Tangle of Need – Review
Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords: Paranormal, romance, psy-changeling, shifters
Format: Hardcover, eBook
**Note: I generally try to stay away from spoilers in my review but this one does have a small one. But I will warn you before it comes in the review.**
Review:
Tangle of Need is the eleventh installment in the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh. I am a total Nalini Singh fangirl and pre-ordered this for my Kindle so I could get it as soon as possible. As with any long running series, there are going to be books that you really love and some that you don’t love as much. For me, this is one that I enjoyed but isn’t one of my favorites. This book wraps up some loose ends while also setting things up for the final battle between the Psy and the Changelings and is a solid installment to the series.
The main couple of this story is Adria and Riaz, two characters who have made minor appearances before now. Both of them are emotionally damaged and are not looking for any kind of relationship. Indigo has recently extricated herself from a very unhealthy long term relationship that has left her an emotional wreck. And Riaz, a lone wolf, has come home to heal with his pack after meeting a woman who he feels the pull of a mating bond with but who is married and in love with another man.
Both of them fight their physical attraction to each other at first. Riaz feels like his is betraying his mate by having feelings for Adria even though they haven’t actually mated. And Adria self esteem is so messed up after her last lover that she is wary of ever making herself vulnerable to a man again. But their attraction is undeniable and they finally give in to their need. It’s not just about sex, though. Adria and Riaz slowly get under each other’s skin, slowly opening themselves up to the possibility of finding love again. Riaz and Adria were both really great characters. They are both kind of similar. They are both tough soldiers who are extremely loyal to the pack and also really stubborn. There were times when I wanted to smack some sense into both of them. I enjoyed watching them butt heads and then make up later. :)
A lot is happening in the Psy-Changeling world. After the events in Kiss of Snow, the Psy are on the brink of a Civil War and the Psy Council is in disarray. No big battles take place in this book, which is nice, though there is definitely still clashing going on between the various groups. From Pure Psy, the Council, The Human Alliance, all of the Changeling groups, and The Ghost, it’s clear that something big is on the horizon. The Arrows play a big part in this one and I am really interested in seeing what Singh has planned for Aden and Vasic.
Fans of Hawke and Sienna will also be very happy as they have a lot of scene time in this book. We see how they are handling being the new alpha couple and what that entails, especially for Sienna, who has a whole new set of responsibilities being an alpha’s mate. Alice Eldridge, who was found in the last book, is still unconscious and Sascha and others work to wake her up. But it’s not all super serious. There are a lot of fun scenes involving other members of the pack and Hawke and Sienna finally have their wedding. There is also some big news for Mercy and Riley which was awesome. They’ve always been one of my favorite couples and it was nice to see them again.
I admit that I wasn’t as invested in the romance in this one as much as I usually am. There was a lot going on in this book besides Riaz and Adria’s story and I just felt like the focus was not on them. It could also be that they were both minor characters I had never given much thought to before I knew about this book and therefore didn’t have as much invested in them. Coming off of Kiss of Snow, which was the ultimate, most awesome, most intense of all the Psy/Changeling relationships, perhaps any story would have paled in comparison.
***And here come the spoilery bits. Please look away if you don’t want to be spoiled.***
**I warned you!**
I was also a little disappointed at first in the lack of a mating bond between Riaz and Adria. I know it was always kind of off the table but I really thought that it might happen at the end. Having read all 10 of the previous books, I’ve been conditioned us to equate the mating bond with true love so the lack of one seemed out of line with what we know about the Psy-Changeling world. However, after thinking about it for a day I have some thoughts on this. The almost scene in the book where Adria and Riaz are at the park, they discuss the lack of the mating bond. Adria is scared that, without the bond, one day Riaz will wake hating her for taking him away from his true mate. But Riaz points out a human couple to her, one that is celebrating their hundredth anniversary. Though they aren’t Changeling and have no mating bond, it’s obvious that they have a connection that is just as strong and just as real as any mated Changeling pair. Instead of this being about the lack of a mating bond, perhaps what Singh is trying to say is that love is possible for everyone, if they are open to it and allow themselves to be vulnerable enough to love and be loved. That choosing to be with someone because you love them is just as powerful as a fated love. Even us humans have a chance at it. Maybe I am reading too much into it but I like this theory so I am sticking to it.
**End spoiler**
Another solid book by Nalini Singh. Even though I felt like the focus was a little uneven in this one, with Adria and Riaz having to fight for their time between Hawke and Sienna and the other happenings in the Psy-Changeling landscape, overall I was satisfied with their story. As it is after every Nalini Singh book, I am now counting down the days until the next one. :)
Stop by later this week as we will be giving away an e-book copy of Tangle of Need as part of the Shameless Summer Giveaway Hop.
