This is going to be a difficult book to review without revealing spoilers, but I am going to try my best so bear with me! However, I will point out that there may be spoilers from previous books in the series. If you haven't read the series I would recommend not starting by reading this review. 
 I flew through this book. I got it in the mail yesterday and started reading it immediately when I got home from work and I finished this morning in a power read before I went to work. 
 There was so much anticipation for this book after the last installment released in May 
 . I think that people's theories and expectations were going off in so many directions that no matter what Chloe Neill released it would not live up to everyone's expectations. Hence, why there have been a few mixed reviews about this book. I have to say that while not everything happened the way I would want them to happen I really liked the way this book turned out. True, there are things in the book that made my heartbreak and things that made me cringe and things that made me happy, but that was the purpose. Chloe Neill executed everything very well. And this book sets up things for the next installment Biting Cold 
 in August '12. 
 This book is different than the previous books and it's something that started at the end of Hard Bitten. This book just seemed more somber and tense. I didn't find as many witty jokes and sarcastic remarks as I did in the previous books (especially the first three). They were there don't get me wrong and I think when I do a re-read (muchly needed after the way I flew through this book) they will stick out a little more, but I think the series is growing more mature and this installment shows that it's starting to take a darker turn. I hope that this doesn't cloud the rest of the series and is just part of the story arc started in this book. 
 As I said this book seemed very tense. Everyone was on edge after Ethan's death and you could literally feel it in the pages. I think that's a real show of Neill's writing that she's able to convey that much emotion across the page. Merit most of all is mourning Ethan's death and I appreciate that Neill took the time to let Merit grieve. I've read posts on this book and there were a few people who noted that not many authors show grieving. Something bad happens, it's acknowledged, and then people move on. I liked seeing how, even though she was grieving, Merit was really trying to function again in the House. It showed a different side of her strength, but it was exactly what the character would do. Merit remained very true to herself, the character we've grown to love throughout the series, in this book and she couldv'e had a reason to act out of character (the loss of Ethan) it would have been a viable excuse (not one I would have condoned), but she stayed Merit. I liked reading through Merit's though processes on the things going on in her life. How she openly acknowledges (to us and a few in the book itself) that she misses Ethan and he's the reason she's down. It was nice to see her acknowledging her feelings for him (sadly he's not there), but that was something she didn't have the courage to do previously. It's one of those situations where she understands what could have been but now it's been taken from her. 
 We get to see a couple other sups in this book most notably the Faeries and a Siren (sort of connected to the Nymphs who also make an apperance). I would have liked them to have been more integrated into the story. Hopefully in further installments in the series, we will learn more about them kind of like with the shifters. We heard about them in the first book. The second we got a closer look and then their story took front and center in book three. So maybe it's only a matter of time. 
 Without giving too much away I will say that there are a lot of questions answered from previous books, backstories told, and decisions made. Now, while I say that a lot of questions are answered there's also more questions posed, but Neill needs to keep us guessing and asking questions so we come back to the series (now extended to 10 books!). I will also say that ending events being what they are, I was really happy with the way things turned out and I can't wait to continue to read this fantastic series. Until Then!