Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 3) Paperback – July 6, 2010

There are a plethora of kick-ass urban fantasy series with kick-ass heroines out there today. The genre is rockin' and sockin' like a frat house on a weekend bender after a football championship win. Every author has created a slightly different world, with slightly different mythos, slightly different characters, etc...the emphasis on slightly. That's not a criticism; it's more like a statistical probability. I believe the key is finding those authors and series that present a world or mythos or characters that appeal to your personal tastes. As urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and I have a very eclectic palate for it, I read a lot of UF series. Some set themselves apart, some don't. Few make it to my "Oh my god...new release?? Get it! Get it! Get it NOW!!" category.Chloe Neill is, in my opinion, utterly unique in that she's created a series that, arguably, isn't the most original in location (the awesome city of Chicago) or in world building (vampires have come out of the coff...er...closet to humans and are working a wicked PR campaign to keep themselves from being turned into crispy critters and other supernaturals are eying them intently, concerned about the potential power shift and threat), or, honestly, in mythos (not really sure what the vampires' origins are, but they've had their fair share of genocidal cleansings that sound quite a lot like witch trials of old and of the inquisition), yet Neill has managed to catapult herself and her series into that category I mentioned. Yes, I actually have an "Oh my god...new release?? Get it! Get it! Get it NOW!!" category. I never said I was well balanced. Moving on...What Chloe Neill has managed to create that is unique and appealing, is Merit, Sentinel of Cadogan House and kick-ass heroine of a kick-ass series. Bright, independent, stubborn, maturing Merit is one of my favorite UF heroines in any and every series I'm reading or have read. I absolutely love her. She's a novitiate vampire, new to the world and the House, and she's been forced into positions as both political pawn and weapon for her liege and master Ethan Sullivan, yet she remains relatively poised and strong willed as she grows within her House and her position as Sentinel. I am completely appreciative of a heroine that I can relate to and admire and, frankly, not want to strangle...because there are so many other UF heroines that I'd like to take a two-by-four to for so very many reasons, even when I like the series they're in (annnnd we're right back to the unbalanced issue...moving on). The Chicacoland Vampires series is told from Merit's perspective in a smooth, contemporary, first person narrative that is at turns humorous, griping, and caustic with sharp wit. Twice Bitten: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel in particular shines with zippy dialogue and internal monologues, and Merit is almost solely responsible for that fantastic aspect of the book.In Twice Bitten, which picks up mere days from the events of the second book in the series,  Friday Night Bites: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel , and just a few months from the first,  Some Girls Bite: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel , Merit is still dealing with the potential threat of Celina Desaulniers, former Navarre House Master and total power hungry wingnut, still training with Ethan, and still exceptionally drawn to him. The fireworks between them are incendiary and in this book, extra...fireworky...um, yeah. So anyway, the shapeshifters are on their way to Chicago for a convocation concerning their next move as a species and the Apex of NAC pack, Gabriel, is tentatively willing to extend a paw to Cadogan House and Ethan and Merit in particular. The foresight-gifted shifter has seen a future that includes pack and House affiliations he's not too specific about, but one that features Merit heavily. Ethan is practically salivating for the opportunity of an alliance because...well, because he's a politics junkie, for one, but he's also very aware that a war is brewing and the only hope of survival of both species against a planet of humanity may be joining forces with a past nemesis. Unfortunately, not all of the pack agrees with its progressive thinking Apex, and soon politics turns to bloodshed and death and assassination attempts. Will any tentative hope for an alliance go up in flames or will two races at odds be able to unite against a common threat? The cost for misstep will be paid in blood.The political and sociological structures of shifters and vampires are brilliantly written here, and while the plot is both less an more than most end-of-the-world-or-some-other-similar-catastrophe UF series, it's fascinating and poignant, and there's a lesson to be learned about the crippling nature of bigotry and prejudice. This book (and series) is far more subtly written than others in the genre, allowing for some truly fantastic character development for a larger contingent of characters than most UF books. Through Merit's eyes we see how similar to humans in some ways, and how spectacular in others, vampires are as we get a deeper and broader view of the people and personalities that make up Cadogan House. Other than a brief and a bit bitter trip to Morgan at Navarre House, we don't see any of the other House vampires (I'm ignoring Lacey on purpose), so the aspect of internal vampire politics is much muted here, to its benefit, I think - too much vampire posturing and politicking gives me a headache. Instead we get a chance to see Cadogan vampires in a more relaxed and natural setting, allowing a more intimate relationship with them as people, and I very much enjoyed that. I've grown quite fond of Lindsey and Luc and the rest of Merit's growing circle of friends.I did have a few moments where I got a bit troubled with the plot, though. I can't say I totally bought into the motivations and actions of the players surrounding the main conflict and climax of the story. It seemed a little too neat and perhaps a bit cliched. Admittedly, I was more frustrated because the rest of the book had made a lot of excellent strides in laying groundwork for a positively Machiavellian development...though, I suppose I could be looking at it from a more vampiric perspective. That race does sort of epitomize Machiavellian. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were also moments in the book that I felt attained a sort of sublime truthfulness, most notably with Merit and the guy in the library. There was a scene that pointed out in unapologetic detail that for some, atrocity isn't history - it's memory, and should be respected as such. Humans surely aren't immortal, but atrocity isn't limited to history, either, and the message was a poignant one that struck a chord with me.As much as I hate to be one of those readers who clamors for more from a favored author, with pleas to write faster or produce more quickly, I have to admit, I'm less than thrilled that Neill is currently writing two books a year and one of them is for her Dark Elite series ( Firespell (Dark Elite, Book 1) ). Very unfortunately, that means no more Merit for another year. That's more than a little disappointing. Still, I have to say, Merit...and the Chicagoland Vampires series...is worth the wait.Originally Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

I was a little apprehensive going into Twice Bitten. I absolutely loved the first novel with its outstanding characterization and interesting theme of vampire-human co-existance. However the second one let me down due to a lackluster plot compared to the original, yet it managed to save itself due to an incredibly gripping final act. Fortunately I can happily say that Twice Bitten not only sets the series back on track, but it's a massive improvement for the series as a whole. It fixes the two major issues that I've had with the series, and so far I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.Like Friday Night Bites, Twice Bitten starts off shortly after the previous novel, with the Shapeshifter Packs agreeing to merge for a large convocation in Chicago to decide their course of action. This of course, raises a few eyebrows for the local vampires, particularly the head of Cadogan house: Ethan Sullivan. Despite a strong animosity between their races, Ethan and shapeshifter alpha-male Gabriel agree that an alliance is a possibility. But betrayal and deception from shifters who refuse to ally themselves with their ancient adversaries shadow their every move. It's up to the main character Merit to act as the vanguard for this truce; and hope that it will lead to a brighter future for both their races. Because if they fail, it may lead to all out war.Like I stated before, I really enjoy Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampire series. Although there have been some issues in the previous books that have always irked me and detracted from my enjoyment of the series. My first issue is one that I've had from the very beginning. It was the insanely forced love relationship between Merit and Ethan. There's nothing wrong with having your heroine romance a vampire, frankly in this genre it's practically required. The problem was with the execution. Merit and Ethan have almost nothing in common and they're constantly butting heads, however they keep being drawn to one another due to sheer sexual desire. Don't get me wrong, people are like this in real life, it's sad but it's true. But a book with strong romantic elements needs to have a stronger emotional pull than this, something that truly makes me see what the author sees in these two. Instead it feels more like Twilight fan fiction. I mean come on, the first time they meet they kiss and Ethan requests that she become his mistress THE FIRST TIME THEY MEET! I feel that their relationship should have been elaborated upon before they even began thinking of any thoughts of romance.Twice Bitten doesn't exactly fix this issue entirely, but it does make some very necessary adjustments. Unlike the previous two books, instead of teasing the reader, their relationship actually goes somewhere this time around. At first they seem like two lovers in perfect matrimony, until Ethan becomes greatly conflicted between his lover and his duty as master vampire and all the daunting requirements that are demanded from him. This adds a much needed deep emotional connection to a character that up to this point has been a very stoic and two-dimensional individual who lacked any sense of depth or relatibility. Because of this the reader becomes much more invested in their relationship and where it's headed.My second issue was with Merit instantly becoming the Cadogan House Sentinel. I love having strong female characters in books, heck, sometimes I prefer them to generic tough guys. I like the idea of putting Merit in a position of importance and danger. But like my previous issue, the whole thing seems way to rushed. Merit is a brand new vampire who is still becoming accustomed to her new life and identity; and just like that Ethan makes her a soldier? Why? She could barely defend herself at the time, let alone a whole house of vampires. Why would he use an untrained girl as his vanguard? Once again, I like the idea but it happens just to fast.Unlike in the previous two novels, Merit is actually worthy of being called Sentinel in Twice Bitten. Previously, her best tactic was to bluff about her fighting prowess, in the hope that it would mitigate the chance of any confrontations. But in Twice Bitten she shows off her abilities on multiple occasions. Demonstrating to us that she's worthy of the title and giving the series a much needed dose of action. I feel like this would have been the proper time for her to be proclaimed the house Sentinel.With my two biggest gripes fixed I'm more then interested to see where this series goes next. This is the sign of a great author, one who can fix the flaws that the reader finds in their storytelling (intentional or not.)

I love a book or better yet a series with a terrific female protagonist. I will continue to read this series for sure.

Spoiler Warning for the first two books in the Chicagoland Vampires series: the books each contribute to an overall story-arc and although the respective sub-stories in each book are brought to an end, they rely heavily on each other storywise. Besides spoiling events from previous installments, this review assumes basic knowledge of Merit and her story so far. So if you are new to the series, I recommend you stop here and start reading book one "Some girls bite".Synopsis [by Goodreads.com]Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene-and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.Unfortunately, someone is gunning for Gabriel, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals-not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries-old master vampire.ReviewThis time, Merit can and has to prove her mettle and what she is made of. And she proved to be awesome in her job and as a person. The job asigned is crucial and a novelty in Vampire-Shapeshifter-history. She and her Master Ethan are asked to personally provide security for Gabriel during his meetings with his fellow shifters. They all convene in Chicago to vote on their further course with humans or vampires, meaning if they are leaving together for rural Alaska and the humans non the wiser as far as their existence is concerned, or will they stay and fight besides the vampires should a war between humans and vampires be coming.Should the shifters decide to go, the vampires fear that history could repeat itself, should war start. That the vampires will take the brunt of human's hatred and fear and because of nowadays weapons, there would be a real chance of vampire extinction. So the result of this vote is of utmost importance for the vampires - and makes Merit and Ethan kind of ambassadors for the vampires. That there is extreme animosity between the two races, does not make any of it easier. And while attending shifter-meetings and trying to find the culprit of assassination-attempts and accordingly, a lot of action, things get steamy between Merit and Ethan.And hence the aforementioned rollercoaster: things with 400-year-old vampire masters are not that easy and as a reader one takes front seat on the emotional highs and lows. And I was so immersed in Merits feelings that my heart shuddered along. And what makes her a pretty impressive heroine, besides the kick-a** fighting, is her steadfast character. She gets an offer right at the beginning of the book [won't spoil that one] and thinks about it for a long time and in a time, when she is at her angriest and most vulnerable, she still takes the high road and does not just say "yes" because of her hurt feelings [and boy are they hurt], but knows that she needs a better base to make that decision. I know, sounds cryptic but I really can't say more without spoiling. Let's just say: she excels characterwise.But I have to admit, although I'm a solid Team-Merit-member, I can understand Ethan's reasoning and that is one of the accomplishments in this series. Things are rarely black and white and none is easy to love or condemn [well, there were moments, I could hate Ethan pretty well, I admit it] and even the villains have their reasons that make them, if not relatable, comprehensible. Besides the characters as such, their relationships towards each other develop and I loved reading about Merit and Mallory and even more, Merit and her fellow vampire-ladies. That just felt real. Her and Ethan: well besides my heart really going out for Merit, I love reading about those two, since there really is no way to know, how that will play out.So again, there's a lot of action, a lot of Merit fighting and many intense emotional ups and downs - the perfect UF in my book. I will go on reading the next book in the series right away.

As always a page turner! Great strong characters that inspire you to keep reading.

Ce troisième tome se consacre au coeur du problème : la relation tumultueuse entre Merit et Ethan. Ces deux-là se tournent autour depuis le début, ils s'attirent et se repoussent, vont-ils enfin passer à l'action ?Oui.Amen.Sauf que la messe n'est pas dite, et de nouveau la passion tourmentée de notre couple vedette va revenir sur le devant de la scène. Comme c'est frustrant !D'un autre côté, c'est ce qui alimente la série dont l'intensité sexuelle est à son apogée. Merit est une héroïne admirable, elle aura besoin de toute sa force pour affronter ce que Sullivan va lui infliger. Ethan est odieux, oui, mais il est sexy et irrésistible dans son genre. Ce vampire est toxique, que voulez-vous, c'est ce que les filles veulent.Il serait, toutefois, difficile de résister à ses déclarations. Lorsqu'il abat ses cartes et annonce enfin qu'il est totalement démuni face à sa Sentinelle, ou lorsqu'il reconnaît qu'il a besoin d'elle plus qu'il n'en a jamais eu conscience dans sa longue existence, la lectrice pousse de grooos soupirs extatiques.Avec toutes ses hormones en ébullition, on en oublierait presque qu'une intrigue politique se dresse à côté. Les métamorphes se réunissent à Chicago pour décider s'ils veulent affronter le climat haineux de la population ou s'ils préfèrent rentrer chez eux à l'abri, en laissant tomber les vampires, leurs pires ennemis. Fait exceptionnel, l'Alpha Gabriel a sollicité l'aide de Sullivan et de Merit pour sa protection. Un contrat sur sa tête a été ordonné. Cela sent le grabuge et la trahison. Nos représentants de Cadogan ont de sérieux soucis à se faire.Et justement, la problématique politique frappera de plein fouet leur relation si compliquée...Ce tome 3 signe pour moi mon addiction totale et incompressible envers cette série. La lecture a juste été parfaite, j'en veux encore.

Merit has now completed the transition to vampire twice as the first change wasn't complete. Merit is embracing her vampiric nature and now Ethan has a surprising task for her. Shapeshifters from all over America will be congregating in Chicago to decide whether to follow vampires into the public eye. Ethan has loaned Merit to act as security for the Alpha Gabriel Keene who leads all the shifters. But when someone starts gunning for Gabriel, Merit finds herself in the line of fire.I was really looking forward to reading this as the previous book ( Friday Night Bites ) ends with Merit going to a meeting with the mysterious sender of several invitations. It turns out that Merit is being invited to join the Red Guard who function like internal affairs for the vampire houses. This is a new development for this book, and I think it's great how the author is still adding depth to Merit's world. However, it may make the books harder to read for newcomers to the series so I'd recommend starting at the beginning with  Some Girls Bite .Merit has now dealt with her transition and is moving on with her (un)life. The previous books showed Merit's struggle adjusting, whereas this one shows how Merit is learning to embrace her new life. Merit also broke up with Morgan in the last book so now it's just a will they/won't they with Ethan not a love triangle. The only complication left in Merit's life is the tension between her and her friend Mallory, and this means more focus is given to the shifter storyline.Ethan's character also gets some more development, and revelations about his past and his own change to a vampire explain a lot of his character quirks from the previous books. A lot of why Ethan makes certain choices is explained, and it definitely made him a more likeable character in my eyes.I loved how well the shifter storyline flowed, and there were several twists that I didn't see coming. The addition of shifters to Merit's world is brilliant. Jeff was introduced in the first book and the Breckenridges were introduced in the second, but this book adds literally a country of shifters with several well developed characters. There are also seeds sown for possible future storylines with Merit and the shifters, and I can't wait to see where these go.All in all this was an awesome read and I'm looking forward to reading the next book  Hard Bitten  out May 2011.Plot: 10/10Characters: 10/10Ending: 10/10Enjoyment: 10/10Cover: 8/10Overall: 48/50 Friday Night BitesSome Girls BiteHard Bitten