50books_poc | 'Blaze of Memory' by Nalini Singh (Reply)

This is the latest of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series, which I continue to read. I've actually not read any of the books for a while, and so had to go back and read the previous two, just to make sense of this plot, which I think is fairly indicative.

Basically, if you've read the rest of the series, then do read this. The plot continues to be interesting and engaging, with a heavy layer of romantic schmaltz and slightly dubious alpha male/broken female power dynamics thrown over the top. Dev, the hero in this, is the Director of the Shine Foundation, Talin's boss from 'Mine to Possess'. He's also the first hero to be both PoC and have a clearly defined and explored culture - he's obviously Asian, has an Asian name, and speaks Hindi with his grandmother. I quite liked this, but other than that, he's a fairly standard Nalini Singh Alpha Male.

There are some nice moments from the characters from the previous books - Judd Lauren, Lucas, Sascha, in particular - and I did like some of the character development for the counselors. Overall, I did like this book, but I just wish Nalini Singh weren't quite so wedded to her slightly squicky male/female power dynamics.