Elisa Sullivan is planning for a night with friends, even if her latest bread-making hobby isn’t working out too well. Unfortunately, as the party is winding down and only her supernatural friends are left, an unexpected knock on the door sets off a whole new set of problems. Three vampires dressed in all black are here from the Assembly of American Masters (AAM) and they are accusing Elisa of a crime--the crime of turning a human into a vampire without consent. Their demands seem simple--join a House immediately and undergo testing. There is just one problem, not only does Elisa not want to join a Vampire House, but she has a monster inside of her that only she and her boyfriend, Connor Keene, know about. Worse yet, one of the AAM is murdered and the blame is being put on Elisa. Can Elisa, Connor, and their friends figure out what is going on and keep Elisa out of the clutches of the AAM?

SHADOWED STEEL is the third book in the Heirs of Chicagoland series and probably best appreciated in the context of the series as a whole. The events describing why the AAM is after Elisa are depicted in an earlier book, as well as the growing relationship between Elisa and Connor and their own struggles with the differences between them. Besides, Elisa is a great heroine and it’s much more fun to see how much she’s growing in her own strength, including her symbiotic relationship with her monster.

I love Elisa! Her strength of character shines through each and every page. I love that she looks out for others, even at her own detriment (which is how she got in trouble with the AAM to begin with). Connor is the perfect match for her as he doesn’t try to overpower her even though he is likely to be the leader of his father’s Pack one day. Their relationship can be convoluted at times, between vampire and Pack politics, and I love the little twist Chloe Neill throws in SHADOWED STEEL near the end.

SHADOWED STEEL is yet another phenomenal tale by Chloe Neill! I love that we’re beginning to dig more into the supernatural politics, particularly since Elisa is unhoused and yet not Rogue either. Chloe Neill keeps the plot twists fascinating while continuing to develop her characters and her world so that the stories remain fresh and engaging. Easily recommended for urban fantasy fans!