Searchable Review Index

LATEST UPDATES


April 15
New reviews in
The Book Nook,
The Illustrated Corner,
Nana's Nook, and
Odds & Ends and
Voices From the Past



April 1, 2026
Updated Convention Listings


March
Book Pick
of the Month




March 15
New reviews in
The Book Nook,
The Illustrated Corner,
Nana's Nook, and
Odds & Ends and
Voices From the Past



March 1, 2026
Updated Convention Listings


Previous Updates

WesternSFA


Cold Curses
Heirs of Chicagolands #5
by Chloe Neill
Berkley, $17.00. 384pp
Published: November 2023

Elisa, the only vampire ever born, is hoping all can remain quiet in the City of Chicago in the wake of a destructive attack by an ancient demon who broke the city's defensive magic. Still, she and her friends, including shifter Connor Keene, know they need to be ready for anything.

 Everyone is working as hard as they can to repair the city's wards, but unwelcome creatures are slipping through and Elisa soon finds herself caught in the middle of a magical turf war with roots that go back generations. She knows she will have to take a stand, but retaliating threatens to reveal her deepest secret…

In ‘Cold Curses’ by Chloe Neill, she gives the continued story of Elisa and sets up a dilemma that carries over from the previous novels. The complex characters and solutions in the midst of a demon invasion are what I love about the novel. I also love how engaging Elisa is, her relationships with her partner Connor and her best friend Lulu. Elisa cannot solve everything on her own and Chloe Neill does a fantastic job of conveying that teamwork.

The other thing I love is that not everything is what it seems. Each piece of the story is integral for the resolution. I like that we get a resolution for some of the ongoing dilemmas Elisa has faced. One thing that struck me was that while I do love the ending of the novel, some parts of it were a surprise. And within that surprise, for me, there were aspects that didn't make sense. While that wasn't something that pulled me out of the story, it was something I noticed after I finished the book.

If you love Chloe Neill and her Vampires of Chicagoland series, you will love this novel as well. It has a definite ending that could mean the end of this particular series but leaves things open for more, especially in the world. I loved the ending of the novel and the book was compelling with complex characters and solutions. If you love the previous book, you will love this one.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 demons ~~ Andrea Rittschof

For more titles by Chloe Neill click here
For more titles in this series click here

Follow us

for notices on new content and events.
or

or
Instagram


to The Nameless Zine,
a publication of WesternSFA



WesternSFA
Main Page


Calendar
of Local Events


Disclaimer

Copyright ©2005-2026 All Rights Reserved
(Note that external links to guest web sites are not maintained by WesternSFA)
Comments, questions etc. email WebMaster