Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle Narrator: Laural Merlington
Series: Harmony #6, Ghost Hunters #6
Published by Tantor Audio on May 19, 2026
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Length: 8 hours, 53 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Two hundred years after the closing of the energy Curtain that allowed interplanetary travel — cutting off all contact to Earth — the planet Harmony is thriving. Thanks to an abundant supply of amber, which powers not only electrical machines for everyday use but also psychic abilities in the colonists, Harmony has created a stable, progressive community. But when that stability is threatened, resolving an ancient family feud and a fresh lover’s quarrel might be the planet’s only hope.
Three months ago, Lyra Dore suffered a heartbreak and a hostile takeover — both at the hands of the same man. A descendant of her ancestors’ fierce rival. Cruz Sweetwater charmed his way into Lyra’s heart and gained access to her pet project, an amethyst ruin. Then he took over the project and took off. When Cruz walks back into her life and requests a private meeting, Lyra convinces herself he’s there to crawl and beg forgiveness. Wrong again — he just needs her help. With the project he stole from her.
Five innocent men are trapped inside a chamber in the amethyst ruin, and Lyra is the only one who can reopen the door. Reluctantly she agrees to help. Then Cruz wants her to apply her talents to the rest of the ruin — because no one else can work it. Lyra and Cruz are both harboring psychic secrets. Unknown — and dangerous — powers pulse within the amethyst ruin, and the closer Lyra gets to them, the more at risk she becomes. And now she must decide whether to trust her guts or her heart…
She made the find of a lifetime and then he betrayed her trust when his company won the legitimate claim to it. Now, he wants a second chance. Jayne Castle’s paranormal sci-fi world of Harmony has a new psychic adventure and a second chance romance.
Obsidian Prey is the twelfth entry in the overall Harmony series and the sixth book in the Ghost Hunters sub-series. It is also associated with the Arcane Society and Sweetwater family who have had past stories in both the Amanda Quick historical paranormals and the Jayne Ann Krentz contemporary paranormals that are all one and the same author (different name for different genres). It reads fine as a standalone, though one senses all those earlier connections as Cruz’s family background is detailed in.
Obsidian Prey begins when Lyra Dore is with her best friend and gallery owner at an art show when she is approached by her ex. Their history is volatile at best. She had an amethyst strike in the underground Rainforest on their alien planet of Harmony and that is when she discovered the man she was seeing under a fake name is a Sweetwater working for a big corporation who shuts down her plan to illegally keep and maybe sell the amethyst. Nothing would convince her to trust a Sweetwater, let alone give Cruz another chance.
Then he needs her help rescuing some of his people who are trapped in an underground cave. She learns the amethyst is not unlocking its psy-power to their scientists and there has been corporate theft. There is a stalker and a murderer on their tail, too, but what has them both flustered is getting beyond the Lore-Sweetwater feud of their grandfather’s and Cruz’s earlier deception. It will take more than Lyra’s talented dustbunny to save them.
Obsidian Prey is my third encounter with the Harmony series. I loved learning more about this alien world, the psychic powers the people have acquired there, the culture that has built around it all, and I was eager for the suspenseful action side of the plot.
The romance had me wary because, from the beginning, Lyra was fluttering back and forth between I love him, but I’m angry and can’t trust him. ‘His grandfather cheated my grandfather, so there.’ Cruz claims that his family knows who their true love mates with be as one of their gifts and he is straight up with her from the moment he tries to get back with her. She can buy all sorts of psychic gifts including his unique hunter ones, but absolutely, positively refuses to buy into his feelings though everyone and the lamppost tells her he loves her.
I’m beginning to realize after my third book that possibly all the heroines in this series have some sort of psychic grudge-holding gift. I do get the pain of learning the guy she was with was pretending to cozy up to her under a different name- but, there is the why he had to do it. She was breaking the law. I found it hilarious that she looked down on his family for their ruthless business practices while she does her own shady dealing. Guess it made a difference that she’s a one-woman poor act and they’re rich…?
But, for all that nonsense in her romance thinking, I liked them and liked them together. I enjoyed the twists and turns as they figured out who sabotaged the crew, stole the amethyst and tried to kill them.
All in all, while I wobble on the romance aspect, I do enjoy the overall listen and can easily recommend the series to those who enjoy a blend of paranormal with their spicy sci-fi romances.
Narration:
Laural Merlington continues to be an enjoyable narrator. I can easily slip into the story and appreciate her voices for the characters from a sultry sexy side character to a gruff grandfather figure.
Listen to a clip: HERE
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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I’ve read a few of the Harmony books and they’re pretty fun, but I’m sure I’d get annoyed with Lyra going back and forth about being able to trust him and being a bit hypocritical. I think my favorite part of these stories and the fun and fierce dustbunnies. Haha!
Yes, those dustbunnies steal the show every time. 🙂
it’s been a long time since I’ve read one of her books. I’m so far behind now. This sounds good though.
Yeah, me, too. I’m just getting around to this series after having it on my wish list for years. I think you’d get a kick out of the little dustbunnies and all the psychic gifts.
The premise and world sound really interesting. I may take a peek at the first book. Thanks!
Glad I could tempt you. Yes, its an older series back at the beginning, but still being added to. I was glad to finally get around to it. She also has the St. Helen’s trilogy in the same world, too.
Oooo nice find!!!
Yes, love the mashing of paranormal and suspense with sci- fi romance.