BITING COLD by Chloe Neill

Biting Cold
Chloe Neill

Rating: B-
Synopsis:
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. 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.

My thoughts on the book:
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. 

Want to order Biting Cold?