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Review: Dragonfly in Amber

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Review: Dragonfly in AmberDragonfly in Amber (Outlander, #2) by Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander #2
Published by Bantam on August 7th 2001
Genres: Historical, Time Travel
Pages: 743
Goodreads
five-stars

Political Intrigue and Romance With Claire and Jaime

FINAL DECISION: I ended up liking this one better than OUTLANDER itself. The story seemed tighter, the relationship between Claire and Jamie more complex and although there is plenty of death and pain in this book, it felt more civilized after the events of the first book. And I ended up in tears for most of the end of this book.

THE STORY: After the events of OUTLANDER, Jaime and Claire have fled to France. There they will try to prevent the coming battle of Culloden in order to prevent the destruction of the Highlanders culture. Their scheme requires them to participate in Eighteenth Century French court politics and intrigues with Bonnie Prince Charlie and the King of France. There are still repercussions from Jamie’s torture and rape at the end of OUTLANDER. Intrigues, danger and the past threaten to tear Jamie and Claire apart even at the point where they share joy at the coming of their child.

OPINION: I liked OUTLANDER, but I liked DRAGONFLY IN AMBER more. OUTLANDER was about Jamie and Claire discovering one another and falling in love. This book is about letting their love and marriage mature. In OUTLANDER Jamie and Claire ran the gauntlet of danger. This book is a slow burn. Things are quieter, more outwardly civilized and yet even more complicated and dangerous. Politics, society and intrigue take up the majority of this book.

For those readers who read OUTLANDER but don’t know more about the series, they will be surprised by the beginning of this book. (I don’t want to give it away, but it is a clever story device to begin the narrative there instead of being strictly chronological). The book feels fresh and different after OUTLANDER. The characters have grown and changed (not always for the good) and there are lots of new characters to get to know. Old friends and enemies also have returned so there is a good reason to review the events of OUTLANDER if you haven’t read it in a while.

Jamie is more remote in this book after the events with Jack Randall in OUTLANDER. He is still struggling with the aftermath and the pressures of trying to save the entire Highlands. Being involved in the political intrigue means that he and Claire spend less time together and thus immense pressure is placed on their relationship.

Claire is also struggling to find her role in this new situation. The new life in the Court of France has new conflicts and restrictions upon this twentieth century woman. She has to use her imperfect knowledge of the past to help avoid Culloden while know knowing whether such a thing is possible. She is also struggling with her relationship with Jamie. She gave up her entire life to be with him and now she has to deal with those consequences.

On a more philosophical point, the book also investigates the idea of changing the past. Is it even possible for Jamie and Claire to change the events that lead to Culloden or does everything they do actually cause that event to happen? Can the past be changed at all? These are universal themes in time travel stories and this book examines those issues with complexity and subtlety. Even better, there are no real answers.

I began reading OUTLANDER when the television series started because I always want to read the books first and I began reading this one in preparation for Season 2. I don’t know if I have been influenced by the series, but I felt that this book went more quickly and the events were clearer, the characters more defined and the outcome more devastating. I cried through the end of the book because it was incredibly well written and sad. At the end of this book, I desperately wanted to begin VOYAGER (book 3) to find out what happens.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book ends on a cliffhanger.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DRAGONFLY IN AMBER is the second book in the Outlander series. It can be read as a standalone, but why do that. Read OUTLANDER first to really appreciate DRAGONFLY IN AMBER.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

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five-stars

Review: Lover Mine

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Review: Lover MineLover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood #8) by J.R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #8
Published by Signet on April 1st 2010
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 512
Goodreads
four-stars

John Matthew’s Story at Last

FINAL DECISION: Mult-character driven book, this story is angst filled. I thought that the story between Blay and Qhuinn stole the show from the main “romance”. At the same time, I was happy for the conclusion of John Matthew’s story.

THE STORY: John Matthew, is a vampire who is also the reincarnation of Darius who was killed earlier in the series. As this story begins, John Matthew is struggling with the disappearance of Xhex, the half sympath, half vampire assassin. The two have had a difficult relationship as John Matthew has wanted her since they first met, but Xhex has turned him away believing herself unworthy of being cared for by a man of worth. John Matthew is grieving but at the same time determined to find out what happened to Xhex. In truth, Xhex has been abducted by John Matthew’s biggest enemy who will do anything to keep her.

OPINION: Longtime readers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series know that John Matthew’s story has been going on in one form or another since the beginning. This book brings a great deal of closure to the story. I especially liked the use of Darius’ story which winds around and then gives a satisfying sense of completing the circle and bringing closure to the story.

This book, as is true with the last several books in the series, is really a set of stories being told simultaneously. The stories are each at different stages and while John Matthew and Xhex’s stories is largely resolved, others are just beginning or are continuing. The stories in this book (John Matthew/Xhex, Blay/Qhuinn, and Murhder) have a nice sense of connection that made this mullti-story telling work well here. (There is also the story of Payne but that one is only a small part here). The real issue is that the Blay Qhuinn story steals much of the emotional center of the story here. By breaking up the stories between multiple books, there is more interconnectedness and continuity in the overall story, but the emotional climax of each of the stories is somewhat muted.

This book benefits from the fact that both the John Matthew/Xhex and Blay Qhuinn stories are filled with angst and are so well written here. I loved how the stories progressed in both cases and that kept me reading through the many hundreds of pages. Both stories are so strong that they support the length of the book.

Even with that, this book is one of the better ones in the series for long time readers. There are a lot of significant appearances by the core Brotherhood characters which makes this book more enjoyable. I’ve determined that I need a break between these books because there is so much going on in all these books. They are long and intense and somewhat crazy and it helps me to not try too hard to put all the pieces of the stories together. There are a lot of holes in the overall story and some space helps me to take these books less seriously. These books are definitely not ones to binge to me beyond the first couple of books.

But this is one of the books in the series that I could see myself reading again.

WORTH MENTIONING: This series has abandoned its paranormal romance beginnings. There are still romances but there is less emotional connection between the characters and more plotline. That’s okay, just not what I think makes the early books so amazing.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LOVER MINE is the eighth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It should not be read as a standalone as it is not a complete story on its own.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

four-stars

Review: Archangel’s Shadows

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Review: Archangel’s ShadowsArchangel's Shadows (Guild Hunter #7) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #7
Published by Penguin Group (USA) on October 28th 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 378
Goodreads
four-stars

The Story of Ash and Janvier

“She is my eternity.”

THE STORY: Ash and Janvier have a history. Ash has hunted Janvier down because she is a Guild Hunter and he is a vampire. Janvier, however, has always managed to resolve his problems such that Ash is never able to take him in. For several years the two have been involved in a strange courtship. They both know that they have feelings for one another. Ash, however, is determined to stay apart from Janvier because she knows that they have no future. When the two work together to track down a dangerous killer, the sexy flirtation gets more serious.

OPINION: I liked this story but I never connected with Ash in the way that I have the other women in this series. I really liked Janvier, but I just didn’t feel the connection with her. I also thought that the story was not as interesting as others in the series. I quickly figured out the villain and because I didn’t connect with Ash as much, I didn’t like this one as much. That being said, there hasn’t been a bad Guild Hunter novel and the continuing story of the other characters kept me interested in the novel until the end.

WORTH MENTIONING: I completely adore Naasir and can’t wait to find out who he tracks down as his mate.

FINAL DECISION: I liked this story because Janvier is a sexy Cajun who adores Ash. I just never connected with Ash as much so it is not one of my favorite stories in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S SHADOW is the seventh book in the Guild Hunter series. This book can be read apart from the other books in the series, but I recommend reading the novella ANGELS’ PAWN before reading this novel because it features Ash and Janvier when they first worked together.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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four-stars

Review: Wild Things

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Review: Wild ThingsWild Things (Shifters Unbound #7.75) by Jennifer Ashley
Series: Shifters Unbound #7.75
Published by JA / AG Publishing on March 22nd 2016
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 220
Goodreads
four-stars

Sweet Romance But It’s The Shifter Info Revealed that Is Really Good

FINAL DECISION: Enjoyable with a less experienced Shifter male and a woman who has tried to find love in the wrong places. This novella expands readers knowledge of what is going on in the Shifter universe. Sweet and fun.

THE STORY: Mason McNaughton is a wolf shifter (youngest brother of Broderick from BAD WOLF) is tired of the feral feline living in his house driving him crazy and sometimes trying to kill him. He decides to help search for a cure which leads him to a psychic in New Orleans Jasmine Samuelson. Mason doesn’t believe in psychics but Jasmine is known for finding people and Mason needs her help to find the elusive Guardian healers who might be able to turn the feral back from his madness. Jasmine finds Mason sexy but she has had bad luck with men including a shifter who broke her heart before.

OPINION: This romance is sweeter and less intense than others in the series as this short novella has a lot of plot to get in. That being said, I enjoyed seeing Mason who is somewhat younger and more inexperienced than the typical Shifter in this series fall in love. Mason is really sweet even as he says that Shifters are wild and dangerous. The connection between Jasmine and Mason is quick and there is little conflict between them except for Jasmine’s wariness because of her past. I enjoyed this book especially because of the return glimpses of some of my favorite Shifters. This is not that deep of a book, but it is enjoyable and expands the Shifter universe.

WORTH MENTIONING: Lots of cameos from series favorites! There are lots of cubs arriving soon!

CONNECTED BOOKS: WILD THINGS is book number 7.75 in the Shifters Unbound series. It can be read as a standalone EXCEPT a reader has to understand a bit about the Shifters because it is not explained here.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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four-stars

Review: Archangel’s Legion

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Review: Archangel’s LegionArchangel's Legion (Guild Hunter #6) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #6
Published by Penguin Group (USA) on October 29th 2013
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 384
Goodreads
four-half-stars

War Has Finally Arrived

“Eternity would mean nothing without you. For no power on this earth would I trade my Elena.”

THE STORY: Guild Hunter turned angel Elena and her lover Archangel Raphael begin preparing for the archangelic war that is coming. Strange, destructive occurrences begin happening: angels falling from the sky, rivers filled with blood and vampires dying of diseases that should not exist. It will take all of their friends and allies together along with their strong relationship in order the defeat the evil that is overshadowing New York.

OPINION: After two books about the people around Elena and Raphael, this book returns to the power couple of New York. Powerful, dramatic and sexy, this book shows the growth that Elena and Raphael have made in their relationship. This book is filled with action because war is coming to New York and this book doesn’t shy away from depictions of the battles. While not overly graphic, it is more so than other books in the series. I was also very interested in the developments in Elena’s relationship with her father and siblings. Revelations about the past provide context and understanding for Elena’s father. I liked that Singh is still finding new information to give us about Elena and Raphael.

WORTH MENTIONING: My new favorite character is Naasir. Singh has done such a great job tempting the reader with the mystery surrounding this guy.

FINAL DECISION: I loved this book. Powerful, I especially like that real progress is made on the overarching story of the series at the same time Elena and Raphael’s relationship evolves. Also loved seeing all the characters in the series make an appearance.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S LEGION is the sixth book in the Guild Hunter series. This book is the culmination of the storyline of the other books in the series and therefore depends upon the knowledge gained in those books. I think that readers should just start at book one and read on.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

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four-half-stars

Review: Night Shift

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Review: Night ShiftNight Shift (Kate Daniels, #6.5; SPI Files, # 0.5; Psy-Changeling, #12.5; Barbarian, #1) by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin, Milla Vane
Series: Kate Daniels #6.5, SPI Files #0.5, Psy-Changeling #12.5, Barbarian #1
Published by Berkley on November 25th 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 378
Goodreads
four-stars

Four Paranormal Novellas

NIGHT SHIFT consists of four paranormal novellas. Of the four authors, I had only read Singh before this collection. Overall rating: 4 stars.

SECRETS AT MIDNIGHT by Nalini Singh: Part of Singh’s Psy-Changeling series, this novella features Bastien Smith (Mercy’s brother). Bastien is a DarkRiver leopard and one day he scents his mate on the street of San Francisco. When he finally discovers who she is, he knows there is something different about her. Kirby is a schoolteacher who is alone in the world. The story has a twist that is different from other stories in this series. This story was great. Bastien was a great hero although I had less interest in Kirby as a person but her ultimate story was very interesting and added to the Psy-Changeling universe. Rating: 4.25 stars.

MAGIC STEALS by Ilona Andrews: This novella is part of a series that I have not read. That made no difference, however, because I found the story easy to follow, with interesting characters and a tight storyline. Dali is a weretiger who is involved with Jim Shrapshire who is a werejaguar. Dali feels that she is not a good match for Jim because Dali thinks herself as clumsy and not a strong fighter. Dali does good magic instead. I thought the story was really funny especially when Dali is attempting to hide Jim from her mother. I thought the story was interesting and I loved how Jim is clearly attached to Dali who doesn’t really believe in herself. This story intrigued me enough to want to read more of this series. Rating: 4 stars.

LUCKY CHARMS by Lisa Shearin: This is the story of Makenna Fraser who is a new employee for the SPI, Supernatural Protection Investigations. Makenna is a seer who can see the actual creature underlying any disguise. She is partnered with Ian Byrne who is the star of the company. On Makenna’s first day, she and Ian are in search of a quintet of leprechauns who have evaded their bodyguards. Their search takes them through strip clubs and a sex club. The story is all about the case and there was little character development or any relationship between the characters. I know that there are other books in this series, but this story was not enough to make me interested in reading more. Rating: 2 stars.

THE BEAST OF BLACKMOOR by Milla Vane: Kavik is known as the Beast of Blackmoor. His homeland has been taken over by an evil ruler and when he is refused his request by the goddess Vera, Kavik, who is fifteen, insults the goddess and finds himself given a curse instead. Years later he meets the woman who will be his downfall. Mala, High Daughter of the House of Krima is one of Vela’s chosen and on a quest of her own to save her own destroyed homeland. Her task: to tame the Beast of Blackmoor. I really liked this story. The hero is very dark and tortured but Mala’s persistence wins him over. Both of the characters are strong warriors and work well together as partners. The story is also very sexy especially for such a short novella. Rating: 4.25.

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four-stars

Review: Shards of Hope

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Review: Shards of HopeShards of Hope (Psy-Changeling, #14) by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #14
Published by Berkley Hardcover on June 2nd 2015
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 483
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Brings All The Story Threads Together and Starts a New Chapter

THE STORY: Aden Kai and Zaira Neve are two Arrows who awake to find that they have been stripped of their psychic abilities. Forced to escape and rely on one another, they discover a new plot to take control by shattering the fragile peace that has arisen after the fall of silence. As head of the Arrows, Aden knows that he must show the Arrows that there is hope for the Arrows in a post-silence world. He believes that Zaira is the key for him. Zaira, however, knows that she cannot risk relinquishing silence lest she risk releasing the psychotic murderer that she knows is within her.

OPINION: Simply beautiful. SHARDS OF HOPE builds to its conclusion slowly and with such precision that by the time the conclusion arrives, it is clear that the entire book is the demonstration of what the solution to the problems must be. This book is a treat especially for fans of the series because there are so many significant cameos by favorite characters. Aden is a wonderful hero. He so clearly has loved Zaira for so long and he is such a caring individual that one cannot help but fall in love with him. Zaira is the tormented one here. Her past is horrific and she cannot imagine that she can possibly have a happy ending. This book, however, is really about hope and the big difference that one person can make in changing another’s view of themselves. This book is about the transmission of hope and the importance of individual action.

WORTH MENTIONING: Fans of the series will be especially pleased because there are numerous appearances by previous heroes and heroines who are important to the overall plot.

FINAL DECISION: This book feels like a homecoming with appearances by so many previous favorites. The romance between Aden and Zaira is at times dark and at times incredibly innocent. This was a great book for fans although I think that newcomers would be better starting with another book in the series.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SHARDS OF HOPE is the fourteenth book in the Psy-Changling series. This book feels like it needs to be read as part of the series because it wraps up the previous storyline and starts a new part of the overarching story.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

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four-half-stars

Review: Shield of Winter

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Review: Shield of WinterShield of Winter (Psy-Changeling, #13) by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #13
Published by Berkley Hardcover on June 3rd 2014
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 431
Goodreads
four-stars

Awaken the Empaths

“To be an Arrow is to be an island, devoid of attachments that create vulnerability.”

THE STORY: Vasic is an Arrow with the ability to teleport. He believes himself beyond Silence and irredeemable because of what he did to help preserve Silence. He knows he has not future…until he meets Ivy Jane. Ivy is a reconditioned empath who has lived her whole life believing that she is flawed. When the psy-net becomes more infected, the governing coalition realizes that empaths must be awakened to try to restore the psy-net to health. Ivy gives Vasic hope and the two begin a sweet romance.

OPINION: I loved how the darkness of the story and the sadness and pain of Vasic and Ivy’s past was paired with an almost sweet and gentle romance between the two. It was unexpected and gave lightness to a story that could have been dark. SHIELD OF WINTER continues to have much of the humor that is present in most of the Psy-Changeling novels. What was interesting to me is how normal the developing relationship between Vasic and Ivy felt even as they were involved in extraordinary events. That compelled me to keep reading to find out how things would be resolved.

WORTH MENTIONING: There were small scenes with Kaleb and Sahara from HEART OF OBSIDIAN and I really enjoyed seeing how they are dealing with their relationship and how Sahara is keeping Kaleb in line.

FINAL DECISION: I love Vasic and Ivy’s story. In the midst of darkness and death and potential calamity, I found their almost innocent love moving and sweet.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SHIELD OF WINTER is the thirteenth book in the Psy-Changeling series. Singh’s series creates a complicated and intricate world in her series and while this book can be read separate from the series, I think it is best appreciated as part of the collective. Each individual book builds on the world and its mythology so that the characters and events resonate more with the background knowledge of the prior books.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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four-stars

Review: Heart of Obsidian

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Review: Heart of ObsidianHeart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling, #12) by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #12
Published by Berkley Sensation on June 4th 2013
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 360
Goodreads
five-stars

One of the Best of the Series

“To fight evil, you have to understand the dark.”

WARNING: This review contains spoilers that detract from the wonderful slow revelation of information that Singh has done in the novel. I would recommend reading this book and enjoying the journey. It is fabulous!

THE STORY: Kaleb Krychek is a Psy councilor, a cardinal Tk (Telekenetic) and perhaps the most powerful and dangerous man alive. Throughout the series, it has been unclear whether he is good and evil. Raised by a serial killer, at times helpful to those in need, no one knows what his motives are. For years, Kaleb has had only one motive: to find Sahara Nightstar who may be the only person more powerful than Kaleb and he believes that with her by his side, he will be able to take over the PsyNet. When he finds her, Sahara has been tortured and striped of her identity. This book is all about Kaleb’s motives, his history and his murky history with Sahara.

OPINION: HEART OF OBSIDIAN may be the best written and most complex of the Psy-Changeling novels. Singh keeps the motivations and history of Kaleb hidden for most of the book. Best of all, she doesn’t engage in revisionist history to make him a clearly heroic character. He remains as complex and a creature of the dark at the end as he is in the beginning. His love for Sahara is his redeeming trait and it is she who brings him into the light. I loved their story. For a story that so often strays into the dark, Singh has given them a past that is also sweet and beautiful. I loved every moment of this book. There are some books that end far too quickly — not because of a defect in the story but because the story is so compelling that the reader doesn’t want the book to end. HEART OF OBSIDIAN is one of those books. Having read it once, it is already in my favorites and I know I will revisit it again and again.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book reveals a tremendous amount about what was happening on in the previous novels that the reader was unaware of. I appreciated that Singh has in a way been writing this novel since SLAVE TO SENSATION.

FINAL DECISION: I absolutely loved this book. I am a fan of the dark, mysterious hero who may or may not actually be the villain. Beautifully written, the way the mysteries are revealed are compelling and keep the reader completely engaged.

CONNECTED BOOKS: HEART OF OBSIDIAN is the twelfth book in the Psy-Changeling series. This book finally brings to a close an overarching story that has been going on since the first book of the series. This book can be read independent of the other books of the series because the focus is so much on the couple but it is best appreciated as the culmination of the prior books.

STAR RATING: I give HEART OF OBSIDIAN 5 stars!

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five-stars

Review: Tangle of Need

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Review: Tangle of NeedTangle of Need (Psy-Changeling, #11) by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #11
Published by Berkley on May 29th 2012
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 422
Goodreads
four-stars

Book of Transitions

TANGLE OF NEED is unlike any other book in the Psy-Changeling series. While there is a romance in this book between Adria and Riaz, it is also the book of the civil war amongst the Psy and also a continuation of the love story of Hawke and Sienna from KISS OF SNOW.

THE STORY: TANGLE OF NEED is the story of Adria, a wolf changeling who has left a relationship with a less dominant male that lasted a decade but ended in anger and resentment. She meets Riaz, a Snow Dancer lieutenant. While the two are attracted to one another, Riaz is rude and belligerent. He is unhappy about the attraction because he thinks it is a betrayal of he mating bond that he found with a woman but could not realize because she was already happily married to someone else. When the two agree to have a friends with benefits relationship they soon find out that feelings are very complicated. The secondary story is about Hawke and Sienna and there relationship finding its footing as the two approach their mating ceremony.

OPINION: This book for me felt like part two of KISS OF SNOW because the most interesting part was about Hawke and Sienna and the war between the Psy factions. While the romance between Riaz and Adria is billed as the top story, it felt like a secondary romance. I just found the other two stories much more compelling. I thought the twist on the romance between Riaz and Adria was interesting but it was just more interesting to read about the other events in the story.

WORTH MENTIONING: The final reveal in this book made reading the entire book worth it.

FINAL DECISION: I liked this book primarily because of the continuing storyline of Hawke and Sienna. The story of Adria and Riaz while interesting was not sufficient on its own to sustain the book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: TANGLE OF NEED is the eleventh book in the Psy-Changeling series. It is highly dependent upon the overarching storyline of the series. In many ways it feels like part two of KISS OF SNOW.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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four-stars