Devouring Darknessby Chloe Neill
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780593102640
Series: Heirs of Chicagoland #4
Publication Date: September 20, 2022
Pages: 308
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Berkley
As the only vampire ever born, and the daughter of two very powerful Chicago vampires, Elisa Sullivan knew her life was going to be…unusual. But she wanted to make her own way in the world, preferably away from her famous family. Then supernatural politics—and perhaps a bit of destiny—intervened, and Elisa had to steady her nerves and sharpen her steel to fight for the city of Chicago. Luckily, Connor Keene, son of the North American Central Pack’s Apex wolf, is right by her side.
When Elisa and her Ombudsman colleagues agree to escort a vulnerable supernatural to Chicago, they inadvertently set in motion a scheme of long-awaited magical vengeance. The city may pay an arcane price it can’t afford unless Elisa and her allies rise to the challenge.
I always have a lot of fun reading Chloe Neil’s books. Yep, they’re (relatively) nice vampires and shifters, and the dialog is witty as hell (although not as on-fire as the original series). In these books vampires being vampires isn’t really the important part; solving the mysteries and doing with with the cooperation of friends and allies is. These books are heavy on friendships, solid plotting, and some light romance as a side-gig.
This fourth one felt a bit sharper than the first 3, as if Neil finally got into the groove with this new cast of characters and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The end has an epilogue that’s not a cliffhanger, but a definite lead up to a new threat, and it still annoyed me because it will be at least a year before it’ll be out.
I didn’t read this for Halloween Bingo because I don’t have any squares I can use for it, but I reserve the right to shoe-horn it in if I need to.