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World of the Lupi #10
Dunkles Vergessen
Als Lilys Mutter urplötzlich ihre Erinnerungen verliert, weiß Lily, dass etwas nicht mit rechten Dingen zugeht. Magie ist im Spiel! Und ihre Mutter ist nicht die Einzige, die unter dem rätselhaften Gedächtnisverlust leidet. Lily und Rule müssen in Erfahrung bringen, wer oder was dahintersteckt!
508 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2013
113 people are currently reading
1597 people want to read
About the author
Eileen Wilks
131 books1,526 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 183 reviews
December 13, 2016
After reading the hot mess that was the latest Anita Blake book, this was hot chocolate on a cold day. With marshmallows AND whipped cream! Mmm.... BRB, going to make some hot chocolate...
Okay, so we have the amazing relationship between Lily and Rule that keeps growing and it's awesome. But, they both struggle with feeling like everyone who gets hurt is somehow their fault. That's the problem with being two control-freaks in a world that's out-of-control.
Lily's mother is attacked magically and she forgets most of her life. She thinks she is 12 years old, but is now stuck in a body that is almost 60. That's gotta sting!
she had boobs now.. at the hospital she'd checked them out. They were not very good boobs, being kind of droopy. That made her mad.
Yeah, sweetie, it makes us all mad.
Aww, the memories of the glory days when my boobs were perky, my skin young & tight, and I could fall down and NOT hurt myself...
Oh well... Anyway, it turns out that Lily's mom isn't the only one who loses her memories. It happens to tons of other people. Plus, there is a new bad-guy in town that even the old bad guys are afraid of. Crap!
Just when you think you've seen everything...
I loved the storyline of Lily's mother. It is usually the type of thing I hate - like Freaky Friday crap, but in this case, it was sweet and funny. I love how she related to Toby, learned to love video games, had a little crush on Rule, and the thoughts she had about her parents and husband. But, the best part was how Lily got insight into her mother's mind.
Thank you to my goodreads buddy, edge of the bubble, for getting me to read this series!
Okay, so we have the amazing relationship between Lily and Rule that keeps growing and it's awesome. But, they both struggle with feeling like everyone who gets hurt is somehow their fault. That's the problem with being two control-freaks in a world that's out-of-control.
Lily's mother is attacked magically and she forgets most of her life. She thinks she is 12 years old, but is now stuck in a body that is almost 60. That's gotta sting!
she had boobs now.. at the hospital she'd checked them out. They were not very good boobs, being kind of droopy. That made her mad.
Yeah, sweetie, it makes us all mad.
Aww, the memories of the glory days when my boobs were perky, my skin young & tight, and I could fall down and NOT hurt myself...
Oh well... Anyway, it turns out that Lily's mom isn't the only one who loses her memories. It happens to tons of other people. Plus, there is a new bad-guy in town that even the old bad guys are afraid of. Crap!
Just when you think you've seen everything...
I loved the storyline of Lily's mother. It is usually the type of thing I hate - like Freaky Friday crap, but in this case, it was sweet and funny. I love how she related to Toby, learned to love video games, had a little crush on Rule, and the thoughts she had about her parents and husband. But, the best part was how Lily got insight into her mother's mind.
Thank you to my goodreads buddy, edge of the bubble, for getting me to read this series!
December 13, 2016
I've never seen someon whine in a silent and collected way before Lily. I'm not sure how she does but while she has her badass act going on, she is whining! I don't know whether to praise or criticise Wilks for that feat of character building.
Rule, baby boy, you are a fucking werewolf chieftain of one of the strongest clans and heir to another. You are around 60 years old, successful businessman and a hot piece of ass. Ffs stop channeling Jacob from twilight. No more angsty brooding stuff.
Cullen and Cynna rock. Keep it up! I want more time with them and I want to read about their baby.
Oh and one of the fight scenes in this one was awesome. I really like the diversity in the story and detailed police work in this series.
Rule, baby boy, you are a fucking werewolf chieftain of one of the strongest clans and heir to another. You are around 60 years old, successful businessman and a hot piece of ass. Ffs stop channeling Jacob from twilight. No more angsty brooding stuff.
Cullen and Cynna rock. Keep it up! I want more time with them and I want to read about their baby.
Oh and one of the fight scenes in this one was awesome. I really like the diversity in the story and detailed police work in this series.
September 5, 2016
Each year, I challenge myself to read through a series to either finish it or get up to date. This year’s series is Eileen Wilk’s World of the Lupi - an urban fantasy series for the mystery and romance lover. It showcases her brilliant werewolf culture, but includes fey and demon realm races with gods and goddesses, dragons and magic wielding humans. Her characters are drawn with depth and her main characters pull the reader in for an intimate experience like a visit with old friends.
In this latest installment which is the tenth in the series that must be read in order, Rule and Lily are at the eve of their wedding. They are helping to celebrate Lily’s mother’s birthday when things go dreadfully wrong. Julia Yu leaves the table at her favorite Chinese restaurant to visit the ladies’ room and comes out missing all her memories save the first twelve years of her life.
Lily and her family are devastated, but it gets worse, more memory loss victims begin turning up. Some experience less loss and some more, but all of them have minds that are deteriorating including Julia Yu’s. Then a ritual death is discovered hinting at uber dark magic and ill intent. Lily’s suspicions are that her old nemesis, Robert Prior, is behind it all. With everything going on around her, she struggles to work the case and time is running out for the memory loss victims. The clues lead Lily, Rule, and the others to see that worse is yet to come- much worse, if they can’t figure out what is causing it all and how to stop it.
I dove into this book and barely surfaced from it until the end. Lily and Rule along with their friends and family have gone through so much since the secret war began when a crazed goddess and her followers set out to destroy the Lupi and take over the world, but this latest situation is personal. Lily is forced to re-evaluate so many things about her relationship with her family and learns that, though she and her mother are generally at odds, she needs Julia Yu in her life. Lily learns why her mother is so staunch about their Chinese culture and her conservative ways when she gets to see her mother as a young girl and learns about her early life before her marriage and family. Lily and Rule both learn the value of not shutting each other out during times of personal crisis and that they really need each other most at that time. They have come so far in their relationship and now on the eve of their wedding both whole-heartedly want that life together. They are as passionate as ever. Rule adores his strong lady cop and is proud of Lily content to work alongside her. Lily is amazed every day that the handsome lupi alpha wants her and her inflexible, driven ways.
But as always there is a paranormal murder mystery, a dire situation, and dangerous, deadly enemies to combat in a series of action scenes that keep the reader flipping pages.
In summary, this was another unputdownable installment to the series and I highly recommend it to those who want a complex Urban Fantasy series with great background and setting, well-written characters and a blend of plot elements including the paranormal, mystery, and romance.
In this latest installment which is the tenth in the series that must be read in order, Rule and Lily are at the eve of their wedding. They are helping to celebrate Lily’s mother’s birthday when things go dreadfully wrong. Julia Yu leaves the table at her favorite Chinese restaurant to visit the ladies’ room and comes out missing all her memories save the first twelve years of her life.
Lily and her family are devastated, but it gets worse, more memory loss victims begin turning up. Some experience less loss and some more, but all of them have minds that are deteriorating including Julia Yu’s. Then a ritual death is discovered hinting at uber dark magic and ill intent. Lily’s suspicions are that her old nemesis, Robert Prior, is behind it all. With everything going on around her, she struggles to work the case and time is running out for the memory loss victims. The clues lead Lily, Rule, and the others to see that worse is yet to come- much worse, if they can’t figure out what is causing it all and how to stop it.
I dove into this book and barely surfaced from it until the end. Lily and Rule along with their friends and family have gone through so much since the secret war began when a crazed goddess and her followers set out to destroy the Lupi and take over the world, but this latest situation is personal. Lily is forced to re-evaluate so many things about her relationship with her family and learns that, though she and her mother are generally at odds, she needs Julia Yu in her life. Lily learns why her mother is so staunch about their Chinese culture and her conservative ways when she gets to see her mother as a young girl and learns about her early life before her marriage and family. Lily and Rule both learn the value of not shutting each other out during times of personal crisis and that they really need each other most at that time. They have come so far in their relationship and now on the eve of their wedding both whole-heartedly want that life together. They are as passionate as ever. Rule adores his strong lady cop and is proud of Lily content to work alongside her. Lily is amazed every day that the handsome lupi alpha wants her and her inflexible, driven ways.
But as always there is a paranormal murder mystery, a dire situation, and dangerous, deadly enemies to combat in a series of action scenes that keep the reader flipping pages.
In summary, this was another unputdownable installment to the series and I highly recommend it to those who want a complex Urban Fantasy series with great background and setting, well-written characters and a blend of plot elements including the paranormal, mystery, and romance.
July 14, 2016
Remember when I said this series might have run its course for me? Scratch that. This book was a comeback in a big way. All of the disconnect I had been feeling was gone. All of the character focus I missed, was back again. I was engaged from the very beginning. The pacing was good, the plot moved fast, and I didn’t want to put it down from beginning to end.
One of the things that drew me in was the set-up. Lily’s mom, Julia, has lost her memory. She thinks she is still 12 years old. She can’t remember any of her life since that point, and that includes her husband and her children. Obviously, Lily thinks that whatever has magically targeted her mom, is using Julia to get to her. Then other people start popping up with memory loss all over the city. Something bigger is happening, but that Lily can’t shake the feeling that her mom is ground zero.
I’ve never cared much for Julia Yu one way or another, but this storyline really humanized her for me. And it gave the mystery a very personal dynamic for Lily. Things only build from there. Because sure enough, it is all tied to something bigger. It impacts the clan in a major way. It affects all of the people we know and love and allows us quality time with them… from Cullen and Cynna… to Benedict and Arjenie… Isen… even Toby. The stakes are high and I never knew what would happen from one page to the next.
The smaller mystery here ties in with the larger series arc, which really highlights just how well done the worldbuilding is. It also makes it clear that this is no place to start for a new reader. So much of what happens is built on things that have happened before and events that have brought us to where we are. That’s very gratifying for fans because we’re emotionally invested and getting some much needed payoff on some ongoing storylines.
I did get lost once or twice when we got into explanation of spiritual energies versus magical ones. But overall, I found this book to be engaging and satisfying, and it reminded me why I became such a fan to begin with. Bring on the next installment!
Rating: B+/A-
One of the things that drew me in was the set-up. Lily’s mom, Julia, has lost her memory. She thinks she is still 12 years old. She can’t remember any of her life since that point, and that includes her husband and her children. Obviously, Lily thinks that whatever has magically targeted her mom, is using Julia to get to her. Then other people start popping up with memory loss all over the city. Something bigger is happening, but that Lily can’t shake the feeling that her mom is ground zero.
I’ve never cared much for Julia Yu one way or another, but this storyline really humanized her for me. And it gave the mystery a very personal dynamic for Lily. Things only build from there. Because sure enough, it is all tied to something bigger. It impacts the clan in a major way. It affects all of the people we know and love and allows us quality time with them… from Cullen and Cynna… to Benedict and Arjenie… Isen… even Toby. The stakes are high and I never knew what would happen from one page to the next.
The smaller mystery here ties in with the larger series arc, which really highlights just how well done the worldbuilding is. It also makes it clear that this is no place to start for a new reader. So much of what happens is built on things that have happened before and events that have brought us to where we are. That’s very gratifying for fans because we’re emotionally invested and getting some much needed payoff on some ongoing storylines.
I did get lost once or twice when we got into explanation of spiritual energies versus magical ones. But overall, I found this book to be engaging and satisfying, and it reminded me why I became such a fan to begin with. Bring on the next installment!
Rating: B+/A-
September 10, 2013
Finally!! The end I had been waiting for :-)
It has been a little while since I read the Lupi series, and I was so captivated by the complex world and the developing relationship between Lily and Rule that I read books 1 - 9 back to back. Now though I had forgotten aspects of the world, but I think EW did a good job of recapping what was important but I almost wish I had reread them before picking this one up.
Once again there is a solid action packed plot that left me wondering what was going to happen next. I never seem to guess with this series too so I think that is why I like it so much. There wasn't so much Lily and Rule time, but that is just the romantic in me wanting some more romance in this UF series. In any case the end gave me a little bit of satisfaction :-) What I did like is that it showed a little more of Lily's mother, and revealed why Julia is the way she is. Not that it will make Julia and Lily any closer (or maybe it will), but at least Lily knows why too. I enjoyed seeing almost all of the side characters Benedict, Arjenie, Grandmother, Toby, Cullen, Cynna, Sam etc....and this series is still one of my fave UF to read.
I look forward to reading book 11 next year.
It has been a little while since I read the Lupi series, and I was so captivated by the complex world and the developing relationship between Lily and Rule that I read books 1 - 9 back to back. Now though I had forgotten aspects of the world, but I think EW did a good job of recapping what was important but I almost wish I had reread them before picking this one up.
Once again there is a solid action packed plot that left me wondering what was going to happen next. I never seem to guess with this series too so I think that is why I like it so much. There wasn't so much Lily and Rule time, but that is just the romantic in me wanting some more romance in this UF series. In any case the end gave me a little bit of satisfaction :-) What I did like is that it showed a little more of Lily's mother, and revealed why Julia is the way she is. Not that it will make Julia and Lily any closer (or maybe it will), but at least Lily knows why too. I enjoyed seeing almost all of the side characters Benedict, Arjenie, Grandmother, Toby, Cullen, Cynna, Sam etc....and this series is still one of my fave UF to read.
I look forward to reading book 11 next year.
November 12, 2014
Absolutely fabulous.
But wait, don't start with this book. You need to start with Tempting Danger, the first book of The World of the Lupi series by Eileen Wilks. This series is one of the best kept secrets of the urban fantasy world and it makes me kind of sad that it is not as popular as some of the other series out there.
Ritual Magic is the 10th book in the series. Yup, book 10. Book 11 just released last month so this is a well established series with an amazing world. There's werewolves (or Lupi), other shifters, fae, dragons, and more. The author creates a diverse world and fills it with all sorts of interesting mythology as well. This is also one of the few books out there with an Asian main character so in addition to strange Lupi customs, we also have some Asian lore as well.
Reviewing this book may cause spoilers so all I am going to say is that I love Lily and Rule. Bring on Unbinding (book 11)!
*Book purchased at Chapters.
But wait, don't start with this book. You need to start with Tempting Danger, the first book of The World of the Lupi series by Eileen Wilks. This series is one of the best kept secrets of the urban fantasy world and it makes me kind of sad that it is not as popular as some of the other series out there.
Ritual Magic is the 10th book in the series. Yup, book 10. Book 11 just released last month so this is a well established series with an amazing world. There's werewolves (or Lupi), other shifters, fae, dragons, and more. The author creates a diverse world and fills it with all sorts of interesting mythology as well. This is also one of the few books out there with an Asian main character so in addition to strange Lupi customs, we also have some Asian lore as well.
Reviewing this book may cause spoilers so all I am going to say is that I love Lily and Rule. Bring on Unbinding (book 11)!
*Book purchased at Chapters.
January 5, 2017
For me this was the weakest book until now.
Don't thinks that it's a bad book, because it's not, but I found it much slower than the previous ones.
What I liked was Julia (Lily's mother) and Hardy (the saint).
The exploration of spritual part was interesing, but very confusing and convoluted.
I hope the next one wil be much more interesting.
Don't thinks that it's a bad book, because it's not, but I found it much slower than the previous ones.
What I liked was Julia (Lily's mother) and Hardy (the saint).
The exploration of spritual part was interesing, but very confusing and convoluted.
I hope the next one wil be much more interesting.
June 7, 2023
Tenth in the World of the Lupi urban fantasy series revolving around Lily Yu and Rule Turner. Based in San Diego, it takes place three months after
Mortal Ties
, 9.
My Take
It's a mystery right off the bat as a little girl becomes dazed and confused at the restaurant. A confusion that simply becomes more and more horrifying with each step deeper into the story as Sam learns more and more about what afflicts all those affected by the, well, the virus is all I can think to call it. It's the Twilight Zone in text with the threat of being torn out of time looming over everyone.
What's with this "mysterious" stranger and the encounter that happens well before the inciting incident in which it is supposed to have occurred? I suspect it's meant to confuse and keep us in suspense, and it certainly does just that. Just not for the right reasons.
I think part of my problem with the story is that Wilks creates some awesomely terrifying issues...that get solved too easily. And Lily is acting so stupidly. Sure someone she's close to may never come back, but Wilks simply isn't convincing enough with Lily's traumas about the victims AND with how she is reacting to Rule. Nor was Wilks scary enough about Daffyd.
Wilks does use events to provide us, beautifully I might add, with background information on the lupi origins while the extra side bits that we learn about lupi love are so sweet. I do wonder if Toby's actions with Julia are part of that need to care for others?
I do wish Wilks had made the connection more clear about why it's so important that Rule not follow through on his intentions regarding Santos. Instead, it's simply poked at and used. I think it could have been better, more tense. As could the attacks have been more terrifying. The one at the office was scary, but I didn't feel the fright with the others. Nor did the losses bother me. Well, I prefer not to cry, but that is when I know the author has hit it.
Wilks does use this "plague" well. The effects and consequences are terrifying and my imagination went wild. Again, however, the ending was too neat and easy. Even if Wilks is leaving us on edge about the president's announcement.
Character-wise, I do adore Grandmother. I suspect she'd scare me to death if I ever met her for real, but she does cut to the chase. I loved how Lily "forced" Plackett to finally step up. What does it say about me that I love that Rule is so involved in the wedding plans? Is it possible that young Julia (it was so easy for me to see Julia as a twelve-year old. I'm not sure if it's a testament to Wilks' writing or ???) is so comfortable with Rule because they've spent so much time together?
Please tell me that Lily is being sarcastic about how bad the Leidolf guards are at numbers…
Weird stuff about Drummond's new "existence"; it's oddly woo-woo for this gruff, cynical FBI agent.
I did crack up over the police's reactions to having Rule and his men Change at the crime scene. And Wilks' solution to the "enchantment" is brilliant.
I did enjoy it, and it is a hot mess with new angles and more threats as Wilks pulls in the Fae and Robert Friar keeps pushin' those buttons.
The Story
Lily Yu is counting down the days before she marries Rule. Little does she know how much she'll regret the swift passage of time as her mother battles for her very sanity.
Speaking of sanity, she and Rule have bought a house. With holes in the walls, a basement in need of reinforcement, and worse, no escape tunnels! Luckily for Toby and Julia, the Leidolf guards have been working on this.
Huh, and y'all thought video games had no value. You'll change your mind when you see how practice pays off for everyone, well, until Friar shows up, wanting to make a deal.
The Characters
Special Agent Lily Yu, a touch sensitive who is also a part of both Units, is engaged to Rule, and the wedding is coming up. She still has Dirty Harry, her cat. Julia Lin is Lily's very precise mother joyfully planning Lily's wedding with Rule, until she turns 12; Edward is her non-demonstrative and angry father.
Rule Turner, a lupus, is the gorgeous Rho for Clan Leidolf and Lo Nuncio for Clan Nokolai, only, events in Mortal Ties have forced Rule off Nokolai land. Toby is Rule's son. Jasper is the brother we met in Mortal Ties . Benedict is in charge of Nokolai security and is Rule's older half brother married to Arjenie Fox, a half Fae. Dr. Nettie Two Horses is his daughter. Isen Turner is Rule and Benedict's father and the Rho of Clan Nokolai. Carl is Isen's houseman, and it's led to Lily's nickname for anyone who helps in the kitchen as the Kitchen Carls.
Cullen Seaborne is a sorcerer and a lupus---an extremely rare combination. He's also gorgeous---an 11 on the 1-to-10 scale. He's married to former FBI agent Cynna, the new Rhej for Clan Nokolai, who is a Finder. They have a baby girl, Ryder.
Rule's bodyguards include: Scott is Rule's second-in-command; Barnaby, who has an excellent nose even when two-legged; Mark; Jacob; Todd; Eric; and, Mike. I think Miles and Jonathan must be Cynna's guards.
Know-it-all Santos, Joe, and Andy, who screws up but learns from it, and they hope it's not too late, are the Leidolf guards for Lily. José, Casey, and Steve are Nokolai guards.
Pete is in charge of Isen's bodyguard detail. Cory and Gene are the guards at the gate to Clanhome. Bill and Tommy are part of Benedict's detail. Andor Demeny is Rho for Clan Szós and a guest at the wedding; Lucas is his Lo Nuncio.
More of the Yu relatives
Grandmother, Li Lei Yu, a.k.a., Madame Yu, is Edward's mother; Li Qin is Grandmother's companion. Freddie has recently come out of the closet. Uncle Chen owns the Golden Dragon restaurant. Aunt Jei is actually Lily's second cousin and Freddie's "long-suffering" mother. Paul is a brother-in-law; married to Susan, the dermatologist sister. Beth is the youngest sister and living in San Francisco. She's dating Sean Friar, Robert's younger brother. Aunt Deborah will collapse at the drop of a hat; she's married to Feng Li Zhang. Aunt Mequi, Julia's sister, isn't much better; she's married to Jim Chung. Grandfather Lin, Julia's father, is mentioned. Jin Zimmerman is a distant relative and a nurse.
The police and Unit people working with Lily
Special Agent Derwin "the Big A" Ackleford is rude, crude, and excellent at his job. Rickie Parker works with him. Officer Ramon Perez and Lieutenant Thomas "T.J." James are the kind of cops we want. Detective Erskine is a cop who needs to retire, find another line of work, the type for stupidheads, and we never do learn about Officer Daryl Crown.
Special Agent Abel Karonski will be in charge; Margarita is his open-minded wife. Ruben Brooks is Lily's boss and in charge of Unit Twelve and the Shadow Unit and he's an off-the-charts precog. Ida is Ruben's secretary. Al Drummond is an FBI agent who died; his current assignment is helping Lily. Fielding of the California tunes on the iPod is desperately anxious to see magic performed.
Miriam Faircastle is a Wiccan high priestess. Jack Weysmith is Water-Gifted, Gail, Warren, and Abby are part of the coven. Sun Mzao, a.k.a., Sam is a black dragon who has made California part of his territory; he has a relationship with Grandmother.
Dr. Babbitt is the psychiatrist. Dr. John L. Plackett is what we need fewer of in the world. Julia Lin is far from the only victim in this. Hardy is a homeless man, a saint, who only communicates through music. Ryan and Patrick are the kids who found the first body. Alan Debrett is/was a former classmate, and he has a daughter, Mary, with Down's Syndrome. Milly Rodriquez is a too persistent reporter. Dr. Sengupta is Nettie's surgeon. Angela Ward is an old-time movie star; millions have seen her films.
The Winter Queen of the Fae is involved and will send her Hound, a wild Sidhe, a hellhound: Nathan Hunter. Kai Tallman Michalski is a mind healer. Nam Anthessa is a named Fae artifact and highly dangerous due to its sentience. The former demon, Gam, is now female and growing wealthy in her position as the chancellor in Edge.
F'annwylyd is her new name, given to her by Dyffaya áv Eni, a.k.a., Daffyd, an exiled Sidhe god.
Robert Friar got the major upgrade from the Great Bitch: he heals fast and is an off-the-charts patterner. Armand Jones is Friar's West Coast lieutenant in Humans First. The Great Bitch is an Old One and is how the lupi refer to their Great Enemy, who wants to take over our world. Dworg are horrific monsters; thank god they're extinct.
Unit is an undercover unit of the FBI and supersedes FBI when it comes to supernatural matters. The Lady is an Old One and GB's enemy. She created the lupi to battle her.
The Cover
The cover is green and black with a neon charge of green outlining the knife which is point down in the ground and surrounded by arcane circles. It's Lily, all in black with her black hair flowing down her back, a black leather halter top (soooo, the illustrator didn't read the story, has no clue about Lily) as she kneels, legs spread, studying the glowing knife.
The title is too true as it is Ritual Magic threatening the fabric of our world.
My Take
It's a mystery right off the bat as a little girl becomes dazed and confused at the restaurant. A confusion that simply becomes more and more horrifying with each step deeper into the story as Sam learns more and more about what afflicts all those affected by the, well, the virus is all I can think to call it. It's the Twilight Zone in text with the threat of being torn out of time looming over everyone.
What's with this "mysterious" stranger and the encounter that happens well before the inciting incident in which it is supposed to have occurred? I suspect it's meant to confuse and keep us in suspense, and it certainly does just that. Just not for the right reasons.
I think part of my problem with the story is that Wilks creates some awesomely terrifying issues...that get solved too easily. And Lily is acting so stupidly. Sure someone she's close to may never come back, but Wilks simply isn't convincing enough with Lily's traumas about the victims AND with how she is reacting to Rule. Nor was Wilks scary enough about Daffyd.
Wilks does use events to provide us, beautifully I might add, with background information on the lupi origins while the extra side bits that we learn about lupi love are so sweet. I do wonder if Toby's actions with Julia are part of that need to care for others?
I do wish Wilks had made the connection more clear about why it's so important that Rule not follow through on his intentions regarding Santos. Instead, it's simply poked at and used. I think it could have been better, more tense. As could the attacks have been more terrifying. The one at the office was scary, but I didn't feel the fright with the others. Nor did the losses bother me. Well, I prefer not to cry, but that is when I know the author has hit it.
Wilks does use this "plague" well. The effects and consequences are terrifying and my imagination went wild. Again, however, the ending was too neat and easy. Even if Wilks is leaving us on edge about the president's announcement.
Character-wise, I do adore Grandmother. I suspect she'd scare me to death if I ever met her for real, but she does cut to the chase. I loved how Lily "forced" Plackett to finally step up. What does it say about me that I love that Rule is so involved in the wedding plans? Is it possible that young Julia (it was so easy for me to see Julia as a twelve-year old. I'm not sure if it's a testament to Wilks' writing or ???) is so comfortable with Rule because they've spent so much time together?
Please tell me that Lily is being sarcastic about how bad the Leidolf guards are at numbers…
Weird stuff about Drummond's new "existence"; it's oddly woo-woo for this gruff, cynical FBI agent.
I did crack up over the police's reactions to having Rule and his men Change at the crime scene. And Wilks' solution to the "enchantment" is brilliant.
I did enjoy it, and it is a hot mess with new angles and more threats as Wilks pulls in the Fae and Robert Friar keeps pushin' those buttons.
The Story
Lily Yu is counting down the days before she marries Rule. Little does she know how much she'll regret the swift passage of time as her mother battles for her very sanity.
Speaking of sanity, she and Rule have bought a house. With holes in the walls, a basement in need of reinforcement, and worse, no escape tunnels! Luckily for Toby and Julia, the Leidolf guards have been working on this.
Huh, and y'all thought video games had no value. You'll change your mind when you see how practice pays off for everyone, well, until Friar shows up, wanting to make a deal.
The Characters
Special Agent Lily Yu, a touch sensitive who is also a part of both Units, is engaged to Rule, and the wedding is coming up. She still has Dirty Harry, her cat. Julia Lin is Lily's very precise mother joyfully planning Lily's wedding with Rule, until she turns 12; Edward is her non-demonstrative and angry father.
Rule Turner, a lupus, is the gorgeous Rho for Clan Leidolf and Lo Nuncio for Clan Nokolai, only, events in Mortal Ties have forced Rule off Nokolai land. Toby is Rule's son. Jasper is the brother we met in Mortal Ties . Benedict is in charge of Nokolai security and is Rule's older half brother married to Arjenie Fox, a half Fae. Dr. Nettie Two Horses is his daughter. Isen Turner is Rule and Benedict's father and the Rho of Clan Nokolai. Carl is Isen's houseman, and it's led to Lily's nickname for anyone who helps in the kitchen as the Kitchen Carls.
Cullen Seaborne is a sorcerer and a lupus---an extremely rare combination. He's also gorgeous---an 11 on the 1-to-10 scale. He's married to former FBI agent Cynna, the new Rhej for Clan Nokolai, who is a Finder. They have a baby girl, Ryder.
Rule's bodyguards include: Scott is Rule's second-in-command; Barnaby, who has an excellent nose even when two-legged; Mark; Jacob; Todd; Eric; and, Mike. I think Miles and Jonathan must be Cynna's guards.
Know-it-all Santos, Joe, and Andy, who screws up but learns from it, and they hope it's not too late, are the Leidolf guards for Lily. José, Casey, and Steve are Nokolai guards.
Pete is in charge of Isen's bodyguard detail. Cory and Gene are the guards at the gate to Clanhome. Bill and Tommy are part of Benedict's detail. Andor Demeny is Rho for Clan Szós and a guest at the wedding; Lucas is his Lo Nuncio.
More of the Yu relatives
Grandmother, Li Lei Yu, a.k.a., Madame Yu, is Edward's mother; Li Qin is Grandmother's companion. Freddie has recently come out of the closet. Uncle Chen owns the Golden Dragon restaurant. Aunt Jei is actually Lily's second cousin and Freddie's "long-suffering" mother. Paul is a brother-in-law; married to Susan, the dermatologist sister. Beth is the youngest sister and living in San Francisco. She's dating Sean Friar, Robert's younger brother. Aunt Deborah will collapse at the drop of a hat; she's married to Feng Li Zhang. Aunt Mequi, Julia's sister, isn't much better; she's married to Jim Chung. Grandfather Lin, Julia's father, is mentioned. Jin Zimmerman is a distant relative and a nurse.
The police and Unit people working with Lily
Special Agent Derwin "the Big A" Ackleford is rude, crude, and excellent at his job. Rickie Parker works with him. Officer Ramon Perez and Lieutenant Thomas "T.J." James are the kind of cops we want. Detective Erskine is a cop who needs to retire, find another line of work, the type for stupidheads, and we never do learn about Officer Daryl Crown.
Special Agent Abel Karonski will be in charge; Margarita is his open-minded wife. Ruben Brooks is Lily's boss and in charge of Unit Twelve and the Shadow Unit and he's an off-the-charts precog. Ida is Ruben's secretary. Al Drummond is an FBI agent who died; his current assignment is helping Lily. Fielding of the California tunes on the iPod is desperately anxious to see magic performed.
Miriam Faircastle is a Wiccan high priestess. Jack Weysmith is Water-Gifted, Gail, Warren, and Abby are part of the coven. Sun Mzao, a.k.a., Sam is a black dragon who has made California part of his territory; he has a relationship with Grandmother.
Dr. Babbitt is the psychiatrist. Dr. John L. Plackett is what we need fewer of in the world. Julia Lin is far from the only victim in this. Hardy is a homeless man, a saint, who only communicates through music. Ryan and Patrick are the kids who found the first body. Alan Debrett is/was a former classmate, and he has a daughter, Mary, with Down's Syndrome. Milly Rodriquez is a too persistent reporter. Dr. Sengupta is Nettie's surgeon. Angela Ward is an old-time movie star; millions have seen her films.
The Winter Queen of the Fae is involved and will send her Hound, a wild Sidhe, a hellhound: Nathan Hunter. Kai Tallman Michalski is a mind healer. Nam Anthessa is a named Fae artifact and highly dangerous due to its sentience. The former demon, Gam, is now female and growing wealthy in her position as the chancellor in Edge.
F'annwylyd is her new name, given to her by Dyffaya áv Eni, a.k.a., Daffyd, an exiled Sidhe god.
Robert Friar got the major upgrade from the Great Bitch: he heals fast and is an off-the-charts patterner. Armand Jones is Friar's West Coast lieutenant in Humans First. The Great Bitch is an Old One and is how the lupi refer to their Great Enemy, who wants to take over our world. Dworg are horrific monsters; thank god they're extinct.
Unit is an undercover unit of the FBI and supersedes FBI when it comes to supernatural matters. The Lady is an Old One and GB's enemy. She created the lupi to battle her.
The Cover
The cover is green and black with a neon charge of green outlining the knife which is point down in the ground and surrounded by arcane circles. It's Lily, all in black with her black hair flowing down her back, a black leather halter top (soooo, the illustrator didn't read the story, has no clue about Lily) as she kneels, legs spread, studying the glowing knife.
The title is too true as it is Ritual Magic threatening the fabric of our world.
June 13, 2024
Reread june 2024 in Graphic audio -I am enjoying this series reread. (The audios are free right now with my audible plus subscription) It is nice to be able to binge the series thus time instead of having to wait for the next one.
Original review 9/2013 While Ritual Magic wasn't my favorite of the Lupi series it was still good and there were some things that I really likedabout this story as Lily's next case strikes close to home - Lily's mother, Julia, is left with only the memories of her twelve year old self as a result of the fallout from a ritual murder. Some (not too spoilerish) thoughts ...
I loved Julia and Toby together, and I liked the insight into Lily's relationship with her mother that Lily's iteractions with Julia gave Lily. Actually in watching Lily's family attempting to deal with what has happened to Julia, we also get a better feel for Lily's dad as well - he normally doesn't make it out of Julia's shadow. I also loved seeing characters from past books - I loved seeing Cynna again and I loved the special guest appearance near the end of the climax of the story.
Where Ritual Magic didn't work as well for me is that Lily isn't as sharp throughout the book as usual - there is a reason - she does have some strong moments but there aren't as many as her flashes of brilliance (One of my favorite parts of this serires is that I love the way she puts things together.) I also felt like there wasn't quite enough Rule, though what was there was good and he and Lily do have a few nice moments amidst the chaos, and they have a great scene together at the end.
Anyway, nits aside, I still really enjoyed Ritual Magic and I loved the ending - sigh. Now the special appearance blast from the past has me wondering if it is almost time for Molly and Michael (Originally Human - the audio dramatization of the story is free right now here)to turn back up - and since we are ten books in, I am also wondering how close we are getting to the end of the series.
Original review 9/2013 While Ritual Magic wasn't my favorite of the Lupi series it was still good and there were some things that I really likedabout this story as Lily's next case strikes close to home - Lily's mother, Julia, is left with only the memories of her twelve year old self as a result of the fallout from a ritual murder. Some (not too spoilerish) thoughts ...
I loved Julia and Toby together, and I liked the insight into Lily's relationship with her mother that Lily's iteractions with Julia gave Lily. Actually in watching Lily's family attempting to deal with what has happened to Julia, we also get a better feel for Lily's dad as well - he normally doesn't make it out of Julia's shadow. I also loved seeing characters from past books - I loved seeing Cynna again and I loved the special guest appearance near the end of the climax of the story.
Where Ritual Magic didn't work as well for me is that Lily isn't as sharp throughout the book as usual - there is a reason - she does have some strong moments but there aren't as many as her flashes of brilliance (One of my favorite parts of this serires is that I love the way she puts things together.) I also felt like there wasn't quite enough Rule, though what was there was good and he and Lily do have a few nice moments amidst the chaos, and they have a great scene together at the end.
Anyway, nits aside, I still really enjoyed Ritual Magic and I loved the ending - sigh. Now the special appearance blast from the past has me wondering if it is almost time for Molly and Michael (Originally Human - the audio dramatization of the story is free right now here)to turn back up - and since we are ten books in, I am also wondering how close we are getting to the end of the series.
April 7, 2016
4/5; 4 stars; A-
Well now, this story highlights one of the things I like about this series; each book unique! Wilks does not use the cookie cutter approach the way some authors do and each book is not an excuse to introduce a new romantic relationship.
Ritual Magic takes a bit of a side step, the way book four (Night Season) does, and in the process introduces a new antagonist as well as deepens our understanding of Lily's mother and the relationships amongst all the members of Lily's family. I really enjoyed this one and was happy to see Kai, Dell, and Nathan show up again.
Well now, this story highlights one of the things I like about this series; each book unique! Wilks does not use the cookie cutter approach the way some authors do and each book is not an excuse to introduce a new romantic relationship.
Ritual Magic takes a bit of a side step, the way book four (Night Season) does, and in the process introduces a new antagonist as well as deepens our understanding of Lily's mother and the relationships amongst all the members of Lily's family. I really enjoyed this one and was happy to see Kai, Dell, and Nathan show up again.
October 7, 2013
Took me a while to get into this book. It has been a while since I read the last book and couldn't remember all the players and exactly where we were in the story. Once I got into it, it was pretty good. Most of the story revolves around Rule and Lily and Lily's family. We start the story off from Lily's mom's POV. She thinks she is a twelve year old girl. She's lost all of her memory since then. We get to see a different side to Julia Yu and also Edward Yu, Lily's father. We also get to see Toby playing with Julia while Julia thinks like a child. It was great.
This is a long book, but there are a lot of pieces to the story. It takes a long time for Lily to figure out the investigation. Her mother isn't the only one who lost some of her memories, but even with really large numbers of victims, it takes them a while to figure out the connection.
All of this is going on just days before Lily's and Rule's scheduled wedding.
This is a long book, but there are a lot of pieces to the story. It takes a long time for Lily to figure out the investigation. Her mother isn't the only one who lost some of her memories, but even with really large numbers of victims, it takes them a while to figure out the connection.
All of this is going on just days before Lily's and Rule's scheduled wedding.
March 14, 2015
Lily's mother is psychologically attacked and has lost all memory of her life past the age of 12 (she's 57). Unfortunately this is not amnesia. The memories have actually been stripped of her mind and real magical help is necessary to bring her back.
Oh my this installment is chock full of surprises. We finally get to see the wedding of Rule and Lily but at the end of the book. More a celebration of life than anything else. A wonderful ceremony that had real meaning for Lily and Rule as well as all 500 attendees.
This series has introduced surprise after surprise and I hope Ms. Wilks keeps them coming. I absolutely love that it's not a tried and true story line but something new and different each time.
Oh my this installment is chock full of surprises. We finally get to see the wedding of Rule and Lily but at the end of the book. More a celebration of life than anything else. A wonderful ceremony that had real meaning for Lily and Rule as well as all 500 attendees.
This series has introduced surprise after surprise and I hope Ms. Wilks keeps them coming. I absolutely love that it's not a tried and true story line but something new and different each time.
September 27, 2013
The world in this series is always stellar, but I admit this time it was difficult both for me and the heroine to understand magic/spirit/and the like.
An extremely emotional journey that clearly had both readers and characters unsettled. Weird to see Ms Yu unsettled though :D
An extremely emotional journey that clearly had both readers and characters unsettled. Weird to see Ms Yu unsettled though :D
September 14, 2013
An excellent book. A little too much magic techno-babble, and I'd like to see more scenes with Rule and Lily, but I loved the book anyway.
January 6, 2017
3.5 stars. I have to admit the magical concepts in this world are really hard to understand.
September 8, 2013
With just under 3 weeks to go before Lily and Rule are to wed, Lily's mother Julia suddenly loses 45 years of memory while at a restaurant celebrating her 57th birthday. The 12 year-old trapped in the body of an `old lady' is horrifying to her. They shortly learn that a lot of people in the area suddenly have memory loss and they can't figure out what ties all of the victims together, much less what to do about it. The investigation and challenges take a number of surprising twists as they realize that they're facing more than one foe. The back story with Friar and his mistress and what the humans are learning, moves forward.
First and foremost this is an investigative mystery with Lily and Rule's romance in the background. We are provided plenty of mental and physical insights into their feelings for the other. And in some cases, they are still learning what they can or shouldn't do.
This one did tug on my heartstrings in a number of places. It's easy to feel the exhaustion, fear, tension, hope and other feelings for a number of characters.
The major and most of the secondary characters are on hand. Drummond, the ghost of an FBI agent who redeemed himself in a prior book is back--only Lily can see him--and a few new characters are introduced. One of the new characters is very special and thinking about him will most likely make you smile. And there are a few we haven't seen in a while. Toby, Rule's son? We get a glimpse of why he'll make a good Rho someday.
As the author has done in prior books, there is plenty of talk on the theories of magic; in this case it's examined against spirit and what the differences might be. We also get a huge discussion on memory and how it works as well as the difference between persuasion and compulsion. It blows my mind the way the author makes the theories not only sound plausible, but factual. There is also quite a bit of personal contemplation. All of this does, however, take up a lot of real estate in the book and I could have done with less of it.
But you aren't going to feel you were shorted on the investigation, fighting, planning, family, friends and other actions; 409 pages of tightly condensed type. I've got the entire series in paperback, but really wish I'd read this on my Kindle instead. I would have read this in one sitting except for the fact that my eyes were too blurred to continue reading the last 80 pages before stopping for the night.
First and foremost this is an investigative mystery with Lily and Rule's romance in the background. We are provided plenty of mental and physical insights into their feelings for the other. And in some cases, they are still learning what they can or shouldn't do.
This one did tug on my heartstrings in a number of places. It's easy to feel the exhaustion, fear, tension, hope and other feelings for a number of characters.
The major and most of the secondary characters are on hand. Drummond, the ghost of an FBI agent who redeemed himself in a prior book is back--only Lily can see him--and a few new characters are introduced. One of the new characters is very special and thinking about him will most likely make you smile. And there are a few we haven't seen in a while. Toby, Rule's son? We get a glimpse of why he'll make a good Rho someday.
As the author has done in prior books, there is plenty of talk on the theories of magic; in this case it's examined against spirit and what the differences might be. We also get a huge discussion on memory and how it works as well as the difference between persuasion and compulsion. It blows my mind the way the author makes the theories not only sound plausible, but factual. There is also quite a bit of personal contemplation. All of this does, however, take up a lot of real estate in the book and I could have done with less of it.
But you aren't going to feel you were shorted on the investigation, fighting, planning, family, friends and other actions; 409 pages of tightly condensed type. I've got the entire series in paperback, but really wish I'd read this on my Kindle instead. I would have read this in one sitting except for the fact that my eyes were too blurred to continue reading the last 80 pages before stopping for the night.
September 22, 2013
Ritual Magic
By Eileen Wilks
Rue and Lily are set to be married in weeks when Lily’s mother loses her memory. This is only the beginning of the challenges that Rue and Lily must face in book 10 of the World of the Lupi series. I do recommend that you read the first books before attempting this one. There are pieces you wouldn’t understand unless you read the beginning books. All your favorite characters return in this book…Sam the dragon, Cullen, Benedict, Drummond, even Friar is back.
Eileen Wilks creates a world that is dangerous and exciting. The paranormal elements are vivid and engaging, with characters that you wish were real. Magic has a place in this new world and is accepted.
I really enjoyed the idea of spirit in this book. It’s more than magic. As well, I liked the tie-in to Celtic history with the magical knife. There are twists and turns you won’t see coming and will have you wondering what will happen next.
If you enjoy a wild paranormal romp through an exciting and magical world, Ritual Magic is for you. In fact, all of Eileen’s books are perfect reads for paranormal or urban fantasy fans.
By Eileen Wilks
Rue and Lily are set to be married in weeks when Lily’s mother loses her memory. This is only the beginning of the challenges that Rue and Lily must face in book 10 of the World of the Lupi series. I do recommend that you read the first books before attempting this one. There are pieces you wouldn’t understand unless you read the beginning books. All your favorite characters return in this book…Sam the dragon, Cullen, Benedict, Drummond, even Friar is back.
Eileen Wilks creates a world that is dangerous and exciting. The paranormal elements are vivid and engaging, with characters that you wish were real. Magic has a place in this new world and is accepted.
I really enjoyed the idea of spirit in this book. It’s more than magic. As well, I liked the tie-in to Celtic history with the magical knife. There are twists and turns you won’t see coming and will have you wondering what will happen next.
If you enjoy a wild paranormal romp through an exciting and magical world, Ritual Magic is for you. In fact, all of Eileen’s books are perfect reads for paranormal or urban fantasy fans.
February 7, 2025
Compulsion, persuasion, corruption. These three words and the urge to define and explain them take up a lot of room in this otherwise very good read. There was a lot of repetition, too, as Ms. Wilks attempted to explore the similarities and differences between right and wrong, and good and evil. Eventually it got (mostly) sorted out, and the read just escaped being preachy.
That being said, the main story was entertaining. I must admit I skipped some of the bits of introspection (see above) and was heartily relieved that all ended up well enough for Lily and Rule to get married.
Onward and upward. I am looking forward to what comes next.
That being said, the main story was entertaining. I must admit I skipped some of the bits of introspection (see above) and was heartily relieved that all ended up well enough for Lily and Rule to get married.
Onward and upward. I am looking forward to what comes next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2021
I started this series when I was a teenager in 2004 with Cravings & after a reread of the series now in 2021 I can honestly say I continue to be a fan of the world but have fallen out of love with the FMC. I’d warn everyone my original ratings do not reflect my current feelings on the series. I’d rate most of the books a strong 3. I will say the GraphicAudio dramatizations for this series is well done & highly entertaining. If you decide to start the series I’d choose the audio versions.
September 14, 2024
This series is really one of my favorites. I love how Lily and Rule interact with each other. They are kind of like what Eve and Roarke might have been with decent parents.
The beginning grabbed me and didn't let go. The whole bit with the amnesia was different and the new villain in the piece added something. The ending was beautiful (in fact the ending gave it the 5th star)
The beginning grabbed me and didn't let go. The whole bit with the amnesia was different and the new villain in the piece added something. The ending was beautiful (in fact the ending gave it the 5th star)
September 7, 2013
Yet another excellent installment in the World of the Lupi series. If you're a fan of UF, I highly recommend this series. I loved the focus on Lily and Rule, and the small tidbits we saw of Toby and Grandmother were lots of fun as well. I could have done without the few short scenes with the villain and his victim in another plane, however. I'm not sure it added anything to the story whatsoever. I'll definitely be rereading this one!
February 15, 2016
That was so flippin' good!
September 8, 2016
Review to come
June 10, 2019
3.5 stars
Not one of my faves from the series, but there were still several things I liked. The plot line with Julia Yu was interesting, and I’m always glad when Drummond pops in. Of course, I loved the last scene of the book.
I’ve been wanting to see the gang up against a different enemy, so I guess I got my wish, sort of, but that aspect of the plot was probably what I liked least about the book.
Oh, well. They can’t all be my favorite book ever. I’m still into the series and looking forward to reading more.
Not one of my faves from the series, but there were still several things I liked. The plot line with Julia Yu was interesting, and I’m always glad when Drummond pops in. Of course, I loved the last scene of the book.
I’ve been wanting to see the gang up against a different enemy, so I guess I got my wish, sort of, but that aspect of the plot was probably what I liked least about the book.
Oh, well. They can’t all be my favorite book ever. I’m still into the series and looking forward to reading more.
January 3, 2018
Let me say 1 thing I am so damn happy next book is the last I just want to be done with this series because it really is bad and cheesy as all hell. The plot is pretty bad and so are the characters but Graphic Audio production of this is great. Because of that I feel that I must listened to the end of it.
April 25, 2025
audiobook
November 20, 2013
*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
Ritual Magic, the tenth novel in the World of the Lupi, finds Lily Yu's mother Julia on center stage after waking up without any memories of the past 45 years and truly believing that she is 12 years old. Lily, who works for the FBI's Unit 12, and Shadow Unit, immediately suspects that her mother has been targeted by Robert Friar, the Big Bitches eyes and ears on earth, the Lupus only real enemy, and Lily's greatest threat to hers and Rule Tanners happiness. As a member of the exclusive and secretive Shadow Unit, it is Lily's job to take all threats seriously and end them by whatever means necessary.
I think Ritual Magic really put the strain on Lily and her internal conflicts. On one hand, she knows that if she crossed the line like Friar, there will be no turning back. On the other hand, if she doesn't do something to stop Friar, and the Big B, then Rule, her family, and everyone she cares for will end up paying the ultimate price.
I had a few problems with Lily this time out. She absolutely drove me to the point of insanity with her seesaw internal battle knowing full well that being a touch sensitive and immune to magic, she has the means to end the conflict once and for-all. Lily spent way too much time ignoring glaring clues that are right in front of her. I don't mind that she is strong willed and driven. I do mind that she hesitates and because of her hesitation, nothing is really resolved.
I hate the fact that Wilks continues to bring Friar back in each and every single book as the villain who just won't die or leave Lily alone. I am sorry to say this but his story needs a quick resolution soon, or else I am seriously going to reconsider continuing this series. I don't think we need an antagonist that just won't go away. There are plenty of storylines that could be written, and we could also split off from Lily and Rule, and focus once again on Cynna, Cullen, Benedict, Arjenie, or even Dr. Nettie Two Shoes.
I will say this for Ritual Magic, the ending is exactly what I have been waiting and hoping would happen for a very long while. As a reader of this series, it has been on my mind that Friar would do something absolutely devastating in order to stop Rule and Lily from getting married. It was also nice to see the dynamics between Lily and Julia who often times find themselves at odds over the smallest things. Once again Grandmother Yu proves she can more than handle a story all her own.
Please note: Each book in this series is a whole story with a beginning and an ending, however the plot of each book relies heavily on the prior books in the series. It is recommended that you read the full length novels in the order they were published.
Published: August 6th 2013 by Berkley
*Rating* 3.0
*My Thoughts*
Ritual Magic, the tenth novel in the World of the Lupi, finds Lily Yu's mother Julia on center stage after waking up without any memories of the past 45 years and truly believing that she is 12 years old. Lily, who works for the FBI's Unit 12, and Shadow Unit, immediately suspects that her mother has been targeted by Robert Friar, the Big Bitches eyes and ears on earth, the Lupus only real enemy, and Lily's greatest threat to hers and Rule Tanners happiness. As a member of the exclusive and secretive Shadow Unit, it is Lily's job to take all threats seriously and end them by whatever means necessary.
I think Ritual Magic really put the strain on Lily and her internal conflicts. On one hand, she knows that if she crossed the line like Friar, there will be no turning back. On the other hand, if she doesn't do something to stop Friar, and the Big B, then Rule, her family, and everyone she cares for will end up paying the ultimate price.
I had a few problems with Lily this time out. She absolutely drove me to the point of insanity with her seesaw internal battle knowing full well that being a touch sensitive and immune to magic, she has the means to end the conflict once and for-all. Lily spent way too much time ignoring glaring clues that are right in front of her. I don't mind that she is strong willed and driven. I do mind that she hesitates and because of her hesitation, nothing is really resolved.
I hate the fact that Wilks continues to bring Friar back in each and every single book as the villain who just won't die or leave Lily alone. I am sorry to say this but his story needs a quick resolution soon, or else I am seriously going to reconsider continuing this series. I don't think we need an antagonist that just won't go away. There are plenty of storylines that could be written, and we could also split off from Lily and Rule, and focus once again on Cynna, Cullen, Benedict, Arjenie, or even Dr. Nettie Two Shoes.
I will say this for Ritual Magic, the ending is exactly what I have been waiting and hoping would happen for a very long while. As a reader of this series, it has been on my mind that Friar would do something absolutely devastating in order to stop Rule and Lily from getting married. It was also nice to see the dynamics between Lily and Julia who often times find themselves at odds over the smallest things. Once again Grandmother Yu proves she can more than handle a story all her own.
Please note: Each book in this series is a whole story with a beginning and an ending, however the plot of each book relies heavily on the prior books in the series. It is recommended that you read the full length novels in the order they were published.
Published: August 6th 2013 by Berkley
September 9, 2013
Ritual Magic hits close to home when Lily's mother Julia's mind suddenly reverts back to when she was twelve years old. While Lily detects a little bit of magic residue, there's not enough to determine what was used on her mom. AS the investigation continues we come to find that Julia Yu was not the only victim of memory loss. All had varying degrees of loss. Some a couple of days some years of their lives. Now Lily and Rule have to find out who and what is causing this attack and what is the ultimate purpose.
Just when I think I might be ready for this series to end, Ritual Magic comes out. I really enjoyed this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. I think the flow and progression was done very well. In previous books there have been times where two storylines intersected and it got a little confusing figuring out how one connected to the other. Here the same thing happens, but it was done so consisely that I was able to follow the thread throughout the entirety.
I liked getting to see another side to Lily's mother and esentially the entire Yu family. Her mother comes across as very distant and strict with her daughters. We learn more about why that may be and twelve year old Julia's point of view is refreshing. We get to see the story from a different perspective and it's nice. Fresh. It reminds me of when the series first started.
One thing I didn't like was how it seemed as though Wilks tried to create tension between Rule and Lily when there didn't need to be any. Mind you this was only a brief interlude, but Wilks should have either gone full force with it, or not had it in there at all. I know that after a couple has been together for so long there's a fear that their romance will become boring. You don't have to worry about that with Lily and Rule. There's still plenty in their relationship they can explore and I hope and look forward to Wilks utilizing it all.
I was surprised that I enjoyed the book as much as I did, but I'm now excited to see where the series goes from here. There's still a war going on and I'm guessing the end of the series will be the final show-down. Just how long that will be is anyone's guess.
Just when I think I might be ready for this series to end, Ritual Magic comes out. I really enjoyed this book. From the very beginning I was hooked. I think the flow and progression was done very well. In previous books there have been times where two storylines intersected and it got a little confusing figuring out how one connected to the other. Here the same thing happens, but it was done so consisely that I was able to follow the thread throughout the entirety.
I liked getting to see another side to Lily's mother and esentially the entire Yu family. Her mother comes across as very distant and strict with her daughters. We learn more about why that may be and twelve year old Julia's point of view is refreshing. We get to see the story from a different perspective and it's nice. Fresh. It reminds me of when the series first started.
One thing I didn't like was how it seemed as though Wilks tried to create tension between Rule and Lily when there didn't need to be any. Mind you this was only a brief interlude, but Wilks should have either gone full force with it, or not had it in there at all. I know that after a couple has been together for so long there's a fear that their romance will become boring. You don't have to worry about that with Lily and Rule. There's still plenty in their relationship they can explore and I hope and look forward to Wilks utilizing it all.
I was surprised that I enjoyed the book as much as I did, but I'm now excited to see where the series goes from here. There's still a war going on and I'm guessing the end of the series will be the final show-down. Just how long that will be is anyone's guess.
March 2, 2014
4.5 Stars Really
As if 2 weeks and 5 days before your wedding doesn't carry its own drama, Lily has a front row seat for her next case. At a family dinner Lily's mother, Julia, goes to the ladies and returns missing the last 45 years of her life! Before long similar cases are popping up all over the city and threads to a complicated plot are apparent. Is this Friar's latest gambit for Her? Or is it a diabolical plot being carried out by a new and nefarious someone else?
The pacing for this installment seemed much faster than usual for me and I found myself completely engaged immediately. Rule and Lily weren't the only couple this time out and they had a few meaningful scenes. Julia and Toby had some great scenes and even better chemistry together while Toby tried to help Julia adjust to her changes. The altered Julia came across as a much softer and more vulnerable version of the Julia we've come to be wary of and avoid. Lily had some good moments but seemed rather subdued for most of the read while Rule seemed to still be struggling with insecurities. This is definitely a backward move from the larger than life alpha introduced in Tempting Danger. I loved that Rule! This time out also had Cynna playing key roles for both the home and field teams (with barely a mention of Ryder). Cullen was out of the all-purpose box he's been relegated to lately and (IMO) had a stronger role in this read. It was also good to get a peek at Benedict and learn more about Lily's family.
Although the story was neatly wrapped, pieces of it felt incomplete. Sam, Grandmother Yu, Nettie and Friar's actions all left more to be said or done. There was also an end of an era tone alongside the thread promising more installments. I believe this installment would make a good ending for the series, leaving those loose threads for a novella or so to tie an offshoot series back into this one. If you're already a fan of the series, there's nothing I can say that will change your mind about reading this installment. If you're new to the series, it's best that you start at book one for this very layered tale or much won't make sense.
As if 2 weeks and 5 days before your wedding doesn't carry its own drama, Lily has a front row seat for her next case. At a family dinner Lily's mother, Julia, goes to the ladies and returns missing the last 45 years of her life! Before long similar cases are popping up all over the city and threads to a complicated plot are apparent. Is this Friar's latest gambit for Her? Or is it a diabolical plot being carried out by a new and nefarious someone else?
The pacing for this installment seemed much faster than usual for me and I found myself completely engaged immediately. Rule and Lily weren't the only couple this time out and they had a few meaningful scenes. Julia and Toby had some great scenes and even better chemistry together while Toby tried to help Julia adjust to her changes. The altered Julia came across as a much softer and more vulnerable version of the Julia we've come to be wary of and avoid. Lily had some good moments but seemed rather subdued for most of the read while Rule seemed to still be struggling with insecurities. This is definitely a backward move from the larger than life alpha introduced in Tempting Danger. I loved that Rule! This time out also had Cynna playing key roles for both the home and field teams (with barely a mention of Ryder). Cullen was out of the all-purpose box he's been relegated to lately and (IMO) had a stronger role in this read. It was also good to get a peek at Benedict and learn more about Lily's family.
Although the story was neatly wrapped, pieces of it felt incomplete. Sam, Grandmother Yu, Nettie and Friar's actions all left more to be said or done. There was also an end of an era tone alongside the thread promising more installments. I believe this installment would make a good ending for the series, leaving those loose threads for a novella or so to tie an offshoot series back into this one. If you're already a fan of the series, there's nothing I can say that will change your mind about reading this installment. If you're new to the series, it's best that you start at book one for this very layered tale or much won't make sense.
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