-stop action then you'll adore these books!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Third book in the series and I still love it. It still takes me 2 days to read each book, which is unusual for me, but there is just so much happening and I feel the need to savour it all.

Kitty and Jeff have announced their engagement but are lagging behind on the wedding prep. Trying too hard to make everything perfect. Different religions, 2 on Kitty's side & 1 big one on Jeff's side; different cultural traditions; planetary & Alpha Four monarchist interruptions, notwithstanding.

As always, there is more than one plot happening, we have lesbian Amazon assassins from Beta Twelve; all Kitty's relatives who don't know about aliens coming to the wedding, most who can't believe she isn't marrying Chuckie; a group of aliens from the Alpha Four solar system claiming to be the Planetary Council; a PPB consciousness (just like ACE) but who went bad because of the hatred for men on Beta Twelve.

And of course only Kitty and the team can solve, diffuse and make right all the fun things that happen to them.

Oh and we have a great wedding to go to as well. *confetti, cake & great tunes*

Already hanging for the next book Alien Proliferation

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn't bring myself to give this book 3 stars because the last 1/4 of the book was a painfully long description of wedding preparations and an actual wedding. I'm sorry, but there's nothing interesting about planning a wedding unless you're in it. I kept expecting another alien to attack or something, but really, it was all wrapped up and then there was wedding planning. And the wedding. Ugh. SO fair warning if you're still reading this series. And if you are, why? (Seriously, I'm curious why I'm still reading it!)

Kitty remains ridiculous. And I have to say this: The whole fighting to music thing would work a lot better if ebooks would progress to sound effects. I'm serious about this, and it's not particularly a slight against the author, it's just something I'm eager to see as the next step in reading evolution, and this is why. How much easier to picture her fighting to Aerosmith if the song is playing while I read? Just saying...I'm an author, too, and would love to see this advancement. So easy, but it would require technology and creativity to work together in a way that convinces businessmen they would make money off the concept. (Psst...you would!)

Do I recommend? If you're still reading this series, sure! If you haven't started yet...I'm still not convinced it's a good idea. :)

www.christineamsden.com

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should go back and add Jewish interest to the first books since our heroine is half Jewish. This one is about the revelation that her fiance Jeff's original family back on Alpha Centari have decided to take an interest in who he is considering marrying for an interesting reason that is a revelation to Kitty. Hey, I'm trying HARD here not to give anything away! It is fun until we get to the big event, which most people can guess at but I won't specify. Then it slows down to showing every last bit of action and thought in suffocating detail. The so called humorous parts left me cold. Not out of disapproval, even though I suppose that is where the humor came in, that it was so opposite any etiquette for the occasion, but because by then I was so bored! I kept reading because I wanted to know what else, if anything, happened. However, the events before the big event were loads of fun: full of madcap adventures to save the world and the family. Also, the cutest alien pet like animals were introduced to us called Poofs. Think Tribbles and you have the idea, only cuter....and possibly more dangerous. If the author had reduced the big event account by 2/3, the book would have likely gotten another star from me.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Kitty's world is full of organized chaos, out-of-this-world battles, and some rockin' great tunes. In addition to all that, in this book we are off to Vegas! It was funny to see that all the women loved the idea of gambling while the men not so much.

To top it all off, Kitty and Jeff are finally gonna tie the knot. But, they can't do it without a little help from their friends. Most of all, Reader, James or Jaime, is there to save the day. His scare almost had me ditching the series if the result had been different. This series just wouldn't be the same, at this point, without Reader. Every bride should have a Reader on staff! I was quite jealous myself. Kitty's family continues to grow as we meet many new characters and not all of them human or AC.

This was another fun, albeit quite long, addition to the series. I am looking forward to Alien Proliferation. (Rating: 4.5★)

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty is one really busy girl. Not only does she have to plan her wedding, she has to worry about some sort of testing to see if she's fit to be Jeff's bride, there's a race of alien Amazons who want to conquer this world, and yeah Jeff could be the next king of A-Cs.

This is my favourite in the series. More of the time was dedicated to Jeff and Kitty's relationship, and Kitty's various friendships.

We get to see more of the way that the A-Cs planet works, it's politics, history and customs.

One of the great things in the book are Poofs. They sound so great and fluffy and just adorable. *sigh*

The best part of the book is the wedding. I was laughing uncontrollably.

I can't wait for the next book in the series Alien Proliferation which comes out in December.

Rating:

5 stars.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most books end with the proposal. A few end with the wedding. This one goes past the wedding.

I didn't care as much for this book. It asked for too much suspension of belief. I don't care how much money or influence you have, I can't believe the wedding that was pulled together in such a short period of time. The story jumped the shark for me when "Tears for Fears" played the bachelorette party. Really!?!

I've also become really bored with "great sex" being the #1 reason for the couple to stay together and marry. I was willing to accept that Martini fell in love instantly and mates for life because he's an alien. I'm not willing to accept "great sex" as the best reason to marry.

I'm going to get the next book but it had better be an improvement. If it's not, then I'm selling the entire series to Half-Price Books.

[Deanka · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the first one and it was good, made me want to read the sequel, but I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed. There were all these mini cliff hangers in like every chapter, and the set ups didn't really make any sense. Plus, if I had to read how Kitty had to be wrapped around Jeff everytime they went through a gate one more time I think i was going to throw the book against a wall. Seriously, this is supposed to be a kick-ass character, and yet everytime she gets near her boyfriend she has to be carried everywhere? It became annoying, I was going to read part 3 but now I think i'm done with this series. And after the big reveal went down, there was still like 1/3rd of the book to get through just for the wedding, i kept thinking something else big was going to happen, but it never did.

[Regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was entertaining.Im sure anyone that has read the first books in the series probably liked it more,but some of it was really stupid and irritating.The herione(KITTY) kept jumping into her fiances arms and wrapping her legs around his waiste and letting him carry her around.Even at her engagement party.That was just so stupid to me.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joint review with Has originally posted here: http://thebookpushers.com/2011/04/12/...


Publisher: Daw
Publish Date: Out Now
How we got this book: Review requested from author

Has: I have been looking forward to this book for a long time especially since it promised an eventful event for Kitty and Jeff and in that case it certainly didn’t disappoint.

MinnChica: I too have been really looking forward to this one. I’ve come to love the hijinks that Kitty and Martini get into, and with their wedding being in this book.. I knew it would be a treat!

Has: I think this book really cemented their relationship in a lot of ways and definitely developed further which I loved. And I think it really needed that, especially with the previous events and happenings.

MinnChica: Definitely. I felt like both Kitty and Jeff were really focused on each other, on their relationship in this book. To me, it felt like they were in a more adult relationship; trusting each other, putting their faith in each other, growing together, and I loved that!

Has: Yes! I think my favourite scenes from the books and I think from the series to date between them, is in this book. I loved how they learned from each other and realised a few things with this book.

MinnChica: Exactly!! Although it seems like the two of them did not have as much page time together as they had in previous books. So much of this story also focused on Reader (whom I love and adore) and Kitty as they humans within the AC group.

Has: And Reader definitely has some interesting developments too! I was glad we got a lot more insight with him because the first two books focused so much with Kitty and Jeff. I also hope we get more insight and development with other characters like Christopher and the other AC’s in future books.

MinnChica: I agree completely. Gini does such a good job of bringing the secondary characters to life, I totally want more and more of all the secondary characters.

Has: I also loved the new characters that were introduced – like the new alien AC’s and the tribble like Poofs whose’s scenes were a HIGHLIGHT of hilarity.

MinnChica: OMG yes, the poofs were so fun!! I loved every scene with them. And the new Aliens were a great introduction to explanding the world. I loved how different they were than other typical aliens. I hope they stick around for future books!

Has: It definitely expanded the world and I loved the brief glimpse we got of the offworld setting too! I wished we had more of that because it felt like a taster of how the AC’s origins. Although a few subplots was tied up in Alien in the Family – A few has opened up which I look forward to seeing happening.

MinnChica: Yes, there were a lot of sub plots that were left open in this book, and I have to say that was one thing that I was a little disappointed in. There was SO MUCH going on in this book. Sometimes I felt like my head was spinning in a million different directions, trying to keep up with everything.

Has: I agree – I actually had trouble following the main subplot which was the alien threat/conspiracy that was happening alongside the buildup to the wedding. I think due to the hectic pace and the twists and turns – so much was happening it was really hard to follow especially when the twists happened. I had to reread those sections to follow what was going on.

MinnChica: Yea, I found myself flipping back and forth pages as well, trying to figure out if I missed anything or didn’t let something sink in all the way. And that is typically something I never have to do. This book is definitely FILLED up with action and non stop plot twists and turns, almost to the point of brain overload.

Has: It really felt like it two books in one – there was enough to fill two books but it was jammed all in one.

MinnChica: Agreed, I felt as if it could have been separated into two books as well, although I don’t know if I would have wanted to wait any more for the Kitty/Martini wedding. Which while I know some people felt dragged on, I was happy with it. I loved that they did things their own quirky way, and that nothing happened to disrupt their day. I breathed a little sigh of relief that no fugly or big bad guy popped out to ruin things for them!

Has: I thought something was going to happen in the wedding too but I loved the scenes leading up to it along with the big day itself. I thought it was a fun and a cute ending- I especially loved the unique ‘wedding march’ bit.

MinnChica: Exactly! It was so fun and personal to them. I really enjoyed that!

Has: I think the wedding scenes/the ending felt a bit like a novella/epilogue of sorts – I think it could have stood out very well as a stand alone short. I think so much happened in the book we needed a bit of a breather although it did feel like something bad was going to disrupt the big day but I was glad it never happened!

MinnChica: I thought exactly the same thing, that the last 100 pages or so would have made a great novella within the series. As much as I loved it, it did seem to drag out the story and left me almost emotionally drained at the end.

Has: Exactly!!! I felt the same way. So much happened in a relative short frame of time it was definitely overwhelming

MinnChica: All in all, I really liked Alien in the Family. Although the book really seemed to drag on at times, and was filled with sub plots galore, I really did enjoy the extensive continuation of world building, introduction of new characters and development of Kitty and Jeff’s relationship. I can’t wait to see where else Gini will take us. I give Alien in the Family a B-

Has: I also enjoyed Alien in the Family and some of my all time favourite scenes with Jeff and Kitty are in this book. I also loved the expansion of the AC world and the new alien races, although I did feel overwhelmed with the plotline, which felt that there was too much going on. However this book for me cements Jeff and Kitty’s relationship in a lot of ways and I look forward to seeing how it evolves further in the next book. I give Alien in the Family a C+

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.0
Genre: Science Fiction/Romance


Alien in the Family is the third release in the Katherine "Kitty" Katt science fiction romance series. If you thought things were wacky the last time out, prepare for a rollercoaster ride that ends with some surprises including one I did not see coming and now wonder in what direction the series will go from here.

Kitty is a former marketing guru who is now Commander for the Centaurion Divisions Airborne Division. She was given the position after she killed a superbug with a pen, and then came up with various ways to kill the superbugs including the use of hairspray. Airborne is made up of mostly humans, US Navy Pilots as well as James Reader who is a former runway model and everything Jeff Martini is not. Funny, handsome, charming, and NOT jealous of Kitty's relationship with other men.

She even has a few A-CS mixed in like Lorraine and Claudia who are her best A-C friends and Dazzlers. How she is a commander of anything is beyond me and others ask the same question throughout the series. She is clueless to the rules and regulations of the CD, since she prefers to spend all her days and nights having monster sex with Jeff. But, she seems to always be the first one to figure out what is happening before anyone else can, and jumps in without hesitation when those she loves are in anyway put in harms way.

Kitty and her Alpha Centaurian betrothed, Jeff Martini, are six weeks away from being married but, Kitty hasn’t even firmed up her wedding party participants yet or bought her wedding gown. Both families are even questioning if this romance is really happening, or is Kitty going to play runaway bride by running off to be with her best friend since the age 13 Chuckie. It doesn’t hurt that he is as rich as Bill Gates, the head of the CIA’s ET Division which oversees the Centaurion Division, and Australia's most eligible bachelor.

Kitty finds that she is totally stressing out about her wedding. The reason for the stress she is experiencing? Jeff’s mother Lucinda, she believes, hates her and still wants him to marry someone else who is A-C. Kitty’s family has already expressed their opinion on the fact that Chuckie or Christopher would have been better mates for her than Jeff, but have come to understand that Kitty isn't the brightest lightbulb in the box when it comes to matters of the heart. She is the poster girl for interspecies marriage that is considered a test case for other couples that has been for far too long, prohibited by the Pontifex. She was responsible for a staged intervention by the US government to allow sanctuary to anyone under the age of 30 who wants to have a relationship beyond what the A-C’s considered to be right. Now, distant relatives are coming to give her a worthiness test, and nobody knows what exactly it entails; only Kitty realizes that it is meant for her to fail. Oh and the Unity necklace that Jeff gave her was the trigger in letting them know that Jeff has chosen a mate.

Surprise! Jeff and Christopher are actually descended from royalty. Jeff doesn’t want a thing to do with his family’s former planet since they basically kicked his entire family off planet for their religious views. I will probably get my head handed to me for saying this but, it really feels as though the writer has made a correlation between the aliens of Alpha Centauri and the Jewish people of Europe during the early 20th century for which six million died unnessarily.

On top of everything else, assassins nearly succeed in taking out one of the main characters who I have come to love James Reader. Sorry, but if James wasn’t gay, Kitty and he would definitely make a fun couple. James is the anti-Jeff in more ways than one. He also jumps right in without any hesitation and helps Kitty and Jeff plan their wedding, and buy the ideal dress for her. I have no clue why Koch feels the need to dress Kitty as a slut however, regardless if this were Las Vegas, as it is drilled into the readers heads over and over again. I dont much care for all the hot monkey sex that just seems to happen like anywhere, but I'm sure others who love romance and lost of sex will.

My one complaint in regards to this story, it seems to drag on from time to time instead of getting to the point; the wedding of Jeff and Kitty.

I absolutely loved the introduction of the Poofs. If you have ever watched the original Star Trek series, then think of them as the tribbles. Only these poofs are known as royal pets and they immediately attach themselves to Kitty, Jeff and Christopher. They even grow and eat the bad people!

Funniest moment of the book for me: Kitty and her alpha teammates (which now include an MD candidate named Tito, who saves James life) are gathered in Las Vegas to plan out strategy for meeting the alien invasion head on. Kitty, as always, is ignored by Chuckie and Jeff since they are having a man moment in seeing who has the biggest balls. Kitty, in a moment of pure brilliance, raises her top up to show her girls and everyone stops what they are doing; including Lorraine and Claudia who are cracking themselves up with laughter. The Navy pilots, of course, demand pictures for the sake of moral. Chuckie and Jeff are left speechless and mumbling like idiots. Bloody brilliant.

Yes, there is a wedding, but naturally nothing is done normally with Kitty and Jeff on the scene. Instead of walking down the aisle, they run like it was a track meet. There are some really interesting new aliens introducted as well. Canus Majorians, Feliniads, Reptillians, and Amazon assassins who want Kitty as one of their own. One of the aliens even becomes Kitty's soul sister and matron of honor.

Overall, the story was good, but it could have been alot better if it didn't seem to go on, and on at times. The ending is interesting as well, and it appears Kitty's future as part of the CD is up in the air since you know Jeff will not allow her to jump into fights now.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gate to the Transhuman: Surrealism in the Ars Poetica of Gini Koch

Love, Hope, and Faith; the Gifts of Pandora which define what is uniquely human, our instincts to transcend ourselves and the limits of our form, forces of light which balance those of darkness; the flaws of our humanity and the brokenness of the world.
Gini Koch’s Alien in the Family, and the Aliens series as a multivolume story arc, charts the limits of the human as machine, monster, and Nietzschean superman as allegories of degradation and exaltation.
It is also a form of Surrealism.
Surrealism is defined by twin characteristics; the quest to transcend ourselves, often in terms of religious mysticism, and the use of dreams as a door to the Infinite. Djuna Barnes’ Nightwood is a Surrealist classic; Vladimir Nabokov, especially in Ada, with his experiments in dreams as time travel and prophecies is the other best example which immediately comes to mind for me, but many works either advance the Surrealist project of transformation or use dream images and symbols extensively.
Djuna Barnes is Promethean in her rebellion, a thief of the fire of the gods, a figure out of Milton or Blake, wielding her Lacanian vision into character and the human condition like the camera of Annie Leibovitz, ablating illusions and subliming us her readers into purified figures like the images freed by Michelangelo from the stone.
Her Great Book, Nightwood, is a work of oblique intent like the subversive satire of Gini Koch; a magician's trick which both reveals and misdirects, summoning the Unseen and a welter of forking paths like the garden of Jorge Borges. She has given us an allegory of becoming human, of release and awakening from our animal condition; a nightmare journey through a labyrinth guided by her words like Ariadne's thread, a Book of the Dead which leads us through the stages of initiation along with her protagonist until we are at last liberated and transformed as a fully aware and free being.
Nightwood is thoroughly saturated with religious symbolism and motif structures, but harnessed to a unique and transgressive artistic vision. Her use of paradox, juxtaposition, sentence structures where endings are beginnings; all reinforced her intent to free us from historical and authoritarian structures and discover new forms and meanings.
At once a gnostic-magical path of transcendence of one’s animal nature and liberation from the prison of the material world, and a glorious reimagination of her sources and references, Djuna Barnes stirs into her cauldron the King James Bible, Blake, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Freud, Nietzsche, an unraveling and reweaving of the fate of ourselves and our civilization.
It remains an inchoate paen of freedom, a summoning, a battle hymn of feminist and other humanistic empowerment, and a novel of colossal imagination, artistry, and poetic force.
Jungian psychology and its form as James Hillman’s archetypal classicism can be described as Surrealism, also as syncretic mysticism, as he modeled it on alchemical philosophy and Coleridge’s Primary Imagination. Tibetan Buddhism has the Bardo, and Islam the alam al mythal, as states of being and interfaces between life and death and the individual and the Infinite; Rene Daumal's Mount Analogue is a stellar example of modern mysticism as Surrealism.
Mount Analogue: A Novel of Symbolically Authentic Non-Euclidean Adventures in Mountain Climbing, like the great film Alejandro Jodorowsky made of it entitled The Holy Mountain, is an allegorical journey to the Infinite, by a dying man struggling to leave behind a record of all that he has learned, informed by a huge and very odd syncretic scholarship, like the tracks of the mysteries he follows to the other side, as a guide for rest of us.
As a primary Surrealist text it references Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain, a re-negotiation of the terms of the social contract and an interrogation into the failure of civilization from its internal contradictions in World War One.
The Magic Mountain recasts Plato's Dialogues as a forum of modern ideologies in a hospital ward for the dying, a kind of Congress of Possible Nations. Herein Thomas Mann diagnoses and explores the malaise and rebirth of civilization. His major influences include Goethe, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Wagner, and Tolstoy. In his 1939 Princeton lecture Thomas Mann discussed the idea that his novel belongs to a quest tradition, which makes its hero a type of the Grail Knight, Parsifal; and suggests an awareness of Emma Jung's work on the subject.
As in the tale of the Fisher King in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the Wasteland period of Lancelot’s madness and his recovery and regeneration of the land, and the Grail Quest itself, The Magic Mountain is an allegory of the fall and rebirth of civilization and of humanity.
And like all Surrealism, maps the topologies of madness as transcendence and exaltation, its point of divergence with Absurdism being the fracture and abandonment of meaning which is inherent or implicit in being rather than created by us, aesthetics which parallel the historical shift from an authoritarian-religious to an Existential-Humanist paradigm; the breaking of the medieval Great Chain of Being.
Through the influence of Philip K. Dick, Surrealism has become pervasive in our culture, and both the science fiction and fantasy genres may be considered special forms of Surrealism with their own conventions. It is these conventions, tropes, and iconographies of our normality which Gini Koch satirizes with delightful and wicked Lacanian vision and a ferocious wit which recalls that of Jeanette Winterson, Camille Paglia, and Rebecca Solnit.
Metaphysical fantasies, Surrealism and dreams, a Quixotic tilting at authoritarian power structures, the world as a prison of the flesh and a web of treacherous illusions, varieties of truth and lies, madness and the ecstatic liberation of consciousness as well as the possibilities of re-editing humanity through chemistry and allied to the mission of Timothy Leary, echoes of Kafka, Gogol, and Camus; Philip K. Dick is a seer whose visions of our possible futures illuminate questions of human being, meaning, and value.
Reality and epistemic doubt, madness and vision, identity and its infinite reflections, rebellion against authority as self creation and other existential themes; his stories are treasures which unfold as pathways of becoming human.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, and the great film Blade Runner on which it is based, investigates the definition, boundaries, and meanings of being human, and the test of empathy as its qualification. What is human? Is empathy exclusive to humans, something machines and animals are without?
It is a central theme of Gini Koch’s works, which surfaces in the Aliens series as threatening figures of mechanical and biological transhumanism; robots, androids, and cyborgs as well as beasts, monsters, and supermen who like Alberich the dwarf in Wagner’s Ring must sacrifice the ability to love in the quest for tyrannical power.
For a final comparative example with which to illuminate the works of Gini Koch as Surrealism, I turn to those of William S. Burroughs. An encyclopedic and phantasmagorical body of work, full of dark satire, science fiction tropes, chaos, magic, songs of anarchy and freedom, and a beautiful unbounded transgression, William S. Burroughs wove revolutionary socio-political insights together with the glorious madness of Dionysian ecstatic vision.
Combining in his person Existentialism and Surrealism, his work is driven by two great themes; rebellion against Authority and the dreamquest of a magician to become a god.
The first of these themes being Sartrean Authenticity and a Promethean rebellion versus Control, a personification of all forms of thought control and normalcy, referential to Camus, Genet, Nietzsche, the English Romantics, de Sade, and most of all Georges Bataille, whose post-Freudian analysis of sociocultural forces and institutions, developed within the theoretical framework of Levi-Strauss and structural anthropology, indict Authority as a means of dehumanizing and shaping us into the tools of our own governmental, religious, and economic enslavement. The influence of Bataille on William S. Burroughs cannot be overstated.
His second major theme is ecstatic vision and transcendence as a path of liberation from the material world, a sublimity achieved through the derangement of the senses; sex, drugs, violence, and the pursuit of the extreme and the bizarre. As in the early novels of his direct model Jean Genet, a major theme in this is the seizure of power and authenticity through transgression of the Forbidden.
This includes the many magical subterfuges and arcane disciplines he practiced, the cut-up method of randomization invented with Brion Gysin and intended as a ritual of prophecy derived from the I Ching, experiments with telepathy, precognition, shapeshifting, out of body travel to other dimensions and times, curses and psychic conflicts with malign and alien forces, and a path of spiritism akin to that of voodoo which as a Jungian I would call shadow work. In this aspect he resembles Philip K Dick, prophet of the transhuman.
The Wild Boys envisions feral youths in rebellion against the Authority that created them, a dystopian future in which man’s animal nature has been betrayed by civilization but which also has the power to redeem him, the final part of his Anarchist trilogy which extends his recurrent theme of werewolves as symbolic of our essential wildness and unconquerable nature and a type of Nietzschean Superman; beyond good and evil. The Wild Boys extends de Sade and Rousseau’s ideal of the natural man as uncorrupted by civilization and unlimited by its boundaries, as truths immanent in nature and written in our flesh, in a reversal of Freud’s ideology of civilization as restraint of our nature. David Bowie created his character of Ziggy Stardust based on The Wild Boys; Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange and H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau here mingle and intertwine.
Like the monstrous and theriomorphic villains of Gini Koch which are figures of the horror of loss of our humanity through degradation to an animal state, Burroughs’ werewolves and his Lovecraftian fascist Venusian insects scheming to conquer the earth by addicting humankind to heroin as a metaphor of capitalism in the ostensible travel journal Interzone are also symbols of both the hubris of seizing the Promethean fire of the gods and the dangers of the sin of Pride in becoming self created and autonomous beings, themes of Romantic Idealism referential to their sources in Frankenstein and Milton.
Like those of Gini Koch, all of William S. Burroughs’ works may be read as conceptual art representing surrealist films in the tradition of Cocteau, Artaud, Dali, David Lynch, Wim Wenders, Tim Burton, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Guillermo del Toro. This is especially true of his revisioning of the Egyptian Book of the Dead in The Western Lands, final volume of his trilogy of alternate American history, and referential to Lovecraft’s version in The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath.
Gini Koch, like Burroughs, draws on diverse mythic sources for her works; in Alien in the Family alone, primarily a hierosgamos or sacred marriage, Orpheus and Eurydice, its medieval version Beauty and the Beast, the Abduction of Persephone, the Labyrinth of Ariadne, the love triangle of Adam, Lilith, and Eve with genders reversed, and in the entirety of the Aliens series, a myth of Exile like that of Mircea Cartarescu in Blinding and Guillermo del Toro in Carnival Row, and a vernacular Kabbalah in which her hero Kitty mounts through the planetary spheres robbing them of their powers like the Redeemer of the Basilidians and becomes a Theotikos or God-Bearer.
Here I wish to signpost and offer an apologetics regarding a recurrent question of readers; why does everyone love the protagonist, Kitty? This is simple; like Nietzsche, Kitty says yes to everything. Who could resist?
Kitty is a figure of protean gender, like Virginia Woolf’s shapechanging immortal time traveler in Orlando, both figures of wholeness; and Kitty bears transformative power to see the truth of others and liberate their best selves like Michelangelo freeing the figures trapped within the stone he sculpted. The nuances and ambiguity of love and sex in the whole Aliens series merits full consideration elsewhere, particularly as a sustained interrogation of idealizations of masculine and feminine beauty and authorized identities of sex and gender; here I wish only to observe that the transgression of Gini Koch’s vision of human evolution references and reimagines the Surrealist tradition; Kitty is a Pythian seer with the power to reveal to us our true selves, and reflects Dali’s Surrealist Woman among other figures.
Tracing the influences of film, comics, and visual media in the works of Gini Koch would be a massive undertaking, as she writes parody and tribute fiction densely referential to the rich culture of science fiction and comics; interrogating her work as a literature of cinema and visual media is a subject in itself. Here I wish to recommend as an exemplar the wonderful graphic novel Giraffes of Horseback Salad, starring the Marx Brothers, a screenplay by Salvador Dali, by Josh Frank, adapted with Tim Heidecker, illustrated by Manuela Pertega.
Surrealism in the works of Gini Koch asks two questions; What is human? Who decides?
The first speaks directly to identity as a prochronism or history expressed in our form of the adaptive choices we have made over time, like the shell of a fantastic sea creature, and it becomes ambiguous with protean and fluid boundaries and interfaces which define the limits of the human from the artificial intelligences of machines, the bestial, monstrous, freakish, and subhuman as atavisms of animal instinct, and the Nietzschean superhuman with comic hero powers toward which we may be evolving.
The second question opens up the whole set of interdependent nested themes which her many novels explore, including the authorization of identities of race and gender and the weaponization of divisions of exclusionary otherness and hierarchies of belonging by hegemonic elites in service to power, the tyranny of normality and the social use of force, and transgression of the boundaries of the Forbidden as seizure of power and autonomy.
But her Surrealism, like that of her sources and references Djuna Barnes, Rene Daumal, Philip K Dick, and William S. Burroughs, reinforced by elements of Absurdism and Romantic Idealism, also offer us the Gifts of Pandora, hope, love, and faith, as redemptive powers of reimagination and transformation, and a fulcrum of change with which to restore our balance and escape the Wagnerian Ring of fear, power, and force through which those who would enslave us try to steal our souls.

[Meghan K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gini Koch, Kitty a spol. se stále daří držet laťku nadpřirozených absurdit poměrně vysoko. A pořád mě to dost baví.

U takhle dlouhých sérií paranormálních romancí není moc obvyklé, že by se svatba a myšlenky na potomstvo objevily hned ve třetím díle, ale tihle dva by kolem toho stejně nejspíš pořád chodili jako kolem horké kaše. Takže nakonec proč ne, alespoň se to bude od jiných sérií lišit. :)

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid four.

In this installment, Kitty and Jeff are getting ready to tie the knot. Except Kitty is too worried about her own 'readiness' + the continual threat of the world being taken over to spend too much time wondering which centerpiece works.

It's still an action packed story with people surviving impossible odds and doing implausible things whilst trying to survive and there's always a Hail Mary thrown in, but still it's a good sci-fi romp that is both funny and intriguing.

My problems with this story have very little to do with the plot or plots or Routine. It's to do with the characters.

Kitty is a modern woman who has some very modern relationships, she also seems a bit too obsessed with sex, and as such is questioning whether or not she and Jeff should get married. I'm sure all brides have thought this (I didn't but then I didn't marry my husband after only being with him for a year)and it makes sense that Kitty has her moment of emotional crisis and thank God Reader is there for her because if they had picked any other character to deal with her, it would've quickly went from honest worry to sex-driven nympho.

So yeah, Kitty's insecurity was a bit bothersome because that should have been handled much earlier. What bugged me the most is the constant sex. I mean, don't get me wrong, if you take a look at my shelves you'll see that I like a little sex with my stories. The problem is that Kitty and Jeff having sex has become a joke and seriously the constant orgasms are annoying. I'm saying this because I'm 30% jealous of a fictional character but the other 70% is just sheer boredom. Ok, I get it, Jeff is freaking awesome in bed.. How about having a relationship? How about treating Jeff like you treat Chuckie? He's your boyfriend/Fiance/Husband so try treating him as something other than a slab of meat because if you don't then you should be worried about your relationship.

Which brings me to Jeff. I love Jeff but good lord he was this shy of whiny in this book. Not to mention his possessive/jealousy is getting old. Kitty doesn't really do much of the flirting anymore but unless you're gonna lock her up in a room for the rest of your life, then bro needs to learn to deal. In any other book, had the author not a gift for writing dialogue and characters, Jeff would be the creepy stalker that ends up shot by the police after trying to break into his ex's house one too many times. I think we need to lay off of the Jealous Jeff thing and move on lest he become a caricature of himself.

Soo besides the two mains treading the line between angst and dysfunctional, it was a very good book and an interesting installment. There were some sentimental moments that saps like me enjoyed and some kick-ass moments that hard-asses like me enjoyed and last but not least it culminated in the union between Kitty and Jeff which should lead to some interesting adventures going further.

I will have to admit, that the last fifty pages of the book (the wedding stuff) could've been cut or edited heavily and possibly released as a short story because it was extraneous to the main plot and didn't need to be there however interesting and nice it was.

Anyhoo, solid plot but I'm concerned for the characters if the author keeps pushing the angst button. Oh! And no rape threats or jokes. That shit isn't funny

[Cyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

GENRE: Fantasy, Romance
THEME: Aliens
RECEIVED: Purchased

REVIEW:
Can I just say I wish Alien’s existed and lived on our planet, well ones that are tall, gorgeous, and are gods in bed… and named Martini.
The third book in Gini Koch’s, Kitty Katt Series is better than ever. I absolutely love this series. Not only does it have humor, men who looks like models, and action scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat, but also the plot and characters are just so darn entertaining that you never want the story to end.

{SPOLIERS} Don’t read unless you read 1 & 2

Kitty and her crew of Aliens and CIA buddies are back in action and this time they are not threaten by anything fugly, but a whole new bundle of aliens from all over the universe. Kitty and Martini are getting married, well trying to get married but the planning keeps getting held up by threats after threats and now unexpected visitors from the AC planet is heading to earth.
They discover that Kitty is about to be tested to see if she is worthy to marry Jeff (Martini), his bloodline is royalty. After more unexpected guest attack members of the team, Kitty realizes that getting married to an Alien is a whole mission in itself and that it her future with the man she loves is being majorly threatened.
So many new Alien species are introduced in this story, which was so exciting and Koch didn’t disappoint in making each character so different and absolutely entertaining. Try to picture lizards, cat, and dogs on human bodies; yep it’s that awesome.
I can also never get enough of Kitty’s interaction with her best friend Chuckie and how much Martini hates her friendship and love for him. Martini makes jealousy so hot that I have to smile each time. Plus I wish I had a bff like James. He got a larger role in this book; he has risen to the top of my ultimate favorite characters. Who wouldn’t want a friend like him, with James being gay and flirting with Kitty it makes for some awesome jealous scene with Jeff and some giggle moments for me.
So much happened in this book I don’t want to really give anything away because everything was such a surprise and the OMG moments were just oh my gosh! Everyone whose everyone is in this book and Gini does a fantastic job with putting everyone together without it getting to overwhelming.
Can I also just add (if you have read this book) I really and I mean really want a Poof! I’ve been trying to think of a name that I would name my little fuzzy alien ball. (Maybe Panda? I love Pandas lol) But I loved these new little alien characters, they were such great additions to the story and how awesome it was that each of the main characters have their own.
Highly recommend this series and book! If you haven’t read this series yet, there is something not right with that… Go and get a copy now!
RECOMMENDATION:
This is an Adult Novel with Sexual Content, love of kick butt action, Humor and much much more! Fans of Molly Harper and Jennifer Estep would love this series.

[Susi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be warned this review is definitely spoiling book 1 and 2.

Alien in the Family was probably one if the most anticipated books of 2011 for me. I love this series so much- the mix of fun, wit, action and sexy times is just irresistible for me. And this newest addition didn't disappoint. We see all those lovely characters we welcomed into our heart, again. This book just fits or we could even say it's our usual AC routine.*wink*

Kitty and Martini are wonderful as always. They are happily engaged and are nearing the end of the wedding preparations. Kitty is as witty and clever as always but we see more of her softer side. She's still a strong and opinionated but there are some moments were even she is unsure. I loved how she often heard what her heart told her- I'm a real lover of impulse decisions. Martini is so much in love- he really steals my heart every time he enters the scene. He's strong and a leader but from time to time his unsureness shows. it made me want to hug him until he feels better. Both get an extra depth in this book-there are some rough decisions to make and both have to be strong and have to believe in each other.

We also still have the wonderful side cast. Reader is still every girl's wet dream even though he is still gay. Dammit! He gets a more of a center role in Alien in the Family and that made me more than happy. I loved to see him in commander mode- it really suits him but I love his teasing self a tiny bit more.
Than there is Chuckie. I don't know why but in the first book Chuckie always embodied the "best friend" type for me but he is gradually getting more and more one of the hot guys. He shows a bit more of his emotional side in this one and I really liked that he not that opposing any longer. Makes him way more likable and I really hope that he perhaps might get his own Dazzler at some point (hint for Gini).
We also meet some very awesome new side characters in this one. Can't tell you much about these besides that you will love them. But I will tell you that I want a poof of my own. But now my lips are sealed- I swear.

The plot is as always fast-paced and engaging. You will curse yourself that you can't read faster and sit on the edge of seat, bite your nails and really hope you won't drop your book while doing it. I was so surprised how everything turned out and even more when I saw what the last part of the book was all about. *huge happy grin from ear to ear*

This book surprised me so much- I know I'm saying this way too often but Ms Koch really does things that aren't usually done in this genre and I love her even more for doing it. It's not like any other science fiction book you will ever read.

Alien in the Family is full of funny action, romance, emotion and so much more. It will make you squee and perhaps even wet your eyes at times. I loved every second of it. It's a thrilling ride you won't forget. So to sum it all up: Alien in the Family will rock your socks of.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. I really love the premise behind these books and I really enjoy the idea behind the characters. I loved the funny parts in the first book (attacking an alien with hairspray...brilliant!). I think I will give this series one more try. Here are my problems with this book:

1) Kitty is created as this strong, in-charge women in charge of the alpha flight division which is pretty cool. She has a great female role model in her mother and her friends and her new alien buddies. But... apparently the only way she can get a room full of her colleagues and her fiance to listen, is to flash them. COME ON! If I flashed a room full of men, just because, my man would be furious. And I would be horrifically disrespecting myself and my value.

2) I want to see Kitty. I read another review that talked about her "golden p-ssy", and I kind of have to agree with the questions. She starts off with being a pretty girl (which is fine), but in this book her beauty and her sexiness seems to have grown to infinite proportions. Every man, be they gay or straight, wants her...every single man, regardless of how old or married or gay. And it is frustrating as hell. Oh, and the lesbians too.

2.5) Kitty's disrespect towards her Jeff. Now, I am not saying that Jeff might have a little bit of jealousy, but dear gosh, she gives him reason to. She flirts with everything, shows off the boobs, and spends too much time acquiescing to her friend/man who is in love with her. Chuckie never denies that he loves her and would take her away. I get her own personal indecision, that is fine. But the things that happens in front of Jeff. She needs to stop Chuckie from tormenting Jeff, he is the one she has chosen to marry. What guy wouldn't be pissed if he had to go to a weeklong meeting in the hotel where is fiance and another dude spent romantic time together and he proposed. And said guy is still in the picture! And her best friend! I am not saying that her and Chuckie need to stop being friends, but boundaries!

3) This book seemed like it was trying too hard to be confusing. I get sub-plots and complicated stories, but this was just throwing in too much. Too many villains made it hard to be invested in any one story.

4) I dislike books that end with "oh my gosh (spoiler) she's pregnant. That is just a personal dislike, but I hate them. Hate them hate them hate them.

There were things I liked. I loved the Poofs (I want a Poof) and I liked the wedding and I liked the funny parts and the Iguanodons. So, this series gets one more chance for me. One more.

[Patti TheLoveJunkee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars - loved it!

Agent Kitty Katt and Alien Jeff Martini are supposed to be planning their wedding. Instead, they're being attacked by man-hating Amazons, Kitty's being tested to see if she's "suitable" to marry Jeff, and attacks by shapeshifter assassins are taking up all their time. Then, when Kitty and Jeff's families both "coincidentally" show up in Las Vegas at the same time they're there, Kitty knows something's up...

My thoughts: I'm holding Gini Koch responsible for my sleepless nights - I stayed up way too late turning pages and then dreamed about this book!!! All my favorite characters are back and she's introduced some new ones too. (The old Star Trek episode with the Tribbles is one of my favorites so of course I was all over the Poofs. I want one!!!)

As always, the action was fast-paced and exciting, but what I really like about Gini's books is the depth of her characters, and Alien in the Family I feel like we got our best look yet. We got to see a softer, less sure side of Kitty and a funnier side of Martini.

I love Kitty and Jeff - they are one of my favorite fictional couples, but Kitty and Reader are my favorite fictional "noncouple". They had me "awwww"-ing and holding my hand over my heart, especially during the hospital scene. Reader was fabulous throughout the book, I want a BFF like Reader! Is it horrible that I loved how cute Martini and Gower were when they were jealous of Kitty and Reader's relationship? (Too bad, I loved it!)

I have been a fan of Chuckie since book 1 when we hadn't even met him yet. I continue to be a Chuckie fan - he's obviously still in love with Kitty but is supportive of her decision to marry Jeff (while letting her know he's available if things should fall through, lol). I do wonder why the female AC's aren't all over Chuckie - he's brilliant!

One tiny niggle: I did have a bit of an issue with the football players; it seemed to me that things could have gone another way for Kitty, and I'm apparently not as forgiving as she is - in my mind there's never an excuse to treat a woman that way.

Ms. Koch packs fast-paced action, over-the-top fun, super-sexy romancing and a fabulous ending into another amazing installment of her Alien series; it's going to be a long wait until December for Alien Proliferation!!!