Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

Wicked Hour is the second novel in the Heirs of Chicagoland series by Chloe Neill. And yes, it is, in fact, a spinoff of her hit series, the Chicagoland Vampires. But even if you haven’t read Chicagoland Vampires, the Heirs series is already worth checking out.

Elisa Sullivan has always been different, even by vampire standards. So she’s gotten pretty used to weird stuff being thrown her way. But in Wicked Hour, she is thrown into an entirely new situation. She’s the only vampire at a private event for werewolves. And naturally, that means that things will not go so smoothly.

Wicked Hour is a fun read for fans; Elisa’s story has always been compelling. And now we’re finally seeing more of Neill’s werewolves and their societies. This series is the epitome of the Urban Fantasy genre, blending the modern world with a plethora of magical creatures and ailments.

Writing

Wicked Hour is the second novel in Chloe Neill’s latest series. And that means that it ran the risk of a sophomore slump. However, Neill opted to handle this risk cleverly. She focused on the characters, giving plenty of time for development and change. And thus, a plot sprung out from there. Or at least that was how it felt while reading.

Where Wild Hunger was an untamed dash from one catastrophe to the next, Wicked Hour spent more time developing Elisa’s character. Everything from her unique status as a vampire to how she feels about certain characters is explored. And then some.

It’s arguably a more emotional read than the first novel, but it also felt like it was laying more groundwork for the rest of the series. And to be fair, Elisa does have several things that she needs to work out. Ideally, sooner rather than later.

Development

Wicked Hour was very careful to keep the pace moving forward steadily. Elisa and her allies encountered a surprising number of complications here – and their quest to find solutions kept them all busy.

The antagonist of this series was multilayered, with more than one character and risk actively in play at any given time. That’s perfect because it allowed us to see more of Conner’s world and the politics within. Speaking of, the deep dive into the pack politics is very much appreciated.

The novel did occasionally have some lulls in actions or events. And these are the moments I referenced earlier when I said there was a lot of room left for character development. While there is a main plot to be dealt with, it’s clear that Neill wanted to spend some time developing Elisa and Conner’s relationship. On the bright side, that ship’s fans will be enthralled by all of the tension and dialogue that occurs there.

Conclusion

Wicked Hour was not the read I expected to follow Wild Hunger. But there’s no doubt that it was a fun read. As a huge fan of the Urban Fantasy genre, I snatched this book up when it was available. And I don’t regret reading it. I imagine other fans of the series or genre will end up feeling the same way.

Seeing how the story and characters move on from here will prove to be truly fascinating. Chloe Neill has established the perfect platform from which to leap. And I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next.

This review was originally written for Word of the Nerd, but has been ported over to Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks now that the site has shut down.

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