BLOOD GAMES is the tenth book in Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series. Things have settled down a bit after the events of WILD THINGS, and vampires are once again seen as something cool by some humans. Someone is murdering people in a way that suggests there is a supernatural connection, and Merit finds herself investigating. Meanwhile, things are afoot in the vampire world.

BLOOD GAMES is a good addition to the Chicagoland Vampires series as it sees the continuation of the vampire politics that have been occurring in recent novels in the series. Neill also adds a murder mystery for Merit to investigate, which adds to the tension of the book. The overall plot of the book was a bit choppy and change-y; although the murder mystery tied the whole book together, the vampire politics provided several different threads which seemed to jump about as if Neill wasn’t quite sure which track she wanted to take the book down.

That being said, as always I enjoyed having Merit as the book’s narrator. I also enjoyed the way Neill treated the romance aspect of the book. The return of familiar faces was brilliant – I loved the scenes with Merit and Mallory, their friendship is one of the things I really enjoy about this series.

Neill wrapped the mystery aspect of the book up well, and I really enjoyed watching that particular plot fall into place. Having said that, the ending of the book left me feeling that this book was pretty much written to set up the next book in the series. I’m not totally sure how I feel as a reader about that. On the one hand, I’m glad Neill is laying groundwork for things to come in the series. But, on the other, I would have liked this book to have felt a little more solid and as if it had a more equal weight in the series. I did enjoy reading the book and finding out what was going on with Merit and Ethan, and I do think the book adds to the series. I await the eleventh book with interest.

Originally posted on The Flutterby Room.

WILD THINGS is the ninth addition to Chloe Neill’s brilliant Chicagoland Vampires series. Merit’s story continues with the mayor of Chicago looking for someone to blame for Chicago’s recent paranormal activity, and Ethan Sullivan makes a good target. Merit and Ethan retreat only to find another enemy waiting for them.

I have been looking forward to continuing the Chicagoland Vampires and reading WILD THINGS since I heard about its publication, but have only recently been able to get around to reading it. One of the things that I really liked about this book was that despite the gap between me reading the previous book in the series and this one, I was still able to fall straight back into the world and remember who was who. Once I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down; I read from start to finish in one sitting.

WILD THINGS follows the same basic premise as the other books in the series, and I found myself really enjoying the familiarity of the series – even if I didn’t know quite what was going to happen in this book. I also liked the fact that the romance aspect was very much part of the book, but there was a lot more going on to – Neill managed to make all the different parts of the narrative flow well together. I also thought that Neill handled Merit’s friendship with Mallory well, showing that even best friends need to work on their relationship. I also really liked the mystery aspect to the plot and how it was resolved; it seemed pretty logical and realistic to me.

Originally posted on The Flutterby Room.

4,5 stars

I like this series. A lot. "Twice Bitten" is proof number three of how much I enjoy it.

This is a unique kind of urban fantasy. It is unlike "Kate Daniels"'s intricate and action-packed plots and reduced amount of romantic interactions. "Chicagoland Vampires" isn't about having a complex plot of deceit, but about the social interactions. Chloe Neill turns the most uneventful parts of vampire lives into something fascinating. I actually wanted to know which bar Merit went to and which outfit she was going to wear, to hear the gossip her friends spilled, to be made aware of both the human and inhuman aspects of her life.

The romance in this series is also written in an unconventional manner. Neill doesn't burden you with three chapters' worth of sex scenes. Instead, she provides the reader with a breathtaking build-up, an assortment of actions you normally have no reaction to. But when it comes to Ethan and Merit, even the smallest gesture carries an enormous amount of significance. And when their time finally came, the aura of magic that was described felt palpable, real. Ethan and Merit do not shag. They make love. Which is anything but a cheesy description. In this case, the expression is completely called for.

The world-building is yet another otherworldly feature of this series. The amount of surprising paranormal traditions in these books that I had never encountered in my experience in the genre never ceases to amaze me. I particularly loved, in "Twice Bitten", to come in contact with the shifter community and learn all about their hierarchy and rituals.

I haven't yet decided whether I'll proceed to the fourth book right away. I'll need some emotional stamina to face what's coming, so I must gather up my strengths before immersing myself in Sentinel-Master interactions.

4 stars

I read this book like a maniac. I neglected my studies (oops), held my breath, and just read. But I can't really pinpoint any particularly amazing moments, besides the ending. Holy moly, those last 10% were explosive!

As far as relationships are concerned, Merit's got a lot on her plate.

She's got a horny, magic-ridden best friend occupying her flat with her beau. None other than Catcher Bell, Merit's ruthless physical coach. Can you see how that particular intersection could be troublesome?

Besides, her gloriously attractive boss is progressively toning down on the frost. Translation: they're getting more handsy and trusting of one another. Which is good.

However, Ethan basically ordered Merit, as his loyal subject, to engage in a relationship with Navarre's new Master, Morgan, who happens to have the hots for her. Not only that, he's actually nice to her. Not like her very annoying Liege. Their relationship has potential. And I don't mean the make-Ethan-jealous kind of potential, I'm saying they would be good for each other. The banter comes easily, and so does the chemistry.

Humans crave what they can't have. Apparently, vampires subscribe to this too. Because Merit wants Ethan. Badly. Even though he systematically resorts to a distant treatment towards her, that he doesn't hesitate to show her he doesn't trust her fully, Merit is drawn in. Every inch of himself that he reveals enthralls her, makes her expect more, prevents her from giving up on the possibility of a "we". And I can see he wants to let her in as well. Sullivan: Please do.

Plot-wise, this second installment wasn't very strong. In fact, the first book wasn't very elaborate in that aspect either, but it made up for it through the world-building. Maybe the lack of a more complex mystery relates to the fact that this is merely the beginning of the series. I hope it does.

I have high hopes for this third book, what with the alluring cliffhanger-ish ending and promise of further Ethan-Merit developments. We'll see.

4,5 stars

Did I love this book?

Well, damn.

Merit blew my fucking world out of its hinges.

Having been robbed of her humanity after a vicious vampire attack, Merit, grad student and daughter of a mediatic figure in the Chicago scene, is rescued by Ethan Sullivan, who makes her a vampire. And so she is suddenly required to join the ranks of House Cadogan, one of the North American vampire affiliations, and obey a quite rigid feudal-like system.

Needless to say, in a matter of three days, Merit finds herself immersed in a reality she doesn't understand. Apparently, when she pledges her allegiance to Cadogan, she'll be committing herself to an eternity of faithful obedience towards her Master, which does not bode well with her stubborn nature. That is most likely why she ends up challenging the Liege mere days into her immortal life.

This Liege. Ethan. Sullivan. Hot, blonde, green-eyed vamp. Extremely irritating and domineering.

He's got the hots for Merit. She's got the hots for him. Problem is, they also hate each other. Yes, you heard me. Love-hate relationship! When these two finally give in, prepare for total combustion.

I won't spoil you with any more details. The charm of this book is in being able to follow Merit's steps as she makes her incursion into the vampire world. To be as ignorant as she is, as surprised as she is, to see everything through her refreshing, cynical perspective.

I found myself a new kickass heroine with supernatural skills. I couldn't be any happier!