Wolf Shadow: Tödlicher Zauber (2012) - Plot & Excerpts
DEATH MAGIC ( World of the Lupi #8) by Eileen WilksDEATH MAGIC is the 8th full length novel in Eileen Wilks World of the Lupi series. Eileen’s series primarily focuses on the Nokolai Lupi Clan Prince Rule Turner and his Gifted mate Lily Wu. Lily is an agent with the FBI and a touch sensitive with the ability to absorb magic. The World of the Lupi series visits a vast number of Gifted paranormal characters ‘of The Blood’ including elementals, witches, brownies, sorcerers, gnomes, elves, dragons, wolves and a 3,000 year war between the Lupi and The Great Bitch or Old One. There is an FBI Magical Crimes Division as well as various other government divisions including Unit 12, all working to keep the Human’s First hate group from obliterating the Gifted. The Gifted, those with magic, supernatural species and those consider ‘of the Blood’ were targeted by the Human’s First league and the Great Bitch was using a Gifted as her agent on the earth realm. Death Magic focuses on the use of death magic in rituals to kill and hunt The Gifted.There are several storylines that merge together at varying points in the novel. Lily is the current caretaker of the Lupi Mantle-a Mantle that holds the power of the Lupi- but the Mantle is causing some side effects in Lily that will force her to reconsider many of her choices. And a new vessel must be found soon before the Mantle further injures or kills its’ current host.Meanwhile a series of ghost sightings put The Gifted on alert and a secret Unit, working outside the law and without the knowledge of the government, has formed to stop the Old One from establishing her rule and worship in this realm. The Humans First Organization is a hate group that despises those with magic or ‘of the Blood’. A series of murder investigations will find that a doppleganger has emerged in the war against those ‘of the Blood’, and all too soon, the dragons and the Rheje will leave without explanation. With the impending Humans First rally in DC, the war looked to be gathering steam. But the group of friends would soon discover that the rallies would take place all over the USA.There is a murdered senator, missing FBI agents, corrupt investigators, nuclear warhead and finger pointing. A firebomb will find two friends injured while researching for information about the use of death magic and the Earth elementals will be called to a rally where their power will be used against those of the Blood. But the biggest discovery will be who and what will be sacrificed in a death magic blood ritual needed to build a powerful weapon against the Blood.DEATH MAGIC is a very intense and very detailed storyline. Eileen Wilks World of the Lupi is the continuing saga of discrimination, prejudism and hatred directed at those gifted with the power of magic and supernatural abilities. If you are new to the series, I would highly recommend reading from the start, otherwise you will get lost in the copious quantity of detail and number of characters and beings. Death Magic is another amazing instalment in The World of the LupiREADING ORDER1. Only Human (Lover Beware Anthology)2. Tempting Danger3. Originally Human (novella)4. Mortal Danger5. Blood Lines6. Inhuman (novella)7. Night Season8. Cyncerely Yours9. Mortal Sins10. Human Nature (Inked Anthology)11. Blood Magic12. Blood Challenge13. Death Magic14. Human Error (Tied with a Bow Anthology)15. Mortal Tiessee all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com Setting: Washington DC – FBI office, clan home, Theme: Love, childhood expectations vs adult realities, priorities, hate/prejudice,Characters:Lily Yu – asked to be in Washington to testify about what happened in previous book… The War is warming up… Lily is confronted with an invite to join Shadow Unit – a non-regulated private group of humans and other normals to counteract the Bitch (and her Humans First group)… at first she declines, she is law, not outside the law… but when set up and almost fired, and as she sees the evil, she asks to join. In the last book, the Lady transferred a different clan’s mantle (the construct that gives power to the alpha of the clan – to communicate, identify, etc one another) into her (with her agreement)… and the mantle is branching through her body, causing small strokes, which it heals immediately – she is ‘give’ the mantle to one of the Wyeth clan, but so far, those they’ve met, the mantle has not migrated to.Rule Turner – is 2nd in command of Shadow Unit, though he has not been able to tell Lily – and even after she is invited to join (so she knows), he can’t share details as she declined joining them. And on top of this stress, he feels betrayed by the Lady – and comes to realize though he would give his life for Her, but he will not sacrifice Lily’s life – and he feels that the Lady is hurting Lily, breaking his trust of her. Isen – Rule’s father – when Lily is arrested, and Rule is unavailable, she calls Isen – and he comes… then he relieves Rule of his obligation (bringing Ruben into his new role)… he is understanding, supportive, a bit manipulative, explains Rule to her… and is working with the Lady and the rest to save the world.Ruben Brooks – FBI’s Magical Crimes Division & Shadow Unit – in last book, he almost died from a heart attack induced by someone in his office… then he is accused of killing a Humans First senator (it was his doppelganger), and when lily goes to warn him that they were coming to arrest him, the Lady speaks to her (and she gets a glimpse into the monthly moon call the were’s feel), and the mantle is released to Ruben – triggering his First Change into a wolf, and the subsequent challenges of that – requiring Rule, who has a mantle, to protect, guide, dominate him into right behavior – it will take him a couple of weeks to remember his human side.Deborah Brooks – Earth magic – wonderful wife of Ruben – she takes it all in stride.Cullen Seabourne – werewolf and sorcerer – he is called on to help unravel what happened in the death of the senator – and he discovers Death Magic is being used… Patterning – both of the Old Ones are using patterning – developing threads and patterns in people and circumstances – one to lead to the downfall of humanity and both ultimately the other one.Dragons – agree to be part of the Shadow Unit as the communication network, with their mindspeak. Also continuing to train Lily. They definitely have a different way of perceiving humans.Brownies – cute little creatures – thieving and hiding is their way – don’t believe in courage, only enough to get what needs done done… they steal the death magic ring from one of the bad guys at the rally, and they ‘feed’ the death magic medallion to the Earth warrior giant worm with a chain of Brownies, and then they tell the ‘authorities’ that they didn’t do anything, they were home…Humans First – growing organization that fosters fear of the paranormal… and somehow the Humans First regular people don’t see that the leaders are using the paranormal.Summary:The Lady vs The Bitch – Old Ones… The Bitch is reentering our realm, and the Lady is gathering her forces.The Bitch’s people have rallys across the country to protest paranormals… and the leaders are using Death Magic to create dopplegangers of key people – and of wolf – weres… They want Lily’s doppelganger to kill someone in front of them all… and fighting begins, and the brownies shepherd people to safety… and Lily manages to locate the amulet controlling the dopplegangers and with the Brownie’s help destroys it and ends the fighting.First foray, a few hundred deaths across the country – with a disproportionate number of paranormals who died protecting the humans… total disaster averted… Lily is reinstated… many are not so sure of being anti-paranormal. HmmmMemorable scenes..The descriptions of the First Change in the adult male – the need to be with pack, to have a dominant subdue/control and protect him – Rules thinking this process through.The mantle ‘branching’ through Lily – learning from her body so as to adapt to Ruben (a human with faint connections to the Wyeth clan) so he can become were.Lily’s discussion with Rule’s son about what is going on…Drummond (the human detective Lily is assigned to when the senator is killed – who is anti paranormal as he blames them for the death of his wife) – who is part of the plot against Lily, but when he realizes they are using death magic and killing innocent homeless, he calls in Lily to stop them… and dies in the process, and his ghost is showing up to give Lily unrequested advice – he’ll be back, I’m sure.The young dragon’s reasoning through the thought processes of humans, as we differ from him – the now/later time concept, images vs words.
What do You think about Wolf Shadow: Tödlicher Zauber (2012)?
another engrossing chapter in Lily and Rule's story. Wilkes' world is unique and never disappoints.
—joanna
I believe this was the best book of the series so far.
—ree23
another really good book in the lupi series by wilks.
—adrileo123
