2016 Series Read: Eileen Wilks' "World of the Lupi"

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Ah well, life happens Vivian. I'm sure you'll get to it soon :)

Grandma is so mysterious, love her. And whilst you find out stuff along the way, she is still mysterious. She could definitely pull off a whole book.

[Vivian]

halfway through #2 and it's good stuff. Really hard to put down because there are so many secrets and I want them all revealed! Definitely feeling in the dark with Lily here.

Gan: (view spoiler)[If Gan possesses Lily, wouldn't Rule be aware? Seems like it'd be difficult to pull off. (hide spoiler)]
Love the ever mysterious Benedict, (view spoiler)[can't wait until we learn more about him and his Chosen. And Nettie is his daughter?! At the moment, feeling like it's a secret twist thrown in for the sake of it but I guess it emphasizes the aging process. Definitely unexpected (hide spoiler)]
Cullen might be my current favorite. Who wouldn't love an exotic dancing sorcerer lol

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

LOL too true Vivian, Cullen is just a sorcerer of extremes :)

[Vivian]

(view spoiler)[dragons (hide spoiler)]That was a wtf moment (0.o)

I can't wrap my brain around it. This is a book where(view spoiler)[a person was essentially cloned and one half sent to hell, people use magic to open portals to other worlds and of course the whole man turns into werewolf thing. But dragons in hell, that just weirds me out lol (hide spoiler)]

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Well, they went there of their own accord Vivian, they don't actually come from there.

[Vivian]

Sandra wrote: "Well, they went there of their own accord Vivian, they don't actually come from there."

Did this book mention how they got where they were? I like Sam but was just reaallly not expecting him to pop up when he did. Didn't mean to sound like it was a bad thing, I was just surprised and tripped out a little :)

I like Lily and Rule and how their relationship is slowly progressing, it's not smooth sailing but they're trying.

On to book 3 - (view spoiler)[more Cullen and Cynna please! (hide spoiler)]

[Steph, Serious series addict]

LOL! Now you've got me itchin' to return to the series! I've been trying to hold off until I start #4, but - like you - I wanna know all the secrets now! :D

And, Cullen, yep! Ditto!

Wait till ya get started on 3! :)

[AH]

Vivian - re your spoiler.....(view spoiler)[ you'll see more of them soon. (hide spoiler)]

[Vivian]

This series is so addicting. Finished book 3 and really want to continue on! So much happens in these stories and I would expect it to be too much but it works. Also lots of interesting characters! I like that it isn't just the Rule and Lily show.

AH - I definitely got to see more of them and looking forward to even more!

Cynna (view spoiler)[has been thrown into the mix - future Rhej, Cullen's baby mama. As soon as she started talking about being on the pill... (hide spoiler)]

Grandmother might really be my hero. I want to be her when I grow up. And (view spoiler)[her and Sam. Did not see that one coming! But I guess he did tell Lily to say hi for him in the previous book. (hide spoiler)]

Lupi stuff(view spoiler)[Brady was a bad seed and bound to bring trouble, glad we are rid of him. The Leidolf clan is in need of change. This double mantle thing just adds questions, which makes it harder not to dive into the next book. (hide spoiler)]

And poor Cullen (view spoiler)[keeps losing body parts! (hide spoiler)]

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Vivian, you can read on if you like, just remember to use the spoiler tags :D

I know how addicting they are :)

[AH]

You are all so lucky that she's finished so many books. When I started this series, I had to wait for the new books.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Vivian wrote: "This series is so addicting."

Right?! I'm sure I'll start #4 before April. I have them all on my Kindle just patiently waiting for me to open them. They're hard to pass by for something else.

"lots of interesting characters! I like that it isn't just the Rule and Lily show."

I love that too!

Cynna: (view spoiler)[ Yeah, I kinda saw that one coming too (preggers), but she got A LOT to handle with both and is trying her best to deny it all, poor thing. But, yay for Cullen - he's gonna be a baby daddy! :D (hide spoiler)]

"Grandmother might really be my hero. I want to be her when I grow up."
Absolutely! :D

"And poor Cullen" ... (view spoiler)[ "keeps losing body parts!" I know! OUCH! Knowing it'll grow back doesn't take away from the OH DAMN! feeling when I read about those. (hide spoiler)]

Yeah, I don't feel for ya there, AH. I'm always wishing I could read "that" series for the first time, so it's nice to be on the flip side this time. >:)

[Vivian]

Sandra wrote: "Vivian, you can read on if you like, just remember to use the spoiler tags :D

I know how addicting they are :)"

Lol thanks Sandra! I will wait at least a few days because my reading has been occurring during normal sleeping hours and my body can't handle the lack of sleep haha.

#4 is waiting for me too Steph and there is no way I'm holding out until April.

AH - I am very excited about the lack of wait! It's great to be able to barrel on through. I did that with the psy-changelings and it was glorious!!

[Vivian]

Read book 4 and while a sort of slower pace, I really liked it. Missing Rule and Lily though and looking forward to more of them in the next book.

[KarenF]

I've been reading along too but haven't had a chance to post. I finished the first 2 and I'm starting #3 soon. Maybe later tonight - reading this thread has me rethinking my original reading plan and wanting more Cullen!

I'm mostly caught up with my favorite UF series so I've been digging back into some "older" ones that I didn't read a few years ago. I'm so glad I got the push on this one. I'm really enjoying the blend of mystery and paranormal and I'm really engaged with all the characters. The fated mate thing can either work or not for me and I think it's well done here, at least so far.

Also count me in with those who love Grandmother. I actually missed her in book 2. As I creak into my middle years I become more and more happy when the older ladies get to kick some ass and take some names. This is book 1 but I'll spoiler it anyway just in case (view spoiler)[I may have squealed, fist pumped and jumped around on my couch when the reveal came. When Lily heard the roar and thought "oh thank god, grandmother". I'm smiling again thinking about it. (hide spoiler)]

Thanks again for the push to read this series! OK, I can't take it - on to book 3. :)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Yay Karen! And loving kickass grandmother too :D

[Daffodil]

This has grown into one of my favorite series, so I'm glad so many are enjoying it. I still haven't had a chance to buy #12 from November yet, but it's at the top of my list.

I don't know if everyone is reading the short stories, but you might want to consider reading Inhuman from before reading . Kai and Nathan make an appearance. You won't really miss out on anything by skipping it, but you'll recognize them if you have. I would definitely read it before you get to book #11 Unbinding though. (view spoiler)[They're the major players in that book. (hide spoiler)]

And if you're interested in how Cullen got (view spoiler)[those fancy shields (hide spoiler)] you should read Originally Human from

[Vivian]

Thanks for the suggestion Daffodil!

I read without reading and it was fine, added a little more intrigue and mystery not knowing who Kai and Nathan are but definitely interested in reading the short now!

As for Cullen - yes!! Originally Human is now on hold. I was thinking that would be revealed in a later story since it seems like in the series he still isn't sure where(view spoiler)[ the shields came from (hide spoiler)] though I guess I could have missed something :)

[Daffodil]

Nope, you haven't missed any info. The entire incident (view spoiler)[what really happened during the time Cullen's missing, which led to the shields (hide spoiler)] has only been revealed in that short story-- so far.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Thanks so much for alerting me to those! I usually check for shorts when I get into a series, but I forgot to that with this one. I'm anxious to continue on to #4 and SUPER excited about Cullen's short! :D

[Art (aka Whistler Reads)]

I'm reading another author/genre today, when I start, I''ll probably read straight thru, is that OK???

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Yep, that's fine Art :)

[Steph, Serious series addict]

I've jumped ahead (I blame Mr. R & BSB) to and I'm lovin' it so far.

[Sam]

I am going to join this group read with you. I have previously read books 1 & 2, but I need to go back and re-read them as I have forgotten most of the characters. Hopefully, I'll catch up with you soon.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Yay Sam, the more the merrier :)

[Sam]

So finished book 1. I had apparently mixed this series up with another one so it came as a good surprise. My thoughts:

Rule- (view spoiler)[seems to be rather level headed; obviously why he was chosen as the heir. It sounded to me like it was Toby's mom that was keeping them apart rather than his choice, but I could be wrong. He was definitely upset when Lily basically called him a deadbeat dad. He was surprised and almost unhappy to get a Chosen; it sounded like he really didn't want one and was thankful they were so rare-- oops. But he seems to be adjusting well. I must say that I really appreciated that he didn't rush Lily. It was insta-lust but not insta-love. I get the feeling that Rule doesn't really know much about love; hopefully Lily will be able to teach him. (hide spoiler)]

Lily- (view spoiler)[obviously a thinker. Every time she gets flustered, she wants to stop and think things through. Not happy with the mate bond but willing to give it a chance. Was definitely relieved that Rule was off the market now and she didn't have to worry about infidelity. Horrible what happened in her childhood. It was tough watching her question the actions of her hero (Capt Randall). I still feel like she got railroaded into joining the FBI unit and I haven't figured out how this will work with the mate bond thing; she can't be that far from Rule but I'm not sure he can go running around the world with her either. She seems to get along well with Grandmother, but doesn't have a lot in common with the rest of the family; looking forward to seeing more intra-family interaction. With Grandmother's secret, I wonder if there is more to Lily than just a sensitive; she does seem to be a super sensitive. (hide spoiler)]

Cullen- (view spoiler)[ I did read the short story Originally Human first so I do know about his shields. I think Michael was right about him but I'm not sure Cullen's search for power/knowledge would necessarily make him evil. It was sad to hear his clan cut him lose when he wouldn't give up his sorcery; wonder how old he was. Glad he is Nikolai now, though he might chafe at some of his new restrictions/responsibilities. Looking forward to seeing more of him. (hide spoiler)]

Nikolai clan- (view spoiler)[ I know Mick was brainwashed, but I got the impression that he went looking for a way to get rid of Rule before he was brainwashed, so he was at least starting down the path of evil. Probably one of the reason's Dad didn't pick him for heir. He had already shown that he hated Rule by trying to kill him during the challenge. So though he redeemed himself at the end, I still blame him for a lot of what happened. I like the Rho and look forward to seeing more of him. Loved Nettie, must be hard to be healer for these tough as nails Lupi. Not sure how she fits in with the lack of females but I'm sure we'll find out more later. Looking forward to more Toby. And Benedict, you can just tell that he has a story. I'm assuming that losing his Chosen (I'm assuming that is what happened though we don't know if she just left or was killed) changed him and this is why Rho didn't choose him for heir. (hide spoiler)]

FBI unit- (view spoiler)[ looking forward to seeing more of these people. Would love to get some backstory of Karonski and Rule. And how did "ordinary" Croft get mixed up with this bunch. Was intrigued by the precognitive wheelchair bound Boss; can't wait to see more of him. (hide spoiler)]

Reading this book, it was obvious it was the beginning of a series. Nice slow buildup, lots of questions unanswered, left you wanting more. No cliffhanger ending, which is good. Nice world building; very realistic- could see this happening if werewolves were real, humans being what they are.

Solid 4 stars. Now off to read the next book.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Very insightful Sam. You've obviously thought deeply about all the characters, or some really good guesses.

[Sam]

Sandra wrote: "Very insightful Sam. You've obviously thought deeply about all the characters, or some really good guesses."

Mostly guesses. My mind is always going when I read a book. I'm always coming up with questions and waiting for the answers. I make lots of assumptions, which sometimes come and bite me on the rear. I can't read a murder story without trying to solve it; though I'm almost always wrong. I was obviously not meant to be a detective.

[Sam]

Finished book 2. I had trouble with some parts of it, but overall liked the story.

Rule- I liked him more in this book, though he was still bossy at times. I think he is growing on me.

Lily- (view spoiler)[ this is the part I had trouble with; the whole two Lily story line with one being in Dis and one on Earth. Then the one sacrificed herself but was partially absorbed by the other. Not sure how I feel about all that. Glad it brought Rule and her closer though. (hide spoiler)]

Cynna- (view spoiler)[ apparently she's going to play a role in future books if she is going to become the next Nikolai Rhej. I wonder how that will work with her Finder skills. (hide spoiler)]

Gan- (view spoiler)[ sounds like little Gan might have gained a soul and is now female and shacked up with Max...ewww. It'll be interesting to see how she develops now that she is away from Dis. (hide spoiler)]

Sam- (view spoiler)[ I really liked Sam and hope to see more of him. I wonder how he knows Lily's grandmother and if him knowing her is one of the reasons he helped Lily so readily. I wonder where all the dragons are hiding on Earth now, there aren't that many places large enough for them to hide. (hide spoiler)]

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

As the dragons are what keeps the planes flying etc, I don't think they need to hide per se'. They have defined territories, and it is difficult to go see them because of the magic.

[Sam]

I'm not sure if anyone is still working on this series, but I finally found time to read book 3, Blood Lines. I liked it quite a bit more than the last book.

Poor Rule, he suffers a lot in this book. But he and Lily are stronger than ever. (view spoiler)[ What's up with the double mantle? That is either going to be a very good thing or a very bad thing down the road. (hide spoiler)]

Poor Cullen. (view spoiler)[ How many body parts is he going to lose? First it was his eyes and now his foot. But at least he has a baby to look forward to. (hide spoiler)]

Cece (view spoiler)[ Wonder who is going to adopt her and if she and Toby will hang out eventually, though she is a little young right now. It would be nice if Rule and Lily keep her, but I bet she'll go to someone in a less dangerous life style. (hide spoiler)]

Grandmother (view spoiler)[ was Sam's lover?!?!? And she is helping to broker a treaty between the dragons and the humans? Wow, what's next. Bet she has an amazing history. (hide spoiler)]

Now I'm off to read Inhuman, before moving on to the next full length novel. I'm not sure I'll catch up to the group this month, but should definitely get caught up in July for book 6.

[AH]

Re Rule (view spoiler)[ - the double mantle comes into play a lot throughout the series and allows Rule to do stuff that he could not have done previously (hide spoiler)]

Re Grandmother (view spoiler)[ She is so full of surprises and one of my favorite characters. (hide spoiler)]

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

I agree AH, I love Grandmother - what a character. LOL

Quite a few people read books from the series in the latest Bingo game, so people are reading, but not necessarily posting in this thread.

I always enjoy your insights Sam, cause its good to look at the books with fresh eyes :D

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Grandmother's definitely one of my favorites too!

[Sam]

One thing that I did think of when I was reading Blood Lines is (view spoiler)[ how it reminded me of the Kate Daniels series with magic coming back and ruining technology. Of course, Kate's world didn't have dragons to set things back. (hide spoiler)]

[Raquel (Rocki)]

Sam wrote: "One thing that I did think of when I was reading Blood Lines is [spoilers removed]"

I thought the same thing! I just finished book 5 and they talk a lot about that with hospitals malfunctioning.

[Sam]

I read Inhuman yesterday. I think Kai and Nathan are going to be great characters and I look forward to seeing Kai learn about her Gift.

I finished Night Season today. It was another good book in the series. But was it it with all this bouncing around to other realms? First it was Dis and its Edge. Though I liked the trip to Edge better than the trip to Dis. Steve is growing on me, I think he's going to be a bigger part in the series down the road.

Looking foward to (view spoiler)[ the birth of Cynna and Cullen's child. It will be interesting to see what kind of Gift s/he has, with a Finder for a mother and a sorceror lupus for a father. No matter what though, I think Cynna and Cullen will be supportive. They both had parental issues growing up and I think they will work hard to try and be the best parents they can be. It will also be interesting to see if the return of magic does lead to a fertility increase in the Lupi. I would like to see Lily and Rule have a child together. (hide spoiler)]

Gan (view spoiler)[ I'm not sure if it is good that she holds the medallion. She is still learning about herself and changing from a demon. She can still be malleable and it would not be entirely good if she molded herself completely like the gnomes. Though maybe is the others can stay in contact, they can help her make things better for everyone in Edge, especially the humans. (hide spoiler)]

Ashwa makes me sick when I think about it.

Looking forward to the next book. I wonder if it will be about Lily and Rule or the beginning of another lupus' story.

[Sam]

I enjoyed the two short stories regarding (view spoiler)[Cullen and Cynna's wedding. Wasn't expecting to see that. (hide spoiler)]

Finished Mortal Sins today. Really enjoyed getting back to Rule and Lily. Was exciting to see more Toby time (view spoiler)[and I'm super excited that Rule now has custody and he will be spending more time with his dad (hide spoiler)].

I was a bit surprised with the whole Leidolf mantle subplot. Wasn't expecting that! Not sure how that is going to play out. (view spoiler)[Maybe they'll end up combining the two clans? (hide spoiler)]

Lily and Rule's relationship has surely been through the wringer in the last few books. (view spoiler)[The whole mate bond breaking and then re-forming; the wedding proposal was unexpected. Hopefully their fertility will come back so he isn't given such a hard time about getting married. Though now that he is Rho, I guess it doesn't really matter what the other lupi think as much. (hide spoiler)]

Should be reading the next short story soon and then it'll be on to Blood Magic. I've almost caught up to the group read.

[Sam]

I read the short story Human Nature. It tells the story of what Rule and Lily are up to while Cullen and Cynna are off having adventures in Mortal Sins. It was an okay story, but I think it's major role is to introduce some new characters, who I feel will play a role in the future, especially Robert Friar. Possibly the reporter and the new Nokolai that we hadn't met before as well.

[AH]

I must admit that I haven't read any of the short stories and never really felt like I misses anything. maybe I'll read them one day when I run out of books.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

I've got that one TBR. So far, I've read the shorts 1.5 - 4.5. Just finished Blood Challenge (7) and was going to wait to start #8, but cannot, not after that ending.

[Sam]

I just finished Blood Magic (#6). I loved finding out more about Sam and Grandmother's pasts. And Lily's heritage. And that the mantle really likes Rule. I still think they are going to end up combining clans Leidolf and Nokolai (not sure why yet, but that's what I think is going to happen). Will be starting book 7 soon and then I'll be caught up with the group.

[Vivian]

Just finished Mortal Sins (5) and it is so good! It took me months of hemming and hawing, but once I started it was so hard to put down! This series really is a hidden gem, never would have picked it up if not for the challenge. Very sweet ending without a cliffhanger yay!

I see clan drama in the future, very curious how the (view spoiler)[double mantles will affect Rule and the two clans (hide spoiler)].

It might have been interesting if (view spoiler)[the mating bond was gone for longer thought not sure how that would be resolved in a later book. More curious how it would change Rule and Lily's relationship, I actually think it could have been a good thing (hide spoiler)]

In the beginning there was mention of (view spoiler)[Cynna and Cullen's wedding (hide spoiler)] and I was really questioning my memory before realizing it was probably a short story lol. Read Cyncerely Yours and it was great but ended too quickly!

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Vivian wrote: "... so hard to put down! This series really is a hidden gem ..."

I agree! I find I'm having to make myself not read them back-to-back. I did that with a couple so far, when I just couldn't wait to find out what happened next, but I don't want to catch up to current installment impatience stage. I'm excited that I still have several books on-hand to dive into without a wait.

[Sam]

Finished Blood Challenge today. Lots of thoughts running around in my head.

Yay, Benedict (view spoiler)[ I'm so glad that he has a new Chosen. Arjenie seems like she is going to be a good fit for him. It will be interesting to see how they work out. (hide spoiler)]

Yay C&C (view spoiler)[ They had a daughter! And she's lupi. I can just imagine all the pride/fear/turmoil this is going to cause them. Cullen never can do things the normal way. I wonder if she is going to be the only or if more females will become lupi. Sad that her birth indicates war is coming. (hide spoiler)]

Lily (view spoiler)[ Her power just seems to be growing and growing. Between them, she and Rule are now connected to 3 mantles, even if she can't really access the one she carries. I swear I feel like all the lupi clans will be joining (in some manner) for this upcoming war. And apparently Rule will be the war leader. I was interested in the decree to ally with Ruben. I wonder if its just because of his precognition skills, his leadership role in the Unit or something more that we haven't encountered yet. (hide spoiler)]

Friar (view spoiler)[ I knew when he was introduced in the short story that he was going to be a bigger player. I wonder what additional powers he got from that rite, because I don't believe he died. He's out there somewhere, with his drugs and his potions (though he has lost his potion maker). I hope he doesn't get access to one again. Worried about the gado that he has; I hope they find it and are able to destroy it. Nice to see that his anger/hatred can lead him to wrong decisions (he no longer has the explosives as they have been reclaimed). I dread seeing what else he will come up with in that evil little brain of his. (hide spoiler)]

At least I only have to wait a couple of days to start the next book. This series is really getting good now. It has a good pace and keeps one interested. I'm glad I decided to join this group read.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

I'm glad you decided to join us as well Sam. Always great getting fresh eyes on favourite series.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Ditto :)

[Sam]

I finished Death Magic and Human Error. This series is getting really good and the surprises just keep coming. (view spoiler)[ I never expected Ruben to be turned into a lupi AND be given a mantle. This certainly explains why the Lady wanted the lupi to ally with him. Not sure what this will mean in the future, but it could be handy to have a lupus in charge of the Unit. (hide spoiler)]
I liked seeing more of Fagin and was interested in his earth elemental. (view spoiler)[ Humans First took a big hit but Friar is still out there plotting. Who knows what he'll do next. Was sad to see the Nokolai Rhej die. Hopefully Cynna is ready to be Rhej. If she doesn't have all the memories yet, I wonder if another Rhej or the Lady can give them to her. (hide spoiler)]
I also enjoyed meeting the brownies. I hope we see more of them in the future.

Human Error was a nice little treat. Seeing Benedict in a new environment and a little out of place. (view spoiler)[ Skinwalkers (hide spoiler)] are always nasty pieces of work. Looks like we might see more of Sammy in the future too.

[Vivian]

6 done and ready for 7 but I also want to watch some hot swimmers do laps in Rio, life's tough choices lol.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

LOL I'm taping it so I only get to watch the good bits.