Blood Challenge

Blood Challenge by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #7

UNDER ATTACK
Lily Yu and Rule Turner’s engagement announcement is stirring up ugly passions in the Humans First camp. There’s hate mail. Death threats. Lily’s car is vandalized. But professionally, things are going smoothly . . . until a lupus in Tennessee goes on a killing spree.

UNDER SIEGE
In the labyrinthine world of lupi politics, things move at two speeds: molasses-slow and flashfire-quick. Months ago, Isen Turner, Rule’s father and the Rho of his clan, called for an All-Clan, but one obstacle still remains: the suspicions of one of the U.S. clans.

UNDERGROUND
The two problems seem separate.  They aren’t.  And the roots of both go a lot deeper—and weirder—than anyone imagines.  The deaths in Tennessee are only the opening skirmish in an all-out war . . . one powered by subterranean forces such as our world hasn’t seen in over three thousand years.

In the begging of the book Lily and Rule are both the targets of nasty hate mail and vandalism, with both of them trying to protect the other. The a Lupus snaps and kills several people, but the conditions are a little fishy, so Lily and Rule fly out to figure out what is going on. Disaster strikes and when everyone is left to pick up the pieces, they realize the threat against the Lupi and its supports goes much deeper than they thought. Meanwhile Rule and the others are still trying to organize a meeting between all of the Lu Nuncios, which must happen before an All-Clan can truly be called. Of course suspicions run high due to Rule's position in the two largest clans, making this a challenge they just might not be able to accomplish.

Lily and Rule share the limelight in this book with Benedict and his new lady, while Cullen and Cynna take a backseat in most of the action. I've always been curious about Rule's gruff brother and I'm really glad he is getting a second chance. He was man of so few words that he remained mostly a mystery, and considering his past loss, it is no wonder he had a hard time enjoying life. However, it seems a certain someone could be drawing him out and finally giving him a reason to really live again. Only time will tell if they will as awesome of a couple as the others make, but I think they really have a chance.

The plot in this book is very complex, with several different small things all spiraling into the main conflict. It is a very intricate web, and it just amazes me how well the author ties everything together. There are so many different storylines, but she never once fails to blend them together in a way that will keep you entranced. Another thing I loved about this book was its greater focus on the Lupi rather than a case Lily is working on. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading about her cases, but the Lupi aspects have always been my favorite. This book shows a lot of their customs and protocol, which is very complex but fascinating at the same time.

While this series did have a rocky start for me, the more I read, the better the books got. This one however is the best yet so far. The ending was one heck of a cliffhanger, which is usually really frustrating for me, but this ending means some major changes are coming, and I feel it only added to the story. The Lupi's world is being completely turned upside down and things they thought were impossible, no long are. It seems things will really be escalating, and a most dreaded war will only take a single spark to ignite. I cannot wait for the next book, for so many different reasons that I can't name without spoiling, but suffice to say there should be plenty of action in the next installment. Anyone who has enjoyed this series, is sure to love this book, so I highly recommend running out and grabbing it as soon as possible. You won't regret it.

Rating:

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Blood Challenge (Lupi)

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy
Shifter