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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Tenth in the World of the Lupi urban fantasy series revolving around Lily Yu and Rule Turner. Based in San Diego, it takes place three months after Mortal Ties, 9.
My Take
It's a mystery right off the bat as a little girl becomes dazed and confused at the restaurant. A confusion that simply becomes more and more horrifying with each step deeper into the story as Sam learns more and more about what afflicts all those affected by the, well, the virus is all I can think to call it. It's the Twilight Zone in text with the threat of being torn out of time looming over everyone.
What's with this "mysterious" stranger and the encounter that happens well before the inciting incident in which it is supposed to have occurred? I suspect it's meant to confuse and keep us in suspense, and it certainly does just that. Just not for the right reasons.
I think part of my problem with the story is that Wilks creates some awesomely terrifying issues...that get solved too easily. And Lily is acting so stupidly. Sure someone she's close to may never come back, but Wilks simply isn't convincing enough with Lily's traumas about the victims AND with how she is reacting to Rule. Nor was Wilks scary enough about Daffyd.
Wilks does use events to provide us, beautifully I might add, with background information on the lupi origins while the extra side bits that we learn about lupi love are so sweet. I do wonder if Toby's actions with Julia are part of that need to care for others?
I do wish Wilks had made the connection more clear about why it's so important that Rule not follow through on his intentions regarding Santos. Instead, it's simply poked at and used. I think it could have been better, more tense. As could the attacks have been more terrifying. The one at the office was scary, but I didn't feel the fright with the others. Nor did the losses bother me. Well, I prefer not to cry, but that is when I know the author has hit it.
Wilks does use this "plague" well. The effects and consequences are terrifying and my imagination went wild. Again, however, the ending was too neat and easy. Even if Wilks is leaving us on edge about the president's announcement.
Character-wise, I do adore Grandmother. I suspect she'd scare me to death if I ever met her for real, but she does cut to the chase. I loved how Lily "forced" Plackett to finally step up. What does it say about me that I love that Rule is so involved in the wedding plans? Is it possible that young Julia (it was so easy for me to see Julia as a twelve-year old. I'm not sure if it's a testament to Wilks' writing or ???) is so comfortable with Rule because they've spent so much time together?
Please tell me that Lily is being sarcastic about how bad the Leidolf guards are at numbers…
Weird stuff about Drummond's new "existence"; it's oddly woo-woo for this gruff, cynical FBI agent.
I did crack up over the police's reactions to having Rule and his men Change at the crime scene. And Wilks' solution to the "enchantment" is brilliant.
I did enjoy it, and it is a hot mess with new angles and more threats as Wilks pulls in the Fae and Robert Friar keeps pushin' those buttons.
The Story
Lily Yu is counting down the days before she marries Rule. Little does she know how much she'll regret the swift passage of time as her mother battles for her very sanity.
Speaking of sanity, she and Rule have bought a house. With holes in the walls, a basement in need of reinforcement, and worse, no escape tunnels! Luckily for Toby and Julia, the Leidolf guards have been working on this.
Huh, and y'all thought video games had no value. You'll change your mind when you see how practice pays off for everyone, well, until Friar shows up, wanting to make a deal.
The Characters
Special Agent Lily Yu, a touch sensitive who is also a part of both Units, is engaged to Rule, and the wedding is coming up. She still has Dirty Harry, her cat. Julia Lin is Lily's very precise mother joyfully planning Lily's wedding with Rule, until she turns 12; Edward is her non-demonstrative and angry father.
Rule Turner, a lupus, is the gorgeous Rho for Clan Leidolf and Lo Nuncio for Clan Nokolai, only, events in Mortal Ties have forced Rule off Nokolai land. Toby is Rule's son. Jasper is the brother we met in Mortal Ties. Benedict is in charge of Nokolai security and is Rule's older half brother married to Arjenie Fox, a half Fae. Dr. Nettie Two Horses is his daughter. Isen Turner is Rule and Benedict's father and the Rho of Clan Nokolai. Carl is Isen's houseman, and it's led to Lily's nickname for anyone who helps in the kitchen as the Kitchen Carls.
Cullen Seaborne is a sorcerer and a lupus---an extremely rare combination. He's also gorgeous---an 11 on the 1-to-10 scale. He's married to former FBI agent Cynna, the new Rhej for Clan Nokolai, who is a Finder. They have a baby girl, Ryder.
Rule's bodyguards include: Scott is Rule's second-in-command; Barnaby, who has an excellent nose even when two-legged; Mark; Jacob; Todd; Eric; and, Mike. I think Miles and Jonathan must be Cynna's guards.
Know-it-all Santos, Joe, and Andy, who screws up but learns from it, and they hope it's not too late, are the Leidolf guards for Lily. José, Casey, and Steve are Nokolai guards.
Pete is in charge of Isen's bodyguard detail. Cory and Gene are the guards at the gate to Clanhome. Bill and Tommy are part of Benedict's detail. Andor Demeny is Rho for Clan Szós and a guest at the wedding; Lucas is his Lo Nuncio.
More of the Yu relatives
Grandmother, Li Lei Yu, a.k.a., Madame Yu, is Edward's mother; Li Qin is Grandmother's companion. Freddie has recently come out of the closet. Uncle Chen owns the Golden Dragon restaurant. Aunt Jei is actually Lily's second cousin and Freddie's "long-suffering" mother. Paul is a brother-in-law; married to Susan, the dermatologist sister. Beth is the youngest sister and living in San Francisco. She's dating Sean Friar, Robert's younger brother. Aunt Deborah will collapse at the drop of a hat; she's married to Feng Li Zhang. Aunt Mequi, Julia's sister, isn't much better; she's married to Jim Chung. Grandfather Lin, Julia's father, is mentioned. Jin Zimmerman is a distant relative and a nurse.
The police and Unit people working with Lily
Special Agent Derwin "the Big A" Ackleford is rude, crude, and excellent at his job. Rickie Parker works with him. Officer Ramon Perez and Lieutenant Thomas "T.J." James are the kind of cops we want. Detective Erskine is a cop who needs to retire, find another line of work, the type for stupidheads, and we never do learn about Officer Daryl Crown.
Special Agent Abel Karonski will be in charge; Margarita is his open-minded wife. Ruben Brooks is Lily's boss and in charge of Unit Twelve and the Shadow Unit and he's an off-the-charts precog. Ida is Ruben's secretary. Al Drummond is an FBI agent who died; his current assignment is helping Lily. Fielding of the California tunes on the iPod is desperately anxious to see magic performed.
Miriam Faircastle is a Wiccan high priestess. Jack Weysmith is Water-Gifted, Gail, Warren, and Abby are part of the coven. Sun Mzao, a.k.a., Sam is a black dragon who has made California part of his territory; he has a relationship with Grandmother.
Dr. Babbitt is the psychiatrist. Dr. John L. Plackett is what we need fewer of in the world. Julia Lin is far from the only victim in this. Hardy is a homeless man, a saint, who only communicates through music. Ryan and Patrick are the kids who found the first body. Alan Debrett is/was a former classmate, and he has a daughter, Mary, with Down's Syndrome. Milly Rodriquez is a too persistent reporter. Dr. Sengupta is Nettie's surgeon. Angela Ward is an old-time movie star; millions have seen her films.
The Winter Queen of the Fae is involved and will send her Hound, a wild Sidhe, a hellhound: Nathan Hunter. Kai Tallman Michalski is a mind healer. Nam Anthessa is a named Fae artifact and highly dangerous due to its sentience. The former demon, Gam, is now female and growing wealthy in her position as the chancellor in Edge.
F'annwylyd is her new name, given to her by Dyffaya áv Eni, a.k.a., Daffyd, an exiled Sidhe god.
Robert Friar got the major upgrade from the Great Bitch: he heals fast and is an off-the-charts patterner. Armand Jones is Friar's West Coast lieutenant in Humans First. The Great Bitch is an Old One and is how the lupi refer to their Great Enemy, who wants to take over our world. Dworg are horrific monsters; thank god they're extinct.
Unit is an undercover unit of the FBI and supersedes FBI when it comes to supernatural matters. The Lady is an Old One and GB's enemy. She created the lupi to battle her.
The Cover
The cover is green and black with a neon charge of green outlining the knife which is point down in the ground and surrounded by arcane circles. It's Lily, all in black with her black hair flowing down her back, a black leather halter top (soooo, the illustrator didn't read the story, has no clue about Lily) as she kneels, legs spread, studying the glowing knife.
The title is too true as it is Ritual Magic threatening the fabric of our world.
My Take
It's a mystery right off the bat as a little girl becomes dazed and confused at the restaurant. A confusion that simply becomes more and more horrifying with each step deeper into the story as Sam learns more and more about what afflicts all those affected by the, well, the virus is all I can think to call it. It's the Twilight Zone in text with the threat of being torn out of time looming over everyone.
What's with this "mysterious" stranger and the encounter that happens well before the inciting incident in which it is supposed to have occurred? I suspect it's meant to confuse and keep us in suspense, and it certainly does just that. Just not for the right reasons.
I think part of my problem with the story is that Wilks creates some awesomely terrifying issues...that get solved too easily. And Lily is acting so stupidly. Sure someone she's close to may never come back, but Wilks simply isn't convincing enough with Lily's traumas about the victims AND with how she is reacting to Rule. Nor was Wilks scary enough about Daffyd.
Wilks does use events to provide us, beautifully I might add, with background information on the lupi origins while the extra side bits that we learn about lupi love are so sweet. I do wonder if Toby's actions with Julia are part of that need to care for others?
I do wish Wilks had made the connection more clear about why it's so important that Rule not follow through on his intentions regarding Santos. Instead, it's simply poked at and used. I think it could have been better, more tense. As could the attacks have been more terrifying. The one at the office was scary, but I didn't feel the fright with the others. Nor did the losses bother me. Well, I prefer not to cry, but that is when I know the author has hit it.
Wilks does use this "plague" well. The effects and consequences are terrifying and my imagination went wild. Again, however, the ending was too neat and easy. Even if Wilks is leaving us on edge about the president's announcement.
Character-wise, I do adore Grandmother. I suspect she'd scare me to death if I ever met her for real, but she does cut to the chase. I loved how Lily "forced" Plackett to finally step up. What does it say about me that I love that Rule is so involved in the wedding plans? Is it possible that young Julia (it was so easy for me to see Julia as a twelve-year old. I'm not sure if it's a testament to Wilks' writing or ???) is so comfortable with Rule because they've spent so much time together?
Please tell me that Lily is being sarcastic about how bad the Leidolf guards are at numbers…
Weird stuff about Drummond's new "existence"; it's oddly woo-woo for this gruff, cynical FBI agent.
I did crack up over the police's reactions to having Rule and his men Change at the crime scene. And Wilks' solution to the "enchantment" is brilliant.
I did enjoy it, and it is a hot mess with new angles and more threats as Wilks pulls in the Fae and Robert Friar keeps pushin' those buttons.
The Story
Lily Yu is counting down the days before she marries Rule. Little does she know how much she'll regret the swift passage of time as her mother battles for her very sanity.
Speaking of sanity, she and Rule have bought a house. With holes in the walls, a basement in need of reinforcement, and worse, no escape tunnels! Luckily for Toby and Julia, the Leidolf guards have been working on this.
Huh, and y'all thought video games had no value. You'll change your mind when you see how practice pays off for everyone, well, until Friar shows up, wanting to make a deal.
The Characters
Special Agent Lily Yu, a touch sensitive who is also a part of both Units, is engaged to Rule, and the wedding is coming up. She still has Dirty Harry, her cat. Julia Lin is Lily's very precise mother joyfully planning Lily's wedding with Rule, until she turns 12; Edward is her non-demonstrative and angry father.
Rule Turner, a lupus, is the gorgeous Rho for Clan Leidolf and Lo Nuncio for Clan Nokolai, only, events in Mortal Ties have forced Rule off Nokolai land. Toby is Rule's son. Jasper is the brother we met in Mortal Ties. Benedict is in charge of Nokolai security and is Rule's older half brother married to Arjenie Fox, a half Fae. Dr. Nettie Two Horses is his daughter. Isen Turner is Rule and Benedict's father and the Rho of Clan Nokolai. Carl is Isen's houseman, and it's led to Lily's nickname for anyone who helps in the kitchen as the Kitchen Carls.
Cullen Seaborne is a sorcerer and a lupus---an extremely rare combination. He's also gorgeous---an 11 on the 1-to-10 scale. He's married to former FBI agent Cynna, the new Rhej for Clan Nokolai, who is a Finder. They have a baby girl, Ryder.
Rule's bodyguards include: Scott is Rule's second-in-command; Barnaby, who has an excellent nose even when two-legged; Mark; Jacob; Todd; Eric; and, Mike. I think Miles and Jonathan must be Cynna's guards.
Know-it-all Santos, Joe, and Andy, who screws up but learns from it, and they hope it's not too late, are the Leidolf guards for Lily. José, Casey, and Steve are Nokolai guards.
Pete is in charge of Isen's bodyguard detail. Cory and Gene are the guards at the gate to Clanhome. Bill and Tommy are part of Benedict's detail. Andor Demeny is Rho for Clan Szós and a guest at the wedding; Lucas is his Lo Nuncio.
More of the Yu relatives
Grandmother, Li Lei Yu, a.k.a., Madame Yu, is Edward's mother; Li Qin is Grandmother's companion. Freddie has recently come out of the closet. Uncle Chen owns the Golden Dragon restaurant. Aunt Jei is actually Lily's second cousin and Freddie's "long-suffering" mother. Paul is a brother-in-law; married to Susan, the dermatologist sister. Beth is the youngest sister and living in San Francisco. She's dating Sean Friar, Robert's younger brother. Aunt Deborah will collapse at the drop of a hat; she's married to Feng Li Zhang. Aunt Mequi, Julia's sister, isn't much better; she's married to Jim Chung. Grandfather Lin, Julia's father, is mentioned. Jin Zimmerman is a distant relative and a nurse.
The police and Unit people working with Lily
Special Agent Derwin "the Big A" Ackleford is rude, crude, and excellent at his job. Rickie Parker works with him. Officer Ramon Perez and Lieutenant Thomas "T.J." James are the kind of cops we want. Detective Erskine is a cop who needs to retire, find another line of work, the type for stupidheads, and we never do learn about Officer Daryl Crown.
Special Agent Abel Karonski will be in charge; Margarita is his open-minded wife. Ruben Brooks is Lily's boss and in charge of Unit Twelve and the Shadow Unit and he's an off-the-charts precog. Ida is Ruben's secretary. Al Drummond is an FBI agent who died; his current assignment is helping Lily. Fielding of the California tunes on the iPod is desperately anxious to see magic performed.
Miriam Faircastle is a Wiccan high priestess. Jack Weysmith is Water-Gifted, Gail, Warren, and Abby are part of the coven. Sun Mzao, a.k.a., Sam is a black dragon who has made California part of his territory; he has a relationship with Grandmother.
Dr. Babbitt is the psychiatrist. Dr. John L. Plackett is what we need fewer of in the world. Julia Lin is far from the only victim in this. Hardy is a homeless man, a saint, who only communicates through music. Ryan and Patrick are the kids who found the first body. Alan Debrett is/was a former classmate, and he has a daughter, Mary, with Down's Syndrome. Milly Rodriquez is a too persistent reporter. Dr. Sengupta is Nettie's surgeon. Angela Ward is an old-time movie star; millions have seen her films.
The Winter Queen of the Fae is involved and will send her Hound, a wild Sidhe, a hellhound: Nathan Hunter. Kai Tallman Michalski is a mind healer. Nam Anthessa is a named Fae artifact and highly dangerous due to its sentience. The former demon, Gam, is now female and growing wealthy in her position as the chancellor in Edge.
F'annwylyd is her new name, given to her by Dyffaya áv Eni, a.k.a., Daffyd, an exiled Sidhe god.
Robert Friar got the major upgrade from the Great Bitch: he heals fast and is an off-the-charts patterner. Armand Jones is Friar's West Coast lieutenant in Humans First. The Great Bitch is an Old One and is how the lupi refer to their Great Enemy, who wants to take over our world. Dworg are horrific monsters; thank god they're extinct.
Unit is an undercover unit of the FBI and supersedes FBI when it comes to supernatural matters. The Lady is an Old One and GB's enemy. She created the lupi to battle her.
The Cover
The cover is green and black with a neon charge of green outlining the knife which is point down in the ground and surrounded by arcane circles. It's Lily, all in black with her black hair flowing down her back, a black leather halter top (soooo, the illustrator didn't read the story, has no clue about Lily) as she kneels, legs spread, studying the glowing knife.
The title is too true as it is Ritual Magic threatening the fabric of our world.
katyanaish's review against another edition
4.0
I liked this one more than the last. But I still miss the confident, centered Lily Yu that we had in the earlier books of the series. She seems so much more unsteady. That said, it was still a fun read, and it was nice to revisit the characters that I like so much.
***4.5***
***4.5***
witchylevy's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed seeing Lily become closer to her mother. Surprising twist with Friar. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending :)
amym84's review against another edition
5.0
Ritual Magic hits close to home when Lily's mother Julia's mind suddenly reverts back to when she was twelve years old. While Lily detects a little bit of magic residue, there's not enough to determine what was used on her mom. AS the investigation continues we come to find that Julia Yu was not the only victim of memory loss. All had varying degrees of loss. Some a couple of days some years of their lives. Now Lily and Rule have to find out who and what is causing this attack and what is the ultimate purpose.
Just when I think I might be ready for this series to end, Ritual Magic comes out. I really enjoyed this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. I think the flow and progression was done very well. In previous books there have been times where two storylines intersected and it got a little confusing figuring out how one connected to the other. Here the same thing happens, but it was done so consisely that I was able to follow the thread throughout the entirety.
I liked getting to see another side to Lily's mother and esentially the entire Yu family. Her mother comes across as very distant and strict with her daughters. We learn more about why that may be and twelve year old Julia's point of view is refreshing. We get to see the story from a different perspective and it's nice. Fresh. It reminds me of when the series first started.
One thing I didn't like was how it seemed as though Wilks tried to create tension between Rule and Lily when there didn't need to be any. Mind you this was only a brief interlude, but Wilks should have either gone full force with it, or not had it in there at all. I know that after a couple has been together for so long there's a fear that their romance will become boring. You don't have to worry about that with Lily and Rule. There's still plenty in their relationship they can explore and I hope and look forward to Wilks utilizing it all.
I was surprised that I enjoyed the book as much as I did, but I'm now excited to see where the series goes from here. There's still a war going on and I'm guessing the end of the series will be the final show-down. Just how long that will be is anyone's guess.
Just when I think I might be ready for this series to end, Ritual Magic comes out. I really enjoyed this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. I think the flow and progression was done very well. In previous books there have been times where two storylines intersected and it got a little confusing figuring out how one connected to the other. Here the same thing happens, but it was done so consisely that I was able to follow the thread throughout the entirety.
I liked getting to see another side to Lily's mother and esentially the entire Yu family. Her mother comes across as very distant and strict with her daughters. We learn more about why that may be and twelve year old Julia's point of view is refreshing. We get to see the story from a different perspective and it's nice. Fresh. It reminds me of when the series first started.
One thing I didn't like was how it seemed as though Wilks tried to create tension between Rule and Lily when there didn't need to be any. Mind you this was only a brief interlude, but Wilks should have either gone full force with it, or not had it in there at all. I know that after a couple has been together for so long there's a fear that their romance will become boring. You don't have to worry about that with Lily and Rule. There's still plenty in their relationship they can explore and I hope and look forward to Wilks utilizing it all.
I was surprised that I enjoyed the book as much as I did, but I'm now excited to see where the series goes from here. There's still a war going on and I'm guessing the end of the series will be the final show-down. Just how long that will be is anyone's guess.
calycat2's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
odomaf's review against another edition
2.0
Once the full plot is visible to the reader in this book, it's quite brilliant. Wilks has created a simple and straightforward plot that results in a spiderweb of complicated issues for the characters. Sadly, the book is really slow in getting there.
WHAT I LIKED
-----
* Wilks continues to do an excellent job with Lily and Rule's relationship. Carrying a fulfilling and rich love-relationship over several novels is challenging, and in my opinion, Wilks nails it.
* The mate bond and the mantles -- these lupus elements continue to be intriguing, and they grow more so in this book.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
-----
* Characters have all the plot clues dropped in their lap, and they spend more than half the book knowing absolutely nothing about what's happening. Weirdly, it's like the first half of the book wasn't completely necessary, and Wilks could have just started in the middle. OR she could have allowed the main characters to figure more things out along the way in tantalizing dribs and drabs.
* Because the characters only learn what's going on by waiting for others to tell them, the plot ultimately unfolds in a series of lectures about magic, spiritual magic, artifacts, elves, and gods. This keeps the plot slow-moving and makes things a little dull -- unless you enjoy reading encyclopedias.
If you liked the previous books, you *may* enjoy this one, simply because there's some longer term character development for folks you probably like. And Lily/Rule's relationship continues to be done well. But, you may also find this one flips between "wow, cool" and "meh". Definitely, for me, this is the most lackluster of all the books in the series so far.
WHAT I LIKED
-----
* Wilks continues to do an excellent job with Lily and Rule's relationship. Carrying a fulfilling and rich love-relationship over several novels is challenging, and in my opinion, Wilks nails it.
* The mate bond and the mantles -- these lupus elements continue to be intriguing, and they grow more so in this book.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
-----
* Characters have all the plot clues dropped in their lap, and they spend more than half the book knowing absolutely nothing about what's happening. Weirdly, it's like the first half of the book wasn't completely necessary, and Wilks could have just started in the middle. OR she could have allowed the main characters to figure more things out along the way in tantalizing dribs and drabs.
* Because the characters only learn what's going on by waiting for others to tell them, the plot ultimately unfolds in a series of lectures about magic, spiritual magic, artifacts, elves, and gods. This keeps the plot slow-moving and makes things a little dull -- unless you enjoy reading encyclopedias.
If you liked the previous books, you *may* enjoy this one, simply because there's some longer term character development for folks you probably like. And Lily/Rule's relationship continues to be done well. But, you may also find this one flips between "wow, cool" and "meh". Definitely, for me, this is the most lackluster of all the books in the series so far.
inmyhumbleopinion's review against another edition
5.0
I have this love/hate relationship with Eileen Wilks. I love her Lupi series but I hate it takes a year between installments. I rush to buy the book and read it through quickly to see what happens and then I read it again more slowly to pick up what I may have missed the first time through. Lily & Rule may just be my second favorite literary couple after Roarke & Eve Dallas. I love that Ms. Wilks shows that even the best couples have to work at their relationship.
In this installment Lily & Rule are getting married (finally, I mean this is book 10!) in two and a half weeks. Rule has been working with Julia (Lily’s mother) to make it happen. While out celebrating Julia’s birthday she is struck with sudden memory loss. She remembers nothing after the age of 12. It is up to Lily to find out whether it was caused by magic and if so why and by whom. When they discover that there are others with the same symptoms they discover the problem may just be world threatening. With some victims losing years of memory and others their lives, Lily must discover what on earth—or beyond—connects them.
I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! Eileen Wilks has created a fantastic world where magic, Dragons, Lupi, Gods and demons mix with uzi's and cell phones. Her stories are a well written mix of romance, mystery, magic and action without the testosterone overload you might get in other series. Rule is the consummate alpha; strong, caring but not above admitting his mistakes or taking advice from others.
In this installment Lily & Rule are getting married (finally, I mean this is book 10!) in two and a half weeks. Rule has been working with Julia (Lily’s mother) to make it happen. While out celebrating Julia’s birthday she is struck with sudden memory loss. She remembers nothing after the age of 12. It is up to Lily to find out whether it was caused by magic and if so why and by whom. When they discover that there are others with the same symptoms they discover the problem may just be world threatening. With some victims losing years of memory and others their lives, Lily must discover what on earth—or beyond—connects them.
I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! Eileen Wilks has created a fantastic world where magic, Dragons, Lupi, Gods and demons mix with uzi's and cell phones. Her stories are a well written mix of romance, mystery, magic and action without the testosterone overload you might get in other series. Rule is the consummate alpha; strong, caring but not above admitting his mistakes or taking advice from others.
rclz's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book. For awhile I thought it was going to be one big cliff hanger but thankfully no. Hope we get another soon. Lily, Rule and their friends are a great cast of character as is the world they live in.
rouver's review against another edition
3.0
Lily's mother loses her memory, resulting in a 12 yr old version of her in a 57 yr old body. She doesn't know Lily, nor her own husband. Several hundred other people are discovered to have undergone the same memory loss, but to varying degrees.
This is one where it paid to be able to read the books & the novellas back to back. Characters that were introduced several stories ago were brought together in this one, not always with a lot of explanation of who they were. Nathan & Kai, introduced in the novella #3.5, [b:Inhuman|15991484|Inhuman (World of the Lupi, #3.5)|Eileen Wilks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347875782s/15991484.jpg|21747961], are used in a deus ex machina role, which just felt forced.
Wilks has decided to go with a constant villain; Friar of the group Human's First, who continues to gain power from the evil demi-god he serves. To keep things interesting, Wilks also mixes it up with a new enemy in every book, although often they aren't revealed until near the end.
Lily also is slowly gaining powers, but Wilks hasn't stepped into Munchkin-ville yet, with a ridiculously over-powered hero.
These are quick reads & I tend to just as quickly forget exactly what happened in each one.
This is one where it paid to be able to read the books & the novellas back to back. Characters that were introduced several stories ago were brought together in this one, not always with a lot of explanation of who they were. Nathan & Kai, introduced in the novella #3.5, [b:Inhuman|15991484|Inhuman (World of the Lupi, #3.5)|Eileen Wilks|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347875782s/15991484.jpg|21747961], are used in a deus ex machina role, which just felt forced.
Wilks has decided to go with a constant villain; Friar of the group Human's First, who continues to gain power from the evil demi-god he serves. To keep things interesting, Wilks also mixes it up with a new enemy in every book, although often they aren't revealed until near the end.
Lily also is slowly gaining powers, but Wilks hasn't stepped into Munchkin-ville yet, with a ridiculously over-powered hero.
These are quick reads & I tend to just as quickly forget exactly what happened in each one.
Spoiler
Drummond is now a cop that works with 'angels' and can sometimes appear & give Lily advice or direction. Friar is trying to open the world to let his Evil One into the world with the use of an artifact that strips the memories from people, but the destruction of the knife allows another evil deity of chaos access to Earth. One of the wiccans, Miriam, has fallen under the spell of the chaos god and is working against Friar. Miriam infiltrates the clanhome and is trying to use the death of Rule to open a gate. Lily must work with Friar to prevent this from happening. Friar tries to doublecross them and run away with the knife, but Nathan 'kills' the knife, with Friar escapting. Lily & Rule finally get married.audiobookmel's review against another edition
4.0
Took me a while to get into this book. It has been a while since I read the last book and couldn't remember all the players and exactly where we were in the story. Once I got into it, it was pretty good. Most of the story revolves around Rule and Lily and Lily's family. We start the story off from Lily's mom's POV. She thinks she is a twelve year old girl. She's lost all of her memory since then. We get to see a different side to Julia Yu and also Edward Yu, Lily's father. We also get to see Toby playing with Julia while Julia thinks like a child. It was great.
This is a long book, but there are a lot of pieces to the story. It takes a long time for Lily to figure out the investigation. Her mother isn't the only one who lost some of her memories, but even with really large numbers of victims, it takes them a while to figure out the connection.
All of this is going on just days before Lily's and Rule's scheduled wedding.
This is a long book, but there are a lot of pieces to the story. It takes a long time for Lily to figure out the investigation. Her mother isn't the only one who lost some of her memories, but even with really large numbers of victims, it takes them a while to figure out the connection.
All of this is going on just days before Lily's and Rule's scheduled wedding.