REVIEW: JOINT REVIEW: Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh
We usually start the reviews in this series by noting how many books are in the series and how many Janine and I have reviewed together. I insist on doing this for some reason, even though I find the math confusing and challenging at this point. But anyway, by my count, this is our 11th year reviewing these together. Resonance Surge is the 22nd book in the series (which is technically two series – the Psy/Changeling books – 15 and the Psy/Changeling Trinity books – 7). This is the also 11th book we’ve reviewed together, meaning we’ve reviewed exactly half the series together.
Janine, please check my math!
Janine: You are correct, Jennie. The main reason I know this is because last year was the year I joked about that being our aluminum anniversary.
Jennie: With that out of the way, onto Resonance Surge:
StoneWater bears Pavel and Yakov Stepyrev have been a unit since birth, but now Pavel’s life is veering in a new direction, his heart held in the hands of Arwen Mercant, a Psy empath—and the only man who has ever brought Pavel to his knees.
This is it. A point of irrevocable change. For Pavel . . . for Arwen . . . for Yakov . . . and for another pair of twins whose bond has a far darker history.
A low-Gradient Psy, Theodora Marshall is considered worthless by everyone but her violently powerful twin, Pax. She is the sole person he trusts in their venomous family to investigate a hidden and terrible part of their family history—an unregistered rehabilitation Center established by their grandfather.
The Centers are an ugly vestige of the Psy race’s Silent past. But this Center was worse. Far, far worse. And now Theo must uncover the awful truth—in the company of a scowling bear named Yakov, who isn’t about to take a Marshall at face value . . . especially a Marshall who has turned his dreams into chilling nightmares.
Because Yakov is the great-grandson of a foreseer . . . and he has seen Theo die in an unstoppable surge of blood. Night after night after night . . .
I’ll admit I was hesitant when I saw that the hero was a bear – Silver Silence didn’t work so well for Janine, in part, I believe, due to …the somewhat unromantic image of bear shapeshifters. They aren’t sinuous leopards or noble wolves, to be sure.
That said, I think Singh does a pretty good job of leaning into the virtues of the bear persona as depicted in the Psy/Changeling world; bears here are fun-loving and mischievous. I appreciate the lightness of Yakov, at least a partial contrast to the super-intense typical Singh hero. To be sure, Yakov’s manly manliness and “dominance” (a concept that *I* don’t really like about this world) are attested to frequently, but he’s also playful and relatively happy-go-lucky.
Janine: I groaned when I heard this would be a bear book but I ended up really, really liking Yakov. I thought he was fun, caring and sexy, and that he was right in the happy middle between overbearing or not having enough spine for my taste.
Jennie: Which means of course that it’s our heroine, Theo, who has to be uber-tortured and convinced that she is unworthy of love. Theo does indeed have tragically traumatic background – rejected by her powerful family due to her apparent lack of psychic gifts; separated from her beloved twin at an early age and subjected to abuse from her evil grandfather, who she fears used her to carry out dark deeds. Adult Theo has a lot of anger and guilt. She meets Yakov when they are tasked with working together to uncover the mystery behind a secret “rehabilitation center” owned and operated by Theo’s family.
Janine: I really liked Theo’s anger. We don’t really encounter a lot of angry heroines in romance even now, and I haven’t seen many in Singh’s. I liked that Theo’s anger manifested in dangerous ways that were not entirely under her control, but she didn’t want to harm anyone and that tortured her.
Jennie: I think that’s a good point. Theo’s anger was definitely justified and I appreciated that she wasn’t a stereotypical forgiving female.
Janine: I also really, really liked the creepy mystery about the rehabilitation center, and I thought it gave the book a Guild Hunter-ish flavor. For those who don’t read them, Singh’s Guild Hunter novels often have scenes where the couple investigate a creepy / eerie place together. Singh does that kind of atmospheric darkness well. I have a preference for the Guild Hunter series over the Psy/Changeling one—the books are more varied and not generally focused on fatal brain diseases or dominance and submissiveness—and the GH vibe gave this book some positive associations.
Jennie: Both Yakov and Theo are immediately struck with the usual attraction that is to be expected in this series. For Yakov, there is more – he recognizes Theo. Specifically, he recognizes her from his dreams, where she has been a featured player for many years. First as a loving companion and partner, but most recently – horrifically – as a victim. Yakov has been haunted by dreams of Theo being slashed by an unknown assailant while he watches, bound and unable to save her.
It is when Yakov and Theo first approach the apparently abandoned rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Moscow that Theo has a revelation – she’s been here before. Flashbacks show her being taken there by her grandfather and subjected to painful experiments. Theo’s memories from ages 8-16 are fragmented and she doesn’t have full recall of what happened to her at the center, but she has a strong negative response to even being there. The trauma of it is an opportunity for Theo and Yakov to grow closer and for him to both admire her grit and take care of her, which of course his bear wants to do.
Janine: I thought this was interesting too. The only other character I can think of who spent time in a center like that was Ivy, but we really don’t know anything about what it was like or what happened to her there. Dark though the glimpse of it here was, it was a nice expansion of the psy/changeling world.
Jennie: The trajectory of Theo’s and Yakov’s story is pretty familiar for fans of this series. She’s tortured. He’s protective. She has a dark secret that makes her feel like they can never actually be together. I’d complain about the repetition and the almost Madlibs style plotting (insert [tortured Psy/tortured changeling] add [physical challenge/emotional challenge] blocking the HEA, etc.), but complaining about a formula on book 22 seems silly.
Janine: Yes, I’m pretty much in the same space. At least here the impending death had to do with murder more than anything brain-related. I liked the characters very much (better than average for this series, I would say) so I was willing to go with it although the scene in the nightclub was a little too familiar (also in GH way, I think).
Jennie: I haven’t read any of the Guild Hunters books, but I feel like some of the “Changelings size up the Psy partner” scenes were rather familiar at this point.
Janine: That was not actually the aspect that reminded me of the Guild Hunter series. It was Theo’s private interaction with the club owner–it felt very Elena to me. It reminded me of when Elena met her business partner in the flavored synthetic blood business and of other interactions Elena has had. I love Elena so it wasn’t a terrible thing, but it felt a bit like it fell short of how much I like that kind of thing when Elena is actually involved. I like Theo so this isn’t a criticism of her.
Jennie: There is an aspect of the story that is fresh and gives insights into the beginnings of Silence. The beginnings of some of the chapters feature letters back and forth between Yakov’s great-grandfather, Dewei Nguyen and his sister Hien. Dewei was a Psy who mated into the Stonewater bear clan. Their early correspondence is loving and light, but after Hien suffers a tragedy she begins to be drawn to the promise of Silence, a protocol that is being debated at the time. It’s sad to see the break in the family as Hien choose what she believes is the right path for herself and her child, a path that cuts her off from Dewei and her parents forever.
Janine: As I was reading this correspondence, I kept expecting Hien to end up in a rehabilitation center and for the storylines to connect in this way. I was relieved that wasn’t the case, but this expectation cast a pall over the letters for me (not the author’s fault, I know—my brain often sees twists where there aren’t any).
Jennie: I wasn’t expecting that but was expecting some sort of twist or resolution to the letters that never came. That said, I wasn’t disappointed; I found them poignant and I felt that they gave some nuance to the origins of Silence, which usually just seems like a really bad idea that made the Psy even more messed up than they already are (the Psy=bad and Changeling=good being a general complaint I’ve had about the series).
Both Theo and Yakov are twins, and their twin relationships are central to who they are. Yakov is able to understand Theo’s situation with her brother, Pax, better than most people. Pax Marshall is a very prominent Psy (I sort of see him as Kaleb Krycheck 2.0) and Theo has been the dirty little secret of the Marshall clan for as long as she can remember.
Janine: Yes, I think I dubbed him Baby Kaleb several books ago. That said, we see a softer side to Pax here and I liked it (especially child Pax). However there was one Pax and Theo thing that confused me.
Spoiler: Show
Jennie: Yakov’s twin, Pavel, and Arwen Mercant are featured in Resonance Surge as well. Pavel and Arwen are a couple; their romance developed in Last Guard and continues here.
Janine: I really like Arwen but I thought Pavel was a little boring in this book. Arwen had a small arc here that was not 100% convincing to me, but I went with it.
Spoiler: Show
Jennie: As if there weren’t enough going on, there’s a serial killer stalking blonde-haired, blue-eyed Psy in Moscow. Guess Theo’s coloring?
There were some things I found confusing at the end of the book. Theo remembers committing some dark deeds at her grandfather’s behest, but isn’t clear if she was controlled or did them of her own free will. I found the resolution of this a bit unclear.
Janine: Yeah, I can see why, it was a blinked-and-you-missed-it thing.
Spoiler: Show
One thing I keep forgetting to mention was that “Bozhe!” and “Bozhe Moi!” appeared almost often enough for a drinking game.
Jennie: Resonance Surge was an average entry into the series for me. I’ll give it a B/B-.
Janine: As usual I liked this one a bit better than you did. It was not a standout, and in fact, I read it more slowly than I typically read the psy/changeling books. But I did really like the main characters very much, and I’m giving it a B.
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The letters showed that Hein was trying to do what she thought was the right thing for her daughter, like so many of the other psy at the time. In the end we learned her daughter was Neiza. We know Neiza grew up to be part of the Council. Neiza was responsible for a lot of bad stuff. I’ve forgotten how to do spoilers but basically she was behind the creation of the Centers, oversaw the development of Jax, etc. (Hopefully that’s not too spoilerish) Obviously this was not all solely her doing, but she played a large part.
Catherine and Arif were the founders of the Mercury cult and created the Silence Protocol. (We’ve known that since way back in Caressed by Ice).
As for Theodora she took responsibility but in the conversation at the house it’s made clear she didn’t have the free will to decide for herself. Making her so malleable to suggestion was the point. (trying not to be too spoilery).
@library addict: oops responsibility and malleable. Accidentally hit send before I read what I wrote.
@library addict: Great to see you here, it’s been a long time!
I had a feeling I’d heard of Catherine and Arif before but I couldn’t recall the context.
I agree re Theo not having control but it’s been a while since I read the arc and I don’t recall the details much — was it a brain implant or drugs or both? And also since Theo was quite young when it all happened, I didn’t think she should blame herself even if she wasn’t overtly mind controlled. She’s a child and her grandfather / guardian was certainly manipulative, controlling and abusive. I don’t think Yakov made that argument but I would have liked to see it in the book.
What did you think of the book overall? Was it a favorite for you?
@library addict: I made the corrections for you.
@library addict: I remember us discussing who the Architect could be a long time ago. What did you think of that reveal in the previous book?
@Janine: It was a combination of drugs and manipulation. He would repeat a command often enough until she decided it was something she wanted to do (as a test, he made her burn her own arm with a fire poker IIRC) I agree she wasn’t responsible even as a teen.
I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t an instant favorite. I think I mentioned before I am meh on Pax. I don’t dislike him, but there are others I want to see get books first. Theodora was included on that list, so I’m happy she got a book.
The Architect’s identity was obvious to me from the Central Park scene in the book when they were introduced. I was hoping to be wrong and The Architect would turn out to be a human or a changeling. But now that we know, I am wondering where the whole subplot with the PsyNet will go. I feel like we are getting a lot of puzzle pieces but are still missing some big ones. Several theories, but that’s part of the fun of the series for me.
@library addict: Thanks for this – I am not good, at this point in my life/reading, at remembering these sorts of details, so this went whoosh over my head. It’s interesting though. I felt for Hein because she was making what she thought was the right choice but the reader obviously could see (not just from knowledge of how Silence played out, but just by common sense) that it wasn’t the right choice at all.
Regarding Theo and her guilt, the only thing that is still sort of a question for me is that she felt so much guilt and then just…didn’t? But nothing had really changed. I absolutely agree that she wasn’t really responsible, but I’m not sure I understand what changed for her that she was able to accept it.
@Jennie: I took it to be that she felt it was a strong possibility if not probability that she was as evil as everyone in her family and that she had given in to Marshall’s requests to court his favor. In her mind she was the one responsible.
Once she had confirmation that it hadn’t truly been her decision, she still felt some guilt over the part she’d played but was able to let go of the crushing weight of most of it. But she also felt that it was because she took some responsibily she could process it and let it go.I liked that she was getting counceling and it hadn’t just magically disappeared.
@Jennie and @library addict: Yes, that was my interpretation too. She felt it would have been wrong to have done it just to please him (though I disagree, given how abusive he was and how much he controlled her life). So if you accept that premise then learning that this wasn’t why she did it freed her from that guilt. I actually don’t have such a problem with Theo thinking this way. People sometimes have distorted thinking about their own culpability in things they did as kids. But Yakov seemed to agree with her, at least early on, so it seemed like more than jut her POV.
@library addict: What was it about the Central Park scene that gave her identity away? Also what are your theories? I am wondering where Pax fits in.
I think Pax and Theo will solve the Scarab Syndrome problems with their twin connection. Frankly I was bored with this installment, it seemed recycled from the the first few books when Silence fell apart the first time. How many catastrophic events can she keep coming up with? How many psychopath killers can she keep coming up with? There is nothing new about this and I think it’s time to end the series for good. Although I would like a book about Noor and Jon as adults.
I was also surprised she released this during the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Many authors have put books or future plot advances on hold because of the uncomfortable idea of a Russian hero.
@library addict: Thanks; that all makes sense.
@mel burns: It didn’t occur to me to be judgy about a Russian hero – the Russia (and the world) in these books is far enough away from reality that I just don’t see it as an issue. I might feel differently with a book that’s not alternate reality, I guess.
@mel burns: I have heard about this (authors withdrawing books set in Russia and featuring Russian characters) and I’m not sure what to think about it. I would not want books that are rah rah about Russia’s government, military officials, etc. But there are good and bad people in every country, including Russia. As long as the book doesn’t aggrandize the country or its government, I’m not sure I see the harm. I haven’t been following these types of conversations much though so I may be missing something.
To give an example of what I mean though, I think the world would be much poorer without Erich Kastner’s children’s books. He was a German and wrote some of them during World War II; they feature German characters and are set in Germany, but he was also a pacifist whose books were burned by the Nazis because he objected to the war.
Well you sure put me in my place.
Comparing the importance of Kastner’s children’s books to a paranormal sex driven romance is very disconcerting.
2023, Ladies! Russia IS destroying Ukrainian’s beloved country to smithereens. Publishing any book with a Russian hero is risky even if there is no rah rah rah and you think it’s okay because it’s an “alternate universe”. SMH
I am appalled that you’d jump to judgement and am reminded of Trump’s defense of the Charlottesville White Nationalist March, when he said “they’re were some very nice people on both sides”. Weak.
I apologize. I didn’t mean to make the comparison between the two books, just to say that I would need a book to be rah rah to find it offensive personally. I completely understand readers choosing not to read it, finding it upsetting etc. but I don’t see it as insensitive to publish it, necessarily. The series is set in alt-Russia. Now we can ask why she chose to set the series there but I suspect it goes back to Kaleb being a Russia-based character all the way back in Caressed by Ice which came out long before this war, and that the author wanted to write a series set in Kaleb’s part of the world.
I only brought in Kastner not as a comparison to this book but as part of my personal history, to say that as a granddaughter of Holocaust survivors I am not personally offended by all books set in WW II Germany and published in the 1940s—that for me to find it offensive there would have to be something in the book itself to indicate complicity with the Nazi regime. Would I want to read it? Would I find it triggering? Those for me are different questions than whether it should be published. But I do apologize — I took that out of my comment and so it came across poorly.
I’ve been waiting for you two to review this latest installment! I share your general opinion and grade. Sigh. The main feeling of blah that I get with this series is how rare it is to find characters who are individuals. Who aren’t a composite. The bears are lovely but have few individual character traits. Everyone is a version of Valentin. The wolves are almost as bad. I enjoyed Alpha Night and Ocean Light because they included characters who weren’t so cookie-cutter. The more recent books have not really captured my interest.
The plot was … odd. Or maybe it’s fairer to say this book is more character-driven? About Theo coming to grips w the abuse and horror of her childhood. Yes there is a serial killer on the loose, but NS has trained her readers not too be afraid of these type of baddies as they always get caught. I have to say I knew who the killer was from very early on, again because NS has dropped clues like this before about an older supposed dead character (ahem…..Caressed by Ice ).
Pax and Theo are very interesting as harmonies. We didn’t see that aspect of their abilities or their relationship however. We just get given details about it.
I have completion compulsion which will keep me reading this series but the next installment will sorely test me if is another of these tiny hints about the looming crisis and long stretches of page time devoted to characters who aren’t memorable. I guess with 22 previous books this IS a challenge…
@Kate Latterell: Good point about all the bears being a verion of Valentin. I hadn’t thought about it but you’re right. Maybe that’s why they aren’t my favorties. Also a good point that Singh has trained us not to fear her villains much, at least in this series. I feel similarly about the brain diseases. Has any character we cared about ever died of one?
I agree about Ocean Light–it’s my favorite of the Trinity books so far. I am looking forweard to Malachi and Miane’s book(s). I also thought Payal was an unusual character, a couple of books ago.
Do you read the Guild Hunter books? I have some dread that a certain “dead” character in that isn’t really dead. I’m very tired of this person.
@Kate Latterell: I agree with just about everything you’ve said. The series is EXTREMELY formulaic, with few exceptions. But I feel compelled to keep reading.
@Janine: Yes, Payal! That book was a page-turner for me. Some of my favorite moments from Last Guard happened with Payal interacting w the ruling coalition—her bluntness was awesome! That was a satisfying book in terms of leaping the overall plot forward.
Yes, the Guild Hunter series is a favorite of mine because Elena. Okay, not just her but mainly her. I wasn’t crazy about the most recent installment in that series. Caliane and Sharine feel very realistic as ancients. Alexander was hard to take and soooo much page time was given over to essentially making the point that Zani and Alex can’t work it out, repeating themselves thru time. I will NOT be happy if the big bad in the series continues to be someone believed to be dead. When can we move on?
@Jennie: I read what Nalini Singh writes. Maybe it’s comfort reading but so be it.
@Kate Latterell: Those were among the best Last Guard scenes for me too.
Elena is awesome and quite possibly the best character Nalini Singh has crafted. I love Judd too so it’s a hard call. But with Elena we’e had a chance to see her evolve more since we’ve gotten to know her for multiple books. And she just gets better and better as a character with every book. Agreed on Alexander, 100%. Sadly I am convinced that villain is going to make a comeback. I posted my theory about it on the Archangel’s Light thread—read and weep if you agree (and only if you want to, of course—it’s the twentieth comment down). I am at the edge of my seat waiting for Illium to ascend. I think that could open up his characterization and very possibly Aodhan’s in very interesting ways.
In general, I feel there is a lot more differentiation among the Guild Hunter characters than among the psy / changeling protagonists. Do you agree or disagree?
@Janine, yes the Guild Hunter series is one of my favorites. I think one reason is that each of the seven and the hunters all hold readers’ attention as they appear on the page, and they have grown and changed over the course of the series. I have only grown tired of Lijuan as the endless center of all things. But each book has been pretty strong for me, excepting the Alex/Zani book. Two super old archangels who can’t work out their feelings (or get out of their own way! I mean seriously…Alex gives the impression of having no interpersonal skills which is strange since he has this cred. For being the best political negotiator and general in all the previous books…ugh I digress). The details of the ending of that book are fuzzy for me now, but I remember thinking it came close to muddying plot lines from Archangel’s Sun and the toxin and angels? …
I found the thread of comments from Archangel’s Light and read your theory on Jinhai/Quon. O.M.G.
I guess I think it’s reaching to make him NOT Lijuan’s actual biological child, mainly becuase I want her gone gone gone. Also sidenote I absolutely need to reread the whole series now. Back to your theory, are you saying that Jinhai is a peice of Lijuan? A la Uran and what he did to Holly? I am picturing that she had a child but then wondered how to extend her life? Power? It makes a very dark and fitting kind of sense that Lijuan began by experimenting w her progeny.
But question: Jinhai has been grounded, imprisoned to the point his (their?) wings have rotted. How does that fit your theory? Why would she keep her “backup plan” in such a weakened and weak state?
@Kate Latterell: Yes I think Jinhai is a piece of Lijuan, or rather that he contains a piece of Lijuan. Lijuan’s plan was to rise out of him at some point, emerge from him if that makes sense. The exterior of Jinhai is somebody else, like Holly was when Uram infected her. But I think Lijuan is going to be much better at that kind of thing than Uram, so it’s either going to work or almost work. I am hoping the other archangels destroy her before she completes her transformation. Like you I’ve had enough Lijuan.
Re Jinhai’s wings and imprisonment, I see two possibilities. A) Lijuan just enjoyed. torturing him because she was sick and twisted and/or B) Lijuan wanted to keep him imprisoned and tucked away so no one would discover her secret backup plan. Destroying his wings was also a way to ensure that. Because the exterior of Jinhai is a different person (like Holly was) she didn’t trust him not to try to escape. Wings can grow back, after all.
(I wonder if the time gash forward ten years is partly so that Jinhai’s wings will have grown back in time for the next book.)
I’m freaking out now, @Janine. Your theory is plausible. Lijuan is that creepy. Still hope you’re wrong tho because ugh, tired of her.
Hey Janine, did you find the newly revealed cover of Archangel’s Lineage as intriguing as I did? It looks like an Elena-centric story is next in the offing, and since she appears to be in the Refuge, she might be pregnant! Plus the title seems like a pretty good hint to that effect.
Of course, it could also be referring to another Archangel’s lineage as well…horrors.
Yes, I saw it and it is gorgeous (I have a thing for blue covers). Here it is for those who want to see it: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/720938/archangels-lineage-by-nalini-singh/
As an aside: why don’t the psy/changeling books get covers this pretty? I love how Tony Mauro captures the color palettes that the Guild Hunter world contains. That aside I would like a cover with Raphael on it just so I can see what he (and his wings) look like.
Penguin Random House are you listening? Not that I don’t love Elena more.
I wouldn’t assume that’s the refuge, although it could be. She does not look pregnant. It could be China too and I’m already grimacing at the thought of more Lijuan. You’re right about the title.