Review: Alpha Night

Alpha Night by Nalini Singh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Just when we thought the psy world could not be any crueler, Ms. Singh dishes up Alpha Night. This is a must read book which will have a reader up all night reading from beginning to the end. Continuing in the spin-off series Psy-Changeling Trinity, the front and center characters are Selenka and Ethan. She's a wolf; he's a psychic.

Ethan is a "broken" Arrow who makes decisions to see if he can feel anything. He believes he is jaded and this lack of emotion makes him seem like a sociopath. His interaction and initial introduction to Selenka is not as he planned. This is where the intrigue and conspiracy start. As with all the changeling-psy books, the character development in this book is the driver. When it comes to character building and complexity, Ms. Singh delivers time and time again. For fans who thought they had seen every permutation of Arrows and empaths, Ms. Singh surprises readers again.

This story is so much more than two characters from opposite worlds falling in love with each other. It is about loyalty, family, regrets and betrayal. And yet there is more…the underlying subplot of the mastermind trying to take down the trinity is slowly revealed. There is a lot going on in this book and Ms. Singh does a wonderful job flowing from one scene to another. I really enjoyed being able to see a couple of subplot interwoven into the main romance plot. This gives the story a greater complexity and continues the momentum moving forward … towards the end game. Who is at the helm of the Consortium, and is it someone who is hiding in plain sight? There are several reveals in this story that make me want to immediately read the next book.

Intrigue and conspiracies aside, the romance element in this story is sweet. Ethan is a man who has never wooed a woman and true to his upbringing, he reads a manual for guidance. The light hearted humour nicely balances out the sorrow and darkness which permeates through this story. The slowly developing romance through bonding, experiences and setbacks help show this is not an instalove story. Ms. Singh's trademark style of showing love through actions instead of words is in full force here. Ethan and Selenka are believable role models of how a healthy courtship can happen. Love it. This paranormal romance is highly recommended to readers who love strong female leads who find their alpha male partner.

*provided by Edelweiss