Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires 2)- Chloe Neill
Publisher: UK – Gollancz
VAMPIRES IN CHICAGO! You'd think a headline like that would have made the fine citizens of the Windy City to take up arms against us bloodsucking fiends. Instead, ten months later, we're enjoying celebrity statue and fending off the paparazzi, who are only slightly less dangerous than angry stake-wielding slayers. Don't get me wrong - Joe Public isn't exactly thrilled to be living side by side with the undead, but at least they haven't stormed the castle . . . not yet . . . But it could be a matter of time. There's a first-time reporter sniffing around vampire society, and if he uncovers the Raves - mass feeding parties, where vampires round humans up like cattle and drink themselves silly. The fact that it's majorly frowned upon by vamp society won't make a difference to that kind of a headline, or a new reporter who's out to impress his family. So now my 'master' - the centuries-old yet gorgeously well-preserved Ethan Sullivan - wants me to reconnect with my own upper-class family and act as liaison between humans and vampire . . . and use the opportunity to keep the less savoury aspects of vamp existence out of the media spotlight. Tough job, when it seems someone doesn't want vamps and humans to play nicely - someone with a serious, ancient grudge . . .
The best thing about Friday Night Bites is Merit the main character. She has a style that is easy to read, is tongue in cheek without being forced and someone I would like to spend time with. There’s some good exploration of Merit’s relationships in this especially with her best friend, Mallory – who deserves a book of her own. I also enjoyed learning a little bit about Merit’s family – meeting her sister and niece was actually one of my favourite bits – more of Charlotte and Olivia please!
Unfortunately the plot of this book felt more like an after thought. It didn’t really make sense – the threat against the vampires – opening the rave culture was a good idea – but in order to stop it, Merit has go to formal functions... huh? In addition, the reaction of one of the wealthy families didn’t ring true to me – if your family were threatened by vampires would you ask the vampires to solve it? There’s less action in this book, that in Some Girl’s Bite, the first book – apart from a big action sequence at the end that seems tacked on.
Overall the book was easy read and amusing, if you didn’t want to think too hard. I’m probably going to try the next book in the series, but Some Girls Bite was much more fun.
Recommended for fans of Tanya Huff and Charlaine Harris. 6 out of 10.
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