ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR - Nalini Singh
Psy-Changeling , Book 15
Berkley
ISBN: 978-1-101-98777-4
June 2016
Paranormal Fiction

2082

In the three and a half years since Psy Cardinal Sascha Duncan met Changeling Alpha Lucas Hunter, the entire world has changed.  The Psy, who had believed themselves superior to both humans and changelings, had alienated those races to the point of war.  Quietly, and very much behind-the-scenes, a rebellion was brewing in the PsyNet, and when Sascha realized that her true designation is E-Psy, an empath, and then left the Net and mated with Lucas, that rebellion began in earnest.  Through the years, several Psy have left the Net, mating with changelings and humans; a leopard Sentinel mated with a wolf lieutenant, cementing the bond between two changeling packs; and soldiers known as the bogeymen of their race have become known as protectors and saviors.  Races that have been divided for a century have come together to form the Trinity Accord, a cooperative effort that will hopefully lead to the world once again being a functioning triumvirate. 

Yet, with all of the good that's happened, there has also been some bad.  An unknown enemy is willing to do whatever it takes to disrupt the Trinity Accord and cause dissension among the races again.  A message from a missing scientist gives the BlackSea Changelings a new lead in the search for one of their kidnapped members, but will they be able to find her in time?  And murmurings in the PsyNet alert Arrow Aden Kai that either the Consortium or someone else has painted a target on the back of a one-year old psy-changeling child who has become the symbol of change to the world.

The fifteenth book in the Psy-Changeling series is, according to author Nalini Singh, the beginning of "season two" in the series.  The story arc so far has centered around the rebellion in the PsyNet and bringing down Silence as well as uniting the various groups.  In the post-Silence world, things aren't ideal yet, but they all have plenty to celebrate.  While a good portion of ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR is focused on Sascha and Lucas as they deal with the threat to Naya, readers also get a chance to catch up with the characters from the other novels: Mercy and Riley in the last month of her pregnancy; Vasic and Ivy, who have taken in the young teleporter, Tavish, as they settle into family life at the orchard; and Father Xavier, who has finally travelled to his homeland to find his Nina.

This is definitely not the book to start with in this series.  Fans will be thrilled with the chance to revisit favorite characters and see what changes have taken place, but if you've never read the other novels, this won't have the same impact.  Ms. Singh has created a complex, fascinating world in her Psy-Changeling series, and ALLEGIANCE OF HONOR will have readers smiling, laughing, and holding their breath to find out what will happen next.

Jennifer Bishop