a GREAT read: ARC Review--Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill (+GIVEAWAY!)

Aug 15, 2018

ARC Review--Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill (+GIVEAWAY!)

WELCOME to my stop on the Wild Hunger Blog Tour! The first book in the new Chicagloand Vampires spinoff series, Heirs of Chicagloand! Now it's time for the second generation of the Chicagoland gang to get a chance at telling their story!

This first book was quite the read and I absolutely loved it! It had everything I loved about Merit's story, but told in a new and exciting way with new conflicts to be dealt with! I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

In the first thrilling installment of Chloe Neill's spinoff to the New York Times bestselling Chicagoland Vampires series, a new vampire will find out just how deep blood ties run.

As the only vampire child ever born, some believed Elisa Sullivan had all the luck. But the magic that helped bring her into the world left her with a dark secret. Shifter Connor Keene, the only son of North American Central Pack Apex Gabriel Keene, is the only one she trusts with it. But she's a vampire and the daughter of a Master and a Sentinel, and he's prince of the Pack and its future king.

When the assassination of an ambassador brings old feuds to the fore again, Elisa and Connor must choose between love and family, between honor and obligation, before Chicago disappears forever.

I received this ARC from the publisher for an honest and voluntary review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

When Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampire series came to an end, I was upset, but happy with where things left off. So when I heard she was writing a spinoff, Heirs of Chicagoland that would feature Ethan and Merit's daughter, Elisa and Gabriel's son, Connor, I knew I was in for a treat! Wild Hunger is the first in this new series which I hope proves to be just as long and delightful as its predecessor!

Elisa is the first vampire child in existence, no one knows what she will be capable of, it's sort of a learn as you go kind of situation. Elisa has had a good life for the most part, now at 23 she's living in Paris serving one of the houses there voluntarily. Then one day she and the rest of the vampires in her house are called to Chicago for a series of peace talks. While Elisa loves her parents and Chicago, she isn't exactly happy to be returning home. For as long as she can remember she's battled with an inner monster, one that isn't her vampire self, but is tied to the something that happened before she was born when her mother battled with a great evil. Returning home to where her mother's katana and where the other half of the monster is imprisoned will prove to be greater battle than any Elisa has fought before...or so she will think.

In Chicago, Elisa finds that not much has changed in the four years since she last left. Except for one person, Connor. Connor is Gabriel's son and is a shifter. While he is not set to lead the Pack after his father steps down, but he is in the running. He and Elisa were the only supernatural children growing up, so to say that they were in each other's lives a lot is putting it mildly. They didn't always get along either, but now things have obviously changed.

The peace talks start off pretty well, even with Claudia and her consort's interruption about wanting to be involved as well. It's at the next party that the vampires throw in celebration of the peace talks going well that terror strikes! A vampire is murdered and one of Connor's friends and Packmates is the accused. Connor knows he's innocent and since Elisa knows him as well, she soon realizes he is innocent too. But with the treaty in place that say House vampires cannot get involved in matters that the Ombudsman declares his and the city's business, the vampires are stepping back. Except for Elisa since she's never technically became a member of Cadogan House. Elisa soon sets off on her own investigation all while trying to keep her inner monster under control.

I truly loved this book! As a fan of Chloe's debut series, it doesn't surprise me that I fell quickly in love with this one! I can say that if you haven't gotten around to the Chicagoland Vampire series, you could easily pick this one up and not feel lost over things from the past. For the most part everything that happened from the previous series gets rehashed out here, and it wasn't too much really. And of course there will be familiar faces and names that you won't be privy to, but for the most part, this is Elisa's story and her series. So new readers are in a good place to start off should they choose to not read the first series, though since it was freaking amazing, I highly recommend it!

What I really, really liked about Elisa was how much of her own person she was. I almost expected her to take after one of her parents more and be like a Merit Jr. or Ethan Jr. But she's truly her own character. Yes, she might have traits that are reminiscent of Merit or Ethan, but I really felt like she stood on her own and I loved that about her! That she's her own person is so refreshing!

It shouldn't be a surprise that Elisa's best friend is Lulu, daughter of Mallory and Catcher Bell! Lulu is also very different from her magically talented parents and again, I gotta love that about her! Though some of her sparkling personality did remind me of Mallory and she's got some snark to her that is definitely like Catcher as well, she probably takes after her parents more than Elisa, but still different too! She was a riot and I loved the friendship she shared with Elisa!

And then of course there's Connor! Connor was who the bane of her existence as she grew up. Their friendship kind of picks up where they left off almost, but it's clear that both of them did some growing up as well. The sparks take awhile to fly, much as they did for another couple we all know and love! While we only just got the briefest tease of things to come, it was still enough to send my heart soaring!

The action in this one was as well paced as ever! It's just the right amount of investigating and trying to prove a man's innocence as can be expected. There was daring heights of conflict that sent my heart racing as well, dying to know if the right side wins! And in the end, things are resolved in a most satisfying way.

Since this is the first in a new series of undetermined length, I'd like to think that there's a reason for such a satisfying ending. Perhaps Chloe is just softening us up for things to come. Who's to say, though I will say that there are a few tiny things that are left unanswered, but it's no Hard Bitten, that's for sure! I am hoping that there will be plenty of books ahead in the years to come because I truly love this side of Chicago! It's definitely my kind of town!

Chloe Neill has done it again and brought us yet another reason to love vampires (and shifters too)! Wild Hunger was an incredible page-turner that kept me doing just that! It was a read I loathe to put down and it pretty much set the bar high for the series to come! I cannot wait to read more!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

About the author:

(Photo taken by Dana Damewood)

Chloe Neill is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Devil’s Isle, Chicagoland Vampires, and Dark Elite series. She was born and raised in the South, but now makes her home in the Midwest. When not writing, she bakes, knits, Pins, and scours the Internet for good recipes and great graphic design. Chloe also maintains her sanity by spending time with her boys–her favorite landscape photographer/husband and their dogs, Baxter and Scout. (Both she and the photographer understand the dogs are in charge.)

And now for you all, a giveaway*!!