Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh

Riley and Mercy’s book

Branded by Fire (Psy-Changelings, Book 6)

By Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:

When a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped, DarkRiver sentinel Mercy, a cat, and SnowDancer lieutenant Riley, a wolf, must work together to track the young man-before his shadowy captors decide he's no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it'll leave them both branded by fire.

Branded by Fire had answered a long time question for me. What would happen if two alphas collided together as a couple? I have read a ton of romance books and usually the couple formula is one dominate and the other is a submissive. “Branded by Fire” added to the intensity of the Phy-Changeling series by not only mating a wolf with a leopard but also an alpha with an alpha. The result was constant conflict, heads butting and the reader constantly taking sides. One minute I was all, “Come on Mercy give him a break. Let it go girl.” And the next I was, “Oh my God Riley you male chauvinistic wolf chill out.”

What I love about Branded by Fire is that Nalini Singh answered so many questions a reader would have about this odd potential mating. I love that she didn’t think the readers wouldn’t question how, why, where and when. I like it when an author knows her readers are smart.

So what would happen if a wolf mated with a leopard? How would they live together when both are an intricate part of each other’s packs? Could they mate? What would result? Cubs, pups, babies? How would their mind nets function? Would they all be joined as one big net now? See all these questions I had? I am so pleased to say, they all get answered!

I found Branded by Fire introduced a lot more characters and I admit it, I was getting confused. You have Mercy’s 3 brothers, the two alphas that were sent by Mercy’s grandmother, a bunch of new younglings from each of the packs, the Human Alliance characters and now at the end of the book, a bird changeling Adam.  I had to stop and pause often to remember who was who.

Once again I was pleased to read about the previous characters. Sascha and Lucas have good news this book and I am very interested in the storyline regarding Sascha’s further developing E-Phy ability. I love the little snippet as to what's up and coming regarding Judd’s niece Sienna’s abilities (not to mention the Hawke connection there) and oh this Phy council has my head spinning. So much to love in this book. I also think of all the books, this one had the most sex. Riley and Mercy had such powerful emotions towards each other and they were either conflicting or having sex the entire book. The minute Mercy finally accepted their mating bond, it was beautifully written and captured their moment perfectly.