Tempting Danger (The World of the Lupi, Book 1)

I just finished the World of Lupi series and am anxiously awaiting the next book. I won't give a synopsis of the story since that's pretty well covered already in other posts, but just wanted to add my recommendations to read this series. I got interested in paranormal stories after reading Twilight and have since moved on to other authors like Jeaniene Frost, Laurell Hamilton, Lara Adrian, CL Wilson, Karen Chance, and Lyndsay Sands. If you are a fan of these types of books, you'll enjoy this series. I couldn't put them down!

This book was a compelling read that I could not put down. Firstly, I loved the not-so-typical heroine who showed honest struggle not only being a female cop, but a minority who's a 'sensitive' to boot. I felt she was portrayed honestly and therefore easier to relate to. Secondly, instead of the Alpha finding his mate & claiming her as his own, Lily Yu doesn't go quietly & asks the right questions that could change her life forever. As for the World of the Lupi in this book, it's a very interesting take on an age-old society of Weres and how they handle their race with others. They're Out, so to speak, which makes things that much more interesting with race wars and prejudices. A male bonding is actually a rarity, and when it does happen, there are more choices for the female 'Chosen' than her bonded male which was an intriguing twist for me. In other words the Alpha is the more vulnerable in this situation and has that much more to lose. As for the plot, it kept me deeply involved as an investigator myself seeking for answers. And the side characters are abundant in wit, charm and mystery to keep me entertained for the next installments. Overall, fans of Briggs and Armstrong won't be disappointed with Wilks and her World of the Lupi series... I wasn't!

Lily Yu is a twenty-eight year old homicide detective, and she has a secret--she's a Sensitive. When she touches people, she can feel magic. In the beginning of the book, Lily is called to the scene of a murder, and she immediately realizes this is not your ordinary crime scene. The victim appears to have been attacked and killed--by a werewolf, or lupus. During the course of her investigation, she is introduced to the handsome and charismatic lupi prince, Rule Turner. Despite her unwillingness to be drawn in by his charm, she finds she can't help herself. Rule is likewise drawn to Lily and quickly realizes there is much more between them than just passion. But Lily has secrets of her own which prevent her from opening up to just anyone (not to mention the fact that Rule is a lupus), and Rule, too, is not exactly an open book. Readers will quickly realize their relationship is going to be complicated. Rule and Lily begin to investigate the murders together, and their blossoming relationship is put to the test when Rule becomes the prime suspect by one of Lily's fellow officers. There is much more to the plot than just murder--there's the lupi world, Lily's own past, federal agents, sorcerers, Lily's wise grandmother, gnomes, and dark magic. I enjoyed this book very much. I did become rather frustrated at times, because much was insinuated and hinted at about Lily's past, but nothing was truly revealed until much later in the book. This kept me from feeling as though I knew and understood her. I found it frustrating to be held at a distance from the main character I assumedly should like. Therefore, it was difficult for me to determine whether or not I actually LIKED Lily. However, her actions were enough to demonstrate she is an honest, complicated, tough, independent, and stubborn woman who will never be content to sit at home while the boyfriend goes out and takes care of the bad guys. I liked that about her, and I imagine a lot of readers will, too. I will be looking forward to reading more about Lily and Rule. The next book, MORTAL DANGER, is out now. Eileen Wilks also has a third book, BLOODLINES, due out in January 2007. All in all, this was a good book, and I recommend it to fans of the paranormal genre.

Okay, just finished "Tempting Danger" by Eileen Wilks -- I give it five stars as a very intense paranormal suspense novel. It's world is very reminiscent of the Anita Blake universe with the paranormal being known, and non-humans like the Lupi (werewolves) only recently gaining equal legal protections from murder... well unless they are in wolf form, because it's not illegal to kill a lupi who isn't in their human shape, not yet. The main character is a very strong and canny Chinese American police detective, Lily Yu. A nicely original character that makes a very realistic homicide investigator, who is also a "sensitive". Since anything magical has been suspect for a long time, Lily is in a "don't ask, don't tell" situation and uses of her gift are under the radar and not mentioned in reports. Being officially "outed" would mean her badge, but when her gift tells her the latest murders she is investigating are the result of sorcery and not a rogue werewolf she has some hard choices to make. Rule Turner is the equivalent of a werewolf prince, and he's being framed by powerful forces that have hidden agents inside the police department itself. Lily who has always been the type to 'color inside the lines' is going to have to cross the lines to do the right thing. It doesn't help that there is an incredible attraction between Lily and Rule, one deeper than mere animal attraction. The book maintains a high level of suspense all the way through. The story unfolds slowly, revealing not only secrets of Lily's past and the exotic culture of the lupi, but a dire threat of dark gods on the brink of finding a way from their own realm into our own. 309 pages, very jam packed. Excerpt at the end shows a sequel with the same main characters of Lily and Rule.

Lily Yu is a Detective in the SanDiego PD Homicide Bureau. She is assigned a case in which the victim has been killed by a lupus or werewolf. One of the main suspects is the heir to the leader of the local clan, Rule Turner. Lily finds herself strangely attracted to Rule, even though she finds him in a sleazy club with women hanging all over him, including one from a bad period in her past. Lily is also a sensitive, meaning that she can sense and identify different kinds of magic. The killings are more than just a werewolf gone mad, the problem is much much bigger. This book was inspired by a short story in the Lover Beware anthology, but the story line is completely different. The characters are very real and the descriptions of the settings very good, very much needed in these alternate reality type books. I waited a long time for this book and was not disappointed. This is the start of a very good series and I can't wait for the next one.