Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires)

I am a big vampire fan and supernatural in general. This not only gives me that but also takes me to a world that I feel like I am in. Totally immersive, can’t stop reading, amazing story telling and I totally relate to the characters.

Preconceived notions were ablaze when I downloaded this much anticipated novel to my handy-dandy kindle. For one I had been already following Chloe Neill's blog and twitter posts, so I had an idea of her writing skills, I had read a few reviews and all had me excited to read this novel. I was pretty sure all that it would entail - I guess, how can I put this - I was pretty sure what the flavor of the book was going to be. Whoa, boy was I wrong. First off it wasn't a bad surprise, not at all, much like if I bought Winn-Dixie brand chocolate ice cream, cause I couldn't afford the good sheet, and instead got me some Half-Baked Ben & Jerry's happiness inside the box instead. (I'm on an ice cream analogy kick) Definitely a happy moment. I had judged the cover. Typical vampy girl cover. I had judged the title. Witty, with a little sex for spice. I had judged the synopsis - and expected just your typical, girl becomes paranormal unexpectedly, girl is like the super-paranormal variety, girl has hots for maker...hijinks ensue. I'm glad I was proven wrong. This novel was so much more than the other typical vamp novels out there. There was a depth to this novel that explored aspects that other urban fantasy novels don't even come close to tackling. The relationships were deeper, emotions ran deeper and even the thought processes of the characters were more in-depth. Chloe Niell knows how to spin an in-depth tale, from her background, to her sub-plots everything was tight and entertaining. It had me thinking and guessing and never once coming to the right conclusions. Merit, the main character has what she believes is a good solid life. Graduate student, working on her dissertation, living with her best friend in a great house. Her parents aren't that supportive but her gramps is there for her. Everything changes for her when she is attacked on campus and luckily, or unluckily she is found by one of Chicago's master vampires and he changes her into one of them. Vamps are out of the closet in this novel, so her change is made public. Merit isn't too happy about this either, since vamps aren't exactly accepted and the college where she attends doesn't allow vampires to enroll, bye bye dissertation. On top of it, the master vamp, Mr. Hottie Ethan Sullivan, who is very attractive - and also attracted right back is trying to put the moves on her. His mistress is giving her the evil eye - the rival house is baiting her - and she is finding out some weird stuff about her family and friends. Merit's world is really going off kilter. Yet, Merit just might manage to make it, with the help of some old friends, family and few new friends she makes along the way. A must read book for my fellow fang fans. Recommended for readers of LKH, Briggs and Mead. Also a great place to start an urban fantasy addiction. I can't wait to move on to the next installment, Friday Night Bites.

As other reviewers have pointed out: yes, this novel trods familiar ground, and YES, it does so brilliantly. I buy one medicore paranormal after another looking for a reading experience like this one, and now I'm afraid to start another book because I know it will be disappointing in comparison. SOME GIRLS BITE is really just that good. So we have Merit, a graduate student who is attacked and turned into a vampire while crossing her university campus one night. She wakes up three days later and her world has turned upside down - her university doesn't accept vampire students, so there go all the plans she'd made for her life. She's angry at the vampires who turned her, yet they are her only source of information and support. She doesn't like it, but she needs them badly. And right at the center of her conflicted emotions is the Master Vampire who turned her, Ethan Sullivan. He's gorgeous, he's strong, he's smart, he's even fair. He's earned the respect of the vampires he rules, and he takes his responsibility to them seriously. He's also autocratic, opportunistic, and manipulative, with an ego made of teflon. Merit has a love/hate relationship with Ethan, and both of those emotions - as extreme as they are - make sense, are justified. While coming to terms with her new life, Merit is thrust into the murky world of vampire politics. There's a vamp serial killer on the loose, and Chicago's supernatural denizens are going to have to cooperate to track him down. Neill's vampires are strongly hierarchical, each belonging to a House that is ruled by a Master Vampire. Only a master vampire can turn a human, and each Master Vampire is only allowed to turn a certain number of people in a year. Merit is a particularly desirable catch, because her family is very wealthy and because she turned out to be a very strong vampire. So all the vampires in the city are curious about her, and she finds out quickly enough that there is no love lost between the houses. Things get especially tricky when a vamp from another house, Morgan, makes a move on her. The characterization here is great; Everyone is distinct, bursting with personality. All the relationships between the characters are really well worked out, and this is one of those books where the dialogue feels natural and the wit really is funny (urban fantasy heroines are obliged to be witty, but some of them are really lacking in the comeback department...luckily Merit doesn't have that problem). Merit and her roommate, Mallory, have an especially great banter going on. The Chicago setting is wonderful, too - Neill describes the parks, the neighborhoods, and even gets into the sports culture a bit (one of the three Houses in the city is run by a vampire named Scott who is obsessed with sports and makes all his vamps wear identifying jerseys, like a team). I pre-ordered the next book, and I am super excited to read it. This is a really, really fantastic addition to the paranormal scene

I'm a first time book reviewer. I usually read a mix of romance, urban fantasy and sci-fi. I bought this book on a whim, based on the reviews I read here. I received it yesterday, and ended up staying up until 2 a.m. to finish it. It was an excellent read, fast paced, good characterization, great plot, I could not put it down. There is a nice balance of humor and lots of sexual tension between Merit and Ethan. This author and series has a lot of promise and I will definitely buy the next book. If you like Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs or Illona Andrews, then you will like this one too!

I heard about this book from another vampire series blog. The editor review was interesting so I picked it up on a Thursday night and could not put it down for 2 days. The books starts with Merit, the main heroine's initiation into "vampiredom". Merit is a 27 year old grad student who is attacked by a rogue vampire. Before she dies, she's "saved" and turned by a master vampire of one of the four Chicago Vampire Houses. The book follows her journey in discovering her new life as vampire and how she copes with that. From discovering her new physical skills, telling her family and friends she's a vamp and coping with being a member of a very structured vampire society. I literally laughed out loud in several parts of this book. For example, the lead heroine is sent home with a "Vampire Canon" to help introduce her to the vampire life. The author describes wonderfully the feelings of hurt and lost of the main character as she enters her new immortal life that she did not consent to. It contains some surprising twists and turns too. Great plotline, very witty and funny writing. The story moves along quickly and the its contains some steamy love scenes and relationships. I highly recommend this book. The next book is due out in October 2009. I hope Ms Neill has secured this series for at least 10 books.

Buying this book was a whim, I had never heard of the author and the book itself was actually just lying on a table in the book store. Giving in to the urge I picked it up and began thumbing through the first couple chapters. I was impressed enough that I bought it and promptly went home to settle in with a kick a** vampire novel. Merit at first seemed to be the stereotypical butt kicking heroine, she was changed against her will and she was a constant source of teenage rebellion and sarcasm for her 'liege' and head of her vampire house. Slowly though the author began to peel back layer after layer of Merit, what the readers were left with was a loyal, surprisingly fast, smart and katana wielding woman who was trying to figure out the balance between her old life, her new life, and where her loyalties stand in this new supernatural world. Ethan Sullivan was the vampire who turned her, he also happens to be the head of the Cadogan House in Chicago. Ethan is an arrogant 400 year old vampire who wears his confidence and power like a mantle. Merit finds herself drawn to him, and then repulsed by his decisions and 'lording' over everyone under him. By the end of the book we know Merit is stronger and smarter than the average vampire, we know she choose loyalty above her own wants, and in the end choose to stand with the Cadogan House rather than fight it. I loved Merit the entire book, she was the perfect heroine; Ethan however I was still confused with. I can't decide whether or not I hate him or love him. I can't wait for the next book to see how everything evolves. Trust me this book you need to read, it's cover might scream typical cookie cutter vampire genre but the story itself is anything but. Must read!!!