Its always a sad thing when a series you love comes to an end so Blade Bound is one of those bittersweet books that you almost don't want to read because once its over it's really OVER. I've been a fan of the Chicagoland Vampires for so many years now and I've loved every minute of it. Merit is such a brilliant character and I love her relationship with Ethan. They've learnt a lot both as individuals and as a couple and they've faced all kinds of dangers along the way. I guess it's probably about time that they got to actually enjoy their happily ever after but I still wasn't ready to say goodbye to them.

If you have to leave a series behind you it's definitely best to go out when it's still on a high note though and Chloe Neill has achieved that here. I don't want to say too much about the plot but I'll give you a little hint - there might be a wedding (but only if they survive the hen and bachelor nights first!). Of course bad guys don't take time off for festivities so Merit and Ethan are still up against the clock trying to bring down the mastermind who has been the cause of so many problems over the last few books.

Blade Bound is full of action, there's plenty of the witty banter and humour that I've come to expect from this series and we get to catch up with all of our favourite characters. I'm sad that it's over but what a ride it's been & I know this is a series I'll be rereading in the future. Even better is the fact that Chloe Neill has announced a spin off series! I'm not going to say who the main characters are in this review because it would be a spoiler for anyone who hasn't read Blade Bound so you'll have to investigate yourselves for more information but I'm very excited by the direction things seem to be going. The first book in the spin off is called Wild Hunger and I believe it will be out sometime next year - it's definitely going straight to the top of my wish list the minute I find an official release date!

BLADE BOUND Brings the Curtain Down on Ethan & Merit
http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/2017/05/blade.html
The thrilling final installment of Chloe Neill’s New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series sees sinister sorcery advancing across Chicago, and it might usher in the fall of Cadogan House. 


Sometimes a book and series are so well constructed I forget to listen critically and just listen, so caught in the story’s snare that I am lost to the outside world and everything but the narrative.  Each book in this series has achieved that mark, and those series are few and far between.

This one is no exception, and features unique and well woven world building, creative creature development, and intricate, unique, but accessible, plotting.  I can’t remember any plot similar to this exciting and unique series end. 

We all know there are events and plots in play that we expect to have tied up: will the loving couple successfully marry and will the werewolf alpha’s prophecy be realised, and if so how, and, what about the public relations and political nightmares between the humans of Chicago and the vampires? What about other, less central, characters we’ve met over the course of the series: Jonah, Mayor Tate, the librarian, etc. 

Neill has offered up true tragedy in this series, so I half expected it to end that way and perhaps it does.  I can’t say more and it is really hard to describe and substantively review this book without doing so.   I have two issues with this particular entry in the series.  There is, if one knows the world-building of the series, indeed, a solution to the massive problem facing Merit, Ethan and Cadogan but he is in jail and not called-upon. And, I really do not like the cover offered with both the audio and print versions of the story: the characters don’t look as if they occupy the same space and the male character doesn’t feel like the character of Ethan we’ve had described so many times as a refined, cultured, ancient warrior. The guy pictured here reminds me of a character on a soap opera from my youth. I can’t even remember which soap opera, but the character was named “Patch.”

Sophie Eastlake does a great job with Merit, whose voice is the narrator.  Her male characters voices are a little similar to each other, but are reasonable in timbre. Merit and her bestie, Mallory are distinct, and Eastlake delivers all with the wry and snarky humor that offers relief to the sometimes dark subject matter.

By any standards of paranormal fantasy and romantic fiction this series in general and this volume in particular, are a rousing success and a must read for this blogger!

Blade Bound (Chicagoland Vampires) is an Awesome addition to this series!! The characters and story line are well-developed.  Merit and Ethan are preparing for the wedding, when a threat in the form of sorcery attacks the house. Now they have to and eliminate this threat before the wedding takes place. Sorcha Reed is back and terrorizing Chicago. It is so bad that the humans of Chicago are wanting to give up Merit and Ethan. The Fey, Werewolves and the Vamps are all getting together to get rid of the sorceress. This book tied everything up in a nice neat little bow. This was such a great book to read and I recommend it to everyone. I give BLADE BOUND 5/5 STARS.

What a wild ride this series has been for me, I simply loved every minute of it! The conclusion of this series was bittersweet for my friends and I, because we know that another CLV book would be coming at us again soon. I have been a part of Ms.Neill's blog tours for this series, along with the Devil's Isle series. I have not written my full review yet as I did not want to spoil anyone, and I want to read it again before doing so. I posted the link below to the blog tour post I wrote, which gives a non-spoiler review, some of which I shared below.

As with any other CLV book, I loved it. I thought Chloe did a very nice job of tying up the book series, and that prophecy was killing me! I was glad to read about how that was to come to fruition (if at all..NO SPOILERS REMEMBER) but I could have used a bit more explanation. I never really cared for Merit’s family, the way they treated her it always bugged me. Merit’s brother and father were not really speaking to her, and it was left unresolved.

What was lacking in the relationship between Merit and her human family (with the exception of her Grandfather) was made up for (in spades) by her supernatural, immortal family. Cadogan House truly is one big happy family. Ethan and Merit have grown so much as a couple, and it was great to see them finally embracing where their strengths and weaknesses lie, and in trusting each other to protect and serve together.

I'm very disapointed by the conclusion of the series.
The beginning of the book is exciting and cute, but the main plot is dull and the prophecy's resolution was so rushed.

I read Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires #1) a bunch of years ago when I was looking for something to fill the Sookie Stackhouse-sized hole left in my vampire book loving heart. I fell in love with the strong, plucky, bacon-loving Merit and her sire, the enigmatic Ethan Sullivan. Over the years they have been through more than any one couple should ever have to go through. No really. It's been RIDIC. But here we are, at the final Chicagoland Vampires book, and it seems that their future might be happy, full, and pretty damn perfect after all. 

This last book is absolutely everything you could want or need in a series ender. With thirteen books under her belt, Chloe Neill has brought back nearly all of the side characters that made the Chicagoland world so full and rich, for at least a little glimpse. There are at least a few mentions of the other Chicago vampire masters, Scott and Morgan as well as Merit's Red Guard partner Jonah. We get to see Gabriel, the Apex of the North American Central Pack call Merit "Kitten" one last time. The Ombuddies - Jeff, Catcher, Mallory and Merit's grandfather - are on hand to solve one last Chicago plight. And the Cadogan vampires who we've come to expect to have Merit and Ethan's back - Malik, Luc and Lindsey - are kicking ass and taking names. 

Every one of the loose threads are tied up. Even threads I didn't realize were loose were tightened to an incredibly satisfying degree. Weeks after I finished reading Blade Bound, I thought back on the events that unfolded during the course of the book, and I realized how masterfully Chloe Neill wove those finalities into the story. I didn't even realize they were happening until later when I was thinking about all the characters I had grown to love and how they had all found this amazing life alongside Merit and Ethan. 

And, of course, Merit and Ethan are going to have an amazing life. We get to see them fight side-by-side, and puzzle out a new problem, and argue and make up and GET MARRIED. And yes - the big question that we've all had for years now about the prophecy that Gabriel made is answered. And I promise, it's a satisfying resolution to a story line that's kept us hanging for a long time now. 

I realize I'm being rather vague with my review, but the events that unfold in Blade Bound are a continuation from the events in Midnight Marked (Chicagoland Vampires #12). So, I can't go into specifics without giving away some pretty big spoilers. Suffice it to say that Blade Bound has tons of action, danger and humor. And the romance pegs the swoon meter. Merit and Ethan have found this incredible love and respect for one another that can only be borne from all that they have encountered and survived together, and that shows in their words and their actions. 

Thankfully, Chloe Neill seems as reluctant to leave the Chicagoland Vampire world as we are, and she announced at the end of Blade Bound that there will be a spin-off featuring certain characters from the series. If you want to know who they are, well... you'll have to read the book. :)

This is a review I've been dreading for a long time. Not because the book is bad or something horrible happens to a beloved character. Nope. I've dreaded this because one of my all-time favorite series is coming to an end.

I wondered how Merit and Ethan's story was going to come to an end. Would their wedding go off without a hitch? Was Gabriel's prediction, from many books ago, going to come true? If it was, how was that possible? And more importantly were the vampires of Cadogen House ever going to catch a break and not have to fend off bad guys.

Chloe Neill does a great job of tying up the series. Merit and Ethan get their happily ever after, but more than that they understand exactly how much they mean to each other. They are true partners. Both in leading and protecting the vampires of their house as well as in their relationship with each other. It was nice to see exactly how much this couple has grown since the first book in the series. 

The only loose end, at least for me, was Merit's family. The tension between Merit, her brother, and her father was at an all time high. Yet that wasn't resolved by the time we got to the epilogue. Merit and her mother seemed to have a better relationship and her sister-in-law was supportive, yet it seemed weird that we didn't get a final bit of clarity when it came to the Merit family drama.

If you want to jump into a series vampire series that has a lot of action and a cast of characters you can really get behind, this is definitely one you'll want to pick up. It's a perfect time to get up to speed since the spin-off series will be coming next year.

I absolutely couldn't wait to read Blade Bound and was full of dread at the same time. Seriously love the Chicagoland Vampire series, so I was both excited and sad to read the final book in the series. This review will be full of spoilers about the series, so if you are behind on reading the series, you have been warned.

Chloe Neill gave her readers everything they could have ever wanted with Blade Bound in my opinion. We had the romance between Ethan and Merit I've come to love. Their wedding was everything I had wanted and was so perfect for them. We had the action packed fighting we have come to expect from Ethan and Merit, along with help from all their friends. Cadogan House and friends were as usual the only ones who could come up with the solution needed to solve the problems in Chicago. We even had a few prophecies from Gideon that came to fruition, though I have to say I had not figured out how it would happen. I seriously had all the feels for every single thing that happened in this book. I listened to the audiobook and wanted to pull out my kindle and re-read this story as soon as I finished listening to the book. 

I've loved the Chicagoland Vampire series since I read the very first book. Yes, I totally had issue with a few things that happened along the way, but I trusted Ms. Neill to fix the situation and she always has to my satisfaction. I will miss my time with Ethan, Merit and all their friends, but Ms. Neill gave her readers the perfect going away gift. Well done Ms. Neill, well done.

Rating: 5 Stars (A)

Ethan Sullivan and Merit are preparing for the upcoming wedding when an infiltrator to Cadogan House attacks Merit. Initially, they suspect the attacker has mental health issues but later events show them that dark magic is at work in Chicago. Will the rise of a dark sorcerer destroy Chicago?

BLADE BOUND is the 13th and final book in the Chicagoland Vampires series and boy am I sad to see this series end! BLADE BOUND is best appreciated in the context of the series as a whole, particularly since it concludes several ongoing story threads (including the wedding).

One of the things I love about Chloe Neill’s books is the action. Chloe Neill doesn’t waste any time kicking things into gear as the action heats up almost immediately. However, this doesn’t detract from the wedding, which goes about how you would expect a wedding between Ethan and Merit to go. Needless to say, they didn’t need a trash the dress party afterwards!

And what can I say about the characters except that I love them? From the Ombuddies to the Cadogan House vampires to the Red Guards, each faction we’ve met throughout the series has earned a special place in my heart. Yes, Ethan and Merit are the heart and soul of the Chicagoland Vampires but all the supporting characters and factions are just as essential to Chloe Neill’s world. I love that BLADE BOUND truly showcases the diversity of the Chicagoland Vampires population and how working together is the only way to save the town from the sorcerer and her deadly weapon (and just wait till you meet her weapon!).

Finishing BLOOD BOUND is bittersweet as I really am not reading to say goodbye to these characters or the Chicagoland Vampires series as a whole. Thankfully, Chloe Neill’s website indicates a spin-off series is in the works so hopefully we’ll get to see glimpses of Ethan and Merit in those books. Highly recommended!

BLADE BOUND was a solid end to the thrilling and action filled Chicagoland Vampires series. It has everything you have come to expect from this series, from humor, Merit's love of all of the food (there is an amazing moment involving chocolate that I want to experience myself), drama, cool fight scenes, to demonstrating the true strength of the bonds of love and friendship. I enjoyed finally seeing Merit and Ethan's wedding which turned out just as you would expect from these two. Nice and touching at first and then ending in a massive fight in the streets of Chicago.

The plot moves fast as Merit and her friends try to stop a supernatural force from destroying their beloved city. I loved the final confrontation. It was pretty badass and a perfect final fight for Merit. I loved seeing a bit of all of the characters we've come to know over the past 13 books. I would have liked to see more of Gabriel and the pack but what we got was pretty nice. There were some story lines and groups of people who I would have liked to see how they turned out or some more resolutions. For example what happens to the Red Guard? There was also the resolution of the prophecy that has been hinted at throughout the series. I thought conclusion was a bit too neatly tied together and not really an ending I really felt was needed for Merit.

While I really enjoyed the setting (I love Chicago), I had to question as the conflict escalated to nearly wiping out a major U.S. city, why there seemed to be no mention of national attention. Surely the president or other cities would be concerned that Chicago is looking like it's going to be destroyed by some magical force. Chicago seems to exist in a vacuum here and in previous books in this series which was a bit odd but really never hesitated to ruin my enjoyment of the story.

I absolutely love this series.  I cannot believe it is over! No more Merit and Ethan...*****sobbing*****.  It was the perfect ending however.  I will miss these characters

BLADE BOUND was a thrilling conclusion to Chloe Neill’s Chicagoland Vampires series.  The story starts out with Merit’s and Ethan’s wedding.  After an attack, Merit, Ethan, and friends once again help to save the city from a sinister supernatural onslaught.  This contemporary urban fantasy is suitable for adult audiences.  

I love Merit’s character.  She grew tremendously throughout this series.  She is an admirable character that makes an amazing Sentinel for Cadogan House and protector for Chicago.  She and Ethan make an astonishing couple that support one another.  

I love that Mallory played an important role in this story.  The series began with her and Merit as roommates.  I think it is appropriate that she played a pivotal part of the final story in the series.  I love Merit’s network of friends.  They are all unique and have an instrumental function in Merit’s life and adventures.

The plot was exciting and full of unexpected and creative twists.  I enjoyed this story from start to finish.  Being a Chicagoan, I have always appreciated the hometown references that Chloe Neill includes in her stories.  It makes me feel a bit nostalgic.  

Chloe Neill did a remarkable job with the Chicagoland Vampires series.  Her character development and writing style are noteworthy.  I’m really hoping that there is going to be a spin off series with Elisa, Lulu, and Connor. I am going to miss this series, and am sad that it is ending.  I will be re-reading it.  I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

4.5/5 Stars

It's really hard to review the last book in such a long and epic series. To be honest, it still hasn't sunk in that there will be no more Ethan and Merit books after this one. I can't believe the series is over. I feel like we've come a long ways with the characters. Merit, Ethan, and the gang have changed so much since we were introduced to them in Some Girls Bite. I'm kind of not ready to say good bye to everybody.

Blade Bound starts about four months after the end of Midnight Marked on the eve of Merit and Ethan's wedding. It's been a somewhat peaceful period as everyone waits for the sorceress, Sorcha Reed, to come back to carry out her revenge on the Cadogan House and their allies for foiling her plans.

I enjoyed the heck out of this book and I think Chloe Neill delivered a great ending to the series. There were swoony Ethan moments, some kickass fight scenes, and some delicious food descriptions. This book felt a bit nostalgic as characters that haven't been seen for a few books make an appearance. I loved how Sorcha's magic manifested itself.

While I'm not ready to be done with Ethan and Merit, I'm quite pleased with where their story ended. It still makes me sad that it's over but I'm excited to get details on the spin-off series. I'm so happy we're going to get more of this world! I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that we'll see more of a certain badass necromancer as well as the Master and Sentinel of Cadogan House in the spin-off.

3.5 STARS for this one
4 STARS for the entire series

I started reading Chicagoland last summer and what a entertaining journey it has been! Ethan never failed to stir a vast array of emotions and his development has always entertained me, even when I hated him. I have always adored Merit and watching her emerge from a damsel in distress to badass vampire was thrilling and sometimes bittersweet.

I went into this finale with really high expectations. I absolutely loved the beginning and ending, but the middle was somewhat slower paced and insignificant. It isn't necessarily a negative thing, but I expected more with a finale.  For the most part, this seemed more like a normal addition to the series. However, I enjoyed seeing Mallory and Merit interacting and working together. 

I'm sad to bid an official goodbye but feel confident we could get a little peek of them in the new spinoff. I will never see mallow cakes or anything Chicago related and not think of Merit, Ethan, and Chicagoland. If you are looking for an easy read, PNR series to lose yourself in, I highly recommend this one. 

<Spoiler> I was completely devastated when there no mention of the Cubs World Series win. It's the only positive thing I felt after they won; dying to know how excited Merit would be. </end spoiler>

** A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for my advanced copy.

The perfect story to a series ending. 
I have loved Ethan and Merit' story since the beginning, and this book reminds me why. The author's words are strong, the characters are all in here that we have met over the entire series. Nothing for Merit is ever easy so why would marrying her Master, Her love be any easier?

No such thing as a honeymoon when you are Sentinel, and the city needs you. 

This story leaves us with a wonderful ending, and I for one am so sad to see it end. I am sure you can read this book without having read any others, but you won't know the characters, so I suggest you start your journey with book one.

Book friends! I'm soooo freaking sad that the Chicagoland Vampires are over and done!  Reading this ARC was so hard.  I love Merit, Ethan, Mallory, Gabe and the rest of the gang, so saying good-bye is breaking my heart!  

It's also incredibly difficult to write this review without giving anything away and I definitely don't want to spoil your journey through Blade Bound.  I have three things to say that hopefully won't give anything away.  

(1)  I really think this story arc should have been two books.  And not just because I want more CV books, I swear!  There's a lot that happens in Blade Bound and I would have loved some additional depth to it.  But I get it, Chloe's ending the series and wanted to make sure she got everything in, but still...  *heart-breaking*

(2)  I am satisfied with how the series ended, even if I wish the arc had been split into two books and that it hadn't ended at all.  *sobs uncontrollably*

(3)  I need to know more information about the spin-off series, like now.  

I read the last half of Blade Bound in a public place and I am happy to say that I avoided crying like a baby... mostly.  

If you are a Chicagoland Vampire fan, then let me know what you think of the last book!  Neither of my fellow BiblioJunkies love the series like I do, so they are waaay behind and I can't talk to them about it!  I NEED to talk about it!  

If you haven't read the Chicagoland Vampires yet - WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!  GO BUY SOME GIRLS BITE RIGHT NOW!!!  And once you've binged this awesome series, come back and talk with me about it, please!  

~Shel

***4 ‘#TeamMEthan4Ever’ Stars***

As much as I hate to say goodbye to this series, I have to admit that I am happy that Merit and Ethan finally get some peace and true happiness after all the crazy they’ve been put through. 

I must admit that I wasn’t all that interested in the crazy that went on in this book. It, in fact, kind of bored me since it was all too similar to what has gone on in previous books, though I did like how it ended up being a catalyst for some interesting developments. What I did love, and what my rating is based on, is my love of the characters ~ at least the ones who are solidly on Team MEthan in one way or another. I’ve loved watching not only Merit and her relationships with the various characters evolve, but watching how all of them have grown into whomever they were meant to be. They are all imperfectly perfect, except for Chuck who was pretty much perfect from the beginning and is simply awesome, and have definitely kept things interesting as the series has progressed. Merit and Ethan’s relationship has always been a source of entertainment, even when things got bad, but I loved where they finally ended up and think it’s the perfect ending as well as a possible new beginning.

Reading the final words of this book has left me with a bittersweet feeling.  I’m happy with how things were ended and yet I’m left with wanting more (I’ve heard rumblings that there may be a spinoff in the works so I’m keeping my toes crossed that it’s true). But the bittersweet feeling isn’t only due to the series ending. The other part to the bittersweet is that this series is the one that kicked my arse back into being a bookworm. I remember seeing Some Girls Bite laid out on a table at Barnes and Noble and how I had to find out what it was all about based on the cover alone (See. Covers are important and I still have the book in all it’s worn out well read glory) and how I walked out of the store with a new book which I devoured in one day. So while I not only feel the need to thank Ms. Neill for writing such amazing characters, but to also thank her for reminding me how wonderful it is to get lost in the pages of a book and the need to want to do it over and over again.

Oh its a happy sad end of an era with Blade Bound, the last book of the Chicagoland Vampires series. It's hard to believe that all thirteen of these books have taken place in the span of a year or less... sometimes it seems longer, and sometimes it seems like just yesterday that Merit was made a vampire. It's definitely been a crazy eventful year for Merit and Cadogan House.

We begin Blade Bound with the last minute preparations for Ethan and Merit's wedding, and all the details required to make the event "fit for a Master" of the City as Helen would say. This was one of my favorite parts of the book, and I actually felt myself getting a little teary-eyed during the big event! But as history has proven for Ethan and Merit, things never quite go as planned. 

Another big bad is emerging (or returning?) and the city is on the cusp, waiting for things to explode. Between crazed delusional people and wonky weather, the tensions are definitely running high. There are still humans protesting supernaturals and blaming them for the destructive and dangerous events that have happened in Chicagoland, and this big bad is not going to help ease those tensions. The resolution for this conflict saw input from the normal gang - the Cadogan vamps, the Omsbuddies and Mallory. Human law enforcement and military got in on the act, as well as the Order, with varying results. Of course there are always those who think they know better and are too arrogant to take advice from the team... so we had some back and forth between city government, The Order and Team Cadogan. I would have liked to see the shifters step in, and there was a small cameo from the fae that I wished would have been developed more. But in the end, we can always count on Merit to get things done.

While I enjoyed this final installment, I was hoping for a bigger bang. The conflict and resolution of the plot in Blade Bound didn't vary greatly from the last few books. A big bad emerges, Merit and the gang investigate and do battle to save the city. I was expecting this last book to be explosive and action-packed, but it just a nice steady story that follows the same formula that we've seen before. That being said, the formula has worked and the stories are entertaining. The wedding aspect was stellar, and I loved the epilogue (though I wished it was longer and more expansive). Overall this has been a thoroughly enjoyable series, one that I will probably re-read at some point in the future.

We've heard rumors of a spinoff for this series, and the epilogue definitely gave me ideas. If my suspicions are right, I think that would be a stellar storyline and would be excited to get my greedy lil' hands on it.

Don't miss the giveaway that Chloe Neill is hosting on her website through April 28th.

The end is here and I'm not ready for the series to be over!

I have enjoyed every moment of Merit's story since she was introduced in SOME GIRLS BITE. Merit is just really easy to like and relate too and the stories are written in such a way that it was so easy to bring everything to life in my mind. I have laughed, I've cried, I've screamed and and I have wanted to throw my book—sometimes at the author even— several times over the series, but I have never wanted to stop reading and finding out more. It has always felt like everything was happening for a reason.

Following Merit and Ethan's love story was just as great. They are such a strong couple and although they butt heads—often—it's clear that they were made for each other. I didn't always love Ethan, but he has grown so much since we first met him and they both make each other better people.

A lot happens in BLADE BOUND and a lot is concluded. Honestly there hasn't been one installment of the Chicagoland Vampires series I didn't love—even though one in particular made me REALLY mad at the author. No matter how you feel about the series, if you have made it this far, you can't stop before finding out how things end.

*Spoiler Alert* 
My only real disappointment about BLADE BOUND has to do with the one thing I couldn't wait for since the moment it was mentioned. After all the lead-up to the whole baby thing, I kinda wanted more out of it. I am glad we got a little epilogue, but I would have LOVED to see Merit pregnant and watch the way that Ethan and all the vampires treated her and her response to being handled like a fragile princess. It would have been epic! I am of course very glad that it finally happened and in such a way that made it believable.
*End Spoiler Alert*

All in all, I'm happy with how things ended for Ethan, Merit and the rest of the Chicagoland gang. I don't want to spoil the spin off news for you—so I will let you read what it's about for yourself at the end of BLADE BOUND—but you can bet I will be reading it!

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.