As this is the sith book in the series it may be possible that this review will contain spoilers for previous books in the Chicagoland Vampires Novel series.

Biting Cold by Chloe Neill

Title: Biting Cold (A Chicagoland Vampires Novel, #6)
Author:Chloe Neill
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Gollancz Fiction (9th August 2012)
Blurb:

Turned into a vampire against her will, Merit found her way into the dark circle of Chicago’s vampire underground, where she learned there was more to supernaturals than met the eye, and more of them than the public ever imagined. And not all the secrets she learned were for sharing – among humans or inhumans.

Now Merit is on the hunt, charging across the stark American Midwest, tailing a rogue supernatural intent on stealing an ancient artefact that could unleash catasrophic evil on the world. But Merit is also the prey. An enemy of Chicagoland is hunting her, and he’ll stop at nothing to get the book for himself. No mercy allowed. No rules apply. No lives spared. The race is on.

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

Biting Cold is the sixth book in Chloe Neill’s brilliant Chicagoland Vampire Novels.  We are reunited with Merit, Sentinel of  Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire. A lot has happened to Merit and her House since she became a vampire. It has been an exciting and enjoyable read. This sixth book is no different.

Biting Cold takes up the story within hours of the end of Drink Deep, with Merit chasing after the Big Bad that caused all the trouble in Chicago in Drink Deep to stop it causing even more trouble. Unfortunately, she has to play catch up as the Big Bad has a head-start. She isn’t the only one on the Big Bad’s tail, and someone wants to help it achieve its goal.

Once I started reading this book I finished it within hours. I just couldn’t put the book down and walk away; every time I put the book down I’d find myself picking it up again and diving straight back in. That’s one of the reasons I love the Chicagoland Vampires Novel series so much – it is very readable.

The plot of the book isn’t particularly complicated, but there were more than a few twists and turns along the way. Nothing is ever as simple as it seems in Merit’s life. I really enjoyed being re-united with old friends and enemies in this book. Neill writes some really great secondary characters and badies in this series, and quite a few of them make an appearance in this book. One of the major sub-plots of this book was politics, and I think Neill handled it well particularly as it was so complicated – there’s human, vampire, witch, fairy, and shifter politics in this book.

Biting Cold is a brilliant addition to the Chicagoland Vampires Novel series. It continues the storyline of Drink Deep and brings it to an interesting and complicated conclusion. I look forward to reading the seventh book in the series, it promises to be an intriguing read.