Tag Archives: Nalini Singh

Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Rock Courtship (Rock Kiss, #1.5) by Nalini Singh

Title: Rock Courtship
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Rock Kiss #1.5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Music
Dates read: 15th – 16th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Nalini Singh
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: I’ll be your wingman.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s new contemporary romance novella is pure hard rock and scorching heat…

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band’s publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn’t date clients–or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she’s not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn’t know is that David is a one-woman man…and he’s madly in love with her. David’s determined to prove he’s worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea’s about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

Thoughts

David and Thea’s relationship begins to blossom and be heavily hinted at throughout Rock Addiction. But it isn’t until this novella that you get to find out the truth. Mostly, I was seriously curious about the “bad thing” that happened at some point in the timeline and their need to be together, alone for a while. Now I know. And it was a brilliant little side point in the story line.

This novella, like the first novel in this series was seriously just so damn sweet! My heart completely skipped a beat while reading this. It made me all gushy and melting-in-a-puddle. Which is exactly why I love Singh’s writing. Although, her contemporary romances are a little less conspiracy-driven (at least thus far) and the sweetness just exudes from the pages of my Kobo in this novella.

In Rock Addiction, Molly suggests to David that he use a memo to get Thea’s attention. I laughed at the idea, but honestly, wasn’t really sure how it would work out… but now… now, I also want to be seduced by a memo. They were professional, cute, and seriously hot and steamy. Exactly what I would love in a seduction… even though I can’t imagine my other half being able to write that professionally…

Alongside a great romance, this novella shows you wonderful aspects of both David and Thea’s pasts. They don’t have the issues that the other couples in this series have, but they do have a number of little hang ups that they need to get over. And that they find a great way to overcome. It’s sweet, it’s beautiful and it will definitely make you believe in true love.

<- Rock AddictionRock Hard ->

Image source: Goodreads

Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Rock Addiction - Nalini Singh :: NYT bestselling author

Title: Rock Addiction
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Rock Kiss #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Music
Dates read: 13th – 14th June 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Nalini Singh
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: Knuckling it away, she got up and found the phone as well as the chocolate-fudge icecream and took both back to the couch.

Synopsis

A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…

Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.

A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be…

Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…

Thoughts

There are certain authors that every time I pick up one of their books, I genuinely wonder how I forgot how damn good their writing is. And Singh is definitely one of these authors! I walk away from her books for a little while, but then I pick up the next one in my pile… and WA BAM! I just can’t forget about the story. And it makes me want to scour my shelves for all the other Singh books so that I can have that enjoyment again and again and again.

This is the first contemporary romance of Singh’s that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. It is very different from her other two series; Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter. Yet, there is still that same sweetness and simplicity to the storyline that I absolutely adore. The fact that it was contemporary mostly just made it feel all that much more realistic and likely. Alright, it’s still a romance and that doesn’t mean that this is actually going to happen. But it’s still a little easier and nicer to imagine…

I love that this story combines the horrors of the past with issues in the present. That even though at the beginning it’s Molly’s issues that you think could cause issues, Fox’s also play a pretty major part in their relationship. It’s a great reminder that even if you are knee-deep, drowning in your own issues… a happily ever after is, in fact possible. And something that it is worth aspiring to. And I also love how they accept each other for those issues, and find ways to work with each other and around them. To me, that’s what true love is all about.

I’m now hanging out for the rest of these stories. I just can’t wait for the other band members to start falling head over heels in love! Actually, the moment I write the last letter of this review… I’m going to grab my Kobo and get started on Rock Courtship. Because I just have to know what happens to David and Thea…

<- More Nalini SinghRock Courtship ->

Image source: Nalini Singh

Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for wolf rain book cover

Title: Wolf Rain
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Dates read: 3rd – 5th January 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hachette New Zealand
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: His energy filled the space to bursting.

Synopsis

Kidnapped as a young girl, her psychic powers harnessed by a madman, Memory lives in a caged and isolated existence… until she comes face-to-face with a wolf. Labelled an empath by her bad-tempered rescuer, Memory knows that her ‘gift’ is nothing so bright. It is a terrible darkness that means she will always be hunted.

But Memory is free now and she intends to live. A certain growly wolf can just deal with it.

Alexei prefers to keep his packmates at bay, the bleak history of his family a constant reminder that mating, love and hope are not for him. But Memory, this defiant and fearless woman who stands toe-to-toe with him, awakens the most primal part of his nature – and soon, he must make a choice: risk everything or lose Memory to a murderous darkness that wants to annihilate her from existence…

Thoughts

Normally as soon as I receive the next book in the Psy-Changeling Trinity, I read it the moment it arrives on my doorstep. Cover to cover. Not even pausing to eat (I eat, but I’ve gotten very good at doing so whilst reading). This time I waited a little bit longer. I was trying to show that I had self-control or some such nonsense… what a mistake. I did manage to stretch my reading over two days instead of less than 10 hours, so that was helpful for the whole adult thing… but otherwise I feel that I exercised some great self-control when reading such a phenomenal book.

One thing that always surprises me about this series is that at no point has it gotten same-same. Normally when I’m looking at such a large series, especially one that is a romance, you tend to start falling into tropes. Which just means that I have to take a few more breaks between each story. Not so with this. I’m not even sure at this point how many Psy-Changeling books, novellas and short stories I have just absorbed. But I do know that it’s a lot. And that I’m seriously grateful for them. 2019 was super crappy, and this was the first book of 2020. What a beautiful way to start the year.

One of the aspects of the storyline in this series which stops it from getting stale is the overarching battles and mystery being faced. There are just enough hints of another being and another battle being fought that you’re not only reading to find out if the couple get the happily ever after you want, but also because there’s some crazy out there trying to destroy the Alliance. In this case, it was a man who had no idea what he was doing. And, although there was kind of a conclusion to that little point of anarchy, I’m not sure that it was completely solved. And it hinted at SO MUCH MORE. Probably why, even after umpteen +++ books, I’m still hanging out excitedly for the next story.

One of my favourite aspects to this story though was the use of a flip side to empaths. No matter what lore or belief system you look at, empaths are generally something gentle and good. They can twist this a little, but I can only think of one other character in all the books I’ve read that was able to put a darker twist on the ability. Memory’s version of empathy is so completely different. Yet, it makes a great kind of sense. After all, you can’t have the light without the dark…. Which doesn’t mean that dark is evil. As this story will surely convince you.

 <- Ocean LightAlpha Night ->

Image source: Kobo

Burning Up by Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra & Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
burning-up

Title: Burning Up
Author: Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra & Meljean Brook
In: Burning Up (Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Short story collections, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 30th January – 4th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Ria opened her mouth to reply but something made her turn to the doorway.

Synopsis

Passion runs as hot as a fever dream in these all-new stories by four New York Times bestselling provocateurs of the paranormal…

In Angela Knight’s Blood and Roses, a vampire warrior and his seductive captor join forces to stop a traitor from unleashing an army of demonic predators on their kingdom.

New in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series is Whisper of Sin, in which a woman in lethal danger finds an unlikely protector – and lover – in a volatile member of the DarkRiver pack.

Virginia Kantra continues the haunting tales of the Children of the Sea in Shifting Sea, the story of a wounded soldier rescued by a strange and enigmatic young woman.

Meljean Brook launches a bold new steampunk series with Here There Be Monsters, as a desperate woman strikes a provocative – and terrifying – bargain to gain overseas passage.

Thoughts

I’ve had this collection sitting on my shelf for ages. I just haven’t gotten around to reading it… until now. And now I’m wondering why I took so long to sink my literary teeth in… I already had the Psy-Changeling series, but now I have another three paranormal romance series to obsess over… when they eventually arrive on my doorstep.

The themes and paranormal characters in this collection of four novellas run the gambit. There’s a steampunk tale with pirates, a romance with a leopard shapeshifter and one with vampires and their battles. The romances are instantaneous and involve a lot of running away… the only thing that these four novellas really have in common is the fact that they are all intense, fun and have a good ending. Although, maybe not good stories to read when you have to sleep alone….

 <- Here There Be MonstersWhisper of Sin ->

Image source: Nalini Singh

The Magical Christmas Cat by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones

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Overview
Image result for the magical christmas cat book cover

Title: The Magical Christmas Cat
Author: Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones
In: The Magical Christmas Cat (Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: A feline smile.

Synopsis

There’s something magical about Christmas and cats…

Four top-selling authors have a special gift for you this year: never-before-published holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories – including one featuring Lora Leigh’s genetically altered Feline Breeds – this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night…

Thoughts

I bought this book because I wanted something that was Christmassy to get me in the Christmas mood. I saw that I recognised one of the four authors, and figured I really couldn’t go wrong the a name like “The Magical Christmas Cat”. And boy was I not disappointed.

There isn’t an overwhelming Christmas feel to some of these stories, they’re not full on and cliched like some collections I have picked up in the past. But, there is enough of the Christmas spirit and time of year to make you excited for the madness of family and gift giving. The moments when you look around at the bedlam and go “yup, I love these nut bags” (or at least, that’s what I feel most of the time around the Christmas period).

I liked the backdrop of Christmas against these four novellas. The romance that takes place in each tale is somehow more pure and simple during the holiday season, and it also promotes feelings of mistletoe and gifts. Long nights by the firelight under the Christmas tree (even though, as an Aussie, I’ve never actually sat by the Christmas tree under the flickering lights of a fire)… there is just something fun and beautiful about these Christmassy feline stories and I definitely suggest reading it in the holiday season!

 <- Christmas HeatStroke of Enticement ->

Image source: Amazon

An Enchanted Season by Nalini Singh, Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy & Jean Johnson

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for an enchanted season book cover

Title: An Enchanted Season
Author: Nalini Singh, Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy & Jean Johnson
In: An Enchanted Season (Nalini Singh, Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy & Jean Johnson)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: Merry Christmas.

Synopsis

It’s the time of year when dreams come true, miracles happen every day, and love is the greatest gift of all. The holidays always seem to bring out the best in everyone, with heartfelt hugs for long-missed friends, sincere smiles in the spirit of the season, and a feeling of magic in the air…

This scintillating collection of paranormal romances celebrates the holidays as never before. From a shape-shifting leopardess who wants a packmate to be her soul mate to a sudden snow-storm that brings a surprise gift, these four tales by Nalini Singh, Maggie Shayne, Erin McCarthy, and Jean Johnson will stir your spirit in all the right places.

Thoughts

Naw. This collection left me with such happy, Christmassy, gooey feelings. All four of these novellas are simple, cute and incredibly sweet. They encompass the feelings of love and giving that to me is the true spirit of Christmas. After finishing every single one of these novellas, I not only bought something by each of the authors, but I just sat there with a feeling of bliss and happiness that there is still goodness in the world.

I know that the storyline is really good and sweet when it makes me tear up a bit. The fact that every single story in this collection did that to me is a fantastic indication of just how special this entire collection is. If you need something feel good and beautiful, this is certainly a reflection worth reading!

 <- Gifts of the MagiMelting Frosty ->

Image source: Amazon

Ocean Light by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Ocean Light

Title: Ocean Light
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity #2, Psy-Changeling #17
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: They are the enemy of peace, of unity, or Trinity.

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR NALINI SINGH DIVES BENEATH THE SURFACE OF HER PSY-CHANGELING WORLD INTO A STORY OF PASSIONATE DEVOTION AND SELFLESS LOVE…

Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there’s a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment – taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he’s at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling…

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won’t hide the facts of Bo’s condition from him or herself. She’s suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret that Bo could never imagine…

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back – even if it means striking a devil’s bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy.

Thoughts

I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for this to come out…. And once it finally arrived, well, I read it in less than 24 hours. It was just like every other book in this series, amazing, sweet and impossible to put down.

Kaia is so damaged, and yet caring and tender. I love that as her past unfolds, you can understand why she’s quite standoffish. But it’s her ability to care and love that truly shines through. There’s a reason why whenever things are going to hell in a handbasket in my own life, I pursue stories such as this – with Singh’s Psy-Changeling world there is always a happy ending. And a character like Kaia who is able to overcome everything in her past and be purely good. The fact that she is a dominant maternal, unlike any of the other changelings in the entire series just made the cockles of my heart warm all the more.

Silver Silence ended with Bo being shot. And although he’s had some kind of shady moments throughout the series, I was completely taken away and a little horrified. He’s an incredibly key character to the large overarching tale that ties all of the many Psy-Changeling stories together and I just couldn’t imagine how the trinity would work without him. Luckily, Singh obviously created him to be like this, because he didn’t die, he was just put into a top secret medical facility. Although in past books Bo has just been an amazing ally (and in some cases potential enemy), he didn’t seem like much more to me before Ocean Light. Then I fell just as madly in love with him as every other character that has had their tale told.

Other than the amazing love story and tale of conspiracy created by the resistance to the Trinity, Ocean Light also introduces the world of BlackSea. An underwater realm full of swimming changelings and mystery. Now I want another tale of the changelings of BlackSea to come out… it looks like I’ll just have to wait a little while until it does.

 <- Silver SilenceWolf Rain ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Must Love Hellhounds

Title: Must Love Hellhounds
Author: Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook
In: Must Love Hellhounds (Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She might control his cock, but nothing else.

Synopsis

Follow paranormal bodyguards Clovache and Batanya into Lucifer’s realm, where they encounter his fearsome four-legged pets in The Britlingens Go to Hell.

Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of nonlethal vampire trackers, one intent on eradicating members of the species of bloodsuckers, in Angels’ Judgment.

Find out why the giant three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world – and whose scent he’s following – in Magic Mourns.

Embark on a perilous search for the kidnapped niece of a powerful vampire alongside her blind – and damn sexy – companion and a hellhound in Blind Spot.

Thoughts

I feel so much love for this collection. Not only does it feature two of my already loved series, but it has introduced me to two more that I just have to get my hands on. The fact that all four novellas also feature a hellhound of some description… well, it just made me all the happier. And giddier. And just in general thoroughly enjoying this collection.

Although there was a great common thread throughout these four novellas, the styles and tales were completely different. I liked that they might all be paranormal fantasy, and they all had something to do with hell and demons, but they didn’t actually have all that much else in common with each other. I both loved and hated the fact that each of these tales is also part of a greater series – loved it because I have more books to fill my shelves now. Hated it because I can’t really afford to be purchasing said books.

 <- The Britlingens Go to HellBlind Spot ->

Image source: Goodreads

Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Angels' Blood

Title: Angels’ Blood
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: And beyond that lay the view of Archangel Tower.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh introduces a world of beauty and bloodlust where angels hold sway over vampires…

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best – but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option – even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other – and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not estroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break…

Thoughts

I loved Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. So when I realised that she had a series about vampires and vampire hunters. And angels? I was fascinated. Although I read the three novellas that fit in before the occurrences of Angels’ Blood, I was still incredibly confused about how this world works. And although this story answers so many questions, so many, many more were raised. Which is kind of how a good book should be.

It was expected that Elena and Raphael would end up together. After all, this is a paranormal romance at its core. But the journey to their union… wow! I loved Elena’s complete refusal to succumb from the very beginning. Raphael’s arrogance and treatment of her at their first meeting was actually something that concerned me. I thought that this was going to be a bit of a Shades of Grey type thing… so seriously unhealthy that it isn’t worth delving into. But, it wasn’t like this in any way, shape or form. The many, many, many hidden layers to both the characters worked in conjunction with each other to build a great relationship that was amazingly believable.

Alongside the feisty romance, there was a great hunting tale. Although you know the who-done-it straight away, the how, the why and whether or not they would be caught was impossible to predict. Actually it was so difficult to predict that I couldn’t put the book down and didn’t sleep properly for two nights straight since I was so keen to finish Elena’s first journey. And the ending… NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING!!!

<- Angels’ PawnArchangel’s Kiss ->

Image source: Goodreads

Silver Silence by Nalini Singh

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Silver Silence

Title: Silver Silence
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #16, Psy-Changeling Trinity #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: At least I don’t lose to ten-year-old ponies from Tajikistan.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her extraordinary Psy-Changeling world with a story of wild passion and darkest betrayal…

Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that’s exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence – her mind clear of all emotion – Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That’s what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious… and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.

Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed…

Thoughts

The conclusion of the first season of the Psy-Changeling series was brilliant. It tied of arcs, but also helped to introduce new characters and changeling packs. The idea of changeling bears especially appealed to me, and Silver Silence finally introduces one of these stubborn creatures was thoroughly enjoyable. The fact that he is partnered with button down and deadly Silver Mercant from Kaleb’s domain just makes it all the better.

I love the stubbornness and overbearing (haha, get it?) attitudes of the bears are exactly what I imagine a large and unconventional family would feel like. I love the emphasis which Singh places on the importance of family throughout the entire series. The way that this weirdly echoes in Silver’s family is kind of fun. Although there is the idea that there is a complete lack of similarities between the two, there are so many fun similarities. They highlight the importance of loyalty and love in family. And the fact that no matter what, you don’t turn your back on those that love you. Ultimately, this is put to the test in Valentin and Silver’s relationship. And, even though I expect the couples’ happily ever after in Singh’s books, I actually doubted it for a little while. And that new twist was a refreshing change.

I’ve heard many theories about how the powerful encourage war and mayhem – it makes more money. This new Psy-Changeling tale brings this idea into the light and I can’t wait to see how this idea progresses. Silver and Valentin might be on the road to finding their place in the world, but what about the rest of the characters? What about the rest of the Psy-Changeling world and the future of their children? It’s going to be such an amazing journey!

<- Allegiance of HonourOcean Light ->

Image source: Goodreads