I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
"Music in the Rain"
by
Nalini Singh
paranormal romance, short stories in a PDF edition that was published by the author on December 23, 202 and has 13 pages.
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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, Tangle of Need, 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”, 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
A free* short story, 05.1 in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series (and 20.5 in the Psy-Changeling universe), revolving around Changelings, Psy, and humans. The focus is on how Silence damaged even the weak. If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of the Psy-Changeling books on my website.
* This story was given in Singh’s December 23, 2021 newsletter.
My Take
Oh . . . I cried. It’s a side note to the damage Silence did to an entire race of people, using Zuli’s memories, fears, and joys.
Singh uses third person protagonist point-of-view from Zuli’s perspective, so we understand the emotional extent of Zuli’s fears and joys.
It’s a brilliant short story in which Singh uses a few characters to show us how Silence affected even the weaker Psy and yet how those same people got around it — when it counted. On a contrary note, “Music in the Rain” also shows how much damage the protocol is still doing to people. The fear that surrounds it.
“The more I know a person, the deeper the fortunes I can see.”
Unfortunately, Singh also shows the cruelty of people in that snotty fox changeling. She could certainly use some empathy!
I loved Zaire’s insight. She’s come such a long way from Shards of Hope, 14. I’ll be hoping that Singh brings Madame Zulenka back in a future story.
The Story
Her life is a struggle, having such a low Gradient, but Zuli is happy, being able to do what she wanted with her life.
Then an Arrow walks into her shop. A Psy assassin.
The Characters
Madame Zulenka, a.k.a. Zuli Anne Flowers, runs a Fortune Telling Salon and has a 2.3 in Foretellling and 1.1 Tp. Her parents, Rex and Eugenia Flowers, run a grocery store and have always loved their daughter.
Onyx, a Gradient 8.7 telepath, had become a friend in grade school.
Zaira Neve is a female Arrow who is a 9.8 combat telepath (Shards of Hope).
Alejandro is a damaged Arrow who only remains stable when he’s around Zaira (Shards of Hope). Kaleb Krychek (Heart of Obsidian, 12) and Payal Rao (Last Guard, 5 (20)) are very powerful Psy. PsyClan NightStar is the most powerful clan of Foreseers (Visions of Heat, 2).
Ms Hoity Toity Fox is a snotty changeling.
The Title
The title is about Zuli and the physical and metaphysical acts of “Music in the Rain”.
