Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires #5) by Chloe Neill

Drink Deep 
(Chicagoland Vampires #5)
Chloe Neill
Release date: November 1, 2011
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Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven't been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.
That's when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.
Chicago's mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for vampires and humans alike.

If you have not read the previous four books in this series, hold off on reading this review.

How on earth am I going to write the review for this book? This will be a tricky review, so stay with me people.

"I stood in front of the double doors to his apartment for just a moment, before pressing my palm to the door and my forehead to the cool wood. God I missed him."

We all know that this series took a tumultuous turn in book three, Hard Bitten. And, unfortunately, I cannot give you the answers you need to the questions I'm sure most of you are wondering most, with drool coming out of your mouths and landing on your keyboards. Know that this is a great book and one of my favorites in the series so far, if not my favorite. Also, know that Neill said to trust her, and, if you do, you will understand. With that said, let's get on with it!

Drink Deep begins a couple months after the intense conclusion of the last book. I thought the title of this book was a little silly (Drink Deep? Way to open yourself to some inappropriate comments...), however the quote at the beginning of the story explained the title:

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep or taste not the Pieran spring..." - Alexander Pope

This quote does in fact sum up the important aspects of the book. The story in this one gets a little darker on every page and I think this one is more emotional and surprising than the others (yes, even that last one). The main plot involves some strange changes in the landscape of the Chicago area. Its clear that these changes are of a supernatural origin and each is worse than the last. Merit and the 'crew' run around spinning their wheels for most of the book trying to figure out what the heck is going on. The story is good, and the conclusion is even better (its better than better...it's SHOCKING!).

There are some characters in this book that step up to the plate and show their loyalty and goodness, while there are some others that just plain fall apart. I can't really tell you which characters fall into which category without giving away spoilers. Frank Cabot, the 'receiver' placed in the House by the GP, is completely awful. I hate him at every turn (we're supposed to hate him, of course) and he drives me crazy (think Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter). Its clear he is not acting in the best interest of the House, rationing the amount of blood the vampires can have, restricting the number of vamps that can be together at a time, etc.

This book is also very Jonah heavy. I haven't been sure of my opinion of him in previous books, but I grew to like him in this one. He really had Merit's back and he understands her, even when he doesn't want to. Its clear that he is attracted to her, but respects the state she is currently in. Merit battles a little with her feelings, given what she's been through, and I am anticipating where their friendship/relationship/partnership will go in future installments. I like Jonah a lot, but, let's face it, he's not Ethan (I said the 'E' word!).

"Magical novelty or not, this sounded like a complication I didn't need. And yet, every movement of his fingers sent shivers down my spine and shut off the part of my brain that should have been thinking better."

Merit is a heroine I really like. She doesn't make some of the stupid decisions that some other writers give their lead ladies, and I fully appreciate that. She is a very relatable, kick-ass, katana wielding, bangs wearing vampire (Why is there always so much mention of her bangs?). I gave this book four stars instead of five because I always feel like the writing style doesn't mesh well with me. That's my personal opinion of course, and I still LOVE the stories Neill tells, but I always feel like I'm reading YA with adult characters.

Okay, November 1st will be here soon and we can all finally talk about this book! Until then, in the words of Chloe Neill..."Trust me".

And in the words of Merit, "Big girl panties," I quietly reminded myself. "Big girl panties".

*My early copy of this book was provided by New American Library. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.*

4 / 5 stars