Review: Wolf Rain

The end of Silence was supposed to create a better world for future generations. But trust is broken, and the alliance between Psy, Changeling, and human is thin. The problems that led to Silence are back in full force. Because Silence fixed nothing, just hid the problems.

This time, the Psy have to find a real answer to their problems–if one exists. Or their race will soon go extinct in a cascade of violence. The answer begins with an empath who is attuned to monsters–and who is going to charm a wolf into loving her despite his own demons.

I’ve missed the wolves of SnowDancer. They, and DarkRiver, will always have the most special place in my changeling-loving heart, simply because they were the first. I’ll never get over their unique personalities, their love and care, or the vastness of their packs. They are large packs, but still family. You can feel it in all their interactions, and it’s like coming home for me.

Fair warning. Spoilers abound for any and all of the previous books in the series. Just trust me and go start at the beginning with Slave to Sensation. Even if you don’t love every book as you go along (and there are eighteen now), the world building alone is worth continuing this series. One of my favorites things about this series is the inclusiveness, and it’s something I’ve only briefly touched on before.

The characters are wildly diverse and unique, to the point where it feels celebrated. The characters come from so many different cultures and have varied customs, making the world feel every bit as interesting as it is. The subtle and strong underlying theme of differences being not only accepted but being necessary for survival in the world is refreshing. If I could ask for one thing, it would be more LGBT inclusion. I recall a couple of side characters shown as gay earlier in the series. Silver Silence added a couple more that we actually got some page time with. I’d just love to see more.

That wish aside…when I re-read every year, the romances get me right in the heart. This ever-expanding cast of characters and how well they love each other continues to capture my heart and mind.

I have my favorites in the series, I think everyone does, and when they show up again for more screen time in the newest book it always makes me grin. Wolf Rain gave me plenty of reason for smiles. Being back in California, with SnowDancer ensures that we’re going to meet with plenty of previous heroes and heroines. I loved seeing Lucas, Sasha, Hawke, Mercy, Kaleb, and so many others. It was a nice moment when we got to see their lives happily continuing on, even when some of them aren’t mentioned by name.

As usual, at least for me, the main couple took center stage. I immediately fell in love with Memory. She’s a fascinating and strong heroine that I couldn’t get enough of. I loved that even though we were in her heart and head a good portion of the time, we began to understand her at the same rate Alexei did. She doubted her own self enough, in the beginning, that she was a bit of an unreliable narrator. I think it’s easy to know – because this is Nalini Singh, after all – that she was a “good” person. There is good reason for her to think that her Psy talent is more a curse, and that just made this so much more interesting.

Alexei, we’ve met before, but I loved seeing deeper into his soul and heart. He’s got this huge heart that only wants to protect everyone, even from himself. I loved his playful side, and his courting. Seeing the wolves court their mates is one of my favorite things.

It was easy to see why they fell in love with each other. Their interactions with each other are incredibly sigh-worthy.

I really appreciated that despite the fact that they both had legitimate concerns about how they may harm someone they love, they worked through it together. It didn’t stop them from talking about it. Nor did it keep them apart. There was no manufactured drama here. Even when fighting their own feelings, they both understood what they had with each other and fought for that.

This book combined all of my favorite elements – the “original” changelings, Psy and Changeling falling in love, favorite characters come back for more screen-time, and some very real pressing and imperative obstacles and concerns.

As always, I can’t wait for the next Nalini Singh book. I think I’ll go re-read all 18 books (and the many short stories and bonus stories) in this series in the meantime.