Storm echo is another added gem in the psyling trinity series. The end of the book finally leaves you a sizable clause about who is the main antagonist of the series thus far and leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next and where the series goes from her. The romance fell to to the shadows when co pared to the overall story arc of not just the world nalini has built but with the journey that the heroine of this book goes through.

Storm Echo was a greatly anticipated book for me. I love this world, and it just expands with each book.

In Storm Echo, we connect with a Mercant, Ivan this time. I don't remember much about him in previous books if he has even been included before. He is a ticking time bomb that has been building since his birth. He is a deathly assassin that helps control the monster inside of him. He seems to be resigned to his death once his internal monster has taken control of him. I felt bad for him right from the beginning and was maybe a bit frustrated at his resignation to his future.

Then he meets Soleil and she makes him feel peaceful. Soleil is a very carefree spirit. Not to say she didn't have issues of her own that she does not really fill Ivan in on. Soleil is a very likeable character, and then there is a terrible massacre. She does what she can but eventually she almost dies.

Ivan loses track of Soleil and spends a year looking for her. She is not the same person she was before. There is a very strong connection between the two and when they finally come face to face, it is something neither can deny.

When they connect, it is in San Francisco where we get to be back in the world of the Leopards! I have really missed them. And we just don't see them in passing, we get into their world. Absolutely loved it.

The overall arc of the Architect is wound to a close with a shocking ending. I'm really going to have to go back and refresh my memory on this character. At the end of the book is a "Revelations", I guess like an Epilogue but with shocking information. For me, that indicated the series will continue to move on. I think there will have to be some new characters added, but I'm sure it can be done. Go Nalini!

STORM ECHO is the sixth of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling Trinity series and is one of the best by this author so far. Ivan and Soleil are an amazing couple.

Reviewed for Fresh Fiction by Annetta Sweetko

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=79152

Ivan Mercant is a Psy, a member of a powerful psychic family known for their espionage abilities. He possesses abilities that are unique and deadly, as a result of events that occurred in his childhood, and he knows that eventually he won’t be able to control them anymore. Ivan is the ultimate predator, eliminating those who prey on the helpless. When he meets Soleil Bijoux Garcia, he is not able to keep his emotions under control, drawn to her, even though he knows that he cannot promise her forever. But Soleil is not willing to let her Psy true mate give up on their love or himself.

Nalini Singh’s long-running Psy/Changeling series gets an exciting new entry, with a hero who believes he’s the villain, and a heroine who knows he’s her mate and will fight to keep him. The romance is utterly appealing, both characters are dynamic and endearing. Ivan has an ice-cold demeanor, but to readers, it’s clear he’s a perfect example of still waters run deep. Soleil, called Lei, is a healer, with a hopeful, open demeanor despite the way she’s suffered in her life. Together, they make a wonderful couple. Singh has created a complex, fascinating world in the near future where Psy are people who have enhanced mental abilities that give the series a great science fiction feel. The Changelings are people who can become animals and live with a sort of animal twin spirit. The contrast between the different species adds a lot of dramatic tension to the narrative. The ongoing storyline in which Psy are threatened by the collapse of their neuropsychic connective net makes for a huge amount of suspense. Readers who are new to the series can still enjoy this novel, but there are references that are tied to previous books in the series, so they’ll likely want to read previous novels to catch up. Quick moving, emotionally resonant, and compelling, Storm Echo is a great read.

Melanie: Melinda and I were super excited to get to read an ARC of this book together months before it was released. We’re obviously huge fans of Nalini Singh as well as the series as a whole. However, that being said, this was not our favorite book in this series, not even close. But look, it’s the 6th book in the spin off series, Psy-Changeling Trinity and if you count the original Psy-Changeling series, it’s book #21! There’s bound to be a few clunkers here and there. Without going into too many spoilery details, Melinda and I will break down why this book and specifically the central romance didn’t work for us.

Melinda: Melanie’s right, this wasn’t our favorite of Nalini’s books but all of them can’t be amazing! After so many books in the Psy/Changeling world we’ve seen pretty much every kind of combination of characters and romances. Storm Echo opens with Ivan Mercant, who we know in passing because of his family ties, stumbling across Lei, a changeling who is new to the series.

Ivan and Lei get to know each other over a very brief 3 days. They share some laughs, picnic together, and at the very end of their time share some serious truths with each other. Ivan essentially tells her about his mercenary side and he fears that she won’t return to him after this reveal. And then…she doesn’t.

This was all in the setup of Storm Echo, and for me, it was too brief to understand the connection Ivan feels to Lei. And my lack of connection to Lei and to their connection directly lead to the rest of my issues with the book later on.

Melanie: To say that the romance in this book feels rushed is an understatement. I would even go so far as to say the romance in this book isn’t even the real focus of the book. And maybe because so little time and attention is paid to the 2 MCs and their growing relationship, it leaves the readers (in this case, Melinda and myself) struggling to connect to the MCs, to the romance between them, to this apparently all-encompassing bond between them that, at least in my opinion, really just springs out of nowhere.

There is a bit of an insta-….something, I hesitate to label it lust OR love, that happens in the first section of the book, when Ivan and Lei first meet. After Lei disappears, a good 15 months pass before Ivan lays eyes on her again and the bond is still present. Now, part of that is due to events that took place right before Ivan lost track of Lei 15 months prior (I can’t delve too much into this as it would constitute a spoiler) but there really doesn’t seem to be a solid foundation for why there is such a strong emotional connection between these 2 characters who had all of 3 days together before they were separated. That’s not to say people can’t form a strong bond over the course of 3 days, just that in this particular story, I couldn’t really get a sense of the bond being created beyond being told it existed.

Melinda: I’ve definitely read books where I’ve believed and rooted for a romance that developed in an extremely short period of time. But, Melanie’s right in that I just didn’t get a good sense of the romance here in this 3 day time period. I think there wasn’t enough on the page time spent during these 3 days for this development to feel strong. There’s much we can’t say due to spoilers about the separation but when that bond is still there for Ivan, I was left to wonder why.

Beyond just the lack of a connection, the Psy/Changeling books work so well, and have gone on for so long, partly because Nalini Singh is a genius who has planned out overarching storylines. Each book generally has a romance plot and an overarching plot, and to me, this book suffered due to not being well balanced between the two. The PsyNet and its potential collapse, which has been building up over many books, felt like it took over the romance.

Melanie: If you’ve spent the last however many books wondering about the identity of The Architect – the main villain of the Trinity series, then you’ll definitely want to read this book as the ending is a real eye-opener. (I absolutely cannot say anymore – in fact, I’m terrified I’ve already said too much). However, this book does suffer from being way too heavily focused on the ongoing destruction and collapse of the PsyNet and the Scarab storyline that plays a huge role in this particular story, especially with Ivan and his particular Psy skillset. I’ll be honest, I’ve read the entire series, many of them twice, and I’m always far more interested in the relationships, romantic and otherwise, between the characters than I am in any of the PsyNet stuff. So for me, this book was a bit of a bore in that sense.

However, that’s not to say this book was completely without its charms. This is one of the first books in a long long time that returned the readers to DarkRiver territory, which is where the Psy-Changeling series first began all the way back in 2006! And given the setting, we were treated to a whole host of cameos from long-lost friends I’ve come to know and love over the course of the past 20 books. Personally for me, that was one of the biggest highlights of the book, these pop-ins from characters from books past, getting to see them and catch up with them. Aside from that, this was also a great story in terms of family bonds and pack loyalty, whether it’s the DarkRiver pack or the Mercant family. One of the most interesting aspects of the story was the way Nalini highlighted how much the DarkRIver changelings have in common with the Mercant family who are all Psy, despite their very obvious differences.

Melinda: Yes, getting to see old friends in DarkRiver, and a few others, was such a delight for me. This is always a highlight of the series, and one the author does so well, just sprinkling these appearances lightly throughout the books. My personal favorite was getting to see a bit more of Arwen Mercant. I hope he’s being set up for a book down the line, because I found him so delightful!

I think if you’re a reader who has been eager for answers on the PsyNet and Scarab plot, then this book will be for you. It will keep you on your toes the whole time with various revelations until the very end. However, if you’re a reader who is there mainly for the romance, and everything else is secondary, this might not be your favorite book in the series. But we can’t wait to see where Nalini goes with the next book.

Content warnings: mention of drug use in the past by secondary character, parental death in the past, car accident in the past, violence, murder, mention of attempted kidnapping in the past

Storm Echo continues the battle against the mysterious Psy known as the Architect, who is recruiting powerful telepaths called Scarabs to destroy the PsyNet and seize power. A connection to the Net is essential for survival, so the damage and destruction the Architect and her Scarabs cause kills large numbers of Psy.

Opposing the Architect is a coalition of Psy, including the powerful Mercant family. In Storm Echo, Ivan Mercant steps to the fore. He joined the family after he was orphaned in childhood. He’s a powerful telepath and has devoted himself to the security of his kindred. He never allows them to get too close to him emotionally, though, because he’s hiding a secret about the direction his telepathy is taking.

His mother, who died when he was eight, took a street drug when she was pregnant with him. After he was born, she gave it to him from time to time. This drug made his telepathy powerful, but the traces it left in him are greedy. He sees them as a spider in his mind, one that grows ever more powerful and craves the power he could draw from other people, even to a lethal degree. Before it becomes that strong, he plans to imprison himself in a mental cage of his own devising, shutting himself off from everyone in a kind of coma. Until that time comes, though, he’ll protect the family and help the Psy against the Architect.

Ivan’s plan hits a snag while he’s training with a small but deadly pack of wolf changelings. He injures his leg, and a changeling woman who calls herself Lei, walks out of the woods and tends to him. Their mutual attraction is immediate, and he finds himself wanting more than just a couple of woodland picnics together.

A bit I love occurs on one of those picnics. Despite Ivan’s preference for nutrient bars, he agrees to try a mushroom tart Lei made, and this follows: The flavors were explosions of sensation on his tongue, an overload of input. He must’ve betrayed some response because she laughed—the kind of laugh that said this was a shared amusement. He knew that even though he had never laughed.

This bit shows how warm and giving Lei is and how drawn Ivan is to that warmth. She teaches him to play in the forest and to splash in the pool below a waterfall.

He wants to get to know her, to see her as often as he can in the time he believes he has left. He also wants their relationship to be honest, so he tells her about himself, including the dark things he has done to defend his family, a little at a time lest he frighten her away or disgust her.

Instead of being repelled, Lei agrees to meet him again. But she doesn’t show. Ivan fights the urge to look for her. Believing she rejected him after all, he tells himself the right thing to do is leave her be.

She hasn’t rejected him, though. Before she can meet him, disaster overtakes her pack. It leaves her alone, believing her pack destroyed. Her quest to avenge their deaths takes her to San Francisco, where the DarkRiver leopard pack, whose alpha she believes killed her pack, has a base. Ivan also is in the city on family business. They’re on the same street, though she doesn’t recognize him, when the PsyNet ruptures. Every Psy in the area, including Ivan, collapses. Ivan manages to reconnect to the Net. Using the ability that has such dark potential, he seizes minds around him and flings them back into the Net.

Unaffected by the rupture, Lei immediately dives into helping the victims around her. She works so hard that she drains herself and passes out. She awakens in a DarkRiver hospital room, where she unexpectedly picks up a familiar scent, one of her supposedly dead pack. Determined to track that scent, she escapes from the hospital. Ivan, who recognized her, has been waiting outside the hospital in case she needed him. He offers her a ride. When they find the source of that scent, what they learn turns all Lei’s assumptions upside down.

Lei must adjust to a new life and a new pack, but a mating bond is already forming between her and Ivan. He resists it because of the grim future he sees for himself, but they draw ever closer. While the motif of one partner resisting a fated mating runs through the changeling stories, the conflicts that cause the other partner to resist that mating are many and varied. The fated mates trope could easily become repetitive, but Singh keeps it fresh and interesting.

Meanwhile, the Architect continues to wreak havoc. Ivan joins cardinal telepath Kaleb Krychek (Heart of Obsidian) in trying to protect the PsyNet. The spider Ivan dreads gives him unexpected abilities he must use, risking everything, in a desperate attempt to save the Net.

The characters are easy to root for. Both Ivan and Lei carry emotional wounds, and his desire to keep her from sharing the dark fate that awaits him is a believable obstacle to their romance. The romance is, by turns, heart-wrenching, sweet, and playful, and it’s a process of growth for both Lei and Ivan.

Supporting characters include the interesting and varied Mercant family and the warm, communal changelings. Many of the secondary characters first appeared in earlier books, but they’re introduced in a smooth way that gives readers who’re not familiar with those books what they need to know right away.

The story moves well, and the resolution comes with a surprising, satisfying twist.

Highly recommended.

I HATE that I have to wait a year for the next installment, but I LOVE this book/series. The series continues to grow, but the author somehow keeps it fresh with new characters and storyline while integrating past characters (which I love).

Ivan and Soleil's story was heartbreaking, but also uplifting when the power of family is found not just with blood relations. They both had popular opposite, but rough times growing up, but with Soleil's healing nature and Ivan's deep seated fear of hurting others they were made for each other.

Overall, great writing, great storyline and I look forward to the next in the series.

Nalini Singh’s latest novel in the psy-changeling series is about learning to accept yourself and soothing your inner demons.
Ivan can never forget that he is not like the rest of the Mercant family. He has a spider in his soul he keeps tightly leashed, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever find someone who makes him feel whole. And then he meets Lei. An elusive healer that saves him from a grave wound. They share a single picnic before they are ripped apart.
The entire world is in danger, spiraling out of control because a vindictive, power-hungry monster has wrapped the threads of the Psy-Net in her destructive grip. Ivan makes it his mission to discover the truth and do everything he can to save others from sliding into madness. He will even sacrifice himself, break the bonds that tie him to his family and his duty.
When Ivan meets Lei again, it is in the middle of chaos. She doesn’t remember meeting him. She’s broken and bruised, nothing but skin pulled tight over bones. And she believes she is the last of her kind. She is motivated by the need for revenge.
I loved watching Ivan and Lei convince each other to trust in what was between them. I loved their realization that they were not alone, that friends and family would support and surround them.
Another outstanding installment on one of my favorite paranormal series.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful story by Nalini Singh. What can I say? Singh weaves a story and pulls the reader in to make them feel like part of the story.
We meet Ivan Mercant when he is in the wilderness taking a training course. He meets Lei and he is instantly attracted to her as she is to him. Then suddenly she is no longer there. What happened to her? Ivan has no idea but searches for her.
Then, sometime later they cross paths again, but she has no idea who Ivan is, but her animal does (he is psy and she is changeling). Will they be together forever? Or with Silence falling will there be other issues coming up? Who is the person that is the Architect? What is the Architect planning on doing? Don’t want to give away anything, but if you are a fan (or even if you’re not!) this is an excellent story to read.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest opinion.

Singh has one of the most talented authors when it comes to plotting and world building. I don’t want to say to much about this - ‘cause spoilers - but honestly the details and the consistency across stories is stunning. Please do yourself a favor and start this series or continue reading it.

I adored every page of this. Ivan is beautiful and complicated and lovely. Soleil is so soft AND so strong and I adored watching her play with Ivan. (IYKYK) This was also the first Time in a long time that w are back in San Fran with DarkRiver and it was a delight to see Lucas, Tam, Mercy, and Nate again!


TL/DR Review
Stars: Four and Three Quarters Stars
Series: PsyChangeling Trinity 6 (CANNOT BE READ OUT OF ORDER)
POV: Dual Third (with also secondary characters adding POVs)
Steam: Slow burn that is worth it
Tropes: fated mates, amnesia, us against the world, found family, antihero, killer and healer
For Fans Of: Nalini Singh - I don’t know what to tell you if you aren’t yet.
Theme Song: Lullaby by the Cure (IYKYK)

Thank you to the author and publisher for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ivan Merchant never counted on falling in love, Silence never allowed for such a thing and then there is his leashed ability. But that was before meeting Lei, the vibrant, colorful woman, playful and full of love. However, just as he’s about to embrace this unexpected path, Lei disappears. It seems that’s a good thing because Ivan’s ability is harder and harder to control, and his only solution is to cage himself permanently.

Lei is on a mission since her pack was obliterated and it takes her straight to the heart of the Dark River Leopard’s territory. However, while there her inner animal sees Ivan and everything changes.

Ivan is part of the close-knit Merchant family, famed for being ruthless, protective and perfectly Silent. That was until Silence fell and now most know they are fiercely loyal with family being everything to them. Grandmother Ena Merchant is protective of all she claims as family so Ivan’s got another thing coming if he thinks he can just shut himself down forever.

Storm Echo was so so good! I’ve been loving the Psy-Trinity spinoff, but this has to be one of my favorites of the series. Love the Merchant family! This supposedly “Silent” clan is anything but! With hearts so big and full of love for each other and all the people they’ve been acquiring into the family through romance and extended connections. Loved getting mentions of the Bears and cameos of Kaleb, Lucas, Sasha, Tamsyn, and Nate! I was so excited with how it all turned out and what it could mean for the future of the Psy-Net!

25 stars

The following joint review appeared on Dear Author on August 10th, 2022.

Storm Echo is book six in the spinoff/continuation Psy-Changeling Trinity series. The protagonists are Ivan Mercant, a Psy and the scion of the powerful Mercant family, and Soleil “Lei” Bijoux, a healer and a feline shifter. Lei and Ivan meet when he is taking part in a wilderness training course and she is out collecting mushrooms. She stumbles on Ivan shortly after a rock has cut him and treats the injury. Ivan, though he has never been very drawn to a woman before, is instantly taken with Lei and realizes only after she leaves that he doesn’t know how to find her.

He does find some mushrooms like the ones she collected, though, and he waits by them, hoping she’ll turn up to collect them. She does. This time her interest is just as caught as his own, and they meet a few more times. Theirs is a sweet courtship; there’s an open happiness to Lei that attracts Ivan, and Lei is equally drawn in by his solemn, “still waters run deep” interest in her.

Jennie: I really thought their initial meeting and courtship was lovely. Also, the fact that it’s all shown from Ivan’s PoV gives Lei an air of mystery that kept me interested.

Janine: Yes, it was, and great point. I didn’t note that but you’re so right.

In earlier years, Ivan feared that mating or marrying would not be appropriate for him—in typical Psy protagonist fashion, he carries a dark power in his brain that could pose a serious threat to him and anyone attached to him. But by this point, the power hasn’t manifested and Ivan has relaxed some of his guard. He decides to let himself be happy, but first, he shares with Lei that he is something of an assassin, one who kills drug trade leaders to save the people they prey on from a destructive addiction to the drug Jax.


This is a partial review. The whole thing can be found here: https://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/overall-b-reviews/b-plus-reviews/joint-review-storm-echo-by-nalini-singh/

Sooo I requested this book cause it had the Golden Gate bridge in it.
I didn't realize it was the #21 in one series and #6 in another per Goodreads. But either way I wasn't lost as it's centered on two characters, one psy and one changeling. There were packs and other characters but I feel in with no issues.
The different animals the changelings they can change into were so majestic and I loved the talk of the cubs and pups. The Psy were linked on a neural net which is under attack due to various issues.
Ivan and Soleil (Lei) met by chance her a healer when he was injured. He kept returning to where they met to see if he could see her and after some time together and a tragedy he loses track of her.
Then they find eachother again and she doesn't remember him but her cat did.
I really loved her internal cat that just claimed this dangerous scary man and made him into a adorable cutie.
Her cat isn't going to give him up even though there's some crazy psy Armageddon on the horizon.
These two characters have been so traumatic and broken by their own events but have found each other and can't help but be mated to eachother.
The steam between these two is 🔥🔥🔥

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

The fall of Silence meant the emotional world opened up for many of the Psy. No longer did they need to keep their feelings bottled up. However, for some, it was more a curse than a blessing. Ivan Mercant has struggled with the monster that has lived inside of him since he was young. Silence and strong shields kept him in check, but Silence is gone and his shields seem to be no match for the growing darkness within.

One day he comes face-to-face with changeling healer Soleil and instantly feels a connection only to be separated after a terrible attack on Soleil's pack leaves her gravely injured.

A year later Ivan and Soleil cross paths once again while rescuing those affected by another attack on the PsyNet by the chaotic Scarabs. But Soleil knows nothing of the man before her only that her animal recognizes and claims him.

As they contend with the possible implosion of the PsyNet, along with Ivan's ever-increasing power, it seems their time together may be finite.

Nalini Singh really chose an interesting way in which to bring together Ivan and Soleil, but I'm not entirely certain that it worked out completely to plan. As readers, we're up to speed on their relationship status from all angles. There's no surprise or twist on our end, it's more about waiting for the characters to catch up with the narrative, which moves their arc forward at a rather slow pace.

In my opinion, Ivan and Soleil aren't really breaking any new ground from the myriad of relationships we've seen across the original and spin-off series. I do appreciate the effort in trying to approach things from a different angle. All in all, Ivan and Soleil's story was still a good one.

I loved that with Soliel being a changeling we of course get to spend time with the OG characters in the DarkRiver pack. I always love that with such a long-running series Nalini Singh continually reminds readers where things began and still shows appreciation for these fan favorites.

Where Storm Echo really caught me was with the over-arching storyline that we've been contending with through the whole of the Trinity series. Dealing with the mysterious Architect and their uncontrollable Scarabs moved leaps and bounds in this story and really sets up what's to come next. I really hope the momentum continues into the next book. I really can't say enough about this twist. I WON'T say anymore in order to avoid spoilers, but well played Nalini Singh, well played.

Ivan embraced the silence of the Psy as his "spider" brain wants to destroy everything unless he keeps it on a leash. Soleil is a pack healer that has lost everything including her memories. The two are connected by a mate bond. A psy and changeling may be the saviors of both races. Another interesting read in the series.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. Usually, I'd say that I'd read a telephone book if it was written by Nalini Singh, but even I was a tiny bit wary going into this book, because the amnesia trope is not my jam. However, she plays this off perfectly, and I could not be more thrilled.
Ivan and Lei were adorable together. This is your classic grumpy/sunshine pairing, but I had to love how quickly and easily Ivan was charmed by Lei. He took one look at her, and was like, "This one is the best one ever!". It was so sweet, and it made it so heart wrenching at their moment of separation. They have great chemistry, and tried very hard to have honest, adult communication, which was fantastic. The plot did hinge on events from a previous books, but it didn't just assume that you knew all of the details. I can't wait to see what happens next.

What a ride!



Storm Echo picks up right where Last Guard ended with the event many of us were anticipating/dreading. And it was just as fascinating as I was hoping it would be. This book answers some of the questions we’ve all been speculating about. And opens up new questions.



I loved every part of Soleil and Ivan’s romance. Two people broken more than a little, fighting through grief and pain to heal themselves and each other as they find love. This is the perfect sunshine/grumpy trope; it just takes the sunshine a little longer to break through the clouds.



But as much as I loved the suspense arch and romance, what really stole the show for me were the Mercants. Ivan is who he is because of the love and loyalty of Arwen, Silver, and Canto. And especially Ena Mercant. Outwardly Silent to the world, the furious and unwavering love Ena has for her family grabs me by the heart in every scene with her and won’t let me go. I may have a slight crush on Ena that’s not going to end.



Storm Echo is easily a 5 star read. Nalini Singh did it again.

Storm Echo is captivating, intriguing and full of surprises! It’s so exciting to finally read about the mysterious Ivan Mercant. He’s been mentioned in a couple stories and now we are fully introduced to his unbelievable backstory, explore his unusual psychic gifts and learn how a certain changeling has captured the heart of this stoic and deadly Psy.

Lei (Soleil) is a strong heroine but she’s acting on information that may be misleading and could get her killed. She’s on a mission to avenge her slain packmates when she encounters a stranger that knows who she is, or was, before everything was taken from her. Lei is torn between her human side’s drive for vengeance and her animal side’s need for the handsome Psy.

I absolutely loved Storm Echo. I love Ivan and Lei together. Their personalities balance each other well. I love how Lei’s playful side helps Ivan loosen up a bit and Ivan’s disciplined side helps keep Lei grounded. Lei is so loving and accepting of Ivan, especially when she finds out Ivan’s darkest secrets. They develop a strong, beautifully unique relationship and it’s so awesome to experience.

It’s not a Nalini Singh book without a plethora of secondary characters! I love, love, LOVE revisiting previous characters and couples! It’s always a special treat! The secondary characters support the main characters and it enriches the storyline. The story is exciting, suspenseful and dynamic and I just couldn’t put the book down!

My only question is… whose book is next??? I can’t wait to find out!

After following it for so long, there's something comforting and familiar about each book in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changling Trinity series. The stories do begin to feel a bit alike, but all the characters are sweet people - brooding when something goes wrong, yet fun-loving and good-natured the rest of the time. Storm Echo fits the mold - an enjoyable book, great for some escapism or for longtime fans, but not a standout in the series.

Ivan Mercant is a classic Psy hero - brooding, certain he's damaged and doesn't want or need love for himself. He's deeply attached and loyal to the Mercant clan, but doesn't seek out anything for himself. When he goes away to Texas to train in a changeling wilderness training course, he expects nothing more than to return home with some new skills to offer in protection for his family.

Shockingly, Ivan leaves Texas emotionally devastated, though he won't admit it to anyone. While in the wilderness he met a beautiful changeling woman and started to court her, only to have her disappear on him. Concerned for her safety, Ivan frantically searches for the woman he knows only as “Lei”. It takes fifteen months before a chance meeting on the streets of San Francisco brings them back together, and when they do reunite he's stunned to discover Lei doesn't know him.

Soleil Bijoux is an ocelot changeling who has been badly treated by the world. Orphaned as a child, she was never truly welcome in the ocelot pack that took her in after her parents' deaths. Although she made friends, she didn't have a home there - but nonetheless it was devastating for her when her pack was slaughtered. Soleil was among the few survivors, but was nonetheless cast out by the hateful alpha, who blamed her, as a healer, for not being able to save more of the group. Heartsick, injured, and coping with amnesia around the weeks prior to the attack (including when she met Ivan), Soleil spends months in a fog before she ends up in San Francisco looking for information about where the other survivors have gone.

On the spectrum from character-driven to plot-driven stories, Storm Echo is firmly of the latter type. While both Soleil and Ivan have some trauma and issues to deal with, they fall in love easily and move forward in their romance without question. It's hard to complain about this - no one wants to read a book about unlikeable characters - but I will say that I kept turning pages here to see what happened next, not necessarily because I needed to spend more time with Soleil and Ivan themselves. And the plot is well designed to keep things interesting, as there is all the drama of lost love, amnesia, a reunion between the lovers, a reunion between Soleil and the friends she has lost, the spectre of darkness as Ivan's Psy condition worsens… Singh pulls out all the stops to keep you hooked.

Unfortunately, all the interesting twists in the story can't hide the fact that the central romance is a little bland. I really wanted to love Storm Echo because I'm such a fan of Singh's work and hate to see a series I've long enjoyed become routine. But while I can give this book solid marks as a beach read, it unfortunately doesn't come near my DIK shelf or my list of other favorites by the author.

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A dark threat grows, the Psy Net continues to splinter, and two unlikely lovers meet again. I anticipate each new installment in this series with great excitement and Storm Echo was no exception.

Storm Echo is the #6 entry in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series which is a continuation of the original Psy-Changeling series. These read best in orde,r because the over-arcing series plot and returning characters continues and builds from past books.

Ivan Mercant is not himself and has his formidable grandmother who is the head of his house worried. He hasn’t been the same in over a year since he took a fighter training course in Texas, met a whimsical, joyful Changeling, rescued her after a horrific pack slaughter, and then never saw her again. He’s looked and put the Mercant intelligence service at work, but to no avail. Then in San Francisco, he spots her right as chaos breaks loose on that portion of the Psy Net and he discovers his deadly Psy gift provides him with abilities he didn’t know he had.

Soleil went through a traumatic time when her small, weak pack was destroyed. She has hazy memories of the time, but what she has discovered is that Lucas Hunter, the Dark River pack alpha ordered the slaughter so she is determined to make him pay for killing innocents (not that she puts her old alpha in that category). Only, Lei is a healer and when the moment comes, she finds herself helping to stabilize fallen Psy and curious about the man with cold blue eyes who stares back at her and gives her a strong sense of recognition. When it comes down to it, Lei would rather explore her cat’s strong attraction and need for Ivan Mercant than get revenge on Lucas Hunter- but, at the very least she will make the alpha account for killing her loved ones.

Storm Echo seemed to pull back from the global grand scale and focus on a couple and incidents close to them both in her Changeling world and his Psy world with bigger matters, like the Scarab Queen’s machinations, still there, but muted.

I’ve enjoyed seeing each Mercant cousin with their varied, powerful Psy gifts and horrific pasts get their turn at finding love. Ivan’s story involved living on the street, a mother addicted to Jax, and no idea who his father was while grappling with a unique ability to attach other Psy minds to his and drain them of energy until they’re husks. All his life, he has contained this gift, but now the containment walls are splintering, so he pushes away those he loves for the time he will be gone.

Lei was somewhat baffling to me at first and I was still a little hazy on how everything went down in her life after leaving Ivan at the training center until she shows up in San Francisco. There was an explanation in bits and pieces, but it never felt clear to me. It didn’t take her long, at least, to see that what she thought she knew about Lucas Hunter couldn’t have been more wrong.

Ivan and Lei were another amazing romance pair and I loved seeing open, sweet Lei draw out Ivan and teach him to love and enjoy life. She sticks to him and won’t let him push her away for her own good. I enjoyed seeing more of Ivan’s family particularly Ena and his E-Psy cousin jumping in when Ivan needs them.

Storm Echo had some exciting reveals from what Ivan’s strange Psy ability could do to big progress on the Queen of the Scarabs identity and that surprise connection at the very end that sets up an interesting situation for the next book.

For those coming new to the Psy Changeling world, I recommend readers start at the very beginning of the original series to get the full, deep, and rich wonders of the world and the characters. It is a paranormal romance series that urban fantasy fans can love on, too.