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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
Bringing back Ethan by sacrificing Mallory to the dark? I'm terrified we've lost her forever, but this author really writes an engaging story. I couldn't put it down - literally. I read when I had free time, and when I was cooking or driving in the car I was listening to the audiobook. I'm obsessed right now! Bring on the Mallory hunt!
Yay!!!
God i love this series. I wasn't sure i could finish. I hate sad scenes in my books. But on to the next book. I can't wait.
God i love this series. I wasn't sure i could finish. I hate sad scenes in my books. But on to the next book. I can't wait.
This book is as full of action and politics as the previous one. The plot was full of twist and I could not figure out the culprit until the very end. That was refreshing since I usually figure it out early on. I can't say I'm happy with who turned to be the bad guy, though.
The romantic front was kind of disappointing. It's been two months since Ethan's death (insert sobbing here) and Merit is finally ready to get on with her life. And that's the problem. Two months after I read HARD BITTEN I was still cursing the author (sorry?) and Merit is moving on? I mean, I'm not even the one who had my lover staked before my eyes and I suffered more than she did? Does that mean her feelings for him weren't as deep as I was led to believe?
Overall, I can't say I'm happy at where this series is going. It is almost losing its place on my TOP 5 favorites. I guess I'll just have to trust Chloe Neill will make it right somehow.
The romantic front was kind of disappointing. It's been two months since Ethan's death (insert sobbing here) and Merit is finally ready to get on with her life. And that's the problem. Two months after I read HARD BITTEN I was still cursing the author (sorry?) and Merit is moving on? I mean, I'm not even the one who had my lover staked before my eyes and I suffered more than she did? Does that mean her feelings for him weren't as deep as I was led to believe?
Spoiler
Because of that, their reunion at the end didn't really make as happy as I imagined I would be. Here she is, the person who told Jonah she and Ethan weren't nothing more than a might-have-been, ready to embrace him as if he's all she's ever wanted? In fact, I kind of felt sorry for Ethan, almost as if she was stringing along.Overall, I can't say I'm happy at where this series is going. It is almost losing its place on my TOP 5 favorites. I guess I'll just have to trust Chloe Neill will make it right somehow.
So have you ever read or watched something that, for the most part, you really enjoyed? And then something happened that left such a bad taste in your mouth that your opinion of the whole thing was colored? That's how I felt about this book. Ugh, just.... I don't know. Hopefully the next book has less ridiculous shenanigans. Also, 2.5 stars, rather than 2.
Spoiler
I thought that Ethan's self sacrifice and death was touching, and, quite frankly, a ballsy move on the author's part. And then it was ruined when he was brought back to life through some ridiculous BS in this book. I enjoyed the story up to that point, but after, it just felt like the whole reason for the story and this particular plot was to bring Ethan back. And that sucks. I also feel like it diminishes his sacrifice a little (kind of like Buffy sacrificing herself to save Dawn and the world at the end of season 5 only to have her friends yank her out of a heavenly dimension the next season... And speaking of Buffy, the Mallory being addicted to black magic and trying to resurrect Ethan was a total ripoff of Willow in the season 6 finale. Just sayin. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that's kind of a Buffy rip off, but this was pretty blatant). Aaaaaaanyway. Oh, and there's some love triangle type BS as well. Have I mentioned how much I dislike love triangles? It wasn't crazy in your face or anything, but still. And honestly, I think Merit and Jonah have more chemistry than Merit and Ethan.
The Chicagoland Vampire series is once of my favourites...
I love a vampire series! This one has everything you could want; action, drama, friendships, family, romance and spice! The story and characters are so good!
I loved the FMC and MMC. It also has a lot of my favourite tropes such as:
-Forced proximity
-Enemies to lovers
-Slow burn
-Touch her and die
The supernatural element was really good, with magic and different supernatural creatures. I also loved most of the side characters and their relationships.
There is also a bit spice in this series, which I like.
I have read every book in the series more than once and didn't want it to end. I definitely recommend this series for anyone who likes romantasy/supernatural action/romance genres!
I love a vampire series! This one has everything you could want; action, drama, friendships, family, romance and spice! The story and characters are so good!
I loved the FMC and MMC. It also has a lot of my favourite tropes such as:
-Forced proximity
-Enemies to lovers
-Slow burn
-Touch her and die
The supernatural element was really good, with magic and different supernatural creatures. I also loved most of the side characters and their relationships.
There is also a bit spice in this series, which I like.
I have read every book in the series more than once and didn't want it to end. I definitely recommend this series for anyone who likes romantasy/supernatural action/romance genres!
*SPOILER WARNING: this entire review contains major spoilers for the series (up to this point) and this book. So don't read unless you've read this book or you want spoilers. If you're curious about the series, I recommend reading my other reviews for it.
I went into Drink Deep with a huge chip on my shoulder. Like many others, I was very much pissed and Ms. Neill for the way Hard Bitten left us. I felt betrayed and sick and was truly considering abandoning this series -- depending on how this book went.
I'll first off say that I no longer plan on abandoning the series, but I will proceed with extreme caution and will not hesitate to abandon it in the future. My reason? Sure, she brought Ethan back in this extremely far-fetched, very much reaching, sort of way. But in his place we essentially lost another character. I'm not even sure if we have Ethan back or if he'll be this slave to Mallory in the future books. So I'm still uneasy about the way he was brought back.
But let's get back to Mallory. I've never been a huge Mallory fan. In fact, I really don't have much of an opinion of her at all. But where my problem lies is Neill not having a problem killing off or destroying her main cast. I can't trust her. I can't trust the fact that I will pick up a Chicagoland Vampires novel and know that it will end with my favorite characters alive. No one is safe. I hate that feeling. I love a good conflict, I love action, but I need to trust the author not to kill or get rid of main characters.
Let me be clear that it would be a different story if this were a trilogy or something with a clear ending in sight. But when I pick up this type of book (an on-going urban fantasy), I want a conflict that will be solved within either the same book, or even multiple books. But this conflict I like to be an outside conflict with the primary cast working together to solve it. People can get hurt or be on the verge of dying, people can break up and leave each other, but I don't see this type of series as the type of series where main characters should die or be turned evil.
As for the rest of the story (other than the last 15% of the book), it was alright, but like others have said, it just felt like a filler to get to the end of the story. I suppose it all led up to the main event, but I just wasn't feeling the connection all that much. It also feels like she brought Ethan back as a desperate attempt to win back her fans. Most of us were pissed when she killed him off, and I think she was heading somewhere else with the series by killing him, but then decided to back-track because she realized she made a huge mistake. While I hate the idea of Ethan dead, I feel like this whole book was a waste of time too. Why kill Ethan off, only to bring him back in the next book? It just makes no sense, and it's a torture device for fans of the series.
That being said, I am happy she did turn it around when it comes to Ethan's death, and even though the story felt like filler, it did keep me turning the page. But I'm so leery of this series now and where it's going to go, and I really hate that. I will continue for now, but like I said above, I will tread very carefully and if I am continually disappointed in the next few books (or the main cast keeps disappearing), I will not hesitate to drop this series from my reading list.
I went into Drink Deep with a huge chip on my shoulder. Like many others, I was very much pissed and Ms. Neill for the way Hard Bitten left us. I felt betrayed and sick and was truly considering abandoning this series -- depending on how this book went.
I'll first off say that I no longer plan on abandoning the series, but I will proceed with extreme caution and will not hesitate to abandon it in the future. My reason? Sure, she brought Ethan back in this extremely far-fetched, very much reaching, sort of way. But in his place we essentially lost another character. I'm not even sure if we have Ethan back or if he'll be this slave to Mallory in the future books. So I'm still uneasy about the way he was brought back.
But let's get back to Mallory. I've never been a huge Mallory fan. In fact, I really don't have much of an opinion of her at all. But where my problem lies is Neill not having a problem killing off or destroying her main cast. I can't trust her. I can't trust the fact that I will pick up a Chicagoland Vampires novel and know that it will end with my favorite characters alive. No one is safe. I hate that feeling. I love a good conflict, I love action, but I need to trust the author not to kill or get rid of main characters.
Let me be clear that it would be a different story if this were a trilogy or something with a clear ending in sight. But when I pick up this type of book (an on-going urban fantasy), I want a conflict that will be solved within either the same book, or even multiple books. But this conflict I like to be an outside conflict with the primary cast working together to solve it. People can get hurt or be on the verge of dying, people can break up and leave each other, but I don't see this type of series as the type of series where main characters should die or be turned evil.
As for the rest of the story (other than the last 15% of the book), it was alright, but like others have said, it just felt like a filler to get to the end of the story. I suppose it all led up to the main event, but I just wasn't feeling the connection all that much. It also feels like she brought Ethan back as a desperate attempt to win back her fans. Most of us were pissed when she killed him off, and I think she was heading somewhere else with the series by killing him, but then decided to back-track because she realized she made a huge mistake. While I hate the idea of Ethan dead, I feel like this whole book was a waste of time too. Why kill Ethan off, only to bring him back in the next book? It just makes no sense, and it's a torture device for fans of the series.
That being said, I am happy she did turn it around when it comes to Ethan's death, and even though the story felt like filler, it did keep me turning the page. But I'm so leery of this series now and where it's going to go, and I really hate that. I will continue for now, but like I said above, I will tread very carefully and if I am continually disappointed in the next few books (or the main cast keeps disappearing), I will not hesitate to drop this series from my reading list.
emotional
medium-paced
I am in shock. I had suspicions of seemed shifty, and there was a clear line drawn in the sand. But that's not the real shock. That shock belongs to
Questions:
What is Tate?
What will do next?
Why do I have hesitation before I read these? As has been proven with every book, they're AWESOME! Silly me.
The dreams? Is itThat would be cool.
5 stars!!!
Reread 11/20/2018
This one is a doozy. Chicago's lake turns black, and its sky turns red. Anti-vampire/supernatural propaganda is on the rise. Freaking Frank (God, I HATE him) is an awful dick of a man. He's this vampire who the GP sends to evaluate/watch/spy on/torture Cadogan. As I said, I hate him. Anyway, all of that is happening. Plus some other spoilery things. It makes for an action packed book, and I really enjoyed it. Especially with the great ending! 5 stars!
Reread 10/1/2021
This is one of my favorites in the series! The ending is supremely satisfying, the plot is exciting and expands the supernatural world building, and we see Merit grow a bit. 4.5 stars!
Spoiler
Mallory - sheSpoiler
the one, the only, ETHAN. Yes. I said (wrote?) Ethan. As in dead-paramour-of-Merit Ethan. He's back, thanks to Mallory's evilness. I hope he's not bound to her though. That would suck.Questions:
What is Tate?
What will
Spoiler
MalloryWhy do I have hesitation before I read these? As has been proven with every book, they're AWESOME! Silly me.
The dreams? Is it
Spoiler
Merit and Ethan's connection thing?5 stars!!!
Reread 11/20/2018
This one is a doozy. Chicago's lake turns black, and its sky turns red. Anti-vampire/supernatural propaganda is on the rise. Freaking Frank (God, I HATE him) is an awful dick of a man. He's this vampire who the GP sends to evaluate/watch/spy on/torture Cadogan. As I said, I hate him. Anyway, all of that is happening. Plus some other spoilery things. It makes for an action packed book, and I really enjoyed it. Especially with the great ending! 5 stars!
Reread 10/1/2021
This is one of my favorites in the series! The ending is supremely satisfying, the plot is exciting and expands the supernatural world building, and we see Merit grow a bit. 4.5 stars!
I was reluctant to start 'Drink Deep'. After the way 'Hard Bitten' ended, I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle the book. But, with a LOT of reassurance from Twitter and Goodreads friends, I managed to get through the first half slowly, dreaded any future twists, only to have yet another shocking and exciting ending thrown into the mix. My friends were right when they told me everything would be ok, and I'm sorry I didn't trust them completely. It's hard not to get emotionally attached to Merit and her journey.
Chicago is being attacked by unknown magical forces. Merit and Cadogan House take it upon themselves to solve the issue before vampires are blamed for every supernatural event in the world. Poor Merit, she can't seem to catch a break. I really enjoyed the plot for 'Drink Deep' (when I wasn't panicking about what might happen next). I loved exploring the the realms of other supernatural beings and discovering the hidden magic side of Chicago. There's so much Merit doesn't know, and I love when she stumbles upon something new that we get to understand through her. There's so much going on in this book, every word, every scene is important and where they lead...wow. You don't expect to find what we do at the other end and the questions you're left with are endless.
I cannot explain how much I hate the GP. If you're a long time Chicagoland Vampire reader, you'll know that the GP have certain rules they want the vampire Houses to follow and for the most part they're ridiculous. My dislike for them moved right into hate in 'Drink Deep' and I'm certain they're not going to earn my respect any time soon.
'Drink Deep' was still missing the fun dialogue from the first three books, but it wasn't that sort of book. I thought 'Hard Bitten' had a dark edge too it, but 'Drink Deep' was darker.I loved the dark aspects; the haunting mysteries and sense of danger. You can't help getting caught up in the moment and it makes everything more powerful. I'm hoping we'll get a bit more of the witty-banter back in the next book, I'd love to see it back again, although I fear that it won't return for a bit.
Waiting impatiently for the next in the series. Chloe Neill has created an addictive world and I can't wait to see what happens next.
5/5 stars
Chicago is being attacked by unknown magical forces. Merit and Cadogan House take it upon themselves to solve the issue before vampires are blamed for every supernatural event in the world. Poor Merit, she can't seem to catch a break. I really enjoyed the plot for 'Drink Deep' (when I wasn't panicking about what might happen next). I loved exploring the the realms of other supernatural beings and discovering the hidden magic side of Chicago. There's so much Merit doesn't know, and I love when she stumbles upon something new that we get to understand through her. There's so much going on in this book, every word, every scene is important and where they lead...wow. You don't expect to find what we do at the other end and the questions you're left with are endless.
I cannot explain how much I hate the GP. If you're a long time Chicagoland Vampire reader, you'll know that the GP have certain rules they want the vampire Houses to follow and for the most part they're ridiculous. My dislike for them moved right into hate in 'Drink Deep' and I'm certain they're not going to earn my respect any time soon.
'Drink Deep' was still missing the fun dialogue from the first three books, but it wasn't that sort of book. I thought 'Hard Bitten' had a dark edge too it, but 'Drink Deep' was darker.I loved the dark aspects; the haunting mysteries and sense of danger. You can't help getting caught up in the moment and it makes everything more powerful. I'm hoping we'll get a bit more of the witty-banter back in the next book, I'd love to see it back again, although I fear that it won't return for a bit.
Waiting impatiently for the next in the series. Chloe Neill has created an addictive world and I can't wait to see what happens next.
5/5 stars
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated