I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Mortal Danger
by
Eileen Wilks
in a Kindle edition that was published by Berkley on November 1, 2005 and has 404 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Midnight Promises, Death Magic, Tied with a Bow, Mortal Ties, Ritual Magic, Unbinding, Mind Magic, Dragon Spawn, Dragon Blood, "Good Counsel", "Cyncerely Yours", "The New Kid", "Brownies", Blood Lines, Night Season, Mortal Sins, Blood Magic, Blood Challenge, "Human Nature"
Second in the World of the Lupi romantic paranormal fantasy series set in San Diego and revolving around Detective Lily Yu and the prince of the Lupi, Rule Turner.
My Take
The opening was startling, starting off with demons. Not what I had expected. Although, I suppose if there are goddesses, avatars, and magic, there’s no reason not to have demons, lol. And dragons and fae…
I thought Wilks’ lupi world was fascinating. I certainly enjoy reading about this series’ wolf culture and how they are perceived by most people as well as Lily’s and Rule’s interactions. Now Wilks has come up with a whole new culture, that of the demons in Dis and introducing dragons. And…ewww… Sure what happens in Dis makes sense and plays into our idea of a hell-like place…although Gan’s explanation of the difference between us eating something and demons eating something…just…ewww…
The main series arc is the battle between the lupi’s Lady and She. Both goddesses, She is a nutjob who wants to return to earth and take it over. The Lady is against it. This arc is played out against the mostly human Lily versus the captivating lupi prince. A minor arc is the controversial decision by Isen to mainstream the lupi, giving rise to all sorts of angers.
There is no lack of action in Mortal Danger. Kidnappings, rescues, murders, “cooperation” between law enforcement agencies, investigations, battles…oy, the battles!
Lots of prejudice and bigotry is addressed in World of the Lupi. Humans are so fearful of anything different, and the fact that the lupi are wolves, nonhumans, means they could be shot on sight. Of course, anyone with magic abilities is feared as well. Oy.
Wilks mostly uses third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Lily’s and Rule’s perspectives, but does include third person global subjective point-of-view so she can include the thoughts and actions of other characters. Yeah, I guess you could say the latter is the POV, but since the former perspectives are primary, I’m going with both.
And I’ll tell ya…this series is a buy for me.
The Story
It’s possession. A demon has taken over Lily Yu with the intent of taking her to Dis for Her to use. Only it all goes wrong when Gan, and the almost-possessed Lily, and Rule in his wolf form are all taken to Dis.
Yet Lily is still on earth.
The Characters
Special Agent Lily Yu, a touch sensitive, is no longer with the San Diego PD. She is Rule’s Chosen and wears Ishtar’s token.
The gorgeous Rule Turner, referred to as the Prince of the Lupi by the popular press, is a lupus and the Lu Nuncio (heir) for Nokolai. Toby is his only child.
Nokolai is…
…the name for this clan of lupi. Its Rho (alpha) is Isen Turner. The Rhej is a combination priestess, historian, and bard with memories that go back over 5,000 years. The Nokolai Rhej, Hannah, is an empath. Benedict is one of Isen’s sons and in charge of security; Claire had been his Chosen long ago. Rule is a younger son. Dr Nettie Two Horses is a Harvard-educated physician as well as a trained shaman…and Benedict’s daughter. Henry is Isen’s houseman.
The incredibly gorgeous Cullen Seabourne, a stripper, is an obsessed sorcerer and wolf recently adopted into Nokolai. Max Smith is a gnome who owns Club Hell where Cullen works. Both are friends of Rule’s.
Etorri is one of the lupi’s oldest and most revered clans, although they did cast out Cullen. William Carr had been the Etorri Rho. Stephen Andros is the Lu Nuncio of Etorri and Cullen’s cousin. Randall Frey is the Leidolf Lu Nuncio, a clan that is the enemy of Nokolai. The overly deliberate Ben Larson is with the Ansgar, the largest of the Scandinavian clans. Con McGuire is of Cynir; Ito Tsegaye of Mendoyo; Javiero Mendozo of Ybirra; Rikard Demeny of Szós; Jon Sebastian is the heir of Kerberos; and, Sean Masters of Kyffin.
Magical Crimes Division (MCD), FBI, …
…tolerates “unusual” skills. Ruben Brooks, a precog, is the Unit’s head. Special Agent (SA) Abel Karonski is a witch, a Wiccan, and a friend of Rule’s. SA Cynna Weaver is a Finder, demon rider, and a Dizzy. And she used to “date” Rule. SA Baxter is with the local office. Dick “Big Dick” Hayes is the acting director.
Homicide Detective Thomas “T.J.” James of the San Diego PD is a friend of Lily’s. Detective Leung of the Temecula PD is incompetent.
Victims include Kimberly Ann Curtis who was found by coworker Mike Sanderson and Cynthia Porter.
Dis is…
…otherwise known as Hell. Gan is a full demon obsessed with sex, of either sex, who can cross unsummoned. S/he also ate old Mevroax.
Xitil the Most Feared, a.k.a. Earth Mover, is a prince of hell who rules this region of Hell. Hrrol is one of Xitil’s Claws — they may be slow but their reflexes are swift. The hirug is another type of demon. Akhanetton is one of the regions in Hell. Ymu is life energy and sustains demons. Assig is the pattern, the memories and thinking, of a demon.
The dragons are trapped in Dis. The leaders of the dragons are the Singers. Sam is a black dragon and a Great Singer.
The Most Reverend Patrick Harlowe had led the Church of the Redeemed, a.k.a. the Azá, in Tempting Danger, 1. He serves Her, the enemy of the Lady, and wields the powerful staff of Gelsuid. Raul and Felix are members of the Dozens, a new gang in San Diego. Helen had been the evil telepath in Tempting Danger.
Lily’s Family
Madame Li Lei Yu is Grandmother, who can shift into a tiger. Older sister Susan, a doctor, is getting married. Beth is a younger sister. Edward and Julia Yu are Lily’s parents. Second cousin Freddie Chang likes to manage Lily. The eighty-two-year-old Nancy Chen, the great-aunt of the groom, likes to dance…and grope. Uncle Chen can be a mean drunk. Aunt Mequi Leung is Lily’s mother’s sister. Shannon.
The Lady, a.k.a. Ishtar??, is a goddess who created the lupi that they might battle her enemy. A Chosen is specially selected by the Lady for a particular lupus and considered the highest honor for the clan. Dizzies were a quasi-religious group based on African shamanistic practices. Jiri Asmahani is Cynna’s old teacher. Sally “Nurse Ponytail” hasn’t a clue what to do. Lorene was a seatmate of Cullen’s on the way back from New Orleans. Ni’Aureni Aeith is a lord of Faerie.
The Cover and Title
The cover is dark in its black and blue! A bright royal blue tinges the entire cover with a close-up of Rule Turner’s face. The title is in red and is set at the halfway point. The rest of the text is in white with an info blurb below the title and the author’s name below that.
The title is the Mortal Danger facing Lily Yu and Rule in Dis.
