Mortal Sins (World of the Lupi, Book 5)
by Eileen Wilks
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Book Reviews of Mortal Sins (World of the Lupi, Book 5)
Book Review: Another Satisfying and Suspenseful Trip to Wilk's Lupi World with Rule and Lily
Summary: 5 Stars
In Mortal Sins, Wilks does a great job of building on her Lupi world and culture while playing the suspense elements of the hunt for a mysterious magical killer against the all the nuances of the relationships between her characters. The relationship between the starring pair, luscious Lupi shapeshifter `prince' Rule Turner and his bonded mate Lily Yu, is especially well developed. There is a reality to Lily and Rule's established romance in the way that they work together and in how they know each other so well. But theirs isn't the only important relationship in the book, the interactions between Rule and his son Toby, and between Lily and local law enforcement and regular FBI units working the case - the different personalities and prejudices that Lily encounters - and Lily and Rule's interactions with Cullen, Toby's grandmother, and the Leidolf wolves bring the supporting cast to life too.
I just loved Mortal Sins, and I devoured it much too quickly - I couldn't bear to put it down and in order to make it last longer. Wilks' World of the Lupi is one of my few keeper series and this book goes on that shelf too. But if you are a newcomer to the series the story won't necessarily be confusing, Wilks does cover the big things - the mate bond, some of the Lupi culture, and Lily and Rule's time in Dis - but after four books and three short stories to build her complex detailed world there is a great deal of history coming along with the characters. As a fan I really appreciate how good Wilks is good at using the world she's created and the way that she pulls elements from previous books together, the odd trip to Dis in the second book gains a purpose here. Also the investment in characters that we've grown to love over the course of the series adds an additional emotional punch to some of the scenes here - the aftermath of Lily's run in with the cold spirit is a powerful case in point - I found Lily and Rule's loss devastating. But even as she pulls from the past, Wilks sets up for the future - background events in Mortal Sins set up some interesting conflicts for books to come - and whet my appetite for more.
So I definitely recommend Mortal Sins to current and future Lupi fans. I only wish that I didn't have to wait so long for the next one.
--Synopis--
In town awaiting a custody hearing, Lupi shapeshifterRule Turner is out on a four-footed run when his wolfish sense of smell leads him to a shallow grave and three ravaged murder victims. Since the victims bear the taint of death magic, Rule's bonded mate Lily Yu, a member of the FBI's Magical Crimes Unit, takes charge of the case and is forced to deal not only with the small town predjudices against her connection to the Lupi, but she also has to convince the locals that the apparent murderer is not the true killer and that the one they seek is most likely not even human. And if the hunt for entities unknown isn't enough, Lily's trying to support Rule as an upsetting discovery about his son Toby shatters Rule's legendary control and Toby's human mother, who left Toby to her mother to raise, turns up unexpectedly to demand full custody of Rule's son.
Book Review: Lily And Rule Are Still Great
Summary: 4 Stars
I was very glad to get back to Lily and Rule as the main characters. I think that switching to a different set of lead characters for a book or two was a great idea to keep the series fresh, and I was really excited to read about Cynna and Cullen originally, but I ended up not really enjoying their storyline that much. So, getting back to Lily and Rule was something of a relief.
This isn't a series that I feel you can pick up in the middle. Each book builds on each other and I think you'll lose the attachment and care you'd have after reading the other books if you jumped into the series here. I think this series is good enough to make reading all of the books worth it, but that's just me. :)
I really liked getting to see more of Toby in this book. His very existence is so important to Rule that I've been craving more information about their relationship. I certainly got that here, and I was very pleased by how that whole situation resolved.
Occasionally things got a bit slow while reading, but it always ended up picking back up. The storyline with Toby and the storyline with the magically influenced murders really kept my attention. I think Wilks does an excellent job making Lily's job seem lifelike and interesting without boring the reader with too much tedious detail.
Rule and Lily continue to be the main draw of this series. Even after so many books in the series I still find their relationship interesting to read about. The author continues to have them work through the issues that arise and shows them both working to navigate the unfamiliar waters of the mate bond.
I think one of my favorite things about this series is that in the midst of all these paranormal creatures, Lily and Rule seem like a normal couple doing the best that they can to work out their issues to make sure their relationship continues to be happy. And I don't mean normal as in Romance couple normal, I mean real life normal.
Lily and Rule talk things out and don't have huge misunderstandings that create high drama for the reader. They disagree and they occasionally snipe, but if they're mad they usually back away and then come back together later to try to work things out. They don't scream and throw things and play the hate game. They seem real and I love them for it. Don't get me wrong, I like drama, but I crave relationships like this in more of my books.
I loved the way that this story developed, but I feared for a while there that I would have to reach through the book and strangle a certain mother. I CANNOT believe she did that. I know that she loves him (even if it's not healthy) but I still haven't forgiven her, even if other characters have. I wouldn't be displeased at all to hear that something unfortunate had occurred and she would never again be able to mess up their lives.
The end of this book had my eyebrows shooting up in surprise. I had been wondering if that would ever crop up, and I'm excited to see where the author goes with it.
Book Review: Mortal Sins
Summary: 5 Stars
Lily Yu is with her lover and mate, Rule Turner, in North Carolina on personal family business. Lily is a member of the FBI's Magical Crimes Division and when you are mated to the lu nuncio of the Nokolai werewolf clan, nothing is as simple as taking time off to deal with personal issues. The trip is so that Rule can gain custody of his son and deal with a little bit of clan business.
When bodies are found and death magic is apparent (a federal crime), Lily is pressed into service to discover what is going on in the North Carolina woods. Nothing is adding up and suspects are becoming victims as the investigation goes on. If that wasn't enough to confuse things, the mother of Rule's son has appeared and she has an agenda of her own. Lily and Rule have to use every one of their advantages and bring in friends to solve the crime and keep the entire family safe and together forever.
Mortal Sins adds yet another chapter in Lily and Rule's lives. This time they have to track down an illusive murderer while dealing with unexpected issues concerning the custody hearing for Rule's son. I love the twisty turns that happen when Lily and Rule have to combine both their responsibilities and try to stay within their respective rules. Lily and Rule become more and more in love as the book unfolds and the danger come up close and personal. There were several places where I was wondering what would happen next and I have to admit that I could not figure out who was the real criminal was or how close it would come to Rule and Lily. I was very happy and shocked by the ending and can't wait for the next chapter in Rule and Lily's lives. Mortal Sins is a great paranormal suspense filled book that will keep you scratching you head. While it could be read alone, I would probably suggest reading the series in order as each book is building the lives of Lily, Rule and their friends and family.
Jo
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Book Review: Best One Yet!
Summary: 5 Stars
Lily and Rule are back in the forefront in this book. What started out as a trip to pick up Rule's son, Toby, quickly turns into a huge mess when Rule stumbles upon three bodies stinking of death magic. Of course Lily is assigned the case, but she quickly learns things are not as they seem. To complicate things further, Toby's mother is now trying to contest Rule gaining custody. Adding into the trouble is the mess with Rule holding both the Leidolf and Nokolai mantles, and all the politics that ensue. When Rule tries to handle some of his duties to Nokolai, the mate bond between Lily and Rule throws a wrench in those plans.
I really do not like the way people treat Lily in this book because of her relationship with Rule. Its a wonder to think that she hid her gift all those years to shield herself from such ridicule, but in the end it comes anyway for a different reason. It just goes to show that there will always be prejudices no matter the race or species for that matter. At least Lily has a tough skin, and it seems to bother me more than her, but perhaps I've just developed a major soft spot for her.
This book kept me guessing the entire time. The brief glimpses into the "killer's" mind were very intriguing and made only want to read faster to figure out who it was. In the end, the culprit turned out to be a really interesting and unexpected twist. To stop the killings some hard choices had to be made, but I think even with the consequences things will work out in the end for the better.
The ending of this book was by far the best so far of any books in The World of the Lupi series. However, while there was definite happiness, I think the ending events are going to reek major havoc in future books. I cannot wait to read the next book to see how things work out. Some series start to fizzle after a few books, but this one is the opposite. It is definitely getting better and better the further into I get.
Book Review: Gorgeously detailed
Summary: 5 Stars
FBI agent Lily Yu is in love with Rule Turner, heir to the Nokolai werewolf clan. Luckily for her, the Lady the lupi revere Chose her for Rule, making her his mate, allowing them to bond in a way that most werewolves can't and giving them the chance for an exclusive relationship.
Lily's on vacation, joining Rule as he travels to visit the son the humans don't know he has. It's time for him to take custody of the boy and introduce him to his clan. There are just two things that pop up to mess everything up. A series of brutal murders has occurred in the boy's town, linked by the unlikely presence of death magic--naturally, the FBI requires Lily to take over the investigation. And Toby's mother has suddenly decided that she wants custody of her son, after years of paying little attention to him.
To make everything more difficult, nothing seems to add up. The local law enforcement knows who committed the murders--but Lily's convinced it isn't the obvious suspect's fault. Lily's having a devil of a time getting the police to get over their anti-werewolf prejudices. Rule is having some issues of his own with the local Leidolf clan, and Toby and friends may be in a danger of their own.
This is a great mystery that definitely held me enthralled and kept me glued to my seat. The romance and mild eroticism are low-key; the mystery, suspense, and paranormal sides of the genre equation take center stage. The characters and world are intriguing, and the solution to the murders is unusual and thought-provoking. It would be easy for many of the characters to fall into well-established grooves, but instead they carry their own surprises. Even better, Ms. Wilks has a skill with description and narrative that truly bring a world and its characters alive, creating full personaliies in quick, sure strokes.