A brilliantly plotted, action-packed, and completely satisfying celebration of the series.
The barriers among Psy, Changeling, and human are falling, but not everyone is happy with the new order, and those determined to shatter it will attack the most vulnerable to do so.
Singh returns with the 15th book in her paranormal Psy-Changeling series set on Earth a few generations in the future. The past three and a half years have been filled with an aggressive power grab from the Psy Council, arguably the most ruthless and dangerous leaders in history. Meanwhile, Changelings across the planet have entered into alliances to stand united against the Council, overcoming ancient habits of remote isolation to find strength together. This new paradigm of cooperation has filtered into every aspect of life and has overturned the brutal Psy Silence, the social measure that prohibited emotions. New leaders have emerged, most of whom are motivated less by power or greed and more by family and friendship. Not everyone is pleased by the new direction, and those interested in undermining the emerging world order will strike at the heart of those things the rising leaders hold most dear and which most threaten proponents of the old regime: mixed race children, for one, like Naya Hunter, daughter of Lucas Hunter, the DarkRiver leopard pack alpha, and his mate, Sascha, who escaped the brutal oppression of Silence despite being part of one of the most influential Psy families. In an author's note, Singh says her last book, Shards of Hope (2015), ended "the first arc, or season one, of the series, while also opening season two." This book can be seen as a check-in with the characters from the series so far, as well as a wrap-up of some unresolved storylines, before moving on to the next phase. Between all the matchmaking she's done for her characters, Singh has spent 14 books weaving relationships and tightening friendships, and here she’s illustrating the tight bonds that have formed and celebrating the children who have been born, free of isolationism and Silence. There are threats, shadowy enemies, implied conspiracies, and a dangling romance that is tied up, but for the most part, this book is the party at the end of the war.
A brilliantly plotted, action-packed, and completely satisfying celebration of the series.Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-101-98776-6
Page Count: 496
Publisher: Penguin
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2016
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an...
True love flares between two people, but they find that circumstances always impede it.
On a winter day in London, Laurie spots Jack from her bus home and he sparks a feeling in her so deep that she spends the next year searching for him. Her roommate and best friend, Sarah, is the perfect wing-woman but ultimately—and unknowingly—ends the search by finding Jack and falling for him herself. Laurie’s hasty decision not to tell Sarah is the second painful missed opportunity (after not getting off the bus), but Sarah’s happiness is so important to Laurie that she dedicates ample energy into retraining her heart not to love Jack. Laurie is misguided, but her effort and loyalty spring from a true heart, and she considers her project mostly successful. Perhaps she would have total success, but the fact of the matter is that Jack feels the same deep connection to Laurie. His reasons for not acting on them are less admirable: He likes Sarah and she’s the total package; why would he give that up just because every time he and Laurie have enough time together (and just enough alcohol) they nearly fall into each other’s arms? Laurie finally begins to move on, creating a mostly satisfying life for herself, whereas Jack’s inability to be genuine tortures him and turns him into an ever bigger jerk. Patriarchy—it hurts men, too! There’s no question where the book is going, but the pacing is just right, the tone warm, and the characters sympathetic, even when making dumb decisions.
Anyone who believes in true love or is simply willing to accept it as the premise of a winding tale will find this debut an emotional, satisfying read.Pub Date: Oct. 16, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-57468-2
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: July 30, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of...
Hoover’s (November 9, 2015, etc.) latest tackles the difficult subject of domestic violence with romantic tenderness and emotional heft.
At first glance, the couple is edgy but cute: Lily Bloom runs a flower shop for people who hate flowers; Ryle Kincaid is a surgeon who says he never wants to get married or have kids. They meet on a rooftop in Boston on the night Ryle loses a patient and Lily attends her abusive father’s funeral. The provocative opening takes a dark turn when Lily receives a warning about Ryle’s intentions from his sister, who becomes Lily’s employee and close friend. Lily swears she’ll never end up in another abusive home, but when Ryle starts to show all the same warning signs that her mother ignored, Lily learns just how hard it is to say goodbye. When Ryle is not in the throes of a jealous rage, his redeeming qualities return, and Lily can justify his behavior: “I think we needed what happened on the stairwell to happen so that I would know his past and we’d be able to work on it together,” she tells herself. Lily marries Ryle hoping the good will outweigh the bad, and the mother-daughter dynamics evolve beautifully as Lily reflects on her childhood with fresh eyes. Diary entries fancifully addressed to TV host Ellen DeGeneres serve as flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years, when she met her first love, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless boy she found squatting in a neighbor’s house. When Atlas turns up in Boston, now a successful chef, he begs Lily to leave Ryle. Despite the better option right in front of her, an unexpected complication forces Lily to cut ties with Atlas, confront Ryle, and try to end the cycle of abuse before it’s too late. The relationships are portrayed with compassion and honesty, and the author’s note at the end that explains Hoover’s personal connection to the subject matter is a must-read.
Packed with riveting drama and painful truths, this book powerfully illustrates the devastation of abuse—and the strength of the survivors.Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1036-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Atria
Review Posted Online: May 30, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
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