REVIEW: Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh

In Primal Mirror by Nalini Singh, Auden Scott can only imagine what the outside world thinks of her, having been born into a Psy family with two highly powerful former Councilors for parents. Even after their deaths, their darkness permeates the Scott family name. Auden would love to be the one to change that. But she must first deal with her own personal issues–mainly the fact that she keeps losing time throughout the day and wakes with her mind a jumble or blank. Oh, and figuring out how she became pregnant with no memories of giving consent to anyone.

‘Her baby would never wonder if she was loved–Auden would drench her world in love.’

As Auden searches for answers, coming up against her mother’s former aides at every turn, she makes a promise to herself that her child will know the love and safety she herself has never felt. And when she comes across a wild leopard alpha, Remington “Remi” Denier, she knows she’s on the right path–for herself and for her precious child. He and his pack prove willing to fight to protect them both as Auden faces down a battle that could potentially end her life.

‘They were RainFire, a pack that held protecting the weak as a core tenet of their honor.’

Remi’s pack, RainFire, might only be about a decade old since its formation, but they are as loyal to each other as the long-standing packs he’s visited. His family of the heart would do absolutely anything for each other–or for anyone unable to fight for themselves. So, when Remi runs into Auden on her family’s property that butts up against his territory, he’s on high alert. He knows the Scott legacy. Everyone does. And while there’s something off about her smell, Auden is in a very vulnerable state being alone at the cabin while late into her pregnancy. His alpha heart is more than willing to watch over her. It’s his emotional reaction to her that throws him. Remi already has his hands full with establishing his pack, but he knows deep down that Auden and her unborn child are his to protect and to love.

‘Remi was in this to the end. For Auden. For her cub. And for the whispered promise of a future that clawed at his heart.’

Lush with deep emotions, personal struggles, a race to stop the clock, and oh so many bonds of love, PRIMAL MIRROR was yet another breathtaking novel in Nalini Singh’s cherished Psy-Changeling series.

‘He was primal heat in her mind, devotion unending, and loyalty boundless.
Remi, my Remi.’

There was a whole lot at stake in PRIMAL MIRROR for the entirety of the world Nalini Singh has carefully and intricately created. As every Psy, Changeling, and Human watched the minutes tick down to what could be the complete collapse of the PsyNet, the fate of fixing the issue fell onto the shoulders of a group who were absolutely scrambling to find an answer. Watching all of those beings pitch in and help each other truly made me realize just how far they have all come since book one. And that growth, those changes, made all the difference.

Written with her never-ending eye for detail, Singh outdid herself here. It was so much fun to get all the details about new-ish leopard pack RainFire–and most especially about their alpha, Remi. Wow. I have to say that as much as I adore Lucas and his DarkRiver pack, Remi and his found family gives them a run for their money. It was so easy to cheer on not only RainFire to succeed but also for Remi and Auden to make things work between them. There were many things in their way. Auden’s ability and the Scott family legacy being part of it. But the respect, care, tenderness, and of course love they shared could not be denied or shattered.

Without giving spoilers, by the ending we do find out the fate of the PsyNet. Let’s just say there were sad *and* happy tears, a sense of relief, but still questions about the future and where things will lead. I’m hoping Singh has many, many more books for us in this series as there are lots of characters fans are still clamoring to learn more about. (Angel! Kit! Rina!) But in the meantime, we have this perfectly balanced, heartfelt story to tide us over.

QOTD: What was the last unputdownable book you read?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: July 23rd, 2024 | Berkley | Psy-Changeling Trinity #8

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into a family dark with shadowy secrets, as the world of the Psy teeters on the edge of a final catastrophic collapse. . . .

Daughter of two ruthless high-Gradient telepaths, Auden Scott is not the child her Psy parents wanted or expected, even before her brain injury. Her thoughts are scattered, her memories fuzzy—or just terrifyingly blank. The only thing she knows for certain is that she must protect her unborn baby . . . a baby she has no recollection of conceiving and who draws an unnerving depth of interest from her dead mother’s closest associates.

Leopard alpha Remi Denier is a man driven by the primal instinct to protect. Protect his pack, protect his allies . . . and protect the mysterious woman who has become a most unlikely neighbor. With eerie eyes that see too much and a scent that alters in ways disturbing and impossible, Auden Scott is the enemy . . . but nothing about this strange Psy is what it seems, and Remi’s feline heart is as fascinated by her as his human half.

Then Auden asks Remi to help her shatter the wall of secrets that is the Scott bloodline. What they unearth will reveal a nightmare beyond imagination. This time, the battle is to the death..