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books: Alpha Night by Nalini Singh
It took me a while to get into the Psy-Changeling series, despite practically everyone in Romancelandia recommending them to me. Trish (blackglass) gets the credit for finally making me stick long enough to fall in love. I eventually mainlined most of the 18+ books in the series in a matter of 2 months in 2019, and have been waiting patiently for Alpha Night to release this week. Spoiler alert: I was not disappointed in the least.
Briefly, for those who haven't read or heard of them: Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series is an ongoing paranormal romance series, set in an alternate near future in which psychics and animal shifters have existed and been part of world society for centuries. The world-building in this series is top notch, and Singh is a master at weaving complex politics with deeply personal romance. I recommend them to anyone who likes paranormal romance, with one small warning: the first 3-4 books are very heavy on the traditional alpha male tropes. If those are your thing, great, dive in! If you're like me and prefer your heroes a bit more on the reasonable sentient being side, I'll say that it's worth gritting your teeth and concentrating on the heroines and the worldbuilding in those first few book, to get to the truly excellent stuff later. But still, I confess I did actually hiss quietly when Clay, the hero of book 4, had a minor cameo in this latest book because I still hate his stupid slut-shaming face, okay?
(... I am a totally reasonable reader. I promise.)
But anyway. Alpha Night - book 19 in the whole series, book 4 in the Trinity arc - may vie for my number one book in the series. It features my number one favorite romantic trope in the world: the tough dominant heroine and the quiet but deadly hero with hearts in his eyes who will do anything for her. Selenka is, I believe, the first female shifter pack alpha we've seen in the series, which is a big plus. I, like Ethan, would happily kill for her.
This book has also got me thinking about the kind of romantic story arcs I like best, and how an effective and affecting romance doesn't have to hinge on uncertainty or miscommunication between the couple. In this book, Ethan and Selenka know they're mates right off the bat, and have no doubts about wanting to commit to each other. The issues that stand in their way are both internal and external, and very valid, but I was ridiculously comforted by the knowledge that these two characters were committed to telling each other the truth and sticking by each other from the start. Even though they meet for the first time at the beginning of the book, the story had more of a feel of a newly established couple feeling their way through their relationship. I enjoy that. It's a good example of how the "fated mates" trope doesn't have to be a shortcut, but can be used to set up a different sort of romance arc.
I would definitely not recommend picking up Alpha Night immediately if you're new to the series - you'd be hopelessly lost. But if you're looking to dive into a series that gives you both interesting science fiction action adventure and really hot, satisfying romances, I highly recommend giving this one a chance. The farther Singh gets into the series, the better it gets, and she shows no signs of slowing down.
Briefly, for those who haven't read or heard of them: Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series is an ongoing paranormal romance series, set in an alternate near future in which psychics and animal shifters have existed and been part of world society for centuries. The world-building in this series is top notch, and Singh is a master at weaving complex politics with deeply personal romance. I recommend them to anyone who likes paranormal romance, with one small warning: the first 3-4 books are very heavy on the traditional alpha male tropes. If those are your thing, great, dive in! If you're like me and prefer your heroes a bit more on the reasonable sentient being side, I'll say that it's worth gritting your teeth and concentrating on the heroines and the worldbuilding in those first few book, to get to the truly excellent stuff later. But still, I confess I did actually hiss quietly when Clay, the hero of book 4, had a minor cameo in this latest book because I still hate his stupid slut-shaming face, okay?
(... I am a totally reasonable reader. I promise.)
But anyway. Alpha Night - book 19 in the whole series, book 4 in the Trinity arc - may vie for my number one book in the series. It features my number one favorite romantic trope in the world: the tough dominant heroine and the quiet but deadly hero with hearts in his eyes who will do anything for her. Selenka is, I believe, the first female shifter pack alpha we've seen in the series, which is a big plus. I, like Ethan, would happily kill for her.
This book has also got me thinking about the kind of romantic story arcs I like best, and how an effective and affecting romance doesn't have to hinge on uncertainty or miscommunication between the couple. In this book, Ethan and Selenka know they're mates right off the bat, and have no doubts about wanting to commit to each other. The issues that stand in their way are both internal and external, and very valid, but I was ridiculously comforted by the knowledge that these two characters were committed to telling each other the truth and sticking by each other from the start. Even though they meet for the first time at the beginning of the book, the story had more of a feel of a newly established couple feeling their way through their relationship. I enjoy that. It's a good example of how the "fated mates" trope doesn't have to be a shortcut, but can be used to set up a different sort of romance arc.
I would definitely not recommend picking up Alpha Night immediately if you're new to the series - you'd be hopelessly lost. But if you're looking to dive into a series that gives you both interesting science fiction action adventure and really hot, satisfying romances, I highly recommend giving this one a chance. The farther Singh gets into the series, the better it gets, and she shows no signs of slowing down.
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