Allegiance of Honor

Starred review from April 25, 2016
Singh (Shards of Hope) once again delivers an epic delight with a large ensemble cast in the 15th Psy-Changeling paranormal, which wraps up several significant story threads. The war is over and the psychic Psy, shape-shifting changelings, and ordinary humans have all begun the slow, tortuous process of learning to live together without fear. Fear is the primary motivation for those who oppose the tentative peace. Naya, the toddler daughter of Sascha and Lucas (from 2006’s Slave to Sensation), is at the center of the latest maelstrom. She is the first of her kind, a changeling with Psy powers. When a plot to kidnap Naya is uncovered, beloved faces from the DarkRiver, SnowDancer, Forgotten, and Psy populations all play integral role in protecting her as well as assisting the BlackSea changelings in tracking lost members who have gone missing. No single couple or group is favored in this sweeping, somewhat futuristic fantasy. Romance, family, and loyalty are celebrated even as the dangers of a brave new world without war are explored. Agent: Nephele Tempest, Knight Agency.

Starred review from May 15, 2016
The barriers among Psy, Changeling, and human are falling, but not everyone is happy with the new order, and those determined to shatter it will attack the most vulnerable to do so.Singh returns with the 15th book in her paranormal Psy-Changeling series set on Earth a few generations in the future. The past three and a half years have been filled with an aggressive power grab from the Psy Council, arguably the most ruthless and dangerous leaders in history. Meanwhile, Changelings across the planet have entered into alliances to stand united against the Council, overcoming ancient habits of remote isolation to find strength together. This new paradigm of cooperation has filtered into every aspect of life and has overturned the brutal Psy Silence, the social measure that prohibited emotions. New leaders have emerged, most of whom are motivated less by power or greed and more by family and friendship. Not everyone is pleased by the new direction, and those interested in undermining the emerging world order will strike at the heart of those things the rising leaders hold most dear and which most threaten proponents of the old regime: mixed race children, for one, like Naya Hunter, daughter of Lucas Hunter, the DarkRiver leopard pack alpha, and his mate, Sascha, who escaped the brutal oppression of Silence despite being part of one of the most influential Psy families. In an author's note, Singh says her last book, Shards of Hope (2015), ended "the first arc, or season one, of the series, while also opening season two." This book can be seen as a check-in with the characters from the series so far, as well as a wrap-up of some unresolved storylines, before moving on to the next phase. Between all the matchmaking she's done for her characters, Singh has spent 14 books weaving relationships and tightening friendships, and here she's illustrating the tight bonds that have formed and celebrating the children who have been born, free of isolationism and Silence. There are threats, shadowy enemies, implied conspiracies, and a dangling romance that is tied up, but for the most part, this book is the party at the end of the war. A brilliantly plotted, action-packed, and completely satisfying celebration of the series.

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June 15, 2016

With the fall of Silence and the still fragile Trinity Accord newly adopted by the three races in their fight for a more stable world, Lucas Hunter, alpha of the Dark River leopards, is determined to see the new order survive. But pitted against the evil Consortium, the radical "Pure Psy" faction, and others who prefer to sow chaos, he and the other leaders have their hands full. Clever and relentless, these dark forces will stop at nothing to see Trinity fail, even targeting Lucas's Psy/Changeling toddler daughter, the first of her kind. The active search for a kidnapped water changeling and the ongoing wanderings of Xavier as he searches for his long-lost Nina add a subtle energy to the fabric of this exquisitely intricate story. Tense adventure, chilling political intrigue, tender passion, and engaging family and pack interactions infuse Singh's latest addition to her popular paranormal series. Fans will be brought up-to-date with characters from previous novels, while the groundwork is laid for the second arc. VERDICT Readers new to the series will enjoy this stand-alone work, but going back to the earlier titles will provide useful background and context. Singh (Archangel's Enigma) lives in New Zealand.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.