by Terrance Mc Arthur
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of Dark Debt, along with a link to purchase the book where a portion goes to help support KRL & supports indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy.
You know how you feel when you’ve finally gotten the troublemaker out of your life and they suddenly show up on your doorstep? In Chloe Neill’s Dark Debt, the latest in her Chicagoland Vampire series of urban fantasy books, that’s how Ethan feels.
The action takes up right after the not-so-relaxing vacation detailed in the e-novella Lucky Break. Centuries ago, Ethan had betrayed Balthasar, the vampire who made him a blood-drinker, as he became disgusted with his maker’s treatment of a woman he loved. Now, it seems, Balthasar’s baa-aack, and he wants power and revenge. This is a threat to Ethan’s Cadogan leadership and his seat on a newly-formed organization of American house Masters. 
Chicago is known as the city of the Cubs/Bears/Bulls, bad weather, and organized crime. Neill has included fandom and storms/snow/wind, but the mobsters have been unseen…until now. When vampires attack a semi-criminal at a millionaire’s mansion, Merit and Ethan stop the hit, which turns out to be linked to extortion against another House. Merit finds herself in a wild-and-crazy chase across the city with a human gangster (Come on! She’s a super-powered blood-drinker; she can’t nail this guy in a block? Of course, it is an opportunity for a great action sequence.) Balthasar starts invading Merit’s dreams, and she falls prey to the vampire glamour that didn’t affect her in the past, so she and Ethan plan a confrontation on their terms.
Chloe Neill has developed a strong background for Merit and Ethan. The Cadogan House framework has become so familiar that fans could make a map of it. The supporting characters really provide support. Her grandfather runs a near-police unit of city government that deals with supernatural citizens, her best friend is a witch who is struggling with the fallout of a recent descent into dark magic, and the queen of the Cadogan House kitchen keeps Merit provided with the goodies she loves (in Neill’s vampire world, they aren’t limited to hemoglobin-powered treats).
The banter is bright and sarcastic, the bedroom activities are enthusiastic and the action sequences are filled with…action. It’s a smart and twisty urban fantasy for fans of the series, and good fun even if you aren’t familiar with all the players.
To enter to win a copy of Dark Debt, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Debt,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen May 2, 2015. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address.
Check out more fantasy book reviews in our fantasy and fangs section.
Use this link to purchase this book & a portion goes to help support KRL & it supports an indie bookstore:
We have a winner
Lorie Ham, KRL Publisher