Wild Hunger
Chloe Neill
Paranormal Romance
In the first thrilling installment of Chloe Neill’s spinoff to the New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series, a new vampire will find out just how deep blood ties run.
As the only vampire child ever born, some believed Elisa Sullivan had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Connor Keene, the only son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she’s a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he’s prince of the Pack and its future king.
When the assassination of a diplomat brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever.
Uncaged Review: Having read the original Chicagoland Vampires series, I took my time diving into this one, the spin-off, but I’m glad I took the time, and glad that I started this one. This is the story of Elisa, the child born of magic between her vampire parents, Merit and Ethan of Cadigan House in Chicago. Both parents are back here, along with a few of the characters from the first series, and also some new characters are introduced, including Connor, Alpha Gabriel’s son, who has been an irritant to Elisa since they were kids. But that may be changing….
Elisa has spent some time in Paris, serving a European House, becoming her own person. When she returns to Chicago for a summit, for vampires around the world to meet and to find a way to peace like Chicago has found, but all hell breaks loose and whether or not Ethan can get them back to the table to talk again, is up in the air. And when a pack member is accused of murder, Elisa knows she needs to find out who’s setting him up – with the help of some friends.
I really like Lulu – she’s the daughter of Mallory from the original series, she’s one of the best things for Elisa. I liked the characters Theo and Yeun and even Connor grew on me quickly. This book has plenty of action and suspense, but the romance is barely there, but working up to it. A reader can jump right into this series without reading the original Chicagoland Vampire series, but reading that series first will only enhance the reading experience for this series. Excellent start. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 stars
Wicked Hour
Chloe Neill
Paranormal Romance
In the second pulse-pounding novel in the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series, vampire Elisa Sullivan gets drawn into the shifting sands of Pack politics.
Vampires were made, not born—until Elisa Sullivan came along. As the only vampire child in existence, she grew up with a heavy legacy, and tried to flee her past. Then circumstances drew her back to Chicago, and she stayed to keep it safe. With shifter Connor Keene, the only son of Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, at her side, she faced down a supernatural evil that threatened to destroy Chicago forever.
After the dust from the attack has settled, Elisa is surprised when Connor invites her to a usually private Pack event in the north woods of Minnesota, and by the warm welcome she receives from some of Connor’s family, even though she’s a vampire. But the peace doesn’t last. The shifters tell tales of a monster in the woods, and when the celebration is marred by death, Elisa and Connor find themselves in the middle of a struggle for control that forces Elisa to face her true self—fangs and all.
Uncaged Review: Elisa is invited to witness an initiation into a pack with a clan in Minnesota, an event that normally excludes anyone outside the pack. But not all is what it seems with the clan, and when there is a death on the night of the initiation, members are talking about strange beasts that shouldn’t exist. Connor and Elisa will work together along with Alexei, Lulu and Theo to find out what is going on. Elisa will also be coming to terms with the “monster” inside her, and Elisa and Connor will grow closer as they work to find out the secrets of both the clan leadership which is failing, and the beast that is terrorizing the clan.
A lot of action, suspense and surprises erupt in this book. The supporting characters are a perfect foil to the mains, and in this book, we don’t see as much of the characters from the first series, but it’s nice to touch base with them here. I’m beginning to like Elisa more and more, and Connor is an arrogant and alpha shifter with a heart of gold. This is a slow burn romance, but more action/suspense/secrets over the romance in this book, with just enough to keep the reader wanting more. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 Stars
Shadowed Steel
Chloe Neill
Urban Fantasy
In the third installment in the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series, the vampires in Elisa Sullivan’s world are out for blood.
Elisa Sullivan is the only vampire ever born, and she bears a heavy legacy. After a sojourn with the North American Central Pack of shifters in the wilderness—where she turned a young woman into a vampire to save her life—Elisa returns to Chicago.
But no good deed goes unpunished. The ruling body of vampires, the Assembly of American Masters, is furious that Elisa turned someone without their permission, and they want her punished. When an AAM vampire is found dead, Elisa is the prime suspect. Someone else is stalking Chicago—and Elisa. She’ll need to keep a clear head, and a sharp blade, to survive all the supernatural strife.
Uncaged Review: The third book in this spin-off series has the actions done in the last book come back to haunt Elise and Connor. When the ruling body of vampires wants to bring Elisa in for turning Carlie into a vampire, saying she broke the rules, there will have to be some heavy investigating to get her out of this new crisis. And it will take a lot more than just Elisa and Connor. Theo and the Omsbudman group, the CPD and even a new contact in Jonathan Black will be – whom I figure will pop out more in the coming editions). When the lead Bureau vamp, Clive wants to take her into custody, Elisa declines and sets in motion a huge mess and conspiracy. And when one of the bureau vamps are killed, Elisa is blamed for that, but with the right people behind her, they will find the truth.
This book is heavy on the suspense, it’s light on the romance, but Connor and Elisa do come into this relationship deeper and with more understanding of each other. There was some action, not overly done, but the banter with all the supporting cast is dead on, and it was hard to put this down after I started reading. This is a set that has been sitting on my shelves in my TBR pile for quite a while, and sometimes I need to make a dent and get out of a rut and this has been a great series to do that with. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 Stars
Devouring Darkness
Chloe Neill
Urban Fantasy
In the newest installment of the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series, vampire Elisa Sullivan unearths an ancient grudge, with potentially devastating consequences.
As the only vampire ever born, and the daughter of two very powerful Chicago vampires, Elisa Sullivan knew her life was going to be…unusual. But she wanted to make her own way in the world, preferably away from her famous family. Then supernatural politics—and perhaps a bit of destiny—intervened, and Elisa had to steady her nerves and sharpen her steel to fight for the city of Chicago. Luckily, Connor Keene, son of the North American Central Pack’s Apex wolf, is right by her side.
When Elisa and her Ombudsman colleagues agree to escort a vulnerable supernatural to Chicago, they inadvertently set in motion a scheme of long-awaited magical vengeance. The city may pay an arcane price it can’t afford unless Elisa and her allies rise to the challenge./
Uncaged Review: Elisa and the group will have their hands full, unwittingly releasing a demon into Chicago, one that wants revenge and has been plotting a way back in for a long time. When Cadogan House disappears, Elisa, Lulu, Connor and the Ombuds will need to work together quickly to find a solution before it’s too late.
The action and suspense ramps up in this book, and Lulu will come into her own magic in a very surprising way. Connor must deal with the Pack, as his family, along with Lulu’s parents and Elisa’s parents were all in Cadogan when it disappears. The bond between Connor and Elisa strengthens, even as she questions her immortality against the fact that Connor is mortal. This book sets up nicely for the final book in the series and leaves on a slight cliffhanger, and I’m looking forward to finishing this series and the entire Chicagoland Vampires series, including the original series and this spin-off are highly recommended for urban fantasy lovers. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 Stars
Cold Curses
Chloe Neill
Urban Fantasy
It’s all magical hands on deck for vampire Elisa Sullivan and her allies as they fight to save the Windy City from a supernatural onslaught, in the newest installment of the USA Today bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series.
Elisa, the only vampire ever born, is hoping all can remain quiet in the City of Chicago in the wake of a destructive attack by an ancient demon who broke the city’s defensive magic. Still, she and her friends, including shifter Connor Keene, know they need to be ready for anything.
Everyone is working as hard as they can to repair the city’s wards, but unwelcome creatures are slipping through and Elisa soon finds herself caught in the middle of a magical turf war with roots that go back generations. She knows she will have to take a stand, but retaliating threatens to reveal her deepest secret…
Uncaged Review: As we finally hit the last book in this series, the action ramps up and stays at high octane, with Elisa and the team fighting off the demons, and trying to find a way to fix the wards that were broken. We will see Mallory, Catcher, Ethan and Merit back in this book, even though they are not the focus, they are a strong supporting cast for the new heroes of Chicago in Elisa, Connor, Lulu and monster. The secrets will all be unveiled, and Elisa will come into her own as will Connor and Lulu.
I enjoyed this series, and it was nice to touch base with the original crew, I can’t say that I like this series better than the originals and it’s hard to replace Merit and Ethan as the main characters, but the feel of the Chicagoland Vampire world is here and it’s a fitting ending to this series. All the questions that have been built up over the five books will be answered, and a few extra ones to sweeten the pot. A great series for any urban fantasy lover, but start at the beginning of the Chicagoland Vampires, and work your way into this set for the best experience. Reviewed by Cyrene
5 Stars
Overall, this series is a great addition to the Chicagoland Vampires universe. I will miss all the characters, and I hope one day, Ms. Neill will take us back and check in on this group. Even if she doesn’t, it’s been a very fun ride.
