Audio Review: Dark Debt by Chloe Neill

Dark Debt

Chicagoland Vampires, #11
Chloe Neill

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Sophie Eastlake
Date of Publication: Unabridged
Abridged or Unabridged:
Length of Production: 11 hrs and 10 mins

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Audio Review: Oracle's Moon by Thea Harrison

Oracle's Moon

Elder Race, #4
Thea Harrison

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Sophie Eastlake
Date of Publication: March 19, 2012
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 12 hrs and 8 mins

Available at the following retailers:
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Audio Review: Serpent's Kiss by Thea Harrison

Serpent's Kiss

Elder Races, #3
Thea Harrison

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Tantor Media
Narrator: Sophie Eastlake
Date of Publication: October 4, 2011
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 13 hrs and 14 mins

Available at the following retailers:
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Audio Review: Storm's Heart by Thea Harrison

Storm's Heart

Elder Races, #2
Thea Harrison

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Tantor
Narrator: Sophie Eastlake
Date of Publication: August 9, 2011
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 13 hrs

Available at the following retailers:
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Audio Review: Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

Dragon Bound

Elder Races, #1
Thea Harrison

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Tantor Media
Narrator: Sophie Eastlake
Date of Publication: July 19, 2011
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 12 hrs and 59 mins

Available at the following retailers:
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Audio Review: Blood Games by Chloe Neill

Blood Games

Chicagoland Vampires, #10
Chloe Neill

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Narrator: Sophie Eastlake
Date of Publication: August 5, 2014
Abridged or Unabridged: Unabridged
Length of Production: 10 hrs and 20 mins

Available at the following retailers:
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Audiobook Review: Wild Things by Chloe Neill

I can't believe it. Book 9 of the Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neil, and I am officially caught up until August when Blood Games comes out.  So far, it looks like there will be a total of 13 books in the series, and quite frankly with where this book ended and the current goals they have, I don't know if that is going to be enough.

The book starts up right on the heels of the end of Biting Bad.  Ethan is making plans to leave the city since it looks like Mayor Kowalcyzk isn't going to back down anytime soon. The only recourse is to not be available, and hope that a diplomatic solution can be reached.  It's been decided that they will go to the Breckenridge's estate while cooler heads try to prevail.  The Breckenridge's live outside Chicago and have both the material and political capital to keep the Mayor from trying anything drastic at their estate.  The plan is to hang out with Catcher, Mallory and the Pack during their yearly get together called Lupercalia.

But things are never simple when it comes to Chicago Supernatural gatherings. Especially when during the opening nights festivities, there is a Harpy attack that causes the deaths of 4 shifters and 1 is missing. In addition to all this fun, the GP sends a representative to censure the House due to the death that occurred in the last book. After the Mayor accuses all 3 Chicago House Leaders of being Domestic Terrorists, and the surprise appearance of a long believed extinct supernatural race, Merit is up to her neck in trouble.

Several books ago, it was hinted at that Merit and Ethan were going to have a child together, even though Vamps can't conceive and carry a child to term. I have wondered about this and nearly lost hope when Ethan was staked, but one he returned, I waited, impatiently for it to be brought back up.  It is, in a big way, in this book. I'm not saying she gets pregnant, but we find out much more about the prophecy and what will be needed to be done to get there. This was a very action packed book and I loved every minute of it. I can't wait for the next book. This was a 5 star listen.

Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds, living or dead…or both.

But now those alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the crosshairs. Gabriel Keene, the Pack Apex, looks to Merit and Ethan for help. But who—or what—could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?

Merit is about to go toe to toe, and cold steel to cold heart, to find out.

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Audiobook Review: Biting Bad by Chloe Neill

I can't believe that I have just finished book 8 in the Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill.  There is only one more to go before I am caught up. The series has over all been very good. This latest release had a slower feel to it, the pace and action, building slowly over time, till by the end I couldn't believe where they ended up. I will say that if I hadn't had the next book ready to go, I would have been upset about the bit of cliffhanger ending.

Merit, the Sentinel of Cadagon House, has been slowly becoming more confident and sure in her position of the last eight books.  Even though she was turned to save her life, it was without her permission. When she found out that her father played a part in the attack and subsequent save, she is beyond upset with him. Merit has continued to wonder and wish certain days that she could go back to her human existence. What happens at the end of this book, finally allows Merit to decide once and for all, just who she wants to be.

The were some very interesting scenes in this book. Merit faces down rioters, takes Sullivan home for dinner with her parents, there's a fight with the GP on the front lawn, battling a burning building and even an uber-romantic Valentine's moment. Merit once again ends up in the thick of things, proving that she is the go-to girl for investigating the supernatural problems of Chicago.

This book wrapped up some things from previous books, but opened up a whole host more issues for the upcoming books.  The overall story line has been well thought out and I continue to adore the secondary characters that are vital to keeping the story moving, although I think the author was a giant tease with giving us basic instructions on making that flourless chocolate torte with raspberry chocolate ganache glaze, but not sharing the recipe! And the worst part? We didn't even get to listen to Merit eating any of it either. I cry foul! Overall, I liked the slow build, with tension rising until the big finish. It was a nice change of pace and gave the book a different feel, helping with the idea that the story will be moving in a new direction. A 4 star read.

Merit has been a vampire for only a short while, but she's already seen a lifetime's worth of trouble. She and her Master, centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, have risked their lives time and again to save the city they love. But not all of Chicago is loving them back.

Anti-vampire riots are erupting all over town, striking vampires where it hurts the most. A splinter group armed with Molotov cocktails and deep-seated hate is intent on clearing the fanged from the Windy City come hell or high water.

Merit and her allies rush to figure out who's behind the attacks, who will be targeted next, and whether there's any way to stop the wanton destruction. The battle for Chicago is just beginning, and Merit is running out of time.

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Audiobook Review: House Rules by Chloe Neill

Here I am with the Chicagoland Vampires, book 7. Its hard to believe that I am just about caught up with the series. Only 2 more book to go till I join those waiting anxiously for the next installment. After my disappointments with Biting Cold, I was happy that I was able to pretty much have a handle on all the voices and characters.  Just a reminder, there will be spoilers for previous books in the series. Otherwise this review would be about 3 sentences long. :)

Our story starts with Merit and Ethan getting ready to deal with the fall out of choosing to leave the GP before they are thrown out. Ethan being the strong Strat that he is, has gotten together a team to help keep the figurative bloodshed to a minimum.  One of the people on his transition team though gives Merit some serious pause, Lacey Sheridan - Ethan's former lover and current Master of Sheridan House. The woman who wants Ethan back.

But that's not all that is going on.  Two rogue vampires are found killed in an old warehouse, in a hidden room. They are found decapitated, holding hands. Pieces of aspen found in the room leads them to think that McKettrick, the new Human Liaison and staunch Vamp Hater, had something to do with it. But there is also the drama of Merit's initiation into the Red Guard and Lacey's misinterpretation of it, which leads to Ethan finding out about Merit's involvement.  Throw in trying to build back her relationship with Mallory and find a missing art piece before they are attached by the fairies and Merit is not having a good week.

Ethan showed some real growth in his relationship with Merit and I can honestly say that I only wanted to throttle him a few times in this book, versus other books where it was a nearly constant impulse.  The GP continues to show that they are out of touch asshats and I keep wondering when exactly the rest of the Houses are going to clue in to this fact and revolt. This was an exciting book and I gave it a firm 4 stars.

In a city full of vampires, trouble never sleeps.

At the tender age of twenty-seven, Merit became a sword-wielding vampire. Since then, she’s become the protector of her House, watched Chicago nearly burn to the ground, and seen her Master fall and rise. Now she’ll see her mettle—and her metal—tested like never before.

It started with two... Two rogues vanishing without a trace. Someone is targeting Chicago’s vampires, and anyone could be next. With their house in peril, Merit and her Master, the centuries-old Ethan Sullivan, must race to stop the disappearances. But as they untangle a web of secret alliances and ancient evils, they realize their foe is more familiar, and more powerful, than they could have ever imagined.

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Audiobook Review: Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

This is book 6 of the Chicagoland Vampire Series by Chloe Neill, and I wasn't 3 sentences in before I was completely ticked off.  Why? Because we have a new narrator, Sophie Eastlake. Not that she didn't do a good job. Kinda. I guess.  But I had Cynthia Halloway's voice locked in my head and suddenly nobody sounded like they once did and I am having trouble figuring out who is who.  To be honest, I had a huge problem with the male voices for the first quarter of the book; they all sounded alike to each other. It felt just like someone had taken a well loved tv show cast and replaced everyone of the actors, but went on as if nothing had changed. Let's just say that I'm a bit bitter about the change and continue on.

Biting Cold jumps right into the story with Merit and Ethan having to head out after Mallory to stop her from gaining the Maleficent once again. Mallory managed to escape the Order, and was headed for Nebraska and the empty nuclear warhead silo that is was being housed in. Just before they leave out, they get the news that former Mayor Seth Tate was released as well.  And so it becomes a race to see who would get to it first.

At first I thought Ethan had finally got his shit together after being killed and brought back, but he once again pulled his "I can't be with you right now" crap. I seriously don't understand how come Merit didn't give up on him once and for all. Fortunately this time, Merit got some better advice than, "Be the bigger person, be professional, let him see what he's missing." The new advice was more along the lines of "smack him upside his head till he pulls it out of his ass." Merit did a very nice job performing the cranial rectal inversion and what follows is a very nice smexy scene that was long overdue between Merit and Ethan.

This was a book very much about forgiveness and redemption leading to new beginnings.  It was the closing of a couple different story arcs and the beginnings of others.  The next book, House Rules should prove very interesting.  I gave this book 3 stars, mainly because I am still cranky about the narrator change.

Turned into a vampire against her will, twenty-eight-year-old Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye—and more supernaturals than the public ever imagined. And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing—among humans or inhumans.

Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest, tailing a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artifact that could unleash catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the book for himself. No mercy allowed. No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.

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