Psy-Changeling 24: Atonement Sky

Psy-Changeling 24: Atonement Sky by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This new installment has a much slower start than many of the series with perhaps some of the most challenging hurdles to overcome for the new pairs. While there are other pairings included, the main feature are Eleri and Adam. Their tie to each other is suspect from the beginning, but buried under a decade of anger and regret, leading to a very tense and potentially volatile meeting when Eleri returns to WindHaven territory. While the majority of books in this series have some sort of "impossible" obstacle to overcome, this one returns back to an ongoing problem with the needed for shielding outside of the psynet, and the confirmation (at least within confidential circles) that there are at least certain psy like the J that are at extreme risk if they lose those shields. It's still not a perfect solution, but this is the first real progress that has been seen in this tech, and leaves real hope for the other races. There are a number of allies and agencies working together here, which further proves just how far the world has come, though there are still plenty of dangerous looming ahead still, especially for the psy that are still reliant on the psynet. Some annoyance at the end as well as we have this secondary focus on Adam's second hand and her relationship, but despite suspicions, nothing is confirmed other than that they remain together at the end of this volume.

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Guild Hunter 18: Archangel's Eternity

Guild Hunter 18: Archangel's Eternity by Nalini Singh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


While this follows the more traditional format of the story ongoing, there is a quote at the beginning of the each chapter that can be a tad confusing as it sometimes references what is in the current chapter and at other times just seems to be an entirely random quote highlighting some part of the character's history. Elena starts off struggling with the weight of the losses in her newish immortality and leading to a whole new adventure with the next generation of potential archangels. There is no end of challenges and changes between friends going back to Sleep, Raphael's mother needing to Sleep at least temporarily to stave off the madness again, Michaela changing entirely, and Illum's "father" on the verge of starting a full out war because he doesn't see him as a father any longer. It's a bit weird to consider the series ending with this volume as it feels like just the beginning of a new stage in the series and as we've had many books focusing on different relationships even as Elena and Raphael have continued to grow together. Despite feeling somewhat unfinished, there is truth in the idea that the pair have come full circle at this stage, even though they will have many adventures yet to come given their immortality. The underlying messages of despair and love are very poignant, playing well into the timeline while also illustrating just how much these characters have survived and evolved over the course of the series.

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Guild Hunter 17: Archangel's Ascension

Guild Hunter 17: Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This goes back to a similar format as book 14 where it alternates back and forth from the past to the present, except the past doesn't normally go back as far as their childhood but is closer in-line to the rest of the series with the post-war events, though they span several hundreds of years very quickly leading up to current events with the focus once again on Illium and Aodhan. Their interactions are joyful and it's good to see how everyone bands together, but it's also heartbreaking how they are forced to  separate and go their own ways because of their powers and instincts that apparently can't be changed. Limited time aside, that doesn't stop Illium from planning to turn the Cadre on its ear and do whatever he can to make changes so he isn't forced into politics and more separation from his family than is truly necessary. Truthfully, this is all expected given Illium's personality and the near ascension during the war along with other observations throughout the series, but that doesn't make it any easier to see or help with the feeling that it's all rushed given the forces beyond them when it comes archangelic power and the perceptions of the Cadre.

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Psy-Changeling 20.2: Music in Silence

Psy-Changeling 20.2: Music in Silence by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a direct sequel to Music in the Rain, though this time we mostly see Zuli and Alejandro themselves with references to their relationships with Zara. There is so much backstory and potential in these shorts that they are thoroughly enjoyable while still leaving the reader wanting for more. Hopefully they will get more stories in the future, be they additional short stories to fill in their tale, or their own spotlight in the main series. The author really got it with just how influential music can be, and how it is different for all those playing or listening to the piece, not necessarily exactly the same.

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Psy-Changeling 23: Primal Mirror

Psy-Changeling 23: Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a bit different than most of the stories so far with Auden already heavily pregnant at the beginning of the tale, though Remi doesn't seem to pick up on that until their second meeting. The complexities of Auden's psyche and how things unfold with her baby are definitely unique. She's more than a little lucky to have found Remi when she did considering how he takes her in right away and continues to be drawn to her. Can't decide yet if it's convenient or a nice twist how things play out with Liberty and the accelerated fall of the PsyNet. At least for now it seems things are stable, even if not everyone will fit in this new blue web and some reject it, even though Krycheck also reinforces it's okay. It will be interesting to see how they hopefully manage to save the PsyNet after so much continual damage and if the Scarabs will continue to be a problem or if being woven into this new web settles them.

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Guilt Hunter 16: Archangel's Lineage

Guild Hunter 16: Archangel's Lineage by Nalini Singh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an unusual and yet good installment to the series. Time has passed far more than perhaps expected given how fast paced everything has seemed. Zoe and Elena's sisters aren't so young anymore, and in the cases of both Beth and Amy, even have families of their own. Elena's world seems to be coming to an end from both directions as the Mantle falls around the Refuge and her father suffers from a major heart attack. For once Jeffrey is not the same man we have come to expect however, and we get an even clearer picture of who he was before the attack that changed their lives and tore their family in half. The search resulting in Marduk's awakening is another kind of interesting and unexpected, along with his ties to Rafael and the Legion. The Cadre is literally up against the clock to find the answer to save their world before it will mean the end for all of them and resetting everything. 

With the peaceful ending to this story, it could be seen as the end of the series, but it also left open enough that there could be more, hopefully with just a different twist than the constant emergencies they've been living so far. While there does not seem to be any planned continuation at this point, can't help but hope this isn't the last we've seen of these characters or the others they've alluded to.

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Psy-Changeling 19.7: Wildcat Blues Part 3

Psy-Changeling 19.7: Wildcat Blues Part 3 by Nalini Singh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is adorable and with the other two parts of the story, makes up a nicer longer story than we usually get for these shorts. The downside, is that there is no ending. As usual, it looks like they have found their match and will be happy together, but they Zara and Tanner and very much in the just starting out phase planning their first dates and deciding they want to chance a relationship even though she is all city girl and he's a good ol' country boy. The silver lining is in the author's note at the end indicating that these two will most likely make another appearance somewhere in the future. When that future may be and if they will be the stars of the show or a footnote bringing them into another story along the way is anyone's guess.

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Psy-Changeling 18.1: Wolf Heart

Psy-Changeling 18.1: Wolf Heart by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This adorable little piece focuses on Toby, who is often more of a side character in the series even when he is in lessons with Sascha for their empathic abilities. Here, he has a new baby cousin and is learning his own place in the pack as a juvenile. Turns out, maybe it's not what he thought it was. Surprisingly, Hawke is the one who seems to help Toby see the light in this snippet. For all that Hawke still seems to make Toby nervous, he is still both family and his alpha. 

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Guild Hunter 12.5: New Year's Eve

Guild Hunter 12.5: New Year's Eve by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a hilarious short piece from the email newsletter focusing on Eve, Ellie's little sister, hanging out with other hunter trainees on New Year's eve. Of course being hunters, both Elena herself being hunter born and Raphael given he's the city's Archangel, are hot topics of conversation. Eve proves to be a bit deeper and far more loyal than perhaps original thought of, especially given the odd divide that often takes place in Elena's family thanks to their shared father. Could also completely see Elena planning that little bombshell for her New Year's eve message given her sometimes wicked sense of humor and the way she loves playing with those closest to her. It would be nice to see some of these little family scenes woven into the main story going forward, though if not, side stories like this are some nice icing on the cake.

Psy-Changeling 19.6: Mate

Psy-Changeling 19.6: Mate by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a cute little snippet that hails back to the start of the series with Lucas and Sascha. It's nice to see how devoted these pairs remain even as the series continues to move forward and events change. Naya is another little spot of joy and continues to grow as well. It's nice to see things circle back to the original heart of the pack once in awhile.

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Psy-Changeling 22: Resonance Surge

Psy-Changeling 22: Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


We see more of Arwen and Pavel in this addition to the story along with gaining another new pair in the bear clan. Yakov has a bit of his grandfather's gift, and it turns out maybe some other family member's do as well. Theo and Pax are not your standard Psy either, though Pax does a good job of looking the part most of the time. Theo especially is probably the most human and least entrenched in Silence of all the Psy we've met so far, especially given it's still fairly recent at this point that it fell. The Marshall family especially seems to have more than it's share of secrets, and it doesn't seem to be over yet if that ending with Pax is anything to go by.

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Psy-Changeling 15.3: A Perfect Moment

Psy-Changeling 15.3: A Perfect Moment by Nalini Singh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an adorable little snippet just after the pupcubs are born. There are several tender moments mixed with a good deal of humor, and a lot of relatable reality. Even with only one baby at a time, let alone triplets like the pupcubs, everything said describing babies and their interactions with their parents and vice versa is so relatable (aside from the actual shifting part of course). More than a few lines had me chuckling and thinking back on my own children's early years and newborn stages.

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Guild Hunter 13: Archangel's Sun

Guild Hunter 13: Archangel's Sun by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Not sure how I missed this one in the series. It is an enjoyable bit that fills out Sharine's history and how she came to be known as the Hummingbird, as well as how she and Titus form their relationship, a bit different from traditional Consort roles - though it seems that truly of the current relationships with the most powerful, be they archangels or one of their Seven, they end up with strong relationships that don't fit the traditional molds expected of either their positions or their species. It didn't feel like there was a real gap in the story having missed this previously, but this certainly did help fill in a lot of pieces.

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Guild Hunter 15: Archangel's Resurrection

Guild Hunter 15: Archangel's Resurrection by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This story focuses mostly on Alexander and Zanaya, who have a very complex and long history together. In learning their story, we also learn more about several other Ancients, including Raphael's own parents and Titus' family. We even see the Hummingbird again, sane and happy once more. There's very little overall of Raphael or Elena in this story, but when we do see them, it is as competent and always together. Zani goes as far as to admit to not only being fascinated with Elena being unique as a mortal made angel, but also in how she and Raphael seem to fit in all ways and how much she wants that instead of the previous cycle of loving and fighting that was so familiar to her and Alexander. While there are still many questions with Neha now Sleeping, so many of the other Sleepers, this new awareness from Lijuan that Zani now possess, and all of these old alliances and family ties once more coming to the surface, it will be interesting to see how this world continues to evolve.

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Psy-Changeling 21: Storm Echo

Psy-Changeling 21: Storm Echo by Nalini Singh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ivan is a very interesting character and a great addition to the Psy-Changeling universe. He and Lei have more than the usual difficulties to face between the previous Silence protocols, her amnesia, and then the concerns over Ivan's abilities and how his mother's use of Jax and giving him the drug as a child changed his abilities. It would seem though, that the differences in his power may be more hereditary than a result of the drugs, and in his case, could be a clue to how to save the crumbling PsyNet. The ending questions and conclusions are more than a little interesting and very leading. Can't help but wonder between the changes to the PsyNet structure with this new web network and the hints with the Scarab Queen how close or how far we are to getting more answers on either front.

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The Magical Christmas Cat

The Magical Christmas Cat by Nalini Singh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Psy-changeling 3.2: Stroke of Enticement by Nalini Singh
Zach and Annie obviously have a thing for each other right off the bat, though Annie has very obvious trust issues and Zach may be a little too careful of her emotions. In the end it takes a little mental hammering from Mercy for Zach to get the hint, though he obviously hits all the right notes with Annie's stubborn mother. That was a nice bit of surprise given her obvious prejudice towards Changelings early on in the story. This is another story in which one or both sides of the pair may need some obvious healing that their mate helps with rather significantly. Annie also makes our second human mate of the series so far.

Christmas Bree by Erin McCarthy

After all of the fuss about the house being a family heirloom, it's a tad disappointing that Bree seems to suddenly give up so easily. The story is left with a bit of an ambiguous ending however as Abby makes yet another prediction. Not sure if this is part of a series somewhere that finishes the sister's story or if this is just a one time short story. 

Sweet Dreams by Linda Winstead Jones
Well that took an unexpected turn. Admittedly, Todd seemed the better candidate originally with all of his "luck" and frequent insistence. At the very least, the guy really can't take a hint. There should have been a lot more actual conversation here, but somehow, it still works with all the secrecy and the demon summoning.

Christmas Heat by Lora Leigh
The breed are an interesting twist - not entirely fitting the usual shapeshifter lore, but not entirely human either. The "mating heat" is a bit much though, especially as it hints that at some point there is no choice and it just continues to get stronger until both sides give in, and then continues even after that to grow stronger and bind them tighter together. Can't say it was my favorite of the shifter stories I've read, but it was interesting for a short story.

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Guild Hunter 14: Archangel's Light

Guild Hunter 14: Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Another engaging addition to the Guild Hunter series. The story itself is a little disjointed as we keep jumping from the past to the present. Overall, there is a lot of building especially in Aodhan and Illium's friendship and as the evolve into something more. Part of it feels a bit too convenient, but at the same time it also makes sense considering the heavy emphasis on how these two have always been a part of each other, far more than any friendship or family label can define.

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Psy-Changeling 20: Last Guard

Psy-Changeling 20: Last Guard by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There were a flow slow segments, but overall this was another great installment to a good series. Canto and Payal are not the average Psy, and not just because one of their designations aren't as widely known or discussed. In a true world of Silence, neither of them should have survived. Their childhood bond proves stronger than ever as they find not just their own happiness, but also work to find a way to save the rest of the Psy race. Things are still looking bleak for the PsyNet, but there's a new hope as well that may at least buy time for answered provided the Scarabs don't manage critical harm. 

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Guild Hunter 14.5: Illium & Aodhan [The (Infamous) Incident with the Paint]

Guild Hunter 14.5: Illium & Aodhan [The (Infamous) Incident with the Paint] by Nalini Singh

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


There's not much context in this bit of fluff, other than it's a deleted scene from Archangel's Light, so it may not make much sense without having read that first. Just a very short piece highlighting the boy's loyalty to each other, and a side dose of mother's exasperation at their antics.

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Psy-Changeling 20.1: Music in the Rain

Psy-Changeling 20.1: Music in the Rain by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a cute story that shows a more personable side of the Arrows where Zuli and Zaira are basically teasing each other despite the recent fall of Silence and the differences in their Gradients. While there is no direct interaction with Alejandro, the references and back story are enough that it would be great to see these lessons unfold down the line in the series. Hopefully we will see more of these three interacting down the road.

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