Friday Night Bites: My Thoughts

As you may have noticed from our What the Wenches are Reading posts, Head Wench Barb and I, joined occasionally by Wench Zee, are making our way back through the early Chicagoland Vampire books. We were just not ready to leave that world after the magnificence that is Midnight Marked. We later realized that because we started our little blog here after the earlier books were released, we didn't have reviews done of some of the earlier books. So, I'm here today to do a little review/fangirling about Friday Night Bites. I've already done a series of posts on questions I have on the first two books of the series. Check those: Some Girls Bite, FNB Part 1, FNB Part 2. Also look for our recent reviews of Twice Bitten and Hard Bitten & Drink Deep together. Join me after the break to hear some of my thoughts on Friday Night Bites!

::sigh:: Methan

Friday Night Bites is such a great sequel book. It doesn't fall into the trap of most sequels at all. It's just as good, if not better, than the first book. It builds on the world already created. We get to know characters we've already met a little better. We meet new characters and new supernaturals. We get more backstory and more developments. It is just all around a great, great story. I wish I could go back in time and re-read this whole series again for the first time. I have loved going back and watching Merit's early vampire days play out. Watching her adjust to her new vampiric nature. Seeing her team up with Ethan, much to her chagrin at first. Watching that chagrin change to reluctant attraction, then watching the reluctance fade away only to come roaring back full force.

So much happens in this book that sets up events to come for the rest of the series. I've read these books several times, but every time, I'm struck by something new. I gain some new insight. I form some new opinion. This re-read was no different. My opinion of one character in particular has changed drastically. And, even though I just did two posts worth of questions on this book, I found more questions still! I am endlessly amazed by Chloe Neill and her amazing skills.

Please? Please, tell me?

I think I will start off with the shifters. As the rest of the Wenches know, I have a certain fondness for shifters that goes all the way back to Alcide Herveaux in the series that shall not be named. So, meeting Jeff right away in Some Girls Bite was awesome for me. Then, in this book, we get to learn a little more about the shifter lore and culture for this series and we meet a few more shifters, the Breckenridge family. I have some lingering questions about the Brecks. Where were the other two brothers while all of this was going on? Why was Nick the only one concerned? Also, is Mama Breck a shifter? Do both parents need to be shifters to have shifter children? Most importantly, what is wrong with Jamie? Can he not shift, or not fully, not at will? What is up, there? Will we ever find out? Curious minds need to know. Outside of the Brecks' shenanigans, we got a few mentions of the Convocation and Gabriel and the rest of the Pack, a few indications of what's to come. We also get a brief meeting with Gabriel and Tonya......I'm not going to mention the prophecy. I'm not. Ok, I am! What does that prophecy about Gabriel and Merit being practically family mean? And, the other, more infamous one involving a baby with green eyes. WHAT DO THEY MEAN?! I NEED TO KNOW! I'm ok...I'm ok....Shifters still have a major role to play in the remaining story. I can't wait to see what it is.

Seriously, Celina. Get over it.

Once again, the eternally plotting Celina Desaulniers is our big bad, with another Cadogan sidekick. Why does she not recruit people from her own House? Or, does she have a lot of people working behind the scenes that we aren't aware of? I know in Hard Bitten it was her time to go, to make room for Seth Tate and Mallory, but Celina really was a good villain. Cunning, ruthless, and a master manipulator, I think she could have kept going in her plots against Merit for a long time. However, pitting Ethan against Nick didn't seem like the strongest of plans. I think she thought that would hurt Merit more than it did. She knew Merit and Nick had a history, but it seems as though she thought Merit may still harbor some feelings for Nick, which she clearly doesn't. Pitting Morgan against Ethan would have had a greater effect on Merit, but it would put Celina's own House in the crossfire. We also learn quite a bit about Celina's backstory in this book. I found that part quite fascinating. I love learning people's histories. Plus, it gives us so much insight into who Celina has become and why the GP is so lenient with her.  My one remaining question is, could Merit have overtaken Celina if she had let the vampire out? Once she was fully changed, could she have taken Celina on in a fight and won? I guess we'll never know.

We are never fine when Ethan is involved.

And, now let's talk about everyone's favorite Master. Ethan is all over the map in this book. Poor boy doesn't know what he wants or how he should go about getting it. He pushes Merit back to Morgan time and time again, while at the same time trying to keep them apart. He vacillates between being cold and aloof to her and laying on the charm so thick it's almost as thick as Merit's beloved deep dish pizza. But, Ethan does admit to respecting Merit and her abilities in this book, which is a big step towards their future relationship. He also shows a bit of his jealous side when he breaks up Morgan and Merit's date to drag her along to the rave site. He didn't have to do that, but he clearly couldn't bear the thought that Merit was with Morgan, on a real date. Ethan and Morgan have a few confrontations in the this book. They both have a hard time keeping the balance between work and personal grievances, especially Morgan. But, Ethan, being the alpha that he is, put Morgan right back in his place. But, Ethan can only deny is attraction and feelings about Merit for so long. We get a good taste of what's to come for our beloved Methan in this book. We get the library kiss and Ethan seeing Merit through the rest of her change, including feeding her his own blood. He also confides in her his fears about not being strong enough to resist Celina. Those are huge steps for him. They also give us glimpses into the passion and fire that is contained in our controlled Master. 

Yes, you Mallory.

All right, I left this part for last for a reason and I eased you into it with Ethan goodness. Please don't hate me for saying this. In this reread of Friday Night Bites I realized something. I do not like Mallory. I think she's a horrible friend to Merit. She is judgmental and hypocritical. She's whiny and bitchy. She accuses Merit of stringing Morgan along. Fuck you, Mallory! You had a boyfriend when you first met Catcher and you didn't break up with him right away. Talk about stringing someone along. And, all the cracks about Ethan and his feelings, you've met him like four times Mallory. You don't know him. I'm getting worked up all over again. We'll see, as my re-read progresses, if I change my opinion. I'm not hopeful though. This revelation actually made me really upset at first. I have never really had one bestest friend forever, a relationship with someone else like Merit and Mallory have. I've always been the kind of person who had several close friends, but no one specific bestie. So, I was always a little jealous of Merit and Mallory. But, now, not so much. Now, I'm kind of in the place where I say Fuck Mallory. Move best friend status to Lindsay, Merit. You don't need that bitch. But, Merit is a much nicer person than I am, so I know she won't do it. And, hopefully, Mallory can redeem herself to me a little bit in the later books. I'm sure she does have a large role yet to play. We learned in this book that Mallory is going to be an extremely powerful sorceress. The Order (who needs to get their shit together, btw) is willing to make an exception and come to her, instead of making her come to them. Does sorcery run in families? Or, is it like Muggle-born children, and just pops up for seemingly no reason? Mallory also makes a prophecy in this book. Will she ever make another one on page? How accurate are prophecies? Also, we know that Mallory and Catcher get married, will there be little baby Bells running around eventually? I actually think Catcher would make a great father. I'm glad this re-read didn't make me hate him, so far. I enjoy Catcher and his grumpiness. Now, he's making up for stupid Mallory. You guys don't hate me, right? I'm sorry I don't like Mallory. But, seriously, re-read and judge Mallory through your own eyes, not Merit's. See what you think and report back.

Well, that pretty much sums up my thoughts and feelings on Friday Night Bites. What about you, Readers? What do you like about this book? Or dislike? Hit up the comments below!