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Death Magic (World of the Lupi #8)

by Eileen Wilks (Goodreads Author)

4.28 of 5 stars 4.28 · rating details · 1,347 ratings · 112 reviews

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...more

Kindle Edition, 1st Edition, 377 pages

Published November 1st 2011 by Berkley

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Nov 06, 2011 Bookmom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lily, a former homicide cop now working in the Magical Crimes Division of the FBI, struggles with the idea of a Shadow Unit created to work outside the law in order to prevent the worldwide disasters her pre-cog boss, Ruben, has been seeing. She understands that it’s necessary and will keep her mouth shut, but she can’t be part of it even when finding out that her lupi fiancé, Rule is already involved.

But she changes her mind after Ruben is accused of killing a senator, a vocal member of Human’s...more Lily, a former homicide cop now working in the Magical Crimes Division of the FBI, struggles with the idea of a Shadow Unit created to work outside the law in order to prevent the worldwide disasters her pre-cog boss, Ruben, has been seeing. She understands that it’s necessary and will keep her mouth shut, but she can’t be part of it even when finding out that her lupi fiancé, Rule is already involved.

But she changes her mind after Ruben is accused of killing a senator, a vocal member of Human’s First who would like to shut down the MCD and wipe out all non-humans and everyone with a Gift. Lily also still carries the Wythe mantle and they’ve yet to meet someone The Lady wants to pass it along to. It’s healing Lily’s arm but causing her other serious problems. And they still haven’t identified the FBI insider who tried to kill Ruben.

The war has started and the opposing side has a plan to turn the tide with one fell swoop using very dark and devious means to prove to the growing tide of Humans First followers that their thoughts and fears are warranted.

Something happens to a character that shocked me, but I like the idea of it and can’t wait to see how it’s used in the future. A few questions from prior books get answers and by the end of the story Lily picks up a different type of ally. We also get to meet a troop of brownies—not the Girl Scout type. I hope we get to see more of them as they add a level of lightness to the story.

I’ve enjoyed each of the books in this series, but it really hit me in the middle of this one just how good the author is at world building. That’s not something I think about when reading; things either seem to make sense or they don’t. But the detail given in regards to how magic works seems so believable that it’s just easy to accept as something real. If you’re more interested in seeing the story move along without understanding why something will or won’t work or how some conclusions are arrived at, there are a few parts that might drag for you.

It’s still five months away from Rule and Lily’s wedding. There’s barely any time for them to sleep much less make love, so that’s not, and hasn’t been a big part of the story. Yet their love is evident by their words, looks and touches and that aspect leaves me somewhat with the feel of a Happily Ever After even though his isn’t a romance book, nor (thankfully) is it the end.

I give it 4.5 stars.(less)

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Nov 16, 2011 Marsha rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults

I read or heard once that televisions producers did not like for characters to fall and love then marry on a show because the marriage would kill the longevity. It seems they believe marriage is mundane and boring and would cause viewers to lose interest. Well, let me tell you that although Lily and Rule (World of the Lupi) have not married yet, they are close and no way is this series losing its' momentum or excitement.

"Death Magic" has manage to do what no book has done for me in a long time....more I read or heard once that televisions producers did not like for characters to fall and love then marry on a show because the marriage would kill the longevity. It seems they believe marriage is mundane and boring and would cause viewers to lose interest. Well, let me tell you that although Lily and Rule (World of the Lupi) have not married yet, they are close and no way is this series losing its' momentum or excitement.

"Death Magic" has manage to do what no book has done for me in a long time. It kept me guessing until the bitter end. Usually within the first 50-100 pages of a book, I have a good guess as to who the bad guy is and what he is up to. Not the case here. Eileen Wilks is a master manipulator of the mind and she had me on the edge of my seat. The possibilities were endless, intriguing and just plain fun. This time Lily and Rule have been called to D.C. so that Lily can testify before a committee. While there, she and Rule get the unusual opportunity to attend a social event (barbecue) at the home of her boss, the ailing Ruben Brooks and interact with his elusive wife, Deborah. Lily is pleasantly surprise to find that Deborah is not stuck up and has a little earth magic which she uses to tend her gardens. The barbecue is just a guise for Ruben to advise Lily about a new group that he wants Lily to join. This group operates outside of the government under the direction and advisement of the Lady. Lily does not like the idea and decides to keep her distance.

In the meanwhile, a murder of a top political official and advocate of the Humans First movement is killed and Lily is called on to investigate. Little does she know that this event will set about the start of a war that has the potential to change her life forever. There wasn't a lot of action or major battle scenes but there was great moments of suspense. The tone of this book felt more serious than the other even though there were bits of humor from the dragons, brownies and Cullen. You truly got the feeling that something truly heavy is going to be coming down soon in the series and it will be epic.

If I had to make a criticism, it would be that I would have loved to have had more of my interaction with more of my favorite characters such as Cynna, Grandmother and Toby although they were mentioned. However, is was nice to have a cameo appearance of Isen that provided a greater sense of the man he truly is. I cannot say enough about this book. I just loved it and hope others will too.(less)

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Nov 01, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, werewolves

You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Eileen Wilks’ World of the Lupi is one of my favorite series, and I believe that it’s seriously underappreciated among fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The heroine, Lily Yu, is the only female protagonist of Asian descent that I can think of in urban fantasy (if you know of any others, I’d love to hear about it!), and she is one tough chick. I love her relationship with werewolf Rule Turner, and if y...more You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Eileen Wilks’ World of the Lupi is one of my favorite series, and I believe that it’s seriously underappreciated among fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The heroine, Lily Yu, is the only female protagonist of Asian descent that I can think of in urban fantasy (if you know of any others, I’d love to hear about it!), and she is one tough chick. I love her relationship with werewolf Rule Turner, and if you’re a fan of J.D. Robb’s In Death series and its longstanding couple Eve Dallas and Roarke, I think you will enjoy Ms. Wilks’ series as well. With the exception of Night Season (book 4), which focuses on another couple, the series is devoted to Lily and Rule.

If you are new to the series, I highly recommend that you not begin with Death Magic. While you could probably follow along easily enough, you would be missing so much of the back story that I think it worthwhile to recommend that you start with book 1, Tempting Danger. (This review will contain spoilers for earlier books in the series, so consider yourself forewarned.) Watching Rule and Lily meet and fall in love is too much fun to miss, and Tempting Danger is one that I find myself re-reading frequently. Another favorite is book 5, Mortal Sins, because we get to see Rule interact with his charming 9 year old son, Toby, but my absolute favorite in the series was Book 7 – Blood Challenge. That said, Death Magic was an outstanding addition to the series, and I highly recommend it.

Death Magic deals with the beginning of the Lupi’s war against their enemy, the female goddess referred to only as the Great Bitch, and as such the novel is darker in tone than many of the others. Rule and Lily are back in Washington D.C., because they are testifying at Senate hearings. Lily is conflicted about her job, because Ruben Brooks, her superior at the FBI, informs her that he’s heading up an extra governmental organization to fight their enemy and invites her to join. Lily’s torn, because this organization violates all her beliefs about rule of law, but Ruben’s precognition has sent him visions of an apocalyptic future if they don’t manage to stop their enemy. Lily and Rule have had previous run-ins with this enemy, since she tends to operate throuth the anti-magic group Humans First. When the Senator questioning Rule and Lily at the hearings is discovered murdered and a witness places Ruben Brooks at the scene, Lily joins the official investigation. But just as the case becomes more involved, Lily begins to experience mysterious migraines and stroke-like symptoms. Can she continue the investigation while fighting a more formidable enemy?

Ms. Wilks’ novels are always complex and feature tight writing, and Death Magic is no exception. The world building in her books blows me away, particularly this one, since we learn more about the rules governing magic. How she manages to keep track of them all, much less invent said rules, never fails to astonish me. The secondary character of Cullen Seabourne, sorcerer and lupus, serves as our main source for this information, but I like that we learn about the world gradually through give and take with Cullen and other characters so there’s never an infodump.

The pacing of the novel is also well done. We have several plotlines running simultaneously with no confusion on the reader’s part. The threat hanging over all the characters of a possible apocalypse maintains the tension throughout the novel, but the last fourth of the novel really takes off with a white-knuckled race to the finish. While I was able to identify the traitor Lily and the others were looking for fairly early, I was surprised by the plot twist concerning Ruben. I did NOT expect that at all, and kudos to Ms. Wilks for a clever resolution to that situation.

My main complaint about Death Magic has more to do with my affection for certain secondary characters in the series than any flaws in the writing, which is stellar as usual. Cullen is one of my favorite characters, but because of the darker tone of this novel, we see less of his charm than usual. Also, neither Toby nor Benedict makes an appearance, and the absence of Lily’s Grandmother is very much felt. I’m not sure that their presence is necessary to advance the story, but as a fan of the series I missed them.

Overall this is an outstanding addition to the series. I enjoyed the deepening relationship between Lily and Rule, and I thought that the anger and resentment Rule felt towards the lupi’s Lady because of Lily’s health was an interesting development in his character. If you’re a fan of werewolves in any form, I highly recommend Death Magic and the World of the Lupi. (less)

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Apr 24, 2013 Elaine rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Oct 19, 2012 Estara rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of the series, especially Lily and Rule

Recommended to Estara by: auto-buy series

Shelves: ebook, read-in-2011, re-read, read-in-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 05, 2011 Kay Webb rated it 4 of 5 stars

on kindle
Very creative transfer of Wythe "mantle." Excellent progress in relationship of Lily and Rule.

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Nov 03, 2011 Mirjam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Death Magic by Eileen Wilks is the much anticipated next book in the World of the Lupi series and I LOVED it! So much that I chose to arrive late for work in order to finish the book. I just couldn't leave in the middle of all the action, now could I? :) The plot thickens, war is brewing and a Shadow Unit has been raised. You can feel that Wilks is heading towards something apocalyptic. Death Magic offers lots of action and great new characters. I for one love the Brownies! I will be waiting imp...more

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Dec 16, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, urban

Eighth in the World of the Lupi urban fantasy series revolving around Lily Yu, a Special Agent with the FBI's Magical Crimes Division, and Rule Turner, a lupus carrying the mantles of two different Clans.

My Take
Humans First are plotting to turn more of the world against the lupi and it's pretty tricky stepping through all the minefields they and their cohorts are setting for the good guys.

I don't understand why Wilks think it's important to have ghosts appearing to Lily before they die? That's...more

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Oct 15, 2012 May Mostly Romance rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Death Magic ของเอลีน วิคส์

หนังสือเล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่แปดในชุด ที่เล่าเรื่องราวของโลกมนุษย์ที่ต้องเรียนรู้ที่จะอยู่ร่วมกับเวทมนตร์ นั่นเพราะเมื่อหลายเดือนก่อน ความเปลี่ยนแปลงครั้งใหญ่ในโลกเกิดขึ้น เวทมนตร์ไหลเข้ามาครอบคลุมโลกมนุษย์ ทำให้ปลุกความสามารถด้านเหนือธรรมชาติของมนุษย์หลายคนที่เคยหลบซ่อนอยู่ให้ ตื่นขึ้น ทำให้คนธรรมดาที่เคยมีเพียงลางสังหรณ์ กลายเป็นคนที่มีพลังจิต หรือสิ่งมีชีวิตที่เคยหลบซ่อนอยู่ในเงามืดก็เปิดตัวให้สังคมมนุษย์รับรู้ อย่างเปิดเผย โลกมนุษย์ที่รัฐบาลทำสัญญาตกลงกับมังกรที่อพยพออ...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Sandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

DEATH MAGIC ( World of the Lupi #8) by Eileen Wilks

DEATH MAGIC is the 8th full length novel in Eileen Wilks World of the Lupi series. Eileen’s series primarily focuses on the Nokolai Lupi Clan Prince Rule Turner and his Gifted mate Lily Wu. Lily is an agent with the FBI and a touch sensitive with the ability to absorb magic. The World of the Lupi series visits a vast number of Gifted paranormal characters ‘of The Blood’ including elementals, witches, brownies, sorcerers, gnomes, elves, dragons,...more

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Dec 13, 2011 D.B. Reynolds rated it 4 of 5 stars

There's a lot of magic in Washington, D.C. At least in Wilks' books. Too bad dragons aren't real (at least as far as I know!) In this book, a senator hostile to magic in general, and Lupi in particular, has been killed, and all of the evidence leads to Lily Yu's boss, Ruben Brooks. Lily is sidelined in the investigation, not quite trusted, but her unique skills are necessary. At the same time, she'll find herself confronting a choice between her duty as an FBI agent and her responsible to Rule a...more

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Jun 18, 2013 Gilbert Stack rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like this urban fantasy series. While the core of the stories are about humans and werewolves, the universe works because Wilks has developed a sophisticated magic system which forms the Newtonian physics of her universe. It provides for demons, dragons, the fey court and potentially dozens of other magical creatures seamlessly coming together in the novels. There is always a good mystery and plenty of action, and the romances—especially the maturing romances—are depicted with great ski...more

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Nov 27, 2011 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was another exciting episode in the World of the Lupi series. Lily and Rule are in Washington, DC to testify before Congress. One of the senators who is extremely anti-magic is murdered and, when Lily investigates, she finds out he was killed with death magic. Also, it looks like it was her boss Ruben Brooks who killed him. It is obviously a frame-up but it is very well-constructed.

Lily and Rule have to find out who is using the death magic. They also have to find a new home for the Wythe m...more This was another exciting episode in the World of the Lupi series. Lily and Rule are in Washington, DC to testify before Congress. One of the senators who is extremely anti-magic is murdered and, when Lily investigates, she finds out he was killed with death magic. Also, it looks like it was her boss Ruben Brooks who killed him. It is obviously a frame-up but it is very well-constructed.

Lily and Rule have to find out who is using the death magic. They also have to find a new home for the Wythe mantle which is being carried by Lily even though she is not lupi and can't use it. However, the mantle is doing bad things to Lily. While it is healing the arm muscles that were hurt in the previous book, it is also sending out tendrils into her brain and causing mini-strokes (which it is also healing). This causes major problems for Rule since he is the one who encouraged her to take the mantle. It is damaging his trust in the Lady that all the lupi have vowed to support. The lupi are the earthly weapon of the Lady who is an Old One and who is battling another Old One that the lupi call the Great Bitch. Neither can work directly in the human realm but both can find agents. The Lady has the lupi. Thus far they have been able to thwart the attempts of the Great Bitch's agents in their attempt to bring chaos to the human realm.

Those who oppose the attempts of the Great Bitch have formed a secret unit. Lily's FBI boss is the leader, Rule is second in command. But when Lily is asked to join, she can't. Her image of herself is as a cop and she can't see herself operating without the bounds of the law. But when Lily is also framed for a crime and is in danger of losing her job, she knows that she has to become part of this secret unit to stop that agents of the Great Bitch and to get her life back.

This story was exciting and entertaining. I highly recommend this series to lovers of urban fantasy. Lily is a wonderfully strong female character and Rule is a perfect romantic hero - strong, stubborn, supportive, and hotter than hot.
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Feb 15, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, fantasy, romance, paranormal, urban-fantasy, inter-racial

This is the eight installment of World of the Lupi, and it features Lilly and Rule. The face together a new danger posed to the whole human population stirred by the Great Bitch.

The world-building has interesting additions: the brownies, Deborah (Ruben’s wife), the earth elementals or the Shadow unit. However the plot is annoyingly obscure, it’s full of technicalities. It is impossible to keep place with the difference between calls, summons, types of powers, artifacts, etc. In the end, only Cul...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Dianne Socci-Tetro rated it 4 of 5 stars

DEATH MAGIC 4.5 Stars

If you have been following this series, you know that the Lupus’ Lady has created them to fight Her enemy (the one who cannot be named!) and anyone of the Wolves allies are also fighting the good fight. You also know that the FBI has a department that Ruben heads to investigate Magical Crimes. Ruben is a precog. Right? Well in this book we find that he is even more than a precog.

Well things change in this book, almost to the point of confusion and distress on the part of th...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Donna rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Death Magic (World of the Lupi #8) by Eileen Wilks

There are authors and series that you consider auto-buy. This is one of them for me. I always look forward with great anticipation to the next World of the Lupi book. Eileen Wilks has created a fantastic world of fantasy and drama.

In this latest installment Lily Yu and Rule Turner are in Washington D.C. to testify in front of a couple of subcommittees. As per normal for them nothing is ever quite that easy or straight forward. The “Humans First”...more

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Nov 23, 2011 Melindeeloo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shapeshifters, urban-fantasy

The time for subtlety is passed and the enemy of the Lupi escalates from covert skirmishes to all out public war and if key players do not move into different roles - for Lily, one that goes against who she 'is' - the losses will be staggering.

As others have mentioned the first half of the book was slow (even slower for those of us who broke down and read the excerpt at the end of Blood Magic, since we covered the same ground twice) and much of what went down in that part of the book ended up be...more The time for subtlety is passed and the enemy of the Lupi escalates from covert skirmishes to all out public war and if key players do not move into different roles - for Lily, one that goes against who she 'is' - the losses will be staggering.

As others have mentioned the first half of the book was slow (even slower for those of us who broke down and read the excerpt at the end of Blood Magic, since we covered the same ground twice) and much of what went down in that part of the book ended up being more set for the rest of the series than setup for the rest of the book. But even so, I still really liked Death Magic. Even with all of the setup there was still a good amount of action in the book and a really great twist - which was also a great relief for me since I was really anxious about the fate of a one of the characters that has been around since the beginning.

While the action was good, I loved how Wilks puts her cast through the ringer a bit this time. I love Rule - he is actually one of my favorite leading men - and it was good to watch him struggle through with his crisis of faith - when a goddess is pulling your strings and putting the one you love in danger it is hard not to feel a bit resentful after all - and how it is Lily, who hasn't had that same unshakable core of belief to draw on, who says the right things to help him through.

Other things that I loved: Cullen in all of his gorgeous sorcerous geekiness, the little bit of Isen ( what was here was good but more would have been even better), getting to meet Ruben's wife and to get a glimpse of the feelings that he has for her, dragons, and the Leidolph healer.

Nits: greedy fan that I am I missed Grandmother and would have like to see just a bit of Benedict and Arjenie (but they do have their own short story in Tied with a Bow, so I guess that's a consolation prize). And I would have liked more of Lily's brilliance put to use in unraveling the plot - normally it is her unique clarity that unlocks the mystery, this time though she gets a lot of help with the final answers.

So, with things heating up with 'she who must not be named' and the Lady reaching out and touching lots of someones I am wondering how many books are left, seems like there can't be too many more. But I'll take as many as I can get, because each time I finish one Wilks' books, Lupi fan girl that I am, I find myself wishing that my TBR pile wasn't so high - I'd love to go back and do a reread of the series, it's just that good.
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Nov 04, 2011 ~Megan~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-demons, favorite-authors, pnr-uf, shifters-werewolves, witches-wizards-magic-fae, shifters-cats, shifters-other, best-heroes-ever

Loved this latest installment to one of my very favorite series! So many things are going on, and so many of them surprised me. It's awesome that we are on book 8 now and Wilks can still manage to do that.

I'm so looking forward to what will happen with the war, and with Ruben Brooks. I missed everyone back at Clanhome, but I'm hoping we'll get back there in the next book!

I love Lily and Rule!

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Jan 06, 2012 Anna (Bobs Her Hair) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: UF or PNR fans

Grade: B+

Thank you Goodread friends for bringing this series to my attention. Eileen Wilks has such an imagination; the World of Lupi is rich and detailed. She creats her own spin to the werewolf lore. Love the demons, witches, dragons, sidhe, brownies, gifted, and sorcerers. Her characters are engaging. Lily Yu is smart and sexy in an understated way. Rule Turner is a smooth werewolf, excuse me, lupi; he's not a uber alpha but he tries his hardest to keep Lily safe while also trying to respect...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Trish rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lily and Rule are right in the muck of things again. Recovering from an attempt on Ruben Brooks life. Lily is faced with a decision that goes against her grain.

Ruben forms a 'Ghost' unity that will operate in secret and outside the law. Lily being Lily refuses to join when advised of the group, but Rule has no reservations.

This causes a few problems for our fav duo Lily and Rule, but it also deepens the true bond between them. Their relationship and bond becomes stronger. Cullen as always is go...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Stella rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Urban Fantasy fans, Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Vincent, Kim Harrison fans

Recommended to Stella by: Danielle from ALPHA Reader recommended the series

Shelves: 2011, for-review, urban-fantasy, paranormal

Not only have I heard of Eileen Wilks' World of the Lupi UF series, I have also read the prequel and first book, but when Eileen Wilks asked me to review Death Magic I was a bit worried (terrified would do more justice to what I felt). Why? Because jumping into a story with the 8th book without having any prior knowledge what took place in the previous 7 novels was more than a bit daunting. But I can tell you that despite starting Death Magic without practically any prior knowledge of the world,...more

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Jun 21, 2011 Angela James rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, arc, urban-fantasy, my-faves

I have such mad love for this series, and for Lily and Rule. Things happen in this particular book that fans of the series won't anticipate, but are quite interesting.

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Sep 12, 2012 Jodi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read

This is a more of a world building book than a relationship book. Plenty of action scenes and lots of critical series development. But though Lily and Rule got lots of time together, this book was bigger than them. But it meant that it mattered less to me. (Personal opinion.) Lily is forced to choice between being FBI and joining Ruben's shadow force. She can't do it. She can't give up her essential self. But of course, it isn't that simple. Ruben is being targeted. It would be easy if it was ju...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Paraphrodite rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lily and Rule save the day again! I think the World of the Lupi is one of those underrated paranormal series. But I have to say, Eileen Wilks doesn't lack imagination! The world is getting more and more complicated and I must admit I get totally lost when all those spells and magical elements are explained....probably because I'm not Gifted :)

Lily's attitude towards her job as a cop always reminds me of Eve Dallas (from JD Robb's In Death series) and Rule also reminds me of a werewolf version of...more

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Jan 10, 2012 Loralee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Considering I jumped into the series at book 8, this read surprisingly well. The plot went all over the place, but ended up getting tied nicely together, and any book that has both werewolf politics and DC congressional subcommittees has my approval. Main character Lily Chu (?) is a policewoman investigating the use of magic in a world where magical creatures are starting to reintegrate into society, as well as the fiance of a werewolf, as well as...let's just say she can multitask. Favorite sce...more

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Nov 14, 2011 SephiriaL rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ongoing-series-to-continue, urban-fantasy

Wonderful work by Ms Wilks as always. Death Magic has a strong plot that was fast-moving with interesting twists that kept you guessing. and some MAJOR events that will definitely have repercussions in future books. I think Lily is one of my favourite heroines. She's smart, rational and never gets bogged down by angst. I get frustrated with the multitude of heroines who create so much unnecessary drama simply because they don't understand the meaning of communication. The awesomeness of Lily is...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Mello ❣ Illium ✮Harry✮ ☀Myrnin☀ Torin Ichimaru rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, awesome-heroines, hawt-heroes, magic, police, shapeshifters, supernatural, urban-fantasy, werewolves, romance, action, commence-insanity, dat-twist, did-that-just-happen, favorites, i-cant-even, intense-as-all-hell, read-in-2013, paranormal, sorcerers

Synopsis:

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 On...more Synopsis:

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.

My Thoughts:

Once again, Lily and Rule are in DC. Rule to talk to a Senator about some legislation and Lily to be questioned by that same Senator on events that occurred when the mountain that Friar's home was on collapsed. Only, it turns that there's some setups going on.

Lily and Rule visit with Ruben and his wife Deborah at a dinner party that Ruben holds at his house. He then asks Lily and Rule to stay afterwards along with Dr. Fagin whom we met a few books back. During this meeting, Lily learns that Ruben, Rule and Fagin are involved in something she wants no part of-a unit working outside of the law in order to fight the war against her. Lily won't rat on them, but she doesn't want to get involved because she's a cop all the way down and not doing things by the book tend to set her teeth on edge. She's initially upset that Rule has been keeping secrets from her, but she gets over it. She tries to prod him for info from time to time, but quickly realizes that he won't and can't tell her anything if she isn't willing to join the Shadow Unit.

We also learn that Ruben has been having some really disturbing dreams about the future and they are what lead him to start the Shadow Unit in the first place. And She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named sure wants Ruben out of the way. So they set him up and they do a pretty good job of it, too. When Lily learns Ruben is going to be arrested, she does something she should not do, but the bad guys totally expect her to do. And the result of that is something really unexpected and we learn just why Lily was holding the Wythe mantle. I really did not see that coming at all. I knew there was a reason that the Lady wanted to lupi allied with Ruben, but to do this? That was a shock. The other result from Lily doing what she did is that she gets thrown in jail. That was both a shock and not. It did lead her to making a decision, though. One Ruben previously told Rule that they really needed her to make.

I really liked this one. I was on edge wondering how they would come out on top of this. And who would have thought that a troop of Brownies would save the day? There's death magic, people trying to kill Cullen-again, set ups, traps, earth elementals and serious game changing surprises all over the place. Also, Isen was there. Wilks is really upping the ante here and I can't help but to wonder just how Lily, Rule and the rest of the lupi will beat her at her game. I'm always so worried someone's going to die. So far, so good, but it's always such a near thing! Heck, this time, Lily even ends up with her own pet ghost. Go fig.

Here's hoping the momentum keeps up.(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-romance, werewolf-shapeshifter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Setting: Washington DC – FBI office, clan home,

Theme:
Love, childhood expectations vs adult realities, priorities, hate/prejudice,

Characters:
Lily Yu – asked to be in Washington to testify about what happened in previous book… The War is warming up… Lily is confronted with an invite to join Shadow Unit – a non-regulated private group of humans and other normals to counteract the Bitch (and her Humans First group)… at first she declines, she is law, not outside the law… but when set up and almost...more

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Mar 31, 2012 Mara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

This is one of the best series in UF: it has an incredible complex world, it mixes detective, mystery and urban fantasy and sprinkle every thing with a dash of romance.

The heroine is unusual, not only in her heritage (Chinese), but in her personality: rational, cold-minded in stressful situation, knowledgeable, ever the cop. (To the point that some time I wish for a more instinctual reaction, more gut and less brain in a way :D) The same can be said for the hero, dominant yes, alpha idiotic no....more

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Dec 07, 2011 Kt from A Book Obsession.. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: received-for-review, hardcopy

Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

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 know...more Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..

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.(less)

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About Eileen Wilks

Eileen Wilks’ first book, a Silhouette Desire published in 1996, hit the USA Today Bestseller List and was nominated for Romantic Times' Best First Short Contemporary award. Since then, her books have appeared consistently on national bestseller lists. With thirty two books in print and novellas in nine anthologies, she has been a finalist in the prestigious Rita Awards three times, as well as rec...more Eileen Wilks’ first book, a Silhouette Desire published in 1996, hit the USA Today Bestseller List and was nominated for Romantic Times' Best First Short Contemporary award. Since then, her books have appeared consistently on national bestseller lists. With thirty two books in print and novellas in nine anthologies, she has been a finalist in the prestigious Rita Awards three times, as well as receiving several nominations from Romantic Times, including one for Career Achievement in Series Romantic Suspense.

Each book in her World of the Lupi series gains a larger audience. It was originally sold in the Romance section of bookstores, but more and more you will be able to find copies cross-shelved under Sci-Fi and Fantasy as the popularity of the series grows!

Eileen has lived in the West Texas town of Midland, TX for over 30 years--three years as a young teen, and the remaining years since she moved back here as an adult. When she first started writing over 10 years ago, it hit her like the first drink for an alcoholic . . . or the first kiss for Romeo and Juliet.

She came to writing romance in a roundabout way. Having read and loved science fiction for years, that’s where she first tried her hand when the writing bug bit. Somehow her stories always ended up having a strong romantic subplot, but she hadn’t read a romance since the early 80’s and didn’t think “those little books” were her kind of stories. But when a friend in her critique group began working on a romance novel, Wilks decided she needed to give the genre another try. She asked her friend to recommend some titles--and quicker than you can say “Jayne Ann Krentz,” she fell in love. The genre had been busy growing up while she wasn’t watching. These days, with romances comprising over 50% of the mass market books published in the U.S., there are romances to appeal to almost every taste--historicals, paranormals and contemporaries that range from romantic suspense to romantic comedy, from inspirational to sizzling.

Eileen covered a lot of territory before coming home to Midland, having lived in Canada and Venezuela as well as twelve U.S. cities in five states.

Profile taken from the author's site with her permission.(less)

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Quotes from Death Magic

“(Lily and Rule discussing wedding plans...)

"You want to get married by Carl?"

"Your father's cook?"

"Yes, and I've been wanting to talk about the doves."

"Doves." Her eyes widened in horror. "My mother wanted doves."

"Perhaps she had a point. Wouldn't it look splendid, releasing a few dozen white doves all at once to carry our message of hope and love up to --"

"Your are so full of shit." But she started laughing. "Doves, sure. Our guests would love some flying hors d'oeuvres. Maybe we should have some cute little bunnies for them to chase after the ceremony instead of cake, sending our message of fuzzy, yummy love to flesh eaters everywhre.” — 4 people liked it

“There is no place on you I can’t love, and love grants me entry . . .” — 3 people liked it

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Death Magic (World of the Lupi #8)

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