Book Jacket:
The killed me. They healed me. They changed me.
Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago’s vampires announced theirexistence to the world-and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker… and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.
Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I’ve traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four hundred year old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude-and servitude. Right…
But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I’m surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan’s attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone’s still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches?
My initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war-and there will be blood…
You can read an excerpt here.
Review:
I have mixed feelings about this debut. There are definitely things to like here – plenty of snark, vampires that don’t brood, and lots of paranormal intrigue – but it never managed to win me over completely. I did make it through to the end, which is a positive sign. I loved Merrit’s relationship with her roommate, and her struggle to come to terms with her new vampire status had just the right amount of emotional hardship without sliding into melodrama. Merrit is a likable kind of girl, even if the insta-fighting skills are a little ridiculous and overly convenient.
My huge problem with this book is Ethan, Merrit’s creator, vampire lord, and obvious love interest. I have absolutely no desire to see them together. I am actively rooting for Merit to pair off with someone else, anybody else. Even with Merit resisting her attraction to Ethan, you can tell it’s an effort doomed to fail and for me that’s a real strike against the series. Merit talks in internal monologues about how she wants him, even knowing he doesn’t respect her or want her for who she is, which is ickily subjugating. Even in the realm of absolutely loyalty to a lord and master, there’s a difference between being a vassal and being a slave – the way Ethan casually uses Merit for his own ends, clearly not worrying about what it will do to her, is just disgusting. I wouldn’t follow him across the street, let alone give him my absolute allegiance, and Merit seems doomed to lust after the jerk. Frankly I’d rather Merit got with Jeff (a computer geek shapeshifter).
By the end of the book it seemed like the story was moving away from everything I liked about it. I liked that Merit drove Ethan crazy by wearing scruffy jeans and refusing to sleep with him. I liked that she stuck close to her roommate and refused to cut ties to her Grandfather. But even by the end of the book, she was moving into the vampire house, drawing away from her roommate, wearing kick ass leather, and even her Grandfather was marginalized. It’s clear by the end of the book that her entire existence is going to revolve around Ethan. Ick.
Still, this is definitely an author to keep an eye on. Even if I never come around to liking this series, I’ll be very interested to see what she does next.
Byrt Grade: B
As Levar Burton used to say – you don’t have to take my word for it…
All Things Urban Fantasy says:
The big problem I had with Some Girls Bite was Ethan, or more specifically, Merit’s attraction to Ethan. The author tries to paint him as an Austen-esque Mr. Darcy who is attracted to Merit but doesn’t like her. It didn’t work…despite Merit’s deplorable taste in men, and initial griping, I found myself rooting for her….Chloe Neill’s Chicago is a fun world to play in, and her knack for smart dialogue was consistently entertaining. If Merit can get overcome her growing pains, which she seemed to be doing by the end of Some Girls Bite, she could become a worthy resident.
Packed with complex subplots, embittered family members and politics, this is an excellent first installment to what should be an outstanding series in a crowded field.
The romantic element of the story between Merit and Ethan is a complicated tangle of unresolved complex emotion which by itself is enough to make readers want to explore the Chicagoland Vampires further. When you factor in the story’s fast paced plotline, entertaining characters and lingering mysteries I can just about guarantee that readers will want to read more of this series.
Leave a Reply