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Psy-Changeling Trinity #8
Primal Mirror
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into a family dark with shadowy secrets, as the world of the Psy hangs on the edge of a final catastrophic collapse…
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 abnormal intensity of notice 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, Remi’s feline heart as fascinated by her as the human half of his soul.
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…
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 abnormal intensity of notice 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, Remi’s feline heart as fascinated by her as the human half of his soul.
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…
400 pages, ebook
First published July 23, 2024
468 people are currently reading
7885 people want to read
About the author
Nalini Singh
240 books26.6k followersI've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.
I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).
So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.
I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).
So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 657 reviews
July 27, 2024
This rating might be too generous? The problems of this book are many in my opinion :
1) We have been hearing about the collapse of the psynet for BOOKS and every "solution" that was presented was not explored for more than one book. And all the solution are temporary measures not actual solutions. This book present another temporary measure and kinda spells out "there is nothing else to explore in that direction so this will AGAIN be just a one book thing". I am tired of it. Psy-Changeling Trinity has used all the patience I had for it I think. The plotline is repetitive and the fanservice inexistant. If we spent several books with each pack or got more cameo by characters we love I would let this go but we're not getting that so I'll stop waiting for it.
2) This book forgot it was a romance lol. I swear for half of this book there is little romance. The characters get to know each other, which is nice. But then halfway through the book it remembers it's a romance and I swear in the spam of a few chapters the heroine goes from "he's kinda pretty" to "TAKE ME NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW" (I am not exagerating). Then things get kinky but I don't wanna think about that *unseen those scenes right now*. It's just so weird because Auden has been through HELL, for YEARS and this book goes "yeah it was bad but now it's okay" and that's another whiplash moment.
3) Other Nalinism : I am really tired of one of the two protagonists (usually the psy) being on the verge of dying. I think that has been the case for almost every book in trinity. It's such a cheap way to heighten the stakes. And I'd argue the stakes don't need to be heightened to this level. In book 6 Mercy and Riley weren't on the verge of dying (if I recall right) and it was a great book. But apparently fluff is no longer an option for this series and it just happens that I am having a shit year so I would like some fluff please.
4) The 'Trinity' in this series concerns only 2 races out of 3 and I am petty I've decided to be annoyed by it now ^^ Gimme some romance featuring humans. Gimme changeling changeling romances. Or psy psy. I will take anything that is not an actual psy changeling romance. I need a break. They are all the same now and they have the same stakes and we introduce an entire new (lovely) cast every time because only alphas get romances now. I want to spend more time with RainFire but I know I probably won't see them again for a while. Same for the bears/wolves/water changelings. I am annoyed. One of my favorite things about the first arc of this series was seeing cast interactions through books but since each book in Trinity takes place far from the other this sense of community doesn't happen.
5) The writing is terrible. No one can convince me that using the sentence "his cock threatened to react" is good writing and this book uses it twice.
I should probably stop here... Oops.
Anyhow : I love psy changeling, I've been reading this series for over a decade now. This book on its own is not the worst in the series I think. But put in context I can't rate it higher. That being said I read it in two days so it wasn't actual torture either. So I settled on the lowest positive rating in my personal scale.
1) We have been hearing about the collapse of the psynet for BOOKS and every "solution" that was presented was not explored for more than one book. And all the solution are temporary measures not actual solutions. This book present another temporary measure and kinda spells out "there is nothing else to explore in that direction so this will AGAIN be just a one book thing". I am tired of it. Psy-Changeling Trinity has used all the patience I had for it I think. The plotline is repetitive and the fanservice inexistant. If we spent several books with each pack or got more cameo by characters we love I would let this go but we're not getting that so I'll stop waiting for it.
2) This book forgot it was a romance lol. I swear for half of this book there is little romance. The characters get to know each other, which is nice. But then halfway through the book it remembers it's a romance and I swear in the spam of a few chapters the heroine goes from "he's kinda pretty" to "TAKE ME NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW" (I am not exagerating). Then things get kinky but I don't wanna think about that *unseen those scenes right now*. It's just so weird because Auden has been through HELL, for YEARS and this book goes "yeah it was bad but now it's okay" and that's another whiplash moment.
3) Other Nalinism : I am really tired of one of the two protagonists (usually the psy) being on the verge of dying. I think that has been the case for almost every book in trinity. It's such a cheap way to heighten the stakes. And I'd argue the stakes don't need to be heightened to this level. In book 6 Mercy and Riley weren't on the verge of dying (if I recall right) and it was a great book. But apparently fluff is no longer an option for this series and it just happens that I am having a shit year so I would like some fluff please.
4) The 'Trinity' in this series concerns only 2 races out of 3 and I am petty I've decided to be annoyed by it now ^^ Gimme some romance featuring humans. Gimme changeling changeling romances. Or psy psy. I will take anything that is not an actual psy changeling romance. I need a break. They are all the same now and they have the same stakes and we introduce an entire new (lovely) cast every time because only alphas get romances now. I want to spend more time with RainFire but I know I probably won't see them again for a while. Same for the bears/wolves/water changelings. I am annoyed. One of my favorite things about the first arc of this series was seeing cast interactions through books but since each book in Trinity takes place far from the other this sense of community doesn't happen.
5) The writing is terrible. No one can convince me that using the sentence "his cock threatened to react" is good writing and this book uses it twice.
I should probably stop here... Oops.
Anyhow : I love psy changeling, I've been reading this series for over a decade now. This book on its own is not the worst in the series I think. But put in context I can't rate it higher. That being said I read it in two days so it wasn't actual torture either. So I settled on the lowest positive rating in my personal scale.
July 6, 2024
Oh I love that this book feels more like the series I love and adore.
I'm a big fan of the Snow Dancers wolves and Dark River leopards. I fell in love with the couples. And although bears are fascinating creatures, their stories never ensnared me the same way as Hawke and Lucas's packs did.
Primal Mirror is located in the Smoky Mountains. And RainFire is still a young pack but feels solid, and Remington "Remi" Denier is an Alpha who does a wonderful job keeping his pack of lone roaming cats and families that wanted the opportunity to be part of a young pack together and flourishing.
I enjoyed the slow burn between Remi and Auden. Although I was missing the tension, passion and sexual attraction from some of the other couples, but overall it was fitting. It worked for Remi and Auden.
I'm still not a fan of the big convoluted mess of a backstory. Honestly I stopped caring a long time ago, but the couples are still what makes me pick up these books. It's all about the couples and the packs.
I would love to get more books about the RainFire pack. I as a reader need more time with just one pack to actually build a connection with them. The last few books were just meh for me. I never really cared about the characters. And that's just not what this series deserves. I want to care about them the same way I care about the wolves and leopards in California. But for that I need time.
So, let's just say that Primal Mirror was a great first book of a new leopard pack, which I would love to see grow.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
I'm a big fan of the Snow Dancers wolves and Dark River leopards. I fell in love with the couples. And although bears are fascinating creatures, their stories never ensnared me the same way as Hawke and Lucas's packs did.
Primal Mirror is located in the Smoky Mountains. And RainFire is still a young pack but feels solid, and Remington "Remi" Denier is an Alpha who does a wonderful job keeping his pack of lone roaming cats and families that wanted the opportunity to be part of a young pack together and flourishing.
I enjoyed the slow burn between Remi and Auden. Although I was missing the tension, passion and sexual attraction from some of the other couples, but overall it was fitting. It worked for Remi and Auden.
I'm still not a fan of the big convoluted mess of a backstory. Honestly I stopped caring a long time ago, but the couples are still what makes me pick up these books. It's all about the couples and the packs.
I would love to get more books about the RainFire pack. I as a reader need more time with just one pack to actually build a connection with them. The last few books were just meh for me. I never really cared about the characters. And that's just not what this series deserves. I want to care about them the same way I care about the wolves and leopards in California. But for that I need time.
So, let's just say that Primal Mirror was a great first book of a new leopard pack, which I would love to see grow.
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
March 1, 2025
I LOVE this series, that has now arced from the Psy-Changeling into the Psy-Changeling-Human Trinity, which adds more story resources and brings together so many more MC’s from previous installments. That’s one of the things that I really enjoy about this series now, is the cameo appearances of so many of the characters that have been featured in the entire series. It’s nice to see the series fave characters again and catching up on them and seeing them being incorporated into new installments. For those who would like to know more about the world Singh has created, check out one of my previous reviews, Resonance Surge.
One of the MC’s, Remi, was initially introduced in Shards of Hope, installment #14, and is now the alpha of a new pack, Rainfire, who finds themselves neighbors to a lone and pregnant Psy woman, Auden Scott. In this installment, Singh follows up with the repercussions of the previous installment, where the PsyNet, the world that all Psy are connected to, is fracturing at an alarming rate. When it falls, millions of Psy will die. Kaleb, the most powerful Psy in the world, is doing everything he can to keep it together. Previously, Shoshanna Scott, an evil Psy Council member, set into motion something that was so evil and deplorable for the sole purpose of being able to still wreak havoc in the world even beyond her death with absolutely no regard for her only child.
The story flips back and forth between Auden and Remi, who becomes concerned for her safety out alone in the wilds. It’s not long before Auden is asking Remi for protection and assistance in finding out what Shoshanna and her cronies have done to her and her baby. As is the case when dealing with the evil Psy of the Consortium, interactions between the evil Psy and the rest of the world is dangerous, scary and gruesome. The ending is a lead-in to the next installment and the ongoing arc of the fracturing PsyNet as well as hunting down those Psy who will not accept the new world order.
The continuing character development of returning series characters as well as the introduction of new characters was pretty good. I would have liked to know a little more about Auden, but I highly suspect that she will be featured more in future installments, being that she is related to the continuation of the PsyNet. The pacing was steady to fast and the storyline interesting even if a little disturbing. The writing was classic Nalini Sighn and is pretty much on par with the rest of the series. Once again, the narrator, Angela Dawes, is a phenomenal narrator when using different voices and adding in tones and inflections along with humor and the snarky one liners in all the right places. I’m looking at an overall rate of 4.1 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review.
One of the MC’s, Remi, was initially introduced in Shards of Hope, installment #14, and is now the alpha of a new pack, Rainfire, who finds themselves neighbors to a lone and pregnant Psy woman, Auden Scott. In this installment, Singh follows up with the repercussions of the previous installment, where the PsyNet, the world that all Psy are connected to, is fracturing at an alarming rate. When it falls, millions of Psy will die. Kaleb, the most powerful Psy in the world, is doing everything he can to keep it together. Previously, Shoshanna Scott, an evil Psy Council member, set into motion something that was so evil and deplorable for the sole purpose of being able to still wreak havoc in the world even beyond her death with absolutely no regard for her only child.
The story flips back and forth between Auden and Remi, who becomes concerned for her safety out alone in the wilds. It’s not long before Auden is asking Remi for protection and assistance in finding out what Shoshanna and her cronies have done to her and her baby. As is the case when dealing with the evil Psy of the Consortium, interactions between the evil Psy and the rest of the world is dangerous, scary and gruesome. The ending is a lead-in to the next installment and the ongoing arc of the fracturing PsyNet as well as hunting down those Psy who will not accept the new world order.
The continuing character development of returning series characters as well as the introduction of new characters was pretty good. I would have liked to know a little more about Auden, but I highly suspect that she will be featured more in future installments, being that she is related to the continuation of the PsyNet. The pacing was steady to fast and the storyline interesting even if a little disturbing. The writing was classic Nalini Sighn and is pretty much on par with the rest of the series. Once again, the narrator, Angela Dawes, is a phenomenal narrator when using different voices and adding in tones and inflections along with humor and the snarky one liners in all the right places. I’m looking at an overall rate of 4.1 that I will be rounding down to a 4star review.
July 30, 2024
Check out all my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
PRIMAL MIRROR (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book #8) by Nalini Singh is an exciting paranormal romantic suspense which had me on the edge-of-my- seat as the leopard changeling hero and the Psy heroine go against a frightening evil. While the romance can stand on its own, the suspense plot is ongoing from previous books and there are also several characters pulled from previous books. While you do not need to go back to the beginning of the entire paranormal series, I enjoyed reading this Trinity spinoff series in order.
Psy Auden Scott suffered a terrible brain injury in an accident. While her memories are scattered or even blank, her mother has a diabolical use for her daughter. As Auden’s mind heals, she realizes she is pregnant with a child she has no recollection of conceiving. When her mother dies, Auden does not understand her mother’s associates’ intense interest in the yet to be born baby, but she vows to protect her baby at all costs.
Leopard alpha Remi Denier is working on protecting and building his fledgling pack. As he is checking his lands perimeter, he discovers a new neighbor on the adjacent land. This Psy with the unique eyes is very pregnant and has a scent that changes in disturbing ways, and he is fascinated. His alpha will do anything to protect this woman and her to be born cub.
Auden and Remi work together to uncover what Auden mother’s plans were for her that seem to be continuing even after her death as they also protect Auden’s baby. They MS. discover a nightmare even as the entire Psy race is on the brink of mass destruction.
I loved this addition to the series. It is fast paced with tension that continues to ramp up to a discovery that is severely twisted. Auden is a great powerful female heroine that you cannot help but love, not only because of her fight to regain her mental self, but also how much she will do to protect her baby. I have been waiting for Remi to finally meet his mate and this is a great pairing. I also enjoyed how this book pulls in many characters from previous books in the series not only to assist Auden and Remi, but to save the PsyNet itself.
I highly recommend this addition to the series, and I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for this paranormal world in the next book!
PRIMAL MIRROR (Psy-Changeling Trinity Book #8) by Nalini Singh is an exciting paranormal romantic suspense which had me on the edge-of-my- seat as the leopard changeling hero and the Psy heroine go against a frightening evil. While the romance can stand on its own, the suspense plot is ongoing from previous books and there are also several characters pulled from previous books. While you do not need to go back to the beginning of the entire paranormal series, I enjoyed reading this Trinity spinoff series in order.
Psy Auden Scott suffered a terrible brain injury in an accident. While her memories are scattered or even blank, her mother has a diabolical use for her daughter. As Auden’s mind heals, she realizes she is pregnant with a child she has no recollection of conceiving. When her mother dies, Auden does not understand her mother’s associates’ intense interest in the yet to be born baby, but she vows to protect her baby at all costs.
Leopard alpha Remi Denier is working on protecting and building his fledgling pack. As he is checking his lands perimeter, he discovers a new neighbor on the adjacent land. This Psy with the unique eyes is very pregnant and has a scent that changes in disturbing ways, and he is fascinated. His alpha will do anything to protect this woman and her to be born cub.
Auden and Remi work together to uncover what Auden mother’s plans were for her that seem to be continuing even after her death as they also protect Auden’s baby. They MS. discover a nightmare even as the entire Psy race is on the brink of mass destruction.
I loved this addition to the series. It is fast paced with tension that continues to ramp up to a discovery that is severely twisted. Auden is a great powerful female heroine that you cannot help but love, not only because of her fight to regain her mental self, but also how much she will do to protect her baby. I have been waiting for Remi to finally meet his mate and this is a great pairing. I also enjoyed how this book pulls in many characters from previous books in the series not only to assist Auden and Remi, but to save the PsyNet itself.
I highly recommend this addition to the series, and I am looking forward to seeing what is in store for this paranormal world in the next book!
July 16, 2024
I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
Primal Mirror is the 8th installment in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series as well as the 23rd installment in the Psy-Changeling Series. Primal Mirror cannot be read as a standalone. However, it can be read out of series order if familiar with the overall world-building, where you've read the majority of the series.
I need to preface this review by stating how I feel as if the overarching world-building & backstory is overly complex and completely buries the story attempting to be told. Added in with the female MC suffering from a brain injury, the beginning of the novel was nearly impossible to enjoy, filled with nothing but confusion, the need to make spreadsheet to order events, and not much of entertainment value. It was purposefully confusing, not truly focused on either of the MCs, overshadowing any romance or connection the MCs may or may not have felt to one another.
I adored this series, as well as all of the other series Nalini Singh has written. I know this series like the back of my hand, not confused by events that have taken place. But there is an overall chaotic, end of days feeling to the novels as of late, which erases any feel-good emotions and entertainment value I may experience. Reading this series has become stressful, so it's difficult to root for the main couple in each novel, as their romance and connection is completely smothered by the never-ending plot arc that binds these novels into a series.
This series has become a slog, no longer pleasurable to read and enjoy as a couple finds their way to one another. I love angst, drama, and suspense, not one for in-my-face romance, but the overly complex world-building and backstory are drowning the main plot in the past few installments.
Auden Scott inherits the land next to Leopard alpha Remi Denier's pack lands. She is suffering from a debilitating brain issue which stems from her family utilizing medical procedures outside of her consent, added in with the fact that she is also pregnant, which was a medical procedure outside of her consent, without her knowledge, which adds into the inability to remember events.
Auden Scott is a difficult character to connect with, not only because of the abuses she has suffered at the hands of her family, but the fact that she doesn't even remember these abuses, remember much of anything really. The ultimate of an unreliable narrator. How can the reader know Auden when she doesn't know anything about herself either. I could empathize and sympathize, but I was left feeling as confused as she was.
Remi Denier is easier to understand, especially since he is a reliable narrator. His narration easier to digest, but it is still overshadowed by all the hundreds of plots coming together to where the reader doesn't get to know him well enough to connect with him.
I wanted to love Auden & Remi, but I never got to know them. I wanted to ship them as a couple, but they barely shared any time together on the pages to develop a connection with one another and to the reader. A slow-burn vibe with no passion, no connection, or sexual attraction. Auden is suffering across the board, pregnant, and dealing with issues with her family and the PsyNet, she had no room for romance, so what little romance there was seemed oddly misplaced and paced.
This novel did not work for me. Auden & Remi used as a vehicle to continue to slog through the tangled, overly complex, anxiety-ridden, chaotic backstory and world-building, which I personally do not find very entertaining.
Primal Mirror is the 8th installment in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series as well as the 23rd installment in the Psy-Changeling Series. Primal Mirror cannot be read as a standalone. However, it can be read out of series order if familiar with the overall world-building, where you've read the majority of the series.
I need to preface this review by stating how I feel as if the overarching world-building & backstory is overly complex and completely buries the story attempting to be told. Added in with the female MC suffering from a brain injury, the beginning of the novel was nearly impossible to enjoy, filled with nothing but confusion, the need to make spreadsheet to order events, and not much of entertainment value. It was purposefully confusing, not truly focused on either of the MCs, overshadowing any romance or connection the MCs may or may not have felt to one another.
I adored this series, as well as all of the other series Nalini Singh has written. I know this series like the back of my hand, not confused by events that have taken place. But there is an overall chaotic, end of days feeling to the novels as of late, which erases any feel-good emotions and entertainment value I may experience. Reading this series has become stressful, so it's difficult to root for the main couple in each novel, as their romance and connection is completely smothered by the never-ending plot arc that binds these novels into a series.
This series has become a slog, no longer pleasurable to read and enjoy as a couple finds their way to one another. I love angst, drama, and suspense, not one for in-my-face romance, but the overly complex world-building and backstory are drowning the main plot in the past few installments.
Auden Scott inherits the land next to Leopard alpha Remi Denier's pack lands. She is suffering from a debilitating brain issue which stems from her family utilizing medical procedures outside of her consent, added in with the fact that she is also pregnant, which was a medical procedure outside of her consent, without her knowledge, which adds into the inability to remember events.
Auden Scott is a difficult character to connect with, not only because of the abuses she has suffered at the hands of her family, but the fact that she doesn't even remember these abuses, remember much of anything really. The ultimate of an unreliable narrator. How can the reader know Auden when she doesn't know anything about herself either. I could empathize and sympathize, but I was left feeling as confused as she was.
Remi Denier is easier to understand, especially since he is a reliable narrator. His narration easier to digest, but it is still overshadowed by all the hundreds of plots coming together to where the reader doesn't get to know him well enough to connect with him.
I wanted to love Auden & Remi, but I never got to know them. I wanted to ship them as a couple, but they barely shared any time together on the pages to develop a connection with one another and to the reader. A slow-burn vibe with no passion, no connection, or sexual attraction. Auden is suffering across the board, pregnant, and dealing with issues with her family and the PsyNet, she had no room for romance, so what little romance there was seemed oddly misplaced and paced.
This novel did not work for me. Auden & Remi used as a vehicle to continue to slog through the tangled, overly complex, anxiety-ridden, chaotic backstory and world-building, which I personally do not find very entertaining.
August 9, 2024
Now, this is what I'm taking about, in fact I didn't have to read Resonance Surge cause as I can tell I missed nothing.
This book vibed with the beginning of the series which is amazing. I loved every moment of the book. Psy/Changling will always be my favourite. Skin privileges, need I write more?
03/03/2024
Now based on the blurb this is a book in the Psy/Changeling that I can finally get on board with.
Advanced snippet
Auden Scott? Nightmare of a problem that technically had nothing to do with him—and that would gnaw at him every second she was in his vicinity.
So of course he reached their border to discover her holding a deadly little gun all wrong while facing a homemade target—a piece of card stuck to a big stick that she’d poked into the ground. On the card was a wonky hand-drawn bullseye.
Then she shot and it went so wide of the mark that it wasn’t even in the same galaxy.
His leopard hung its head in reflected shame.
Groaning, Remi deliberately made a lot of noise as he walked out, so that she wouldn’t shoot him by accident—though her chances of hitting him were so low as to be miniscule. When she swung around with the gun pointed, he held up his own hands. “I mean, you have a point one percent chance of actually hitting me, but don’t shoot.”
A glare.
Yes, a definite glare, before she smoothed it over with the ice-coated exterior of Silent perfection she’d shown him yesterday. His heart kicked anyway, his leopard on the hunt.
There you are, the cat purred.
“I apologize.” She lowered the weapon and the movement disturbed the air currents, sending more of her luscious scent in his direction. “I didn’t intend to convey aggression . . . but you did sneak up on me.”
His body stirred in a way unexpected, as drawn to this Auden as he had been disturbed by the woman he’d first met. “I made enough noise for a herd of drunk bears.”
This time, she looked like she really wanted to shoot him.
Amused, he nodded at her target before she could give in to her rage. “Let me guess—your first time with a laser weapon?”
A pause and he knew her training was telling her to lie—according to what he’d picked up from hanging out with Arrows, powerful Psy were taught to cover any and all vulnerabilities. Or they had been under Silence. Who knew how long it would take for that to change, or if it ever would. A century of indoctrination wasn’t exactly easy to shrug off.
Auden finally seemed to realize there was no point in lying when he’d witnessed her stumbling attempted shot. “Yes,” she said at last. “It’s probably not safe for you to be close by.” A grudging warning.
His cat, contrary feline that it was, liked her better for being aggravated by his teasing. “I can’t leave you here with that.” He sighed to further nudge up her anger, to better see her. “I’ll lose my mind worrying that you’d lasered off your foot or blasted your cheekbone.”
Her eyes went black.
Remi stayed relaxed, his hands on his hips—he’d seen other Psy eyes do that when in the grip of great power—or great emotion.
Auden Scott was becoming more fascinating with every second that passed.
This book vibed with the beginning of the series which is amazing. I loved every moment of the book. Psy/Changling will always be my favourite. Skin privileges, need I write more?
03/03/2024
Now based on the blurb this is a book in the Psy/Changeling that I can finally get on board with.
Advanced snippet
Auden Scott? Nightmare of a problem that technically had nothing to do with him—and that would gnaw at him every second she was in his vicinity.
So of course he reached their border to discover her holding a deadly little gun all wrong while facing a homemade target—a piece of card stuck to a big stick that she’d poked into the ground. On the card was a wonky hand-drawn bullseye.
Then she shot and it went so wide of the mark that it wasn’t even in the same galaxy.
His leopard hung its head in reflected shame.
Groaning, Remi deliberately made a lot of noise as he walked out, so that she wouldn’t shoot him by accident—though her chances of hitting him were so low as to be miniscule. When she swung around with the gun pointed, he held up his own hands. “I mean, you have a point one percent chance of actually hitting me, but don’t shoot.”
A glare.
Yes, a definite glare, before she smoothed it over with the ice-coated exterior of Silent perfection she’d shown him yesterday. His heart kicked anyway, his leopard on the hunt.
There you are, the cat purred.
“I apologize.” She lowered the weapon and the movement disturbed the air currents, sending more of her luscious scent in his direction. “I didn’t intend to convey aggression . . . but you did sneak up on me.”
His body stirred in a way unexpected, as drawn to this Auden as he had been disturbed by the woman he’d first met. “I made enough noise for a herd of drunk bears.”
This time, she looked like she really wanted to shoot him.
Amused, he nodded at her target before she could give in to her rage. “Let me guess—your first time with a laser weapon?”
A pause and he knew her training was telling her to lie—according to what he’d picked up from hanging out with Arrows, powerful Psy were taught to cover any and all vulnerabilities. Or they had been under Silence. Who knew how long it would take for that to change, or if it ever would. A century of indoctrination wasn’t exactly easy to shrug off.
Auden finally seemed to realize there was no point in lying when he’d witnessed her stumbling attempted shot. “Yes,” she said at last. “It’s probably not safe for you to be close by.” A grudging warning.
His cat, contrary feline that it was, liked her better for being aggravated by his teasing. “I can’t leave you here with that.” He sighed to further nudge up her anger, to better see her. “I’ll lose my mind worrying that you’d lasered off your foot or blasted your cheekbone.”
Her eyes went black.
Remi stayed relaxed, his hands on his hips—he’d seen other Psy eyes do that when in the grip of great power—or great emotion.
Auden Scott was becoming more fascinating with every second that passed.
dnf
July 23, 2024I got to 25% in this book before I was frustrated by it being, for all intents and purposes, a carbon copy of the other books in this and the sister series. It’s not a bad book. The writing is good and the continuation of the overarching plot line has potential, but the main characters lack distinct differences from the prior main characters in the series
July 27, 2024
I am disappointed.
This novel did not deliver on any of the fronts it set the story on.
The love story, most of all, holds no charm because it doesnt really start until the halfway point of the book, VERY late both un general for a romance and specifically for PsyChangeling standards
Worse: from then on it rushes onward, there is little to no fundation and yet Singh acts like she did her usual set up
Its a resounding failure and i skimmed every single romantic scene i could get away with - that didnt risk me missing the plot
The main couple is a mess as a couple, as a result
But its also ineffective because Auden is absolutely non-believable
She is too young to pull off the lioness act that Nalini wants to play with her, she has been basically mentally incapacitated for almost a decade too so her development should be stunted! And yet she us super in control
Her reaction to the fall of Silence is never mentioned, which is a huge problem
One of her main emotional turning point is her father, Henry, but there is NOT ONE SINGLE FLASHBACK barely a couple remembered sentences?? That does not cut it: what was their bond like, their relationship? The story hints at the fact that Henry might actually have loved her as much as possible under silence and only abandoned her because his own brain had been ruined by the hive-mind implat he and Shosanna played with…that NEEDED TO BE EXPLORED.
I dont know Auden’s character, i only keep being told she is fiercely maternal…which is an expression that means nothing. How maternal? What even does it mean maternal? There are infinite ways to be a mother so u better give me something more, here, dear author.
This makes for a truly pathetic base work for any sense of personality to rise from!!
Remi is fine, his peotectiveness was perfectly believable…his attraction i could have let pass…but honestly theres no chemistry. ZERO.
The story relies on tired and trite Nalini-approved romantic cliches: the moaning when eating? The fascination with her hair? The stupid nickname? The massage? *shaking head** abismal.
The mystery is so stupid?? And as a reflex it makes Auden stupid??
Singh tried to make me believe that Auden was making crazy good business moves *wink wink* which were actually absolutely generic sentences with no real anchor in the story as to feel smart…like at all??
Leaning into Auden having to improvise, her enemies underestimating her, being LUCKY and knowing it tho THAT would have been effective
But we must have only girl bosses, no average 24 years old trying her best to save her life and her unborn child’s life is allowed here
No sir no.
Instead, this is the only option: every woman is a gentle flower that in need will turn into a vicious lioness and a wall street savant and a sex goddess
I am tired. Every book is the SAME.
I skimmed the sex and thats the only reason im alive to tell the tale. It wasnt written worse than usual (i think Singh is awful at writing intimacy, its so over the top and unsexy but its her trademark so i get it) but it was more cringe cause the people fucking? Felt like they shouldnt be. They never felt close enough to me to be more than neighbors.
Also, i never say this, but the book was boring as fuck.
The interesting plot was ELSEWHERE with the coalition and the effort to save the net, the alliances and the blood bonds and the despair and hope…THE SCARABS????
Instead i was following a dumb girl.
Worried about her kid, yes, but overall i wanted it to be AT LEAST better integrated in the plot
I wanted Remi to be closer to the effort to save the Psy
The chapters that dealt with the rest of the cast, especially characters from season 1 were so much better…it made me both happy and furious cause i was like: clearly Nalini Singh still knows how to write…she just refused to do it in the rest of this book.
I dont care about her preparing the ground for more romance by introducing hot single sentinels, drop that shit
We have a huge and interesting cast and a big plot. Do that???????? Ugh.
Thats another problem btw, which my bff pointed out to me: the plot is stagnating because every book gives a miracle temporary solution with no ramifications that only serves to extend the emergency.
Do i look dumb, dear author? When are we gonna actually get a path to resolution here?
I dont know how many more books this stupid i will suffer.
I love Psy Changeling for the over-arching plot, i tolerate the horrible romance as a personal sacrifice to it…i need this to go back to the sense of COMMUNITY we had in the rest of the series because this is not IT!!
My best friend (we read this basically at the same time, she is just faster so finished it in 2 days lol) said this book is basically Slave to Sensation…but bad.
I agree
The issue as we identified it, it’s that the big plot is a huge and scary problem and its always been like that BUT the romance used to be a small island of joy in the storm
We lost that
Also: the writing is awful. Singh writes in a convoluted way, she abuses relative clause, uses adjectives and verbs inappropriately, consistently repeats the same sentence…its amateurish stuff i dont even really see in fanfiction anymore. An actaul editor needs to take a scalpel to her drafts and pull this shit together cause its 2024, this is book 23 in the over all series we can afford some evolution i strongly doubts the readers will drop it because it follows basic grammar rules
So yea. 2 stars because Anthony and Nikita were mentioned.
This novel did not deliver on any of the fronts it set the story on.
The love story, most of all, holds no charm because it doesnt really start until the halfway point of the book, VERY late both un general for a romance and specifically for PsyChangeling standards
Worse: from then on it rushes onward, there is little to no fundation and yet Singh acts like she did her usual set up
Its a resounding failure and i skimmed every single romantic scene i could get away with - that didnt risk me missing the plot
The main couple is a mess as a couple, as a result
But its also ineffective because Auden is absolutely non-believable
She is too young to pull off the lioness act that Nalini wants to play with her, she has been basically mentally incapacitated for almost a decade too so her development should be stunted! And yet she us super in control
Her reaction to the fall of Silence is never mentioned, which is a huge problem
One of her main emotional turning point is her father, Henry, but there is NOT ONE SINGLE FLASHBACK barely a couple remembered sentences?? That does not cut it: what was their bond like, their relationship? The story hints at the fact that Henry might actually have loved her as much as possible under silence and only abandoned her because his own brain had been ruined by the hive-mind implat he and Shosanna played with…that NEEDED TO BE EXPLORED.
I dont know Auden’s character, i only keep being told she is fiercely maternal…which is an expression that means nothing. How maternal? What even does it mean maternal? There are infinite ways to be a mother so u better give me something more, here, dear author.
This makes for a truly pathetic base work for any sense of personality to rise from!!
Remi is fine, his peotectiveness was perfectly believable…his attraction i could have let pass…but honestly theres no chemistry. ZERO.
The story relies on tired and trite Nalini-approved romantic cliches: the moaning when eating? The fascination with her hair? The stupid nickname? The massage? *shaking head** abismal.
The mystery is so stupid?? And as a reflex it makes Auden stupid??
Singh tried to make me believe that Auden was making crazy good business moves *wink wink* which were actually absolutely generic sentences with no real anchor in the story as to feel smart…like at all??
Leaning into Auden having to improvise, her enemies underestimating her, being LUCKY and knowing it tho THAT would have been effective
But we must have only girl bosses, no average 24 years old trying her best to save her life and her unborn child’s life is allowed here
No sir no.
Instead, this is the only option: every woman is a gentle flower that in need will turn into a vicious lioness and a wall street savant and a sex goddess
I am tired. Every book is the SAME.
I skimmed the sex and thats the only reason im alive to tell the tale. It wasnt written worse than usual (i think Singh is awful at writing intimacy, its so over the top and unsexy but its her trademark so i get it) but it was more cringe cause the people fucking? Felt like they shouldnt be. They never felt close enough to me to be more than neighbors.
Also, i never say this, but the book was boring as fuck.
The interesting plot was ELSEWHERE with the coalition and the effort to save the net, the alliances and the blood bonds and the despair and hope…THE SCARABS????
Instead i was following a dumb girl.
Worried about her kid, yes, but overall i wanted it to be AT LEAST better integrated in the plot
I wanted Remi to be closer to the effort to save the Psy
The chapters that dealt with the rest of the cast, especially characters from season 1 were so much better…it made me both happy and furious cause i was like: clearly Nalini Singh still knows how to write…she just refused to do it in the rest of this book.
I dont care about her preparing the ground for more romance by introducing hot single sentinels, drop that shit
We have a huge and interesting cast and a big plot. Do that???????? Ugh.
Thats another problem btw, which my bff pointed out to me: the plot is stagnating because every book gives a miracle temporary solution with no ramifications that only serves to extend the emergency.
Do i look dumb, dear author? When are we gonna actually get a path to resolution here?
I dont know how many more books this stupid i will suffer.
I love Psy Changeling for the over-arching plot, i tolerate the horrible romance as a personal sacrifice to it…i need this to go back to the sense of COMMUNITY we had in the rest of the series because this is not IT!!
My best friend (we read this basically at the same time, she is just faster so finished it in 2 days lol) said this book is basically Slave to Sensation…but bad.
I agree
The issue as we identified it, it’s that the big plot is a huge and scary problem and its always been like that BUT the romance used to be a small island of joy in the storm
We lost that
Also: the writing is awful. Singh writes in a convoluted way, she abuses relative clause, uses adjectives and verbs inappropriately, consistently repeats the same sentence…its amateurish stuff i dont even really see in fanfiction anymore. An actaul editor needs to take a scalpel to her drafts and pull this shit together cause its 2024, this is book 23 in the over all series we can afford some evolution i strongly doubts the readers will drop it because it follows basic grammar rules
So yea. 2 stars because Anthony and Nikita were mentioned.
July 30, 2024
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5
I like your imprint, an enormous comforting purr that wraps around me
First Impressions
So Primal Mirror is the most recent release in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series by Nalini Singh. This is definitely one of my more anticipated releases for 2024 and I had such a blast with it. I am very glad I was able to get this one read and it definitely was worth the wait. This also showed aspects of the changeling world that we haven't really seen before and I appreciated what the author did in that. The pack that we see, is also a brand new pack and very new and young and still establishing themselves. They are a smaller unit, but finding their own strength and I really valued the context of it. This also had a feeling of a classic changeling romance, there was something so classic about many aspects of this book while still being mindful of the more modern readership that this author has developed. There is still a heavier focus of consent in her books here. I don't mind that, but sometimes having it mentioned so many times in one page gets a bit annoying. But other than that, I found this book so refreshing and the romance was breathtaking. Fans of this world and this author, will have a blast with this one here.
First Line
Remi swore under his breath.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Remi, Alpha Leopard
The Heroine: Auden Scott
Remi was in this to the end. For Auden. for her cub. And for the whispered promise of a future that clawed at his heart
Summary
The story begins with our hero, Remi, who is the new alpha of this new pack in a very remote forest near some mountains. Their borderland is taken over by a lone Psy woman, a woman that is intriguing but her mind is fractured, but Remi and Auden have a brief moment of intense connection. Now its been months later, and Auden has been pregnated by a associate of her mothers, but Auden is determined to protect her baby no matter the costs. She knows that there is something not right about their plans for her baby, and she is a damaged daughter of a powerful elite family in the Psy world and she will break free and find a place of safety for her daughter. She comes to the remote mountains to escpae and she runs into Remi, who is protective and attentive, but respectful and she starts to build a bond with Remi. Remi is the alpha of his pack and a powerful leopard, who knows that Auden is his mate and that child she is carrying is their cub and they will protect both no matter the cost to themselves and he has his whole pack behind him as cubs always come first. Auden doesn't know what to make of Remi, but she does know that she makes her feel intense emotion, the like of which she never imagined for herself. Their bond grows into something much more intimate and packed with love and strength, but Auden will have to defeat her family and the damage done to her own mind before she can have any sort of happy ending with the man she loves and the daughter she would die for...
He was Remi Denier. Alpha....father....and mate.
he was living a life farm more extraordinary and joyous than could’ve been dreams of by the lonely and grieving boy whose anger had once driven him to race and race in an effort to outrun his pain. There was no more to need to run anywhere.
He was home
in his pack
in her arms
What I Loved
So many aspects to this story that just completely worked for me. The first being, is there is not a book from this author that I don't love and there is something about her writing that will always work for each and every time. I also couldn't get enough of Auden and Remi. But especially REMI.....there was just something about this author, who literally stole my heart from the very beginning. Even though you sense that he has a connection to Auden, he is still wary of her because of her fractured mind. But his leopard is always wanting to fight for Auden just like Remi is wanting to. And the bond that Remi makes with Auden's baby, Liberty, was just beautiful. I couldn't seem to get enough of those sweet moments he bonds with this adorable little baby girl. The romantic relationship between Remi and Auden was just a delight. Now fair warning, that this is a slow burn so it might not be for everyone, but I promise that if you stick with it, it definitely will be worth it because even though the moments that Remi and Auden have aren't many, as due to the circumstances they aren't able to be intimate until after Liberty is born, you also see that emotional connection being built and then once we get to the smexy moments, the intimacy just fully connects with them and it packs such a powerful punch. Even though I am not big on intimate scenes, this one just was worth reading because of how this story was gradually built. I fell so hard for Remi and Auden and they might be one of my favorite couples and also seeing other characters in this pack....I fell so hard for and we got to see KIT!!! And boy is he so grown up and I can't wait for his book. I know it might not be for a while, but it is definitely getting closer to happening and I am so fascinated to see what his contribution will be to this pack.
She smashed into him and he was primal heat in her arms. Remi, my remi. Her mate had a heart bigger than the sun. His love for his pack a vastness no one but a alpha or his mate could understand. He was hers and she would allow him into every corner of her soul
What I Struggled With
The only thing I struggled with at times was the slow burn nature of the romance, as it was REALLY slow burn and it could have not been so dragged out. And the focus on consent was WAY too much. I know this is a newer trend with Singh in this series, and while I don't mind it, the amount of times consent is mentioned got a bit annoying at times which is why this book isn't a five star book. It just was a bit of overkill here.
Narration
Powerful narration and really brought out the character dynamics just right. It also portrayed the emotion and level of intensity of the story that was needed at just the right time to truly build on the connection and suspense in how it was meant to be displayed in audio for the story.
Overall View
Primal Mirror is a gradual built romance that feeds into the heart of the changeling soul, digs deep into the emotion of love and intimacy, it explores the beauty of a parent's love and brings a world to life which is guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings and captivate the senses! TRULY A THRILLING RIDE OF THE SOUL!
She was a storm wind that brought him to his knees, with her violent beauty and endless spirit. She was love, such love. She was a warrior ready to battle for her mate and their child. She was a lover who saw him in masculine beauty. They became one, their hearts and minds forever linked.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance
Character Types: Shape Shifter, Alpha Male, Psychic Abilities, Leopard shifter
Themes: Heart/Touching, Slow Burn, Tear Jerker, Danger/Suspense elements, Praise Kink
Tropes: Fated Love, Opposites Attract
Book Perspective
3rd POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflict
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Christine Feehan
Paige Tyler
J.D. Tyler
Song This Book Inspires
Wake Up Love by Teyana Taylor
Recommendation For Reading Order
Either. They can be read as a standalone, but this world does better being read in order.
Steam/Spice Explanations
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Narrators:
Angela Dawe
July 24, 2024
This book had me disrespecting the next day! I stayed up way too late reading this one. I was completely vested and thrilled that it lived up to the hype in my head. Happy dance!!
The Psy-Net and Psy people in general are such a fantastic and fascinating concept. This installation of the series was awesome. So many feelings! So much action. So intense. Lives are balancing on a razor's edge intense! The Shifters. YES!! I do love the instincts and community of shifters. My cupa tea for sure.
Remi and Auden have a bit of a slow burn romance. I loved them both so very much. A mama who will do anything to protect her child and a man that will do anything to protect them both is like catnip for me. Throw in that he is not the child's biological father!! YES!! Yes, yes. This book was my jam. Happy reading!
The Psy-Net and Psy people in general are such a fantastic and fascinating concept. This installation of the series was awesome. So many feelings! So much action. So intense. Lives are balancing on a razor's edge intense! The Shifters. YES!! I do love the instincts and community of shifters. My cupa tea for sure.
Remi and Auden have a bit of a slow burn romance. I loved them both so very much. A mama who will do anything to protect her child and a man that will do anything to protect them both is like catnip for me. Throw in that he is not the child's biological father!! YES!! Yes, yes. This book was my jam. Happy reading!
August 5, 2024
ACTUAL PLOT MOVEMENT!!!!
Ahem. Anyway, I liked the couple in this and I liked that we finally actually had movement on the Psy-Net collapse plot. Really interesting (and I don't know if I mean that in a good or bad way) choice to introduce a character tied to the original arc so closely that we'd never had mention of before, but I liked her and the romance in this book a lot (minus the postpartum sexy times which was a choice.) And I cannot say how delighted I was for the presence of the Monaghan siblings in this book. Curious where we're going next and that hadn't been something I've felt for awhile!
Ahem. Anyway, I liked the couple in this and I liked that we finally actually had movement on the Psy-Net collapse plot. Really interesting (and I don't know if I mean that in a good or bad way) choice to introduce a character tied to the original arc so closely that we'd never had mention of before, but I liked her and the romance in this book a lot (minus the postpartum sexy times which was a choice.) And I cannot say how delighted I was for the presence of the Monaghan siblings in this book. Curious where we're going next and that hadn't been something I've felt for awhile!
July 25, 2024
Auden Scott is the daughter of the ruthless Psy-Counselor pair: Henry and Shoshanna Scott. Her mind was fractured in an experiment approved by her mother that went wrong. Auden has recovered for the most part, now fully aware/awake, and pregnant, without her consent or memory! She and her baby are constantly monitored by the advisors left over by her mother, a prisoner in her own home. When touring the properties she inherited from her parents, Auden discovers land adjacent to the Rain Fire Pack where she encounters the Alpha, Remi and there’s an immediate connection.
Remi is fascinated by Auden Scott, the clearly damaged Psy, so when she takes up residence close by and alone, he can’t help but check on her. What he discovers about her circumstances is chilling. Auden needs his help. Remi’s determined to keep her and her child safe.
I was outraged for Auden by the treatment she had by the ones who were supposed to love and protect her! I wondered at what was going on and I had my suspicions. Auden’s mother was truly awful! I was so happy she found the Remi and sanctuary with the Rain Fire Pack, because she and her baby needed protection from those psychos!
Primal Mirror is book 8 in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series, “season two” in the Psy-Changeling series. It’s best read in order. Or at least from the first Trinity book. Each book is a standalone romance, but there’s an ongoing story arc that came to a critical point in this installment. The Psy race are desperately trying to repair/salvage the Psy-Net from imminent collapse. There was movement on that front and other revelations that wouldn’t make sense if you read this as a standalone. I loved the cooperation from all races: Human, Psy, and Changeling banding together to help the Psy.
I completely recommend this series for fans of fast-paced, chemistry filled shifter/sci-fi romances! I would start from the very beginning, the original series and keep going. The audios, read by Angela Dawe, are fantastic!
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy courtesy of Berkley. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
Remi is fascinated by Auden Scott, the clearly damaged Psy, so when she takes up residence close by and alone, he can’t help but check on her. What he discovers about her circumstances is chilling. Auden needs his help. Remi’s determined to keep her and her child safe.
I was outraged for Auden by the treatment she had by the ones who were supposed to love and protect her! I wondered at what was going on and I had my suspicions. Auden’s mother was truly awful! I was so happy she found the Remi and sanctuary with the Rain Fire Pack, because she and her baby needed protection from those psychos!
Primal Mirror is book 8 in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series, “season two” in the Psy-Changeling series. It’s best read in order. Or at least from the first Trinity book. Each book is a standalone romance, but there’s an ongoing story arc that came to a critical point in this installment. The Psy race are desperately trying to repair/salvage the Psy-Net from imminent collapse. There was movement on that front and other revelations that wouldn’t make sense if you read this as a standalone. I loved the cooperation from all races: Human, Psy, and Changeling banding together to help the Psy.
I completely recommend this series for fans of fast-paced, chemistry filled shifter/sci-fi romances! I would start from the very beginning, the original series and keep going. The audios, read by Angela Dawe, are fantastic!
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy courtesy of Berkley. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 17, 2024
Hoped onto Netgalley in the morning as I was waiting to leave for 24 hours of travel across the States and to Australia and saw this gem sitting there waiting for me. Could I BE any more excited? Nope!
Cracked it open (metaphorically—I have a Kindle, naturally) on my flight to LA and read the entire time save for bathroom breaks and an awkward chat with my elderly seat mate about the Barbie movie. I loved it and was desperately disappointed the flight wasn’t longer so I could’ve finished it before I had to schlepp myself to the international terminal. On the bright side, I had more Remi and Auden to look forward to.
Dove back in (metaphorically—I am not Kaia the dolphin, nor was the book liquid in any way, shape, or form) as soon as I was settled in my seat to Melbourne and read through to the end without interruption. Sighed. Smiled. Considered starting again immediately (still had about 13 hours of a 14.5 hour flight left), then remembered I’m in the midst of a re-read of this series and would be back to this one in five books time anyway, so instead sat back, closed my eyes, and mentally replayed all my favorite parts.
I love Remi—have been fascinated by him and RainFire since Shards of Hope—and came to love Auden the unknown too. Being back in a pack and seeing the dynamics (along with some welcome, familiar faces) gave me great joy. I was, as always, awed by the continued world building that Nalini Singh does and once again wished for a novella anthology so we could see even more of this universe and all the myriad players who may not need a big book but definitely need a HEA.
This series is my ultimate favorite. And Primal Mirror brought to the series another scorching hot Alpha, a resilient powerful woman, more intrigue and questions, some answers, and a whole lot of fun. I can’t wait to see what comes next in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series—and I can’t wait to re-read this wild, sexyride read.
Cracked it open (metaphorically—I have a Kindle, naturally) on my flight to LA and read the entire time save for bathroom breaks and an awkward chat with my elderly seat mate about the Barbie movie. I loved it and was desperately disappointed the flight wasn’t longer so I could’ve finished it before I had to schlepp myself to the international terminal. On the bright side, I had more Remi and Auden to look forward to.
Dove back in (metaphorically—I am not Kaia the dolphin, nor was the book liquid in any way, shape, or form) as soon as I was settled in my seat to Melbourne and read through to the end without interruption. Sighed. Smiled. Considered starting again immediately (still had about 13 hours of a 14.5 hour flight left), then remembered I’m in the midst of a re-read of this series and would be back to this one in five books time anyway, so instead sat back, closed my eyes, and mentally replayed all my favorite parts.
I love Remi—have been fascinated by him and RainFire since Shards of Hope—and came to love Auden the unknown too. Being back in a pack and seeing the dynamics (along with some welcome, familiar faces) gave me great joy. I was, as always, awed by the continued world building that Nalini Singh does and once again wished for a novella anthology so we could see even more of this universe and all the myriad players who may not need a big book but definitely need a HEA.
This series is my ultimate favorite. And Primal Mirror brought to the series another scorching hot Alpha, a resilient powerful woman, more intrigue and questions, some answers, and a whole lot of fun. I can’t wait to see what comes next in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series—and I can’t wait to re-read this wild, sexy
July 23, 2024
I kept looking for a plot and a romance. I got sex, a mating, and a magical save for now to the psy net. 2.5 stars
July 14, 2024
Reading the Psy-Changeling Trinity series always brings me back. I can’t help but remember why I fell in love with reading when I return to this world. Nalini Singh was one of those authors whose books that I couldn’t stop reading and in reading this book, I felt comforted by her words once again.
Singh’s writing never ceases to amaze me. Despite writing such long-standing series, the Psy-Changeling Trinity series feels fresh. The world never stops evolving and the characters are all complex and unique. I love the slow burn of these books. It’s romance that feels unrushed and attentive to its detail.
I hope this series can go on forever. There’s still a lot that Singh can explore with her characters. I’m always on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book to release.
Singh’s writing never ceases to amaze me. Despite writing such long-standing series, the Psy-Changeling Trinity series feels fresh. The world never stops evolving and the characters are all complex and unique. I love the slow burn of these books. It’s romance that feels unrushed and attentive to its detail.
I hope this series can go on forever. There’s still a lot that Singh can explore with her characters. I’m always on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book to release.
August 7, 2024
I finished my reread of the entire series in anticipation of this book and maybe that wasn't the greatest idea.
This book had Slave to Sensation/Dark River vibes and I really dug that. Remi is one of those characters I could not wait to see on the page and I adored seeing Kit and Rina again. But respectfully what the f*ck was this?
Auden Scott, Shoshanna's daughter, is a preggo psychometric who happens to now own the land next to Remi's. She is weirdly vacant and obviously not all there but Remi feels super protective and keeps an eye on her. She builds a cabin and retreats there to get away from her toxic home life. Close proximity! Yay! Except the close proximity doesn't lend itself to developing the romance at all. The book takes a weird turn and turns into a medical mystery. It's all about Auden's wonky brain and her baby. Then she has the baby and it's all about the baby.
This book is about many things and none of them are romance. Not until around the late 70 to 80-ish percent in the book. So when Remi finally gets all sexy and alpha leopard on her, it had zero impact on me because so far this has all been about a pregnant woman with a wonky personality and her mysterious baby. There is no chemistry, no build up, no connection at all. The sex scenes happen in the same time frame and like two days post partum and while they don't have penetrative sex, I was still like excuse me? Anyone who has gone through child birth knows this is ridiculous. I felt like my entire body had gone through a meat grinder, and no effing way anyone was going anywhere near my engorged painful leaking boobs. Yes, I know this is fiction and yes it was explained away by some miraculous medical trick but no I couldn't suspend disbelief and read the whole scene like this 😬😬😬
The overall Psy Net collapsing arc is still happening but it's all background until almost the end when there's another band-aid that slows down the net-apocalypse. Honestly the whole PsyNet thing is becoming so inscrutable and baffling that I'm hardly paying attention except when my murder mittens Kaleb makes an appearance.
I cannot say I enjoyed the romance. But I love being in this universe even when I'm not loving the main romance, so I enjoyed the book as the medical mystery bonkers sci Fi story that it was. I also feel like this book might be the beginning of recapturing the magic of the first series, with Kit making an appearance I have hope that we might go back to the perfect mix of romance and paranormal as the earlier books.
⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Close proximity
I received an ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
This book had Slave to Sensation/Dark River vibes and I really dug that. Remi is one of those characters I could not wait to see on the page and I adored seeing Kit and Rina again. But respectfully what the f*ck was this?
Auden Scott, Shoshanna's daughter, is a preggo psychometric who happens to now own the land next to Remi's. She is weirdly vacant and obviously not all there but Remi feels super protective and keeps an eye on her. She builds a cabin and retreats there to get away from her toxic home life. Close proximity! Yay! Except the close proximity doesn't lend itself to developing the romance at all. The book takes a weird turn and turns into a medical mystery. It's all about Auden's wonky brain and her baby. Then she has the baby and it's all about the baby.
This book is about many things and none of them are romance. Not until around the late 70 to 80-ish percent in the book. So when Remi finally gets all sexy and alpha leopard on her, it had zero impact on me because so far this has all been about a pregnant woman with a wonky personality and her mysterious baby. There is no chemistry, no build up, no connection at all. The sex scenes happen in the same time frame and like two days post partum and while they don't have penetrative sex, I was still like excuse me? Anyone who has gone through child birth knows this is ridiculous. I felt like my entire body had gone through a meat grinder, and no effing way anyone was going anywhere near my engorged painful leaking boobs. Yes, I know this is fiction and yes it was explained away by some miraculous medical trick but no I couldn't suspend disbelief and read the whole scene like this 😬😬😬
The overall Psy Net collapsing arc is still happening but it's all background until almost the end when there's another band-aid that slows down the net-apocalypse. Honestly the whole PsyNet thing is becoming so inscrutable and baffling that I'm hardly paying attention except when my murder mittens Kaleb makes an appearance.
I cannot say I enjoyed the romance. But I love being in this universe even when I'm not loving the main romance, so I enjoyed the book as the medical mystery bonkers sci Fi story that it was. I also feel like this book might be the beginning of recapturing the magic of the first series, with Kit making an appearance I have hope that we might go back to the perfect mix of romance and paranormal as the earlier books.
⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Close proximity
I received an ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2024
….Who Wrote This?
This book had me feeling like I’d been hit with a tranquilizer dart… very slight spoilers ahead!
"Primal Mirror" started off with a glimmer of hope, but then it just kind of dribbled on, like a never-ending lecture on paint drying. The first 80% was a snooze-fest, and the last 20% was so rushed and jam-packed that even though it picked up the pace, it still felt like someone threw it all together in a blender. The baby plotline? Talk about a predictable and also gross plot line…still a little grossed out by that one. And don’t get me started on Remy and Auden’s romance; it was barely a blip on the radar for two-thirds of the book, then suddenly did a 180-degree turn that felt more like a crash landing. I had zero investment in them as a couple.
The worst part? The book felt like it was written by someone impersonating Singh rather than the author herself. There were occasional flashes of her style, but most of it felt like fan fiction with an identity crisis. I usually reread every book in this series, but this one? Not a chance. It’s so bland it didn’t even spark anger, just the worst feeling of all, sheer ambivalence.
I also found myself focusing on odd little details, probably because there wasn’t much else to occupy my mind with reading this…the inheritance plot? One minute it’s going to her Uncle/cousin, and the next, it’s magically hers. Then there’s the bizarre back-and-forth with the split personalities—she’s her, she’s not, she’s sort of, maybe her now but also her mom’s personality but it’s ok because REASONS! Plus, there’s a gaping plot hole with Aden. He’s a mirror talent, and Ivan’s talent is like a Swiss Army knife of solutions for the psynet. So why not have Kaleb and Ivan channel their powers into Aden and solve everything? And why can’t Aden use Vasics teleportation powers instead of constantly being teleported by Vasic? Then there’s the issue of why can’t every Psy just drop out of the main net and start a new one? It’s clearly been done before with the Laurens and the retired arrows. And if anyone wants to argue those were small numbers, the forgotten all dropping out and forming their own net disproves that. Even if you formed dozens of smaller networks, it could be done just looking at their history….these issues aren’t even necessarily related to just this book, it’s just something I’ve never cared to think about before because I get lost in her writing and characters, frankly I didn’t care. This book was just so dull and uneventful my mind wandered to it.
This book had me feeling like I’d been hit with a tranquilizer dart… very slight spoilers ahead!
"Primal Mirror" started off with a glimmer of hope, but then it just kind of dribbled on, like a never-ending lecture on paint drying. The first 80% was a snooze-fest, and the last 20% was so rushed and jam-packed that even though it picked up the pace, it still felt like someone threw it all together in a blender. The baby plotline? Talk about a predictable and also gross plot line…still a little grossed out by that one. And don’t get me started on Remy and Auden’s romance; it was barely a blip on the radar for two-thirds of the book, then suddenly did a 180-degree turn that felt more like a crash landing. I had zero investment in them as a couple.
The worst part? The book felt like it was written by someone impersonating Singh rather than the author herself. There were occasional flashes of her style, but most of it felt like fan fiction with an identity crisis. I usually reread every book in this series, but this one? Not a chance. It’s so bland it didn’t even spark anger, just the worst feeling of all, sheer ambivalence.
I also found myself focusing on odd little details, probably because there wasn’t much else to occupy my mind with reading this…the inheritance plot? One minute it’s going to her Uncle/cousin, and the next, it’s magically hers. Then there’s the bizarre back-and-forth with the split personalities—she’s her, she’s not, she’s sort of, maybe her now but also her mom’s personality but it’s ok because REASONS! Plus, there’s a gaping plot hole with Aden. He’s a mirror talent, and Ivan’s talent is like a Swiss Army knife of solutions for the psynet. So why not have Kaleb and Ivan channel their powers into Aden and solve everything? And why can’t Aden use Vasics teleportation powers instead of constantly being teleported by Vasic? Then there’s the issue of why can’t every Psy just drop out of the main net and start a new one? It’s clearly been done before with the Laurens and the retired arrows. And if anyone wants to argue those were small numbers, the forgotten all dropping out and forming their own net disproves that. Even if you formed dozens of smaller networks, it could be done just looking at their history….these issues aren’t even necessarily related to just this book, it’s just something I’ve never cared to think about before because I get lost in her writing and characters, frankly I didn’t care. This book was just so dull and uneventful my mind wandered to it.
July 23, 2024
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Psy-Changeling Trinity the spin off series to Psy-Changeling . Overall, it is like one big series. I didn't and wouldn't read the later books without the foundation of the first series. Singh has a style which is a great blend of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Each book has a romantic couple and we get great development of those two characters as well as their family and friends. There is also an overall story arc, the urban fantasy part of her style, which carries on throughout the series.
We get to learn more about Remi and the RainFire leopards which is a very young pack with strong connections to the Arrows formed with Aden Kai. Remi did not have a supportive pack growing up, mainly his mother who died when he was still young. Now he has formed a pack of young, strong, protective changelings.
Auden Scott is trying to figure out what is happening to her. She is a psychometric Psy. They pick up events and emotions from touching objects. When her father died, she was thrown into her mother's plans. Now she is worried by blackouts and knowing things she shouldn't. Her mother did a brain experiment on her as a teen and she still has scars. Now she is pregnant, something that is very unusual for a Psy as young as she is.
In Primal Mirror, we get the heart-warming romance of Remi falling for Auden and working so hard to protect her. She is smart and loves her baby beyond herself. Her baby knows it and also favors Remi. Auden is lucky when she goes into labor that Remi and his friends are there to protect her and the baby.
Besides the romance, we have the background of the PsyNet and NetMind near collapse. It's short bits of time with Kaleb, Aidan, Ivy Jane, Pilar, and more working to save the Psy race. Their plans and contingency measures are tested and aren't working. They are also exhausting those they have.
Auden doesn't trust her mother's old assistant and doctor, who have been caring for her. There's also her uncle who wants to take control of the family. She has no one on her side until Remi but he's an awesome ally. I guessed that her mother Shoshanna had a hand in planning what was happening to her, including her pregnancy.
As usual, Nalini Singh has give us great characters and relationships. There is also the overall plot to the integration and cooperation between the races. All of this provides an emotional journey, I am always ready to read more in this world.
Narration:
I have listened to all the books in the Psy Changeling Trinity and the previous series.. I am so pleased with Angela Dawe. I love the voices she has for different characters and how the emotional tones are fitting for the species as well. She really nails the narration and the performance really enhances my enjoyment of the series. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Psy-Changeling Trinity the spin off series to Psy-Changeling . Overall, it is like one big series. I didn't and wouldn't read the later books without the foundation of the first series. Singh has a style which is a great blend of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Each book has a romantic couple and we get great development of those two characters as well as their family and friends. There is also an overall story arc, the urban fantasy part of her style, which carries on throughout the series.
We get to learn more about Remi and the RainFire leopards which is a very young pack with strong connections to the Arrows formed with Aden Kai. Remi did not have a supportive pack growing up, mainly his mother who died when he was still young. Now he has formed a pack of young, strong, protective changelings.
Auden Scott is trying to figure out what is happening to her. She is a psychometric Psy. They pick up events and emotions from touching objects. When her father died, she was thrown into her mother's plans. Now she is worried by blackouts and knowing things she shouldn't. Her mother did a brain experiment on her as a teen and she still has scars. Now she is pregnant, something that is very unusual for a Psy as young as she is.
In Primal Mirror, we get the heart-warming romance of Remi falling for Auden and working so hard to protect her. She is smart and loves her baby beyond herself. Her baby knows it and also favors Remi. Auden is lucky when she goes into labor that Remi and his friends are there to protect her and the baby.
Besides the romance, we have the background of the PsyNet and NetMind near collapse. It's short bits of time with Kaleb, Aidan, Ivy Jane, Pilar, and more working to save the Psy race. Their plans and contingency measures are tested and aren't working. They are also exhausting those they have.
Auden doesn't trust her mother's old assistant and doctor, who have been caring for her. There's also her uncle who wants to take control of the family. She has no one on her side until Remi but he's an awesome ally. I guessed that her mother Shoshanna had a hand in planning what was happening to her, including her pregnancy.
As usual, Nalini Singh has give us great characters and relationships. There is also the overall plot to the integration and cooperation between the races. All of this provides an emotional journey, I am always ready to read more in this world.
Narration:
I have listened to all the books in the Psy Changeling Trinity and the previous series.. I am so pleased with Angela Dawe. I love the voices she has for different characters and how the emotional tones are fitting for the species as well. She really nails the narration and the performance really enhances my enjoyment of the series. I was able to listen at my normal 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Read
August 28, 2024In terms of the story, I thought Primal Mirror didn't do an especially good job at balancing the individual romance with the evolving mythology of the Psy-Changeling universe. Like the Psy-Changeling Trinity novels have been heading towards a complete collapse of the PsyNet -- a psychic plane necessary for the existence of all Psy people -- which would basically be a global genocidal event if it happened. We get glimpses of that though some random pov asides from Ivy Zen or Kaleb Krychek, but mostly the leads, Remi Denier, alpha of the RainFire pack, and Auden Scott, daughter of psychotic Psy Council members, are wrapped up in their own concerns and don't even seem to be aware that all the Psy (including Auden) might just fall over dead in a week or two.
I found Auden's character honestly interesting. She's a psychometric -- a touch-psychic who can read impressions from objects -- from a family of power-hungry psychos. Because her parents didn't see her more passive ability as useful, they used Auden as a guinea pig in some fairly horrific experimentation on her brain, the ultimate violation for a race whose greatest gifts reside in the mind. Auden has been healing for the last few years, and more or less comes back to herself while 7 months pregnant, completely unaware of how she got that way or what even is going on. And she's in a Scott family den of vipers still loyal to her horrible mother.
Auden ends up being the ultimate unreliable narrator, even to herself, which is an unusual narrative style for Singh -- mostly her characters are presented in a straightforward manner. As such, I thought Singh hid the football for a little too long, long past when I figured out what was going on. I don't think there's much narrative tension in a secret both the author and the reader knows, but the characters don't. (Maybe as a Psy-Changeling superfan I have more insight than the average reader, but I don't actually think so.) Remi and Auden's courtship takes place through her third trimester and into the first month or so of her baby's life, which struck me as somewhere between ridiculous and weird. Like Singh makes a lot of noise after the baby is born about how Auden got a bunch of nanobot healing nonsense. Which is fine, but when Auden starts begging Remi to have sex a week after giving birth, I was like, girl, this is ill-advised.
Remi is also straight from predatory Changeling central casting: a little bit of a tragic backstory but still a himbo, protective, possessive, and utterly basic. I didn't particularly feel the snap between these two, which would probably be fine if the story were more about the race to keep the PsyNet from disintegrating. Alas, it was most about Auden's memory-hole and what jerks her parents were. But I'm usually less interested in stories that revolve around the Changelings, so I admit I'm biased from the jump.
Which brings me to a quick bitch I have about the Psy-Changeling world more generally: how the hell do the political/governmental systems work? There's a number of globe-spanning orgs -- like the Psy Council, the Trinity Accord, the Arrows, the Forgotten or the Human League -- but each of these groups seem to have like 3-12 people in upper management, and virtually no administrative state. I see no evidence of what we would consider nation-states, and each of the races seem to self-organize? How the hell does any of that work? Maybe because I'm a civil servant myself, but I legit don't understand how basic stuff like birth certificates or driver's licenses are administered.
And look, I get how nit-picky this is, and how little it matters to the emotional realities of the romance plots that make up the Psy-Changeling world. I just notice it more in plots like the one in Primal Mirror, which hinge on Auden somehow being both the all-powerful head of her PsyClan, and utterly powerless i/r/t her dead mother's lackeys. Just fire them? Hire new lackeys? Surely this medical experimentation is illegal as hell? And if not, why not? It felt a little like Payal Rao's situation in Last Guard, but that actually made sense to me: Payal's psycho dad was still around to pull the strings.
I feel like I wouldn't have hared off into completely esoteric nonsense if I'd been more on the hook with the central couple. When my brain starts fixating on dumb bullshit that ultimately doesn't matter, it's usually because something bigger has gone wrong: the little problems stand in for the big ones. The big problem here was that the central couple was mismatched and not very interesting, on a backdrop of much more interesting and dire shit going on in the world. Primal Mirror isn't bad, but it also isn't very good. Alas.
I found Auden's character honestly interesting. She's a psychometric -- a touch-psychic who can read impressions from objects -- from a family of power-hungry psychos. Because her parents didn't see her more passive ability as useful, they used Auden as a guinea pig in some fairly horrific experimentation on her brain, the ultimate violation for a race whose greatest gifts reside in the mind. Auden has been healing for the last few years, and more or less comes back to herself while 7 months pregnant, completely unaware of how she got that way or what even is going on. And she's in a Scott family den of vipers still loyal to her horrible mother.
Auden ends up being the ultimate unreliable narrator, even to herself, which is an unusual narrative style for Singh -- mostly her characters are presented in a straightforward manner. As such, I thought Singh hid the football for a little too long, long past when I figured out what was going on. I don't think there's much narrative tension in a secret both the author and the reader knows, but the characters don't. (Maybe as a Psy-Changeling superfan I have more insight than the average reader, but I don't actually think so.) Remi and Auden's courtship takes place through her third trimester and into the first month or so of her baby's life, which struck me as somewhere between ridiculous and weird. Like Singh makes a lot of noise after the baby is born about how Auden got a bunch of nanobot healing nonsense. Which is fine, but when Auden starts begging Remi to have sex a week after giving birth, I was like, girl, this is ill-advised.
Remi is also straight from predatory Changeling central casting: a little bit of a tragic backstory but still a himbo, protective, possessive, and utterly basic. I didn't particularly feel the snap between these two, which would probably be fine if the story were more about the race to keep the PsyNet from disintegrating. Alas, it was most about Auden's memory-hole and what jerks her parents were. But I'm usually less interested in stories that revolve around the Changelings, so I admit I'm biased from the jump.
Which brings me to a quick bitch I have about the Psy-Changeling world more generally: how the hell do the political/governmental systems work? There's a number of globe-spanning orgs -- like the Psy Council, the Trinity Accord, the Arrows, the Forgotten or the Human League -- but each of these groups seem to have like 3-12 people in upper management, and virtually no administrative state. I see no evidence of what we would consider nation-states, and each of the races seem to self-organize? How the hell does any of that work? Maybe because I'm a civil servant myself, but I legit don't understand how basic stuff like birth certificates or driver's licenses are administered.
And look, I get how nit-picky this is, and how little it matters to the emotional realities of the romance plots that make up the Psy-Changeling world. I just notice it more in plots like the one in Primal Mirror, which hinge on Auden somehow being both the all-powerful head of her PsyClan, and utterly powerless i/r/t her dead mother's lackeys. Just fire them? Hire new lackeys? Surely this medical experimentation is illegal as hell? And if not, why not? It felt a little like Payal Rao's situation in Last Guard, but that actually made sense to me: Payal's psycho dad was still around to pull the strings.
I feel like I wouldn't have hared off into completely esoteric nonsense if I'd been more on the hook with the central couple. When my brain starts fixating on dumb bullshit that ultimately doesn't matter, it's usually because something bigger has gone wrong: the little problems stand in for the big ones. The big problem here was that the central couple was mismatched and not very interesting, on a backdrop of much more interesting and dire shit going on in the world. Primal Mirror isn't bad, but it also isn't very good. Alas.
July 25, 2024
A lovely addition to the series.
Not gonna lie, after finishing the previous book in the series, I was so sure this book was gonna be about another character...it was only after rereading the last couple of chapters of Storm's Echo that I remembered a particular tidbit.
The plot itself is very juicy and of course, it was lovely to see Remi and his pack and how RainFire is growing, the last quarter of the boom is particularly fast paced and adds a nice new twist to the overarching plot. I'm very curious to see where the story will go next and how our heroes will save the day.
Not gonna lie, after finishing the previous book in the series, I was so sure this book was gonna be about another character...it was only after rereading the last couple of chapters of Storm's Echo that I remembered a particular tidbit.
The plot itself is very juicy and of course, it was lovely to see Remi and his pack and how RainFire is growing, the last quarter of the boom is particularly fast paced and adds a nice new twist to the overarching plot. I'm very curious to see where the story will go next and how our heroes will save the day.
December 31, 2024
There is definitely potential for this new pack to grow to have the same significance and coziness as our other packs we follow (and big shout out to the Smokies from this TN girl). I think, however, that this set of elements wasn't my favorite in the series. The baby element was not for me, and then the pivot to romance after the birth... I'm not sold. I also think the macro plot would benefit from a more stabilized PsyNet and new conflict sources. I'm coming to expect the "on the brink but saved" pacing in most books now in this second season - I think it's time to start getting out of that pattern and to explore other conflicts.
August 10, 2024
This one started off fine, although I wouldn't suggest reading it as the first book in this series, or you might feel a bit lost. Although I've by no means read them all, I've read enough of them to understand the background, and I knew some of the secondary characters from earlier books. So that was helpful.
All was going along OK till about halfway through the book, when . For me, the book went a bit downhill from that point, and I started to skim, reading chapters here and there, skipping over some sections.
Years ago, I used to really love Ms Singh's original series about the psy-changelings, that started with Slave to Sensation, which IMO was one of the best ones. But my reading tastes have changed since those days, and the later, related series seem to have become a bit too much for me. I don't really enjoy the direction they went in, with more emphasis on the Arrows and the Psy society. I have to admit I find the whole thing about the net-mind and the way it operates a bit hard to swallow.
I do like a good fantasy or sci-fi read, and it doesn't always have to be completely believable. But somehow I struggle a bit in completely buying into the world imagined by Ms Singh. I'm sure the books are still very popular, and new ones eagerly awaited by the many fans. Sadly I just don't enjoy them as much as I used to. Never mind. My problem I guess. But if you haven't read any of these and want to try them, I wouldn't start here. Go back to the start of the books, so it all makes sense as you read on into the series. And if you get hooked, there's a lot of reading enjoyment awaiting you :)
All was going along OK till about halfway through the book, when . For me, the book went a bit downhill from that point, and I started to skim, reading chapters here and there, skipping over some sections.
Years ago, I used to really love Ms Singh's original series about the psy-changelings, that started with Slave to Sensation, which IMO was one of the best ones. But my reading tastes have changed since those days, and the later, related series seem to have become a bit too much for me. I don't really enjoy the direction they went in, with more emphasis on the Arrows and the Psy society. I have to admit I find the whole thing about the net-mind and the way it operates a bit hard to swallow.
I do like a good fantasy or sci-fi read, and it doesn't always have to be completely believable. But somehow I struggle a bit in completely buying into the world imagined by Ms Singh. I'm sure the books are still very popular, and new ones eagerly awaited by the many fans. Sadly I just don't enjoy them as much as I used to. Never mind. My problem I guess. But if you haven't read any of these and want to try them, I wouldn't start here. Go back to the start of the books, so it all makes sense as you read on into the series. And if you get hooked, there's a lot of reading enjoyment awaiting you :)
May 21, 2024
I am fan of this series and have enjoyed most of the books - some more, other less, and this one definitely falls in the group of my favourites.
I always like to go back this world. The over-arching suspense can get tedious, too convoluted sometimes and I am glad it took a back seat in this story.
I have to admit I avoid romance with pregnant heroines and I was apprehensive how Nalini Singh will handle this here. I can say that it worked for me because of all the circumstances of the pregnancy ||the father is a donor, she doesn't even know him, so there is no emotional connection||. Her lack of memories of the how and why she got pregnant was scary even in world were procreation was generally treated as a business transaction. I felt her love and fierce protection of her unborn baby were her leading emotions regarding the pregnancy and the baby and I went with it.
I liked the romance itself, and I liked a lot. Psy-changeling are my favourite couples. It was a bit different here. The heroine was not new feelings, her brain injury already made her an outsider among the other psys. In many ways she acted more like a changeling mother than a psy one.
We meet so many beloved characters from the previous books and it was a joy to see them all again and catch up on what's happening with them.
I complained how dark and emotionally draining the previous book felt, with all the violence both physical and emotional. Here I can say I felt hopeful by the end and it felt good. Yes, there is still violence and darkness but it felt more manageable.
CW: the usual - violence, abuse, + brain damage, memory loss, forced impregnation, traumatic childbirth
I always like to go back this world. The over-arching suspense can get tedious, too convoluted sometimes and I am glad it took a back seat in this story.
I have to admit I avoid romance with pregnant heroines and I was apprehensive how Nalini Singh will handle this here. I can say that it worked for me because of all the circumstances of the pregnancy ||the father is a donor, she doesn't even know him, so there is no emotional connection||. Her lack of memories of the how and why she got pregnant was scary even in world were procreation was generally treated as a business transaction. I felt her love and fierce protection of her unborn baby were her leading emotions regarding the pregnancy and the baby and I went with it.
I liked the romance itself, and I liked a lot. Psy-changeling are my favourite couples. It was a bit different here. The heroine was not new feelings, her brain injury already made her an outsider among the other psys. In many ways she acted more like a changeling mother than a psy one.
We meet so many beloved characters from the previous books and it was a joy to see them all again and catch up on what's happening with them.
I complained how dark and emotionally draining the previous book felt, with all the violence both physical and emotional. Here I can say I felt hopeful by the end and it felt good. Yes, there is still violence and darkness but it felt more manageable.
CW: the usual - violence, abuse, + brain damage, memory loss, forced impregnation, traumatic childbirth
February 22, 2024
I was fortunate to be able to read an ARC for this book, which is a continuation in a series I love - thank you Berkley! Alright, first, I am biased - I LOVE Nalini Singh and think she doesn't get the love and recognition I believe she deserves. I mean, obviously, she does okay, but I STILL think she should get more love. 😏Second, if a person is new to the series, a reader should, at the very least, start with Nalini Singh's "Silver Silence", which is an off-shoot/veer from the original "Psy-Changeling" series. Personally, I think it's worth it to go all the way back to her very first in the series "Slave to Sensation", which is just such an enjoyable read and allows you to discover others in the series, but I digress. Third, the review of this book: I REALLY appreciated it. Following the series, it's been getting pretty difficult in their world, how were things going to continue?! I loved getting a throwback to a sweet character that I'm glad was able to get his story. I also loved getting to know a new character who is so empathetic - there's no way to not root for her! And I got my "go kick booty!!!" moments - wonderfully so! I was left satisfied. Additionally, of course, Nalini Singh continues to give awesome characters and pacing, with just one instance of it feeling repetitive, but hopefully that's because it's an ARC and will get cleaned up for final printing. Although, even if it doesn't, I'm still loving this addition to the series!
Want to read
January 16, 2024Brain injury and unborn baby. It doesn't look good.
I couldn't wait to read the plot, but the issue of the unborn baby... I don't like books with the main character pregnant. And about another broken brain, and of course, she and her brain will save the world so they can fight another day. This series stopped being original a long time ago. I haven't liked a single Trinity book like the first books.
Right now, not even Remy's presence encourages me to read this book. I don't like the plot.
I couldn't wait to read the plot, but the issue of the unborn baby... I don't like books with the main character pregnant. And about another broken brain, and of course, she and her brain will save the world so they can fight another day. This series stopped being original a long time ago. I haven't liked a single Trinity book like the first books.
Right now, not even Remy's presence encourages me to read this book. I don't like the plot.
September 8, 2024
I have loved this series for such a long time, but the last few installments have been a struggle.
July 15, 2024
Another epic read from Nalini Singh! Talk about *all* the emotions in this installment. Gah. Be ready to cry both happy and sad tears--but it was so, so worth it because that ending? Wow. I can only hope Singh has many more books slated for this series as I would love to see some of the younger characters as adults, given everything that happened here. Full review to follow.
August 22, 2024
3.5
I'm getting frustrated with the progress of the PsyNet. I thought after Kaleb's book, Heart of Obsidian (Psy/Changeling #12) there would have been a resolution within a few books. Eleven books later and there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. It's frustrating, as I feel this series has lost its focus. It helps to approach this series as a paranormal romance.
I liked the Remi and Auden, the main characters. They had chemistry. What detracted from their story, for me, was the same old trope Nalini Singh has used throughout her series. Let's not forget the redundancy and purple prose either.
It seems as though the RainFire pack members will feature heavily in the next several books if I read the cues correctly - a haunted tiger, a lonely healer, and bickering packmates noted. Maybe there will be a romance with a teacher in this pack. Who knows? Yet, when I'm in the mood for a PNR I will continue to return to Ms. Singh's books.
library eloan
I'm getting frustrated with the progress of the PsyNet. I thought after Kaleb's book, Heart of Obsidian (Psy/Changeling #12) there would have been a resolution within a few books. Eleven books later and there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. It's frustrating, as I feel this series has lost its focus. It helps to approach this series as a paranormal romance.
I liked the Remi and Auden, the main characters. They had chemistry. What detracted from their story, for me, was the same old trope Nalini Singh has used throughout her series. Let's not forget the redundancy and purple prose either.
It seems as though the RainFire pack members will feature heavily in the next several books if I read the cues correctly - a haunted tiger, a lonely healer, and bickering packmates noted. Maybe there will be a romance with a teacher in this pack. Who knows? Yet, when I'm in the mood for a PNR I will continue to return to Ms. Singh's books.
library eloan
August 6, 2024
3.5
The temporary fixes to the pysnet overarching plot are exhausting at this point.
I still love the world that the author has built so of course I keep reading them. LOL
The temporary fixes to the pysnet overarching plot are exhausting at this point.
I still love the world that the author has built so of course I keep reading them. LOL
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