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A review by amym84
Ocean Light by Nalini Singh
4.0
This review assumes you've read the previous books in the series. There will be unavoidable spoilers for the previous story arc
Ever since it was discovered that the chip some humans had implanted in order to prevent Psy mind invasion has an expiration date, Bowen Knight, leader of the Human Alliance, has been searching for a fix. Unfortunately, being a prominent figure, he didn't get very far before he was targeted by those opposed to the Trinity Accords and what they stand for.
Saved by the changelings of BlackSea, Bo seemingly gets another chance at life, albeit in the form of an experiment. Bo agrees to let the BlackSea scientists study the implant and see if they can figure out a way to keep it from self-destruction. Luckily he's protected under the guise of lab rat, because when proof surfaces that the Human Alliance might be behind the vanishings that have been happening within BlackSea he's quickly considered persona non grata especially by Kaia Luna who's childhood friend has recently become one of the missing which reminds her of the similar loss of her parents at a young age, and hurts her deep within her soul.
However much Kaia wants to keep her impressions of Bo restricted to that of enemy, she can't help also being drawn to him. As she gets to know him, she begins to realize that he would never be a part of such a heinous plot. What also becomes clear is that there is a traitor somewhere in their midst, and with time counting down on Bo's chip remaining viable, they'll have to work fast.
Ocean Light is the second book in Nalini Singh's new story arc within her Psy-Changeling world and we finally get a BlackSea changeling book! I have been waiting and waiting for a BlackSea book since they were first introduced what feels like eons ago and Nalini Singh also took this opportunity to tie up some of the more pervasive story threads that have been running in the background for quite a few books now. Namely, the vanishings within BlackSea and the human mind chip malfunctions.
I felt like Ocean Light took the opportunity to resolve and / or make a big headway in resolving these things without adding extra layers as previous books in this series have done. For example, the vanishings themselves were a side story in a previous book (I'm sorry I can't recall which book at this time) in the series, but there's really none of that here. Instead the focus remains on the missing changelings and trying to figure out a way to help the humans with the implants, which also intertwines Kaia and Bo's own stories as they are effected by what's going on.
While I enjoyed the story overall, I found it took me a little bit longer to get into it than previous books. I don't know if it was the more sedate feeling pacing - despite Bo's brain being on a countdown - with much of the solving of the mystery happening closer to the end, or the fact that it takes Kaia a little bit to fully open herself up to Bo that had me taking my time with it. There's so much dedicated time to BlackSea, I almost felt like other pressing matters (i.e. The Consortium) in the Psy-Changeling world fell away for the moment.
Regardless, I loved that most of the action takes place in BlackSea. It really hits home how different BlackSea's world is even from other changeling groups. The sea below is so vast and unknown. I feel like we've only broken the surface of this changeling group and I hope Nalini Singh doesn't make us wait too long before we get to revisit them.
It's been awhile since we've had a human and changeling pairing, but I felt like Kaia and Bo really embodied the world this series has become after everything that happened in the first story arc now with the start of the new trilogy. I don't want to say too much more because Nalini Singh takes her time developing these characters, especially Kaia, but I really loved their romance. It felt really different from what I'm used to reading in this series, yet it's still incontrovertibly the Psy-Changeling world.
As I said, I hope this book is a starting off point to get even more stories about BlackSea. Like with DarkRiver and SnowDancer, there are secondary characters who beg to have their own stories revealed, and as I said, the sea is so vast. Plus, there are some undeniable repercussions I can see arising from events in this book, I can't wait to see where we go next!
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ever since it was discovered that the chip some humans had implanted in order to prevent Psy mind invasion has an expiration date, Bowen Knight, leader of the Human Alliance, has been searching for a fix. Unfortunately, being a prominent figure, he didn't get very far before he was targeted by those opposed to the Trinity Accords and what they stand for.
Saved by the changelings of BlackSea, Bo seemingly gets another chance at life, albeit in the form of an experiment. Bo agrees to let the BlackSea scientists study the implant and see if they can figure out a way to keep it from self-destruction. Luckily he's protected under the guise of lab rat, because when proof surfaces that the Human Alliance might be behind the vanishings that have been happening within BlackSea he's quickly considered persona non grata especially by Kaia Luna who's childhood friend has recently become one of the missing which reminds her of the similar loss of her parents at a young age, and hurts her deep within her soul.
However much Kaia wants to keep her impressions of Bo restricted to that of enemy, she can't help also being drawn to him. As she gets to know him, she begins to realize that he would never be a part of such a heinous plot. What also becomes clear is that there is a traitor somewhere in their midst, and with time counting down on Bo's chip remaining viable, they'll have to work fast.
Ocean Light is the second book in Nalini Singh's new story arc within her Psy-Changeling world and we finally get a BlackSea changeling book! I have been waiting and waiting for a BlackSea book since they were first introduced what feels like eons ago and Nalini Singh also took this opportunity to tie up some of the more pervasive story threads that have been running in the background for quite a few books now. Namely, the vanishings within BlackSea and the human mind chip malfunctions.
I felt like Ocean Light took the opportunity to resolve and / or make a big headway in resolving these things without adding extra layers as previous books in this series have done. For example, the vanishings themselves were a side story in a previous book (I'm sorry I can't recall which book at this time) in the series, but there's really none of that here. Instead the focus remains on the missing changelings and trying to figure out a way to help the humans with the implants, which also intertwines Kaia and Bo's own stories as they are effected by what's going on.
While I enjoyed the story overall, I found it took me a little bit longer to get into it than previous books. I don't know if it was the more sedate feeling pacing - despite Bo's brain being on a countdown - with much of the solving of the mystery happening closer to the end, or the fact that it takes Kaia a little bit to fully open herself up to Bo that had me taking my time with it. There's so much dedicated time to BlackSea, I almost felt like other pressing matters (i.e. The Consortium) in the Psy-Changeling world fell away for the moment.
Regardless, I loved that most of the action takes place in BlackSea. It really hits home how different BlackSea's world is even from other changeling groups. The sea below is so vast and unknown. I feel like we've only broken the surface of this changeling group and I hope Nalini Singh doesn't make us wait too long before we get to revisit them.
It's been awhile since we've had a human and changeling pairing, but I felt like Kaia and Bo really embodied the world this series has become after everything that happened in the first story arc now with the start of the new trilogy. I don't want to say too much more because Nalini Singh takes her time developing these characters, especially Kaia, but I really loved their romance. It felt really different from what I'm used to reading in this series, yet it's still incontrovertibly the Psy-Changeling world.
As I said, I hope this book is a starting off point to get even more stories about BlackSea. Like with DarkRiver and SnowDancer, there are secondary characters who beg to have their own stories revealed, and as I said, the sea is so vast. Plus, there are some undeniable repercussions I can see arising from events in this book, I can't wait to see where we go next!
*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.