Night Life - Caitlin Kittredge

When I grow up I want to live in Nocturne City. Maybe not Ghosttown, since I’m just a puny human and would end up pretty dead pretty quickly, but one of the less demon-infested areas would be nice. And the fictional world of Nocturne City has got to be one of the big selling points for Kittredge’s debut novel. Part Dark City, part Lovecraftian nightmare, it’s the perfect backdrop for Luna Wilder.

She’s a cop. She’s a werewolf. She’s a badass and she’s a completely believable, sympathetic character, struggling against sexism on the force, her own werewolf nature and a string of grisly murders that point straight to Ukranian werewolf Dmitri (or do they?). She does have the big mouth and bad temper that’s often typical of the genre, but she’s a distinct enough character that you don’t really mind.

The mystery element of the book is fun; complicated enough to keep you guessing and horror-laden enough to keep you page turning. But it’s the streets and denizens of Nocturne City that really raise Night Life above the rest of the tough-lady urban fantasy novels out there. Scenes like the one between Luna, Dmitri and Cassandra are creepy and fascinating, giving a glimpse of the wider world the characters inhabit.

The werewolf angle is well-handled. Not too much information thrown at you all at once, but there are enough hints at Luna’s past and the politics of weres as a whole that you slowly build up a complete picture that I think Kittredge will keep expanding upon and weaving through future books. The relationships between Luna, as an Insoli (lone wolf) and Dmitri’s pack were solidly portrayed and drew on existing werewolf lore, as well as working in new ideas, like Luna’s tattoo.

My only quibble was that, whilst Luna’s transformation seemed tied to the moon, Dmitri’s didn’t. Whether this was due to his alpha status or not was never resolved as far as I noticed, so I’m hoping it will be explored later on. I was also a little disappointed to see Sunny disappear so quickly at the end of the book, after Kittredge had worked to establish a rocky but ultimately sweet relationship between Luna and her cousin. It’s always nice to see UF women having genuine friendships with other women and I hope Kittredge brings Sunny back in the second book. That aside, I will absolutely be following this series, as well as the Black London series and anything else Kittredge writes.