Format: 541 pages, Kindle Edition
Release Date: April 7, 2026
Publisher: Ginger Blue Publishing
Source: Amazon
Genre: SyFy, Fantasy
It’s not easy being a Woman of the Multiverse, but Kitty’s definitely the Megalomaniac Girl for the job.
After a mad dash around the galaxy, saving the day in various important ways and expanding the Annocusal Empire left and right, all Kitty & Company want to do is go home. But that’s not in the particular hand they’ve been dealt. On their way to Alpha Four to make Emperor Alexander feel like he hasn’t been left out, Kitty and eleven others are tossed into a different universe at the snap of some very powerful fingers.
They’re not sent to just any universe, either. They’re in the Steampunk Universe, and things are very different there – and not just due to the technological divergence between Kitty’s universe and this one. Starting with them being surrounded by ships that are redefining the term “unfriendly” – because this universe has been embroiled in galactic war for centuries.
Friends are enemies, enemies are friends, people alive in one universe are dead in this one, and vice versa is old news for Kitty, but new news for everyone else with her. The Victorian Era still reigns supreme here, meaning everyone’s attitudes are a lot less free and easy than Kitty’s used to.
But the biggest discovery is the worst one – instead of being Kitty’s husband and a total hero, the Jeff Martini in this universe is an evil murderer who’s aligned his entire empire with the Z’porrah, and that means the good guys are losing...
After a mad dash around the galaxy, saving the day in various important ways and expanding the Annocusal Empire left and right, all Kitty & Company want to do is go home. But that’s not in the particular hand they’ve been dealt. On their way to Alpha Four to make Emperor Alexander feel like he hasn’t been left out, Kitty and eleven others are tossed into a different universe at the snap of some very powerful fingers.
They’re not sent to just any universe, either. They’re in the Steampunk Universe, and things are very different there – and not just due to the technological divergence between Kitty’s universe and this one. Starting with them being surrounded by ships that are redefining the term “unfriendly” – because this universe has been embroiled in galactic war for centuries.
Friends are enemies, enemies are friends, people alive in one universe are dead in this one, and vice versa is old news for Kitty, but new news for everyone else with her. The Victorian Era still reigns supreme here, meaning everyone’s attitudes are a lot less free and easy than Kitty’s used to.
But the biggest discovery is the worst one – instead of being Kitty’s husband and a total hero, the Jeff Martini in this universe is an evil murderer who’s aligned his entire empire with the Z’porrah, and that means the good guys are losing...
Aliens Like Us is the 17th installment in author Gini Koch's Katherine "Kitty" Katt series. The book is a long-awaited, high-energy return to the series that delivers the signature mix of snarky action, multiverse chaos, ensemble antics, and steamy-ish sci-fi romance fans expect—while shifting into a full steampunk alternate universe. The story picks up after the cliffhanger of Aliens Abroad (2018). The gap was substantial—roughly eight years—so the book’s arrival felt like a major event for dedicated readers.
Kitty Katt-Martini and a core group of eleven others are en route after expansive galactic adventures when they are abruptly tossed into a different universe—the Steampunk Universe. Technology diverges sharply (steam, mechanics, and Victorian-era sensibilities dominate instead of the more familiar tech of their home reality), a centuries-long galactic war rages, alliances are inverted, and people who are alive (or dead) in one universe often occupy the opposite status in this one.
The most jarring discovery involves an alternate Jeff Martini who is an evil murderer aligned with the Z’porrah, putting the “good guys” in a losing position. Friends and enemies swap roles, attitudes are more constrained by the prevailing cultural norms, and Kitty must navigate this hostile environment with limited resources while the fate of multiple realities hangs in the balance. The book functions as the first half of a larger arc (followed by Aliens Like Them), ending on a “to be continued” note rather than a fully self-contained resolution.
Kitty’s rapid-fire, pop-culture-infused narration, problem-solving style, and “Megalomaniac Girl” energy drive the story. The large supporting cast (family, friends, aliens, hybrids, and more) gets plenty of moments, including interactions involving the younger generation and the ever-present adorable side elements (Poofs and similar). Multiverse versions create fun “what if” tension without completely abandoning established dynamics.
The steampunk overlay—Victorian social attitudes colliding with Kitty’s modern/alien-enhanced sensibilities, plus ongoing interstellar war—gives fresh texture to the usual conspiracies, superpowers, politics, and high-stakes fights. Koch continues her talent for packing in intrigue, shifting allegiances, and chaotic set pieces while keeping the tone predominantly fun and propulsive. It is very much a series book.
New readers will be lost; the enormous cast, ongoing plot threads, and accumulated lore make starting at book 1 (Touched by an Alien) essentially mandatory. Aliens Like Us succeeds as a fan-pleasing continuation that leans hard into multiverse exploration and a distinctive steampunk aesthetic while preserving the fast, funny, relationship-driven core that made the Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series popular.
It is not the tightest or most self-contained entry, and the long wait plus incomplete arc will test patience for some, but for readers who love Kitty’s chaotic competence, the sprawling found family, and ever-escalating cosmic weirdness, it delivers the goods and leaves them eager for December 2026’s follow-up Aliens Like Them. If you’ve followed Kitty this far, this is the reunion most were hoping for—messy, energetic, and very much in the spirit of the books that came before. The good guys (and the snark) are still fighting; the universe just got a lot more complicated.
*Note* There are actually two covers to this book. One was originally planned for release under DAW; the other is being released by Ginger Blue Publishing. I honestly like the original, but have included both to support the author.
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