Blood Challenge by Eileen Wilks
Paranormal Romance – Jan 4th, 2010
4 ½ stars

Blood Challenge is the 7th in Eileen Wilk’s phenomenal Lupi/shifter series. This series is involving and complex. It does for werewolves what J R Ward’s series does for vampires. Because of this, I feel that reading all of the books in order would be highly advisable but not strictly necessary.

FBI agent Lily Yu and her fiancée, the werewolf leader Rule Turner, will soon be married. However, not all humans are ready to acknowledge or accept shifters and Lily is threatened by hate crimes. Lily’s job in the FBI calls her to a case involving a rash of murders by an out of control werewolf. She and Rule must travel to investigate. But Lily soon finds that these murders are not all that they seem and soon her investigation uncovers fairies, witches and a powerful madman. Can she stop a man bend on revenge?

Benedict is the dour older brother to Rule. He is happy that his brother has found his Chosen/mate but his disastrous past with his Chosen keeps him free from entanglements. But fate has other ideas when the Lady chooses another woman named Arjenie for Benedict, the one he tries to resist. But Arjenie has secrets that may be the key to the survival of the Lupi and their attraction for each other will not be denied.

Readers who love this series will not be disappointed. This is a thick book with many subplots. I think it is my favorite since the very first book, Tempting Danger, came out! I really like Lily and am glad the author has returned to her and Rule being the main characters. They have a real chemistry and the Lupi politics and Lily’s crime solving make their storylines absorbing.

But I was even more surprised by how much I enjoyed Benedict’s storyline. He has always seemed stoic and mysterious, and I am thrilled to find out about his past and his failed (and tragic) relationship with his previous Chosen. In this book, he is given a 2nd chance when the Lady picks another Chosen for him - a mysterious woman named Arjenie, who knows more than she lets on. However, Benedict’s miserable history prevents him from seeking her out as most Lupi would do. He feels like a failure and doesn’t want another woman in his life. His relationship with Arjenie is fascinating and well worth the price of the book alone! I am so happy he finally gets someone worthy of him. (About time!) This book definitely made Benedict more human and sympathetic. His scenes and his interactions with Arjenie are gripping. He is an even better a character than I expected, and I might like him a little better than Rule now!

As usual, the author does not stint on a complex plot and some very 3 dimensional characters. As I mentioned earlier, the best part of this story is how Benedict is really revealed. I loved learning more about him and how the author makes him a lot more human and approachable. This book is thick and feels like 2 books in 1 but the different storylines never felt choppy and eventually meld.

Multilayered and thrilling, this is a paranormal romance that will knock your socks off! If you love shifters, urban fantasies, or dark paranormals with some serious bite, get this book.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Book Club