A Book Obsession..: Eileen Wilks

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Review: Dragon Blood by Eileen Wilks

, by KT

Dragon Blood by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #14

The battle against a vengeful goddess reaches a climactic point as Lily Yu must now face the ultimate challenge in a dangerous new realm—without her husband, Rule...

When a mission to rescue five children stolen by an Old One falls apart under the assault of a demon prince, Lily wakes up in a strange reality—and is immediately taken captive by the dragon spawn who rule there. Jumping worlds has fractured her party, and Cynna is her only companion.

Although the clock is ticking, time works differently, and Lily has miraculously gained a week. That means seven days to free herself, find Rule and the others, rescue the children, and make it home alive. All before the dragon spawn holding her hostage trade her to the Old One. It would almost be doable if this weren’t Lóng Jia—also known as Dragonhome: the birthplace of dragons.

I have to admit, while DRAGON BLOOD was enjoyable, I found myself skimming more often than not. It had all the markings of a five star read, but it was unnecessarily bogged down with all the details. I felt like every little thing was overly described to the point where it was either skim or my eyes would glaze. It's unfortunate as I've really enjoyed the rest of the series, and there's plenty of awesomeness in this installment as well, it's just held back by just too much side noise.

Getting to the good, however, I absolutely loved Grandmother's role in this book. She's always been a bit of a mystery, with her playing larger roles in some of the book more so than others. But this time around I felt like we got to see a whole lot more from her, and I really enjoyed it. She's so strong and regal, and keeps all the other characters on their toes. I also loved Gan, and her journey towards being more of a person and the hilarious levity she brings. Of course I enjoyed the rest of the cast of characters as well, Lily and Rule, Cynna, etc. The characters are truly fantastic and all well rounded.

All in all DRAGON BLOOD had the markings of a five star read from the amazing cast of characters to the intense action and high stakes. Unfortunately the overly descriptive nature of the book bogged things down much more than I would have liked but I'm still a huge fan of the series and I can't wait to see what's in store next.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Gizmo's Reviews
Inside of a Dog
Wit & Wonder

Previous Books:
1. Tempting Danger

2. Mortal Danger
3. Blood Lines
4. Night Season
5. Mortal Sins
6. Blood Magic
7. Blood Challenge
8. Death Magic

9. Mortal Ties

10. Ritual Magic

11. Unbinding

12. Mind Magic

13. Dragon Spawn

Review: Dragon Spawn by Eileen Wilks

, by KT

Dragon Spawn by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #13

The New York Times bestselling author of Mind Magic returns as FBI agent Lily Yu gets some very bad news…

Lily learns she was right. Tom Weng—a powerful sorcerer allied with the Old One who keeps trying to take over the world—is still alive. But that's not the worst. Weng is a dragon spawn, the product of a botched hatching given a human form in an attempt to keep him from going mad. A failed attempt.

Meanwhile, Lily’s husband Rule is facing a Challenge to the death. Then there’s the possible reappearance of another sorcerer. But none of that matters when their enemy strikes out of nowhere in the worst way possible. Lily must face a nightmare and return to a place she never wanted to see again. The place where she died…

Wow was this one heck of a whirlwind read. I feel like this series has seriously ramped up and has taken off with a ginormous bang. There's no sign of things slowing down, that's for sure, especially when you consider the almost cruel cliffhanger this DRAGON SPAWN ended with. In so many cases, even in much loved series, by the time you get to the 13th installment things have drastically changed, and it's just dragging on. But that's simply not the case here. So much happens and it's just as fresh and exciting as the first book, if not even more so. Very impressive to say the least.

Speaking of impressive, I especially enjoyed the balance the characters brought to DRAGON SPAWN. While the action and events continued at an almost frenetic pacing, there still were moments of levity and true depths of emotion to round things out. Gan's outlandishness stole the show for me and I loved how she could make me giggle at the most absurd of times considering what the rest of the characters were going through. Add that to the large and varied cast, and the multiple romances, and it was just a very enjoyable installment. Fans of the series should be more than pleased and I can't wait to get my hands on the upcoming book to see what happens next!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Gizmos Reviews
The Genre Minx Book Reviews
Just Talking Books

Previous Books:
1. Tempting Danger

2. Mortal Danger
3. Blood Lines
4. Night Season
5. Mortal Sins
6. Blood Magic
7. Blood Challenge
8. Death Magic

9. Mortal Ties

10. Ritual Magic

11. Unbinding

12. Mind Magic

Early Review: Mind Magic by Eileen Wilks

, by KT

Mind Magic by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #12

FBI agent Lily Yu’s mind is a dangerous place to be in the latest Novel of the Lupi…

Thanks to the mindspeech lessons she’s receiving from the black dragon, Lily is temporarily benched from Unit Twelve—until her brain acclimates and the risk of total burnout passes. At least she has her new husband, lupi Rule Turner, to keep her occupied.

But when her mentor calls in a favor and sends Lily to a murder scene, she’s suddenly back on active status—despite the hallucinations she can’t keep at bay. With one touch, Lily knows the man was killed by magic, but her senses don’t warn her how far the conspiracy goes…

A shadowy force within the government wants to take Unit Twelve down, and they don’t mind killing to achieve their goal. With none of her usual resources, Lily is up against impossible odds–because with her mind in disarray, she can’t trust anything she sees.

It amazes me how fresh and interesting each of these books are considering how long this series has been running. Typically by this point, the twelfth book, I almost expect a bit of staleness, and yet with each new book, Eileen Wilks brings a whole new challenge and ball game. It's incredibly impressive and one of the reasons I really enjoy this series. Between knowing I'll get a fantastic plot and all the many previous books allowing for such rich and lengthy amount of character growth, and I don't even need to read the description. I'll read the next book sight unseen.

This time around the plot centers around Lily and Rule again, my favorite pair so I knew I was in for a treat. And the book delivered. Between all the crazy politics, Dragon happenings, a new and troublesome ability for Lily, seriously tricky situations for Rule, and a very interesting new character, MIND MAGIC had me hooked from the start. It's a lengthy book but I read it almost straight through into the wee hours of the morning just to find out what happened next. I know I'll be counting down the days until the next installment releases.

Seamlessly weaving fast paced action and strong characters in a fantastic blend of entertainment, MIND MAGIC is not to be missed.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Previous Books:
1. Tempting Danger

2. Mortal Danger
3. Blood Lines
4. Night Season
5. Mortal Sins
6. Blood Magic
7. Blood Challenge
8. Death Magic

9. Mortal Ties

10. Ritual Magic

11. Unbinding

Review: Unbinding by Eileen Wilks

, by KT

Unbinding by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #11

In the newest Novel of the Lupi, the human and elven worlds are both about to come under attack…

After questing through the sidhe realms with her ex-hellhound lover, Nathan, Kai Tallman Michalski has finally returned home. But she knows Nathan will eventually be called back to serve his queen—and Kai will have to decide whether to enter her majesty’s service as well. Sure, the job comes with great bennies, but there’s one big downside: she would have to swear absolute fealty to the Queen of Winter.

For now, though, Kai is glad to be home, and glad that Nathan completed his mission for his queen with surprising ease. But what seemed to be a quick conclusion turns out to be anything but. The two of them helped thwart the sidhe god of chaos—and he is not happy about that. He’s got plans for them. Plans, too, for the sidhe who killed him some three millennia ago. Nor has he abandoned his plans for Earth, as they learn when chaos begins bursting out all over...

The plot behind UNBINDING was a bit different, and didn't have quite the same feel to it as the rest of the books in the series, at least to me. But that could easily be explained away by my preference for the werewolf focused books. Sure, a lot of this takes place with wolves playing a large part in things, but they weren't the full focus. Even so, once I got over missing the wolf focus, I enjoyed the plot of this one. The chaos god sure made things interesting, and the intensity of everything kept me sucked in. At one point in the book where something major happens that's a game changer, well let's just say by that point I couldn't have put the book down even if I had wanted to. I just had to know how things were going to work out, and to me, that's a sign of a really great read.

I enjoyed seeing Kai grow in Unbinding. At the start she was stubborn, petulant, and more than a bit biased against the Elves. Frankly she did get on my nerves a bit at the start as she was just blindly negative against the Elves, and in turn the things they offered her. I guess I just found it a bit hypocritical as her lover, while not an Elf, was sworn to them, and hypocrisy is one of my pet peeves. Luckily that didn't hold me up too much as it didn't talk up too much of the page time, and she did grow over the course of the book, as her perceptions started to change. Another aspect she made large growth in was her self confidence. She started out the book not feeling like she was important nor was her magic really powerful or useful, but then as time went on, she started to see and understand her value. I just really enjoy seeing a character progress and grow as it makes it very easy to attach to them, which in turn makes for an even better read.

So many times long running series like this one start to go stale after a while, but I'm finding myself enjoying each book as much as the last. Fans of the series should be more than pleased with this latest installment, and here's to hopefully many more to come.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Previous Books:

1. Tempting Danger
2. Mortal Danger
3. Blood Lines
4. Night Season
5. Mortal Sins
6. Blood Magic
7. Blood Challenge
8. Death Magic

9. Mortal Ties

10. Ritual Magic

Review: Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks

, by KT

Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #9

“Eileen Wilks is a truly gifted writer,” (Romance Junkies) and her Novels of the Lupi have drawn readers into a seductive world of action, suspense, and passion. Now, FBI agent Lily Yu tracks a traitor into the darkest shadows yet…

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototpye of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . .

But the protoytpe can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn’t learn about it by accident. There’s a Nokolai traitor in their midst. Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule’s world.

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar’s sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar--killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the lupi are at war with--an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

Forced to live at Clanhome due to the many threats on their lives, Lily and Rule are trying to make the best of things. But when someone slips into their territory and steals one of Cullen's magical devices, things go a little haywire. Since the device was a secret, Nokolai has a traitor in their midst and Isen goes over the edge in his determination to find the traitor on his land. Meanwhile Robert Friar and the Old One he serves are still causing devastation in their wake, and this time it may just hit a little too close to home.

In my review of the previous installment I had expressed frustration at the lack of emotion between Lily and Rule. I was hoping to see a turn around in that department this time around, but while there was some progress, their relationship is still missing that compelling spark that drew me to them in the first place. In the earlier books, despite Lily fighting against the mate bond, there still was an all consuming feeling about things between them. I realize that relationships are always more intense in the beginning, but they should still retain at least some of that original frenzy to keep things fresh. Sure, the words were there on paper that they love and need one another, that's really all it felt like, words. I just would greatly prefer to be swept up in between them and their emotions.

Another one of my issues with the last book was that the threat was more in the abstract rather than front and center. I'm happy to say that was not a problem at all in Mortal Ties. Sometimes while writing reviews I have a difficult time figuring out exactly what to say as to avoid spoilers, I can't really get into any specifics. That is definitely the case here as there were several new elements added to the story that made a major impact on both the characters and the overall story arc as well. I'd love to go into depth about a lot of that as some things were rather shocking, but I'll just leave it at that so you can enjoy those things for yourselves.

If I had to categorize these books, I would place the first several installments firmly into the paranormal romance category. While there was plenty of plot momentum, both in the books themselves, and the overall series arc as a whole, there still was a great deal of focus on the romance between whatever couple had the limelight at the time. However, with the last few books it seems that these books are moving more and more into the Urban Fantasy genre as the romance has taken a severe back seat at this point. Granted, this is more of a grumbling complaint from me rather than a real flaw with the books as I'm really a hopeless romantic at heart. Once you show me any potential for romance in a book, I want to see it and keep it. So while rating the book, I have to force myself to take a step back and away from my romantic preferences and really look at the enjoyment factor of the book as a whole. And, once I did, I realized that I actually enjoyed this book a great deal. In fact once I picked it up I couldn't seem to put it down despite other obligations weighing on me. If that isn't a sign of a good book, then I don't know what is. So I'm hoping that the next book will go smoother for me now that I've finally accepted the feeling of the slight genre switch. So all together, Mortal Ties will more than please fans of the series as it brings the threat front and center and will leave your heart pounding from the incredibly high stakes.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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In My Humble Opinion

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Death Magic (Early Review)

, by KT

Death Magic by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #8

DEATH MAGIC opens with Special Agent Lily Yu in Washington, D.C. with her fiancé--lupi prince Rule Turner—to testify before a Senate subcommittee about her role in the magical collapse of a mountain last month. She is not there to tell them about the strange legacy she carries from that event—or about the arcane bond between her and Rule--or what her boss in Unit Twleve of the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division is really up to. She sure won’t tell them that the lupi are at war with an Old One who wants to remake humanity in her own image.

Lily is managing the conflict between her duty as an officer of the law and the need for secrecy pretty well . . . until the rabidly anti-magic senator who chairs that committee is murdered. The line between right and wrong, always so clear to her, becomes hopelessly blurred as events catapult them all towards disaster, and prophecies of a cataclysmic end to the country she loves and serves--and to the entire race of lupi--seem well on their way to being fulfilled.

Lily has been able to walk the fine line between her duty as a cop and to her lupi obligations pretty well for the most part. Until now. After a zealot senator is murdered, and her boss becomes the prime suspect, she's no longer able to see things as black and white. Her eyes are opened up to all the many shades of gray, and all the trouble that comes from that. No longer can she easily choose right from wrong as everything she has ever known is now in question. She has some hard decisions ahead that she must make quickly as much more than she realizes relies on her decision, as the fate of the world is truly in the balance.

Death Magic didn't quite live up to the previous installments. Don't get me wrong, it was still quite enjoyable, but not to the extent the past few books have been. Things really seemed to drag, especially in the middle, to the point where I kept getting easily distracted by other things rather than being completely engrossed. To be honest I'm not really sure why Death Magic couldn't hold my attention. Perhaps it was because, while the danger was there it was only in an abstract sense. There was talk of a prediction of a cataclysmic event in the near future that would crumble the government and end in militant control. So while everyone was scrambling to prevent this from happening, there never was a clear sense of what they had to do to prevent it. This just didn't make the danger feel real enough, so I just wasn't able to become fully vested in their endeavors this time around.

In the past the books in this series have been every bit as much about romance between the different couples as it was the overall plot and series arc. However, in Death Magic there was hardly any focus on romance at, which I really missed. Yes, Lily and Rule were front and center this time around, but the attention really wasn't on them as a couple, but more on everything else. Perhaps it isn't even the romance per se that I was missing, but the emotion that comes with it. Rule and Lily are both characters that keep themselves very closed off, except with each other. So by not having them really interacting a lot in private, we missed out on a good deal of emotion, which could be another reason I felt so detached this time around. That being said, there was one emotion that came across plain and clear from Rule, anger. For a good portion of this book I had thought he would spontaneously combust, but at least he was able to learn something from that anger in the end, making for some very good character growth.

While I cannot say that Death Magic was my favorite installment of the series, I'm still glad I read it. Several pressing issues from previous books have been dealt with, as well as countless more developments for the future. The war is only going to get uglier from here with losses on both sides. Here's hoping it will be the other side that gets hit worst in the end. I'll be looking forward to the next book to see where things are heading.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Death Magic (Lupi)

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Blood Challenge

, by KT

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.

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Blood Challenge (Lupi)

Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy
Shifter

Blood Magic

, by KT

Blood Magic by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #6

Lily Yu’s world changed when she met Rule Turner, known to the human world as “that werewolf prince.” It’s been eight months since everyone else’s world changed, too—when the Turning hit. That shifting of the realms has magic seeping back into the world in quantities unseen since the hot news story concerned a pair of human babes raised by wolves who went on to found a new city: Rome.

Lily is a homicide cop turned FBI agent. She works for a special Unit within the MCD—that’s the Bureau’s Magical Crimes Division. Lily became a cop to stop the monsters , though it was human monsters she had in mind at the time. These days, the perps she tracks may be a lot more—or a lot less--than human.

In BLOOD MAGIC, Lily and Rule are faced with their most dangerous opponent yet, one the law can’t touch. One who can’t be killed. One whose like hasn’t been seen in our world since long before those wolves fostered Romulus and Remus.

Oh, one more thing about BLOOD MAGIC: Grandmother is back.

Those of you who haven’t read the previous books in my World of the Lupi series may be scratching your head about now. Someone’s grandmother shows up and you’re supposed to get all tingly? You might be more interested in some of the other characters in BLOOD MAGIC, like the assassin. Or the dragon. Or the ancient, undying enemy willing to wait for centuries to achieve what really matters.

Revenge.

After the ending of the last book, I expected this book to be mostly about the consequences of Lily and Rule getting engaged since marriage is extremely forbidden to the Lupi. However, while that issue does cause tension, it really takes an extreme back seat when there is an almost successful assassination attempt on Cullen. It happens at his and Cynna's baby party of all times. Lily is the only one who saw the mysterious Asian. Since he was able to slip in and out undetected by anyone but her even though there were hundreds of Lupi present, Lily quickly realizes that this assassin must be very powerful, or at least supported by someone who is. She goes to Sam the dragon to beg his help in protecting Cullen. She gets more than she bargained for when she finds out things about herself that she never could have guessed, and finds out about a centuries long feud involving the assassin's powerful lover. and gets locked down by a magical geas. She must rely on Rule to be her "voice" if she is to have any hope at stopping the assassin and his lover from their revenge.

I was glad to have some more insight to the relationship between Lily's grandmother and the dragon, Sam. However, their revelations came as a complete shock to both Lily and me. The geas is one of the hardest things for Lily to deal with considering her personality. She always has to be in control, and she feels ultimately responsible to fix whatever crisis is currently happening. She isn't one to sit idly by while others make the hard decisions, so having to rely on Rule and let him make all the decisions is extremely hard for her. The fact that she was able to handle it at all shows just how much she has grown.

I really love the "love" between each of the two main couples. Both of them had rocky starts and there will still be many bumps along the road I'm sure, but they seem to finally have found some happiness in each other even if everything around them keeps falling apart. I love how Cullen continued to break all the rules when he married Cynna, becoming the only Lupi to ever get married. I thought it was going to be too much to ask for Rule and Lily to get married considering his status and duties to the Lupi, so you can imagine my excitement when he proposed at the end of the last book. Even if the Lupi find a way to prevent the marriage I will still be happy since he was willing to sacrifice everything for Lily.

I really enjoyed this book, and wound up staying up way too late to finish because I just could not put it down. This series has just gotten better and better with each book. The characters are really amazing, will just suck you in. I cannot wait for the upcoming nuptials and for the "little rider" to be born!

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Blood Magic (World of the Lupi, Book 6)

Mortal Sins

, by KT

Mortal Sins by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #5

FBI agent Lily Yu is in North Carolina with her lover and mate Rule Turner, lu nuncio of the Nokolai werewolf clan, where he is to take custody of his son from the boy’s grandmother. It’s a purely personal trip until Rule, in wolf form, finds three bodies in a shallow grave. They carry the stench of death magic, which makes the murders a federal crime. Lily takes charge of the investigation, and soon realizes that nothing adds up—not the motives, not even the accused killer, who’s behind bars when death strikes again.

But murder, however bizarre, is an everyday affair for Lily, who was a homicide cop before being recruited into the FBI’s Magical Crimes Division. A more personal shock arrives in the person of Rule’s son’s mother. Why is she challenging Rule’s long standing plan to bring his son to live among the Nokolai?

But family must take a back seat when the violence escalates, and there’s no rhyme or reason for the killer’s next strike—a killer who may not even be of this world...

Lily and Rule are back in the forefront in this book. What started out as a trip to pick up Rule's son, Toby, quickly turns into a huge mess when Rule stumbles upon three bodies stinking of death magic. Of course Lily is assigned the case, but she quickly learns things are not as they seem. To complicate things further, Toby's mother is now trying to contest Rule gaining custody. Adding into the trouble is the mess with Rule holding both the Leidolf and Nokolai mantles, and all the politics that ensue. When Rule tries to handle some of his duties to Nokolai, the mate bond between Lily and Rule throws a wrench in those plans.

I really do not like the way people treat Lily in this book because of her relationship with Rule. Its a wonder to think that she hid her gift all those years to shield herself from such ridicule, but in the end it comes anyway for a different reason. It just goes to show that there will always be prejudices no matter the race or species for that matter. At least Lily has a tough skin, and it seems to bother me more than her, but perhaps I've just developed a major soft spot for her.

This book kept me guessing the entire time. The brief glimpses into the "killer's" mind were very intriguing and made only want to read faster to figure out who it was. In the end, the culprit turned out to be a really interesting and unexpected twist. To stop the killings some hard choices had to be made, but I think even with the consequences things will work out in the end for the better.

The ending of this book was by far the best so far of any books in The World of the Lupi series. However, while there was definite happiness, I think the ending events are going to reek major havoc in future books. I cannot wait to read the next book to see how things work out. Some series start to fizzle after a few books, but this one is the opposite. It is definitely getting better and better the further into I get.

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Mortal Sins (World of the Lupi, Book 5)

Night Season

, by KT

Night Season by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #4

A magic medallion . . .

A diplomatic envoy from another realm . . .

A dragon who doesn’t like to share. . .

. . . and a tester that turns the wrong color when she pees on it. FBI Agent Cynna Weaver’s life is a little too full right now. She’s pregnant--and lupus sorcerer Cullen Seabourne is the father. Cullen is thrilled. Cynna can barely utter the p-word. What does she know about kids? Her mother was a drunk. Her father abandoned them. Or so she’s always believed . . . .

But things could be worse. She might be snatched into another realm to meet her long-lost father--a world where humans are strictly second-class citizens. In Edge, magic is commonplace, lying is an artform, and night never ends.

And Cynna’s only way home means working with Cullen to find an ancient artifact sought by powerful beings who would do anything to claim it.

This book is mainly told from Cynna and Cullen's perspectives. Even though Cynna knows she is pregnant, she is still holding on to every shred of denial she can, including telling herself she can keep Cullen at an arms length. When she and Cullen get kidnapped into another realm called Edge, she must learn to trust him, for he seems to be the only one who cares at all if she lives or dies. She is forced on a search for a magical medallion that controls the seasons in Edge, but not everyone wants her to find it.

I have to say I love Cynna and Cullen's love hate relationship. You can really tell they both care for each other no matter how much either of them denies it. One minute they are fighting and the next.. well.. Ahem.. I have to say Cullen's commitment surprised me since the Lupi are extremely against monogamy. But, considering the Lupi's very low fertility this does make sense. Of course Cullen seems to make it a habit to break all the rules as much as possible.

I really enjoyed some of the sideline characters, especially Gan, the semi-former demon who has grown a soul. She is a very amusing character, so childlike, yet strong. I enjoyed seeing more of her transformation as she learns what it means to care for others, the main component of a soul. I also enjoyed the part, while small about Kai and Nathan. It appears there is a short story about them called, "Inhuman" from the Anthology, On the Prowl. The two of them really intrigued me, so I'll have to check out their short story.

I was a little gun shy at first about this book since Lily and Rule are not much of a focus in this book, but I'm really glad I decided to continue on with the series. This book was really fulfilling, and I actually didn't miss Lily and Rule too much. Cynna and Cullen's journey was more than enough to keep my attention, and made for a very good read.

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Night Season (The World of the Lupi, Book 4)

Blood Lines

, by KT

Blood Lines by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #3

Touch-sensitive FBI agent Lily Yu and her werewolf bond-mate are recruited by the Secret Service to help identify elected officials who have accepted demonic pacts. But Lily must turn to fellow agent Cynna Weaver for help when Cynna's former teacher, a demon master, emerges as the main suspect behind the pacts.

After a demon commits a gruesome murder, sorcerer Cullen Seabourne joins the team racing the clock to find the apprentice of evil who uses demons to kill. Cynna and Cullen must work together—a challenge indeed when each has good reason to ignore the desire simmering between them. But passion and events both spiral out of control as an ancient prophecy is fulfilled-and the lupi's greatest enemy sets her sights on total devastation...

Once again the Lupi are being attacked, with the source tracing back to an influence from the evil goddess with the unspeakable name. Demons are being used to target the heirs, a surefire way to destroy the Lupi quickly. To make matters worse, the goddess's current puppet seems to be Cynna's former teacher, Jiri. It will take the whole gang to defeat both the demons and their controller, even with all of them it may not be enough.

In this book we find out a bit more about Lily's mysterious Grandmother, Li Lei. I was glad to have a better picture of who/what she is, even if there still are many unanswered questions. The book also focuses more on Cynna and Cullen. To think I once found Lily and Rule's relationship to be frustrating, those two clashing was nothing compare to Cynna and Cullen. They could go from insanely mad at each other to tearing the others clothes off in less than two seconds. The two definitely have a major love hate relationship going. Somehow, though it works, and I feel the attraction between the two. I think their relationship will work well with them constantly clashing with the other because neither of them could be happy with something docile. Future books will only tell if they can work as a couple or not.

Things have gotten complicated in the Lupi world. Some nasty events occur that make the animosity between the Nokolai and the Leidof even higher. Because of these events, Rule is now stuck between the two clans with no way out in sight. I really never saw that coming, and should make for interesting events in future books, but only time will tell. Luckily, for now it does seem to be the calm before the storm. The characters have enough to handle with the demons that keep targeting Lupi heirs.

This book has a lot of things going on, and once it started, it just didn't stop. I enjoyed the addition of focus on Cynna and Cullen. Sometimes it is nice to have a new perspective in a series. I really love the cover as well. The tattoos are gorgeous! This series is definitely getting better as it goes on, and I cannot wait to read the next book.

Rating:

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Blood Lines (The World of the Lupi, Book 3)

Mortal Danger

, by KT

Mortal Danger by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #2

Former homicide cop Lily Yu has a lot on her plate. There's her sister's wedding, a missing magical staff with unknown powers, and her grandmother's sudden decision to visit the old country just when Lily could use a little advice. Maybe she should turn to the man she's involved with, but for all the passion that flares between them, she doesn't really know Rule Turner. Yet she's tied to him for life, both of them caught in an unbreakable mate bond.

That Rule is a werewolf, prince of his people, only complicates matters.

Now an agent in a special unit of the FBI's Magical Crimes Division, Lily's job is to hunt down Harlowe, a charismatic cult leader bent on bringing an ancient evil into the world. But what Lily doesn't realize is that Harlowe has set a trap-for her. And then the unthinkable happens.

In the blink of any eye Lily's world divides and collides, and she is thrust into a new and frightening reality. Her only hope will be to trust Rule-and herself-or Lily will be lost forever...

After the events of the last book, it was inevitable that there would be repercussions for Lily. Harlowe, the leader of the cult serving the goddess whose name cannot be spoken, is out to destroy Lily. Since she is a sensitive and magic does not work on her, he uses the goddess to help form a plot to enable a demon to possess Lily. Things go wrong and Lily finds herself split in two with neither half knowing about the other.

While Lily has finally accepted that she is bound to Rule for life, she still is fighting him tooth and nail on pretty much everything. Sometimes it seems she is just refusing something for the sake of fighting. She refuses his help and protection. She is keeping him at an arms length as much as she possibly can. I keep hoping she will relax a little and let herself truly feel, but that may be an impossible wish.

Rule has the opposite problem as Lily. He wants to be with her at all times. If he had his way, Lily would live with him and quit her job so she would never be in danger. I do find him to be a little bit of a hypocrite because he wants her to completely open up to him, but there is so much he is still hiding from her.

The book was overall decent, but I find the impasse between Lily and Rule to be very frustrating. They both need to give a little and learn to accept the other one's nature. Hopefully in the future books, they will start to grow together, because as of right now I'm having a hard time feeling for them as a couple.

Rating:

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Mortal Danger (The World of the Lupi, Book 2)

Tempting Danger

, by KT

Tempting Danger by Eileen Wilks

World of the Lupi #1

Lily Yu is a San Diego police detective investigating a series of grisly murders that appear to be the work of a werewolf. To hunt down the killer, she must infiltrate the clans. Only one man can help her--a were named Rule Turner, a prince of the lupi, whose charismatic presence disturbs Lily. Rule has his own reasons for helping the investigation--reasons he doesn't want to share with Lily. Logic and honor demand she keep her distance, but the attraction between them is immediate and devastating-and beyond human reason. Now, in a race to fend off evil, Lily finds herself in uncharted territory, tested as never before, and at her back a man who she's not sure she can trust ....

Lily has a very rough past, and because of that she developed a very tough persona for herself. She is strong and very stubborn and keeps everyone at a distance. This of course makes for some major friction when the Lupi prince, Rule, is relentless in his pursuit of her. What confounds Lily is that despite her wanting nothing to do with him, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. It becomes a battle of wills between them, with neither side really having any chance at winning.

I did find Lily's adamant refusal to accept her attraction to Rule, and any other unproven thing, to be a bit frustrating. She was so blind in her denial that she wouldn't even listen to any reason at all. To her, if it cannot be proven, it does not exist. For all her strengths, her strict adherence to facts is a major flaw in her character. She lives in a world where magic is abundant, so it makes sense that mystical unknowns would exist. Sometimes in order to grow we have to accept the fact that we will never know all of the answers. This is something Lily really needs to work on, and it just kept me from really "connecting" with her character.

Usually I prefer books that are written in first person. I just feel that I get sucked further into the book that way. However, this book being in third person worked really well. It was told mostly from Lily's point of view, but every so often, Rule would get a say in there too. I think this was a good way for the author to let us know what was going on without having to reveal it to Lily too soon in the book. Sometimes when books wait too long to reveal things I get frustrated, so this was a really nice way to avoid that.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it was a pretty quick read. It did seem to drag a little at times, but it worked out in the end. It will be interesting to see where the relationship between Rule and Lily goes, as they definitely seem to clash. This is definitely a series with great potential.

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