Wild Hunger (Heirs of Chicagoland, #1)

by Chloe Neill

[kimbacaffeinate]

The story begins when we meet Elisa Sullivan, in Paris. She has finished her schooling and is serving a year in service to the House that sponsored her. Elisa is the daughter of Merit and Ethan and the first-born vampire. While it helped that I had read the first two books of Chicagoland Vampires and knew about the Cadogan House, Neill did an excellent job of sharing history, particularly those of Conner, the heir-apparent to the Chicago Park and Lulu, Elisa's best friend.

Chicago is the epicenter for peace between supernaturals and humans. The vampires are hosting peace talks for European vampires, who are experiencing political unrest. Elisa is working for the French House.  It is the first time she has been home in four years. We learn about Elisa and her uniqueness. She is the first-born vampire, but she is also more. Something that scares her and that she keeps hidden.  She has been working to control it, but upon returning to Chicago it reawakens. And I am all in! 

The plot was a suspenseful one with a side thread of romantic energy and growth for Elisa. The peace talks are sidetracked when a vampire is murdered and one of the pack is arrested. Things don't add up and Elisa begins to investigating. The Chicago peace treaty with the humans prevent the Cadogan House from investigating, but Elisa uses a technicality to investigate on her own.

This was such a well plotted and paced story. I quickly slipped into the world and found Elisa to be an engaging and complex character. I loved the snarky banter between her and Conner. Lulu was a pure joy and secondary characters added interest, strengthened the world and aided Elisa. For fans of the Chicagoland Vampires, we see plenty of key characters to satisfy while giving way to the young. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer