I can't believe the series is over! I've been following the Chicagoland Vampire series for what feels like forever and to have it end with Blade Bound is a bit bittersweet, even knowing there's going to be a spin-off series.

And being the series finale, I was expecting a bit. . . more from this book that I didn't really get. Most of the books in this series involve some sort of paranormal drama that needs to be dealt with. High stakes. All that good stuff. And there's a problem like that for sure, but a lot of the book centered around the wedding? Which, fine, I mean Merit and Ethan certainly deserve some downtime but it just didn't sync up with the other books the same and, going in with the expectation of an action-packed fast paced story, it was a bit of a letdown for me.

That said, I can never hate any of these books and while the ending wrapped up Merit and Ethan's story, there were definitely loose ends for the spin off series that I'm excited to see play out.

Just when you think she's pulled ever known paranormal cliche she still manages to weave a magical and entertaining story

I have a thing I do with books I'm really excited about... I hoard them and wait for just the perfect time to read them because, while you can read them again and again, you can only read them for the first time once. That's what happened with Blade Bound. I love the Chicagoland series, I love Ethan and Merit, and I didn't want their story to be over. I know there is the Heirs of Chicagoland series, and I'm thrilled about that, but still, this is the last Ethan and Merit book.

So, on to the book. I adored seeing Merit and Ethan's happily ever after. The first part of the book was definitely focused on the wedding festivities (the bridal shower was so imaginative and perfect for Merit), and as soon as the wedding is over the weapons are out and the magical drama is on. We have old foes, including the vampire that threw Merit into the vampire world, new magical challenges and solutions and a whole lot of excitement.

I also enjoy watching Merit and the gang solve their magical mysteries and this was no exception. It was exciting (I especially liked how libraries save the day), the gang fights, fail, but never gives up, and in the end it comes down to Merit against the big bad.

Swoony sweet, exciting, funny, and magically satisfying, Blade Bound was a great way to say goodbye to the Chicagoland Vampires series. 

Disclosure: eARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

5 Stars! 
 
A great segue into the new series! Can't get enough of Merit and Ethan!! Give me more.

This was an action packed ending to this series. I thought the plot was very entertaining and there were at least cameos of all the main characters from over the years. I was a bit disappointed that the baby only comes into the story at the very, very end. I feel like we've been waiting for years to find out about the prophecy and then it was only a tiny bit of the story. I felt a bit cheated to be honest. I am excited to check out the branch off series and hope we'll see some of these characters in that.

It's all a bit of a pickle when our favorite vampires have to go to work again fighting a vampire with dark magic. Sentinel and Master, lovers and friends, what would Chicago do without them?

It’s finally Merit and Ethan’s wedding and all they want is for everything to right, which it does, until just after the reception. Now they must battle even more evil forces once and for all.
This was the final installment of Merit’s story. From start to end, the book was great. As with all of the Chicagoland Vampire stories, the story was great from start to end. I’ve loved following Merit and Ethan through all of their adventures and I will be sorry to see them go. I look forward to reading more from this author. 
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Merit and Ethan are getting married (finally).  The marriage starts off with a bang when it starts snowing in August.

I've had some ups and downs with the series but I promised myself I would finish it out. Blade Bound seemed like a filler book to help bridge this series with the upcoming spin-off series. I felt like the series could've been wrapped up in the previous book. For me, the epilogue was the best part of the book and earned it an extra star in my rating.

I loved the conclusion to this series!!!! I felt like the ending was a little rushed, even though I was happy with how it played out. This has definitely been a top series of 2017 for me!

I'm sad to see Chloe Neill's Chicago Vampires series end, but what a way to go out! Merit and Ethan must take on their deadliest foe yet to save themselves, their friends and their city - and fulfill the prophecy. This series was one of the true delights of the urban fantasy genre.

I love Chloe Neil !!   Her books  are  fantastic and  Blade Bound was just WOW!!!

It's the perfect ending. Exactly what I would have expected from Chloe Neill and for Merit, Ethan, and the Chicagoland gang. I loved the adventure, the solution, the wrap up of that prophecy. I loved it. Our vampires are exactly where they need to be. Bravo, Ms. Neill. Thank you for a spectacular journey.

Review Scheduled to go live on blog on June 26th @ Naomi’s Reading Palace - http://nomisparanormalpalace.blogspot.com.au

I've been a fan of the Chicagoland Vampires series since I picked up the first book in August, 2013. After almost four years my love affair with this series has come to an end... and even though I was excited to get the last book, I'm sad that the series is over. Blade Bound was the perfect ending to the series, where I was able to see one of the happiest moments of Merit and Ethan's lives and I saw the epic showdown that tested everyone that I've come to love!

Since I first met Merit, she has grown into her position as Sentinel in Cadogan house; she is a fierce protector of those she now calls family. Along with Ethan, and their friends they will do anything to protect Chicago from the new threat on their city. However, this book wasn't just about hard times, there were plenty of happy moments that had me smiling as I saw the love and devotion that Merit and Ethan had for each other. 

Blade Bound was a challenge for everyone, as the threat took over Chicago, but it was hard for Merit as Gabriel's prophecy hinged on the outcome of this showdown. It was always in the back of my mind while I was reading, and I had my fingers crossed throughout the story. I did see some hints dropped throughout the book, but it just added to the excitement of what was unfolding.

Chloe Neill has a writing style that hooked me every time. I love her world building, how attached I became to the characters and the humour that she entwined throughout the story. I will never forget Merits love for mallow-cakes and pizza, her love for Darth Sullivan, and the strong person she had become. But what I loved most was the Epilogue! My heart melted and I was excited to get that final glimpse... because I think we'll be getting more from this world in the future!

I love this series so much. Let me just say that this series is absolutely brain candy, but I am OK with that. Sometimes, it's exactly what I need. Plus, vampires that aren't sparkly, shape shifters, sorcerers, and an awesome grandpa. Ethan and Merit are so fun to read about and it was a totally satisfactory ending to the series for me. So, here's my official review:

First line: It was midnight in Chicago, and all was well. (Ha! If that’s not a harbinger of things to come in this series, I don’t know what is!)

Summary: I know, it sounds like every other book in the series, and it kind of is, but it does wrap things up nicely. Chicagoland is under attack from an unknown source. An unknown vampire enters Cadogan house and attacks Merit. Ethan and Merit, with the help of all their supernatural friends (sorcerers, shapeshifters) and Grandpa Chuck Merit. There’s a wedding! And lots more. 

Highlights: A wedding. Prophecy. Lots more.

Lowlights (or what could have been better): I read in a lot of reviews that it’s the same old thing (with 13 books in the series, it averages about one a month of Merit’s vampire life) and it is. That said, I loved the series (and as I said above, it’s total brain candy—if you are looking for high literature, this isn’t it and that is totally OK with me).

FYI: Don’t read the preview for Chloe Neill’s next series in the back of the book unless you want a major spoiler. Read the book first, THEN read the preview.

**SPOILERS for previous books in the series**
I have been eagerly waiting for this book to come out. So, when I saw the sign up for this blog tour I jumped at the chance to fill out the form. Still, I thought "there's no WAY I'll be chosen." Well, it shows what I know! I'm so honored to be a part of this tour to help promote the last book in Ethan and Merit's saga. I can tell you that I have read these books (usually on audio) so many times I've lost count and they never get old. I will miss Ethan & Merit but I'm glad they'll get a respite from the craziness that has followed them for so long. So, with no more procrastination or gushing about the series (although definitely deserved), here are my thoughts on the final book in the Chicagoland Vampires series.
I have so many good things to say about this book that they keep tumbling around in my head. Firstly, that same great mystery solving that is present in all the books is more than prevalent in this one. Merit and everyone she's come to depend on really work well together as a team. They're all still "human" though. They make mistakes and work hard to correct them. They're loyal, and fiercely protective, and smart. Yet they can also joke, laugh, and poke fun at each other which brings a nice balance of levity to all the bad that is constantly hounding them. I've come to love how Merit makes friends from all walks (Vampires, Shifters, Humans, Sorcerers) and they come along for the ride so to speak.
In this final book we finally get to see Ethan and Merit's wedding which if you're a series follower, you'll agree that it's what we've all been waiting for. The wedding was beautiful and while I tend to skip lengthy description to get to the dialogue, I didn't find myself doing this. The descriptions were well written and not overly excessive (a la Tolkien). And while that was a wonderful moment, I could feel the tension building due to extraneous forces that had already started to appear. If you have been reading from the beginning of the series (well frankly if you haven't you should stop and go do that...like now) you know about the big secret that Gabriel told them about their future. So, all of that is swirling around with everything going on in Chicago. Yeah, there's a whole lot of crazy going on for Ethan and Merit. Yet, like usual they handle everything that gets thrown at them.
I will say that I'm sure some might think that most things were tied up almost too neatly, I on the other hand loved it. I wanted this all to be done for them in the best way possible and while I'll miss them enormously, I know there will be a spin-off and maybe we'll get a passing appearance from them in this new adventure. I've enjoyed watching the secondary characters grow and become almost as important as the main characters. I've also enjoyed watching Merit grow into her role as Vampire, Sentinel of her house, and now wife. She's matured a lot and I love watching her kick some major butt! Ethan has also grown. It didn't seem as noticeable in the early books but when I look back over the course of the series, I loved to see him relax and gain a sense of humor.
Chloe Neill has always been able to draw me in to her stories. Whether it be the first book or the 13th, I pick up that book and don't want to put it down until I'm finished. So, while I will miss Ethan, Merit, and the whole crew, I know I will soon be pulled into another adventure and will love every second of it. Superb world building, excellent characters, and a story line that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved this final installment in the Chicagoland Vampires series and can't wait to see what's to come. 5 out of 5 stars!

I can't believe this series is over. I've been reading the Chicagoland Vampire series for so long that I don't know what to do without it. There has always been a new CV book coming out every year and what to do now? I won't get my yearly dose of Darth Sullivan and Merit no more and I don't really know how that makes me feel yet.

I started reading the series when the third book came out in 2010 if I remember correctly. That was 7 years ago. WOW, that makes me feel really old! Anywaaaaay, seven years ago I started reading this series and fell in love with the characters. Loved that Merit was this bookworm (like me) and then turned into this bad ass chick (I'm hoping those skills suddenly appear one day) but didn't loose her love for books and learning new things. Her love for food rivals my own and her strength was just awesome to read about. As much as this series had Darth Sullivan in it I ultimately feel like Merit has been the center of the story all along and I'm going to miss it. Nothing will compare to the magic of the first books and there has been ups and downs in this series. Some books I loved and others not but in the end I find that Blade Bound was the perfect ending to the series. When I talk about the ending I mean generally and not specifically the last chapter cause that I didn't like as much. 

This will remain as one of the first UF series that I really fell in love with and I'm glad that the ending did the series justice.

First I would like to address the scurvy guy on the cover. For not quiet a decade I've been reading this series and the main male character is Ethan Sullivan Master Vampire of Cadogan House Chicago, think the most elegant alpha male in existence, whom wears Armani and can swing a swords without breaking a sweat. The book cover is the total opposite of Ethan and it made me cringe. The dude looks like he hasn't bathed in years and looks nothing like the dapper Ethan described in the series. Guess the cover designer never read the books.

I hate endings, and this last book by Chloe Neill of her Chicagoland Vampire series is no different. Yes, the book is a completion but not having a future Merit adventure to read makes me sad. In this book a little more than a year has passed for Neill's Chicago Vampires since the series started, but for me the conclusions of the series has been not quiet a decade of being in Vampire Merit's world; which is full of vampires and other supernatural creatures. I put off reading and reviewing this book for several months. I finally relented and decided to 'Listen' to the book instead of reading to put a distance between me and the last book. Yes I added degrees of separations to try to lessen the pain of the conclusion of one of my favorite series. Neill writes some of the best urban fantasy in during the run of this series, and the urban setting of Chicago set this book up as the premiere vampire series of the last decade. The book is a good bye and the plot is not as mysterious as the previous books in the series, as this book was an extension of the last book in the series, and anticlimactic as a series conclusion. This book isn't the best of the series, but Neill's quiet good is better than most authors best effort.

I was so excited for Blade Bound! There were certain things I was dying to see and to have answers to. I’m glad that we still got new story to go along with the loose ends we had so it wasn’t just a wrap up book, but its own installment, with the series ending bits mixed in.

Merit and the supernaturals of Chicago must deal with the sorceress that previously got away on them. She is back and has cooked up a huge plan to retaliate against the city after she lost everything she had worked so hard for. Honestly, I still wasn’t completely 100% on her end game. Did she want to rule the city? What exactly did she want from everyone? But her plan gets way out of her control and Chicago ends up trying to clean up her mess. As always, we get some great adventure with the gang as they fight to save the city. Hopefully this time proving to the citizens of Chicago that all the bad that happens in Chicago is not the fault of the vampires.

We see Merit go through a few phases in this book. She is her brave self, but we see vulnerability to her as well. I love that she was able to share that with Ethan and they work through things as a team. They have really developed a great relationship.

Blade Bound wraps up this era of the Chicagoland Vampires very nicely. We had things we needed to tie up, like the wedding, a loose sorceress and a prophecy, plus whatever new baddies showed up in this book. I think all of those things were dealt with nicely and we have a good, clean finish to Merit & Ethan’s tale. I’ll be watching closely for more info on the spin off to see if it is something I’m going to dive into. I’m guessing it will, if it gives me the chance to see one of my favorite couples again.

Chicagoland Vampires was a great series for me. It was full of fun, snark, action and adventure. I’m sad to see it end, but am completely satisfied with how it ended. It was sigh-worthy with a tear of happiness or two.

BLADE BOUND marks the end of the Chicagoland Vampires series. What a wild ride it’s been and while I know I will dearly miss these characters, Chloe Neill has done a wonderful job of wrapping up this series.

As one would expect, this book differs from all the other books in the series because it has a bittersweet feel to it. Merit and Ethan are looking to tie the knot and as the big day approaches, so does other trouble.

I didn’t believe for one second that Neill would make this book an easy read. So of course there’s going to be an epic plot and intense mystery in this book as well. I feel like so many other authors would have taken the short cut and just focus on wrapping up the series, but actually, I think this book is even better because of the fact that it stays true to the rest of the series. Merit will find herself in trouble, but of course, her and her friends will prevail.

I really enjoyed this book and definitely felt the warm and fuzzies when finishing it. It’s sad to say goodbye to these characters but I do believe that Neill has done a wonderful job with this series.