- Title: Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 1)
- Classification: New Adult Fiction
- Genre: Urban Fantasy
- Format: Paperback; 352 pages
- Publisher: NAL Trade (April 7, 2009)
- ISBN-10: 0451226259
- ISBN-13: 978-0451226259
Author's Website: http://www.chloeneill.com/
I didn't remember all the details of the attack. But I remembered enough to be thrilled to be alive. To be shocked to be alive...
I recalled very little of the next three days, of the genetic restructuring that transformed me into a vampire. Even now, I only carry a handful of memories. Deep-seated, dull pain--shocks of it that bowed my body. Numbing cold. Darkness. A pair of intensely green eyes.
Staving off a wash of dizziness, I sat up. I was wearing different clothes. I'd been in jeans and a T-shirt. Now I wore a black cocktail dress, a sheath that fell to just below my knees, and three-inch high black heels.
That made me a twenty-seven-year-old attack victim, clean and absurdly scar-free, wearing a cocktail dress that wasn't mine. I knew, then and there, that they'd made me one of them.
The Chicagoland Vampires.
This is Merit's story of how she became a vampire. A person who would never have chosen such a path for herself, but as fate would have it, it was hers and now she has to deal with it and make the best of it.
I started this series by reading the fifth book in the series, Drink Deep, first. I loved it so much I wanted to read all the books to see how everything built up to what happened in that first book I'd managed to read. I finally made time to read the first in the series and loved it as much as I thought I would.
The world of the Chicagoland Vampires is pretty much the same as Chicago is today with one big exception, vampires and other supernaturals roam the land. If you've ever been in downtown Chicago late at night you know it almost seems to have a life of its own and has an old and haunting feel to it. It isn't any wonder someone would write a story where the city would be the home for things that go bump in the night. In Some Girls Bite, it has been 8 months since a letter was published in the Sun-Times and Trib which announcing the existence of vampires. At first many thought it to be a hoax reminiscent of Orson Welles' War of the World broadcast about an alien invasion many years ago. As time passed, however, the truth of the matter became known, if not accepted. The world is still adjusting to the disclosure and not all are happy about it.
Merit is a fun character. She comes from a wealthy family, but she never truly fit the mold her parents had wished her to. She was attending graduate school at the University of Chicago when she was brutally attacked on campus by a vampire and saved and changed shortly thereafter by a different vampire, Ethan Sullivan, who happened to come upon the scene and scare Merit's attacker away. Merit's attack, however, doesn't appear to have been the only one. It appears a vampire serial killer is on the loose in the Windy City. Two other woman fitting Merit's description were also attacked within a relatively short period of time, but neither survived. So one question that is posed is will her attacker come back to finish the job?
Mallory was Merit's best friend before her change and luckily she has no problem with Merit's transformation. We learn early on, at the same time Mallory and Merit do, that Mallory is a witch. Apparently witches come into their powers after or during puberty and no one had noticed Mallory was one, not even her. So the two besties have each other to lean on as they venture into the world of the supernatural and find out what each is capable of doing. A world that is only just beginning to be revealed, although not in its entirety, to the majority of the population.
Ethan Sullivan, a master vampire, is the head of one of the oldest vampire Houses in the US, Cadogan House. He's described as being "incredibly handsome" and "prettier than Beckham." He's the one who saved Merit and changed her. Merit is still pretty upset she was changed without her permission, but as Ethan explains, she couldn't very well consent at the time in the condition he'd found her. Now Merit is expected to pledge her allegiance and loyalty to Ethan and the house he governs. As she discovers, living as a vampire without the backing of a House and Master can be solitary and dangerous existence. She must pick between security and independence.
I didn't remember all the details of the attack. But I remembered enough to be thrilled to be alive. To be shocked to be alive...
I recalled very little of the next three days, of the genetic restructuring that transformed me into a vampire. Even now, I only carry a handful of memories. Deep-seated, dull pain--shocks of it that bowed my body. Numbing cold. Darkness. A pair of intensely green eyes.
Staving off a wash of dizziness, I sat up. I was wearing different clothes. I'd been in jeans and a T-shirt. Now I wore a black cocktail dress, a sheath that fell to just below my knees, and three-inch high black heels.
That made me a twenty-seven-year-old attack victim, clean and absurdly scar-free, wearing a cocktail dress that wasn't mine. I knew, then and there, that they'd made me one of them.
The Chicagoland Vampires.
This is Merit's story of how she became a vampire. A person who would never have chosen such a path for herself, but as fate would have it, it was hers and now she has to deal with it and make the best of it.
I started this series by reading the fifth book in the series, Drink Deep, first. I loved it so much I wanted to read all the books to see how everything built up to what happened in that first book I'd managed to read. I finally made time to read the first in the series and loved it as much as I thought I would.
The world of the Chicagoland Vampires is pretty much the same as Chicago is today with one big exception, vampires and other supernaturals roam the land. If you've ever been in downtown Chicago late at night you know it almost seems to have a life of its own and has an old and haunting feel to it. It isn't any wonder someone would write a story where the city would be the home for things that go bump in the night. In Some Girls Bite, it has been 8 months since a letter was published in the Sun-Times and Trib which announcing the existence of vampires. At first many thought it to be a hoax reminiscent of Orson Welles' War of the World broadcast about an alien invasion many years ago. As time passed, however, the truth of the matter became known, if not accepted. The world is still adjusting to the disclosure and not all are happy about it.
Merit is a fun character. She comes from a wealthy family, but she never truly fit the mold her parents had wished her to. She was attending graduate school at the University of Chicago when she was brutally attacked on campus by a vampire and saved and changed shortly thereafter by a different vampire, Ethan Sullivan, who happened to come upon the scene and scare Merit's attacker away. Merit's attack, however, doesn't appear to have been the only one. It appears a vampire serial killer is on the loose in the Windy City. Two other woman fitting Merit's description were also attacked within a relatively short period of time, but neither survived. So one question that is posed is will her attacker come back to finish the job?
Mallory was Merit's best friend before her change and luckily she has no problem with Merit's transformation. We learn early on, at the same time Mallory and Merit do, that Mallory is a witch. Apparently witches come into their powers after or during puberty and no one had noticed Mallory was one, not even her. So the two besties have each other to lean on as they venture into the world of the supernatural and find out what each is capable of doing. A world that is only just beginning to be revealed, although not in its entirety, to the majority of the population.
Ethan Sullivan, a master vampire, is the head of one of the oldest vampire Houses in the US, Cadogan House. He's described as being "incredibly handsome" and "prettier than Beckham." He's the one who saved Merit and changed her. Merit is still pretty upset she was changed without her permission, but as Ethan explains, she couldn't very well consent at the time in the condition he'd found her. Now Merit is expected to pledge her allegiance and loyalty to Ethan and the house he governs. As she discovers, living as a vampire without the backing of a House and Master can be solitary and dangerous existence. She must pick between security and independence.
Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I loved watching Merit struggle to come to terms with her new self. Considering she didn't wish to ever become a vampire, she's handling the change much better than I'd expect. I love her snarky wit, her spirit and the way she doesn't cower the way most would in her position to Ethan. A very fun and enjoyable story. I Highly recommend this series.
Order of series:
Coming February 5th:
I really want to read this series, but I can't seem to find the first book anywhere. I guess I will need to bite the bullet one day and just pay full price for a copy.
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