HOUSE RULES was another fine entry in the Chicagoland Vampires series. There are a number of plot threads that move along in the one. Cadogan House is formally withdrawing from the Greenwich Presidium but not before the aged and tricky vampires in the GP try another trick or two to leave House Cadogan vampires broke and homeless. Merit completes her entrance into the Red Guard and, even though it is supposed to be a secret, has to tell Ethan about it which rocks their relationship. She also has to deal with one of Ethan's former vampires, now the Master of a House in California, who really wants a relationship with Ethan. Merit has momentary doubts about her own relationship with Ethan and there is jealousy on both sides for Ethan and Merit to work through.And, third, someone is killing vampires in pairs. The first pair killed were Rogues. Since Ethan wants a better relationship with Chicago's Rogue vampires, he and Merit investigate. Merit also gets some help in her investigation from the Pack and from her Red Guard partner Jonah. Merit is also trying to rebuild her trust in her best friend Mallory who is under the control of the Pack as she battles her addiction to Black Magic. I liked the way that Merit is forging relationships among the various vampire Houses and with the other supernaturals in Chicago. I liked that she was able to have a civil conversation with her father and get over some of the bitterness that she has toward him. I especially liked that her relationship with Ethan weathered the trials that it faced in this episode.I am looking forward to more in this series. I want to see how Cadogan House manages in the new order without the oversight of the GP. I am especially eager to see how relations with supernaturals in Chicago change now that Merit's old enemy McKettrick has been appointed to a position by the mayor and has semi-official support for his hate campaign against all supernaturals. Fans of strong, smart, kickass characters can't go wrong getting to know Merit.
