nox

The story for this one might be the most interesting one so far! All the couples have been fully human up to this point so it was interesting to see how Lark would approach a couple where one of them was decidedly NOT human, but I like how it was done! It left out a trope often used with human/nonhuman romances that I'm grateful wasn't there but I won't say what it is as to not spoil it.

I really liked the main characters in this one. It was so intriguing to be inside Leth's head and to dig into his family issues that had only been passingly mentioned before. Complicated family dynamics are always so interesting, and I love that we got a bit of a focus on what happened in the wider world after the events of the last book. Evain and Leth were too cute and I'm glad they have some history that kept it from feeling rushed, but the added travel time would've helped with that either way. Their relationship progression felt very natural and I do love me a bit of pining, so I have no complaints!

A bit sad that this series is over. I don't know if I'll be picking up any of Lark's other series but I had a blast with Radiance and Perilous Courts, so I might come back one day!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

I loved the bigger insight we got into the religion of the world in this one. Fantasy religions are one of my favorite things the dive into when I'm reading and I loved how Lark approached them in this one. I normally don't read books where the deities have an actual presence and impact on the story because I find that often authors make it so they're cruel and controlling and they just hurt mortals for no good reason and I don't like that, but I did like the deities that popped up and got speaking time in this book. It made the plot much more interesting than if they hadn't had a speaking role at all.

Karis and Ronan's relationship was nice. Definitely not my favorite, especially with the whole captor/captive dynamic they had going for a while and the choices that Ronan made sometimes, but I don't dislike them over all. I like where they ended up at the end of the story, especially the scene with them in the altar room. If you know you know. That was VERY satisfying to me personally.

I've really enjoyed this world so far! Can't wait to crack into the final book.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

This was a cute little book! I should've known I would vibe with it since I enjoyed Lark's other series, and I can safely say that even in an entirely different series Lark still keeps me entertained! This was one was pretty short, even more so than the other novels, but I think it was still a pretty good introduction to the world! I don't normally go for stuff with a focus on necromancy but I like how it was portrayed in this book. It would've been nice to get a little bit more detail into how necromancy works and all it could do in this world besides the action scenes, but I don't think anything was lacking!

Shae and Arthur were cute. Definitely insta-love, especially with where we ended the book, but still cute. I love touch-starvation as a trope and doubly so when it actually physically affects them for some (usually magical) reason. The whole paladin/necromancer dynamic gave it a D&D feel which was pretty enjoyable.

Overall a solid book! I'll most likely be continuing this series since it's only a trilogy!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

I have such a soft spot for complicated/prickly characters. Kazia had my attention from the first moment we met him and I was so excited to finally get to the book focused on him. I knew there was something more going on with him even from Vana's book and finally getting to peek behind the curtain was simultaneously so satisfying and heartbreaking. The way his parents are portrayed is so realistic to a specific type of abuser; what they're doing just doesn't affect them at all. They're not angry or vengeful or even insane. They're just doing what they're doing to further their own aims and they don't care who they hurt.

Lucian and Kazia's relationship was incredibly interesting. All the couples so far have at least been amicable with each other from the start if not outright warm so it was cool to see a couple that had longer to go before they could start to care about each other. It was such a treat to watch Lucien realize there was more beneath the surface and for Kazia to struggle with wanting to be closer to someone even though he knew he was risking so much.

I thought this was a fantastic end to the series. It was super fun to get all the couples in the same room and socializing even if it was only for a moment at the very end. I'm sad that the series is over because I had a really good time with it, but it was a beautiful finish!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 5/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

Interesting to see more focus on grails! I figured they'd come up again given that we're still in Draskora but it was cool to see from the point of view of one. Though I have to admit, I think Marek and Sei are my least favorite couple so far. Not because there's anything particularly wrong with them, but they just didn't draw me in like all the other couples have in the other books. Still, I thought they were sweet, and I loved having another dragonrider pov. Loska was definitely my favorite character in this one; he was so funny for no reason.

I gotta say I'm a lot more interested in the next book than in this one!! I have no IDEA what we're possibly going to do with Kazia. There were some very scant hints as to what might be going on with him in this book but nothing was even close to confirmed so I'm so intrigued how his and Lucien's story is going to go, especially because Lucian is an already established character. I can't wait to finish this series out!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

I did not think we would be circling back around to Vana and Daro after seeing them in the second book but I'm not mad! I loved seeing more of Draskora from the royal perspective rather than the fugitive perspective; it was fascinating to see how their court worked differently than Silaise's. I'm assuming the rest of the books will be focused on the other Dire brothers and I'm...mostly excited? A little worried about what exactly is going to happen with Kazia because he's set up to be leaning towards being a villain in this book so I wonder what's going to happen there, but I'm definitely planning on continuing!

Loved Vana and Daro's relationship though. It was absolutely codependant, I'm not denying that, but there is something delicious in seeing two people who just need each other on a soul-deep level. Obviously not healthy nor should it be done in real life, but I loved the flavor of it in this book! I was so happy with where they ended up.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 5/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

This one is definitely my favorite out of the series so far! Absolutely love the dynamic for this one; royalty/bastard just hits so well when an author does it right! I also really enjoyed exploring Corin's family dynamic in this one, which is similar to what we did with Whisper in the first book but it went even deeper for the plot on this one and I thought it was fascinating.

I ADORED Corin and Audric together. Yes it might be my cliche fondness for tall/small but they just had such good chemistry together even when they were just strangers. They had me kicking my feet and squealing multiple times and I'm not afraid to admit it. Audric was just so gentle with him and it was nice to see a protagonist like Corin just get to be...soft, I suppose? He still stood up for himself and fought when he needed to but he didn't have to be some hardened badass as has been popular for most fantasy books nowadays and I enjoyed that. We got a little bit of that dynamic with Bellamy in the last book as well but I felt like it got some real time and attention in this book.

I'm a bit nervous continuing with the series now that all of the brothers are paired up and we're going to be moving on to new people, but this world is interesting enough that I want to give it a shot!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 5/5

This is my second time trying to get through this series and I can already tell it's hooking me much more deeply than it did last time! This was an incredibly introduction to the world; I hope it just keeps getting better from here!

Another fun one! I'm glad I wanted to go to the dragon country and then we IMMEDIATELY go to the dragon country in the next book so that was fun! I loved finding out more about the culture of that country and to get a little insight into how this world approaches dragons and dragonriding. I'm hoping we'll get to see even more now that Rakos and Bellamy are an established couple.

I wish we could've gotten a little bit more development with their relationship in general, especially because it was one of those ‘started out casual and become more' type deals, but I knew these books were on the shorter side going into them so I don't think it gave me any reason for complaint. The identity shenanigans were definitely fun; watching Bellamy come up with a bunch of different ways to get out of singing was hilarious.

I have to admit I'm much more interested in the next book though with that little blurb at the end! Whether the arranged marriage actually goes through or it gets derailed I can't WAIT for Audric's story! I've wanted to know more about him since the first book and I'm super excited to crack in!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

This was a fun one! A bit of a shorter read but I don't think it was lacking for it, especially because it's part of a larger series that will be able to explore the world more in-depth. I think this book did everything it needed to and I wasn't left with any questions that frustrated me; I was only left with questions that made me want to continue reading the series!

I loved Whisper and Julien's relationship. There is a bit of time skipping employed in the relationship development but it didn't bother me. It all still felt very natural to me. Most of this book is fairly light-hearted despite the main plot and it was such a treat to see Whisper genuinely falling for Julien after being denied anything positive for so long.

I wasn't mad with the direction we took things with Hemlock but I would've appreciated a bit more explanation. It definitely feels like she'll be popping up in later books though, so I'm not upset.

The world-building was clean and simple but not to its detriment. I never felt lost when politics or geography were being discussed, though of COURSE I hope we get to go into the country with dragons at some point. 

Strongly considering continuing the series! This was a good one!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

This was good! I always love a revenge tale so that had a point from me from the get-go, but this was a fast and cutting read. Varga really throws you into the thick of it and sweeps you along for the ride pretty much immediately and all you can do is hang on. Noor and Dania's friendship was lovely and arguably the primary relationship of the book; it was nice to see that a relationship built on something like revenge still endured when they were past all of that and didn't have it tying them together anymore.

However, I feel like this book was just generally...lacking? For lack of a better word. I wish had spent more time establishing the world, more time learning about the country and empire were in, more time learning about the djinn magic, just...MORE. This book was pretty much entirely plot-focused and the wider worldbuilding suffered for it. It left me with a lot of questions for everything outside of the plot and even some inside of it.

For example: WHY didn't they kill the emperor? I get that the whole message is supposed to be ‘revenge is a cycle and we need to break it by walking away' but like. He is still a threat even though you took away his djinn power? Like yes eventually the common folk who he's been starving and killing would find out that he was powerless and overthrow him but he still has time to do some damage. Even putting aside personal revenge, he's still a corrupt ruler! Get rid of him so he can't hurt anyone! And this ties in with ‘leaving me with more questions' because what happened to him in the epilogue? He's obviously not involved in the ruling of the empire anymore but where did he go? And how did Anam and Maz get to be on the assumed ruling council? A little frustrating to just leave it at that.

This wasn't a bad book, but I feel like we were missing too much to make it a truly good one.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 3/5
Plot - 3/5
Enjoyment - 3/5

Oh I can't believe it's over. I went on such a journey with these books and this last book was just the perfect ending for me. I love that Singh decided to not bring in a new couple for this one and just focus on all the characters we've met so far over the series and take a look at how they've all become intertwined over the course of all the books. I loved having the chance to check in with everyone and see them all interact in the end.

I think this book did a really good job in setting the stage for Trinity too, which I have a renewed excitement for with the next book coming out in July. I can't wait to see cameos in the newer series of all the characters and couples I now have background knowledge for. It'll definitely make rereading any of the Trinity books, which I'll probably end up doing for comfort or to break me out of a slump, a totally different experience now that I know everything I need to know about this world and all the major players.

It's going to be so weird to move on from this book and have to read outside of this universe. I've been reading almost purely Psy-Changeling books for about 3 months now. I don't know how I'm going to move on, but this was such an incredible ride and I can't wait to continue with Atonement Sky!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 5/5
Atmosphere - 5/5Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

This was a LONG one. I made a joke to another fan of the series that this is the book where almost every established character just kept having problems, which was a funny plot device even if i could tell it was leading up to an important reveal. I can't believe I'm almost to the end of this series.

I really liked the relationship between Aden and Zaira. It's always interesting to see a relationship develop between two people who already have a past together; doubly so since this relationship was between two Arrows and Silence has just fallen. Their relationship was unexpectedly romantic; they were busting out swoon-worthy lines that definitely proved neither of them had ever been fully Silent.

The Trinity Accord has finally formed!! It's so interesting to see the lead-up to the formation after already seeing it in action in the Trinity books and it definitely adds more weight to it. If I reread Trinity now (which I'm planning to do but not anytime soon) I think they'd feel like entirely different books.

About to put this series to bed and I'm sad about it, but I'm having a fantastic time.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

I really liked these two together! Focusing on an Arrow and an E-Psy right after the fall of Silence was a really good choice because I feel like these two are the groups that have most been affected by silence overall. This was a really solid book; the relationship between them felt natural and sweet, since it was the first time either of them had ever been in a romantic entanglement before, which is a breath a fresh air after all the previous books where at least one of the pairing has had experience. It was nice to see the bumbling side of a relationship a bit since they're totally new to it.

I cried a little bit at the end, first in a sad way and then in a really happy way. This series is promising to end really well even if I'll be sad that it's over.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

Oh I just KNEW Kaleb's book would be fantastic and it was! It so was. Finally getting the payoff of him finding who he's been looking for for the past few books was so satisfying, as was diving into their relationship through Sahara's memories. Kaleb was one of my favorite characters even before I read this series, when I only saw him in a few cameos in the Trinity, but this book definitely cemented him as my favorite character in the entire ‘verse. The things he went through were so horrific; I need Santano Enrique to come back to life so I can kill him again.

Kaleb and Sahara's relationship was so interesting. Kaleb is unequivocally NOT a good person, and it's written to assume that he'll never actually be a good person, even with Sahara in his life now and I think that's a really interesting story to tell in a series where pretty much every main couple has been good people at their core. Kaleb only really cares about three people, and Sahara much more than the other two. She is his entire conscience pretty much, and it gave a really sharp and interesting tone to their relationship that felt fresh.

Silence has officially fallen and I'm SO excited to see how these last few books in the series handle it!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 5/5 Atmosphere - 5/5Plot - 4/5Enjoyment - 4/5

I absolutely loved the relationship dynamic in this one. All the weight and importance that had been put on the mating bond in the past books just made this one even more special; two people choosing to love each other even without that special certain connection. Being brave despite the hurt in their past to choose each other, knowing it might end badly without that bond to fall back on, but doing it anyway because they love each other so much.

Ugh. UGH. That was so well done. Singh's couple's are just getting more and more compelling as we get to the end of the series.

Things are reaching critical mass with Silence and I think we don't have long now. The little snippet with Kaleb at the end had me RABID; he's one of my favorite characters in the whole universe and I can't WAIT to read his book!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

This was the lightest on plot out of any of the books so far, but I don't think it was detrimental. We got a real strong focus on the couple and with more page time dedicated to them I think we really got to put the work in to developing them and their relationship, which was nice to see. And it also didn't feel insta-love because not only have they known each other for their entire lives but Drew's feelings are established before the book starts, so it feels like we've already had some off-screen development, offsetting any of it feeling rushed over the short amount of time the book takes place.

I liked this one. The couple was good and we got a lot of conversations about boundaries and respect which I really appreciated, but honestly pretty much everything else happening in the plot was more interesting than the main couple for this one, no offence to them. Everything happening with the Council, Sascha and Lucas, Sienna and Hawke, I was more invested in those plot threads than I was with the romance.

Still, I have nothing to complain about. I'm super excited for the next one!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5Atmosphere - 5/5 Plot - 4/5Enjoyment - 4/5

Sadly, this is another couple I just didn't particularly connect with. I like Max and Sophia as characters on their own, but together they just didn't really do anything for me. My opinion is also affected by the fact that this book has one of the most egregious cases of insta-love out of the entire series. I've learned to sort of wave it away after reading so many books in this world but I'm almost certain this book takes place over the course of MAYBE 2 weeks. And they're talking about marriage by the end of it. I just feel like it's not too hard to put in a time skip or two. Even a few months would've made this more realistic; I wouldn't even care if the time skips were badly done. It would've been SOMETHING.

However, the lore is what saved me from rating this lower. Both getting more details on the J-Psy and spending more time than normal with Council and seeing the deepening schism between them was fascinating. We're really starting to pick up steam towards Trinity now and I can't wait to see how it all goes down.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5Atmosphere - 5/5Plot - 4/5Enjoyment - 4/5

Unfortunately just didn't really connect with this one. I don't think there's anything wrong with the characters, per say, it's just that they didn't hook me like a lot of the other couples did. Maybe I just didn't enjoy being outside of the packs after spending so many books with them, even though there are only so many established characters in the packs to draw from for stories.

Most of Singh's books are insta-love by definition, but this one was especially egregious in my opinion. I don't know the exact timeline but it felt like these two only really knew each other for about a week before they were committed for life. I'm pretty sure their first charged encounter only happened like a day or two? After they met officially. With no Changeling mating bond to hand-wave it away since these two are Psy, it was a little much for me.

Also just didn't really like the prisoner/jailer dynamic these two had going on for most of the book. It makes sense within the plot, but given Katya's background this just seems like something that would need a lot of distance and care before it could turn romantic, and they just didn't do that. It made me a little uncomfortable.

The lore saved it though. We got even more insight into the Council, Councillors, and the first stirrings of what's happening to the PsyNet in the Trinity series, so I'm still super excited for the next one!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5Atmosphere - 5/5Plot - 4/5Enjoyment - 3/5

I really liked what they did with the relationship dynamic in this one! It was couched in the typical ‘dominance/submission' thing that Singh does with changeling packs and, while that was a bit of an eye-roll, it's more of an obvious metaphor for the vulnerability of opening yourself up to someone you want to love and spend your life with. Mercy and Riley are both very independent people who are used to taking care of their selves and everyone important to them; it was a difficult step to allow each other to be the one caring for them.

I just really like the relationship between them. It was much more playful and cute than any other relationship in the series so far and that's contrasted really well with how dedicated and loyal they are to their packs.

Also SO excited for Sascha and Lucas and all the scenes we got with them in this book. They're definitely one of my favorite couples.

The wider plot is definitely getting crazier, with the Psy Council especially. I feel like we're getting to the breaking point soon and I can't wait!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 5/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

Some really interesting plot stuff in this one! I'm glad the side characters in previous books are getting a chance to shine and I have to say I'm really glad we got to Dorian's book so early; I've liked him since book one and I'm glad he got his little found family.

Ashaya and Amara's relationship was really interesting to dig into. I love it when authors give us problems with no easy answers and showcase that sometimes in life you just have to do the best you can with what you've got. It'll never be perfect, but you still have to try.

Absolutely loved the family vibes in this one. Ashaya and Amara, Ashaya and Keenan, both the leopard and wolf packs, it was all so nice and comforting and a good contrast to the degrading situation with the Psy Council in the overall plot. Things are definitely going to crumble soon. I can't wait to see how it goes.

C.A.P.E Rating
Characters - 4/5Atmosphere - 5/5Plot - 5/5Enjoyment - 4/5 

Sadly, we have another Nalini Singh male love interest that I did NOT vibe with. I don't think Clay was as bad as Vaughn, but let me go ahead and get this out of the way so you know why I rated it lower so I can get to the things I liked about the book:

First, we have the general trodding over boundaries and a few times he ignored an outright no, though I guess these are less egregious since it WAS established that their relationship is based on teasing each other/joking around so most of the time the scene was played off like that, but I'll share the moments that made me uncomfortable:

He was disgusted at how he'd stoked the heat between them when he had known it would be too much for her. But the second she had ordered him to back off, the leopard had taken over, furious and so damn possessive he couldn't fight it. He was getting too close to the edge, becoming dangerous. So fucking dangerous.

“You're rushing me.” “I'm not a patient man,” was his unrepentant answer as she trailed her finger down his jaw and along his throat. “You feel when we touch, baby,” he said, wiping away one of her deepest fears. “This will be damn good.”   “Take off your top.” She was having real trouble thinking. “No. Slow down.” His answer was to press a kiss to the hollow at the bottom of her neck.

“I don't like being restrained,” she complained. “Can't I even pet you in peace?”

He took off his jacket and leaned down to kiss her. She tried to dodge it, but Clay was in the mood to show off. He held her easily in place as he melted her bones from the inside out. When she could breathe again, she scowled.

My final and biggest problem with Clay is that it's established that Talin had a past with other people and that she slept around when she was younger. Clay is judgemental to the point of being angry and disgusted with her when she reveals this which he has absolutely no right to be, considering they aren't a couple yet nor have they been in the past. Him being disgusted by her brings her genuine distress and hurts her feelings. The only time he softens his position is when she opens up and tells him that it was more a trauma response more than anything. The problem is that it's none of his business why she did it or that she did it at all, ESPECIALLY since it's established that he has also been sleeping around in the time they've been apart and that's never a problem between them. Some quotes to demonstrate my point:

God, but he was mad at her, at how she'd mistreated herself. Didn't she know that no one—not even she—had the right to hurt what was his?

“Why?” A stark demand, his hand remaining clasped around the side of her neck. “Why did you give away what you should have protected?”  
He hadn't brought up her promiscuous past since that explosive argument in the Tank, but that didn't mean he'd forgotten it. Clay was simply too possessive to accept what he viewed as a betrayal.  
These predators loved with wild fury, but they were also darkly possessive, crossing the boundary into what humans might term obsession. But for a leopard male, it was simply part of his nature. Clay would never forget what she'd done, the way she'd given her body to others. With a human man, she might have continued to argue that he had no right to judge her. But the truth was, it wasn't about judgment. And Clay wasn't human, his changeling blood was too strong. For him, it was about fidelity, about loyalty. It didn't matter that they had been children when he killed Orrin to keep her safe—they had already belonged to each other. Until she had cut their link. Now the past was an unacknowledged third between them, pouring a corrosive acid on the love they had managed to salvage.  
So yeah. Ew David.

Other than that, I think the plot of this one is really interesting. The story structure was a lot different since the couple involved here knew each other very well in the past and had a relationship to build off of when they reunited in the present, getting rid of the ever-present insta-love that I never really like. Talin herself as a character I liked; seeing her fight so hard for the kids she was mentoring was very sweet.

Another disappointing love interest, but the wider plot continues to thicken, so I'll stay tuned in!

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 3/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Enjoyment - 4/5

A very rich world. I would've loved for the book to be longer to get a bigger scope of things, other countries and cultures and more of the history and religion, but it's a shorter book and I have to accept that. I don't think shorter books are for me; or at least I end up holding them to a higher standing than I do full-length novels because they need to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. I had a good time with this one, but there were a few things I left wanting.

I like Firuz as a main character. Very much oldest child syndrome, continually working and doing everything to provide for their family even at the cost of their own health and their own relationships with said family. I wish we had gotten to see more of their mother but I think her absence was intentional storytelling of her place in their life and their brother's life. I adored the relationship they had with their brother an apprentice. Some nice found family vibes.

Plague storylines are always fascinating to me, and I did like the twist here. It didn't shock me, not because it didn't make sense, but because we didn't get a lot of time to build up to it.

Overall, I wish I could've gotten more of just about everything from this book, but I don't regret reading it.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 4/5
Atmosphere - 4/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 3/5

Unfortunately I just didn't connect with the characters as much in this book as I have in the others, but this was still a fun ride! Plot-wise I don't think Nalini Singh could ever disappoint me. Seeing the back and forth between the Psy Council and the changelings just continue to ramp up and up is so incredibly interesting; it really makes it feel like we're heading for a war.

Also liked how we explored how the Psy's believed superiority - both in terms of their power and their ‘control' over themselves with Silence - makes them so arrogantly blind to the abilities of other races and proves to keep being their downfall with every loss. I have no idea when we're going to get to where we are in the Trinity books - if you know you know - but I'm excited to keep going and see what happens next.

C.A.P.E RatingCharacters - 4/5Atmosphere - 5/5Plot - 5/5Enjoyment - 4/5

It is a sad day to say that this is the very first Nalini Singh book I've rated under 4 stars. I'd like to say that I still think this is a pretty good book and the drop in rating is only because of ONE (possibly two depending on how you look at it) things:

I cannot STAND how the LI approached his relationship with the MC in this book.

Basically, Faith isn't used to touch. Changelings rely on touch so Vaughn, her changeling mate, wants to get her used to touch not only for their mating bond but also because lack of touch is a tool the Psyclan she's in uses to control her. I don't have a problem with that being a plot point. What I DO have a problem with is how he decided to do this, which was repeatedly crossing or outright ignoring her boundaries with touch, including her verbally telling him to stop and him refusing to. Not only did this make her uncomfortable and overwhelmed, it also resulted in the feedback from the touch being so bad that she falls unconscious because of it, which she TOLD him would happen and he STILL ignored. In the second instance of this happening he STILL didn't stop touching her after she fainted and continued to hold her in his lap.

I wish I could say him crossing her boundaries stopped with his plan to “get her used to touch” but I can't. Vaughn as a character is a bit more “you woman, me man” than any of the other LIs in this series have been, and that doesn't bother me in small doses but he is about twice as intense about it as the other LIs. That was more a minor annoyance. The real problem here is the absolute entitlement he feels towards her because they're mates, and he crosses the line mentally and verbally/physically WAY more than any of the others have. And that is given with this whole ‘fated mates' trope Singh has going on but he takes it too far. Let me share some quotes that made me very uncomfortable:

“The next shove at his mind was tinged with desperation. Aware he'd pushed her too far, though it wasn't anywhere near far enough for him, he let her body fade from his mind and forced himself to think thoughts she couldn't see. Not knowing the reason for their connection was probably driving Faith nuts. Good. She needed to experience the unruliness of the wild or she'd never break free of Silence. And she had to smash through those walls. She no longer had a choice.”

“Have you asked her whether she wants to leave the Net?” “She's my mate.” Of course she'd leave the Net. “I'll try to give her some time to get used to the idea, but in the end, she has no choice.”

“He crouched down in front of her, but didn't touch. He didn't trust himself enough to.” This being said when he is mad at her.

“Even as her eyes widened, the beast began to haze his brain with unforgiving need. He wanted. And he was through with waiting. Faith was his mate. It was his right to take her.”

“He was through playing by Faith's rules. The jaguar was loose and it was hungry. A roar came from his throat, rough and dangerous. Faith Nightstar was about to come face-to-face with a predator determined to possess her. No compromises. No mercy.”

“The thought of abusing her was abhorrent to him, but he was afraid of caving in to the violent need of the beast and losing his capacity for rational thought. And when he rose from the animal hunger, he might find that his claws had permanently marred Faith's skin, that he'd bitten and cut. The possibility terrified him as nothing else had ever terrified him.”

“The longer we wait,” she said, her voice that of the most practical Psy, but her eyes holding the first flicker of lightning, “the worse it's going to get. It's become clear to me that you need touch and I haven't been giving it to you.”

I don't think I even need to explain why these statements are HUGE red flags to me.

If this wasn't a Nalini Singh book, I would've DNFed purely because of his behavior towards her. I finished and rated it higher than I would have with any other author because the story and every other character were just as fascinating as they always are in one of her books. I am DEARLY hoping this is a one-off type of character because I can't stand men like this.

C.A.P.E Rating:Characters - 3/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5