Atonement Sky

Atonement Sky (Psy-Changeling Trinity #9)- Nalini Singh 

Berkley

Release Date: July 15, 2025

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.

Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.

Everything that could've been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement...or love...

_______________________________________________

 With her mind nearly at fatal psychic exposure, J-Psy Eleri Dias determined to take down one last monster before she goes. She thought she'd planned for everything- except for him. Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett never expected to see the J he believes betrayed him when they were teenagers. When she returns, he doesn't want to forgive or believe in the atonement she seems to be making. But the more they work together to uncover a killer, the more he gets to know her. Can Eleri and Adam catch a killer and solve a problem the best Psy minds have spent years trying to solve?

Nalini Singh's latest introduces us to the world of flying changelings just like Ocean Light introduced us to living with water dwelling changelings. And Atonement Sky is an emotionally gripping introduction! How can Adam see past the grief and rage from their first meeting to the true circumstances, let alone the present? And how can they solve Eleri's rapidly deteriorating condition to have the happily-ever-after of the mating bond? And (minor problem) there's a crazy serial killer trying to deal with as well. I trusted Singh would solve the problems she'd set out for our heroes, but I admit I was worried they were cutting it close as time (and pages in my book!) ran low without clear solutions in place. I stayed up far past my bedtime to finish this book in one read! There was no way to put it down after a certain point!

With Eleri, Singh set herself an interesting new challenge. How to write a charater who know she has emotions, who remembers having emotions, but can't access them anymore, as her romantic heroine. Not because of Silence directly, but still because of what her fellow Psy have done to her. Adam has the challenging job of dealing with his own emotions about Eleri, as well as what the Psy did to her. The two connect so well it was wonderful to read, and made the stakes even higher right from the beginning for me. 

As always, the new clan and secondary characters are well written, Singh's worldbuilding is fully three-dimensional, and anyone who's read her books before will enjoy coming back into the Psy/Changeling world. If you're just starting the series and don't want to start with the beginning (which I recommend, because they're all wonderful), this is a good start because it's a new set of characters with only minor cameos from recurring series characters. Series issues like the Psy Net don't play a role in this book, so you could decide you liked Singh's world and writing before going back to the beginning of the series and getting into issues that will run throughout the series. 

I can't recommend Atonement Sky strongly enough. Full of emotions and friendships, this is a book that will grab you and not let go.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Primal Mirror

 

Primal Mirror (Psy/Changeling Trinity #8)- Nalini Sigh

Berkley

Release Date: July 25, 2024

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Daughter of two ruthless high-Gradient telepaths, Auden Scott is not the child her Psy parents wanted or expected, even before her brain injury. Her thoughts are scattered, her memories fuzzy—or just terrifyingly blank. The only thing she knows for certain is that she must protect her unborn baby . . . a baby she has no recollection of conceiving and who draws an unnerving depth of interest from her dead mother’s closest associates.

Leopard alpha Remi Denier is a man driven by the primal instinct to protect. Protect his pack, protect his allies . . . and protect the mysterious woman who has become a most unlikely neighbor. With eerie eyes that see too much and a scent that alters in ways disturbing and impossible, Auden Scott is the enemy . . . but nothing about this strange Psy is what it seems, and Remi’s feline heart is as fascinated by her as his human half.

Then Auden asks Remi to help her shatter the wall of secrets that is the Scott bloodline. What they unearth will reveal a nightmare beyond imagination. This time, the battle is to the death. . . .

________________________________________________________

Leopard alpha Remi Denier is building a new pack in the Smoky Mountain area of the United States. They may be allies to Arrows and larger packs, but they themselves are small and fly under the radar. Until the day Auden Scott moves into a small cabin at the edge of their territory. The daughter of two powerful and ruthless former Councilors, no one in the PsyNet has ever heard of her. A woman with an impossibly changing scent, Auden is both an enemy and someone Remi wants very much to get to know better. Especially when she comes to him for help: her home isn't safe, and people are much more interested in her unborn child than they should be. Can he protect them when Auden herself may be one of the threats?

Primal Mirror is a tough book to review without giving away spoilers. Nalini Sigh does her usual wonderful job of world building, giving us the large view of a failing PsyNet and the people we know from other books trying to save the Net and prevent what would basically be the death of the Psy race; and the personal story of Auden and Remi. Both have their own damaged pasts to overcome. Remi is working on building a new pack and proving to himself that he is capable of being the good alpha that everyone else knows is he. Auden has the bigger baggage, which includes us getting to learn about a new designation of Psy: psychometrics. Learning about objects by touching them sounds great, until you really think about it, and it doesn't take long into this book before that sounds like the last 'gift' you'd want!

Remi and Auden are great together, and I loved meeting a new pack- with definite hints that we might get to follow some of these members in the future. There are a few guys here crying out for mates so hopefully Singh will set them up in future books. The way Singh wove the stories of the big picture PsyNet and the smaller romance together I thought worked really well, and reminds us that everyone has an important part to play in the world. 

Some of the bigger picture PsyNet story will help if you've read some of Singh's earlier books, at least Obsidian Heart if not also the earlier Psy/Changeling Trinity books like Resonance Surge. I recommend reading them anyway because they are awesome (I'm a huge fan of all Singh's Psy/Changeling series if you can't tell). If you can't wait and have to start with this book, just accept the fact that there's backstory- you'll get the gist of it enough to follow along, and it won't effect Remi and Auden's main story.

Nalini Singh fans will love the newest addition to her Psy/Changeling world. I'm already set to read it again and can't wait for the next book!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Resonance Surge

 

Resonance Surge (Psy-Changeling Trinity #7)- Nalini Singh

Penguin RandomHouse

Release Date: July 18, 2023

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: StoneWater bears Pavel and Yakov Stepyrev have been a unit since birth, but now Pavel’s life is veering in a new direction, his heart held in the hands of Arwen Mercant, a Psy empath—and the only man who has ever brought Pavel to his knees.

This is it. A point of irrevocable change. For Pavel . . . for Arwen . . . for Yakov . . . and for another pair of twins whose bond has a far darker history.

A low-gradient Psy, Theodora Marshall is considered worthless by everyone but her violently powerful twin, Pax. She is the sole person he trusts in their venomous family to investigate a hidden and terrible part of their family history—an unregistered rehabilitation center established by their grandfather.

Places of unimaginable pain designed to psychically wipe minds, leaving the victims shells of their former selves, the Centers are an ugly vestige of the Psy race’s Silent past. But this Center was worse. Far, far worse. And now Theo must uncover the awful truth—in the company of a scowling bear named Yakov who isn’t about to take a Marshall at face value . . . especially a Marshall who has turned his dreams into chilling nightmares.

Because Yakov is the great-grandson of a foreseer . . . and he has seen Theo die in an unstoppable surge of blood. Night after night after night . . .

_________________________________________________________________

Resonance Surge is the story of Theodora Marshall, a low-gradient Psy and granddaughter to former Councilor Marshall Hyde, and Yakov Stepyrev, of the StoneWater bear clan in Moscow. Yakov has been assigned the job of helping Theo investigate an unregistered "rehabilitation Center" that Theo's powerful twin Pax has traced back to Marshall Hyde. But in the days of Silence these centers were accepted, so why hide one? Naturally, Yakov doesn't trust Theo, even if his bear is sure there's something very special about her. After all, they've been having dreams about Theo for longer than they've known her.

Theo is under no illusions when it comes to her family. She knows they are terrible people and her grandfather was the worst of them all. What she isn't sure of is where she falls in the scheme of things. When her brother finds clues that make no sense, but seem to connect her to a hidden research center, she wants answers. I liked that Theo is willing to find those answers no matter what the cost. She accepts that the friendship she has developed with Yakov will be destroyed when they find the answers and considers the good times he shows her as 'stolen moments', but she never considers turning away. Yakov is her perfect balance, willing to accept her fierceness and remind her that sometimes it is needed to survive while teaching her how to play and enjoy life. I had to laugh every time Theo thought she knew what to expect thanks to her "research" on bears, but Yakov slid right past her defenses anyway. They really are a perfect match. And since Yakov is Pavel's twin, we are also treated to Pavel and Arwen (Silver's brother from Silver Silence) and some of their mating dance as well! I loved that we got to see into Arwen's mind, behind the confident exterior to the man trying to make sure he knew who he was before making the decision to fully commit to Pavel. And the flashbacks to some of Arwen's excuses not to date Pavel were priceless! So much better than "washing my hair". 

Resonance Surge is another example of Nalini Singh's brilliance when it comes to worldbuilding. Having built Silence and what it allowed many Psy to become, then ended Silence, she now has her characters dealing with the aftermath. Things aren't simply "ok" in the fall of Silence. It isn't only the faltering NetMind (which plays very little role here) that the Psy need to deal with, it is questions like: what happened to the people who were tortured under Silence? In this case: what about the people who were "rehabilitated"? And, of course, what evils could be hidden inside accepted rehabilitation facilities? Singh knows how to put layers on top of layers to create characters and a world full of light and darkness, vibrancy and life, and keep the reader captured in the story well past the last page.

While Resonance Surge can be read as a standalone, you'll get more out of the world and its characters if you at least read the other Trinity books first. Plus they are all awesome, so you should read them anyway.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

 

 

Last Guard

 Last Guard (Psy-Changeling Trinity #5)- Nalini Singh

Penguin Random House

Release Date: July 20, 2021

Rating:📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Termed merciless by some, and a robotic sociopath by others, Payal Rao is the perfect Psy: cardinal telekinetic, CEO of a major conglomerate, beautiful—and emotionless.

For Canto Mercant, family and loyalty are everything. A cardinal telepath deemed “imperfect” by his race due to a spinal injury, Canto cares for the opinions of very few—and ruthlessly protects those he claims as his own. Head of intel for the influential Mercant family, he prefers to remain a shadow in the Net, unknown and unseen. But Canto is also an anchor, part of a secretive designation whose task it is to stabilize the PsyNet. Now that critical psychic network is dying, threatening to collapse and kill the entire Psy race with it.

To save those he loves, Canto needs the help of a woman bound to him by a dark past neither has been able to forget. A woman who is the most powerful anchor of them all: Payal Rao. Neither is ready for the violent inferno about to ignite in the PsyNet . . . or the passionate madness that threatens to destroy them both.

____________________________________________________________________

As the Trinity series has grown, readers have gotten to discover more about the Psy race. But it hasn't just been their development after the fall of Silence that we've seen, it has been the disintegration of the PsyNet, the psychic network that keeps them alive. In Last Guard the secluded, nearly forgotten designation of Anchor Psy must step into the forefront to help save the dying PsyNet and give their people a chance to live. Canto and Payal were abused and terrified children when they first met but they forged a bond that, decades later, has proven unbreakable by time, Silence, and family cruelty. 

Over the arc of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series, we've seen the Psy race go from being the big bad robots with a few dissenters to a people who got a lot of things wrong in their search for peace and safety and are now trying something new. Canto and Payal are perfect examples of the 'new' Psy as a whole: people trying to be brave enough to not only embrace change, but to try to learn new ways of living after a lifetime of abuse. Payal in particular is a person learning that there is no need to be 'perfect' and that it is our flaws and quirks that make us truly unique. Her lessons are ones we should all try to learn from.

The connections between Canto and Payal are wonderfully written, even before words like "love" became involved you could see the bonds between them and cheer them on as they discover how to support each other. By the time emotions develop to admitting they love each other, the reader feels that love as a tangible thing, wrapping around them the way Canto wraps Payal in his arms. It's a feeling that, like the hope for the Psy by the end of the book, stays with you long after the final page. 

Readers familiar with the series will enjoy cameos by characters they've met in previous books, including Arwen and Pasha and Silver and Valentine (Silver Silence). They get to further play the 'what's going on between Nikita and Anthony' game and spend more time with Ena Mercant. For readers just joining the world, while more of the backstories will make sense if you've read other books in the series, newbies won't really be lost by jumping in mid-stream. But they will become addicted and instantly need to read the entire series before ever sleeping again. So take a few days off work and make some strong coffee before diving in.

The brilliant world-building and sparkling, tangible emotions readers have come to expect from Nalini Singh are in full force here. Last Guard is a wonderful new addition to an unbeatable series. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Alpha Night

Alpha Night (Pay-Changeling Trinity #4)- Nalini Singh
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: June 9, 2020

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Alpha wolf Selenka Durev’s devotion to her pack is equaled only by her anger at anyone who would harm those under her care. That currently includes the empaths who’ve flowed into her city for a symposium that is a security nightmare, a powder keg just waiting for a match.
 
Ethan Night is an Arrow who isn’t an Arrow. Numb and disengaged from the world, he’s loyal only to himself. Assigned as part of the security force at a world-first symposium, he carries a dark agenda tied to the power-hungry and murderous Consortium. Then violence erupts and Ethan finds himself crashing into the heart and soul of an alpha wolf.
 
Mating at first sight is a myth, a fairytale. Yet Selenka’s wolf is resolute: Ethan Night, broken Arrow and a man capable of obsessive devotion, is the mate it has chosen. Even if the mating bond is full of static and not quite as it should be. Because Selenka’s new mate has a terrible secret, his mind surging with a power that is a creature of madness and death…

_________________________________________________________________________

Mating at first sight is a myth.  The kind of story for soap opera dramas and not real life.  Yet the minute Alpha Selenka Durev meets Arrow Ethan Night, her wolf knows they belong together- and grabs him.  Ethan has lived his adult life in a fog, not a part of anything- including his squad.  He believes between his tortured childhood under Ming LeBon and his current power fluctuations, he's damaged at best and one short step from being a murderous lunatic at worst.  So it comes as something of a shock to him when a powerful alpha wolf says he's hers and he instinctively agrees.  With the hard part out of the way they just have to work to help prevent the disintegration of the PsyNet, stop those actively trying to destroy it, figure out why theirs isn't a normal mating bond, and find a cure for what seems to be a fatal psychic illness destroying Ethan's brain from the inside out. 

Selenka is an awesome alpha- all teeth, claws, and heart- and Singh does an excellent job highlighting both of those roles in Selenka's day-to-day life.  She's also perfect for Ethan, able to teach him to play while also teaching him that it's possible to be both a killer and a protector instead of a monster.  Ethan is one of those gorgeous, deadly, and damaged creatures you just want to cuddle until everything is ok again.  Childhood trauma doesn't come close to describing the hell he grew up in, but he still grew up with his sanity intact- if perhaps hidden behind a few shields to let him cope.  But we meet Ethan while he's still willing to experiment and reach beyond those shields, still willing to try and feel things and not beyond saving.  

Selenka and Ethan have a chemistry that's unbelievably hot- and a rather shocking introduction to the world of emotions for poor Ethan!  They work perfectly together on every level.  Singh continues to give readers perfectly paired and complex couples that leave you saying "thank you!" after you meet them.  Singh (Wolf Rain) also continues in her amazingly intricate world building- it grows, develops. and makes the reader feel like they are immersed in the world on every single page.

As with all of the Psy-Changeling series, Alpha Night could be read as a stand alone book.  Many characters from previous books make appearances that will delight long-time readers (personally I'm a big fan of Kaleb and Nikita) but won't confuse newbies.  Several of the threats currently facing the PsyNet however, new readers won't get as much out of (and may get a little confused) if they haven't read at least the earlier Trinity books before.  But new readers should love Alpha Night enough that they'll immediately need to go read the other books anyway (and then re-read this one!), so it should work out. Alpha Night doesn't end as a cliff-hanger (thank you Nalini for rarely doing that to us) but readers will still be on the edge of their seats to discover what happens next in a world that seems just as read as our own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Wolf Rain

Wolf Rain (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 3)- Nalini Singh
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: June 4, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Kidnapped as a young girl, her psychic powers harnessed by a madman, Memory lives a caged and isolated existence...until she comes face-to-face with a wolf. Labelled an empath by her bad-tempered rescuer, Memory knows that her 'gift' is nothing so bright. It is a terrible darkness that means she will always be hunted.

But Memory is free now and she intends to live. A certain growly wolf can just deal with it.

Alexei prefers to keep his packmates at bay, the bleak history of his family a constant reminder that mating, love, hope is not for him. But Memory, this defiant and fearless woman who stands toe-to-toe with him awakens the most primal part of his nature--and soon, he must make a choice: risk everything or lose Memory to a murderous darkness that wants to annihilate her from existence...

__________________________________________________________

The third book in Nalini Singh's Trinity series, Wolf Rain continues to explore life after the fall of Silence.  Humans, Changelings, and Psy are learning how to co-exist in this new world but are also learning more about the dark secrets kept under Silence, and some of what drove the ruling Psy to instigate Silence in the first place.  Many Psy have finally admitted that what it comes down to is: for every power there is a price.  As a whole, the psychic race wanted to see themselves as superior to humans and changelings, but weren't willing to admit there was a price that they needed to pay, or a balance that must be struck.  Ignoring the high rate of psychopaths and killers in their midst seemed like a small price to pay for control.  With the fall of Silence, those psychopaths have a harder time hiding from the rest of the world. 

Memory has been held prisoner by a psychopath since she was a child.  Discovered by SnowDancer Alexie, she must learn to control her Empathic abilities and become strong enough to save herself from the killer who wants to reclaim her.  Memory is a delightful character who, when given the chance, fully embraces her new life.  She may consider herself dark and damaged, but to the reader (and Alexie) she is soft, strong, and caring, light and sparkles.  She learns what makes her happy and she goes for it.  Alexie is a wolf who tries to hold himself apart from others, afraid his family's darkness has infected him as well.  He decided a long time ago to never mate, and when we meet him in the beginning of Wolf Rain he is grieving and in pain from losing his beloved big brother.  But his intentions can't stand up to Memory and he finds himself in love with her before he quite realizes what's happened. One thing he knows for sure- the killer hunting Memory is going to have to get through him to have her.

As usual, Singh does a wonderful job of blending a personal story with the story of the evolving world she has built.  Memory is an unusual E, and it takes a long time for anyone to figure out exactly what it is she can do.  She has to try and find her place in the post-Silence world, as an individual and also as an E trying to help her people.  Without humans, changelings, and strong empaths in the PsyNet, the Psy as a whole are in danger of extinction.  With the end of Ocean Light readers might be surprised that the next Trinity book doesn't follow the idea of bringing humans and Psy closer together- but don't worry, as always Singh has tricks up her sleeve to surprise and delight the reader and bring her characters (and world) together in unexpected but perfect ways.

Wolf Rain is a wonderful addition to the Psy/Changeling world, and will fill readers with all of the emotions they could want.  We get to see old friends from previous books and watch new bonds form.  Readers new to the series shouldn't have trouble figuring out what's going on, although having read at least Ocean Light and Silver Silence will help you appreciate some of the nuances.  I defy any first time reader who picks up Wolf Rain to not immediately fall in love and need to read all of SIngh's Pay/Changeling books- and then wait on the edge of their seat with the rest of us to discover where Singh will take us next! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 

Ocean Light

Ocean Light (Psy-Changeling Trinity)- Nalini Singh 
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: June 12, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there's a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment--taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he's at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling...

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won't hide the facts of Bo's condition from him or herself. She's suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret Bo could never imagine...

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back--even if it means striking a devil's bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy...

__________________________________________________________________

The last time we saw Bowen Knight, human security chief of the Alliance, he was being shot by an assassin and falling into the waters of Venice, presumed dead (Silver Silence).  He was already on limited time thanks to a degrading experimental chip in his brain designed to create a shield against psychic manipulation. Thankfully for him (and readers!) his sister Lily calls in help from the mysterious changelings of BlackSea, who have a possible, highly experimental, solution to all of these problems. Two months after being shot and the events of Silver Silence (not necessary to read before this, but highly recommended because it is a fantastic book!) Bowen comes out of a coma in a BlackSea clinic and meets the station's chef, Kaia Luna.  Kaia and Bowen have plenty of suspicions to overcome, multiple traitors to uncover, and different worlds to reconcile before they can be together- if his brain doesn't kill him first.

Bowen and Kaia are an incredible couple.  He's scarred from a Psy attack when he was a teen and has dedicated his entire life to building the Alliance and protecting humans from the stronger Psy.  She's afraid of loving and losing those who matter most to her.  He is a deadly predator, a hunter determined to see the three races build bridges and live on some level of equality.  She is a graceful creature of the deep who cares for everyone within her sphere.  Two worlds meet and clash, and the sparks between them are both instant and amazing.  I especially loved Kaia- a strong and independent woman who is willing to overcome past trauma and crippling fears for a chance with the man she loves.  Bowen does a great job of figuring out how to blend their two worlds together, not allowing all the obstacles to keep them from the happiness they both deserve. Despite the almost certain death sentence he is under, he lives every moment to its fullest and never gives up. There are some fun cameos by characters from earlier books (especially Kaleb and Sahara!) but Ocean's Light, like the rest of Singh's Psy-Changeling series, can be read as a stand alone book.

Ocean's Light is the first time Nalini Singh really allows us into the mysterious world of BlackSea- the loose 'pack' of all the water changelings on the planet. Interestingly, she doesn't have one of the alpha, political, leaders being our introduction, but a more 'regular' person.  While readers (and Bowen) know Mal and Miane slightly from earlier books, Kaia is new and a more accessible person to show us the alien world of the water changelings as if it is normal.  Because to her, it is.  Singh remains very coy about who shifts into what and although we get some hints, it is clear we're going to have to wait for future books to confirm our guesses.  We don't even get solid confirmation of Kaia's animal until pretty far into the book- a nice piece of careful writing on Singh's part!    

An intense, thrilling, and emotional read, Ocean's Light is a brilliant, must-read, addition to the Psy-Changeling world and hopefully opens doors to exploring some new aspects of that world.  Wonderfully written, with excellent characters and chemistry, this is a book you won't be able to put down after starting- so make sure to clear your schedule for a few hours and enjoy! 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Silver Silence

Silver Silence (Psy-Changeling Trinity)- Nalini Singh
Berkley 
Release Date: June 13, 2017

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning! Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that's exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.
 
Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence--her mind clear of all emotion--Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That's what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious...and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.
 
Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed...

_______________________________

Silver Mercant has gone from being Kaleb Krychek's assistant to the director of EmNet, the new worldwide emergency response network that coordinates human, changeling, and Psy resources when emergencies occur.  With the fall of Silence and the new attempts to unite the three races, Silver is one of the key players in the new Trinity Alliance.  Her new high profile has gained her both enemies and allies- including Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bear clan.  After saving her life from an attempted poisoning, Valentin is determined to keep Silver close where he can protect her- and maybe convince her to leave Silence behind and learn to play with a certain alpha bear.  But Silver believes she is one of those Psy Silence was originally designed to save.  Can Valentin change her mind before assassins or her own powers kill her?

Silver Silence begins Part 2 of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling world, a transition that began in Allegiance of Honor.  Fans will remember Silver as Kaleb Krychek's assistant and I for one was beyond thrilled when I first heard she would be getting her own book.  Her persistent suitor is Valentin Nikolaev- not only a new character but our first introduction to bear changelings. Valentin is everything we expect in a powerful predatory changeling alpha: stubborn, smart, stubborn, sneaky, and stubborn.  He also has a great sense of humor and a seemingly limitless amount of patience and love, even for those who claim to reject him.  We can see early on that Silver isn't as Silent as she thinks she is, and watching her take cautious steps into the world of emotion is a delightful journey.  Being dropped into a clan of bears means some of her relaxation of Silence is almost a self-defense mechanism of its own, and once she starts down that path Valentin is only too happy to keep encouraging her.  Silver's strength comes not (only) from her psychic abilities.  She is an organized, efficient, take-no-attitude woman who uses grey silk suits as armor and can bluff so well you'd never want to play poker against her.  She's learned from Ena that sometimes what people think you can/will do is even more powerful than what you actually can/will do- a lesson she puts to good use as new enemies threaten not only her life, but the delicate trust the Trinity Alliance is forging between the races.  

Valentin may be all bear but he works on being "sneaky like a cat" in order to get Silver.  Family and clan is everything to Valentin, meaning he and Silver already start with some things in common.  Even during the height of Silence the Mercant family was a tightly knit unit.  When Silver is poisoned and the culprit seems to be one of the family both she and her grandmother Ena, the Mercant family 'alpha', are rocked by the idea one of their own could betray them.  Ena is a great, strong, scary woman (possibly even a level above Nikita Duncan) and I enjoyed how she, Valentin, and Kaleb interact with each other.  

While Kaleb and a few other familiar faces cameo here, nearly all the characters in Silver Silence are new.  Secondary characters like Nova, Ena and Arwen enrich the book while giving us no hints about who the next book will focus on (I'd say Arwen, but by the end it's pretty obvious he's hooked on a bear as well).  I'm hoping we get to meet more Mercant family and maybe follow some of them as main characters in the future.  Trouble in Valentin's family and in the StoneWater clan as a whole mean there's plenty going on and the antagonists aren't only against Silver.

While Silver Silence begins to explore the new world of Trinity and how three very different races of people can begin to trust each other again, it is, at heart, a story about family, love, and hope.  Love of and loyalty to family drive virtually every decision by both the Mercants, the StoneWater clan, and many of the enemies they face.  How do Psy learn to reconnect not only with their own emotions, but with others?   When nearly every family of humans or changelings knows at least one person who was harmed by a Psy, how can they begin to trust Psy? How do you begin to see individuals instead of painting an entire race with one brush? Even Silver doesn't realize how connected the three races are until the very end, when with one lovely twist Singh gives us something that should have been so obvious you won't believe you didn't think of it yourself.  

Just when you think Nalini Singh can't possibly top her last book, she goes and writes Silver Silence.   While newcomers could start here and not feel lost, having read at least Allegiance of Honor will make Silver Silence even better.  An awesome beginning to the next chapter in Singh's Psy-Changeling world, Silver Silence is a fast-paced, three-dimensional must read full of passion, mystery, love and, above all: hope. Valentin and Silver's story remind us that no matter what is happening in the world around us, we should never stop believing that love and hope can make a difference.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wild Embrace

Wild Embrace- Nalini Singh
Berkley Publisher
Release Date: August 23, 2016

Rating (Out of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: The “alpha author of paranormal romance”* presents a stunningly sensual collection of four all-new Psy-Changeling novellas, in which taboos are broken, boundaries are crossed, and instincts prove irresistible...
Echo of Silence
In a deep-sea station, Tazia Nerif has found her life’s work as an engineer, keeping things running smoothly. But she wants nothing more than to break down the barrier of silence between her and her telekinetic Psy station commander...
Dorian
A changeling who can never shift lives a life of quiet frustration—until he learns how to let his leopard come out and play...
Partners in Persuasion
Still raw from being burned by a dominant female, wolf changeling Felix will never again risk being a plaything. But for dominant leopard Dezi, he’s the most fascinating man she’s ever met. She just has to convince this gun-shy wolf that he can trust the dangerous cat who wants to take a slow, sexy bite out of him…
Flirtation of Fate
Seven years ago, Kenji broke Garnet’s heart. Now the wolf packmates have to investigate the shocking murder of one of their own. And the more Kenji sees of the woman Garnet has become, the deeper he begins to fall once more. But even his primal instincts are no match for the dark secret he carries...
               ___________________________________________________________________
Wild Embrace is a collection of 4 all-new novellas in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling world, and was well worth the wait!  I freely admit that I was dragging at work today because I stayed up late to finish the book- I just couldn't put it down, even between stories.

Each story takes place at different times in the timeline fans know: Echo of Silence closer to the beginning of the series while Partners in Persuasion takes place nearer the "present". Each can be read by readers just beginning to enter the Psy/Changeling world while longtime fans will enjoy cameos by old friends like Hawke, Mercy, Drew, and others. We return to familiar places and discover new ones, each so well written you feel like you are there with the characters.

I loved getting to "check in" on SnowDancer and DarkRiver, filling in some of the action behind the main stories we already know.  And Dorian was a great way to delve deeper into Dorian's psyche, and learn more about what makes him tick and what it was like for him to be a latent both as an adult who had accepted it, but also as a child still learning his place in the pack.

My absolute favorite story though, was Echo of Silence. As much as I love the changelings, I have a special love for Psy-human romance.  And this story had all the struggles: it was after Faith and Vaughn's story when Silence was still fully accepted by the Psy; the Psy, Stefan, couldn't blame his "faulty" Silence on being an Empath- he's a telekinetic.  Tazia wasn't a changeling whose animal was sure of her mate, she was a human with some heavy emotional baggage of her own.  But the two of them figured out how to know each other at a time when humans rarely bothered to look below the surface of a Silent Psy.  They fought cultural taboos on both sides to not only fall in love, but then to make it work.  They saw obstacles, but never saw impossible.  I'm hoping that we'll see these two in future books- as the third Psy-human couple in the PsyNet (briefly mentioned in Allegiance of Honor) I'm hoping that they will become advisors to future potential couples, in the same way that Lucas and Sascha or Ivy and Vasic advise others.

Beautifully written, complex and sensual, Wild Embrace proves that Singh is as excellent at writing novellas as she is the full length novel- in case anyone hasn't read her earlier stories and still needed convincing!

Allegiance of Honor

Allegiance of Honor (Psy/Changeling #15)- Nalini Singh
Penguin Group
Release Date: June 14, 2016

Rating (out of 5):
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Below!

Synopsis: A staggering transformation has put the Psy, humans, and changelings at a crossroads.  The Trinity Accord promises a new era of cooperation between disparate races and groups.  It is a beacon of hope held together by many hands: old enemies, new allies, wary loners. But a century of distrust and suspicion can't be so easily forgotten, and it threatens to shatter Trinity from within at any moment. As rival members vie for dominance, chaos and evil gather in the shadows and a kidnapped woman's cry for help washes up in San Francisco, while the Consortium turns its murderous gaze toward a child who is the embodiment of change, of love, of piercing hope: a child who is both Psy . . . and changeling.
To find the lost and protect the vulnerable- and to save Trinity- no one can stand alone.  This is a time of loyalty across divisions, of bonds woven into the heart and should, of heroes known and unknown standing back to back and holding the line.  But is an allegiance of honor even possible with traitors lurking in their midst?

The latest Psy/Changeling adventure by Nalini Singh, Allegiance of Honor, acts to, in Singh's own words, "see how far the world and its characters have come since Slave to Sensation" as she closes "season 1" and begins "season 2" of the Psy/Changeling saga.  It continues to explore how the world is changing on every level, and does that in the best and most all encompassing way possible- through the eyes of many people instead of one main couple.  DarkRiver and SnowDancer sit at the heart of the book, as they have of the series, but the definition of what it means to be DarkRiver or SnowDancer has changed.  Both packs have expanded, connecting with not only other changelings but Psy and human, Arrow and civilian as well.

The world itself has both expanded and become more connected.  We get to see more of the mysterious BlackSea water changelings and watch their changing attitudes towards connecting with the outside world.  When a message in a bottle begs for help from a kidnapped member of BlackSea, it is a combination of changeling, human, and Psy who put their connections and their abilities to use in order to rescue her.  When Sascha and Lucas' daughter Naya is endangered both changelings and Psy act to protect her.  Naya is a symbol of the change in the world and is fast becoming a magnet for those both for and against that change.

It was great to "catch up" with so many characters. Seeing how so many of our book friends are becoming friends themselves was a lot of fun.  Lucas and Hawke have become friends as well as allies, and the connections between the packs are perfectly symbolized by the party at the end of the book to celebrate the birth of Mercy and Riley's pupcubs. Since I can't say enough good things about the party scenes I won't even try, except to say that it was a perfect way to close what Singh has called "season one" before moving on to whatever adventures come next.  Relationships are deepened, some unanswered questions receive surprising answers, and the whole thing was perfect.

I also loved the scenes where we get to see how various Psy are learning to cope in a post-Silence world.  The Arrows especially were great to see as they start to learn from the changelings how to be both structured and fun, and start experimenting with partying.  Kaleb's development may have been the most fun to watch- largely because he still denies any change at all.  Is that true or just the image he wants to project to the world? Always hard to tell with him, but Sahara is doing her best to drag him into, as he puts it, "having more people".  There's also a great scene between Nikita and Sascha that makes me want to reread some of the earlier books, especially Slave to Sensation, with it in mind.  The relationship between Nikita and Anthony remains a big question mark, but like Sascha and Faith we have to ask ourselves if we're ready to find out the answer? Always assuming of course, that Nikita and Anthony know.  They are great examples of different ways parents considered Silent still protected their children under Silence, and are now struggling to balance a post-Silence world with present dangers.

Singh also uses Allegiance to give us clues to where the series may be going in the future.  At some point you have to figure we'll get a book with a member of BlackSea as a main character.  At the very least she's going to have to stop teasing us and let us find out for sure what kinds of shifters Miane and Malachai are!  There are changes happening among the Forgotten that will have to be explored more in depth, although that may not be quite ready to get a full book just yet.  We have to figure out how Trinity will grow stronger and weed out the Consortium spies.  We're going to have to deal with the Architect and his/her Consortium and Ming LeBon is still a threat- although Hawke and Judd have developed some entertaining new ways of dealing with him.  The main focus, of course, will have to be on how the Psy learn to deal with the fall of Silence.  The PsyNet is still dying and by the end of the book we've figured out the solution- but it is one of the heart and not something that can simply be "fixed".  Psy and humans are going to have to learn to change their approaches to each other but a century of disdain on the Psy end and animosity on the human end won't go away overnight.

Nalini Singh continues to build a wonderful, complex, and colorful world around three species trying to come to terms with how different and similar they actually are.  An all star cast book like this can't have been easy to write but each character is still fully formed and fully themselves from earlier books.  Even characters who only appear briefly like Riaz or Annie don't feel like they're getting short-changed in any way.

Allegiance of Honor is as beautiful as its cover art, answering old questions while asking new ones, reinforcing the bonds of family and pack, and perhaps giving us a new way to look at what family is and how it can change the world.  It celebrates the series, opens new doors, and shows how a few individuals can change not only themselves, but the world. Can't wait to see where this world takes us next!