Absolutely enjoyed this book. Loved the characters as always. You see them as imperfect which is what we all are but they continue to grow. Love the main characters having their own struggles to deal with and it not just being an easy fix. Good pace for the story and as always a great read from this author!

I never want to leave BlackSea….

It felt like so much build up to this, our first real glimpse into the BlackSea clan – and it felt like home…
Bo was fighting for his life, for the life of those he loved, called family. Waking up to the chance he may pave the way for their survival, also had beautiful Kaia holding his hand. Kaia was warm, nurturing and inexplicably looked at him like he was a monster. Their chemistry was off the charts but so was the distrust….

Yes, the insta-love was, well, instant, but each gentle touch and act of understanding that followed had it all make sense. The warmth, the devotion, between these two are life goals, people! Their feelings felt too real, too honest, to be anything but sincere. Slowly revealing their fears, their secrets meant a journey of change, discovery and (surprisingly) fun. In a world of shifters who knew a mouse would spell a hex on me...

The Psy-Changeling world captured me from the very first book and Bo and Kaia’s story simply added more icing on that cake.

Bowen and Kaia are amazing together - but that's Nalini's Singh's super power. To bring together an unlikely pair and MAKE IT WORK! I was excited to see more of the water changelings and Nalini's take on how they create family across the oceans. This was a wonderful book.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my review or opinion of the book.

Ocean Light is the much anticipated book featuring Bowen Knight, a character who first appeared early on in Singh's Psy-Changeling series. First an enemy, then an ally, Bo is the leader of the Human Alliance. His abhorrence to psychic interference runs deep, which causes him to have a chip implanted into his brain which blocks psychic powers. Unfortunately the chip isn't without faults and it begins to degrade, putting Bo's life in danger (this all happens previous to the start of this book). He comes to the undersea BlackSea changeling group in a coma after being injured in the previous book.

While Bo isn't my favorite character in the Psy-Changeling world, he has always interested me. When I heard that he was getting his own book set in the underwater changeling world, I was pretty excited. Originally I rated this 4 stars but am downgrading slightly to 3 mostly because, months after initially reading the book, I can't remember much about it. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it at the time. However, I feel like it needs to stand out more if I am going to give it 4 stars.

Things I liked about this book. We're under water! Singh has shown us glimpses of BlackSea before but they're very secretive. This book gives us an inside look at the underwater changeling group and it's so cool! I love all of the different underwater changelings. Most of the characters keep their changeling animal under wraps to outsiders but it's not too hard to guess what animal they become based on their personality.

I also liked Bo and Kaia together. Bo hasn't had a whole lot of joy in his life and Kaia is so warm and loving. She makes a great counterpoint to Bo. Both of them have to overcome some deep seated fears in this book with the other's support. Their romance is a very sweet one.

As always, Singh manages to suck me into this complex and fascinating world that she has created. This was a fun read and I am looking forward to the next book in the Psy-Changeling series!

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my review or opinion of the book.

I need more Kaia and Bowen! Dare I hope we'll see more of them in the next books?
Witnessing them overcome so many obstacles, threats, controversies and trauma I'm now left wanting to see more of their HEA.

Sure there's a good deal of playfulness, want and heat exchanged but the romance between Kaia and Bo didn't quite overbalance the amount of perils they had to conquer in my eyes. Especially considering their over the top insta-love. It's my only regret about this book.
That and the arguable sense of doom shrooding the romance because of Bowen's brain chip situation. Not once did I believe he wouldn't make it, so the whole contrived "let's not acknowledge we are obviously life mates because imma gonna die tomorrow" felt super cheap as plot devices go. That angst felt so manufactured it failed to trigger my feelings.

That being said, I did adore both Kaia and Bowen characters, they were a perfect pairing.

I wasn't so sure about my feelings about Blacksea changelings at first but Nalini Singh made me once again addicted and and attached to this clan and their customs. I would have happily remained underwater for many more chapters, reading more about every new character that made Blacksea's ohana. Discovering the characters and intricacies of sea changelings through Bowen's curious and gentle eyes was perfect.

I'm looking forward the next instalment and I'm hoping for more books about sea changelings!

PS : Do not dive into this book on a empty stomach. Grab some snacks, cookies, cake, anything. Kaia is a cook and the author deliberately teases her readers with yummy food all throughout! You've been warned!

Bowen is trying to cope with his reality of his life changes. He is drawn to Kaia a changeling chef that his his nurse. I am loving the looks into the ocean changeling people. Enjoying the new arc into the world of Psy-Changeling.

RECOMMENDED READ
Jennie: There have been 16 books in the Psy/Changeling series and now two in the Psy/Changeling Trinity series. This is the sixth book of those 18 that Janine and I have reviewed together. I know this because when I searched for our last review, from June of 2017, I noted that *that* one was our fifth review together. I graded that book, Silver Silence, a B+, while Janine gave it a C. This interested me because my perception has long been that Janine has been a bigger fan of these two series than I am.

Janine: I think that might be true, generally speaking.

Jennie: On to Ocean Light: late in Silver Silence, Bowen “Bo” Knight, security chief of the Human Alliance, is shot on a bridge in Venice. The assassin is presumably working for the Consortium, the villainous organization out to smash the Trinity Accord. When Ocean Light opens, Bo is in a coma, watched over by Kaia Luna, an ex-scientist turned cook who is checking on Bo at the request of her very pregnant cousin Attie, who is Bo’s doctor. Before the first chapter ends, Bo has awakened, understandably confused – not only does he not know where he is, he doesn’t know how he’s alive. He felt the bullet that hit him explode his heart before he fell off the bridge and into the canal. He should be dead.

It turns out that Bo’s been in a coma for two months, and the world, absent a few key people, think he’s dead. He discovers that he’s being treated on an underwater station run by BlackSea, the collective of water changelings, and that he’s alive thanks to a new mechanical heart. But Bo’s not out of the woods, health-wise, for an entirely different reason.

In a previous book, Bo and several other members of the Human Alliance were implanted with a brain chip meant to protect them from being mentally invaded by the Psy. Scientists Ashaya and Amara Aleine developed the chip and implanted it at the humans’ insistence when it hadn’t been fully tested, and now those implanted chips are degrading. Death waits if the degradation of the chips can’t be stopped (apparently while Bo was in his coma, the Aleines did come up with a solution that slowed the degradation process somewhat).

Bo finds out that Attie has developed a compound that, *if* it works, would save him and the other humans from death. However, it has a high probably of turning him into a vegetable. So his immediate future either holds death, a fate he considers worse than death, or possibly a normal life with a brain free from the threat of psychic rape by the Psy. In summary, things are kind of intense for Bo at the moment.

Bo and Kaia have an instant connection, but it’s one that Kaia resists. For one thing, her best friend Hugo has gone missing, the latest in a string of BlackSea members who have been kidnapped by a mysterious enemy. There’s reason to suspect humans may be involved, making Kaia extremely wary of humans in general and the face of the Human Alliance in particular.

Even without that complication, Kaia has a childhood trauma that causes her to fear and distrust humans (much like Bo has a past that makes him fear and distrust the Psy). But Bo almost immediately sees in Kaia the possibility of a different life, one that is not so consumed with saving his fellow humans from the Psy menace.

Between the missing BlackSea members and Bo’s concerns that the Human Alliance could harbor a traitor, as well as the very real possibility that Bo could be facing annihilation one way or another in a matter of weeks, one would think that Ocean Light would be fast-paced and full of drama. But one thing I liked about it was that a fair amount of the middle of the book is focused on Bo and Kaia’s developing relationship. We (and Bo) spend a lot of time with Kaia in the station’s kitchen, meeting its residents and getting a feel for the BlackSea community. An underwater station could feel claustrophobic, but somehow it didn’t. Singh made it so appealing I almost wanted to visit (in reality I would be terrified to be that deeply submerged).

Janine: I thought that Singh did a stellar job of capturing the ocean’s vastness, its immense mystery, through Bo’s sense of wonder. I truly felt like I was entering a different, and magical world than that of the other novels in the series. This was what I had hoped for when I heard that there would be a second series, and what I wanted but didn’t get from Silver Silence.

Jennie: The book worked better for me when it focused on the romance, or the missing BlackSea members mystery, than when it dealt with Bo’s maybe-impending-death. I looked back at our joint review of Silver Silence and we complained about the many times in the series that variations on this storyline have been used, only to have it crop up in this, the very next book. Sigh.

Besides the repetitiveness of the recycled storyline, I just find that that having such a dramatic threat to the HEA in a romance somehow paradoxically serves to remind me that it *is* a romance, and of course there will be an HEA, and of course the hero/heroine won’t die. So that part of the story mostly just irritated me.

Janine: While I’m in sympathy with you regarding just how well-worn the impending death trope is in this series, I was still able to enjoy it this time, because what felt new to me was that Kaia resisted falling for Bo partly because she knew that this fate could await him. I especially loved the moment when her defenses crumbled and their bond kicked in. It comes late in the book, so I won’t spoil it, but it had me crying.

Jennie: The idea that Bo and the other humans would have an untested chip implanted in their brains stretches my credulity. I understand that humans, particularly Bo and his compatriots, are desperate for a solution that protects them from the Psy mentally. But going forward with an implantation that quickly fails makes them seem heedless and even foolish. (To be fair, I think part of the reason that Bo and the other humans are portrayed as insisting on the chip being implanted without further testing is because otherwise Ashaya Aleine, heroine of book five, Hostage to Pleasure, would kind of be on the hook for endangering all their lives.)

Janine: Right with you there, and I felt similarly about Vasic and his experimental gauntlet. Characters in this series can be reckless with their health and well-being, and I don’t entirely understand why the scientists involved in these decisions go along with them.

In the case of Bo and his friends who were implanted with this chip, it was made clear that they thought death preferable to mind rape. But there was a moment when Bo was facing the possibility of death in this book, and had so much to live for, that I thought, Really? You’d honestly prefer to die?

Jennie:

Spoiler (“Spoiler”): Show

Jennie: Janine, how did you feel about Bo and Kaia’s insta-attraction? I was annoyed when he was enraptured over her scent moments after awakening from his coma, but as the story went on my feelings about it started to change.

Janine: I had a very similar reaction to yours. It happened so fast that for a moment I was irritated, but then as the novel progressed it became more and more convincing, and I almost forgot my initial response.

Jennie: Bo and Kaia really got to know and understand each other in the course of their courtship, and I felt like the internal obstacles to an HEA (mostly on Kaia’s side) were a lot more real and compelling than the “will Bo survive?” storyline.

Janine: As I said earlier, I thought that “Will Bo survive?” question impacted Kaia’s resistance in an interesting way, so I had more interest in it for that reason. I never truly doubted his survival, but Kaia’s reaction made me care.

I want to take a moment here and say a word or two about Kaia. I thought she was a wonderful character, one of my favorite heroines in the series thus far. In fact, she might even give Mercy (my favorite up until now) a run for her money, although their personalities are very different. Whereas Mercy is bold and unafraid, Kaia was the one I saw as more courageous, because she had so much fear and trauma to overcome. And yet she never let it rob her of her joy in life. There was something I found heroic about that.

Bo, for me, was less compelling, but I found I liked him better in the station setting. Out of his depths and recovering from injury, as well as allowing himself to experience the wonder of where he was, he became more approachable than he had been in prior books. And he also developed some playfulness with Kaia, as well as curiosity about her (just what she changes into remains a mystery for much of the book, although I guessed it). All of that made him likeable.

Jennie: Totally agree on both Kaia and Bo. I wasn’t thrilled with Bo as a hero going in, but I thought we got to see another side of him, one that Kaia uniquely brought out.

Janine: There were also some interesting secondary characters introduced here, as well as a few old favorites who returned. I don’t want to spoil a tiny cameo that thrilled me in the middle of the book, so I’ll say no more on that topic.

All in all, I loved this book until the last bad thing that befell Kaia happened. Up until that moment I was enthralled and then… Kaia had been through so much in this novel that the last thing she needed was one more trauma, so it felt like overkill. Even though what happened turned out to have a silver lining, it punctured my bubble of enjoyment to have her go through more.

Jennie: Agreed. There was a point to it, but it still felt like too much, especially coming so late in the book.

After struggling with elements of the series for so long (the overwrought writing, the idealization of the “animal” changelings over the “rational” Psy, some yucky gender stuff) I feel like I’m coming to peace with these “flaws.” For whatever reason, I like the series enough to continue, so it’s pointless to get worked up about phrases like “…drenched the world in changeling blood” on the first page. Focusing on the positive (except for grumble..stupid chip…grumble), my grade for Ocean Light is a high B.

Janine: I made my (sometimes uneasy) peace with that long ago, but I am grateful to see Singh taking the series in a new direction with the introduction of books about the ocean changelings. I look forward to books about Miane, Malachai, and other ocean changelings, as well as Bo’s sister, Lily, and I’m hoping for one about at least one of his people, too. The last scene, though I saw what happened there coming from miles away, was delightful too.

You’d have to go back to Kaleb and Sahara’s book, Heart of Obsidian, published in 2013, to find a novel in the Psy/Changeling series that I’ve enjoyed this much. My grade is a B+.

When I first saw this I was super excited to see a new Nalini Singh book and then when I read about it I wasn't sure if I would like it since it was about so many different characters. I am happy to say I was wrong and this book was just as awesome as all others in the series. I loved how it wrapped up parts of several previous stories whilst also moving the plot forwards and bringing in new characters.

THE DELIGHT

I love Nalini Singh, but I am not sure this new series of books is making a good hit within me. Nothing overtly wrong, but nothing grabbing me and won't let go. This story was one that was needed.



REVIEW

Bowen Knight has a ticking time bomb in his head. A chip was implant many years ago to prevent Psy from telepathically harming his mind and many other human's as well. Now those chips have degraded and it is not a matter of if they will kill him, but when. A key player in the Human Alliance, his survival is key to keep the peace. His sister works to kidnap him and now he is below the sea on a changling ocean base,Black Sea facility, trying to stay ahead of what may ultimately kill him. While it is a long shot, it is their one chance for survival.

A tragedy in Kaia Luna's past has kept her mentally trapped at Black Sea, hating humans and now hating the one that has invaded her santuary. Trading science for cooking, this angry woman has enough reasons to hate the huma race that killed her family, but also her friend Hugo is now pointing the finger his way for the recent deaths to their kind. As she gets to know Bowen, things just don't seem to be coordinating or aligning that Bowen is the perpetrator.

While there is the tingling of passion between them, Kaia has had enough pain from death in her life and Bowen only has a 5% chance of surviving. Both have their pasts getting in the way of a future.

My biggest problem with this offshoot series is I am not quite sure where we are going. It feels like we are still in the old series with characters that are just getting their own story. It doesn't feel like we moved on so much as we are dealing with the fall out from Psy falling and the story just continued.

There isn't as much action in this story than what other books may have had, it is mostly the growth of these characters and overcoming their past tragedies and learning to open their minds and hearts to each other.

Overall, I am not a fan of this spin of new series. It just hasn't resonated with me as much as the first string of stories did. Now I need to move on to the next one in hopes that it will impress me more.

I had this as an e-arc to review, and I also bought the audiobook. The story and narration are both excellent! I loved the environment and world building of the Black Sea changelings and Bowen's story lived up to my expectations. Kaia's anxiety issues were dealt with honestly, and there's some interesting plot developments that continue the story arc of this spinoff series. I'm looking forward to the next one!

It's been a while since we got a human MC in the Psy-Changeling world, and while they're usually not my favorite, Nalini Singh didn't disappoint with Ocean Light. Bowen and Kaia were wonderful together. I LOVED getting to know the water changelings more (and am hoping we get more books about them! *cough* Malachai and/or Miane).

Most Nalini Singh readers know what to expect when they pick up one of her Psy-Changeling books. I jumped into the middle with this one, but the writer's deft hand ensured that even new readers like myself won’t feel lost and will, in fact feel a little spoiled. This books delves into a new area in her world that longtime readers have been waiting to read for a long time and the return (reappearance) of a favorite villain. Anyway, brb gonna go read the first sixteen books.

Bo Knight was never a favorite, but I wanted to see if the Trinity segment got better. Not so much. The only parts that I truly liked is when the old re-occurring characters came back into the story.

I'm not sure what Nalini Singh is trying to do but honestly birds, fish, and rats and even bears don't do it as heroines and heroes.

I do hope that this next book in 2019 returning to the wolves will get this series back on track

Because this was a large book I was afraid it was going to be filled with unnecessary sentences but it was perfect, so you understood exactly what the characters were doing and where they were. When Kaia sees the injured human man she feels something for him even though she is terrified of humans. Her cousin needs her help to get this experiment done and being as pregnant as she is Kaia will assist her so she doesn’t stress, but humans took her man from her clan named Hugo who is her friend.
When Bowen awakens his head hurts but there is a siren in the room and her presence is soothing as a caress, but Bowen is the leader of the Alliance a human policing group who the clan believes has taken their family. The more time they spend together the more attached Kaia and Bowen become much to the disappointment of the clan mates.
Someone has smashed the growing laboratory and distracted them while they stole all the lifesaving serum for Bowen’s brain because without it he will be physically there but mentally gone. This story brings together all different walks of life human and non human to work together for a common goal even with all the fears. Loved the connection between Bowen and Kaia.

When I read the blurb for OCEAN LIGHT, all I could think was "Finally we get to see more of the elusive BlackSea!" I also was excited to see how a changeling could bring the anti-trusting, paranoid, hard, and rough, yet admirable for his fierce loyalties, Bowen to his knees. Kaia is exactly the playful but strong person he needed. Of course she doesn't make it easy on him and I really enjoyed the dance between them. The romance is sweet yet plenty hot, a deliciously fun combination. Bowen is a delicious hero that I wasn't expecting, and the combination of him with Kaia made for a fully satisfying read.

Nalini has a masterful way of crafting stories and situations that pull at your heartstrings from the first page, and OCEAN LIGHT is no exception. Bowen is on a life to death hair the entire book, and BlackSea people are disappearing right and left. Talk about intense circumstances! When you add those with the fascinating and masterful world, this is one heck of a combination. There's just something special about a story that gives you that perfect escape, and this is it.

All in all, with OCEAN LIGHT, Nalini Singh has yet again written an incredible story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Bravo!

I am loving the new worlds Nalini Singh is introducing us to in the Trinity series. Don’t get me wrong, I am infatuated with the stories about the leopards, wolves, psy, and humans, but the bears and now the water creatures are breathing new and different life into the Psy-changeling series. Anyone who has ever watched a National Geographic or Animal Planet show about the ocean knows how wondrous and mysterious the deep sea can be. Ms. Singh uses her substantial imagination to bring these creatures to life including topics such as “tentacle sex.” I can honestly say that thought has never before entered my mind, but here it is now. This illustrates Ms. Singh’s ability to bring levity to the impossible situations in which her characters are embroiled. OCEAN LIGHT is no different.

Bowen Knight is in an almost hopeless situation. First, he is recovering from a near-fatal wound received from an assassination attempt. Secondly, he has a chip in his brain that prevents the Psy from violating his mind but has a limited shelf-life and he is running out of time. Luckily, the Black Sea changelings may have an experimental cure, but the chances are for success are slim to none.

While standing under the sword of Damocles, Bowen meets Kaia, a deep-sea changeling. Most of Bowen’s life is dedicated to survival – his and of the human race. The humans are the most vulnerable of the three principals in the Trinity Accord. He is the human’s superhero. Softer emotions do not come easily to him. But he is insanely attracted to Kaia’s spirit and devotion to those she loves. Ironically, although Kaia thinks she wants someone safe and easy, she is drawn to Bowen’s “wildness.” Ms. Singh writes passionate love stories and this is no different. Bowen and Kaia’s interactions ignite on the pages. However, there is a fine line between just enough and too much self - talk and there are times when the this talk drags down the pace a bit.

What really works well for me is the introduction to the Black Sea world. I am utterly fascinated by the creatures. I am prompted to think about questions like, “Where does all the mass go when a whale changeling shifts back to man?” We get to learn their culture. Did you know that it is impolite to ask what kind of creature a person shifts into? With Snowdancer, Dark River, Stonewater and even Windhaven, it is clear what kind of shifter the characters are. With Black Sea, they encompass a multitude of species. It becomes a game for Bowen to guess exactly Kaia’s other identity. Black Sea’s facilities taps into my love for stories about Atlantis. With windows that open to the huge expanse of the deep ocean, it seems like a serene place. Well, peaceful until an octopus or a whale comes knocking on the window.

Slowly, but surely, the overarching storyline evolves. The Alliance is not fully settled yet, and there is a conspiracy to break up the partnership. The new threat is insidious and is out to cause as much havoc as possible. I cannot help but think that perhaps we have not seen the end of Ming LeBon. I hope he makes an appearance soon. His dastardly deeds always make for good drama.

If you are a Psy-Changeling fan, or if you have been wanting to start a new paranormal romance series, Psy-Changeling Trinity is the perfect series for you. With only two books in this spin-off, you can start with book one and be up to speed with OCEAN LIGHT. If you love it, then you will have fifteen additional books to enjoy in the original series. OCEAN LIGHT needs to be on every PNR bookshelf.

NUMBER OF HEARTS: 5
Bowen Knight awakes to what he believes is the afterlife. How could he not when he remembers being shot through the heart and sinking into the deep abyss? Something is not completely right with this afterlife. Or are they keeping his brain alive to try to find a way to stop the chip from exploding?

Bowen will have to fight with everything he has to get back to reality and the people he loves.
He never expected one of those people would be found at the bottom of the sea.

I am loving this new portion of the Psy-Changeling world that Ms. Singh is developing for us. First she brings us the much loved Bears (in Silver Silence) now we get to go into the deep and learn more about the Water Changelings of Black Sea. Ms. Singh’s mind is a dangerous place. How she comes up with these characters amazings me. Then you add in the amazing talented voice of Angela Dawe and you have a masterpiece. I truly hope that neither one of these ladies ever gets tired of their job!!
I can not wait for the next installment of the Psy-Changeling series I know that it will be amazing as all of the rest.


I would like to see a cameo by my favorite Psy Judd :)


Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley, Tanor Audio & Penguin in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

It took me ages to read this book. I was in the strangest reading funk and it couldn't hold my attention. The first half of the book was pretty slow, then it picked up in the second half. I'll write a full review closer the release date. While I enjoyed it, it isn't my favorite Singh novel.

Ocean Light is the second book in the psy/changeling Trinity series which is a series expanding and adding depth to the Psy/Changling world. It’s a unique book that gives readers a chance to explore Blacksea and the changelings that call it home. This book has quite a few reveals regarding BlackSea and the vulnerable changelings who live there. Overall a good book and a great addition to the series’ story arc. I certainly hope to see more of BlackSea in the future!

Nalini Singh continues to enthrall me with her story-telling and her world-building. I have my personal favorites among the Psy-Changeling series -- individual books as well as individual characters, of course -- but from the first moment I picked up "Slave to Sensation," I was utterly charmed by the world I discovered, and by the complex, powerful people within it.

Inextricably linked by history and need, yet divided by legitimately powerful rage, fear, and distrust, the Humans, Psy and Changelings are locked in a struggle for survival and supremacy that threatens to destabilize the world completely.. The delicate connection formed between a rogue empath and a charming leopard Changeling creates the first shining link in a chain that ultimately force all three races to face the worst of themselves, and to look beyond the end of their world into the beginning of a new one.

What I love most about Nalini Singh's books is that, although the overarching story is clear, ever-building, and deftly woven into each story, each book stands alone. Does the reader always know that more is coming, that events are building, and that choices made in each book will echo and ripple forward? Absolutely. But each book is complete in and of itself and leaves the reader satisfied. Events may hang in the balance, but Singh never leaves her readers hanging.

I don't want to give away anything of this latest addition to the series, so I am limiting myself to a simple statement. Begin with "Slave to Sensation" and read them all. You won't be bored. You won't feel like you're re-reading the same book over and over. (Although, you'll like some more than others -- everyone does.)

Just read them.