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
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
