Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Storm Echo by Nalini Singh
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity #6, Psy-Changeling #21
Published by Berkley, Tantor Audio on August 9, 2022
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 384
Length: 10 hours, 52 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Silence has fallen. The Psy are free to feel emotion. Free to love. But Silence was never a prison for Ivan Mercant. The biggest threat to his future lies dormant in his brain—a psychic monster that wants only to feed. And now, the brutal leash he’s kept on that monster is slipping. He prepared for this day, for the end of Ivan Mercant . . . but that was before he met Lei.
As primal as she is human, this wild changeling brings color into his life, laughter to his soul. Then the dream shatters in a rain of blood, in silent bodies in the snow. Lei is gone. Vanished without a trace . . . until he meets strangely familiar eyes across a busy San Francisco street.
Soleil Bijoux Garcia is a healer who has lost everything. She exists in a world of desolate aloneness . . . till the day she finds herself face-to-face with a lethal stranger. The animal who is her other half knows this man, but her memories are tattered fragments. Sorrow and a need for vengeance are all that drive her. Her mission? To kill the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack.
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.
In Storm Echo, we have Ivan Mercant who has a rough backstory but is part of the tight Mercant family now. He is Psy and so you would think he wouldn’t have any experience with emotion but he wasn’t really raised in the traditional Silence protocol. Plus Arwen Mercant is an E Psy so he has been exposed to more emotions. Both Silver and Arwen are connected to the bears, so Ena has also spent time with the bears. No one who spends time with bears can be truly silent.
“Stop talking to bears! They’re a bad influence.”
Lei is a cat and I don’t want to say much here, because I don’t want to spoil anything. Suffice it to say, we do get back to visiting Dark River, and get to see some of our favorite characters there. I love the development of her and Ivan’s history and characters, and the magical way they connect. It’s so heartwarming but develops slowly.
The overall plot with parts of the Psy Net failing, the Trinity learning to work together more, the anchors connecting with each other, the problems with the Architect and Ming, is a very slow progress. That would be my only difficulty with the series is the plot parts feel like they always happen in the last 10% of the book with the bulk of the pages devoted to character and romance development. That’s a generalization, of course.
Singh is a master, though, and the books are brilliant. I love every minute of the story, and all aspects. I’d only like to see the plot move along just a bit more in each one. I enjoy these SO much and can’t wait to learn about the next couple and further developments in the Trinity world.
Narration:
Angela Dawe does an amazing job with this series. I read the earlier books for the Read-along, but when I buddy read the Psy-Changeling Trinity books I tried the audio version and loved it. Her performance brings all the characters to life and all her voices sound right for the characters. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:Â HERE
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 22-COYER
Someday I shall catch up LOLLL
That’s why I did the Read-along last year. I really wanted to read this one for years and finally have read them all.
Sounds like another good one from Nalini Singh! I enjoy her books a lot. 🙂
I just started with the Read-along last year and I love them a lot.
Glad you’re enjoying this series and the narrator can really help bring the books to life. Nice review.
There is so much to love about this series. I am sort of glad I waited until the original part of the series was complete because it is so hard to wait between books. I only started with audio on the Trinity after the Read-along but she’s awesome and I will likely reread again all on audio.
Every time I read one of your reviews for this series I kick myself. I read a few and really need to pick them back up. I love the author.
Oh I wish you had gone along with us. The series is amazing. I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner but glad to have read it all within roughly a year. This is part of why I do the Read-along. It’s different than reading each book a year or so apart plus having someone to discuss things.
I do want to read this series but it is a bit intimidating since there are so many books. It sounds like audio might be the way to go.
Ditto on what I said to Kimberly. The audio is excellent. I only read the audios for the Trinity after the Read-along because I find it easier to highlight and take notes in an ebook.
Oh I wish you had gone along with us. The series is amazing. I can’t believe I didn’t read it sooner but glad to have read it all within roughly a year. This is part of why I do the Read-along. It’s different than reading each book a year or so apart plus having someone to discuss things.
When we did the earlier part of the series for the readalong, I finally got to hear Angela Dawe’s narrate. Loved how she did the series. I’m with you in loving on this series so much and calling it a PNR/UF blend is definitely more accurate.
yes I loved this series so much. Actually I have loved everything Nalini Singh has written. I haven’t read her other long-running series as I am not always a fan of angels and demons but I might have to try it. Anyway, I listened to the entire Trinity after the Read-along and I have enjoyed the narration immensely.
My book copy arrived today and I can’t wait to dive in..thou I do love the audio for this series. I may have to see if my library has it ^_^. I can’t decide … read or listen. Great review.
I don’t think you can go wrong. I’ve loved it when I read the ebook or the narration.
I love this series and look forward to every installment. I agree, usually the big reveals are at the last 10%. There were some surprises here! I wish I had the audio. Love Angela Dawes performance! Glad you loved it too, Anne!
It’s an amazing series. I can’t believe I didn’t read it all before last year but also it was awesome to read them all about a month apart instead of a year apart.
I can’t believe I haven’t read a book by Nalini Singh yet! Wonderful review Anne
Thank you Wendy. She’s an amazing author. I haven’t read all her books but I have really loved the ones I have read.
Nalini Singh is on my list of authors to try. I always hear such amazing things about her books. Glad this series is such a hit for you.
It’s a huge hit. I highly recommend it for its diversity, romance and mystery/action plots. Some plots do span multiple books though which is very UF. It’s probably how I ended up a binge reader at times.
Nice review! I agree the bulk of the book is spent on the romance – which I adored, so I didn’t mind. And the other stuff with the Architect was exciting. I hope the next book delves into that storyline more now that it is finally progressing.
Thank you Jen. I love the character and relationship development because it also isn’t only the couple but their family and friends. BUT I do want slightly more plot progression. Storm Echo gave us more than we got in the last couple but I’m still ready for more.
I completely agree (as you know) — I’d really like to see the plot move along better but overall the characters and story are fantastic. Really enjoying these and can’t wait for the next one!
I just want them faster! But of course that’s not fair or realistic. I have to say as much as I hate I didn’t start the series sooner I’m glad I didn’t because I got to read them all together and with discussion which makes that overall plot arc better and easier to follow.
Love this series. I’m looking forward to this one.
I am thrilled as I start each one.