Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 5) Chloe Neill

• Title: Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 5)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Urban Fantasy
• Format: Paperback, 352 pages
• Publisher: New American Library; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0451234863
• ISBN-13: 978-0451234865

     Ethan stood beside me, a gold coin between his thumb and index finger. It spun slowly on it's axis, the light catching each rotation like a gold-edged strobe light. 
     "Two sides of a coin," he said. "Heads and tails. Wrong and right. Good and evil.' He lifted his gaze to me. "We all have choices, don't we?" 
     "Choices?"  
     "Between bravery or cowardice." he suggested. "Ambition or contentment."
     "I guess so." 
     "Which choice will you make, Merit?"

Merit is still getting over Ethan's death. Haunted by him in dreams that seem to be uncannily related to the strange supernaturally tinged events going on in and around the city of Chicago. It all begins with the lake coming to a standstill and turning black. The relations between humans and vampires which were already strained are about to get more so. Chicago's new mayor, Diane Kowalczyk, is big supporter of the proposed supernatural registration law. In other words, she doesn't truly like supernaturals and she'll use whatever means necessary, like the water turning black, to her advantage to get the law through. It will be up to Merit to find out who or what could be tampering with things.

If that wasn't bad enough, Cadogan house, now run by Malik, has a receiver living among them. Frank, a representative of the GP (Greenwich Persidium), has been sent to evaluate the house and see where its weaknesses lie. One of the new house rules he's instilled is a the rationing of the blood bags used by vamps to nourish themselves. Drinking from another, human or vamp, has also been banned and that is just the tip of the iceberg.

It will be a fight between good and evil that could go either way. Merit's loyalties as well as that of others will be put to the test. Expect the unexpected in this one and be ready for a bumpy ride.

This is the first book I've read of the Chicagoland Vampires series and it won't be my last. I'm already reading the one before it and will eventually read the others as well. This book blew me away on so many levels. It takes place approximately 2 months after the last book ended in a highly charged political environment where hate for supernaturals, vampires in particular, is on the rise. The book is fast paced and if you blink, you might miss something.

Merit is as smart, sassy, and snarky as ever. Her grief over Ethan's death lingers. Jonah is still attempting to persuade her to join the Red Guards (RG),  "a secret organization dedicated to providing oversight to the American vampire Houses and the Greenwich Presidium, the European council that ruled them from across the pond.", and has become her new partner. If he had his way he'd be a lot more. Together, they'll attempt to put a stop to whatever magic is being used.

Jonah will leave no question as to what his feelings are for Merit. Perhaps the V induced confrontation between Ethan and Jonah in the last book wasn't all drug inspired. We'll get to find out a little more about Jonah and I ended up really liking him.

While the politically charged atmosphere is getting more and more volatile, Mallory, who just recently learned she's a sorceress and is Merit's best friend, is immersing herself in her studies. It appears her upcoming test is stressing her out. Plus, some of what she learns she can't share, and it appears to be taking a toll on her and Merit's and Mallory's relationship gets a bit strained.

Why is the book titled 'Drink Deep'? I believe because of this scene:
Claudia poured a silver goblet of wine for herself, then did the same for us. "Drink deep," she said, "for there is no enchantment in my hospitality. Had I permanent need of your company I could most certainly assure it without such lures."


Be prepared for a lot of surprises. I do believe I've found another series to love. I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. It has plenty of action, drama, and OMG moments in it. I highly recommend this series.

Sidenote: I listened to the audio version of the book and loved the narrator of it. She did an excellent job with the voices. I rarely listen to an audio book and think that the voice matches the character, but the voice seemed to fit and she did an excellent job with all the other voices as well--even the male ones. I'm currently listening to Hard Bitten. Yes, I'm totally reading this series out of order, but I really wanted to know what happened in the previous book.

Order of the series: