Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

Title: Biting Cold
Author: Chloe Neill

Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN: 978-0-575-11342-8
Pages: 337
Series: Chicagoland Vampires #6
Type: Adult Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Turned into a vampire against her will, Merit has found her way into the inner circle of Chicago's supernaturals and the secrets she has learnt are not meant for sharing. Now Merit is on the hunt racing across the midwest to stop a rogue supernatural from getting their hands on an artifact that could release a catastrophic evil on the world. But Merit herself is being hunted by an old foe who will stop at nothing to claim the artifact for himself. Will Merit survive the chase?

This is the sixth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series (after Some Girls Bite, Friday Night Bites, Twice Bitten, Hard Bitten and Drink Deep) and at this point I'd really recommend new readers go back and begin at the start. There are likely to be spoilers in this review for all previous books.

I was disappointed in the previous installment as I felt it was very predictable in some respects. This storyline, however, is anything but with lots of twists and turns packed in. There are also some massive revelations, including finding out what Tate really is. The book jumps straight into the action and manages to keep a fast pace throughout as it works to bring together different storylines. I loved the introduction of gnomes and the return of some of the humour and snark from previous installments.

Merit is dealing with a lot. She's been betrayed and broken and has found, lost and found love again so it isn't surprising she has matured a lot since the beginning of the series. There's a lot of healing needed in her life, but Merit doesn't have time for introspection. I was expecting more impact from Ethan's return but he takes a long time to deal with how his existence has altered. This means that his romance with Merit is firmly on the backburner, although the introspection does lead to some added depth for his character.

The ending is interesting as it concludes the story while leading on to a new era for Cadogan House. I'm really interested to see where Chloe Neill takes things from here and I can't wait for the next book.

All in all this was a great read and I'm looking forward to House Rules.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 46/50