Dark Debt (Chicagoland Vampires Book 11)

Each book gets better and better. The energy between Ethan and Merit get stronger, more intense, it makes you want to keep going and going and going. The only problem is the book ends before the energy wariness..

*********SPOILERS Ahoy for the whole series!**********
*
*
*
*

I admit it: I don't read the Chicagoland Vampires novels for the mysteries. In fact, with the series' more recent books I've sometimes found myself slogging through that aspect a bit to get to what I *really* want - all the things that are woven around the mysteries, such as Merit's personal growth and continuing rise to utter awesomeness, the snark and humor, the friendships, the fun and/or intriguing supporting characters, and of course, METHAN.

But this time out, I found the central mysteries quite a bit more engaging, not so much because they were harder to figure out than in previous installments, but because they felt more personal and connected to Ethan, Merit and all Chicago's vampire houses, as opposed to Dominic Tate's previously unknown daughter, the random shifters, etc in earlier books. If I'm reading a series called Chicagoland VAMPIRES, then I want to read about vampires. And in this, the 11th of 13 planned installments, Chloe Neill is bringing the series back to its roots. It's a good thing.

If you read the synopsis at the top of the page, you know the gist of Dark Debt's plot - Master of Cadogan House Ethan Sullivan's own presumed-dead master, Balthasar, hits Chicago, determined to bring Ethan down and take all he has for his own. And from beyond the ashes, Celina Desaulniers, the series' first and best villain, keeps making trouble, bringing a hitherto-unknown crime syndicate into the mix that threatens to destroy Navarre House as well as decimate so much of the progress American vampires have made.

This book sees the return of Morgan, Master of Navarre House and Merit's sorta ex. Honestly, I was handling Morgan's absence from the series just fine (I'll never, ever forgive that 'slutty leather' comment in Twice Bitten) and the revelation of the nature of his relationship with his late master, Celina, makes him a hypocrite in my eyes, after the way he hassled Merit about her relationship with Ethan in previous books. Still, the peek inside the dysfunction junction that is Navarre House and the introduction of the ominous crime ring The Circle made enduring his presence worth it. Neill seems determined to redeem after his previous jackassery, so hopefully he will finally follow through on growing up and start being part of the solution instead of a problem.

Merit is unusually vulnerable this time around, thanks to a psychic attack that leaves her terrified and off-kilter. Naturally, because she's MERIT, she still comes out swinging (and looks good while doing it!). Just when you think she has achieved all-out awesomeness, she kicks it up another level. Ethan spends less time behind a desk and more time out on the job with Merit, which is always a kick. As a pair, Methan continue their ascent into epic coupledom. Neill truly deserves credit for the way she has built these two up over the course of the series, sidestepping many genre cliches to build an adult love story. They have BOTH grown, and continue to grow, together and apart. They are everything Charlaine Harris wouldn't allow Eric and Sookie to be.

Random tidbits and a few nitpicks:

- In this installment, we see the first stirrings of hierarchical ambition from Merit, as she contemplates a half-serious offer to become the second of another House. What *will* her ultimate fate be? My personal wish is for her and Ethan to be the Ferdinand and Isabella of Cadogan House, ruling wisely and fairly 4eva. Yet the still looming question of what, exactly, current vamp queen Nicole Heart's agenda is makes me think it won't be that simple. Nicole Heart is barely mentioned in this book after her massive splash in Blood Games, which is a bit odd since Balthasar is her master too, and that makes me nervous. She'll be back, I'm sure.

- The sheer perfection of Ethan was on full display this time out. How can you NOT love a man who orders his chef to keep sack lunches prepared at all times in case his girlfriend gets hangry? Or who gets turned on by the sight of her in utterly trashed post-battle disarray? SWOON.

- Merit's reluctance to marry Ethan feels inauthentic at this point - forced, just to put the marriage off until the end of the series. They regularly mention their marriage-to-be and their someday parenthood - so what IS her problem? 'It's too soon' doesn't really cut it once your boyfriend has died and come back to life, you know? Especially when you're as soul-committed as these two are.

- Malik and his newly-revealed accounting wizardry. Love that guy!

- Ethan was in love with Persephone...? Since when? In Blood Games he told Merit that he 'MIGHT have loved her, IN TIME, in a fashion. In the way I'd been capable of then' (emphasis mine). Somehow those very measured words have been translated to flat out being in love in Dark Debt. I don't suppose it actually matters, but it feels a bit of a retcon.

- In addition to Morgan, Neill sets up Merit's loathsome father, Joshua, for redemption in this novel. It didn't especially ring true for me - after nearly 30 years of treating his daughter like garbage and even attempting to PAY for her to be made a vampire for his own financial gain, he suddenly cares because she had a fender bender? Nah.

However, Neill's inclusion of these redemption arcs serve as reminders that there are just two more novels planned in this series, and the wrapping up of long-running plot points and questions has begun (she even answers a lingering question from the first book that I'd thought was long forgotten). As I finished the book, I actually felt a touch of melancholy...what seems to be the series' final arc has been put in motion, and the end is on the horizon, though there's a whole lot to cover before it arrives. No matter what nitpicks or issues I may have with any given book, each time I finish one I'm anticipating the next. Chloe Neill has managed what has eluded so many other authors - keeping a long-running series engaging and fresh, righting the ship when it went a bit wonky (Hard Bitten/Drink Deep) and still surprising in a *good* way.