Review – Dark Debt (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 11) by Chloe Neill (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 400 pages
Publisher: NAL
Release Date: March 3rd, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-0451472328
Stand Alone or Series: 11th book in the Chicagoland Vampire series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the eleventh book in the Chicagoland Vampires series and was a well done continuation of the story. The 12th book in the series will be titled Midnight Marked and is expected to release in March of 2016. Thirteen books are planned for this series. In this book the vampire politics continue and we finally get to meet Ethan’s maker.

Things get dicey for Ethan and Merit when Ethan’s maker shows up in Chicago and seems bent for taking Cadogan House for himself. The situation gets even more complicated when Morgan comes to Ethan seeking aid. It seems that a group of human Mafia called The Circle is out to collect on debt caused by Navarre House’s former master. As with all the books in this series the two storylines end of being related and converge.

I enjoyed this book; it’s a good balance of mystery, vampire politics, and action. Additionally it’s a solid addition to this series. These books always feel more like soap operas than anything and this book continues in that vein.

There are some big changes for Merit in this book as she finally loses her immunity to glamor. I enjoyed that her and Ethan have a stable relationship throughout based on mutual respect. Although I will be honest and say that the stability of their relationship means that there is a lot less romance and drama in this book on that front. Still I love reading about characters in healthy and stable relationships so I am good with that.

You also really have to feel for Morgan in this book. Navarre House is in a heap of trouble and it’s trouble Morgan has been trying to mitigate from the first day he took over the House. All is revealed and we finally begin to understand what Morgan has been going through and why he has done what he’s done in previous books.

With the GP abolished Neill needed a new big baddie and in this book that’s The Circle. They fill the bad guy shoes nicely and I am curious to see what their agenda is in future books.

Mallory and Catcher are in the book a lot as well; they also have a wonderful stable relationship and have made a lot of progress both in their powers and their stability.

The books ends at a good spot, tying up the main issue but hinting at future issues with The Circle to come.

Overall this was a great addition to the Chicagoland Vampire series and I enjoyed it. We meet some new baddies and find out the deal behind Morgan’s behavior. We also finally meet Ethan’s rather evil Maker. There is a lot of action, lots of politics, and some light romance. If you are a fan of vampire urban fantasy I would definitely recommend this series. I look forward to reading Midnight Marked when it releases.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge