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    Biting Cold
    Biting Cold
    Biting Cold
    Audiobook10 hours

    Biting Cold

    Written by Chloe Neill

    Narrated by Sophie Eastlake

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.nbsp;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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 7, 2012
    ISBN9781452675251
    Biting Cold

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    Reviews for Biting Cold

    4/5

    268 ratings25 reviews

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    • 5/5
      All of the superb books in this series too this point have been full of action, but this one is particularly action packed. Ethan and Merit have had a very difficult time getting a relationship going and continuing between them, in this book you find out what direction it is going to take. Merit certainly has he choice of suitors and has a connection with Jonnas, he once partnering crime. She also has a secret she’s keeping from Ethan that concerns Jonnas. Way to much happens in this book to go over everything, so enjoy discovering all this books secrets for yourself.
    • 3/5
      I haven't read this series for more than four years and I have to admit that I have forgotten lots of things during this time. However I remember loosing some interest in the story with the last two books I read. It's a good thing that I made this break.

      Merit and Ethan has to deal with many problems in this book. A dark magic villain who is doubled because of some evil magic. A possibility of loosing their House or loosing it's protection. The police and the mayor of the city who would like to see them defeated. And finally, Ethan feeling Mallory's presence in his head. And, of course, the feelings between Ethan and Merit.

      There are things about this book that I liked and some that I didn't. The main plot including fight with Dominic was quite involving. But what I didn't like was the tension between Merit and Ethan. I'm really glad they are finally together because their constant push and pull reactions were driving me crazy in the previous books. I hope from now on they will be a couple.

      The ending grab my interest and I will probably read another book in the series some day. I'm rating this one 3.5.
    • 3/5
      I'm not sure how I feel about this one... I enjoyed it but found it a bit boring at the same time. It was very predictable.I think the previous books were so high-octane that this follow-up was a bit of a letdown. It was good but not as good as previous books in the series. It does have a satisfying ending though.
    • 4/5
      Book 6 in Chicagoland Vampires series. Ethan is back from the grave. Mallory is after the book of all things evil that is being stored in a retired missile silo in Nebraska. This one evolves into a battle of good and evil literally. We have angels and demons/fallen angels. This one you kind of race through as it's one crisis after another. Others have said that this felt like the end of a trilogy. I'll be looking forward to where the author takes the series next.
    • 4/5
      Biting Cold
      4 Stars

      The Chicagoland Vampires series is definitely not great literature nor is it particularly well-written but for some reason it is addictive, like chocolate mousse - you know its bad for you but you can't help eating it anyway!

      Biting Cold is the latest installment in the ongoing Merit/Ethan angst fest. Ethan is back to being a stubborn jackass who needs to be slapped upside the head. Thankfully, he eventually comes to his senses after Merit kicks his ass and the resultant make-up sessions are well worth the wait.

      The plot moves at a solid pace with some interesting twists and turns, especially the introduction of an unexpected villain whose identity and motivation are quite compelling. The action starts virtually immediately and the resolution is both exciting and satisfying although the middle is a little too drawn out despite one or two nail-biting scenes.

      Mallory's character development is the most annoying aspect of the book. In Drink Deep, Neill made a brave choice in this regard, but now seems to have backtracked while implementing a misplaced politically correct agenda, i.e. the redemption of a selfish and manipulative character who willfully committed evil acts. This is the woman who tried to turn Ethan into a mindless slave and brought disaster on the city, yet suddenly excuses are made as if she is not responsible for her choices. In what warped world is washing dishes for the shifters an appropriate punishment for her behavior. Evil should be destroyed, not redeemed. Likewise, Seth Tate, the villain for the past two installments, also undergoes a completely incomprehensible transformation and is turned into a contrite and selfless hero over night - seriously? It is disappointing that Neill took the easy way out with these characters.

      The book ends with some closure but there are questions that remain unanswered. It will be interesting to see what happens next given the possible ramifications of the changes in Cadogen House and the implications for both the GP, the Red Guard and the rest of Chicago's vampires.

      Narration: The new narrator, Sophie Eastlake, is a HUGE improvement on Cynthia Holloway. She is much more versatile with her intonation, inflection and voices. Her versions of Irish working class, upper class English snob, Texan drawl and Ukrainian mothering hen are all accomplished with equal aplomb!
    • 3/5
      Ah, a new narrator! So no more sibilant S. And the Faeries have a more Gaelic accent. But now we have other problems. This narrator doesn't make as much effort to differentiate between the character voices, so it's hard to tell when two women are talking who's who. Margo used to have a slight French accent, now she doesn't. At least one scene that was for titillation rather than advancing the plot. Could have been cut. Bonus points for the American Football reference and the especially for acknowledging the Chicago/Green Bay rivalry...-----The trilogy comes to an end with a bang. Some surprises, but if you paid attention to the other five books, not so much. Still just a good time waster read, so not worth more than two and a half, but then again, I'm stuck in this world right now. I'm starting to wonder how Merit could be doing well as a grad student when she misses things, forgets she has powers, and in general just acts like a twit rather than an intelligent woman who also is a vampire. Seriously, Why did it take a half a book for her to push Ethan to the brink? Why did she not do that sooner? The primary plot line begun, really back in book 1, has closed now, though we have to see the final consequences as things progress. As I stated, there was at least one scene that could have gone away, or at least shortened, as it didn't advance the plot. I sincerely hope they don't continue to appear in the later books.Book 7, here I come.
    • 3/5
      Merit, why does you keep putting up with his staling ? I think this is abusive to you, please don't take it anymore.
      Frustrating, that is the theme of this book. Merit finally has her Ethan back, kicking biting and grumpy-ness all intact. So why aren't they bumping the headboard ? Because Ethan has issues again...zzz.......repeat, repeat, repeat. So, she picks up her sword and goes to battle risking her life to save him, and their relationship, if it is one?!?!?
      The evil this time is a woozy, big winged and bad, bad, bad. He was released into the world thanks to our precious little power hungry Mallory. Best friend and distorter deluxe, what a winner she is. Well, the gang gets together and risks it all to try to save her, really why not ?!?!?! Everyone deserves a chance at redemption. Yeah sure.
      Meanwhile the house is under the evil eye of the 'something council of vampire house' sorry I don't remember their name. They are old school, full or arcane rules and threats. 'you must be who we want or you are kicked out of our special club" is who they are bullies. Just what they vampy gang needs while trying to save humanity from the big bad evil flying around town.
      Phew then finally some frustrations are relieved ! FINALLY ! The end of the books was nice with a light cliffhanger. It could have easily been the last book in the series. The next book will start a whole new 'life' for our characters.
      Overall I enjoyed this edition to the series. I felt it was stretching out the old plot a bit too much, and did not like the whole relationship staling agin thing. I hope their future is adventurous.
    • 3/5
      I was concerned that I wouldn't like this one at all, but I was happy to find myself really enjoying the second half of the book. I hated what Ms. Neill did to Mallory, but loved the mythology she introduced. Once I got stuck in, I found I couldn't put the book down again until I finished it. A lot of action and a bit of suspense. I started to roll my eyes at the 'here we go again' feeling I was getting about Merit and Ethan, but the author thankfully took it in a better direction that I had expected.

      While each of the books previous had a bit of a mystery to be solved, no such mystery existed in this book - except perhaps what Tate was, but that was never something to be saved until the end, but part of the developing plot. I sort of missed the mystery element, but not as much as I would have thought - the character development in this book was just too good for me to really miss it.

      The next book should be quite interesting...
    • 5/5
      I LIKED IT! Despite the mixed reviews, I rushed to read this latest book in the series just to see where everything was going. Wasn't disappointed at all. The author dotted her i's and crossed her t's just as I hoped she would and did it just the way I like it. Merit and Ethan finally got to the point we've all been hoping that they get and the story and plot were amazing. Awesome to see Tate again and to have the whole gang together. Even Mallory. LOL. Can1t to wait to read House Rules. :D
    • 5/5
      Let me start off with saying I did jump the gun on this book and skipped "Drink Me", while still reading "Hard bitten". I was so excited to read how Ms. Neill was going to fix certain things that happened at the end of "Hard Bitten", that I could not wait to read this one. I was not disappointed! Loved it!

      While I did find the premise of this installments villain a little too far out there, I did enjoy the personal character interactions. The book does an outstanding job of solidifying relationships, alliances and successfully manages to take an old well established vampire house into the future.

      I can't wait to read the next installment. After I finish "Hard Bitten" and "Drink Me"
    • 3/5
      I really love the whole series. From the Chicago references to the way too cool characters, Chloe Neill has hit it out of the park. I was disappointed with the pace of this latest book. I felt there could have been a whole book that just concentrated on Merit's trip with Ethan. The Mallory/Tate confrontation was just over too quickly. Again, more time could have been spent on this whole storyline.

      I understand that writers need to refresh the readers knowledge and as a series goes on there is more information to convey but Merit spends a huge amount of time recapping the past. She explains things to characters that in my opinion shouldn't need explaining.

      Overall, I liked the earlier books better. I will however reread Biting Cold again. Sometimes in my excitement to get a new book, I am the one who is rushing. I'll see if a second read improves my opinion.
    • 4/5
      A book need to advance the storyline. Not my favorite. See my full review at puretextuality.com
    • 4/5
      I have rarely wanted to lock two characters in one room and tell them to get over themselves and on with it so that the main plot could be dealt with. Seriously, these two have too much angst to deserve to be in the senior positions they are in.So Tate is back and is discovered to be a supernatural creature of some power and age. He's also after a book, a book that Malory is after and Merit and Ethan are hunting them.It's interesting for the urban fantasy, the romance doesn't completely convince me.Oh and by the way, dear cover art supplier cavalry saber =/= katana.
    • 4/5
      While the author has some annoying habits--like over-explaining (she defines "hospitality rider" and specifies that "Double double, toil and trouble" comes from "Shakespeare's Macbeth"), using words repeatedly ("...when the former tenants vacated. It's a former ceramics factory...they use it to form and fire bricks and tile out here."), and not making any sense at all ("I'm not sure I'm possible of infuriating you, Sentinel.")--these books are fun, and a lot of the issues I had with previous installments were rectified in this, the sixth novel of the series.

      I'm not sure why they don't make a regular habit of checking in with the librarian when they're confused, btw--he has an answer every time they ask him for help, and he seems to know absolutely everything, so why not fully utilize that source? Especially after HE has pointed out what I just said and everyone agreed with him.

      And I'd like there to be more Jonah. My hope is that the plot of the next book will necessitate his involvement because of the Red Guard stuff.

      Speaking of--is this an open-ended series? I don't need many more of these books, but I'm a completist and will continue to read them long after they stop being good. I hope there's a planned ending point.
    • 5/5
      I am not at all sure that I can be objective about this series. I know there were a few things in this book that should have bothered me, but when it comes down to it, they didn't. I love the characters and visiting the Chicagoland world was as much fun in this book as the previous books. There is a whole lot of story packed into this book and I enjoyed every minute of it.
    • 3/5
      **This review may contain spoilers if you haven’t read HARD BITTEN and DRINK DEEP. It also assumes a certain familiarity with the series**This is my first review of a Chicagoland Vampires book on SWR. I started this series long before I started the blog and it’s definitely one of my urban fantasy auto-buys. I appreciate Neill’s world of vampire houses and supernatural politics in the Windy City, and I especially love Merit, a 28 year old graduate student who was unwillingly made a vampire and is trying to find her footing in this new world. Over the course of six books we see Merit move from anger to acceptance, finally embracing who she is and earning a place in her new family of vampires – the beloved Cadogan House. The book before BITING COLD was DRINK DEEP and it was probably the most anticipated book in the series thus far. It followed a major cliffhanger and series fans were desperate to see what Neill would do next. Though I loved the book, I was a little disappointed with the end of DRINK DEEP (I’m in the minority here). I think Neill should have stuck to her guns when it came to a particular character but I’m a ride or die kind of chick so I knew I would continue on this journey with Merit and Neill no matter what. Enter BITING COLD. It picks up right where the previous book left off – Ethan and Merit are on the road to find Mallory and, well, save the world. BITING COLD had action, some romance, lots of magic, and a big mystery – Tate’s supernatural affiliation – is finally solved. BITING COLD was satisfying but not thrilling. I felt it was a bridge book between the revelations in its predecessor, to whatever Merit faces in the next installment in the series.My expectations for BITING COLD were to have a wild cross-country chase as Merit and Ethan try to stop Mallory and Tate from getting their hands on the one thing that can shift the balance of magical power, a showdown, both emotional and supernatural, between two best friends, Mallory and Merit, and a takedown of Tate; I wanted to see an intense, unwavering, and inevitable reunion for Merit and Ethan. And I got all that. Just not in the proportions I was hoping to see. Ethan and Merit go cross-country but make it to their destination in the first couple of chapters; they defeat and apprehend Mallory in the next few chapters; the majority of the book is spent trying to defeat Tate; and the romantic reunion is stalled as Ethan, yet again, finds another excuse not to be with Merit. I wanted this book to be a bit more intense with regards to Mallory. I wish there was more of a showdown between her and Merit – I think the drama would have been heartbreaking and emotional and made for a good story. Tate wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped and he paled in comparison to the villainy of a fallen best friend. Regardless, it sure was good to be back in this world again. It was good to be back with these characters! Merit still remains a fantastic heroine to follow. I love her intelligence, her independence, and her integrity. She makes the hard decisions and sticks to them. And where Neill gets it right is precisely in the relationship building between characters. From Merit’s troubled friendship with Mallory to her partnership with Jonah, each one is complex and realistic. Neill also knows how to bring the action. Her sword wielding, martial artist vampires kick ass and the scene against Tate was teamwork at its best.BITING COLD was a satisfying installment in the series. Although I expected something different, I enjoyed the action and the final resolution of the Ethan-Merit romantic tension. Most of all, it felt like it ended with a new start for the series. Together, they can face anything and I’m looking forward to seeing what that “anything” is.**Source: Purchased Copy**This review is courtesy of www,shewolfreads.com
    • 3/5
      I never thought I'd rate a Chloe Neill book this low, but the pacing at the beginning was extremely slow. I put the book down and entertained the idea of just not finishing it a few times within the first 3-4 chapters. After chapter 5 or so, things picked up and got interesting. Then I couldn't put it down. Overall, this was a decent transition book, and it adds to the series. However, I don't feel that this is representative of Neill's immense talent as a writer. I'm confident that the next book in the series will be better. Merit didn't grow a lot during this installment, but Ethan did. I really like who he is becoming and where his relationship with Merit is going. I also enjoyed learning more about Tate and finally figuring out what he is. The scenes with him were top notch. Mallory changed quite a bit over the course of the novel, but I'd like to know more regarding how these changes came about. The flimsy excuse given just didn't suffice, in my opinion. Paige was a new character, and I really liked her. I hope to see more of her in the next novel. The plot was intriguing, but as I mentioned, it was very slow at first. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have the others. While things picked up around the 5th chapter, I didn't feel that this book really reached its stride until about the 70% mark. That was when it grew into a novel that was up to par with what I'd expect from Neill. I really loved the ending of the book, though, and I can't wait to see how that will affect the future of Cadogan house. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Neill's Chicagoland Vampire series. Also, I'd recommend this series to anyone who loves a good urban fantasy with a kick ass heroine. Merit does not disappoint. She's strong and smart, but she also has a heart. This series can't be missed.
    • 4/5
      This is a hard review for me to write. Biting Cold is the number one book I have been looking forward to in 2012 and Chicagoland Vampires is in my top 5 favorite series ever! The last book Drink Deep left readers (at least me) dying to read this upcoming installment. For some reason this book just didn't hit it for me, in fact this is my least favorite book in the series. Don't get me wrong I still liked it, but it wasn't what I had hoped for. Biting Cold seems to leave from the typical story due to the Mallory and Tate aspects. Readers learn more about who and what they are taking away focus that had previously been on other characters. Let's just say that there are some BIG surprises in store that I never would have guessed. Whether I liked this surprise or where it took the story is a different story. It came out of "left field" for me despite the build up in the previous books and to top it all off, the way everything wrapped up was a little too predictable and easier than expected.The supernatural creatures and relationships tying them together were a shock and opened a whole new door for any creature to make an appearance. Perhaps the biggest thing I missed in this book is Merit's relationship with all of the other characters. Lindsey, Jeff, Catcher, and the occasional Gabriel have really grown through the series and they seemed to only be superficially present and make a sparse appearance here and there in Biting Cold. Despite this, the two characters I missed the most were Morgan and Jonah. There is just an extra spark that they bring to the book. They are on a couple of pages, but I want them to have some real interaction with Merit. I'm not the biggest fan of Ethan and they lend that option of another love interest. Speaking of Ethan... he is more wish-washy/self sacrificing than ever and constantly keeps Merit on the fence about their relationship. A decision needs to be made. The best part about the book is the ending. While all of the drama with Mallory going big bad evil witch and Tate revealing what he truly is the Cadogan house is still dealing with the ramifications of giving the Greenwich Presidium the blow off when Ethan came back. They don't let up in Biting Cold. Choices will be made that have me clambering to get my hands on the next installment. I may not have loved the book, but my love for the series is just as strong as ever! I give this book a 3 1/2 STAR rating.
    • 3/5
      I have enjoyed every book in the Chicagoland Vampires series, but Biting Cold was just… meh. The cheesiness, the lackluster plot, and the subpar writing were all too much to overlook this time around, and the middle dragged so badly that I seriously considered stopping. But I finished the book because, despite its flaws, I still love Merit and I cannot help rooting for her. I may pick up the next book, House Rules, just to see how the political situation and Merit’s relationship with Ethan evolve, but, unfortunately, my enthusiasm for the series is beginning to flag. Hopefully future installments can recapture the drama and emotional intensity that first drew me in to the story.
    • 3/5
      *Spoiler Alert: If you have not read Drink Deep yet ~ you may not want to read this review ~ you've been warned*A couple of years back, I took a chance on a book called Some Girls Bite. I hated the title and hated the cover but am a big fan of all things fangy and the premise sounded marginally okay. Needless to say, I fell in love with Merit. I devoured the first few books, and could not wait for more! Chloe Neill brings a deliciously diverse group of characters together in this series. You have your tough guy vamps, geeky sihfters, bitchy fiaries, snarky sorcerers and Merit the fumbling reluctant vampire turned total bad ass. Biting Cold brings another type of supe to the table. Angels.Okay, I will admit that angels and I don't have the best relationship. I, for whatever reason, tend to shy away from all books angel related. I've read a few but have yet to really be sucked into a good one. (Suggestions are welcome!!) So, when the angel popped up in one of my favorite book series I sighed, audibly. This new fallen angel threat is bearing down on Chicago and it is left up to the supernatural community to solve it and save the day and hopefully Merit's best friend Mallory and her love, Ethan.Angels aside. Merit and Ethan have lost a bit of the magic, for me. They had this wonderful love/ hate relationship for so long and it, quite literally, took my breath away at times. Biting Cold was missing that. I actually lost a bit of love for Ethan in this one (insert huge sad face here). I am still a big, big Merit fan but she too seemed to lose a bit of edge. As well as Catcher and Mallory, though somewhat understandable it is still frustrating. I missed the fun of the first five books. I understand that the story and characters need to grow and develop and Neill has done that with this installment. I simply just did not enjoy it as much as the others of the series. I won't be giving up on Chicagoland Vampires, I will just keep my fingers tightly crossed that House Rules brings back a little of the excitement, snark and Mallocakes!I realize this is more of a rant than a review and after the dust settles, I may need to revise...
    • 4/5
      I listened to this book on audiobook and have a lot to say about the new narrator (not positive). Anyway this is the sixth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series and it was a solid continuation of the series. I need to comment on the narrator change in this audiobook first. The narrator change was horrible; all the characters fail to sound like themselves and all the voices for male characters sound the same. Merit sounds much drier and less emotional than in previous books; like a pale ghost of her fiery self. Why did they have to switch narrators? If they keep this narrator for future books I will no longer be listening to these on audiobooks. Such a disappointment; these were such great audiobooks....This book follows up on a lot of issues that started in the last book. Ethan is dealing with Mal being stuck in his head and Ethan and Merit are trying to cobble together a new relationship. Things get even worse when Tate consumes all the evil in the world and goes rogue. Ethan's house is also under investigation by the vampire GP and they are threatening to kick the house out of the GP. So a lot is going on and it is up to Merit to deal with it all.Merit and Ethan continue to have an on again, off again type of relationship and this drove me crazy. I wish they would just decide what they want and get on with the story. That being said there are some very good scenes between the two. Mal is trying to kick her addiction to black magic. I am not sure how I feel about the whole Mal storyline; it is so sad to see her degraded from the sparkly and happy person she was earlier in the series. She makes some progress in this book to kicking her black magic addiction, but not a ton. It will be interesting to see how this storyline goes.It was incredibly interesting to finally have the Tate storyline expanded on. We learn a ton about what Tate is and his history and that was fascinating. We also finally get some incredibly interesting resolution around Cadogan’s status as a House. I am hoping that we can finally move past this whole political issue and get on to a different storyline.These books are a bit hard to review because they are so connected to each other. You definitely need to read previous books in the series or you will be totally lost. There are a lot of little storylines going on here and because of that the story progresses, but slowly.I still enjoyed the story and hope that the Ethan/Merit drama can be set aside for a while in the next book. The ending was exciting and I am eager to see how some of Cadogan Houses’s decisions play out in the next book. The book ends on a very positive note; which was nice to finally have happen in this series.Overall I enjoyed this addition to the series. We get some resolution around the Mallory issue and around Ethan/Merit. This book ties up a lot of things and sets up some interesting new storylines. The ending is spectacular and I am eager to see where the series goes next. This was a bit of a transition novel and it tidies up a lot of the loose ends from the last couple books. I definitely recommend this series to fans of vampire urban fantasy.
    • 4/5
      Ethan and Merit are back together. YAY. BITING COLD picks up immediately after the events of DRINK DEEPI had a harder time getting into BITING COLD in the beginning but once the action started I was back glued to the pages waiting to see what would happen next. I know Mallory is Merit's best friend and all but I thought she got through everything a little easier then I would have preferred. Sure she is suffering but she caused SO much trouble and hurt, she was selfish and she could have destroyed the world. I was very happy with how Merit treated the whole situation. I was shocked by the multiple twists regarding Seth Tate, who would have thought? Ethan drives me nuts sometimes. He still attempts to "protect" Merit in BITING COLD in his usual way and I really wish I could have smacked him upside the head at one point. He did however fix his thinking. I missed not having Jonah a big part of the story but hopefully he will be back in a greater role now that Ethan is back for a whole book.Loved the ending. Cant elaborate on that but I cant wait to see what happens after the results were revealed. There are so many things about this series that I love and so many things that still need to be revealed. There is no way I could miss a Chicagoland Vampire book so i will be reading book 7 as soon as humanly possible
    • 4/5
      There is a lot, both physically and emotionally on Merit’s plate.First there’s the fact that her best friend, Mallory, is addicted to the power in dark magic and believes that the only way she’s going to feel better is to release the evil stored in a book called the Maleficium in order to balance out magical good and evil. She’s caused a lot of havoc in Chicago, and of course, the mayor’s office is blaming the “evil vampires” for it. Will they have to kill her? Can she be redeemed?Then there’s the fact that Ethan, nothing but a pile of ashes for two months, had been raised as Mallory’s familiar at the end of the last book. That didn’t quite work out the way Mallory hoped, but it is causing problems for Ethan, and hence, his relationship with Merit.The two travel to Nebraska in hopes of stopping Mallory-- who escaped after being taken into custody by The Order-- from getting her hands on the book. Ah, but now Seth also wants the book and the trapped magic in its pages, causing a whole new set of problems.If that weren’t enough the F.U. delivered to Franklin Cabot when being kicked out of Cadogan House in the last book wasn’t accepted very well by the Greenwich Presidium (GP). Darius, the head of the organization is now coming for a visit and Cadogan faces the very real possibility of being kicked out of the GP because it refuse to stop being involved in human affairs.We finally find out what Seth is and it’s surprisingly huge. He becomes both a major protagonist as well as part of the solution. Once again Merit is involved up to her eyeballs in challenges and as with the rest of the books in this series, we’re given a very tight, fast-paced story filled with a lot of action and emotion. Merit is not the same person she was prior to Ethan’s death. She’s come into her own. Merit still has her fears and doubts, but will muscle through and do what needs to be done. And any relationship issues with Ethan? Well again, she’s not the same person she was.For those unfamiliar with the series, vampires—for the most part—belong to and own fealty to a vampire house. There are a dozen in the US and three in Chicago. They’ve recently been outed which has upset folks who had no idea “monsters” lived among them. This world also contains shifters, magic users and many other mythological creatures and humans are now just learning that these others also exist. Merit is attacked by a vampire in the first book, Some Girls Bite, and her life is saved when she’s made a vampire by Ethan, the Master of Cadogan House. She’s not especially grateful at first; rather stubborn and outspoken. But her abilities and some training have put her in the position of Sentinel for the House, someone whose role is to protect the House and the people in it. As part of her position she’s gotten involved with many other supernaturals and early-on discovers that her grandfather is the police liaison with the supes, putting her in a unique position, and hence the initial reason why Cadogan House is involved in human affairs.
    • 4/5
      This is the sixth book in Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series and, as such, this review contains spoilers for earlier books in the series. The story begins with Ethan and Merit chasing Mallory across Iowa and into Nebraska to keep her from getting a magical book which she believes will balance good and evil in the world and will make her own magic less painful. Ethan and Merit don't want the evil released. They are not alone on their hunt for the magical book. Seth Tate is also hunting. Tate is a magical creature of an unknown type who was once mayor of Chicago and who has done evil things.They get to the book before Mallory but after a battle with Tate. But Tate and Mallory team up to destroy the book which causes Tate to split in two and become even more evil. Merit must find a way to defeat him in order to protect her House and humans. Merit also has to deal with the betrayal by her best friend Mallory who has become addicted to black magic. She did bring Ethan back to Merit by her actions but has a connection with him that he fears will cause him to hurt Merit. Ethan pulls away from Merit because of this fear which puts additional pressure on Merit.There is no lack of pressure in this story. The Greenwich Presidium is also putting pressure on Cadogan House. In their view, Cadogan House is endangering all vampires by getting involved in human politics. Ethan is busy playing politics for his House while Merit is concentrating on finding a way to defeat Tate.What I especially like about this series is the way the characters are developed. Merit is a wonderful main character. She is strong, smart, and loyal. She has built relationships with some of the other vampire Houses and with other supernatural species too. I like her relationship with the shifters and with the magic users. She is hurt by the actions of her former best friend Mallory and honestly doesn't know if Mallory will ever be able to make amends and repair the friendship. This is a great series with lots of fighting and politics and romance. Urban fantasy lovers will not want to miss this one. This story does not have a cliffhanger ending, but I am still eager to read House Rules which will be published in 2013 because I have become invested in Merit's life.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:allthingsuf.comDespite the strength, beauty, and immortality of vampires, I rarely find myself envious of their supernatural lifestyle. Merit’s afterlife smorgasbord of the best food the Midwest has to offer, however, has a way of making vampirism seriously tempting. Add to that push-button athleticism and a close-knit community of local vamps, and you have an afterlife recipe that cannot be beat. Of course, all is not hunky dory in Chicagoland. Merit’s best friend has gone around the bend, and the path of true love has been anything but smooth, but even those setbacks have been a pleasure to read. Somewhere around book two of this series, Merit’s voice really began to work for me. Underneath the ponytails and the Mallowcakes is a relatable young woman who has embarked on one hell of an adventure. For every innate power Merit is given, there’s another, equally valuable skill that she has to work for, and it is these practiced changes that make her so interesting as a character. BITING COLD picks up after the twists and drama of DRINK DEEP, and the magical mayhem is amped up from page one. Anyone brand new to the series should really start at the beginning, but for returning readers, I though Neill did a great job reminding me of key details along the way. I haven’t seen a witch gone this bad since Evil Willow, but Mallory’s descent into darkness has a lot more pain and torment built into the character. Mallory reads more like a junkie who keeps hurting herself, and everyone around her, in pursuit of that last, definitive fix. I liked how Merit is neither unquestioningly loyal to Mallory nor dismissive of their history. Rather, she has understandable spates of anger, sadness, and then more anger. Of course, I myself started to experience some of that anger when Mallory’s mess started to bleed into Merit and Ethan’s love life. Though the plot didn’t skip a beat heating things up from page one onward, the romantic side of things was downright chilly for much of the book. I didn’t mind the prior reincarnation plot line, but I was also more than ready for these two characters to get some quality time. Their time apart gave Merit an opportunity to grow and develop on her own, but now that Ethan’s back further roadblocks were just plain frustrating. Even worse, Ethan really doesn’t stack up well compared to all of the men in Merit’s life that manage to both be smoking hot and respect her capabilities (a combination that often eludes Ethan).Though I’m slower to forgive Ethan than Merit, my romantic frustrations were resolved over the course of the story. Neill also plays out an interesting and unexpected resolution to a few past magical mysteries while weaving in some continued vampire politicking from prior books. I look forward to exploring that subplot in book #7. Dare I hope that an upheaval of local politics means both Jonah and Morgan will get some time in the limelight? Ethan could still stand a little competition in my book.Sexual Content: Sex scenes.