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World of the Lupi #4
Night Season
Pregnancy has turned FBI Agent Cynna Weaver's whole life upside down. Lupus sorcerer Cullen Seabourne is thrilled to be a father, but what does Cynna know about kids? Her mother was a drunk and her father abandoned his family. Or so she's always believed...
As Cynna is trying to wrap her head around this problem, a new one pops up in the form of a delegation from another realm. They want to take Cynna and Cullen back with them- to meet her long-lost father and find a mysterious medallion. But when these two born cynics land in a world where magic is common-place and night never ends, their only way home lies in tracking down the missing medallion- one also sought by powerful beings who will do anything to claim it.
As Cynna is trying to wrap her head around this problem, a new one pops up in the form of a delegation from another realm. They want to take Cynna and Cullen back with them- to meet her long-lost father and find a mysterious medallion. But when these two born cynics land in a world where magic is common-place and night never ends, their only way home lies in tracking down the missing medallion- one also sought by powerful beings who will do anything to claim it.
343 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 2, 2008
91 people are currently reading
2000 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Wilks
128 books1,525 followersEileen 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
March 1, 2019
*** 4 ***
Call me shallow, but I am having a lot of fun with this series:) And in this volume we finally got our much needed dose of Cynna and Cullen, who are the main narrators here. They have to go to another dimension called The Edge, and have to leave Lily and Rule behind. However, my favorite character in the whole series so far, the soon to be ex-demon Gan went with them and assisted in a search for a weather-seasons-earth controlling magic medallion, which unfortunately needs just the right person to wear it, or it drains the incompatible of whit and personality, making of them empty shells... The way Gan is discovering her/it newly developing soul is so wonderfully touching, I wanted to adopt her on the spot!!! They better appreciate how special she/it is!!!! And she/it is a chocoholic just like me and most of the human population:):):)
"...""I don't have any friends. Well, except for Lily Yu. She cares if I get killed or not, but she isn't here."
That punched Cynna right in the gut. Don't anthropomorphize, she warned herself. Maybe Gan wasn't quite a demon anymore, but she had been very recently. She probably wasn't capable of feeling lonely. She probably confused "ally" with "friend"—she wanted people on her side to increase her odds of surviving. Not because she felt adrift, cut off, alone in a strange place.
Logic did no good. She couldn't help it. Cynna got down on one knee and looked square into the absurdly large, pretty eyes set in that ugly orange face. At the moment those eyes were narrowed in a suspicious frown. " 'Friend' is a big word for me. It holds a lot of meaning. A lot of trust. You and I are maybe on the way to being friends. I don't know that we're there yet, but I would not like it if you were killed."
"Sure, because I can cross and you might need me."
Cynna shook her head. "Even if you couldn't cross, I would be sad if you died."
"Maybe you're lying."
"I'm not, but that's where the trust thing comes in. That's why people don't become friends all in one gulp. It takes a while to know if we can trust each other."
The scowl tightened a notch. "Would you be as sad about me as you would be if Cullen Seabourne had stayed dead?"
"No. But sad."
Gan stared at her a moment longer, then heaved a great sigh and ambled out the door, muttering, "This is confusing. This is really confusing."..."
I love this creature and I love Cynna for being so good to she/it!!!
I recommend this series to all fans of UF in a more traditional way:) Have fun, y'all!!!
Call me shallow, but I am having a lot of fun with this series:) And in this volume we finally got our much needed dose of Cynna and Cullen, who are the main narrators here. They have to go to another dimension called The Edge, and have to leave Lily and Rule behind. However, my favorite character in the whole series so far, the soon to be ex-demon Gan went with them and assisted in a search for a weather-seasons-earth controlling magic medallion, which unfortunately needs just the right person to wear it, or it drains the incompatible of whit and personality, making of them empty shells... The way Gan is discovering her/it newly developing soul is so wonderfully touching, I wanted to adopt her on the spot!!! They better appreciate how special she/it is!!!! And she/it is a chocoholic just like me and most of the human population:):):)
"...""I don't have any friends. Well, except for Lily Yu. She cares if I get killed or not, but she isn't here."
That punched Cynna right in the gut. Don't anthropomorphize, she warned herself. Maybe Gan wasn't quite a demon anymore, but she had been very recently. She probably wasn't capable of feeling lonely. She probably confused "ally" with "friend"—she wanted people on her side to increase her odds of surviving. Not because she felt adrift, cut off, alone in a strange place.
Logic did no good. She couldn't help it. Cynna got down on one knee and looked square into the absurdly large, pretty eyes set in that ugly orange face. At the moment those eyes were narrowed in a suspicious frown. " 'Friend' is a big word for me. It holds a lot of meaning. A lot of trust. You and I are maybe on the way to being friends. I don't know that we're there yet, but I would not like it if you were killed."
"Sure, because I can cross and you might need me."
Cynna shook her head. "Even if you couldn't cross, I would be sad if you died."
"Maybe you're lying."
"I'm not, but that's where the trust thing comes in. That's why people don't become friends all in one gulp. It takes a while to know if we can trust each other."
The scowl tightened a notch. "Would you be as sad about me as you would be if Cullen Seabourne had stayed dead?"
"No. But sad."
Gan stared at her a moment longer, then heaved a great sigh and ambled out the door, muttering, "This is confusing. This is really confusing."..."
I love this creature and I love Cynna for being so good to she/it!!!
I recommend this series to all fans of UF in a more traditional way:) Have fun, y'all!!!
December 3, 2016
I think this is my favorite book of the series so far. Yes, the world is extremely complicated so there's still a lot of explaining going on, but I like how complicated it is. If something is too easy to figure out, it gets boring real quick. You hear that hipsters? We get you now, you can stop.
This should help..
So in this book we have Cullen and Cynna traveling to a different dimension to retrieve a magical artifact for some elves. Along with their not-a-demon friend who loves swimming, they also encounter the couple from the half-book who seemed really random, but I had a feeling would be really important later. Turns out, I was right. I usually am. If only my smartass children would remember that. I'll just never understand where all of their snark and sarcasm comes from. Must be from their father.
Typical homeschool answer from them:
That was a long 12 years...But, funny. Really funny...
During this adventure we also have Cynna trying to come to terms with the fact that she is pregnant. At first she compares the baby to a parasite, a helpful parasite, so that's not so bad. She starts to care about her little parasite as the book goes on. And, really, who doesn't love a good parasite?
Alright, not ALL parasites...
There was tons of action in this book, a tiny bit of romance, and the descriptions of the new realm they visited were great. I never felt bored, and even when there were info-dumps I felt interested in learning more about the subject. It was a really big step-up from the last book.
This should help..
So in this book we have Cullen and Cynna traveling to a different dimension to retrieve a magical artifact for some elves. Along with their not-a-demon friend who loves swimming, they also encounter the couple from the half-book who seemed really random, but I had a feeling would be really important later. Turns out, I was right. I usually am. If only my smartass children would remember that. I'll just never understand where all of their snark and sarcasm comes from. Must be from their father.
Typical homeschool answer from them:
That was a long 12 years...But, funny. Really funny...
During this adventure we also have Cynna trying to come to terms with the fact that she is pregnant. At first she compares the baby to a parasite, a helpful parasite, so that's not so bad. She starts to care about her little parasite as the book goes on. And, really, who doesn't love a good parasite?
Alright, not ALL parasites...
There was tons of action in this book, a tiny bit of romance, and the descriptions of the new realm they visited were great. I never felt bored, and even when there were info-dumps I felt interested in learning more about the subject. It was a really big step-up from the last book.
December 3, 2016
While we get some time with Lily and Rule, this is Cynnia and Cullen's book. At the end of the book, my dislike for Cynnia had turned into genuine like and my reaction to Cullen went from who's a good boy, my little sullen wolfie will be a good boy to I want him for myself. Drool. Sigh.
At first they had looked incompatible to me, the author trying to fix them up just to get rid of the third wheel feely or for plot conveniences. But they fit. It is a different yet even more engaging fit than Lily and Rule's.
Writing was better than the book before, none of that dizzying and boring stage settings. It was fast paced and interesting. Some of the characters travel to another realm and go on a quest to find a magical artefact. I really liked Gan's place in the story. She is literally the demon child from hell who is learning the consequences of souls. But I guess, that's true for most of the children.
At first they had looked incompatible to me, the author trying to fix them up just to get rid of the third wheel feely or for plot conveniences. But they fit. It is a different yet even more engaging fit than Lily and Rule's.
Writing was better than the book before, none of that dizzying and boring stage settings. It was fast paced and interesting. Some of the characters travel to another realm and go on a quest to find a magical artefact. I really liked Gan's place in the story. She is literally the demon child from hell who is learning the consequences of souls. But I guess, that's true for most of the children.
December 25, 2010
3.5 Stars
***SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS***
Boy, was I relieved to see the pacing improve in this book! The last one had me a little nervous about a new writing trend, but it was back to normal here. We didn't suffer from constant pov shifts, although there were some that didn't overwhelm the story.
I'm still not as interested in Cullen and Cynna as I was in Lily and Rule. The actual overreaching story arc still hooked me, but I didn't really work up much enthusiasm for the actual relationship potential between Cullen and Cynna. I guess it was a good thing that I wasn't anticipating much there because this one only had a light touch of romance.
I really liked how the author handled Cynna's reaction to her new circumstances. Just like with Lily's reaction to the mate thing, Cynna was not overjoyed by her pregnancy. I liked that she had trouble coming to terms with it. I can't imagine many women would jump for joy in a situation like that so I'm glad that stayed realistic.
I felt bad for Cynna and Cullen both. Him for waiting so long for this and her for being stuck in a situation she didn't desire and tried to plan against.
I loved getting to see a whole new world. I really like how the author keeps expanding and tweaking the world so it stays fresh and interesting. It was pretty cool seeing how past characters became important in an unexpected way in this story. I'm curious to see how that all develops in the future.
***SPOILERS***
I think the biggest lack (besides occasional slow pacing) was the development of Cynna and Cullen's relationship. It didn't fail in the actual delivery--I actually thought Cullen's slow wooing of Cynna was sweet--it failed in the reason. Why is Cynna different? The Lupi are not monogamous. They do not marry. To break these social norms I expect a pretty convincing reason.
With Rule monogamy came because he was 'blessed' with a Chosen (or mate). Even then his monogamy was still a source of concern for Lily. Just because you're stuck being faithful doesn't mean you want to be faithful. But the author slowly built up their relationship and convinced me that it was something that made them both happy.
That wasn't the case with Cynna and Cullen. I don't see why it was different with her. Even the love thing didn't really make a difference for me. I sincerely doubt that in all of history none of the Lupi have fallen in love. Odds are that they have, but I didn't hear anything about them deciding they had to be monogamous as well.
I'm not complaining about the monogamy (because I insist on it) but I am complaining about the lack of explanation for it. Cullen has bucked and entire race's culture. That's an incredibly huge thing and I want to know why. I just wish the book had delivered it.
***SPOILERS FOR THE PREVIOUS BOOKS***
Boy, was I relieved to see the pacing improve in this book! The last one had me a little nervous about a new writing trend, but it was back to normal here. We didn't suffer from constant pov shifts, although there were some that didn't overwhelm the story.
I'm still not as interested in Cullen and Cynna as I was in Lily and Rule. The actual overreaching story arc still hooked me, but I didn't really work up much enthusiasm for the actual relationship potential between Cullen and Cynna. I guess it was a good thing that I wasn't anticipating much there because this one only had a light touch of romance.
I really liked how the author handled Cynna's reaction to her new circumstances. Just like with Lily's reaction to the mate thing, Cynna was not overjoyed by her pregnancy. I liked that she had trouble coming to terms with it. I can't imagine many women would jump for joy in a situation like that so I'm glad that stayed realistic.
I felt bad for Cynna and Cullen both. Him for waiting so long for this and her for being stuck in a situation she didn't desire and tried to plan against.
I loved getting to see a whole new world. I really like how the author keeps expanding and tweaking the world so it stays fresh and interesting. It was pretty cool seeing how past characters became important in an unexpected way in this story. I'm curious to see how that all develops in the future.
***SPOILERS***
I think the biggest lack (besides occasional slow pacing) was the development of Cynna and Cullen's relationship. It didn't fail in the actual delivery--I actually thought Cullen's slow wooing of Cynna was sweet--it failed in the reason. Why is Cynna different? The Lupi are not monogamous. They do not marry. To break these social norms I expect a pretty convincing reason.
With Rule monogamy came because he was 'blessed' with a Chosen (or mate). Even then his monogamy was still a source of concern for Lily. Just because you're stuck being faithful doesn't mean you want to be faithful. But the author slowly built up their relationship and convinced me that it was something that made them both happy.
That wasn't the case with Cynna and Cullen. I don't see why it was different with her. Even the love thing didn't really make a difference for me. I sincerely doubt that in all of history none of the Lupi have fallen in love. Odds are that they have, but I didn't hear anything about them deciding they had to be monogamous as well.
I'm not complaining about the monogamy (because I insist on it) but I am complaining about the lack of explanation for it. Cullen has bucked and entire race's culture. That's an incredibly huge thing and I want to know why. I just wish the book had delivered it.
October 2, 2024
Night Season is the fourth novel in the World of the Lupi by Eileen Wilks.
I saw that this series was out in Graphic Audio and decided to listen to the GA’s instead of reading. I had started the series a long time ago reading, but had stopped after book three for some reason. I’m glad I picked this series back up.
Night Season is another fast-paced listen. This one moves away from the main couple, Lily and Rue, and focuses on Cinna and Cullen. There is a lot going on in this installment. We go into a completely different realm with a whole bunch of new characters. The focus is almost completely off the Lupi.
Cinna and Cullen have things to work out before they can be together. These two end up getting tricked into a whole new realm where Cinna meets someone unexpected and they must hunt for an item. She struggles to deal with a new revelation about her situation with Cullen and now this. I liked the new realm. It was interesting to explore and has some controversial ideas surrounding humans, so when the time comes to negotiate its relationship; it will be interesting to see how things play out in the series.
Audio: I listened to this in one day. The GA’s are a great way to experience The World of the Lupi. I love the sound effects, music, and all the voices for each character. It’s a movie for the mind and takes you on a magical adventure.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, moving away from the main couple, and exploring a new realm. I will continue the series in Graphic Audio.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
Graphic Audio: 4 Stars
I saw that this series was out in Graphic Audio and decided to listen to the GA’s instead of reading. I had started the series a long time ago reading, but had stopped after book three for some reason. I’m glad I picked this series back up.
Night Season is another fast-paced listen. This one moves away from the main couple, Lily and Rue, and focuses on Cinna and Cullen. There is a lot going on in this installment. We go into a completely different realm with a whole bunch of new characters. The focus is almost completely off the Lupi.
Cinna and Cullen have things to work out before they can be together. These two end up getting tricked into a whole new realm where Cinna meets someone unexpected and they must hunt for an item. She struggles to deal with a new revelation about her situation with Cullen and now this. I liked the new realm. It was interesting to explore and has some controversial ideas surrounding humans, so when the time comes to negotiate its relationship; it will be interesting to see how things play out in the series.
Audio: I listened to this in one day. The GA’s are a great way to experience The World of the Lupi. I love the sound effects, music, and all the voices for each character. It’s a movie for the mind and takes you on a magical adventure.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, moving away from the main couple, and exploring a new realm. I will continue the series in Graphic Audio.
Rated: 3.5 Stars
Graphic Audio: 4 Stars
February 1, 2016
I think this is my favorite so far.
March 7, 2016
3.5/5; 4 stars; B+
Night Season takes this series on a bit of a detour to another realm. I enjoyed the adventure and the different kinds of creatures but wasnt 100% sure of how the medallion and quest really fit in with Lily and Rule and the Lupi story arc. It was fun to see Gan find a purpose though (besides hunting "fishies").
Night Season takes this series on a bit of a detour to another realm. I enjoyed the adventure and the different kinds of creatures but wasnt 100% sure of how the medallion and quest really fit in with Lily and Rule and the Lupi story arc. It was fun to see Gan find a purpose though (besides hunting "fishies").
May 5, 2014
Cynna is a Finder, and a damn good one, able to find almost everything over a vast range. It’s a power that is high in desire – including by the Gnomish rulers of Edge, another realm that is now accessible after the magic flares.
The Realm is in danger – but the ambassadors from Edge are certainly not to be trusted and may have their own agenda.
On top of this, Cynna has to deal with her feelings on another matter – she’s pregnant, and the father is a sorcerer who is essential to their plan for Edge.
What I think is bothering me a little about this series is how out there we have suddenly been thrown. When the first book, Tempting Danger, in this series came along, we had Lily in San Diego, working with supernatural within the world, adapting, learning, revealing the world. Then in book 2, Mortal Danger, Lily is suddenly in a Hell dimension surrounded by demons and she’s split in 2 and it’s all kind of abruptly very new. Then book 3, Blood Lines we switched to Cynna and we’re up to our eyebrows in demons and alternate dimensions and magic waves and the whole world now under threat.
And now we’re travelling to Edge, a different dimension that resembled a high fantasy more than anything. And I kind of want to go back to Tempting Danger.
It’s not that I don’t like this direction of the books – but I need more time. I needed, maybe, 2 or 3 books between Tempting Danger before we reached Mortal Danger so I could spend some time getting to know Lily and werewolves and magic and Cynna – get to know the world before the whole world is dumped into a blender and mixed up so completely. I feel lost, I feel adrift – I needed more of a foundation before I was dragged off into these different world and fae and gnomes and magic and Ahk and whole new political systems. It’s not that this story was bad, by any stretch of the imagination – but I don’t know this world well enough to be read to have this many wrenches thrown into the works and I’m too adrift to keep running with it. I don’t know Cynna well enough for this. I don’t know the world, the magic, the entitles enough for this. Let me catch up!
Ok, the story… ok I was never actually bored reading it, I never wanted to stop and I never found it dull – but it’s a really basic quest story. Cynna, with her magic finding power, has to find the McGuffin (yes, I’m calling it that because it really is irrelevant what it is) which everyone else wants as well. So they head off. Occasionally they’re attacked, occasionally they batter from one person seeking McGuffin to the next, but it’s not really meaningful to our actual characters.
It’s not badly written, it’s not boring, it’s not poorly paced, but nor was it especially exciting with any real twists or deviations and the world it’s revealing through this is Edge – which is a different realm entirely so I’m not even that invested in the world building. The B plot is Cynna and Cullen’s love which, is nice and non-problematic… but also not especially complex or conflict laden (which isn’t a problem – a non-conflict laden romance is excellent) and doesn’t balance the very linear A plot.
Particularly since we follow Cynna. And I want to like Cynna, I really want to like her. She has a lot of interesting elements – she has a power that is not overblown but also useful. She’s capable, she’s intelligent. She has a complex background with a lot of class issues. She has her own non-conforming style, she’s still finding her feet but she is learning and growing, recognising her mistakes and trying to overcome.
But she rides this whole book with little agency. From the very minor – Lily rebuilding her wardrobe according to her bank balance and taste (and yes it’s well meaning and yes Lily is considered more fashionably able – but still it’s another choice Cynna isn’t making), through to the fact that everyone in Edge values her because of her super-special abilities; there’s very little of her own personality there – she’s a walking avatar of her power. She’s coerced from the very beginning – kidnap after kidnap and there’s never really a break away from that. And she’s not even really angry about that – which is especially wrong for a character who is repeatedly described as trapped and lashing out violently to burn off steam – she doesn’t seem especially angry about some of this coercion. None of the cast does – they don’t even demand any real sense of reparation. There’s one point where everyone is kind of concerned about one of the characters, Tash, a kidnapper and I just gape at the screen – why do they all care? Why are they invested in whether this character survives or is chopped into sushi?
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The Realm is in danger – but the ambassadors from Edge are certainly not to be trusted and may have their own agenda.
On top of this, Cynna has to deal with her feelings on another matter – she’s pregnant, and the father is a sorcerer who is essential to their plan for Edge.
What I think is bothering me a little about this series is how out there we have suddenly been thrown. When the first book, Tempting Danger, in this series came along, we had Lily in San Diego, working with supernatural within the world, adapting, learning, revealing the world. Then in book 2, Mortal Danger, Lily is suddenly in a Hell dimension surrounded by demons and she’s split in 2 and it’s all kind of abruptly very new. Then book 3, Blood Lines we switched to Cynna and we’re up to our eyebrows in demons and alternate dimensions and magic waves and the whole world now under threat.
And now we’re travelling to Edge, a different dimension that resembled a high fantasy more than anything. And I kind of want to go back to Tempting Danger.
It’s not that I don’t like this direction of the books – but I need more time. I needed, maybe, 2 or 3 books between Tempting Danger before we reached Mortal Danger so I could spend some time getting to know Lily and werewolves and magic and Cynna – get to know the world before the whole world is dumped into a blender and mixed up so completely. I feel lost, I feel adrift – I needed more of a foundation before I was dragged off into these different world and fae and gnomes and magic and Ahk and whole new political systems. It’s not that this story was bad, by any stretch of the imagination – but I don’t know this world well enough to be read to have this many wrenches thrown into the works and I’m too adrift to keep running with it. I don’t know Cynna well enough for this. I don’t know the world, the magic, the entitles enough for this. Let me catch up!
Ok, the story… ok I was never actually bored reading it, I never wanted to stop and I never found it dull – but it’s a really basic quest story. Cynna, with her magic finding power, has to find the McGuffin (yes, I’m calling it that because it really is irrelevant what it is) which everyone else wants as well. So they head off. Occasionally they’re attacked, occasionally they batter from one person seeking McGuffin to the next, but it’s not really meaningful to our actual characters.
It’s not badly written, it’s not boring, it’s not poorly paced, but nor was it especially exciting with any real twists or deviations and the world it’s revealing through this is Edge – which is a different realm entirely so I’m not even that invested in the world building. The B plot is Cynna and Cullen’s love which, is nice and non-problematic… but also not especially complex or conflict laden (which isn’t a problem – a non-conflict laden romance is excellent) and doesn’t balance the very linear A plot.
Particularly since we follow Cynna. And I want to like Cynna, I really want to like her. She has a lot of interesting elements – she has a power that is not overblown but also useful. She’s capable, she’s intelligent. She has a complex background with a lot of class issues. She has her own non-conforming style, she’s still finding her feet but she is learning and growing, recognising her mistakes and trying to overcome.
But she rides this whole book with little agency. From the very minor – Lily rebuilding her wardrobe according to her bank balance and taste (and yes it’s well meaning and yes Lily is considered more fashionably able – but still it’s another choice Cynna isn’t making), through to the fact that everyone in Edge values her because of her super-special abilities; there’s very little of her own personality there – she’s a walking avatar of her power. She’s coerced from the very beginning – kidnap after kidnap and there’s never really a break away from that. And she’s not even really angry about that – which is especially wrong for a character who is repeatedly described as trapped and lashing out violently to burn off steam – she doesn’t seem especially angry about some of this coercion. None of the cast does – they don’t even demand any real sense of reparation. There’s one point where everyone is kind of concerned about one of the characters, Tash, a kidnapper and I just gape at the screen – why do they all care? Why are they invested in whether this character survives or is chopped into sushi?
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December 19, 2016
As I said for the perivous book: each one adds to the world-building! Here we meet the Edge: a strange world that I percieved as a world where all others intersect.
I am very curious to know when we will discover more about Kai and Nathan's role in the whole story and when they will reappear! :)
I love Gan and her fishies too! She's such a great character!
I am very curious to know when we will discover more about Kai and Nathan's role in the whole story and when they will reappear! :)
I love Gan and her fishies too! She's such a great character!
March 10, 2022
Fourth in the World of the Lupi paranormal fantasy series and revolving around magic and an alternate world. The couple focus is on Cynna Weaver and Cullen Seabrooke with Kai and Nathan a secondary focus. It's been five weeks since
Tempting Danger
, 1.
My Take
Night Season starts with Cynna shopping. With Lily. And Cynna is wondering whatever possessed her, lol!
Wilks uses third person global subjective point-of-view, primarily from Cynna's and Cullen's perspectives with other characters experiencing their own moments. Besides the usual, it does allow us to listen in on Cullen's back history, on being kicked out of Etorri — and I don't think much of his father! His mother on the other hand . . . Cynna has her own issues to think on, and we also learn some of her back history. Gan has her own character boost — as well as a status boost!
There are some interesting conflicts in Night Season, including the government's approach to lupi. Even though they are now considered full citizens, it's still legal to shoot one in wolf form. Ick. The conflict with Toby's mother and his life with his grandmother continues. The mate bond that circumscribes Lily's and Rule's movements. Cullen's new and improved shields (Cravings: "Originally Human", 1.5). The lupi fertility issue that may change. And Brooks discovers what's been killing him!
Wilks has some interesting notes on what demons are and how they subsist. Her description of Edge (through Cynna's thoughts) are a fantastic melange of Star Wars, Camelot, and an old Sherlock Holmes movie, lol, with architecture that's Art Deco meeting the Arabian Nights. That certainly brings up some interesting images, lol.
That medallion is scary and creates a LOT of issues for Edge AND for people. Of course, Edge has plenty of its own issues. Jeez, humans are the lowest of the low, and some of this realm's rules about fertility, okay, they do make sense, but they're still tacky! There's an interesting note about why Daniel Weaver, a human, is valued. Oy. Greed is the same in every race. As for the sidhe, they consider themselves so very superior to everyone. Yeah, that last is certainly consistent with almost every other tale about elves.
Wilks' explanation of Cynna's relatives is rather convoluted. I still haven't figured out who Aunt Pat is or who's the bastard child.
Surviving Edge and the sidhe provides plenty of drama besides the tension created by the gnomes! The story, however, comes off cartoonish, if only because Wilks takes it to this other realm with all these strange characters. Dis, in Mortal Danger , 2, felt more real but still verging on the weird.
I like Wilks' definition of meanness! It sure explains a LOT.
It's characters and culture that drive most of the action and leaves me with more questions than answers. Between this and Mika, who wants an invite to the wedding, I gotta read "Cyncerely Yours", 4.5, and Mortal Sins , 5.
The Story
Edge in danger and those lying gnomes are intent on enticing Lily and Cynna to their realm to find a critical artifact. The only way the gnomes can save their world.
But, god forbid they explain anything!
The Characters
Special Agent (SA) Cynna Weaver, a former Dizzy, is a Finder (who can see Patterns) with an unexpected "secret" and a sword of Damocles in the form of being the next Nokolai Rhej! Mary Weaver had been Cynna's mother who fell apart when Daniel disappeared. Aunt Pat. Great-aunt Meggie, Mary's aunt, raised Cynna. Daniel Weaver is the father who left when Cynna was three.
The very non-traditional Cullen Seabourne, a former Etorri lupus, a sorcerer who can see sorcéri, and an incredibly gorgeous stripper, was recently adopted into the clan. He's a great friend of Rule's. He's also managing to regrow his ankle and foot from Tempting Danger .
Unit 12, Magical Crimes Division (MCD), FBI
The Unit's personnel are primarily Gifted and operate independently of MCD. Ruben Brooks, a precog, is in charge of Unit 12; Deborah Brooks is his wife. SA Steve Timms, is passionate about weapons, hates magic, but bonded with Cullen in Blood Lines , 3. He's now Brooks' bodyguard. SA Baxter is a jerk who needs to be gone. SA Carter is supposedly okay. The bigoted Director Hayes had been acting for Brooks last month. SA Croft is a top agent.
SA Lily Yu is a former homicide detective and touch sensitive, coopted into MCD-Unit 12, and the Chosen of Rule Turner, a two-mantled lupus, Lu Nuncio of the Nokolai and Leidolf, and father to Toby. Dirty Harry is Lily’s cat. Alicia is Toby's absentee mother, an Associated Press reporter who refuses to allow Rule to have custody of Toby; Mrs Asteglio is Alicia's mother, Toby's grandmother, who has had the raising of Toby.
Adam McClosky is the Assistant Undersecretary of Commerce. Marilyn Wright is a presidential advisor. Sherry O’Shaunessy is the high priestess for the oldest and largest Wiccan coven in the country. Fagin, a top-notch scholar, is the head of the Presidential Task Force dealing with the Turning.
Mika, based in Washington D.C., is one of the twenty-two dragons who came back to earth in Blood Lines and are saving earth. Sam, a.k.a. Sun Mzao, is a black dragon and appears to be their leader. He's great friends with Madam Yu, Lily's grandmother. The Dragon Accords are a treaty between humans and dragons to absorb magic.
Kai Tallman Michalski, a former physical therapist, is a type of binder, slated for death by the Winter Queen, if she can't prove herself (On the Prowl: "Inhuman", 3.5). Dell is a huge gray chameleon cat and Kai's familiar who can shift into a woman. Nathan Hound is actually a hellhound for the Winter Queen tasked with a particular undercover mission. Ginger is a friend of Kai's.
Edge, a.k.a. Dsighliai, is . . .
. . . an alternate high-magic realm given to the gnomes (who evolved from demons!) who have raised lying to an art form, but with the fae the true power. Queens' law does not apply here. The City is their capitol.
Gan is a s/he demon now growing a soul whom we first met in Tempting Danger whose ability allows her to move across realms. Ymu is life energy and sustains demons.
The councilor, a.k.a. Bilbo , who is hiding quite a bit; Wen of Ekiba; and, Tash, a half-breed Ahk-human, who is actually captain of the Guard in Edge, are the initial embassy to our world. Harry is one of their guards in the Edge expedition.
The Hragash are a gnomish people with whom Gan has been staying in Edge while she prepares for her testing. Jenek is a gnomish elder and Gan's minder. The Harazeed are another gnomish people. Their Elder, a.k.a. First Councilor, appears to be in charge of everything. Adrienne will be Cynna's maid. Sean is Cullen's servant. "Huey" is the captain of the chancellor's barge and either "Dewey" or "Louie" is a magical baker.
Kryl is an Ekiba healer. The Ekiba are all mindspeakers and like gypsies with some permanent camps; they are supposedly neutral. Theilo is the term applied to people who fall through cracks into Edge. The dondredii are ape-like predators with a hive mind when they are a group. The oba are a poisonous, slug-like people. Shuva is a small village in the mountains in Hoko's lands. Michael is a child there. Derreck is the man the village elected as their sheriff. Seventeen-year-old?? Bell Hammond does odd jobs. Chulak is the leader of the attacking Ahks, who worship Hrvash of the Ninety Names, and Tash's uncle. Arkhar and Sithell are some of Chulak's idiot men.
The Sidhe
Theera is a half-elven spy whose half-sister, Thiel Ná Rohen, rules Rohen. Gabotá, Fa Nioth, and Leerahan are the other major sidhe estates in Edge. Arduello rules in Leerahan. Raellian is his brother. Ertho is one of Arduello's men.
The Lupi are . . .
. . . wolf shifters who worship the Lady, a goddess who created them to battle Her. In general, the lupi do not, cannot, marry but do their best to sire as many children as possible…because it is so difficult for them to have children. The exception is when the Lady picks a Chosen for one of them. A Lu Nuncio is the acknowledged heir to the Rho.
Nokolai are . . .
. . . a wolf shifter clan based outside San Diego. A Rhej is the clan priestess. Nettie Two-Horses is their physician-shaman.
Lily's Family
Cousin Jeremy once shoplifted. Cousin Freddy likes proposing to Lily.
Members of the Msaidizi movement, a.k.a. Dizzies, are a quasi-religious group based on African shamanistic practices who ride demons and apply tattoos to their skin — kilingo that store spells and kielezo that are core patterns. Jiri, a patterner, had been Cynna's mentor.
The Turning brought magic back to earth, which plays havoc with technology. Shauna and Deanna freak out at the Fashion Center. The Most Reverend Patrick Harlowe had served the Great Bitch, a.k.a. Her, the great enemy of the Lady, in Tempting Danger and Mortal Danger . Dis is what we know as Hell. Dashtu is a type of magic that allows Gan to go invisible. Of the Blood means a person is innately magical with a Gift but usually can't work spells. Max, a grumpy, crude, ill-tempered gnome who owns Club Hell where Cullen performs, is a friend of Rule's. Fathers Jacobs and Michaels are helping Cynna understand Catholicism. Turns out the illegal sorcery and Wiccan magics are both sourced from outside the person. A full draw pulls on all four elements; a balanced draw is an attempt to pull equally from all four. The Chancellor's Medallion is a Great Artifact that brings order. Maria is/was a childhood friend of Cynna's. Ashwa is an agreement to sterilize Gifted humans.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a black border at the top, which forms the background for the author's name in white. The majority of the background is a smoky haze of blues against black with the almost naked Cynna facing us with her tattooed arms crossed in front of her, her right hand cocked under her chin. Her short, choppy white hair is spotlighted while she holds the shining Medallion with its green central gem gleaming in its gold frame. To Cynna's right at her elbow (the cover's left) is a testimonial in white. The title is at the bottom in a gradated pink to white.
The title is the Night Season in which Edge may be trapped forever.
My Take
Night Season starts with Cynna shopping. With Lily. And Cynna is wondering whatever possessed her, lol!
Wilks uses third person global subjective point-of-view, primarily from Cynna's and Cullen's perspectives with other characters experiencing their own moments. Besides the usual, it does allow us to listen in on Cullen's back history, on being kicked out of Etorri — and I don't think much of his father! His mother on the other hand . . . Cynna has her own issues to think on, and we also learn some of her back history. Gan has her own character boost — as well as a status boost!
There are some interesting conflicts in Night Season, including the government's approach to lupi. Even though they are now considered full citizens, it's still legal to shoot one in wolf form. Ick. The conflict with Toby's mother and his life with his grandmother continues. The mate bond that circumscribes Lily's and Rule's movements. Cullen's new and improved shields (Cravings: "Originally Human", 1.5). The lupi fertility issue that may change. And Brooks discovers what's been killing him!
Wilks has some interesting notes on what demons are and how they subsist. Her description of Edge (through Cynna's thoughts) are a fantastic melange of Star Wars, Camelot, and an old Sherlock Holmes movie, lol, with architecture that's Art Deco meeting the Arabian Nights. That certainly brings up some interesting images, lol.
That medallion is scary and creates a LOT of issues for Edge AND for people. Of course, Edge has plenty of its own issues. Jeez, humans are the lowest of the low, and some of this realm's rules about fertility, okay, they do make sense, but they're still tacky! There's an interesting note about why Daniel Weaver, a human, is valued. Oy. Greed is the same in every race. As for the sidhe, they consider themselves so very superior to everyone. Yeah, that last is certainly consistent with almost every other tale about elves.
Wilks' explanation of Cynna's relatives is rather convoluted. I still haven't figured out who Aunt Pat is or who's the bastard child.
Surviving Edge and the sidhe provides plenty of drama besides the tension created by the gnomes! The story, however, comes off cartoonish, if only because Wilks takes it to this other realm with all these strange characters. Dis, in Mortal Danger , 2, felt more real but still verging on the weird.
I like Wilks' definition of meanness! It sure explains a LOT.
It's characters and culture that drive most of the action and leaves me with more questions than answers. Between this and Mika, who wants an invite to the wedding, I gotta read "Cyncerely Yours", 4.5, and Mortal Sins , 5.
The Story
Edge in danger and those lying gnomes are intent on enticing Lily and Cynna to their realm to find a critical artifact. The only way the gnomes can save their world.
But, god forbid they explain anything!
The Characters
Special Agent (SA) Cynna Weaver, a former Dizzy, is a Finder (who can see Patterns) with an unexpected "secret" and a sword of Damocles in the form of being the next Nokolai Rhej! Mary Weaver had been Cynna's mother who fell apart when Daniel disappeared. Aunt Pat. Great-aunt Meggie, Mary's aunt, raised Cynna. Daniel Weaver is the father who left when Cynna was three.
The very non-traditional Cullen Seabourne, a former Etorri lupus, a sorcerer who can see sorcéri, and an incredibly gorgeous stripper, was recently adopted into the clan. He's a great friend of Rule's. He's also managing to regrow his ankle and foot from Tempting Danger .
Unit 12, Magical Crimes Division (MCD), FBI
The Unit's personnel are primarily Gifted and operate independently of MCD. Ruben Brooks, a precog, is in charge of Unit 12; Deborah Brooks is his wife. SA Steve Timms, is passionate about weapons, hates magic, but bonded with Cullen in Blood Lines , 3. He's now Brooks' bodyguard. SA Baxter is a jerk who needs to be gone. SA Carter is supposedly okay. The bigoted Director Hayes had been acting for Brooks last month. SA Croft is a top agent.
SA Lily Yu is a former homicide detective and touch sensitive, coopted into MCD-Unit 12, and the Chosen of Rule Turner, a two-mantled lupus, Lu Nuncio of the Nokolai and Leidolf, and father to Toby. Dirty Harry is Lily’s cat. Alicia is Toby's absentee mother, an Associated Press reporter who refuses to allow Rule to have custody of Toby; Mrs Asteglio is Alicia's mother, Toby's grandmother, who has had the raising of Toby.
Adam McClosky is the Assistant Undersecretary of Commerce. Marilyn Wright is a presidential advisor. Sherry O’Shaunessy is the high priestess for the oldest and largest Wiccan coven in the country. Fagin, a top-notch scholar, is the head of the Presidential Task Force dealing with the Turning.
Mika, based in Washington D.C., is one of the twenty-two dragons who came back to earth in Blood Lines and are saving earth. Sam, a.k.a. Sun Mzao, is a black dragon and appears to be their leader. He's great friends with Madam Yu, Lily's grandmother. The Dragon Accords are a treaty between humans and dragons to absorb magic.
Kai Tallman Michalski, a former physical therapist, is a type of binder, slated for death by the Winter Queen, if she can't prove herself (On the Prowl: "Inhuman", 3.5). Dell is a huge gray chameleon cat and Kai's familiar who can shift into a woman. Nathan Hound is actually a hellhound for the Winter Queen tasked with a particular undercover mission. Ginger is a friend of Kai's.
Edge, a.k.a. Dsighliai, is . . .
. . . an alternate high-magic realm given to the gnomes (who evolved from demons!) who have raised lying to an art form, but with the fae the true power. Queens' law does not apply here. The City is their capitol.
Gan is a s/he demon now growing a soul whom we first met in Tempting Danger whose ability allows her to move across realms. Ymu is life energy and sustains demons.
The councilor, a.k.a. Bilbo , who is hiding quite a bit; Wen of Ekiba; and, Tash, a half-breed Ahk-human, who is actually captain of the Guard in Edge, are the initial embassy to our world. Harry is one of their guards in the Edge expedition.
The Hragash are a gnomish people with whom Gan has been staying in Edge while she prepares for her testing. Jenek is a gnomish elder and Gan's minder. The Harazeed are another gnomish people. Their Elder, a.k.a. First Councilor, appears to be in charge of everything. Adrienne will be Cynna's maid. Sean is Cullen's servant. "Huey" is the captain of the chancellor's barge and either "Dewey" or "Louie" is a magical baker.
Kryl is an Ekiba healer. The Ekiba are all mindspeakers and like gypsies with some permanent camps; they are supposedly neutral. Theilo is the term applied to people who fall through cracks into Edge. The dondredii are ape-like predators with a hive mind when they are a group. The oba are a poisonous, slug-like people. Shuva is a small village in the mountains in Hoko's lands. Michael is a child there. Derreck is the man the village elected as their sheriff. Seventeen-year-old?? Bell Hammond does odd jobs. Chulak is the leader of the attacking Ahks, who worship Hrvash of the Ninety Names, and Tash's uncle. Arkhar and Sithell are some of Chulak's idiot men.
The Sidhe
Theera is a half-elven spy whose half-sister, Thiel Ná Rohen, rules Rohen. Gabotá, Fa Nioth, and Leerahan are the other major sidhe estates in Edge. Arduello rules in Leerahan. Raellian is his brother. Ertho is one of Arduello's men.
The Lupi are . . .
. . . wolf shifters who worship the Lady, a goddess who created them to battle Her. In general, the lupi do not, cannot, marry but do their best to sire as many children as possible…because it is so difficult for them to have children. The exception is when the Lady picks a Chosen for one of them. A Lu Nuncio is the acknowledged heir to the Rho.
Nokolai are . . .
. . . a wolf shifter clan based outside San Diego. A Rhej is the clan priestess. Nettie Two-Horses is their physician-shaman.
Lily's Family
Cousin Jeremy once shoplifted. Cousin Freddy likes proposing to Lily.
Members of the Msaidizi movement, a.k.a. Dizzies, are a quasi-religious group based on African shamanistic practices who ride demons and apply tattoos to their skin — kilingo that store spells and kielezo that are core patterns. Jiri, a patterner, had been Cynna's mentor.
The Turning brought magic back to earth, which plays havoc with technology. Shauna and Deanna freak out at the Fashion Center. The Most Reverend Patrick Harlowe had served the Great Bitch, a.k.a. Her, the great enemy of the Lady, in Tempting Danger and Mortal Danger . Dis is what we know as Hell. Dashtu is a type of magic that allows Gan to go invisible. Of the Blood means a person is innately magical with a Gift but usually can't work spells. Max, a grumpy, crude, ill-tempered gnome who owns Club Hell where Cullen performs, is a friend of Rule's. Fathers Jacobs and Michaels are helping Cynna understand Catholicism. Turns out the illegal sorcery and Wiccan magics are both sourced from outside the person. A full draw pulls on all four elements; a balanced draw is an attempt to pull equally from all four. The Chancellor's Medallion is a Great Artifact that brings order. Maria is/was a childhood friend of Cynna's. Ashwa is an agreement to sterilize Gifted humans.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a black border at the top, which forms the background for the author's name in white. The majority of the background is a smoky haze of blues against black with the almost naked Cynna facing us with her tattooed arms crossed in front of her, her right hand cocked under her chin. Her short, choppy white hair is spotlighted while she holds the shining Medallion with its green central gem gleaming in its gold frame. To Cynna's right at her elbow (the cover's left) is a testimonial in white. The title is at the bottom in a gradated pink to white.
The title is the Night Season in which Edge may be trapped forever.
May 9, 2016
It’s interesting to me that so many people liked this book a little less than the first three, because it features Cynna and Cullen instead of Lily and Rule. I think that’s actually why I liked it more. It’s not that I dislike the original lead characters; it’s just that their romance was a bit lacking –at least for me. They’re mates. They really have no choice but to be together. It’s different with Cynna and Cullen. There is no physical imperative for them to be a couple. Their relationship isn’t a given, it’s a journey. And what a ride it is.
As the story begins, Cynna is still struggling to accept the fact that she is pregnant. It wasn’t anything she planned or thought that she wanted. But the fact is, it’s real, and in her heart, there is no other option but to have the baby. Her turmoil over it quickly takes a backseat, however, when a group of beings show up from another realm, seeking her Finding skills. The details are murky, but when the chips fall, she is in their home dimension with Cullen and a handful of others, seeking the mysterious medallion.
If you read “Inhuman,” you’ll be familiar with Kai and Nathan. She’s a human telepath on a mission from the Winter Queen. He is the hellhound in human form, who loves her. Here, Kai’s mission overlaps with our group from Earth, but it’s not clear how right away. I really enjoyed Kai and Nathan’s short story, so I liked seeing them again here and learning what became of them. But to those who skipped their short, these two may feel disjointed to the main story.
Most of the book is in Cynna’s POV, which I liked. She has some real issues and vulnerability, thanks to her difficult childhood. And I enjoyed watching Cullen work to break down her walls. I really appreciated his earnestness, especially since he has always been so mercurial before now. The world has changed for both of them so completely, the evolution of their relationship really works to ground them.
Outside of the romance, there is a great adventure. Since we leave earth, this installment feels a bit more high fantasy than urban fantasy in some ways. The worldbuilding is solid, but what’s cool is that it’s built in more seamlessly than in other books of the series. The pacing moves much better; there were no slow pockets. I was excited to keep reading from beginning to end.
The only question that niggles me is
Regardless, this is easily my favorite in the series. And I am excited to see where it goes next.
Rating: B+
As the story begins, Cynna is still struggling to accept the fact that she is pregnant. It wasn’t anything she planned or thought that she wanted. But the fact is, it’s real, and in her heart, there is no other option but to have the baby. Her turmoil over it quickly takes a backseat, however, when a group of beings show up from another realm, seeking her Finding skills. The details are murky, but when the chips fall, she is in their home dimension with Cullen and a handful of others, seeking the mysterious medallion.
If you read “Inhuman,” you’ll be familiar with Kai and Nathan. She’s a human telepath on a mission from the Winter Queen. He is the hellhound in human form, who loves her. Here, Kai’s mission overlaps with our group from Earth, but it’s not clear how right away. I really enjoyed Kai and Nathan’s short story, so I liked seeing them again here and learning what became of them. But to those who skipped their short, these two may feel disjointed to the main story.
Most of the book is in Cynna’s POV, which I liked. She has some real issues and vulnerability, thanks to her difficult childhood. And I enjoyed watching Cullen work to break down her walls. I really appreciated his earnestness, especially since he has always been so mercurial before now. The world has changed for both of them so completely, the evolution of their relationship really works to ground them.
Outside of the romance, there is a great adventure. Since we leave earth, this installment feels a bit more high fantasy than urban fantasy in some ways. The worldbuilding is solid, but what’s cool is that it’s built in more seamlessly than in other books of the series. The pacing moves much better; there were no slow pockets. I was excited to keep reading from beginning to end.
The only question that niggles me is
Regardless, this is easily my favorite in the series. And I am excited to see where it goes next.
Rating: B+
August 18, 2018
3.5 stars
Most of the time I spent reading this, it felt like a 3-star book for me. I was interested in the characters but not really the quest this time, and I was disappointed Lily and Rule didn’t have a part in it. But I liked how it ended for Cynna, Cullen and Gan—I loved Gan’s arc—enough that it bumped the rating up a bit.
I would be interested to see Nathan, Kai, and Dell in future books; I was just starting to get interested in them when the book ended. I liked her elusive way of threading them into the plot. I love Timms, and I’m glad he’s a recurring character.
I really like Wilks’ imagination, and she’s dreamed up a neat world in this series. The denouements in each book, as much as I like the end results, usually seem pretty rushed, though, and sometimes the exposition via dialogue is distracting. She’s got a lot to explain to the reader, so I see why she does it, but it isn’t always very smooth. But despite those minor irritations, she’s got me hooked, and I’m pretty sure I’m in this series for the long haul.
I’m looking forward to getting back to Lily and Rule in the next book and to see what’s happening in their world after the big magical boost from book 3, especially what the implications will be for the Lupi.
Most of the time I spent reading this, it felt like a 3-star book for me. I was interested in the characters but not really the quest this time, and I was disappointed Lily and Rule didn’t have a part in it. But I liked how it ended for Cynna, Cullen and Gan—I loved Gan’s arc—enough that it bumped the rating up a bit.
I would be interested to see Nathan, Kai, and Dell in future books; I was just starting to get interested in them when the book ended. I liked her elusive way of threading them into the plot. I love Timms, and I’m glad he’s a recurring character.
I really like Wilks’ imagination, and she’s dreamed up a neat world in this series. The denouements in each book, as much as I like the end results, usually seem pretty rushed, though, and sometimes the exposition via dialogue is distracting. She’s got a lot to explain to the reader, so I see why she does it, but it isn’t always very smooth. But despite those minor irritations, she’s got me hooked, and I’m pretty sure I’m in this series for the long haul.
I’m looking forward to getting back to Lily and Rule in the next book and to see what’s happening in their world after the big magical boost from book 3, especially what the implications will be for the Lupi.
April 18, 2019
Our book club has reached book 4 of the World of Lupi series by Eileen Wilks. Night Season is more of a Cullen and Cinna book than we've had before. We don't see much of Lily and Rule, but there is a lot going on in this installment so you don't really miss them. This installment goes into a completely different realm, with a whole bunch of new characters. The focus is almost completely off the Lupi.
Cullen and Cinna end up getting tricked into a whole new realm where Cinna meets someone unexpected. She's already struggling to deal with the new revelation about her situation with Cullen, but now adding this new situation puts some more stress on her. Cinna has been brought to this realm to use her Finding skills. There is a missing medallion that can only be held by a ruler of the realm. It can drive anyone who is not supposed to have it crazy. But it is prophesied that Cinna will be able to retrieve it. It is a dangerous trek to find the medallion and it takes some serious trust between our couple to accomplish their task. It was really nice to see how close Cinna and Cullen had become. I think they make a great couple.
This new realm was definitely interesting to explore. It had light and dark seasons and no real days. There were a lot of ideas and rules surrounding humans that will make this kind of controversial when and if the realms try to negotiate some kind of relationship. However, with the surprising and even a little bit ironic twist to the realm's new leader, some of those rules might change. I can't wait to see how this realm grows and becomes connected with Earth.
Night Season was a really fun installment in the World of Lupi series. The relationship building between Cinna and Cullen along with the whole addition of a new realm made for interesting twists and turns. I can't wait to start the next installment!This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
Cullen and Cinna end up getting tricked into a whole new realm where Cinna meets someone unexpected. She's already struggling to deal with the new revelation about her situation with Cullen, but now adding this new situation puts some more stress on her. Cinna has been brought to this realm to use her Finding skills. There is a missing medallion that can only be held by a ruler of the realm. It can drive anyone who is not supposed to have it crazy. But it is prophesied that Cinna will be able to retrieve it. It is a dangerous trek to find the medallion and it takes some serious trust between our couple to accomplish their task. It was really nice to see how close Cinna and Cullen had become. I think they make a great couple.
This new realm was definitely interesting to explore. It had light and dark seasons and no real days. There were a lot of ideas and rules surrounding humans that will make this kind of controversial when and if the realms try to negotiate some kind of relationship. However, with the surprising and even a little bit ironic twist to the realm's new leader, some of those rules might change. I can't wait to see how this realm grows and becomes connected with Earth.
Night Season was a really fun installment in the World of Lupi series. The relationship building between Cinna and Cullen along with the whole addition of a new realm made for interesting twists and turns. I can't wait to start the next installment!This review was originally posted on Rantings of a Reading Addict
June 6, 2018
Fast paced & fun book but I had a major problem with this one. I really don't understand how the author could ignore this.
Apart from that their adventure on Edge was pretty fun, I liked learning more about the fairies and gnomes and Cynna's past. Cullen is always a blast and Gan grew on me.
More dragons please! :)
Apart from that their adventure on Edge was pretty fun, I liked learning more about the fairies and gnomes and Cynna's past. Cullen is always a blast and Gan grew on me.
More dragons please! :)
July 24, 2022
Night Season on Books On Track
The World of Lupi series continues with another great graphic audio production of a story about Cynna and Cullen.
Picking up shortly after the end of the previous book's events, Cynna is struggling to accept that she is indeed pregnant. Before she has time to wrap her head around that fact, a delegation from another realm pops up and requests her services as a finder. Apart from the promise of a trade agreement, the delegation offer news about Cynna's long-lost father, and she can't help but be intrigued.
It's not long before Cynna and Cullen end up in that other realm, where they are tasked with finding a mysterious magical medallion and fending off assassination attempts from a number of factions who are also after the medallion.
Engaging story that's full of action and a happy ending for the main couple that grow close through their adventures together.
The next book of the series is Mortal Sins, but I'll probably read Kai and Nathan's story Inhuman next, since I am curious about them after seeing them in this book.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Inhuman (World of the Lupi, #3.5) ~ ★★★ (22/07/2022)
✦ Blood Lines (World of the Lupi, #3) ~ ★★★★ (15/04/2017)
✦ Mortal Danger (World of the Lupi #2) ~ ★★★ (09/08/2014)
✦ Originally Human (World of the Lupi #1.5) ~ ★★★★ (29/12/2013)
✦ Tempting Danger (World of the Lupi #1) ~ ★★★ (29/08/2013)
✦ The New Kid (World of the Lupi, #0.1) ~ ★★★★ (24/07/2022)
October 23, 2025
Primer vaig començar lent però així que li vaig agafar el gust, escolta, em va entrar molt ràpid i a més m'ha encantat.
Una història molt bonica on els protagonistes, n'hi ha diversos ..., han viatjat a un món molt diferent, hi ha hagut lluites ja que els atacaven perquè com sempre, on hi ha fades pel mig que són molt bells i et poden fascinar amb la seva bellesa, doncs volien un objecte màgic per a ells, bé per a un d'aquells fats que havia embogit per tocar aquell objecte...
Molt entretingut de llegir, absolutament recomanat.
Una història molt bonica on els protagonistes, n'hi ha diversos ..., han viatjat a un món molt diferent, hi ha hagut lluites ja que els atacaven perquè com sempre, on hi ha fades pel mig que són molt bells i et poden fascinar amb la seva bellesa, doncs volien un objecte màgic per a ells, bé per a un d'aquells fats que havia embogit per tocar aquell objecte...
Molt entretingut de llegir, absolutament recomanat.
October 28, 2012
I was hoping for a continuation of the plot line that developed in Blood Lines. But this went in a completely different direction. Lily and Rule only show up in the first few chapters. The story is mostly told by Cynna and Cullen and there is an odd bit every now and then from the perspective of Gan, which is always amusing.
They travel to Edge, another realm that is high on magic, elves and gnomes. They travel around a lot on barges and horses and have battles... Made me wonder if Wilks had just finished reading LOTR. The book definitely felt a lot more like classic fantasy than the urban variety I was expecting.
It wasn't bad, I read the second half of the book in one sitting. But overall it didn't add much to the overall development of the series, besides the fact that Cynna turns into a girl and has to work through the denial of her pregnancy.
Not bad, not what I expected, I hope the next book has more Lily, FBI and police work in it.
They travel to Edge, another realm that is high on magic, elves and gnomes. They travel around a lot on barges and horses and have battles... Made me wonder if Wilks had just finished reading LOTR. The book definitely felt a lot more like classic fantasy than the urban variety I was expecting.
It wasn't bad, I read the second half of the book in one sitting. But overall it didn't add much to the overall development of the series, besides the fact that Cynna turns into a girl and has to work through the denial of her pregnancy.
Not bad, not what I expected, I hope the next book has more Lily, FBI and police work in it.
February 5, 2015
3.5-3.75 stars. Night Season centers on Cynna and Cullen. Rule and Lily appear briefly, but it is not their story. Cynna and Cullen are two of my favorite characters in Wilks' World of the Lupi world. The world in Night Season is lushly developed, the details are just enough but not overwhelming. There is a decent amount of humor and some decent sexy time. But despite my enjoying these aspects of the book, the story seemed rush, wrapped up too quickly and was decent but not the best I read in the series. Still, a fun book and worth reading - and I can't wait to move on to the next in the series Mortal Sins.
March 23, 2016
While I enjoyed this installment, it wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy the focus shift to Cynna and Cullen, the introduction of some very interesting characters, and Gan. She stole a lot of the scenes in this one. Her love of chocolate seems almost as strong as mine. :)
I look forward to reading Wilks' free short about "the event" (CYNCERELY YOURS) and seeing what one of the side-effects of the magical shift will have on the Lupi going forward.
(3.5 stars)
I look forward to reading Wilks' free short about "the event" (CYNCERELY YOURS) and seeing what one of the side-effects of the magical shift will have on the Lupi going forward.
(3.5 stars)
June 30, 2013
Such an intelligent series. Every time I read a book in this series, I am amazed and intrigued all over again. This book continues with Cullen and Cynna as they travel to a magical realm called Edge. She is trying to find a medallion that is messing with the magical realms and he follows her. The Edge is a really interesting place and they encounter all sorts of mayhem and magic while there. Loved it!
October 27, 2019
Cynna has finally accepted that she's pregnant with Cullen's child, but is still very much adjusting to it. When a group of delegates arrive from a neighboring realm called the Edge arrive, Cynna and Cullen are drawn into helping them out. When the delgates mention that Cynna's father is in their realm, she's determined to go to find out what happened. But the group ends up tricking them and pull Cullen, Cynna and several others into Edge whether they wanted to go or not. There, Cynna is tasked with finding a sentient medallion that is wreaking havoc since losing its bond with its former owner. Cynna and Cullen work together to track it down and to fight off the beings who want it for themselves. Cullen also works to gain Cynna's trust, determined to prove that he can stick just for her.
This is just good storytelling. I really enjoyed the plot of the story as we followed Cynna and company into the Edge, as Gan learns what it means to have a soul and Cynna deals with the socio-politics of a foreign world. I also like the Kai/Nathan sub-storyline, but it really helps to have read the novella that comes before this book in the series. Really. It was a gripping story that held my interest and I read it one sitting. Believe it or not, my least favorite part of the story was the romance and baby-drama between Cynna and Cullen. For some reason, I'm just not loving them as a couple, nor am I loving the pregnancy stuff (though I do like that Cynna called the baby a parasite and refers to it as "little rider"). Maybe it's the fact that the author has done such a good job of pounding it into my brain that lupi aren't faithful, but I don't believe that Cullen can commit or that he really loves Cynna. For some reason, there isn't any particularly special reason for Cullen to overcome his biology/culture in order to be the only faithful lupi (without a chosen). Nope, I'm not convinced. But we'll just go with it and continue on with the series knowing that other aspects of this story were completely awesome and enjoyable.
This is just good storytelling. I really enjoyed the plot of the story as we followed Cynna and company into the Edge, as Gan learns what it means to have a soul and Cynna deals with the socio-politics of a foreign world. I also like the Kai/Nathan sub-storyline, but it really helps to have read the novella that comes before this book in the series. Really. It was a gripping story that held my interest and I read it one sitting. Believe it or not, my least favorite part of the story was the romance and baby-drama between Cynna and Cullen. For some reason, I'm just not loving them as a couple, nor am I loving the pregnancy stuff (though I do like that Cynna called the baby a parasite and refers to it as "little rider"). Maybe it's the fact that the author has done such a good job of pounding it into my brain that lupi aren't faithful, but I don't believe that Cullen can commit or that he really loves Cynna. For some reason, there isn't any particularly special reason for Cullen to overcome his biology/culture in order to be the only faithful lupi (without a chosen). Nope, I'm not convinced. But we'll just go with it and continue on with the series knowing that other aspects of this story were completely awesome and enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2018
Got pretty tired and bored with Cynna.
This is a peculiar situation. I don't hate Cynna but I don't like her either. I was curious what would happen to Cullen, how he would evolve but didn't really care about Cynna. Sadly, their paths are crossed. And so this book gets only 2 stars. I'll trust my Goodreads friends that have assured me this is the last Cynna centered novel in the series.
Onward to the next story in the series.
This is a peculiar situation. I don't hate Cynna but I don't like her either. I was curious what would happen to Cullen, how he would evolve but didn't really care about Cynna. Sadly, their paths are crossed. And so this book gets only 2 stars. I'll trust my Goodreads friends that have assured me this is the last Cynna centered novel in the series.
Onward to the next story in the series.
March 4, 2011
~* 4.5 Stars *~
Finder and FBI Agent Cynna Weaver is just starting to accept that she's pregnant, that she and the lupus Cullen Seaborne are going to have a child, when a delegation from the alternate realm of Edge show up in a fountain in a Washington D.C. mall. Offering trade with Earth for assistance in locating a medallion that controls the balance in Edge, the members of the delegation are cagey and secretive, and refuse to speak openly without a magical shield in place. A shield that only Cullen, a sorcerer as well as lupus, is able to erect.
When Cullen pours power into the spell to erect it, however, the truth becomes horribly clear. What spreads across the room isn't a shield, it's a gate between realms. The realization comes too late. Cynna and Cullen, along with the former demon Gan, FBI Magical Crimes Division Agent Steve Timms and a few others end up trapped in Edge, forced to track down the medallion just to get back home.
They're not the only ones after the medallion, however, and while that's distressing, the true problem is that there's someone out there even more intent on stopping Cynna from Finding it...and determined to kill them all to do so.
Taking a slightly bigger step towards fantasy than urban fantasy, Night Season is also the first book of the series to focus solely on Cynna and Cullen as protagonists, with Lily Yu and her lupus mate Rule Turner as little more than briefly featured ancillary characters. It's unusual, but not completely unique, as Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Underworld series is similarly handled, though to a wider extent. Wilks pulls it off nicely here, though, and does so in part because one of her greatest authorial strengths is the realistic, sympathetic, and completely believable evolution of characters over the story arc of the book and series.
Her plots aren't too shabby either, and again I'm impressed by the combination of creativity and steady, thorough storytelling. The World of the Lupi is ever-expanding, and I admire how smoothly and seamlessly the backdrop and current events unfold to create a wider universe. It's been captivating, really, having been pulled into the world the at the beginning of the series and reading through each book as that world and the characters in it drastically...though gradually and naturally...change and become more and more magic-touched. It's been an excellent journey so far, and one I would strongly suggest new readers to the series embark on, instead of jumping in somewhere in the middle. Too much of the truly masterful aspects of this series can only be appreciated with knowing the characters, where they came from, and how they connect.
In part because we got away from a lot of the lupus mythos in this book, I had an easier time with both the narrative and the plotline. It lacked a little of the depth and complexity of previous books, but it also provided a very satisfying romance subplot that was handled with both subtlety and intelligence. That subplot was actually one of my favorite parts of the book, and where I gained the most admiration for Wilks' ability to create and mold her characters and their personal history in such a way that who each of the characters are as people is vital and intrinsic to the nature and direction of the relationship evolution. It sounds so simple...yet in truth, it's so very rare, even in books with a wholly romantic plot. Too many times authors create Character A and Charater B and push them together regardless of the backstory and circumstance written, toss them into bed together, and manipulate the plot to get to the HEA. It ends up feeling inorganic and heavily plotted.
Nothing felt inorganic here. Nothing ever feels inorganic when it comes to character or relationship evolution in Wilks' books.
Wilks does have one quirk to her writing style that I've been consistently dissatisfied with as the series has progressed, and it was in full form in Night Season. Through the implementation of sudden timeline jumps or shifting POVs in the narrative, action scenes are often (though not always) none-too-subtly sidestepped. Fights, major conflicts, and abrupt changes in circumstance occur out of the reader's view, only to end up discussed or explained in retrospect instead of being written out. It's a writing style and choice that isn't to my liking, as I feel it disconnects me from the flow of the story and detracts from my emotional investment in the characters as the plot unfurls.
Issues I've had in the series with exposition overload or boggy narrative during excessive descriptive scenes, though, were not a problem for me in this book, and I felt the overall pace of the story was quick and evenly distributed. Part of that, I'm sure, is due to the less complex plot, but whatever the reason, I didn't have the problem of my mind wandering a bit here and there like I have in a few places in the first three books.
This series isn't really one of the flashier urban fantasy series out there, yet it's one of my favorites among the active ones I read. The plots are solid and well written, the world is creative and expanding nicely, the characters have a satisfying depth and appealing likability, and their relationships are brilliantly and realistically described and evolved. After four books, I'm a little surprised that a series plot arc hasn't become readily apparent to me...though there may not be one, I suppose (or I'm too obtuse to figure it out...which is, admittedly, possible), but that's not a disappointed surprise. It's a pleasant one, actually, because when you don't know exactly where you're going, you truly get to sit back and savor the journey without the heavy weight of expectation. And I plan to keep right on savoring The World of the Lupi series for as long as possible.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Finder and FBI Agent Cynna Weaver is just starting to accept that she's pregnant, that she and the lupus Cullen Seaborne are going to have a child, when a delegation from the alternate realm of Edge show up in a fountain in a Washington D.C. mall. Offering trade with Earth for assistance in locating a medallion that controls the balance in Edge, the members of the delegation are cagey and secretive, and refuse to speak openly without a magical shield in place. A shield that only Cullen, a sorcerer as well as lupus, is able to erect.
When Cullen pours power into the spell to erect it, however, the truth becomes horribly clear. What spreads across the room isn't a shield, it's a gate between realms. The realization comes too late. Cynna and Cullen, along with the former demon Gan, FBI Magical Crimes Division Agent Steve Timms and a few others end up trapped in Edge, forced to track down the medallion just to get back home.
They're not the only ones after the medallion, however, and while that's distressing, the true problem is that there's someone out there even more intent on stopping Cynna from Finding it...and determined to kill them all to do so.
Taking a slightly bigger step towards fantasy than urban fantasy, Night Season is also the first book of the series to focus solely on Cynna and Cullen as protagonists, with Lily Yu and her lupus mate Rule Turner as little more than briefly featured ancillary characters. It's unusual, but not completely unique, as Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Underworld series is similarly handled, though to a wider extent. Wilks pulls it off nicely here, though, and does so in part because one of her greatest authorial strengths is the realistic, sympathetic, and completely believable evolution of characters over the story arc of the book and series.
Her plots aren't too shabby either, and again I'm impressed by the combination of creativity and steady, thorough storytelling. The World of the Lupi is ever-expanding, and I admire how smoothly and seamlessly the backdrop and current events unfold to create a wider universe. It's been captivating, really, having been pulled into the world the at the beginning of the series and reading through each book as that world and the characters in it drastically...though gradually and naturally...change and become more and more magic-touched. It's been an excellent journey so far, and one I would strongly suggest new readers to the series embark on, instead of jumping in somewhere in the middle. Too much of the truly masterful aspects of this series can only be appreciated with knowing the characters, where they came from, and how they connect.
In part because we got away from a lot of the lupus mythos in this book, I had an easier time with both the narrative and the plotline. It lacked a little of the depth and complexity of previous books, but it also provided a very satisfying romance subplot that was handled with both subtlety and intelligence. That subplot was actually one of my favorite parts of the book, and where I gained the most admiration for Wilks' ability to create and mold her characters and their personal history in such a way that who each of the characters are as people is vital and intrinsic to the nature and direction of the relationship evolution. It sounds so simple...yet in truth, it's so very rare, even in books with a wholly romantic plot. Too many times authors create Character A and Charater B and push them together regardless of the backstory and circumstance written, toss them into bed together, and manipulate the plot to get to the HEA. It ends up feeling inorganic and heavily plotted.
Nothing felt inorganic here. Nothing ever feels inorganic when it comes to character or relationship evolution in Wilks' books.
Wilks does have one quirk to her writing style that I've been consistently dissatisfied with as the series has progressed, and it was in full form in Night Season. Through the implementation of sudden timeline jumps or shifting POVs in the narrative, action scenes are often (though not always) none-too-subtly sidestepped. Fights, major conflicts, and abrupt changes in circumstance occur out of the reader's view, only to end up discussed or explained in retrospect instead of being written out. It's a writing style and choice that isn't to my liking, as I feel it disconnects me from the flow of the story and detracts from my emotional investment in the characters as the plot unfurls.
Issues I've had in the series with exposition overload or boggy narrative during excessive descriptive scenes, though, were not a problem for me in this book, and I felt the overall pace of the story was quick and evenly distributed. Part of that, I'm sure, is due to the less complex plot, but whatever the reason, I didn't have the problem of my mind wandering a bit here and there like I have in a few places in the first three books.
This series isn't really one of the flashier urban fantasy series out there, yet it's one of my favorites among the active ones I read. The plots are solid and well written, the world is creative and expanding nicely, the characters have a satisfying depth and appealing likability, and their relationships are brilliantly and realistically described and evolved. After four books, I'm a little surprised that a series plot arc hasn't become readily apparent to me...though there may not be one, I suppose (or I'm too obtuse to figure it out...which is, admittedly, possible), but that's not a disappointed surprise. It's a pleasant one, actually, because when you don't know exactly where you're going, you truly get to sit back and savor the journey without the heavy weight of expectation. And I plan to keep right on savoring The World of the Lupi series for as long as possible.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
April 14, 2023
This book was a bit slow and focused on Cullen and Cynna. I guess as much as I like Cullen and Cynna’s characters, I prefer them as secondary characters. Rule and Lily are who I really want to read about. It picked up about 3/4 of way through though but I didn't enjoy this as much as the previous books in the series. Hopefully the next book will be more to my liking, I want to know what happens with Lily and Rule and their story.
May 31, 2016
Rating: 4.75
I still don’t want to jinx it, so I’m going to continue to refrain from saying that this series is great...There are 12 books in this series so far and that is more than enough room for things to go left. So I’m just taking each book one at a time and enjoying them as they come.
I still don’t want to jinx it, so I’m going to continue to refrain from saying that this series is great...There are 12 books in this series so far and that is more than enough room for things to go left. So I’m just taking each book one at a time and enjoying them as they come.
Night Season is book four in the World of Lupi series and is a little bit different than the previous three books in that, the majority of the book is focused on the adventures of Cynna and Cullen. Cynna is an FBI agent and part of Magical Crimes Unit. Cullen is a former lone wolf / sorcerer who went to medical school and strips for a living. They can barely stand one another but in Night Season they must depend on each other in order to not only survive but to protect their child growing inside of Cynna...Kind of a hard thing to do though when they’ve been thrown into another world and tasked to find an all powerful medallion. One that people would literally kill to get their hands on. But that’s all part of the fun!
Eileen Wilks is smart. The way these four books have flowed and how the story has naturally progressed throughout them was executed perfectly. Some people like a series that focuses, not only on different stories in each book...but different characters and relationships as well. I’m not one of those people. I like for my stories to feature the same people going through different things. I like to build a relationship and connection with the characters in a series and I can’t do that if the author is changing the main characters in each installment. There have been times when I started to read a series, but decided not to because I realized that the characters are changed in each book. The fact that Night Season didn’t focus on Rule and Lily didn’t bother me and that’s because she set up the desire for and interest in Cynna in Cullen in the last two books. I actually finished this book wanting MORE of Cullen and Cynna rather than going back to Lily and Rule.
I really enjoy their dynamic. They’re both stubborn, headstrong and always think they’re right. Neither of them wears their heart on their sleeve and they have a hard time expressing their feelings. Its an absolute recipe for disaster for these two to be together, but for whatever reason it works! I loved watching them get close and connect with one another... and then freak out about it later when they were alone. I enjoyed them taking care of each other and watching out for one another. Just the little things that wouldn’t be a big deal to anyone else. Like Cullen waking up and wondering why Cynna wasn’t beside him, or Cynna subconsciously always knowing where Cullen was because she cared about him so much that her Gift made her automatically tune-in to his location. They’re honest and blunt with each other and it was refreshing to read.
I complained a little in my review for the last book Blood Lines about the ‘Big Bad’ always being some form of a demon, nothing new or interesting. Welp, Eileen went and flipped me right on my ass for that one. In Night Season, Cynna and Cullen are in a completely different world, facing monsters they’ve never even dreamed of and wouldn’t know the first thing about how to defeat them. But they’re survivors and they do whatever it takes, whatever they have to do to make sure they get back home to their friends and family and to make sure the people with them are able to do the same as well. It was interesting seeing them in a completely different element. In a world where there is no technology, no guns, computers, cellphones or street lights for that matter. You forget how something so basic as a light is so essential to your everyday life and they had to go without all of that and more.
One of my favorite things about these books so far, besides the fact that they’re so well rounded as far as the characters, plot and world building, is the humor. Whether it’s sarcasm, insults or full on roasting, there is always something to laugh about in these books. One of these things being Gan. Gan is an enigma, inside of a puzzle, lost in a maze. But she is HILARIOUS. I can’t count how many times she asks for chocolate in this book but I swear every time she does, it’s just as funny if not funnier than the last time. You would of course have to read the books to understand why a request for chocolate would be funny to me, I’m not crazy, I swear. A good romance with a well executed plot and a healthy dose of humor can obviously go a long way when it comes to me and books.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. There were a lot of new people and creatures introduced. Possibilities that were unfathomable before are now inevitabilities. I can’t wait to read more about Cynna, Cullen and their little rider. The next book is going to be about Lily and Rule again, which I’m happy about because they have some unfinished business that I’m most certainly interested in seeing through to the end, but I hope Eileen continues with her use of Alternating Third Person POV and I get to see more of Cullen and Cynna as well as some of the other characters I’ve really come to love. Like Steve Timms and Ruben as well. Mortal Sins is the next book and it looks like it’s going to be a doozy!
May 5, 2020
Protagonistas: Cynna & Cullen
Profesiones: Policia & Hechicero
Pais: USA & Mundo de Hadas
Profesiones: Policia & Hechicero
Pais: USA & Mundo de Hadas
June 29, 2023
I liked seeing the H and h show some skills but dislike they had little power or control for most of the book. I did like this couple but won't continue due to books being outside my budget. Plus best I can rate is 4 and I did skim a lot of pages as I found it tedious.
August 21, 2024
I seriously didn't expect to like this series so much, but the world building, characters and the amazing Graphic Audio adaptation is gold!
April 26, 2011
Night Season is the fourth release of the World of the Lupi series by Eileen Wilks. This time around the story centers, mostly, on Lupine sorcerer Cullen Seabourne and FBI Agent Cynna Weaver. Weaver works for the Magical Crimes Division of the FBI and is also a Finder (a person who is able to find things and people that are missing). She still refuses to come to terms with the fact that she’s having a baby with Cullen. She goes through a period of self-doubt until finally she gets a positive indication on her pregnancy test. She is also the heir apparent to the Nokolai Clan’s Rhej, which she finds conflicting since she’s a devout Catholic. (Actually, she’s more like a Cafeteria Catholic in her beliefs if you truly read the bottom line.) She doesn’t really believe in the Lady, the deity that the Lupi worship and believe created their race, until later in the story when Cullen finds himself in big trouble and she finds herself calling upon her.
Cullen, on the other hand, finds that he is spending more time with a dragon named Mika, while trying to let Cynna know that he's not going anywhere regardless of her feelings on the pregnancy issue. Mika is one of the dragons that agreed to help the US government with the Magic overflow problem that have caused the countries electronics to go haywire. Cullen is also trying to learn more about his shields that seem to be able to withstand a lot of damage, as well as learning more about new spells.
As Cynna and Lily Yu are shopping for clothes, representatives from the Edge, show up in the middle of the mall. They want to talk about trading goods, and also need Cynna’s help in locating a missing medallion that is causing problems on their plane. Naturally, things go wrong and Cynna, Cullen, Ruben Brooks, Steve Timms and two others are dragged into the realm of the Edge. Lily is left behind which wasn't what the Edge people wanted. Naturally, they blame Cullen for putting too much magic into the gate between the worlds.
Two of the more interesting characters, Kai Tallman Michalski and Nathan Hunter, play a small part in the story. We don’t really get a chance to get to know these characters. All we do know is that Kai is a Human from Texas who has mind healing abilities. Nathan is on a mission from his queen, which we have to presume is the Winter Queen of the Fae, not the Elves as indicated in the book. Nathan is also a hellhound, which I found interesting. I’ve actually been told that Kai and Nathan actually first appear in a novella called On the Prowl. I guess I should go back and re-read the story since it’s the same novella that first introduced Charles and Anna of the Alpha and Omega series.
Cynna also has a reunion with her long lost father Daniel. Daniel disappeared 30 years ago in what Cynna thought was a walk away from the family moment. He actually was pulled into the Edge.
Our little demon Gan, who played a part in reuniting Lily's soul, is also back and nearly a full Goblin now. She’s still part demon, and because of her blood, she ends up staying behind in the Edge and becoming the holder of the medallion which was causing full days of night to remain while daylight was pushed aside. The medallion is responsible for the balance of the seasons.
In the end, Cynna agrees that Cullen has gotten under her skin, and they have to break a traditional ban on marrying. Lupi don’t marry. Rule claims he will support the decision since his Rhej has approved it even if his own father doesn't. Rule doesn't really want to see Cullen become a loner wolf again. Cynna agrees, in principle, to become the heir apparent Rhej after she called on the Lady to save Cullen and she did.
Note: Lily and Rule end up being a backup story only in this release. Lily is a former San Diego Homicide Detective that because of her touch sensitive abilities, she has found herself working now as an FBI Agent for the MCD. Rule, of course, is the heir apparent to the Nokolai clan, and also holds the same position in a rival were clan.
Overall, I found the story to be average at best. The whole new world of the Edge was actually interesting, as well as the fact that humans have been magically castrated in order to prevent them from having any children. The love/hate relationship between Cullen and Cynna is finally overwith. They can now get down the whole raising the rider story (baby). I also found it interesting that Cullen has the ability to determine the sex of the baby; boy, as well as learning Ruben's secret that he's not quite fully human which has caused a severe illness that there was no cure for until he landed in the Edge.
Mortal Sins (2009) is the next book in the series, and goes back to Rule and Lily.
Cullen, on the other hand, finds that he is spending more time with a dragon named Mika, while trying to let Cynna know that he's not going anywhere regardless of her feelings on the pregnancy issue. Mika is one of the dragons that agreed to help the US government with the Magic overflow problem that have caused the countries electronics to go haywire. Cullen is also trying to learn more about his shields that seem to be able to withstand a lot of damage, as well as learning more about new spells.
As Cynna and Lily Yu are shopping for clothes, representatives from the Edge, show up in the middle of the mall. They want to talk about trading goods, and also need Cynna’s help in locating a missing medallion that is causing problems on their plane. Naturally, things go wrong and Cynna, Cullen, Ruben Brooks, Steve Timms and two others are dragged into the realm of the Edge. Lily is left behind which wasn't what the Edge people wanted. Naturally, they blame Cullen for putting too much magic into the gate between the worlds.
Two of the more interesting characters, Kai Tallman Michalski and Nathan Hunter, play a small part in the story. We don’t really get a chance to get to know these characters. All we do know is that Kai is a Human from Texas who has mind healing abilities. Nathan is on a mission from his queen, which we have to presume is the Winter Queen of the Fae, not the Elves as indicated in the book. Nathan is also a hellhound, which I found interesting. I’ve actually been told that Kai and Nathan actually first appear in a novella called On the Prowl. I guess I should go back and re-read the story since it’s the same novella that first introduced Charles and Anna of the Alpha and Omega series.
Cynna also has a reunion with her long lost father Daniel. Daniel disappeared 30 years ago in what Cynna thought was a walk away from the family moment. He actually was pulled into the Edge.
Our little demon Gan, who played a part in reuniting Lily's soul, is also back and nearly a full Goblin now. She’s still part demon, and because of her blood, she ends up staying behind in the Edge and becoming the holder of the medallion which was causing full days of night to remain while daylight was pushed aside. The medallion is responsible for the balance of the seasons.
In the end, Cynna agrees that Cullen has gotten under her skin, and they have to break a traditional ban on marrying. Lupi don’t marry. Rule claims he will support the decision since his Rhej has approved it even if his own father doesn't. Rule doesn't really want to see Cullen become a loner wolf again. Cynna agrees, in principle, to become the heir apparent Rhej after she called on the Lady to save Cullen and she did.
Note: Lily and Rule end up being a backup story only in this release. Lily is a former San Diego Homicide Detective that because of her touch sensitive abilities, she has found herself working now as an FBI Agent for the MCD. Rule, of course, is the heir apparent to the Nokolai clan, and also holds the same position in a rival were clan.
Overall, I found the story to be average at best. The whole new world of the Edge was actually interesting, as well as the fact that humans have been magically castrated in order to prevent them from having any children. The love/hate relationship between Cullen and Cynna is finally overwith. They can now get down the whole raising the rider story (baby). I also found it interesting that Cullen has the ability to determine the sex of the baby; boy, as well as learning Ruben's secret that he's not quite fully human which has caused a severe illness that there was no cure for until he landed in the Edge.
Mortal Sins (2009) is the next book in the series, and goes back to Rule and Lily.
March 24, 2013
Synopsis:
A magic medallion...
A diplomatic envoy from another realm...
A dragon who doesn’t like to share...
...and a tester that turns the wrong color when she pees on it. FBI Agent Cynna Weaver’s life is a little too full right now. She’s pregnant--and lupus sorcerer Cullen Seabourne is the father. Cullen is thrilled. Cynna can barely utter the p-word. What does she know about kids? Her mother was a drunk. Her father abandoned them. Or so she’s always believed...
But things could be worse. She might be snatched into another realm to meet her long-lost father--a world where humans are strictly second-class citizens. In Edge, magic is commonplace, lying is an artform, and night never ends.
And Cynna’s only way home means working with Cullen to find an ancient artifact sought by powerful beings who would do anything to claim it.
My Thoughts:
This book took us to a very new place within the world that Eileen Wilks has created. In the previous book, we'd learned that Earth had been cut off from other realms because magic had decreased so much over time after the Great War. Then the power winds started coming through and things are a-changing. Several creatures have gotten pulled over into Earth's realm when the power winds had come through, but this time, some creatures showed up without the assist of a power wind. And they want Cynna and Lily to help them find something.
These guys happen to be from a realm called Edge. In order to tell them more about what it is that they've lost and want found, they say they need a shield spell to be completed, but that they can't do it. Enter Cullen who is the obvious choice for performing such a spell. Only, it turns out there was no shield spell and Cynna, along with a few others end up kidnapped by whoever these creatures are. Cullen tags along. Cynna is pregnant with his kid after all.
They find out the truth of things once they arrive at their destination. Not completely, because these gnomes do love to lie, but this is a smart group and they put things together pretty quickly. While on the way to find the missing medallion, the group is attacked by assassins out to kill Cynna so that she can't find it. When it's discovered who has the medallion, it becomes quite clear as to why assassins were sent out. Honestly, that aspect of the story wasn't that important to me. Especially those POVs from that Kai chick, though without those, the way things play out in the end probably wouldn't have made any sense, so I do understand why Wilks wrote them. I just didn't give a rats ass about that chick, so I could have done without them.
The most important part was the development between Cynna and Cullen. Ever since they met in book 2, you know they're gonna hook up. Those two love to argue. And they're just so similar. At the start of this book, Cynna knows she can no longer deny what Cullen, Rule and Lily told her was true in Blood Lines. She's carrying Cullen's baby. I think if not for this, these two would have kept right on fighting what they felt for each other. The baby made them confront it. They have their missteps along the way, but I'm glad that they work things out. I actually like the way that things went for them. They make a good couple. Besides, I don't think anyone else could put up with them for such a long period of time.
The true holder of the medallion sure came as a surprise. I probably shouldn't have been surprised by it, but I was. That should be interesting.
We also learn that there's probably a reason why Cullen was able to get Cynna pregnant on their first time together. Those two end up giving Rule some problems later on wanting to be the first to do something lupi never do. He supports them, though. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of these two as the series progresses. Gotta see the wedding and the birth of their baby, after all.
A magic medallion...
A diplomatic envoy from another realm...
A dragon who doesn’t like to share...
...and a tester that turns the wrong color when she pees on it. FBI Agent Cynna Weaver’s life is a little too full right now. She’s pregnant--and lupus sorcerer Cullen Seabourne is the father. Cullen is thrilled. Cynna can barely utter the p-word. What does she know about kids? Her mother was a drunk. Her father abandoned them. Or so she’s always believed...
But things could be worse. She might be snatched into another realm to meet her long-lost father--a world where humans are strictly second-class citizens. In Edge, magic is commonplace, lying is an artform, and night never ends.
And Cynna’s only way home means working with Cullen to find an ancient artifact sought by powerful beings who would do anything to claim it.
My Thoughts:
This book took us to a very new place within the world that Eileen Wilks has created. In the previous book, we'd learned that Earth had been cut off from other realms because magic had decreased so much over time after the Great War. Then the power winds started coming through and things are a-changing. Several creatures have gotten pulled over into Earth's realm when the power winds had come through, but this time, some creatures showed up without the assist of a power wind. And they want Cynna and Lily to help them find something.
These guys happen to be from a realm called Edge. In order to tell them more about what it is that they've lost and want found, they say they need a shield spell to be completed, but that they can't do it. Enter Cullen who is the obvious choice for performing such a spell. Only, it turns out there was no shield spell and Cynna, along with a few others end up kidnapped by whoever these creatures are. Cullen tags along. Cynna is pregnant with his kid after all.
They find out the truth of things once they arrive at their destination. Not completely, because these gnomes do love to lie, but this is a smart group and they put things together pretty quickly. While on the way to find the missing medallion, the group is attacked by assassins out to kill Cynna so that she can't find it. When it's discovered who has the medallion, it becomes quite clear as to why assassins were sent out. Honestly, that aspect of the story wasn't that important to me. Especially those POVs from that Kai chick, though without those, the way things play out in the end probably wouldn't have made any sense, so I do understand why Wilks wrote them. I just didn't give a rats ass about that chick, so I could have done without them.
The most important part was the development between Cynna and Cullen. Ever since they met in book 2, you know they're gonna hook up. Those two love to argue. And they're just so similar. At the start of this book, Cynna knows she can no longer deny what Cullen, Rule and Lily told her was true in Blood Lines. She's carrying Cullen's baby. I think if not for this, these two would have kept right on fighting what they felt for each other. The baby made them confront it. They have their missteps along the way, but I'm glad that they work things out. I actually like the way that things went for them. They make a good couple. Besides, I don't think anyone else could put up with them for such a long period of time.
The true holder of the medallion sure came as a surprise. I probably shouldn't have been surprised by it, but I was. That should be interesting.
We also learn that there's probably a reason why Cullen was able to get Cynna pregnant on their first time together. Those two end up giving Rule some problems later on wanting to be the first to do something lupi never do. He supports them, though. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of these two as the series progresses. Gotta see the wedding and the birth of their baby, after all.
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