Drink Deep (Early Review)

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Chicagoland Vampires #5

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven't been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That's when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago's mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for vampires and humans alike.

Merit should have known she wouldn't get a chance to fully come to terms with her loss before being thrust into the middle of another crisis. The humans in general are becoming more of a problem as they try to pass a registration act for all paranormals. Fuel is only added to the fire as Lake Michigan and the rivers turn completely black and stop flowing. Of course, the vampires are the first to be blamed as protesters come out in leagues. Merit will have to step up to get to the bottom of things before the tensions boil over, or her grief will be the least of her worries.

Drink Deep picked up two months after the ending events of Hard Bitten, and Merit is still in a staggering state of grief. Yet she is slowly trying to pick up the pieces and move forward the best that she can. She seemed to be making progress, but every so often the loss would overcome her and she breaks completely down. It is the fact that she continues to pick up the pieces and muster on that shows her true strength in character. Everyone of course has their own opinion about how she should be dealing, with some wanting to hurry her on, and others trying to hold her back. One character in particular incredibly infuriated me when they questioned whether or not Merit was respecting Ethan's memory. I just don't think it is anyone's right to tell her when it is time to fully move on, and Merit definitely felt the same way. Even so, Merit was able to see outside her own hurt to keep her duty to the others of her house as they are in that same state of grieving. It would have been so easy for her to forget that she wasn't the only one who lost something, but she never once did, making her truly admirable. They always say "A person's true character is defined in their darkest hour," and there can be no fault found with Merit.

The actual danger and plot of Drink Deep was a pretty much a giant wild goose chase. It was a massive case of pointing fingers, and Merit was generally led in circles as she tried to get to the bottom of things. The end result left me more than a little shocked, even though looking back I realize that I should have seen things coming. However, what made the actual build up the most interesting was the whole new depth to the supernatural world that we are introduced to in this book. Things were so much simpler back when there were only vampires, but then again simple is rarely interesting. I am eager to see where these new developments lead, and what new dangers they may possess.

The events of this book will have many political ramifications in the future, but in Drink Deep, they were merely set up. With the absurdity of the receiver placed upon Cadogan house, as well as the relations with humans, the political side of things will more than likely play a larger role than ever before in future installments, something I am both eager, yet nervous to see. While there was much grieving in Drink Deep, the overall theme of the book seemed to be hope. This honestly surprised me as I couldn't imagine how there could really be any other emotion than devastation and other negative feelings. Yet trust, hope, compassion, and even the potential for love all play their parts. This proves Chloe Neill knows how to write a well rounded book full of emotional depth that will easily suck the reader into Merit's world. While there wasn't really a cliffhanger ending, if you are anything like me, you will already be looking forward to the next installment and what the future may hold. All I can say is bravo to Chloe Neill for once again making my presumptions of what was to come be thrown out the window, making for a completely unpredictable read that left me more than satisfied.

(Received a copy from the publisher) 


Rating:

Pre-order from Amazon:
Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 5)

Other Reviews:
     The Midnight Garden
     Rex Robot Reviews

Previous Books:
     1. Some Girls Bite
     2. Friday Night Bites
     3. Twice Bitten
     4. Hard Bitten

Challenge Categories:
     Outdo Yourself
     Horror and Urban Fantasy
     Vampire

Want to see Chloe in person?

Thursday, November 3rd
BARNES & NOBLE
Oakview Mall
3333 Oakview Drive
Omaha, NE 68144
402-691-4557 (phone)
7 PM
Meet Rachel Caine & Chloe Neill!


Sunday, November 6th
BARNES & NOBLE
2100 North Snelling Ave
Roseville, MN 55113
(651)-639-9256 phone
2 PM
Meet Rachel Caine, Chloe Neill, and Andrea Cremer (author of the Nightshade series)!


Come to the bookstore, meet the authors, have your books signed, and participate in a raffle drawing to receive cool prizes!