Wild Things: A Chicagoland Vampires Novel (Chicagoland Vampires, #9)

by Chloe Neill

Merit goes toe to toe with a powerful and dangerous evil in this novel in the Chicagoland Vampires series.

Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds, living or dead…or both.

But now those alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the cross-hairs. Gabriel Keene, the Pack Apex, looks to Merit and Ethan for help. But who—or what—could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?

• ISBN10: 0451415191
• ISBN13: 9780451415196
• Publish Date: 4 February 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc
• Imprint: Berkley Publishing Corporation,U.S.
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780451415196

Reviews

[Linda]

I haven't read a Chicagoland Vampire novel in a very long time. And I'm happy to be back! I was very upset with something that happened a few books ago, and truly needed a break.
Ethan and Merit were fantastic as ever, and I loved how they needed to count on people outside of Cadogan House to stay safe in Wild Things.
The action scenes were so well done, and of course, the steamy scenes made my glasses fog over ;)

[Chelsea]

This series is always a good time and this next book didn't disappoint. I really don't want the series to end!
I loved that we got to see a bunch of other supernaturals in this one! So much more fun that way! Merit and Ethan sure know how to find trouble. We got to see a lot more of their partnership in this one and I'm VERY grateful that Chloe writes them as equals instead of having Ethan be "the man" all the time. It's nice to have that shift and have Merit be the protector. That's probably one of the reaons this series is a favourite.
The only reason this one got 4 stars is because I found the main storyline that goes through all the books wasn't as present in this one. There was a few things mentionned but I'd really like some more of that main plot.

[wyvernfriend]

The Mayor wants Ethan but Merit and Ethan don't want the mayor to win but when they escape to a sanctuary with the werewolves something magical happens with the party and they're blamed. When the elves get caught up too things get complicated.

I enjoyed it, interesting to see where things are going to go from here.

[Berls]

My Initial Reaction…
Well that was exciting! I can literally feel Chloe bringing this series towards an exciting conclusion, with all the twists she threw in Wild Things. A great read and I look forward to the next several books! Oh and we’re on book 9, so there’s gonna be series spoilers, sorry folks!

The Narration…
Sophie Eastlake has really grown on me – not that she wasn’t good from the start. She was. In fact, as soon as she took over the series, she was a relief. But now, she’s more than that. For me, she’s Merit. She has a kind of sophistication to her voice and pacing that fits the world she’s narrating – Merit is a product of the highest levels of society. The vampires are no slouches either. And really no one in these books is living anything short of a comfortable life, although most are well above that. And there’s something about Sophie’s voice that just exudes that and makes me feel like I’ve been transported to that world. I can’t imagine not listening to this series at this point.

The Characters…
If you’ve followed my reviews of the CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES series, you know that at one point I loved Ethan. And then he screwed up. Again. And Again. And then I said forget it Ethan, Jonah is way better anyway. And when things started to look like they were going to finally work out for Ethan and Merit, I accepted it, but begrudgingly. And I didn’t love them as a couple anymore. So when I say that I’m back on Team Ethan with Wild Things, you know that saying something.

So what changed? Ethan! Oh don’t get me wrong, he’s still this incredibly gorgeous, irresistible, somewhat infuriating master vampire. But he finally GETS Merit and knows she’s where it’s at. He loves her and knows that that means making her his priority. And trusting her! Finally, Ethan is letting Merit be the kick ass sentinel that he appointed. Sure he’s still protective, but to a normal, “I love you and don’t want you hurt” extent. Not to a “I love you and that means I control you and don’t trust you extent.” So Ethan has changed for the better. What can I say? I guess some guys have to live hundreds of years and die twice before they finally figure out that they’ve got a good thing and how to treat her.

Merit, on the other hand, hasn’t really changed. And I LOVE that, too. She’s still tough and smart and not afraid to make tough decisions she knows Ethan might not like. See, how that worked? She stayed true to who she was and he came around. :)

Another favorite relationship of mine that had gone sour was the one between Merit and her best friend Mallory. I loved Mallory and then she went all evil. Well, she’s been working on coming back the last few books and in Wild Things I feel like she’s finally there. The interaction between her and Merit is almost back to the same wittiness I loved and she’s getting to be pretty kick ass herself, in a non-evil way. So that’s a plus. And she’s healing things with Catcher, which continues to be great.

In these reviews I always seem to spend too much time on the characters, but the thing is, I LOVE the supporting characters in this series. So I’m not going to gush ad nauseum about Jeff and Gabriel, but they were great in Wild Things too. And I’m not going to get overly excited about the brief moments with Malik and her grandfather, that despite being brief rocked. Point is, the whole cast was there and they shined as usual.

The Story…
We pick up Wild Things right where Biting Bad left off. Meaning Ethan’s in trouble with Mayor Kowalcyzk for murder (in self-defense), which spells trouble for the House and for Merit. Thankfully Merit and Ethan flee to the protection of the Shifters – specifically the Breckinridges – in hopes that the Mayor will recognize their political and financial power and lay off Ethan. I got excited about this when I realized that this was going to mean lots of Shifter action (it’s no secret I love the Shifters) and when Gabriel showed up to explain that they would be joining the shifters for Lubricallia (sp? problem with an audio book, you don’t learn how to spell these things) I pretty much yelped. Lubricallia is a magical event and the way Chloe wrote it was pretty awesome. As was the subsequent attack. By…. well you don’t want me to spoil it do you? Point is they get attacked and the gang gets to work – as usual – solving the mystery.

The mystery was pretty good. I’ve gotten used to the way the mysteries work though, so there weren’t many twists or surprises there. Somehow Chloe has managed to bring even more supernaturals into her story. You thought she’d pretty much covered them all, huh? Nope, but now I think she has. That was a lot of fun. And there’s some MAJOR foreshadowing for events to come in future books, courtesy of Gabriel.

Concluding Sentiments…
Wild Things was another fun installment from the CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES world and I look forward to the next one, due in August.

[Cocktails and Books]

Chloe Neill does it again. I think the books since Ethan's return have been some of the best, but this one just might be my favorite.

Picking up where Biting Bad ended, Merit and Ethan find themselves hiding amongst the NAC Pack in hopes of thwarting the mayor's attempt at Ethan's public lynching. As usual, their visit isn't without drama. When the Pack's yearly celebration is interrupted by a magical attack, it's up to Merit, Ethan and the gang to figure out who's behind the attacks and why, before supernatural alliances begin to fall. But wait...there's more. The GP what's their revenge against Ethan to, but it seems the tide might be turning, which puts Merit in a spot of having to pay up on the favor she owes.

It's hard to believe it's only been a year (in CV time) since Merit's turning, but for anyone who's followed this series, we can see how much Merit has grown. I enjoy getting into her head and following her rationale, but she's less likely to jump into action without thinking. She's very aware of the repercussions her actions might have: for her, Ethan, the house and her family. Quite a change for Merit, but one that I think will serve her well as we move into what will be an very interesting chapter for Ethan and Merit.

Ethan and Merit. They just keep getting better. And it's hard not to love Ethan, especially since his return. He's not afraid to let Merit know his feelings. He may wear a mask around everyone else, but he turned a corner with Merit and he's not afraid to love her. He may not like some of her choices (i.e., the Red Guard) and he may not like some of the situations she gets into, but he's always there to support her. He may go all alpha on someone if he needs to, but he has her back.

I can't wait to see what will happens next. It should be interesting, with the GP and the challenge, but I also can't wait to see exactly what happens with Gabriel's prediction.