Feb 9 2009
REVIEW: Mortal Sins by Eileen Wilks
Dear Ms. Wilks:
I fell for Lily Yu and Rule Turner in Tempting Danger and despite the many twists and turns that the series took, I haven’t lost my affection for them. When I first read the series, I thought it was going to be a supernatural Eve/Roarke-ish type series where Lily Yu, a former detective and now part of the FBI Magical Crimes Divison, plays the female crime fighting part of the coupling and Rule Turner, heir to the largest and most powerful werewolf clans, played the Roarke part. This is not to say that Lily and Rule are anything like Eve and Roarke, only that it would be an ongoing series featuring the two of them solving magical crimes. To some extent this is what the stories are about, but since Tempting Danger the books have focused heavily on building the world rather than solving crimes.
The magical setting in which Lily and Rule inhabit has gone from understandable to complex. Every book provides us with one more new aspect to the World of the Lupi but even the series name “World of the Lupi” is deceiving. It has extended beyond the idea of Lupi and sorcery that were presented in the first book but has expanded to include nearly every possible myth and legend from werewolves to dragons; from sorcery to gnomes. The Lupi are but a tiny part of the overall magic of the cosmos.
Mortal Sins is ambitious and not a book for a newcomer to the series. I’ve read all the books and I still had trouble remembering many details that provide basis for some of the events in Mortal Sins. Lily and Rule are in Hal, North Carolina, wherein Rule is becoming familiar with being the heir to the Leidolf clan, once the powerful rival of Rule’s clan, Nikolai. Rule is also trying to wrap up the details surrounding his son, Toby’s, legal custody; severing Toby’s absentee mother’s claims and bringing Toby with him to the Nikolai clan.
Because of the mate bond between Rule and Lily which requires them to be within a certain distance of each other, Lily is conveniently located to investigate a number of murders that smell of death magic. Someone, or something, is attaching itself to people and causing them to enact gruesome murders. The murder mystery is a strong part of the book with tiny hints of the cause and solution dribbled along for the reader to recognize and appreciate when the mystery is solved.
The problem is that a new magic is inserted into the story (despite death magic being a part of past stories) and it was so detailed and so complicated that it made my eyes glaze over. By the third re-read of some pages, I gave up in the middle of the book trying to actually comprehend the new magic and what the characters were talking about. In the end, it appeared that I didn’t need to pay attention because what it came down to was fairly simple.
The emotional arc between Lily and Rule and the inter Lupi politics is such a rich area to mine that I feel sad when the story divurges from those core themes. It’s distracting and serves to confuse the reader. In fact, there is a great moment in the story that affects Lily and Rule’s mate bond that could have been plumbed for so much effect but it is resolved in a matter of pages. It seemed like a lost opportunity.
I haven’t given up on Lily and Rule. While it took an effort to finish the book, there were definite rewards. I’ll pick up the next book, but I’ll be girding my loins for another mysterious magic that I doubt I’ll grasp well until the end. C
Best regards
Jane
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Feb 09, 2009 @ 17:56:23
So right about the concept of them being an “eve & roarke” kind of duo, solving crimes and working on their relationship.The strength of this series is the relationship between Lily and Rule and it’s veered off that path to the point I’ve considered not following the series.(Bloodlines anyone!) I auto-bought Night Season and have yet to read it because the focus is not on Lily and Rule. Was excited to see they were again featured in Mortal Sins and yes I bought it. My plan now is to read them back to back. Enough with the world building! Follow the lead characters, immerse us in their story and color in the outline. Will I buy the next one? Probably.
Feb 09, 2009 @ 18:15:35
Thanks for the advance warning. *sigh*
Feb 09, 2009 @ 18:57:51
@Chris it’s still a story about Lily and Rule and them solving a mystery but there were parts i found very distracting.
Feb 09, 2009 @ 18:59:19
I’ve loved this series, with all its twists and turns, which could be seen as jumping the track completely from where it started. Staying with it hasn’t been easy, but I love Lily’s grandmother and there is always something that makes me glad I read each new book. Hope remains.
Feb 10, 2009 @ 00:39:50
I’ve been really excited about this book returning to Lily and Rule. I love reading about their relationship and the were politics, and have been looking forward to finding out more about Rule’s situation with his son.
I’m all for the accompanying mystery and world building, as long as it doesn’t feel distracting from Lily and Rule.
Feb 10, 2009 @ 19:30:08
I realize the paranormal thing is huge just now, but I loved Eileen Wilks’ non-paranormal romances. I do wish she’d go back to them for a book or two. She was an auto-buy and I miss her work.
REVIEW: Death Magic by Eileen Wilks - Dear Author
Nov 14, 2011 @ 10:00:38
[...] Lily Yu and Rule Turner. (I’ve not reviewed that book here, but I did review the second, Mortal Danger). Lily Yu is a former homicide detective and a touch sensitive who was recruited to be part of the [...]