| Title | : | Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, #5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0451234863 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780451234865 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 321 |
| Publication | : | First published November 1, 2011 |
| Awards | : | Cupid and Psyche Awards (CAPA) from The Romance Studio Young Adult (2012) |
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.
Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, #5) Reviews
-
*Spoiler-Free* Don't worry, Chicagoland fans. *pat pat* Everything will be okay.
4.5 starsIt's been two months since the nail-biting events of
Hard Bitten, and Merit is still dealing with the fall-out from what occurred. As Cadogan House is investigated for mismanagement and blood rations keep everyone on edge, there's also trouble when Lake Michigan suddenly turns black and fingers are pointed at the vamps. Merit must work together with Jonah, the attractive captain of the guards at Grey House, to find out who's really responsible, even as she's haunted by dreams that she doesn't understand.
Merit has always been a strong, smart, and funny heroine, but her loyalty and her honor really come through in this particular book. We also get more kickass fight scenes, interesting political developments as a pending paranormal registration act causes tempers to flare, complicated problems with Merit's best friend Mallory, skies that turn ruby red, and tense run-ins with faeries and lake sirens. I also liked that Malik has stepped up in a stronger role at Cadogan, and how respect and trust and allegiance are, as always, big themes in this series.
But never mind all that--you want to know about Ethan! The sexy, green-eyed Master is never far from Merit's mind, and he casts a long shadow over all of the turmoil at Cadogan House. After the sucker punch dealt to fans in the last book, many of us worried about the direction that the series was taking. But most readers are going to be very, very satisfied with the way Merit deals with her feelings for Ethan as well as her reluctant attraction to Jonah. I am really happy that she finds the strength to come to terms with this very tricky situation, and every development in this story arc feels completely right and emotionally true.
I continue to be impressed by how Chloe Neill juggles a sizable cast of characters and all kinds of interesting subplots while moving Merit's personal story forward. There's no doubt at all that this series will continue to deliver the great stories and quality entertainment we've come to expect. And yeah, I gave an urban fantasy book 5 stars--what of it? Chicagoland has always been the cream of the crop for this genre, and Drink Deep is by far the best book in the series to date.
The review also appears in
The Midnight Garden. An advance copy was provided by the publisher. -
Well. My one-book-brief love affair with this series has certainly come to an end.
Why Drink Deep is the greatest disappointment of 2011:
1. Story = Filler. Until the very last 2 chapters or so, most of the story is pretty much nonexistent and it's apparent that Neill tried (and failed, I might add) to build up the suspense about what will become of Ethan, and the "story" part of the book was simply added out of obligation. Really, NOTHING happens in Drink Deep. If you haven't yet read the book: save your time and energy, flip to the back, and read the epilogue. You won't have missed a single thing by skipping nearly 300 pages of the so-called story.
2. Characters = Immature. Everyone annoyed me, especially Merit. I've never been a huge fan of her, and I hated her even more in this book. She's so...cold and forced sometimes. It's like the author tried to make the perfect heroine with her perfect flaws, but she seems extremely unnatural and fake. I can never relate to her and I don't get why she's always interfering with matters without thinking them through and then acting like she has a personal right to everything that goes on in Chicago.
And despite loving Catcher and Mallory for the past several books, I hated even them in Drink Deep. Jeff remains my only constant love.
3. Plot = Boring. At one point, I was actually skipping pages. Not skimming, but simply skipping 2-5 pages at a time because of how utterly boring the entire book was. I had to force myself to finish this book, and only because I'd heard the ending was so epic. So much for that.
4. Ending = Desperate.
For more reviews, visit my
blog. -
2 books in 1 year woooo hooo
Update 6th May 2011
FIX THIS NEILL!!! ***wipes away tears**
Update 2nd November
I will start reading this tomorrow! Miss Neill I gave you my trust so please do not abuse it!
Also to fellow goodreads friends please do not take offense to any of my updates while reading this book, I do not take any responsibility for the words that come out of mouth!
Update 5th November 2011
So where do I begin?!?!?!
This story reminded me so much of New Moon in the Twilight series. It was soooo frustrating.
The whole entire book till about 90% (thats when Ethan emerged) felt empty, something was missing and that was Ethan. He is such a big part of the whole series that not having him there was just wrong.
And when Ethan finally comes back to us it felt so rushed and forced I had to re read the part again because I thought I missed something.
parts of the book and what questions it leaves us with, I dont feel to good about.
Neill you asked your Fans to trust you, that you would fix this but for some reason it does not feel fixed to me.
The story and drama it self was not bad at all and I did enjoy it. I think I am just cut because of the face Ethan was not in the book, well not until the last chapter!
Well now we have to wait 10 months for the next book! FML!! -
Why can't Merit just bitch slap Catcher AND Mallory? They both treat her like shit and she just takes it. Especially Catcher.
-
Hey People? This Ranting Review may spoil the book for you...read it at your own risk Okay? If you read it and it spoils something for you, don't come yelling at me
Badass Book Review
I'm out peeps. All done with Meritverse.
I'm not sure I can adequately express my irritation with the character directions that seem to come out of left field, so I'm not even going to try.
How can you spend four books cultivating relationships and then squander them away in the blink of an eye..or in the stake of a heart. Mallory and Ethan. Geez Ms. Neill. Really? Ethan is like an emotionless...emotionless...vampire! and Mallory? What. the. hell. I'm just not feeling...well...anything. It's like the emotions were all sucked out of your writing.
The reunion was so fucking BORING. We are told Merit cries, has a sob and then...it's over? All is right with the world? Frank get's kicked to the curb, and everyone is joyous. In what seemed like two pages? That is what you give us? For real? How, trite. How contrived.
I still don't get Jonah and his little speech at the end.
So, yea. I'm all done yo. -
This was another amazing 5 star book in this series. It’s still unpredictable, entertaining, with amazing characters and magic in abundance. Although not all the magic is good. I enjoy all the different problems that arise and how the characters work through them together and on there own. Merit is an amazing vampire and star of the series, she goes to all lengths necessary too save lives, Chicago and stamp out evil.
-
The first three books of this series I loved and adored. I recommended them to many based on their snark and action appeal. But then Hard Bitten came along, and at the end, the vampire hero Ethan dies. Stake in the heart, turns to ashes. The end.
I did the whole – wait, what? Let me read that again. Seriously? I may have thrown the book across the room. I’m all for cliff hangers – I enjoy being miserable along with my friends. But this just didn’t feel right. After 3 books, and most of 4, I didn’t want the hero of the series to be dead. I actually thought by the end of book four Merit and Ethan would finally trust each other enough to be together. I wasn’t only angry that the hero dies, but I was angry that we were still being dragged along in this series without some good solid romance. I was bitter and angry, and I remained bitter and angry as I started Drink Deep – did it skew my opinion of this book – maybe. Just putting that out there.
Now I assumed all along that Ethan would eventually come back. He has to, right? Right. I was more worried with the “how.” HOW will Chloe Neill bring him back, and will it be plausible? I’ll answer that in a minute. First let me set up this book.
Drink Deep starts two months after Hard Bitten ends. Right here is a problem for me because we miss all of Merit’s mourning. Although sad, she is basically ready to get back to work. I think we needed to be a part of her intense mourning instead of just telling us she mourned.
Malik is now in charge of Cadogen House and has problems. The water in Lake Michigan has turned a dark, inky black and has stopped moving altogether. The public is quick to blame the vampires, but they have had nothing to do with it. Not wanting anymore riots, Merit knows they must get to the bottom of this before the public acts against the vampires even more than they do now. Now that she doesn’t have Ethan to work with anymore, she turns to Jonah. Jonah is captain of the guards for Grey House, but he is also secretly a member of the Red Guard, “a secret organization dedicated to providing oversight to the American vampire Houses and the Greenwich Presidium (GP), the European council that ruled them from across the pond.” Jonah has been pressuring Merit to join the Red Guard for quite some time. With the offer still open, he agrees to help Merit investigate this weird disturbance.
Meanwhile back at Cadogen House, Franklin Cabot has been appointed receiver of Cadogen House. The GP has decided they didn’t like the way Cadogen House was run, so Frank was sent in to evaluate the house. He has also changed many rules and has become a complete pain in the ass for everyone that lives at Cadogen. Merit is also have vivid dreams of Ethan, usually involving some crisis, but waking up right before anything devastating happens. When the sky suddenly turns red, they realize they must get to the bottom of this before action is taken against the supernaturals.
I’ll start by saying I think this book is on the slow side. Maybe that is because I was waiting, and waiting for the Ethan situation to be addressed. But while there is some action with the water turning black, and the sky turning red, there really isn’t a lot going on. While Mallory is still working with Simon to pass her sorceress tests – Lindsey fills in with the snarkiness, which drew me to this series to begin with.
I was worried that Jonah would become a new love interest for Merit, and while I’m happy to say there really isn’t a love triangle that develops, I don’t understand Jonah’s role in this book. He felt more as just a place marker in the book until Ethan could come back. There is a secret that develops between Merit and Jonah (nothing romance related) and I can see in the future this might cause tension for Merit’s relationship with Ethan….and this worries me. Maybe it won’t happen – but Jonah definitely has a thing for Merit, even if she doesn’t necessarily return those feelings. And keeping secrets from Ethan regarding Jonah– I can see this as a set up for drama and I really hope in the next book we get a more smooth road for these two.
One thing I have to reconcile for myself with this book is Merit’s feelings for Ethan verse my feelings for Ethan. As a romance reader, I am fully invested in Ethan being the hero in the series. And I’ll say it again– by book 4 I wanted their relationship to move forward. Here is Merit’s take on her past relationship with Ethan as she relays it to Jonah:
“Tell me about Ethan.”
Startled, I looked over at Jonah. “Excuse me?”
Nonchalantly, he shrugged and swallowed another knot of noodles. “You told me you weren’t together. That may be true, but I don’t get the sense it’s the entire story.”
I watched him for a moment, smiling as he chewed, as I decided what to tell him. My time with Ethan had been tempestuous. More stops than starts, and those stops had been traumatic. Ethan was gone before the relationship had had a chance to blossom, but that didn’t make the grief any easier to bear – or explain.
“We had moments together,” I said. “We weren’t quite a couple – although I think we might have been if he hadn’t….” I couldn’t make myself finish the sentence.
“If Celina hadn’t done what she’d done,” Jonah finished kindly.
I nodded.
“He meant a lot to you.”
“I nodded again. “He did.”
How to explain the above? When I first read the above passage, I was a little put off. I wanted Merit to accept deeper feelings for Ethan than what she does above. I’ve reread this scene many times since. I have to agree that Merit and Ethan have not had the smoothest of all relationships, but I think I wanted her to declare love above, and when she doesn’t, it upset me.
I’ve reflected as to why this series is turning me off so much and this is what I’ve come up with. In most UF series we read, the good guys (heroine, hero, supporting characters) are usually fighting an evil outside force. They work together to defeat this evil. What I don't like about the direction this series is going is that traumatic things keep happening to main characters.(At the end of Drink Deep another favorite character has something bad happen) They are becoming different people than how they were presented at the beginning of the series. And I don't mean they are growing and changing in a good way. I don't want to read about awful things happening to the characters I love. I want to read about the characters I love helping each other to face down the villains I love to hate.
Ethan dying wore me out and I’m really unhappy with “the how” as I mentioned above. Really unhappy. Very lackluster scene at the end. And I fear when we find out how the new predicament is to be resolved with another favorite character (the way it is set up I can’t imagine it with a positive result) I will also be disappointed.
Maybe I’m just bitter over the end of the previous book, but I don’t like the end of this one either. The big scene at the end lacked emotion, which is my biggest disappointment. And then another cliffhanger. Not what I was expecting.
Rating: C- -
If you're a fan of the Chicagoland Vampires series and you haven't read this book yet, there's only one reason you are reading this review. You want to know if somehow... some way... Ethan comes back. Well, let me address this right off the bat.
Without spoiling anything, I can tell you that I did alot of crying. Again. It's been two month since the events of Hard Bitten, and Merit is grieving. But she is also Sentinal to the Cadogen House and it's a responsibility that she still holds dear. So slowly, she is trying to pull herself together enough to do her job. Jonah, the Captain of the Guards from Grey House, is there to help her. He's serving as makeshift partner, but there are hints he would like to be more.
Cadogen is in disarray. The big vampire council has sent someone to reorganize the House and it's clear the guy's not there to help, but to undermine everything Ethan has built. Still, Cadogen doesn't have much choice but to take it.
Merit is served up a distraction from her personal problems, when yet another supernatural problem begins brewing in the Windy City. It starts with the lake turning into a magic-sucking abyss and escalates from there. The vampires aren't to blame, but hostility is growing among humans toward the supes so Merit hopes to fix the problem before her people are blamed by the public.
I'm not going to tell you anything else, plotwise, although it's tempting. I am, however, going to try to address a couple of things in broad strokes. Very early on, I had a pretty strong feeling about who was causing the problems. But despite the fact that it felt a little predictable, I might have been ok with it, until the why of it was introduced. The why-part seemed wrong... a little contrived, even. And I hate to say that, because there were alot of things I really loved in this book.
We got the chance to learn more about the other supernatural races in the context of this world: from the nymphs and sirens to the Fae and, well, whatever the heck Tate is. I loved Luc and Lindsay. I loved Malik. And Jonah. But even in his abscense, Ethan's prescence is deeply felt... both by Merit and by me, as a reader. There a great deal of emotional resonance in this book and the big theme is loyalty: what it means to the different characters and whether they manage to hold on to it.
I'm going to give it a little more than 4 stars. I would have given it more, truly, if it weren't for the problems I had with the villain reveal. But definitely a must-read for any fan of the series.
*ARC Provided by NAL -
I am not going to give away any spoilers but I am afraid if you know me you will try and read between the lines. I don't think I give anything away but if you are close to me you may want to wait to read this.
Hard Bitten, hurt me. I was a mess from that ending. And when I was reading Drink Deep, I swear I am a crazy mess but out of no where I would picture those moments with Ethan and Merit. There was no reason for it but I was like seriously longing for it. I would be reading then I would get caught up in my own memories and have to reread what was going on. I need help I know.
Drink Deep was everything we know and love from Chicagoland Vampire series. The house is still being investigated by the GP bastards. Seriously if you did not hate them before you are going to now. Frank is a jerk and he makes their life HELL! There are so many things going wrong in Chicago and the vampires are getting the blame. We are pointed in so many directions, is it the Fae, Nymphs, Siren, Shifters, or maybe The Order everyone is a suspect. Even if you think you know who it is when it comes out you will be SHOCKED! The things that take place after that will completely change Merit's world forever!
And Merit does not just move on. I loved this. She mourns Ethan and thinks about him at those moments when I was going to yell at her if she didn't. Yes she is trying to pick up her life but she is also not forgetting. I found a lot of comfort in that. I really needed that. Even with all this she still is a bad ass. She doesn't let Frank bully her and she stands up for the house. Seeing the house bonding together was beautiful. It was really sweet.
Drink Deep is just an emotional roller coaster. You are put through so much and everything seems so hard. I was crying, laughing wanting to scream and jumping for joy! I was so nervous to read this but the ending was totally worth it!! -
4.5/5 stars.
There are not that many books that are as massively and agonizingly awaited as
Drink Deep. The only other one I can think of that kept me squirming and checking in my mail box this year was
Shadowfever.
I had been left very underwhelmed by
Hard Bitten - well, final jaw-dropper aside obviously - and I was therefore suspicious of this new book, wondering how Neill would extricate herself from a potentially disastrous plot situation that could come out cheap, contrived and eye-rolling.
But
Drink Deep was both underwhelming and rewarding at the same time.
Underwhelming because, as for
Hard Bitten, I am not a big fan of the Clue plot. In this case, after the mess we were left in in the previous book, we follow Merit trying to solve a mystery that is turning Chicago in the set for next apocalypse, and all fingers seem to be pointed towards the vampires.
With the help of her newfound working partner, Jonah from Grey House, Merit will try to discover the true origin of the ancient power that is menacing the disruption of the supernatural community in Chicago and the very existence of Cadogan House.
Unfortunately, I found Merit to be a bit slow in her investigation and had guessed the culprit of the mystery by mid-book. EVERYBODY seemed to be turning their eyes the other way while there was a huge flashing sign saying PICK ME! right on the perpetrator's head.
Aside from that it was a bit slow in general and my favorite characters, Ethan and Mallory, both had a secondary role in this book. I definitely missed their usual banter with Merit.
On the other hand, I still decided to award this book with close to 5 stars for mainly two reasons.
The first is Merit. I loved how she managed to cope with her "problem", how she grew in the book, how she didn't get stuck in the past but managed to keep her head high and turn the page, without coming out as whiny, cheap or slutty. This might all sound very quizzical for those who haven't read
Hard Bitten probably 2 people on the whole wide world, but I'm trying to avoid spoilers here. So, great MC.
The second is my awe at how the author dealt with that tricky situation we all had our eyes fixed on. I was SURE she wouldn't pull it, but she did! and masterfully so. The last 1/4 of the book is emotional, action-packed and definitely deserving 5 stars. I wish the rest of the book had been as good but hey, I am happy enough anyway. Good job, Chloe!
There is NO doubt I will pick up the next book next year, I really can't wait to read it and see how she will deal with the rest of the many threads left hanging. -
Perhaps I was overly generous with my review of book 4 - I see no mention of Ethan in that synopsis...he better be in the book.
-
This series will never be the same without Ethan! I dont know how your gonna make him come back...but he MUST comeback!!!!
-
3.5 stars
Warning - may contain mild spoilers....
OK. I had high hopes for this one. I mean, after the events of the last book, or rather the last agonizing 10 pages; the author had to give us something, right?
Well…it wasn’t enough. It really felt like something was lacking in the book. I couldn’t stay focused on the story. Many reviewers have said it and I’ll reiterate: Not enough Ethan!
Sure, Jonah steps in to fill the void. Jonah is great – he’s gorgeous, he’s smart, he’s an incredible guy. There’s a few touching scenes. Jonah just doesn’t have the spark or the presence. Jonah makes a great partner, but not a love interest. At least not now.
A few things drove me crazy:
1. Frank. Why was he allowed so much freedom? Why didn’t Malik stand up to him?
2. Mayor Kowalcyzk struck me as a shrill, power hungry, easily influenced character. How did she get under the influence of McKetrick?
3. Tate – What is he?
I found that the book lagged a little with all the excitement saved up for the last third. Then poof! A kind of anti-climactic ending. This has the feel of a filler book. Nevertheless, I was intrigued enough by the ending to want the next book right away. I hate when that happens.
Check out my joint review with Erika on
Badass Book Reviews. -
~~~ Before I start I should let you know that I made a little “explanation corner” at the bottom of my review. I think I’ll start using this more since I use funky words most people don’t understand. So if you see a “*” or something know what you should go to the bottom of the page blah blah blah you get it, you’re smart kids ~~~
I can’t express how happy I am right now. No no, calm down people, I’m not happy because this book is awesome. I’m happy because I’m finally done with it. My fire needs more stuff to burn so this book will do wonderfully.
How to best describe Drink Deep? Boring, disappointing, skimfest*, filler, you name it. I can’t believe I was so excited over this *facepalm* but how could I have known? Can you blame my naivety? Plus everyone was excited about it and many people gave it high ratings, of course I was bound to fall into this horrible trap. Anyhow, if you don’t want to read more of my review, stop here. Be warned you demons, the bitchiness starts now. Proceed at your own cost!
So let’s start with my problems. One, there is the fact that everyone’s too cool about Ethan dying. Hell even I suffered more than the characters in this damn book. Suffer you bitches!! Your god is gone!! Yes I want to see him come back; yes I like him more than I like Merit. Have a problem with that?
Two, why is Merit not funny anymore? Was she ever funny? I don’t even remember... all I know is that right now she’s one cold-hearted (pun intended) bitch. She’s so excited about Jonah. What the hell? She should be running away from him like he’s the plague! Spit in his face, throw holy water on him, idk**! Something! And then the dude tells her that his feelings are totally platonic and she believes him. Platonic my ass, you can obviously see that he’s drooling over her and is probably mind-raping her as we speak! Her stupidity is beyond judgment…
Three, see image 1.
Four, why does this feel like the story being filled in just to cover a few more books? Oh wait, I have the answer for that. I’ve recently heard that there’s a contract on ten books for this series. Now I don’t know about you but I think that’s a pretty high number considering the series we’re talking about. Chicagoland Vamps isn’t complex enough to hold ten freakin’ books. This is book five and basically it’s total filler so guess what’s in store for us? Utter bullsh*t. *mumbles to herself* ten books pfff…
I actually don’t give a sh*t about the river turning black or the nymphs losing their magic or whatever. I want a relevant story, something that would interest me. This is not cool. That’s why I skimmed 70% of the book. Yes my dear kids, 70-f*cking-percent! Is this not a waste of time in your dictionary?
Five, it was too predictable.
The ending was nice (not great, sadly) but it doesn’t make up for the rest of the book. If I wasn’t curious about Ethan I’d dnf*** this.
-----------------------------------------
*skimfest = a wonderful activity of skimming almost everything
**idk = I don’t know
***dnf = did not finish -
I was pretty upset how the previous ended and how I would cope with just Merit.
Ethan was the character I most like in this series, even when he's being a total idiot when it comes to Merit.
Most of this story deals with some odds things happenning in Chicago. Some dark and bad magic is in the air and water and no one knows what it is or who is doing it.
Merit teams up with Jonah from Grey House. I am not too keen with these two being a couple.
I said in my previous review how Mallory totally irritates me...well, here she beyond irritates me. I cannot make her out. She's so immature and childish on how she's dealing with her magic powers and her relationship with Catcher!!
I am still not convinced about this series....but I am going to continue reading it....in the hope it might she grab me!!!! -
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
Let’s take Drink Deep section by section.
Except I’m going to do something different.
I'm going to start backwards. Yes, from the ending to the middle and the beginning. The ending was worth the slumpy beginning and the slushy middle.
The Ending
The ending had an apocalyptic feel with all the destruction, intrigue and deceptions. There are betrayals and revelations. The plot twists were enough to catch me off guard. Still, as far-fetched as it all was, the author made me believe it anyway. Unless this is all a sinister dream? And here I am, waiting for the next book to find out if this was all imagined or real. At the end of the day, it all felt real. I don’t want to reveal anything. This is something you must read and experience. There is a great deal of external conflict and internal conflict that creates chaos and revolution.
Our girl Merit grows in this book. So does everyone else, including Malik, Lindsey, Kelly, Luke, Jonah, Catcher (poor Catcher) and Mallory. And how they grow does not disappoint.
Trust me. Read this book for the freakin ending!
The Middle
Oh yes, The Middle. A little slushy, in the way a good purple-blue Slurpee hits the spot on a hot July day in Texas. Except there was some brain freeze moments. I wanted to work my way through sections to get to the good stuff. Jonah’s interest in Merit escalates, she is waffling on the edge of joining the RG, grieving for Ethan, scratching her head over Mallory and Catcher, as things in Cadogan House just keeping getting worse. Hell, things in Chicago keep turning into a big brown log in the bowl. (please excuse the sordid imagery)
Then there are two things that save the middle. The interaction with the faeries and Merit’s visit to see Tate. Oh yes, that was promising. The Visit seem to be an excuse for an extensive dialogue bursting with loads of info to give meaning to the ending. It should have been dispersed much better. It’s like the author was running out of time and had to bring the reader up to speed or something.
The Beginning
It was stagnant at first. The same old song and dance about the humans blaming the vampires for every darned thing going wrong. The government turning fascist to strip vampires of their civil rights as if they were never citizens in the first place. Protesters on the lawn, strange unnatural occurrences (Lake Michigan turns black) and the GP has sent an obnoxious jackass to screen and grade Cadogan House. The most interesting thing that happens in the beginning is the introduction to new characters and situations as a result of Lake Michigan turning black. It just seems to take forever for things to kick off and to connect the dots. The reappearance of Tate being called on his B.S. caused things to simmer a bit.
But not enough for me in the beginning.
The next book will take Merit on a road trip out of her comfort zone. She will be forced into some difficult choices. There will be a great deal of suffering. These tests will being her grief and she will be able to appreciate the moments of happiness. Her destiny will loom a little closer as well. And the best part? She is not alone.
Looking forward to more, with a better rack, waist and backside. -
Scary skinny ugly chick on cover... :/ huh? Why?
-
*3.5*
Drink Deep is a hard book to review without issuing spoilers. Forgive me if this ends up on the vague side.
I bought the book at this week’s New York Comic Con, only realizing once I got home that I’d beat the general release by two weeks. Yay for publishers exhibiting at cons!
The last installment of Chicagoland Vamps left fans reeling. It was a game-changer, and although I wasn’t surprised by the events of that book, I was anxious to see how Neill would play things out.
The answer is…a little awkwardly. Drink Deep is all about balance - or rather, the lack thereof. Merit’s world is askew and she’s desperate to find her footing. Cadogan House is in upheaval because of a GP investigation. Mallory is erratic due to the stress of sorcery exams. The political climate of the city is volatile at best. There isn’t a happy medium in sight, and it all comes to a head when Chicago’s landscape itself goes completely out of whack: rivers and lakes turn a motionless black and the sky takes on a bloodred hue. In short, everyone and everything is just plain off.
The pacing seemed rather slow at times, with Merit asking lots of questions but making zero headway. Meanwhile, there were a few connections she could have made but didn’t, forcing me to despair at her inability to see the forest for the trees. As a former grad student of English lit, I’d expect Merit to be a tad more aware of the abundant foreshadowing present in her own life.
Because our girl spends most of her waking hours conducting fruitless interviews, there isn’t much time for action. Swordplay is nonexistent in this one and I found myself missing the bad-ass side of Merit. There are some reveals of new supernatural players - I look forward to revisiting them - but on the whole Merit doesn’t do much in the course of her investigation. What few altercations she does have seem forced. I got the notion I was sitting around listening to a warm-up act. A relatively good warm-up, but I’m still waiting for the main event.
Let’s call this a bridge book then, with all the expected characteristics thereof, and move on to the characters.
Mallory. I hate her. She’s proven time and again that she’s a selfish little bitch and the message comes across even stronger here. She’s unnecessarily rude, a drama queen whose Me Me MEEE show was already tiresome and has crossed the line to intolerable. Merit frequently refers to Mal as being closer than a sister, but from the beginning I’ve been hard-pressed to like the girl. She seems to think it’s perfectly acceptable to take her frustrations out on anyone in proximity. What’s worse is she doesn’t own up to her nastiness after the fact, preferring to hold grudges and utilize emotional blackmail to make Merit (and probably Catcher) feel disproportionately guilty over imagined slights. I would not put up with her antics; I’m continually surprised that Merit and Catcher humor her.
Catcher. He’s got such an unrelenting chip on his shoulder. The sorcerer is another malcontent, constantly throwing vitriol Merit’s way. I much preferred it when he was merely Merit’s tutor - at least then I didn’t expect more of him. His “friendship” with Merit is largely one-sided and I’ve grown tired of his gruff attitude.
There isn’t much page-time for Jeff in this installment, which is a shame. I realise now that the shifter’s easy-going nature off-set Catcher’s nastiness, allowing me to see the sorcerer’s better qualities. Another entry for the Off Balance list I suppose.
Then we come to the vamps. I enjoyed their part in this. Although under extreme pressure, the Cadogan House residents never take their frustrations out on one another. They're a unit, supportive of each other as their world falls apart. They give Merit the encouragement and motivation she needs, in a way her other friends never do. Add to this the support of Jonah and the Grey House and you have a grouping that beats all others when it comes to getting the job done. And they don’t whine and complain while doing it, either.
That makes me wonder: does the positive portrayal of the vampires indicate a reality, or is it the biased result of Merit’s acclimation to her new life? I’m inclined to think the former, since Merit’s voice hasn’t changed drastically over the course of the series. Still, it’s interesting that the vampires are the only competent, accommodating characters from Merit‘s POV.
The ending. Again I felt the events were forced, as if Neill knew where she wanted to end up no matter the craziness she had to throw at the story to get there. There’s a lackluster face-off with the enemy, including people materializing out of a fog and spouting platitudes pulled straight from the intervention handbook. This is followed by a belated Us Against the World, Vamps Unite! scene, the tone of which conjured memories of after-school specials and feel-good movies. Though it’s fun to speculate on the aftereffects, getting there wasn’t half so entertaining.
While I like the set-up of Neill’s world - the supernatural beings, the politics, the hurdles to establishing vampire-human relations - too many of the secondary characters are irksome. Their continued presence in Merit’s life makes me question her discernment. The overall plots are intriguing but the execution is a little choppy, incorporating too many moments of self-reflection and too few instances of Merit actually figuring things out for herself. She’s tenacious in her search for answers, but I wish she was more adept at fitting the pieces together.
As I mentioned, this is a bridge book. It’s my hope that the next in the series will return to the action we’ve grown accustomed to and restore the balance to Merit’s world. Neill has some interesting concepts in play, but I wish she’d spend less time on Merit’s personal ruminations and more time on the universe she’s created. I’m going to continue reading, but book six may make or break my fanhood. -
DRINK DEEP is the book all Chicagoland Vampire fans need to read to feel comfort after the little incident where all hell breaks loose in Hard Bitten. I feel like everyone will get some comfort and feel calm and won't go throwing their books across the room a second time. I think fans will be very satisfied, some things are resolved, but not all things. Does Ethan come back? You'll have to read to find out because I'm not touching that topic.
DRINK DEEP would have to be my least favorite in the Chicagoland Vampires Series, it's not because I didn't like it. I liked it, but throughout the book I found myself quite bored with the events that happened. There wasn't that much excitement compared to when I read the previous books and maybe that has to do with the fact that Ethan was absent. Ethan felt very much alive in a way for Merit always dreams about him and we can see him in that way.
But the book really felt like it was a filler book. Just a book that needed to be written to get to the end because the ending includes all this big stuff. I think the real point of the book was to set up the events that happen at the end that will go into the next book. The plot wasn't as strong as the previous books to me.
Merit is mourning over Ethan's death and there are many people who just want her to move on and some who thing she is not respecting his memory and it just makes me mad. He just died and she needs to deal with it Merit's way, not other people's way. I love how Merit handles everything. I just love how she can't really move on and she feels like if she moves onto another guy it feels like she is cheating on Ethan. Merit has to be one of my all-time favorite heroines.
Which bring me to my next topic. Jonah. Jonah as you know is another love interest for Merit. I feel like Jonah really saved this book for me. It was really boring and when the Jonah scenes come around I'm totally drooling all over him. And a part of me wants Merit to be with Jonah and another part thinks no way! Oh, my god. I am cheating on Ethan with Jonah! Morgan was a horrible love interest because he is acting like a childish baby, and Jonah is perfect to me.Jonah seems like a well, respected, honorable man with good intentions. I'm sorry Ethan, I'm cheating on you with Jonah while you're gone. I can't help it!
The GP, I couldn't stand as usual because they're so dumb. I mean Frank, the vampire who came to the house to see what was up with Cadogan made absolutely no sense in what he was doing to the house and we knew it, and the vampires knew it as well! I didn't really get it. I was surprised they didn't tell Frank to go fuck off at the beginning but I kind of get it.
DRINK DEEP was very hard to review without saying what I really want to say because the truth of the matter is you can't really get much from the reviews of what really goes down in DRINK DEEP. I'll probably explode all my thoughts about the spoilers I can't spill when you read it. I think there will be those who will love it and those who won't. But it's definitely a must read for all you Chicagoland Vampire fans! -
Gimme that can of nothing-happens! I'm not sure if Karen Marie Moning started the trend, but Chloe Neill continues the admirable streak of filler books. Watching reruns of Who's the Boss?, studying my teeth in the mirror-- I was so bored reading Drink Deep that I dragged my feet returning to the novel to watch
plastic bags instead.
Deep's first three chapters act strictly as review while Merit regurgitates Lindsey's relationship to Luc, Mallory's hair dyeing habits, and every item from previous books. I counted, since nothing else engaged me.
Then follows the most lackluster investigation ever, full of dead-ends and so predictable and elementary that even I sang, "We've questioned Bill, Bob, and Joe! Now onto Jerry!" Mind you, the interrogation scenes didn't stir a heartbeat either. When halfway through Deep -literally; chapter 10 out of 20- someone finally threatened the nosy vampire, my almost-comatose heart may have sputtered back to life.
Until then, we enjoyed rehashes of rehashes -yes, we know about the picture off the internet- and technical minutiae of Merit's investigation. ("Merit wants to charter a helicopter. In the next chapter, find out if she succeeds.") I understand that Neill's audience must follow the investigation, especially in an immediate, first person perspective, and that real investigations bore one to tears with repeated questions and dead-end guesses, but surely some middle way exists that won't send me to sleep? How about Mallory?
On the other hand, the first half did communicate the mood in the House, an emerging relationship, and Merit's conflicts and grief. While Deep's climax embodied anticlimactic, per Neill's usual, I thoroughly enjoyed Part Deux as Merit stumbled through fairies, Tate, McKettrick, Morgan, Mother Nature, and Jonahchicabowbow.
Even though Neill rushed the ending and toed a few plot holes, banter, adventures, twists, and questions remain, and I got faith. I'm reading
Biting Cold! If you haven't started Chicagoland Vampires, do!
Some Girls Bite begins the series. 3.5 stars. -
WHY CHANGE SOMETHING THAT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY ??
That's what I will never understand. Was it just me or books 1,2 and 3 were just totally A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.? So why change something that was working so fine? That's the question. I still adore Merit and I believe she is a great heroine with some interesting powers and unknown possibilities on her future. I will never get tired of reading about her life. I love all the rest of the characters as well and I can't wait to read more about them, even though I was a bit disappointed of how things turned out with the last 2 books. Is it just me or Mallory is getting TOO ANNOYING?
I will admit I got a bit bored with the first 80% of this installment because it was a bit more slower than the usual pace of this series. Then again the last 20% was really fast paced and very appealing, although I don't think it gave me the answers I was seeking. I believe that in the next book CN will have the chance to make things right once again, but I'm still scared because I also see a huge potential for things to get even worse. I have some huge expectations for the next book because I know it will make me get to love this series all over again or make me stop reading it all together. A bit extreme, I know, but my feelings for this series got all messed up after this last 2 books. -
Merit and Mallory just repaired their friendship in the last volume, only to have it threatened again, this time by black magic. Looking back, there was plenty of foreshadowing of Mallory's new obsession. We are set up to suspect that imprisoned ex-mayor Tate has something to do with it, but so far his role has not been revealed.
Neill also uses Mallory's black magic to restore what she took away from us in the last volume. Yes, she pulled a Dallas on us. Whenever a major character is nuked, I have to wonder if the author plans to resurrect them somehow and speculate on the method. Neill used a very creative method. It's pretty difficult to revive someone that you've seen reduced to ashes!
Now Cadogan House must plan a revolution against the Greenwich Presidium and continue their campaign to keep Chicago safe. If humanity can be persuaded to resume friendly relations, that would be a bonus. Everybody needs goals. Giving your characters something to strive for is imperative. There are plenty of things for Merit to work on, so the series continues. Well done, Ms. Neill. -
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*Doesn't work without Ethan*⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
Re-read: 01.02.2018
This book was never my favorite. In fact, it was - when I first read this book - my least favorite in the series. And that hasn't changed at all. Nothing's the same without Ethan. Plus, I wish we had gotten more Gabriel in this series. He's hot. So is Ethan. I want Ethan to be more powerful though...
The characters:
— Caroline ‘Merit’ ‘Mer’ Merit (becomes vampire at 27, but is 28 in years), Sentinel of the Cadogan House.
—Ethan ‘Liege’ ‘Darth Sullivan’ Sullivan (394, though became a vampire at 30), master of the Cadogan House—> dead.
— Mallory ‘Mal’ Delancey Carmichael, Merit's bestfriend and a fourth-class sorcerer, a master of the First Key; power.
— Charles ‘Chuck’ Merit, Merit's grandfather is the Ombudsman; a ‘liaison’ between the regulars and the sups.
— Chuck's team:
↳ ∘ his secretary, Marjorie (50),
↳ ∘ the computer prodigy and a shape-shifter, Jeffrey ‘Jeff’ Christopher (21),
↳ ∘ a fourth-class sorcerer and a master of the Second Key; weapons, Catcher Bell (29).
↳ ∘ and there's also a Housed vampire who works for him that not even his colleagues knows about.
— Joshua Merit, Merit's dad sucky dad.
— guard of the Cadogan House, Lindsey (115) and who is also a psychic, and a good friend to Merit.
— Lucas ‘Luc’,the Captain of the Cadogan House guards, now House Second.
— Malik Washington,Second, House Cadogan, now Master of Cadogan House.
— Morgan Greer, Master of Navarre House, (72, though looks 28) Merit's sorta ex.
— Gabriel ‘Gabe’ Keene, Apex of the Central North American, Jeff's pack leader (love him).
— Darius West, head of the Greenwich Presidium and a total dick.
— Seth Tate (36), former mayor of Chicago and a fucker.
— Scott Grey, Master of Grey House.
— Noah Beck, the leader of Chicago’s independent vampires and a Red Guard ‘RG’ (a vampire Secret Service, of sorts).
— Jonah, the Guard Captain, Grey House and a Red Guard.
— Franklin Theodore Cabot, the appointed receiver of Cadogan House (Darius West, head of the GP, had decided he didn’t like the way the House was run, “Frank” had been sent to Chicago to inspect and evaluate the House). He sucks big time.“I have been given a third chance at life, even if the circumstances are somewhat disconcerting. You are mine, and we both know it.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy.
Series: - Series, Book Five.
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - Ethan ‘Liege’ ‘Darth Sullivan’ Sullivan.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Yes.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Yes.
Will I read this again in the future? - Yes?
Rating - 3 stars.
First read review:
Nothing's the same without Ethan.
3 stars! -
The ending of HARD BITTEN was a bit of a fox in the hen house for most fans of the Chicagoland Vampires series. I had started the book impressed with the risks Neill takes with her characters, and the ending in no way changed that for me. Still, DRINK DEEP is the book that many will look to, for vindication or reparations. For myself, I can only say Neill continues to balance the emotional development of her characters and the events of their world with a masterful hand. This is a series I love more and more as it goes on.
This is due in particular to the balance of insight and entertainment Merit provides. Her experiences as a new vampire resonate for me in a way that no other fictional vampire has managed to date. This is true even as she adjusts to the loss of her partner and sometimes lover, Ethan. Neill beautifully writes the ups and downs of someone in mourning. Merit's grieving period is truncated by business as usual (the Greenwhich Presidium being horrible, political unrest, and saving the world from magical shenanigans). Even in the face of apocalypse, Merit has good days and bad. There are still quiet moments when missing Ethan rises up and overcomes her. Merit doesn’t grieve in a vacuum, either. Malik and Catcher, Cadogan house as a whole, with deft little touches Neill writes a whole community missing their friend and their leader.
Don't let my fascination with the grieving in DRINK DEEP fool you, however, this is by no means a sad or depressed book. The action flows quickly and there's as much friendship and romance as there is mayhem. DRINK DEEP offers Merit solace on one hand, more losses on the other. Hope for a better future, but also the promise of future conflict. I finish this book as impressed and as engaged as I was with HARD BITTEN, and even more anxious for the next book in the series.
Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex. -
Emotionally drained. Pretty much speechless. Definitely giddy. That’s me after reading Drink Deep.
Chloe Neill you are insane. It is not human to have both your poor characters and poor readers go through such an emotional roller-coaster. Despair and sadness: Merit’s grief felt incredibly real (that scene when she sleeps in Ethan’s room is just heartbreaking) and her dreams were… there’s no word for it really. Frustration and disapointment: Catcher, Mallory. Anger and rage: Frank, the GP, Tate… need I say more? Hope and excitement: the RG and… you’ll figure out the rest once you’ve read Drink Deep.
So the book is less action-packed than previous instalments and it’s a filler of sorts. The plot and its resolution aren’t entirely satisfying and it all feels a bit too neatly tied-in. But you know what? I couldn’t care less. Because of the last few chapters of the book. Clever clever Ms Neill. I had grand theories about this series after reading Hard Bitten. Theories about why Chloe Neill ended things the way she did. What I thought made some sense then makes perfect sense now. Neill found the ideal solution to the problem at hand by completely changing the series dynamics. Great and gutsy move on her part!
Merit still rocks my world. I miss her interactions with Ethan. As handsome, sexy, fun, and smart Jonah might be, he’s definitely no Ethan and his relationship with Merit desperately lacks chemistry. They have nice scenes together but it just isn’t the same. I love Lindsey. I love Luc. And Malik. And Juliet. And Kelley. And the nymphs. And the mercenary fairies. We don’t get too see nearly enough of Jeff. I used to love Catcher and the relationship he had with Merit but his pain in the neck potential has reached nuclear levels. And don’t even get me started Mallory. I was never a big fan of hers but this?! With friends like these who needs enemies right? Frank is a self-righteous asshole. Mayor Kowalczyk is a bitch. McKetrick is still an asshole. So is Tate. So is Morgan. Lovely people all around!
I don’t know what Chloe Neill has in store for us in instalments to come but I can’t wait to find out! Jumping straight into Biting Cold. -
Please fix this "mistake" Mrs. Neill!!! :( I'm devastated
-
4.5 stars
Book 5 in the Chicagoland series picks up a couple of months after the end of the last book. Merit is still struggling to deal with the events at the end of
Hard Bitten (as was I), but she is a strong and determined vampire, and she has pulled herself together and is moving on. And just in time, because there is SO much going on!
Chicago is about to get a taste of super scary supernatural goings on. Lake Michigan and the Chicago River suddenly turn black and stop moving, the sky is turning red, and the very earth begins to shift.
Merit’s investigations lead her to deal with river nymphs, fairies and even a siren as she tries to figure out who is responsible for the strange phenomenon and how to stop it. Ex-Mayor Tate is still in the picture, with a link to all of the goings on, and Merit needs to figure out what he knows and exactly how he fits in to everything.
The new Mayor is on an anti-sup rampage, and is using the mystery to further her agenda. She has absolutely no tolerance for anything vamp or shifter related, and is pushing through a law requiring enforced registration for all supernatural beings.
And as if that isn’t enough drama, the Presidium has sent in a Receiver to review Cadogan House – its processes, its residents and the general running of the place. His motivations are suspect, and it’s the Cadogan vampires that have to pay the price as he pushes them to their very limits – physically, mentally and emotionally.
There is a lot of upheaval going on, and helping Merit along the way is Jonah – the Head Guard from Grey House, and her new ‘unofficial’ partner. I really like Jonah. Their relationship is developing nicely, they are true partners who are becoming good friends, and the supportive, honest, playful dynamic between the two of them is great.
Some of Merit’s other relationships are also starting to shift – and not for the better. With everything happening all at once, and with possibly dire consequences, it’s a stressful situation and time is running out to find a solution.
I really enjoyed this story. Again, it moves at a great pace, and the story twists and turns, with the mystery building nicely right up to the big finale. It’s shocking, it’s exciting, and it’s got implications for the how the rest of the series is going to play out. I thought it was fantastic, and my heart was pounding during ‘the big moment’ and the aftermath.
Well played, Ms Neill!
Looking forward to more - 4.5 stars. -
Drink Deep
4 Stars
This installment is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the plot is predictable but it is nevertheless entertaining with some compelling symbolism and interesting character development. On the other hand, the juvenile dialogue and immature behavior still grates on the nerves and Merit really needs to be more kick-ass.
The story revolves around Merit's investigation into several supernatural disasters and the ultimate explanation, while obvious to anyone paying attention, is nonetheless a very brave choice by the author and one that appealed to me considering that .
In terms of the characters, Merit finally seems to come into her own as an individual now that Ethan is no longer in the picture. That isn't to say that Ethan wasn't missed and that his didn't have my heart going pitter-pat. Jonah makes a very swoon-worthy new partner to Merit but it is obvious that he is competing against Ethan's memory for most of the book and now that , as such, I tried really hard not to get too attached. Catcher and Mallory are their usual obnoxious selves and Merit seriously needs to put them both in their place. The most disappointing character, however, is Malik who demonstrates absolutely no leadership skills and allows the slimy GP representative to walk all over the vampires he is supposed to protect.
The best aspects of the book are the introduction of various new magical species such as the nymphs, the Siren and the fae, the historical background on the conflict between the vampires and the Order as well as the symbolism surrounding the elemental struggle between good and evil. These all work together to form a solid foundation for something new and exciting, and I look forward to seeing where Neill takes this story arc. -
Don't miss the 5th book in the Chicagoland Vampires series.
-Mystery!
The sky is turning red and the waters are turning black. Who's doing it?
a. The nymphs, little bitches that they are.
b. The siren, the siren's doing it. She's mean.
c. Duh, the shifters of course. They are such animals.
d. It was the fairies! Haven't you read Fever? They're all end-of-the-worldy.
e. Bunnies! Bunnies! It must be bunnies!
Follow Merit's investigation as she runs into one dead end after the other throughout the book, until the culprit that you have been suspecting since the very beginning is finally revealed.
And so much more! Such as:
-Vampire politics!
-Romancing the wrong guy!
-MORE Vampire Politics!
-And an ending more anticlimactic than the Sopranos finale!
What more could you possibly ask for?
