Thursday, March 5, 2015

Review: Dark Debt

DARK DEBT
Chicagoland Vampires #11
Chloe Neill
Urban Fantasy
368 pages
NAL Trade
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
A vampire never gets old. But neither do his enemies. When a figure from Ethan's dark past makes a splashy debut in Chicago, Merit and her Master don't know whether he's friend or foe. But they'll have to figure out soon, because trouble is brewing in the Windy City.

At an exclusive society soiree attended by the upper echelons of the human and supernatural worlds, Merit and Ethan barely stop the assassination of a guest. When the target turns out to be a shady businessman with a criminal edge, Merit suspects a human vendetta. But the assassins have fangs....

The connections to Chicago's Houses go deeper than Merit knows, and even one wrong move could be her last....


MY THOUGHTS
Dark Debt, the latest in the enormously entertaining Chicagoland Vampires series, sees Merit and Ethan further settling in to a stage in their relationship fans of the series likely never thought possible after the first couple installments, the two of them butting heads to such a degree it was impressive neither ended up concussed. While the build up of their romance was delicious in its tension, there’s something infinitely satisfying about the two of them as an established pair, and their utter togetherness is on full display in this newest installment.

Established couples can sometimes be tricky in terms of reader interest, the end of the chase often signifying the end of the aforementioned will they/won’t they tension, leaving us bereft of what attracted us to them in the first place. Ms. Neill proves, however, that couples secure in their feelings for one another can continue to be every bit as interesting–and even preferable for those of us who could do with a little less drama in romantic relationships–as the couples still trying to tentatively figure one another out. There’s a certain amount of comfort in the knowledge that while whatever Merit and Ethan face externally might be a powerful threat to their general happiness and well-being, it won’t be a threat to their relationship as a whole.

Dark Debt sees that exact situation come to fruition as a figure from Ethan’s past threatens to see history repeat itself in a way that will prove disastrous to all of Chicago, and Ethan in particular. Though his Maker finds a chink or two in Merit and Ethan’s romantic armor, the two of them remain steadfast in the certainty and safety they have in one another, bringing a smile to our faces as we delight in how far the two of them have come.

One of the more intriguing aspects of this series has always been the fact that despite Ethan being a Master vampire and far more powerful than the much younger Merit, she is the one defending and protecting him, throwing herself in harm’s way to prove that badassery isn’t something reserved only for the centuries-old. Ethan, for his part, does quite a bit of protecting of his own, but he always lets Merit fight the battles she needs to fight rather than seeking to stow her safely on the sidelines. The two of them together get stronger with each installment, and it here’s hoping we get to glory in their banter and their battles for many more books to come.

Rating: 4/5

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

29 comments:

  1. It's so impressive already book 11 and still that good? it's rare! I need to start the series, I have the 3 first books in French for years but I need to get into them now...

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    1. I thoroughly enjoy this series Melliane! Hope you get to those first 3:)

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  2. And I who gave up long ago 0_0 Oh well :)

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  3. I've not read any books by her, but your review made me want to grab a copy!! I love relationships which start with friction and then end up steamy!

    Lovely review :)

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    1. These books are just pure fun Christina, I highly recommend them!

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  4. Man. Jenny, I am so behind on this series I don't even know where I left off. o.O But I'm happy to hear the books are still going strong! :D

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    1. I know the feeling, I'm super far behind on an absurd number of series :(

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  5. I need to catch up on this series, Jenny. I love that Merit and Ethan are still going so strong. I loved their dynamics in book 1, so I'm excited to see that they are as brilliant in this one. And yay for less romantic drama. I'm glad this was yet another successful installment, Jenny.
    Wonderful review as always! :)

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    1. I love seeing how far they've come since that first book Nick! They're so great together:)

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  6. I'm so behind on this series, but I'm glad that Ethan and Merit's relationship solidity doesn't take the fun away from the books. I agree, having a relationship that is solid can be even more satisfying. And I'm glad Ethan is still letting Merit throw herself into harm's way for him. :-) Lovely review!

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    1. I love that Merit is the real badass of the two. Ethan has his moments for sure, but Merit is primary ass-kicker:)

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  7. I love that they have stayed strong as a couple once they finally became one. I have only read the first few books to this series but I have been meaning to pick it back up. I think I will have an easier time doing that now knowing they won't have all the relationship drama that some couples have like you mentioned.

    Wonderful review Jenny!

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    1. There's some drama for them in the middle of the series for sure Ali, but once you get through that they're solid:)

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  8. I really love how Chloe Neill keeps on throwing stuff at them but makes them fight whatever it is a team and doesn't generate innecessary drama and it still remains interesting and not boring! I really loved this latest installment!

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    1. I love this series Pili! More Ethan and Merit please:)

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    2. YESSS! This is one series I want it to continue it for a million more books!

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  9. This series sadly lost me a long time ago and I can't get excited to read it like I used to, but I'm glad that Ethan and Merit are finally a couple and not butting heads anymore.

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    1. As much as I enjoyed them butting heads, I think I like them being happy and supportive of one another even more:)

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  10. Sigh... I haven't picked up the second book in this series and I loved the first one I did in the read along with you. Where has time gone and how did it already get to book 11? This series is still on my list. I am currently catching up on Kate Daniels. Glad though that Merit and Ethan are still going strong.

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    1. Right? This series did get to #11 quickly, she apparently writes fast! I hope you're able to get caught up at some point:)

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  11. I'm so intimidated to begin this series because of its length--and the fact that an end doesn't seem near?--but I'm so glad to hear that the quality of the books has been maintained throughout. Lovely review, Jenny--I'll hopefully pick these up soon!

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    1. I have no idea how many books she has planned, but I love that each one is its own story. No nasty cliffhangers or anything waiting at the end!

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  12. I'm completely oblivious because I did not know about this series at all Jenny! BUT I am super happy that you're enjoying it and that this sequel was good and the romance was even better. Lovely review :)

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    1. I love a good UF series to break up all the YA I read Lily! And this is one of my favorite UF series:)

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  13. I was just thinking about Chloe's books earlier today. I have still only read the first 2, maybe 3 books. I loved them and have always wanted to get back to them.

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  14. I've always wanted to read this series, and I'm glad that it's only at its 11th instalment. Though still feel like a daunting task to be able to catch up. I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the series. Maybe someday for me...

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  15. Gah! I need to catch up. I read the first book during the read-a-long awhile back, but never got around to the 2nd one. I wanted to rad it this month, so hopefully.

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  16. Yay, another Chicagoland fan! I'm listening to thsi one right now and I love Ethan and Merit so much!
    'There’s something infinitely satisfying about the two of them as an established pair, and their utter togetherness is on full display in this newest installment.' <---- Yes! They are not allowed to separate now after what happened in book 5. *sobs*

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