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    Blood Games
    Blood Games
    Blood Games
    Audiobook10 hours

    Blood Games

    Written by Chloe Neill

    Narrated by Sophie Eastlake

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    While Merit didn't choose to become a vampire or Sentinel of Cadogan House, she vowed to fight for her House and its Master, and she's managed to forge strong alliances with powerful supernaturals across Chicago. But even though Merit has had wild adventures, this may be her deadliest yet.

    A killer is stalking Chicago, preying on humans and leaving his victims with magical souvenirs. The CPD hasn't been able to track the assailant, and as the body count rises, the city is running out of options. Vampires and humans aren't on great terms, but murder makes for strange bedfellows. Can Merit find the killer before she becomes a target?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateAug 5, 2014
    ISBN9781452688053
    Blood Games

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    Reviews for Blood Games

    4/5

    127 ratings14 reviews

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    • 3/5
      This one immediately went backward. I mean, Merit was surprised at being a sentinel with bodyguard duties for Ethan. As if that wasn't how it had been in the previous nine books. And Ethan in turn backtracked to keep her out of knowing what he was getting blackmail notes about -- seriously, angst'ing that Merit might know he'd known people and did stuff over his centuries of living. Blech, relationship angst.It was still Chicagoland Vampires and still a good read. The end of book nine had Ethan challenging Darius for control of the vampire governing council. Darius did come to Chicago but there was a plot twist to that, for me, wimped that up even if an opportunity to introduce new characters. (view spoiler)Actually, we saw little of familiar characters other than the vampire house. So light on the shifters. Mallory is back on track and seemingly accepted. Jeff and Fallon still ongoing.I think I would have enjoyed this more if less "new" was introduced. It missed the intensity of previous books. The big showdown with their former government everything was building to ... well, spoiler to detail but suffice to say I felt cheated.
    • 4/5
      Blood Games
      4 Stars

      As Cadogan House and it's Master, Ethan Sullivan, await the response of the Greenwich Presidium to his challenge for leadership, Merit has her hands full assisting the CPD on a case involving several murders staged to look like the work of vampires and other magical practitioners. Can Merit stop the killer before he strikes closer to home?

      There is a lot going on in this installment of the Chicagoland Vampires with three separate storylines. Nevertheless, Neill manages to pull it all off nicely, and there are a couple of surprising twists at the end that should make for interesting reading in upcoming books.

      The "games" mentioned in the title may refer to any or all of the plot lines including the serial killer who uses Tarot cards to stage his victims, the obstacles that Ethan must overcome to assume leadership of the GP, and the machinations of a mysterious traitor siphoning cash out of the GPs bank accounts. Each is well-developed and resolved satisfactorily.

      As always, there is tension and angst in Ethan and Merit's relationship as he refuses to let her in on the secrets of his past for fear of losing her. With time, stubbornness and a cunning scheme or two, Merit manages to wear down his resolve and their romance is the stronger for it.

      The only disappointing element is Neill's failure to kill Mallory off despite a golden opportunity. Oh well, there is still time for the remaining books. A girl can hope!

      In sum, entertaining and action packed with just the right amount of drama. Looking forward to Dark Debt.
    • 2/5
      Was Merit internal dialogue always this shallow and I never noticed or just ignored it because I really liked the series? Every book she gloats about the same things, her car, Ethan, everyone she knows, all her achievements, and the list goes on. I understand jogging the memory of the reader after waiting a whole year for the next book but it's comes across a bit too braggy for my taste. I'm not entirely hating the series, I'm just not liking how it has evolved and how the rules of the world when it comes to the vampires has changed. Actually I'm not sure if it was ever explained of the capabilities of vampires in Ms. Neill's world. Maybe they're suppose to be more like humans and not the typical vampires who aren't so susceptible to damage. They take a long time to heal and can apparently get a concussion. Besides the vampire lore the past few books seem to be more about how perfect and great Merit is and her constant shallow bragging about things, people and how scary vampires are, which includes herself and Ethan. I just don't believe it anymore since there has not been any demonstration of this in a while. I'm not entirely turned off from reading the books but it just gets annoying to have all the chest pumping talk (from Merit) and for it all to just fall flat. I'm a reader of mystery books so I'm not bothered by Merit and her Scooby Gang investigations and I think that's what keeps me intrigued for the most part. Most of it is just Merit getting to show off her investigative skills but mostly clues just seem to pop up out of the air and makes her seem like the Columbo of the vampire world. It's all just so convenient and not very believable for me. Not in the fictional sense, but more in the sense that these characters that I've become invested in since the first book seem so one dimensional when we're so close to the end. It's more about how they look and dress, and how less than perfect they are than Merit. Mallory and Catcher are the only ones who seemed to have grown but are always being trashed by Merit's rehashing of their faults and mistakes.I can't help it but I really want to see how the series ends and will continue and anyway I did purchase the rest of the books and looking at them on my bookshelf for the rest of eternity will always haunt me if I don't.
    • 5/5
      Holy cow, that was awesome. When does the next one come out?
    • 4/5
      Vampires, politics, murder, romance - those four tags encapsulate a lot of the story. We're back into messy vampire politic, also there's a killer stalking Chicago and the killings look ritualistic, or at least have supernatural overtones. Merit has to help with that and with the mystery of the vampire leader who seems to have lost his autonomy and then as I write I start wondering why Merit? Why does she have to do so much stuff, where are the other vampires, surely they could do some of this too?Ah well, logic aside, I enjoyed the read and the way the relationship between Merit and Ethan continues to grow and how the end promised changes.
    • 5/5
      Another great Chicagoland Vampire book! This was one of my favorites in the series for sure...at least of the last several books!
    • 4/5
      This book is the 10th in the Chicagoland Vampire series, and I still love it as much as I did the first one.

      The main character, Merit, is the Sentinel to Ethan Sullivan, the Master Vampire of Cadogan House and she’s also his girlfriend which makes for an interesting dynamic.

      There are two plot points in this book, and one of them is that Ethan has put his hat in the ring to be the head of the Greenwich Presidium, which would give him control over all vampires, not just Cadogan House. But someone would like to stop him from running. They are holding something over his head and will go to great lengths to make sure that he doesn’t become the head of the GP.

      Once again Ethan is keeping the details a secret from Merit. Merit knows something is going on, but Ethan refuses to share it. She’s having a hard time accepting that he’s hiding something from her, especially considering they have been talking about marriage. You’d think he would have grown up after 400 years, but he still manages to push her away.

      At the same time someone is killing people in strategic ways, and making a statement by leaving them somewhere public. Merit has been asked to consult with the police because they think it’s a vampire doing the killing. But Merit isn’t so sure.

      So once again Merit is investigating with her partner and friend Jonah. On top of it all, she is trying to do her job as Sentinel and protect Ethan, but Ethan is making that difficult, since he wants to protect her at the same time. Which is why he’s keeping secrets…he thinks he’s protecting her.

      I still really enjoy this series. Merit is very likable, and she has some pretty good friends who have her back. It’s nice to see the friendship with Mallory become stronger after everything that has happened between them throughout the series.

      I really love the relationship that Merit has with her grandfather. He’s the city’s Ombudsman and deals in supernatural issues, so he’s involved in solving this case just as Merit is. She loves her grandfather so much, and he loves and accepts her for who she is, which is something her parents can’t seem to do. The love they have for each other is palpable, and very sweet.

      There is some heart pounding action that will keep you on the edge of your seat as Merit and Jonah, along with Mallory, Catcher and Jeff try to find this killer before someone they love becomes a target.

      If you want someone to root for, and someone to care about, Merit is your girl, but start with book one, Some Girls Bite.
    • 4/5
      This was a decent book in the Chicagoland Vampires series. The 11th book in this series will be titled, Dark Debt, and is scheduled for a March 2015 release. Right now there are 13 books on contract for this series. Ethan has challenged Darius for the position as head of the GP. He is anxiously waiting Darius's reply. Will Darius step down? Or will he challenge Ethan? This is the broader storyline and makes quite a bit of progress in this book.Meanwhile Merit is called in to consult on a series of bizarre murders that are beginning to look like very interesting and staged serial killings. I felt like this storyline was a bit rushed. It was also the main part of the story in the beginning, then was dropped mid book, and then was picked up again towards the end and quickly concluded.This was a good book in this series. The pacing was a bit off at points, but this book does a pretty good job with having both a contained storyline and a continuing the broader storyline.While I do enjoy these characters and I liked that there was progress made in the storyline involving Ethan and the GP, I did think the plot was a bit sloppy. There is a ton of time mid-book spent with Merit angsting about Ethan's honesty with her and lots of worry over the GP events.The serial killings were really interesting but these were dealt with a lot in the beginning of the story, forgotten towards the middle of the book, and then quickly resolved at the end. It made for inconsistent pacing and a story that wasn't as tight as it should have been.Given the twist at the end of this book I am curious to see what happens next. However, I also feel like this series is getting a bit tired. I am not sure how many books are left but I am beginning to think it would be good to get this series wrapped up in the next book or two, so that it doesn't get more and more tired.Overall a decent book in this series, I think fans of the series will enjoy it. I liked that some of the major plot points were resolved and I enjoyed the serial killings Merit investigated. I thought the plot was a bit sloppy and the pacing was a bit off. Storylines are dropped and then suddenly picked up again, there are also portions of the story that are pretty boring and slow. I would still recommend this series to fans of urban fantasy who enjoy reading about investigations and politics.
    • 4/5
      For pure entertainment value I just can't go wrong with the Chicagoland Vampire series. It's perfect for my tastes: it's not fluffy, but it's not gritty either. Don't get me wrong, I love Mercy Thompson (for example), but I have to be honest and say I struggle with some of the more violent aspects of her stories and the psychological themes Ms. Briggs sometimes introduces. Chloe Neill, on the other hand, always gives me stories with wit, intelligence and snark (oh, the snark!), with none of the dark oily aftertaste. Blood Games also had some murder mystery going on and well, that's right in my wheelhouse. It's not a badly plotted mystery, either. Better than average slight-of-hand with suspects and an interesting, not completely un-suspenseful denouement. I really liked the mystery setup too: a string of murders, each one pointing to a different supernatural segment of society. As in all her books though, there is more than one storyline and the focal point this time around is Ethan's bid to take over the GP; to be master of Europe and America's vampires. I had wondered how Ms. Neill would make this work when it was introduced at the end of the last book; it sort of felt like she'd written herself into a corner unless she was going to make drastic changes to the setting or cast. She pulled it out though; I won't gush over its brilliance or anything like that, but I was happy enough with the way things worked out. The only letdown of the book for me was Ethan's Big Angst. He's keeping secrets from Merit - because I suppose people think a lack of conflict is boring - and he refuses to share. Until he does and his Big Reveal was massive. Massively anti-climatic. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it never did. His confession was NOT worth the angst. It wasn't even a surprise. Oh well. I'm an unrepentant fan of the series and I can't wait for the next book.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyI love it when a series is so consistently good that I can have little doubt in its ability to stay fresh and exciting. BLOOD GAMES continues the steady tradition of awesomeness I have come to expect from The Chicagoland Vampires series. BLOOD GAMES revolves around a baffling series of murders that have supernaturals as the main suspects with a huge political battle raging in the vampire world. There is so much delicious intrigue and twists in this book that even without the breakneck pacing of the fight scenes I’d be glued to the pages just trying to figure out what is going to happen to Merit, Ethan, and their friends and family in the very near future. The political battle has the most far reaching consequences for Cadogan House and I’m excited to see where the results will take everyone in the next book.I continue to adore Merit, my favorite foodie vampire. Had Merit not become a sentinel vampire she should have opened up a restaurant with her kind of amazing ideas for restaurant themes. She has matured so much over this series and come in to her own with grace and confidence. I constantly get annoyed at Ethan and his stubborn ‘alphaness’ which kind of puts me off of the character but somehow Merit is able to knock some sense into him every time he pushes her away which always makes way for some sexy make up time. Aside from her rocky relationship with Ethan I always enjoy seeing just how good of a friend Merit is especially with the always adorable shifter, Jeff. We get some Catcher and Mallory time where they actually get to help out with the finding the serial killer. These two need a short story together because I need to read more of them being adorable and quirky together.BLOOD GAMES shows off just what I adore about this series. It has grizzly murders, massive political implications, and awesome sword fighting with a sassy, always hungry vampire at the center of it all. Chloe Neill has done it again; left me satisfied and craving more of Merit and this cast of colorful supernatural creatures.
    • 4/5
      Tight writing, an interesting world and characters, various relationships, emotion, tension, some mystery and action are found in every book in this series. These things alone are great for the first few books, but without something new, there wouldn’t be enough to keep coming back. And that’s exactly what the author does for us; the focus of what’s going on both locally as well as with the ruling vampire organization shifts with every few books. That aspect is keeping the series interesting with this 10th installment. And with the end of this book, we’ll see yet another shift in the focus.Ethan Sullivan, Master Vampire of Cadogan House, had issued a challenge to the head of the GP—the antiquated ruling body of vampires—in the last book and is waiting on Darius’ response. Ethan believes he’d be a much better ruler and has the backing of his friends and his entire House and is waiting for Darius to tell him exactly what the challenge will entail.Merit has been the House Sentinel for the past year. She’s called to consult on a murder when it looks like vampires are being set-up as the culprit. And it’s only the beginning as the serial killer strikes again and again. Merit, Mallory and Jonah are involved in tracking down leads while consulting for the Chicago Police Department. And a third mystery that takes up less ink is also tackled; this one a much bigger issue for vampires. Mallory plays a much larger role in this book than she has in a while, and it’s great to see things back on track for her. Ethan and Merit obviously love each other, but he’s not sharing something from his past that’s bothering him, putting a big strain on their relationship when Merit keeps pushing him to tell her about it. In this case they must both learn to bend. The difference between Ethan’s beginnings and how he has changed—caring about people and doing the right thing—ties in wonderfully with the main storyline.Expect some dirty tactics as well as honor in this story, and a whole lot of emotion. I suggest having tissues handy, especially as you come towards the end of the book. I don’t think you’ll see this coming.Found myself getting into work late as I had trouble putting the book down.
    • 4/5
      This series has a featured spot on my bookshelf and with every book in the series I am reminded why I love it. Murder, mystery and a fight to lead the GP are all featured in BLOOD GAME. If that isn't enough to get you excited we also have the continued romance of Merit and Ethan. It's crazy to think about all that has happened to Merit in her short year as a vampire. She has grown so much and so much has happened that it feels like so much longer. She is pretty much the champion of Chicago with all she has saved them from and with BLOOD GAMES she does it again. There really isn't much more I can say about her that hasn't already been said in previous reviews, but she continues to be at the top of my fave heroines list. I really enjoyed watching as Merit and Malory repaired their relationship more. Are they 100% back to where they were before? No, but they have a new friendship blooming and it was nice to see their easy banter and love for each other shining through again.You know from the last book that Ethan decided run for leader of the GP. Well, he isn't the only one and a big part of BLOOD GAMES revolves around the competition with one of his competitors for the top spot. The trials are not easy and the fact that his competitor is involved with some of the troubles the Cadogan house is dealing with makes it that much harder. Thankfully Ethan and Merit's relationship remains strong and they are able to lean on each other through the hard times.BLOOD GAMES didn't go exactly as I thought it would, but I am pretty excited about everyone's future. I am still waiting for the big elephant in the closet to happen and I will continue reading each and every installment that Chloe writes in hopes that it will happen sooner rather than later, but I bet we will have to wait a long time. Until then ... WOOT WOOT, another great installment of the Chicagoland Vampires.* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
    • 5/5
      BLOOD GAMES was an excellent addition to the Chicagoland Vampires series. This time Ethan is waiting to hear the results of his challenge for the leadership of the Greenwich Presidium. The leader - Darius - has been suspiciously silent.Meanwhile, Merit is called by her Grandfather to take a look at a crime scene. The son of one of the police officers who works with Chuck has been murdered. Chuck wants Merit to see if she thinks vampires were involved. She and Ethan and Jonah take a look at the site but don't think vampires were involved despite the fact the katanas, but not genuine katanas, were part of the scene.Merit's investigation with Jonah into to source of those fake katanas leads to the funniest section of the book. Their investigation takes them to a science fiction sort of convention where Merit is assumed to be dressing up as herself - and not doing it very well - and she is baffled by all the souvenir gear with Ethan's face on it. His face on ladies' underwear is the most baffling to her. Things escalate when more murders are committed and the competition for leadership of the Greenwich Presidium involves Ethan in mental and physical challenges. Ethan and Merit are also dealing with some relationship issues too as Ethan is being blackmailed and is afraid to tell Merit what secret the blackmailer is threatening to expose. While they love each other deeply, they really haven't been together very long and they are both still getting used to trusting each other.I loved the writing and I certainly love Merit and Ethan. I can't wait for more adventures.
    • 4/5
      Reviewed by: Rabid Reads*** Review contains minor spoilers from previous books in this series. ***There are two main plot threads in Chloe Neill’s latest CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES installment, but in all honesty I only had eyes for one. The Tarot murder mystery was interesting enough in itself; I liked seeing Merit & Mallory finally getting back on track, and I enjoyed deciphering the riddles left behind by the killer. However, after the way WILD THINGS ended, my focus was entirely on Ethan’s GP candidacy, and given the title of this book I was a little surprised that the author didn’t concentrate more on the latter and less on the former. That point aside, in BLOOD GAMES readers get to meet Amit Patel (the most powerful vampire in the world!), discover Neill’s version of THE HUNGER GAMES, and no CV novel would be complete without… Sullivan acting like a douche.I really liked the way that the GP plot line played out; from Darius’ fall from grace, to the trials, to the unexpected end result. Nicole Heart, Ethan’s American competition, does kind of come out of left field though. Perhaps I missed it, but I think some reference should have been made to her before now. I also wish that The Sentinels Games would have evolved past the intimidation stage. That being said, I loved the psych and phys tests that the candidates had to undertake because vampires are an all-or-nothing kind of supe, meaning the BLOOD GAMES were to the death. The physical trial was nail bitingly spectacular with burning buildings, trolls and unforeseen duplicity. I won’t pretend to understand how the GP tallies points, but the winner will leave you wondering.No CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES review would be complete without a mini Ethan rant, so here it comes! After an attempt is made on his life, the master of Cargodan House receives a note that he refuses to share with Merit because for some inexplicable reason he thinks that lying to her somehow qualifies as protection. Yes, THIS AGAIN. So, of course they end up at odds, seeds of doubt are planted, and the happy couple goes from mock proposals to butting heads. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again; will this 400+ year old vampire never learn!? At least their tiff does lead to some light being shed on Ethan’s past with Balthasar, and after Merit proves once again that she’s in it for the long haul some genuinely tender moments ensue. I loved them together in the later chapters, but couldn’t help feeling a little frustrated by the fact that the 28 year old novitiate continues to be the more mature one in this relationship.The author stays true to her Chicago roots by making the city’s famous food and landmarks integral parts of the story. I liked the correlations between the locations and the Tarot murders, and the Ombuddies were amazing as usual. The ending was a bit of a head-scratcher followed by a startling cliff hanger, but all of this just goes to prove that Chloe Neill’s still got it! BLOOD GAMES is a high octave read peppered with awesome fights, heartfelt moments, and developments that shake the very core of the CHICAGOLAND VAMPIRES universe.