Usual rules: be kind to your fellow commenters and have fun. This spoiler thread will remain active as long as the blog does, so you can join in at any time. :-)
I don't monitor the thread for questions, so if you have a Q for me, you can email me (nalinisinghwrites AT gmail DOT com).
If you're at an earlier point in the series and would like to discuss that book, click on the Spoiler Zone tag and it should bring up all the previous spoiler threads.
28 comments :
Patiently waiting for midnight to get my book. But I have a question. Possibly a silly question. But I am going to ask anyway. What about Zaeid and Alice? Makes me sad to know that it never will happen....was there a zaeid and alice?
@Ange, since Nalini doesn't read the spoiler thread I'll answer.
According to Nalini in a Q&A on Goodreadsin May 2015 she said:
Q: Dee: Which deceased character did you have the hardest time letting go of?
A: Oddly, it's a character who was never alive in the books, Zaid Adelaja. He was the first Arrow, a tormented, gifted, dangerous man who made an impossible choice so others like him would have a better chance at life. It hurts my heart to think that he never made it out, never saw the light that is dawning even for the deadliest men and women in the world.
In truth, I still haven't let go of Zaid. I want to bring him back, give him his happy ever after. So many readers have asked me the same thing. But Zaid is gone, turned to dust long, long ago.
~~~
My 2¢: While she could change her mind, I don't think Nalini was being coy.
Nalini can be cagey/very carefully word her answers when she doesn't want to directly answer something (such as The Ghost back in the years before the reveal, info about the pupcubs before they were born, or currently who is the Architect, etc.) but I honestly don't believe she would gaslight us. So as much I would love to have a Zaid and Alice story, I believe her when she says he's dead.
I thought she'd given pretty much the same answer here on the blog, but I couldn't find that reference as easily.
She doesn't do many Q&As anymore since the series has gotten so long. But you should email her if you want her to see your question.
I bought Wolf Rain right at midnight, but haven't been able to dive into it quite yet. Planning to rectify that now,
I am yet to get my copy of 'Wolf Rain' but I don't mind reading the spoilers.
However I was looking forward to reading the newsletter to hold me till I get my book.
Has the newsletter reached anyone ?
I got Wolf Rain, downloaded it, and reading it now (yes, while I'm at work; not much to do right now work wise). From what I read so far, oh my goodness. We finally get to find out more about Alexei's family and why he is so surly. Memory's power is what the DarkMind is trying to get across to the rest of the PsyNet. Very interesting.
I love the snippets at the beginning of each chapter (of the ones I read so far). The ones from Wild Woman magazine...hot, hot, hot! :)
Maybe in the future Nalini would do a retro Psy book about Alice, Zaid, and the dawn of Silence. That would be an interesting backstory to this whole series (both Psy-Changling and Trinity).
Ok..WHAT is going on with Anthony and Nikita? It's like an itch I can't scratch, lol :D Are they just protecting/supporting each other? Or is there more, seriously I wish we could just know definitively one way or another.
I just finished Wolf Rain. Yes, I also got the newsletter. As to the newsletter, Archangel's War snippet makes me want the book now.
As to Wolf Rain, right now all I can say is whoa (in a good way). Who knew that Pax and his twin Theo are like Noor and Keenan? Now we know the official name. It's so nice to read about everyone else too. Yep, Alexei met his match. So, E-Sigma sub-designation...I wonder who else is in it? I love how the NetMind showed Memory about her power in that she's cleaning the shower.
This book is wonderful. If someone is reading the Psy-Changling series for the first time, this is not the book to start with since there are a lot of characters overlapping from previous books.
Wild Woman Magazine lives! As I said earlier...hot, hot, hot!
I got a brief look at Wolf Rain today (can't wait to buy when it comes out in paperback! Hopefully will get to borrow from the library before then!) I love how Malini keeps elaborating on our understanding of the Psy, and adding more and more complexities!! And how they keep mating with Changelings!!
My Initial thoughts:
I love Memory! I like Alexei but he’s still not a favorite compared to so many others in the sprawling cast. I wish we could have seen his brother on page before things went wrong. I enjoyed their romance, particularly once he got over being a big wolfy chicken (lol)!
Loved Alexei’s bromances with Judd and Matthias. Also Memory bonding with Sascha, Jaya, Ashaya, and Lucy.
Both of the suspense plots were well-integrated. I am curious how Kaleb and the E’s will solve the issue with the PsyNet. Happy they figured out Memory’s main ability, but agree it won't be enough.
I have never liked Pax and hope that he’s not to be a future hero though I still think Nalini might be headed that way given that although he attacked so many, none were killed. Also, odd that there was no mention of his possibly being behind the plot to kidnap Naya, though to be fair I’m not sold on the idea he was. I still think he’s a second-rate Kaleb wannabe and I just don’t care for him (stomps foot!) That said, I wouldn’t mind learning more about Theodora. (not to be confused with the Theo from RainFire). I liked her!
I am rather bummed we didn’t get to see Alexei’s usual satellite den as I was looking forward to that. But since having it set in the central den got us so many cameos, I am not really complaining.
So great to see so many familiar faces. My particular faves were Alex (Ria’s mom) and Keelie simply because they’ve had so little page time overall in the series. Elodie and Naya were both adorable.
I can never have enough Sascha & Lucas, Sahara & Kaleb, Brenna & Judd, Tammy & Nate, Ivy & Vasic, Zaira & Aden, Jaya & Abbot, Silver & Valentin. So many others as well, but I know this is long. I always like Sienna, but I didn't even mind Hawke this time around!
Totally adding Nerida & Yuri to couples I want stories for! Also Matthias & Nell. Gimme gimme gimme! Of the characters who appeared this go around Rina is also still high on my list for characters I want a story for.
It was nice to get a small Sing-Liu & D’Arn fix even if they didn’t have a scene together. I also needbaby Lauren’s first name and more Lara & Walker. And as always Nikita & Anthony. We need #nikthony
I hope to reread it this week.
I'm still hoping Alice gets a happy ever after with "someone" because I firmly believe that it's possible to love twice - especially when you've lived twice like Alice.
I'd like to learn more about Theodora - and I agree Pax seems to be on a slow improvement plot line. Which is ok but it feels nebulous right now so I'm not ready to pick a side for him to take. I liked the bit about "Harmonies". Aden's explanation of what was happening was better than the way the kids explained it in the earlier book.
I totally loved Amara in this book. Really. Yes, she's crazy and scary but so very straightforward, lol. I can't help it - she's basically hilarious now that she's constantly under guard so she can't hurt anyone. I hope she can be rehabbed to the point that she has her own story.
On a personal level, I had a hard time with the first 1/2 of this book because I lost my gray kitty last year after a lot of years as my shadow. She didn't like any other humans and chose to stay inside with me and her best friend (a dog). My neighbors called her my "imaginary cat" because they never saw her, except in a window with a side glance. I found a new kitty, primarily because my dog was so devastated, but reading about another beloved gray kitty brought it back. Luckily, my new kitty agreed to purr beside me while I read.
I like Wolf Rain book a lot more than the archangel prophecy (less cliffhanger feeling). I am wondering more about nikita/anthony, tamar, the bears, ming, the consortium, alice, and the twins. I sorta understand that the twins harmonize and that's what nor and keenan did in blaze of memory, and that the cats (who are busy in SF) might not have told the snowdancers/arrows/empaths (no sharing of info) but I'm also surprised that kaleb didn't pull more info on sections of healthy psynet since he sorta was personally involved/helped with human/psy (max/sophia or stephan/tazia or the rare node/psy anchors who happened to mate with humans (J-Psy?)) or psy/changeling (he didn't help, but he did know about judd/brenna or even Silver/and her mate) or human/changeling (bowen/kaia or zach/annie...sorta) pairings
I AM surprised as how Pax is shown here. Granted, he broke Silence and one could say he's similar to Ashaya (due to twinning), but his previous appearances just had a silver watch and a cool jerk. Here, he's seems outright human here and possibly panicky... It doesn’t fit well to me…oh well.
Just my random thoughts.
I loved the book and have only read it twice. (I did get it early, since I ordered and bought it locally instead of online) I liked the way Alexei kept working at convincing Memory her gift was positive not evil.
I enjoyed the brief info about so many of my favorites from earlier books.
What I'm curious about is how healthy the PsyNet is where the younger arrows are located and whether their friendships with the changelings/humans in their play groups has had any effect. Also, about the group of teens who me with Sienna. I also wonder if the improved area around Memory's mating link with grow/enlarge with time the same way the area around Sophia's link grew?
This is my favorite series by Nalini and one of my all time favorite series. The sad part is I will have to wait another year now. Hoping for lots of shorts in newsletters and maybe another book of short stories/novellas.
Just finished the book. Loved how it all played out. Am very curious to see how the Pax Marshall story plays out
Just finished and I enjoyed it, mostly because I loved being back in SD territory at the den, and seeing so many of our beloved favorites. A true joy to read scenes with Hawke, Sienna, Judd, Kaleb, Sahara, Sascha, etc. I also enjoyed the progress on the story arc, the continuing collapse of the PsyNet, and all the action with the Arrows and their E's.
I did not particularly love the pairing of Alexei and Memory, they were OK together, but not particularly memorable as a couple. Memory also got over what would have to have been major PTSD way, way too quickly. She's ready for a relationship with Alexei full steam ahead within about 48 hours. Perhaps her own E-Sigma abilities sucked up some of the dark stuff? If so, it wasn't really addressed or stated. She just bounced back awfully fast and it was not really believable, so that colored my impression of her relationship with Alexei.
I also did not like that Alexei's older brother, Brodie, who was such a major part of the book, just appeared with absolutely zero previous references to him in the series. It would have made so much more sense, and his death would have really resonated, if he had been previously referred to, just a glimpse here and there, a couple of times in the past. ("Look, there is Alexei with his brother, Brodie, at Hawke's mating ceremony, etc.) But, there was nothing about him ever and so that major part of the storyline felt quite contrived and not nearly as well thought out as many of the plotlines in the series have been.
I am looking forward to future books though! Pax and Theo are really intriguing to me and I hope they both get books. I'm also hoping for books about Remi from RainFire, Miane and Malachai, Adam, and maybe our last unmated SD lieutenant, Tomas! (I assume Matthias and Nell are going to work it out!) I also keep hoping and waiting for our old "friends" to show up: Ming and Shoshanna. We need some resolution with these characters. Hoping Hawke and Sienna and Judd play big parts in taking down Ming.
@Anon
I also want Hawke, Sienna, and Judd play big parts in taking down Ming. But I do NOT want Hawke to be the one who kills him. I get his possessive attitude toward Sienna and that Ming wronged her, but she should be the one to kill him. If not Sienna, then I want it to be Sophia or one of the Arrows. One of the people he actually tortured and NOT Hawke because he is a powerful alpha and he thinks he has to take care of the problem for his mate. Big whoop-de-doo. It should be someone Ming affected directly.
@Library Addict
Ming affected Sienna, Katya, Ashaya, and most of all the Arrows with the Jax experiment. Who knows who else he affected under the Psy Council reign. At the end of Blaze of Memory, Aden and Vasic wanted to end Ming while Ming was in a coma, but couldn't because of the vacuum his death would cause. It will be interesting to find out who will be the one to ultimately take down Ming.
Why do I get the feeling Shoshanna is the leader of the Consortium?
Like everyone says, I, too, really liked that so many previous characters came out to say hi and we got to see how they are doing.
"Harmonizing" reminded me of the Forgotten, and made me wonder if they are ever going to come back and join the action a little more.
I also liked Theodora. Based on what we know, I think she would make a good heroine character.
And I'm still waiting for Jaya & Abbot's story. Is it too late? But I really wanted to see more about their relationship and Jaya's medical E abilities.
Thank you for letting Yuri live. Me and Carolina were in tears, Since he has a brand new shirt don't forget to let us now about the "date."
Patricia, I, too, think it is probably Shoshanna leading the consortium. For one thing, she could definitely have kept a copy of the implant, since she was implanted with one. Also, she was determined to have that level of control of people back when her implant was removed. I think she definitely could have started thinking about the consortium as an alternative to Henry's 'Pure Psy'. She also would have been very 'highly recognizable' in the scene with Blake in 'Shards of Hope' since she was the media spokesperson for the council. But, we shall see, in time. But she is my choice of the characters we have met so far.
Shoshanna is at the top of my suspect list for the Architect as well. I know our two main clues are (1) “highly recognizable face” (Shards of Hope)) and (2) a woman (Silver Silence), but has Nalini actually confirmed the Architect is someone we’ve met on page before? I am assuming it is because when there was speculation as to who the Ghost was she was always careful to say it wouldn’t be someone we didn’t know as that would be a cheat. But I don’t remember hearing her say much at all in interviews about the Architect. So while Shoshanna tops my list, a list which also includes Jen Liu and Kalani Chastain, I am kind of hoping it is someone we haven't met yet as Shoshanna seems too obvious.
Also, tell me I am not the only one who looked up when Chinese New Year will be in 2083.
Firstly, thank you Nalini for giving me/us another book in this wonderful series.
Now, I wonder where Memory falls in SD hierarchy, for me I was thinking she's definitely a maternal dominant similar to Adria given her behaviour i.e. engaging in challenging eye contact with both Alexei and Hawke (I love how surprised their reactions are to her "like being told off by a gnat"). I don't think she is a submissive.
I think she probably will become part of SD's maternal cabal but also some parts of the book had me thinking she'll link up with someone like Zaira down the line and take on more aggressive and physical roles/aspects than other E's would concerning Psy affairs.
I am very curious for anyone one else's opinion on this.
@Anon
Agree Memory will rank high with the maternal dominants and be "drafted" into Nell's cabal. I think her work with the PsyNet and other empaths will be somewhat separate from her duties in SnowDancer. I don't see her becoming an "E bodyguard" as was floated as a possibility early on in the story simply because of the way events unfolded.
Okay so some of these are carried over from earlier books, but here are my main questions/issues that need to be addressed (not including single characters or established couples I want stories for):
• Ming
• Faith’s thought re: The Ghost becoming important to DarkRiver in Caressed by Ice. The Sahara connection obviously is huge, but I can’t help thinking there’s something more.
• If/how Kaleb gets the NetMind and DarkMind to merge/healing the PsyNet. Yay for Memory helping so much but this still seems an open question to me.
• Who is the Architect?
• Who are the traitors (in BS, HA, Forgotten, etc)? (some revealed in Ocean Light but not all)
• Did Judd finish the obstacle course in less tries than Cooper? :)
• Was Mikhail a victim of Psy experimentation?
• Who are the other top tier members of the Consortium?
• Who will Kaleb hire to be his senior assistant since Lenik is not equipped to deal with him directly?
• Psy “cured”/honeycomb on psychic plane. Wish for some explanation as to how the physical rot in their brains would be reversed. Not sure this was fully covered, but it’s not a priority for me any longer.
• Name of Attie & Dex’s baby?
• Name of Lara & Walker’s baby?
• Lily’s doctor beau
• More e-Sigmas?
• How the Ruling Coalition will deal with quasi-sociopathy such as Pax has and was awaken in a large scale at the end of the Wolf Rain.
What is on your list?
@libraryaddict you've pretty much just asked all my questions.
I am absolutely addicted to this world. It's so unlike anything I've ever read. I only the Nalini's Psy/ changeling series last year. So far I've read it 3 times. I've read changeling stories and changeling/human stories but I have never come across anything with Psy.
I have my favourite characters like everyone but I really like the way the trinity novels are bringing peripheral to the fore. I want to know more about blacksea. I want to know more about the bears and the wolves in Russia.
I really love Caleb's comments about confusing Russian seismologists. They really crack me up probably because I have a vivid image in my head as to what he is like. He reminds me alot of DEATH in Terry Pratchett's discworld series.
I am already itching for another trinity instalment.
Harmonies is a lovely name for what the Marshall twins can do. Correct me if I'm wrong but we've already seen Harmonies, not twins but dear friends, when the little ones saved Katya.
Also I am dying for some more of Jaya and Abbot. I have wanted more of an insight since meeting Jaya along with Ivy. As soon as Abbot was hurt I was feeling so upset and basically just wanted more of Jaya at that time. There is something about those two that has my attention and I would love to see some aspects in like a short story or something.
Loved the book and loved reading about Kaleb and Sascha. My two fav characters.
I wonder now who is next ... Would love to see if Nalini's creative mind and her wonderful characters will surprise her again ! LOL ... Last time she was to write about bears or falcons :) Already itching for the next book. Will be different to view the world from a falcon's perspective.
Enjoyed reading about Amara :) That was totally unexpected. Never thought I would enjoy reading about her :)
@Shira
I think with the way the Psynet is behaving now - and the way new talents are coming up in the 'Forgotten' who need training similar to arrows for certain gifts - both nets are perhaps moving towards a different type of equilibrium. Remember Dev's eyes turning metallic like their net had reached some kind of threshold and are now indicating Cardinal status in a different way ?
So I think the Forgotten may appear sooner than we know. They would still be different unique nets though.
@library addict
I agree with your thoughts about how Hawke's involvement in taking down Ming should be. :)
And your huge list of questions ! Would love to know about all of those points :)
I love the way Nalini interleaves so many snippets from various threads into her story lines ... I mean I had completely forgotten about the healer from Tamsyn's story and lo behold - he is now part of RainFire as their healer !!
She's wonderful :)
Would love a HEA for Alice. Her story so far is heartbreaking.
Theodora is lovely surprise. Would really like to hear about her more. I hope her 'vicious' family (as termed by Pax) get their comeuppance. Treating her so terribly. Of course they learnt from Marshall who turned a blind eye when confronted with Kaleb's torture at Enrique's hands. That was the reason the 'Ghost' assassinated him after all.
I think Remi may also end up with a Psy mate :) Who knows even Adam from the Falcon group.
@Anon who wrote
'that the cats (who are busy in SF) might not have told the snowdancers/arrows/empaths (no sharing of info) '
SD and DR are blood allies - they do not keep info from each other. Riaz was very upset in his meet with Bo, when he first thought the Aleine sisters had not mentioned about the latest status of the chip (Bo had had it implanted along with some other members in HA) and was relieved that the sisters had not known about the implantation. So they cannot keep info from each other - at least not on things common to both I think.
However Noor and Keenan belong to DR pack and both packs do not need to share everything about everything.
In Play of Passion (I may need to check aka. re-read again ! LOL) - they are referred to as 'cats little healers' when they come to play with Ben in the SD den. So SD and DR both know about their abilities.
Yes I think Kaleb should have suspected about the healthy section of the net. I think he needs to scour the net more - perhaps in the form of 'Ghost' again. :) And get some details on the many gifts previously present in the Psynet population. After all he has access to the 'Obsidian' archive. I think it is not happening since the Netmind and Darkmind are behaving incoherently. And he alone cannot read the 'Obsidian' archive.
Liked the ending of Wolf rain - Looks like lots of surprises and new types gifts - both dark and counterparts coming up ... Looking forward to reading them all ..
Now for the looooooooong wait till the next psy changeling trinity book.
Vdy
So for some reason I'm getting a small feeling that Theo might have a connection to the Consortium. Like maybe she hated how her family treated her like she was nothing just because she wasn't a high gradient psy and a small part of her hates her brother for it too. Now she wants to be in control of something.
I'm confused/curious about this name thing. Is Brodie the same character as Brody from the earlier book? Did someone else ask about this and I missed the answer/opinion?
Tell me Matthias and Nell will have their day in the sun!
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