I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Tangle of Need
by
Nalini Singh
It is part of the Psy-Changeling #11 series and is a paranormal romance in Hardcover edition that was published by Berkley on May 29, 2012 and has 422 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Must Love Hellhounds, Kiss of Snow, An Enchanted Season, Archangel's Blade, Angels of Darkness, Lord of the Abyss, Desert Warrior, Angels' Flight, Play of Passion, Archangel's Storm, Wild Invitation, Heart of Obsidian, Archangel's Legion, "Hide and Seek", "Making Dinner", Shield of Winter, "A Conversation", "Home", Angels' Pawn, "New Year's Kisses", Night Shift, "Weapons Training", "Zoë's Workshop", "Wild Night", Archangel's Shadows, Archangel’s Enigma, Shards of Hope, “Fairy Balloons”, “An Unexpected Guest”, Allegiance of Honor, "The Song of the Wolf", Silver Silence, Archangel’s Heart, Archangel’s Viper, Ocean Light, "Elena's School of Horror", Cherish Hard, "Ain’t No Party Like A Bear Party", Archangel's Prophecy, "One Night At The Refuge", "Secret Things", Rebel Hard, Rock Hard, Wolf Rain, "Clean and Dirty", "Wolf School", "Naya’s Most Important Visitors", "Grocery Shopping", "The Cannibal Princess", "A Gift for Kit", "Movie Night", "Kaleb and Sahara’s Meeting with Sascha and Lucas", "Housewarming at the Orchard", "Christmas in the Kitchen", "Stalking Hawke", "Romancing Drew", "Sunday Morning", "Rowan", "Baubles & Ben", Wild Embrace, Love Hard, Rock Addiction, "Music Awards", Rock Courtship, "Rock Courtship Memo"s, Rock Redemption, "Sunshine", Rock Wedding, "With This Memo", "That Lip Ring…", A Madness of Sunshine, "Beary Tiny Ghosts", Alpha Night, "A Wedding Breakfast", "Poker Night", "Knives and Sheaths", "Seedlings", "Star Kissed", "A Walk on the Cliffs", "Wild Cat Blues", Slave to Sensation, Caressed by Ice, Visions of Heat, Kiss Hard, Angels' Blood, Archangel's Kiss, Archangel's War, Archangel's Sun, Archangel's Light, Archangel's Resurrection, Last Guard, “A Perfect Moment”, "Music in the Rain", Storm Echo, Resonance Surge, "Mate", “New Year’s Eve”, Archangel's Lineage, Visions of Heat, Mine to Possess, Hostage to Pleasure, Branded by Fire, Blaze of Memory
Eleventh in the Psy-Changeling paranormal romance series based in the San Francisco area. The couple focus is on Riaz and Adria in the SnowDancer wolf clan.
My Take
A good story with all the tension of bigoted, short-sighted idiots plotting to destroy the world (as they know it) and a family-like group of people who care very much for each other. In some respects, I found this story to be dramatic and full of tension with respect to the plotting that the Pure Psy and their surviving Councilors are up to. In other respects, this was a sweet romance between two very strong characters, both coming from debilitating love affairs, sorta.
I do adore all the homeyness and love that Singh incorporates into her Psy-Changeling series. Sure, there are hiccups along the way, but 90% of the SnowDancer clan consists of caring, supportive members. They love each other and put the children first, although discipline is swift. Each person is expected to pull their weight and they do so gladly, without thought. It’s a matter of honor and love for each. Even better, each person is matched with their strengths which makes for an even happier group.
Singh did not do a good job with all the teasing she did about Riaz’s mate. By the time I discovered the truth of it, I was almost bored with finding out what all the brouhaha was about. Mostly it was just irritating.
I do love that Silence is breaking. I just don’t see how anyone can survive without emotions. Who’d want to?? Yeah, the negative side of emotion — breaking up, etc. is awful, but think of what you’re missing on the love end of things! I do enjoy the same-sex friendships in this series even if it is the extremes of it with the guys preferring to fight their affections and friendships with each other just as the women tend to fulfill the female stereotypes. All the teasing, the understanding. I think Singh makes a good point about the Pure Psy being an excellent example of broken. How could such strong emotion about the “need” for Purity amongst the Psy occur without them being broken?? Then there’s Judd’s observation that the PsyNet is like a pack.
It’s curious that the missing articles in this story could be missing or simply a way of emphasizing the text that follows.
Ohhhh, Toby tells Sienna , “It hurts my heart in the best way that you’re so happy.”
Singh keeps it interesting by throwing in the renegade Psy who escaped the PsyNet and Silence. Reading the differences and the efforts to integrate is intriguing. Some good lessons in love and tolerance, as well as cautions. The fact that Silence is breaking, Alice is awake, the Arrows are becoming their own, and just what Kaleb is up to has me going nuts. I’m gonna hope that Singh has a breakthrough and really punches the next one out!!
The Story
It’s the aftermath of Kiss of Snow and everyone is still recovering — *smirk* although the Pure Psy seem to have a lot more to recover. Hawke and Sienna are relishing life and each other while Hawke’s lieutenants are ensuring that the rest of the pack won’t freak about Sienna’s power once they settle down. Celebrating their mating should help.
The Psy Councilors have a lot more to worry about now than rogue Psy as the PsyNet seems to be fracturing — a death sentence for Psy. And Henry Scott just isn’t grasping that his and Vasquez’s plans are not herding the rest of the Psy their way. Silence is breaking, but not in any way that any of them could have predicted.
As for Riaz and Adria — ice floes ahead! She’s so damned attracted to Riaz and doesn’t want to be so it is Ice City for him whenever he gets near her. It’s a case of sex and pursuit as only dominant shifters can push it. All messed up with their particular senses of honor.
The Characters
Adria Morgan is a wolf shifter and has recently returned to the SnowDancer den with the end of her relationship with Martin.
Riaz Delgado is a SnowDancer lieutenant and absolutely devastated that his mate is in love with another. Abigail and Jorge Delgado, a retired teacher, are his parents who live in San Diego.
SnowDancer is…
…the wolf pack led by Hawke who is mated to Sienna Lauren (Judd and Walker’s niece; she has a Psy-X rating and Toby is her brother). I do like their relationship. Hawke is so very Alpha and up against a very powerful, dominant woman and together they’re working on understanding each other. Lieutenants include: Riley Kincaid mated to Mercy Smith (one of their Sentinels and pregnant!). Judd Lauren is an Arrow, a Teleporter and Tk-Cell, and mated to Brenna Kincaid. (Drew and Riley are her brothers.) Cooper is mated to Grace. Indigo Riviere is mated to Drew Kincaid (a Soldier). Jem. Kenji Tanaka will be the BlackSea contact. Matthias. Tomás.
Dalton is their Librarian. Evie Riviere is Indigo’s sister and Tavie is chasing her. Felix is their horticultural expert (who’s still being chased by luxury goods companies to model for them) and in charge of reforesting the acreage destroyed in the Pure Psy attack in Kiss of Snow. Walker Lauren is Psy and mated to Lara, one of their Healers. Marlee is his daughter, uncle to Toby and Sienna, and Judd’s brother. Nell is a maternal dominant who gives Sienna such a hard time. Sam Baker is a Human Soldier and very interested in Adria. He’s got a major surprise coming. Promotion to Senior Soldier for his efforts during the Pure Psy attack. Shawnie is turning out to be quite the designer and Ivy as her model and Adria is being supportive.
DarkRiver is…
…the leopard pack and led by Lucas Hunter — Sascha Duncan is his mate (Nikita’s daughter and a cardinal Empath) and they have a little girl, Naya. Vaughan is mated to Faith NightStar who is Psy with a gift of Foresight (she’s Anthony’s daughter). Nathan Ryder is a Senior Sentinel mated to Tamsym, a DR Healer. They have two mischievous cubs: Roman and Julian. Amara Aleine is a Psy scientist but now a member of DarkRiver. She’s a bit on the psychotic side. Her twin sister is Ashaya Aleine, also a Psy scientist and with DarkRiver with her mate Dorian, a gifted sniper.
Alice Eldridge is a human scientist who has been in a coma for over one hundred years. She had done research on the Psy-X, an almost unknown psy designation.
The Arrows are…
…an elite group of Psy assassins created and originally led by Zaid Adelaja. Once they were used by the Council as a a type of point-and-shoot. Now, they are thinking for themselves. Judd was once one of them. Their leader, Aden lis a Telepath and field medic. Vasic is the best and fastest Teleporter in the Psy race. His story should be coming up soon what with all the clues Singh is dropping. Abbot is another Tk, but thinking of joining Pure Psy.
Alejandro and Zaira are part of a group of renegade Arrows hiding out in Venice.
The Psy are…
…ruled by the Council, but it’s broken. Anthony Kyriakus is Faith’s father. He and Nikita Duncan (Sascha’s mother) have allied themselves with the SnowDancers and DarkRiver clans as protection for and against the other Psy. Henry Scott also leads the Pure Psy and is paying heavily for that. He’s married to Shoshanna, another Councilor, who is also missing. Andrea Vasquez is his Pure Psy general. A former telepathic Arrow who was dismissed for being too damaged. Kaleb Krycheck is extremely clever with quite a bit up his sleeve; he’s a dual cardinal, the highest possible for a Psy as a Teleporter and Telepath. Ably helped by his aide Silver Mercant and her family. He’s also signing a contract with the BlackEdge wolf pack led by Selenka Durev in Moscow. Tatiana Ryka-Smythe is a real bitch and it seems she’s about to be in real trouble. Right along with Ming LeBon. I just love that he keeps getting hit with bad news! Although, he does have a serious threat on hand for Sienna.
Ghost is a Psy rebel who has been meeting with Judd. Argh!! Aren’t we ever going to find out who he really is?? He’s also spying on the SnowDancers and his Silence is breaking. Father Xavier Perez is a part of his seditious group. Dr. Bjorn Thorsen and Sonja are two of the anchors the Changelings are protecting.
The WindHaven Falcons are…
…allied to both SnowDancer and DarkRiver. Adam Garrett is their Alpha.
The BlackSea is…
…a group of water changelings interested in an alliance seemingly led by Miane Levèque. Emani Berg is an excellent poker player and the primary contact for BlackSea with SnowDancer. Malachai is another water changeling acting as security.
The Human Alliance is…
…trying to protect humanity from the Psy and the Changelings and Bowen seems to have moved up from security chief to leader after they have suffered some attacks. He’s offering a little device they’ve developed against the Psy to the Changelings. Lisette is a human agent married to Emil — and comes back into Riaz’s life.
The Cover and Title
The cover model is just gorgeous with his golden eyes and stubble. I sure wouldn’t kick him out of bed! The right edge of the cover is a sinuous grouping of rose borders. I’m trying to remember if roses were mentioned in this story??
I suspect the title reflects the tangled sheets in the beds of several of the characters, individual and couple — definitely a Tangle of Needs.
