Tangle of Need

Psy-Changeling Series, Book 11

By: Nalini Singh

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past - one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild attraction proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno.... and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

©2012 Nalini Singh (P)2012 Tantor

Tangle of Need

Ok well, we are getting more of the story and it is unfolding piece by piece. I liked the way this book was laid out.
It wasn’t just the couple but a little of our old favorites. I wasn’t ready to let Hawk go yet and I am so glad we get him and his new mate in this book. Along with Riley and his mate, a little of Faith and so on you get the picture.

This story was a little different than the others because he had already found his mate, only she was married. So he was broken and Adria came along an helped mend the pieces but Riaz also helped her get over a love lost.

I will say I am really getting tired of the dominate talk... Who cares if she is more dominate then he is, we get it after the first 3 times of we don’t need to hear it 50 times.

Narration worked for me, it is almost back to the way it was in the beginning.

Best Yet

This book revisits characters from previous books in the series. I loved this book because the main characters were not "mates" as Riaz did not find his mate before she found and married someone else. Adria does not want to be second best. The author pulled it off because the love between the two is so right. I loved this book!

A catchall Book preparing you for war

So we met Riaz back in Book 9 of the series and he's been hanging around, morning the loss of his mate (or rather that she's married to another guy) this whole time. We also met Adria, and knowing how depressing both of these wolves are, you can only watch them struggle to build a life from the ashes of what their lives have become.

LOADS of cameos in this book however, so there are many amazing moments to read and this book isn't simply filler. Great transition book for the next one.

Series should never end...

This book transported me right back into the Psy/Changeling world, as if I never left. It was like coming HOME! I love Nalini Singh and her writing style and 11 books into the series it’s still one of my all-time favorites in PNR.

Tangle of Need was that one book that you have in every long series that has cameos and appearances from just about all the previous couples. There are several celebrations and surprises throughout the book. It even made me laugh out loud several times.

Adria and Riaz were the main couple within this book, but I was definitely glad to have a ton of Hawke and Sienna in this one as well. Kiss of Snow (book #10) was also a great book but Hawke and Sienna are so fresh and she’s so young that it was nice to have them almost co-star in this book. Sienna’s struggling still with her X powers and what happened in the battle at the end of the last book. Psy’s definitely know that she is alive now and are not going to stop from trying to get her. Henry Scott and Ming Lebon included.

Adria is a dominant female wolf that just got out of a bad relationship. She was originally from the Snow Dancer region, she is now back with her pack after being away for many years. She is a Senior Lieutenant in the pack and very smart, rough around the edges but a softy inside. Riaz is the lone dominant wolf that just came back into town after sticking him tail between his legs when he found his mate,whom was already married to someone else. He is now a lieutenant in the pack also.
Adria and Riaz don’t get a long at first, I think they both realized there was attraction there and just didn’t want to face it.They have several explosively sexually charged scenes but even those times can’t hold them together. There is a lot of hesitation between these two. Their pasts have shaped the way they are acting with each other. They both have to fight for what they want with the other, it certainly doesn’t come easy. In the end they still don’t have what normal Changeling pairs have. Their relationship is unique.

Kaleb and the Arrows continue to interest the heck out of me. They are such a mysterious group and it’s tough to figure out what’s going to happen next. Kaleb has some serious secrets but we are slowly learning more and more about him.

I think there is definitely a possibility of Kaleb being the next book. Ohhh that would be so good. I know Nalini Singh is already working on the next book but hasn’t released who it will be about. We’ll just have to wait and see. There was a lot of things simultaneously going on in this book, lots of changes coming in the Psy/Changeling world.

Changes abound for the Psy-Changling world...

What made the experience of listening to Tangle of Need the most enjoyable?

I have to say that Angela Dawe is a wonderful narrator and that I'm so happy she's been the reader for the complete series. She's accentuated this great series with her narration style of distinct voices and emotional nuances that truly bring the characters to life. I can't say enough about Angela's style and performances!

What other book might you compare Tangle of Need to and why?

In a way it reminds me of Patricia Brigg's Alpha and Omega series - the scenes of character interaction filled with personality and romantic connection while dealing with an overall larger issue in the story plot. They are very different in overall world feeling, but have that similarity with the feeling of connection and understanding to the characters.

Have you listened to any of Angela Dawe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes, Angela Dawe narrated Bed of Roses, Savor the Moment and Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts as well as Love Bites by Lyndsay Sands of which I've listed to and I feel each time she provides a wonderful mix of great pacing, character individualism and personality within each character that truly brings each story to life and brings another level of enjoyment to the stories.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

ABSOLUTELY! I love this series and with the continual story line of a war, alliances, new groups of personalities and connections as well as seeing the changes come from relationships within previous books it's hard to hit pause at any time!

Any additional comments?

This series is wonderfully mastered. The story path is... well, like a funnel. You start at the small end and it gets larger with each book in the series. It is a series that really needs to be read in order as not only is there a romantic tale in each book but a larger story path that's being played out within the series. Nalini has done a wonderful job of crafting a series that blended romance, suspense and I dare say a large dash of mystery. She's a genius of giving hints to the future without giving anything truly away and leaving her readers demanding for more. This book ends with a cliff hanger - the first that she's done in her series. Yes, I'll admit that I screamed when I hit the end of the book. Loud and long. We're coming to the end of her series (I believe 2-4 books max remaining) and there are questions that are finally at the brink of being answered. The world that Nalini has created is going through major changes and I'm one of the first in line to find out what's coming next.

All Pros no Cons

I love these books the romance enhances a complicated cast of characters and plot that you don't just breeze through. These last two have been some of the best in the series. I can't wait for the next one to come out. As always the worst thing about catching up on a series this good is having to wait for more.

A friend said this was a transitional book and I agree but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of it. It only made me wish for more.

The narration is always good and only makes it better.

Most authentic piece out of the series

I have been binge listening to the entire Psy-Changeling Series books, one after the other, for the last month. I knew what I was getting into. I spent the last couple decades reading Twilight and Harry Potter and got hooked on science fiction, magic, and romance. I went into this expecting Ms. Singh to cater to an audience of Twi-hards who are ready for something a little lemon-ier, if you get my drift.

You notice right away, that the author develops a formula and sticks with it. The underlying plot is relatively interesting, if you don't dig too deep, kind of on the level of a soap opera. Nothing to really tax you mentally. All of the good guys are very good. Even the "bad" boys all seem to have strong straightforward moral compasses. No real character flaws, no annoying habits, even though everyone "thrusts their hands into their hair" and "chuckles" a lot. Kind of want to make a drinking game out of it, taking a shot every time the author uses these terms.

The romances are mostly all quite similar. Very alpha male who knows who he is all about and what he wants, and he wants his special lady. Each lady is special in different regards. In each book, they all seem to have an overwhelming obstacle that keeps them apart. They absolutely, one-hundred percent, cannot be togeth... wait! They worked it out! HEA! These two super hot people are mated and bam. Worked it out. Meant to be. Insta-love.

I felt like this book took a big step forward, from the cover art on.

ONE: This is probably not within the author's control, but have been disappointed that the cover art couples literally NEVER look like the incredibly diverse world that Nalini Singh has created. This cover is great. The model actually looks like a representation of Riaz. AWESOME.

TWO: I know some have expressed disappointment that the main pairing did not involve a mating bond, but I actually found it incredibly refreshing and relate-able. I have enjoyed, on a very surface, "ear-candy" level, all of the previous novels, but rarely did have a real human connection with the relationship struggles. They felt like, well, storybook characters. Something idealized, but not real, with their "too perfect" mate bonding love that they need never question.

This is part of the reason that this story resonated so well for me. These are two scarred and damaged people, and the time and effort the author put in to build their story felt very...personal and intimate. I know some reviewers feel disappointed that they don't get that picture perfect mate bond at the end, but I love that they don't. They have to nurture it and choose each other every day just like the rest of us mere mortals. It makes the story more real, balanced, and emotionally honest.

I know we will go right back to the fantasy with the next uber Alpha male and his perfectly brilliant and hot woman he will do anything to possess, and that is cool. I need the escape just as much as anyone and I want to hear how the drama of the overarching story plays out too. But this book gave me a little extra authenticity that I wasn't expecting and I just want to say, "thanks!".

P.S.? I am not sure, but I am almost positive a character "stroked their fingers through" their hair instead of thrusting. I almost had to pull the car over. COULD. NOT. HANDLE.

Kind of bummed. Still really good

If you could sum up Tangle of Need in three words, what would they be?

Wolf Love Drama

What other book might you compare Tangle of Need to and why?

I was definitely reminded of the previous installment, Kiss of Snow, in that the main hang-up between Riaz and Adria seemed awfully similar to Hawk's problem. Not exactly alike, but close enough that I was like, "again?" It didn't detract from my enjoying the story but it would have been nice if she had another book in between.

What three words best describe Angela Dawe’s voice?

Not the worst. (Also not the best, but I was limited to three words.)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I totally sympathized with Adria when she met "the other woman."

Any additional comments?

Fair Warning! Spoiler Alert: Ok so I get on a broader level why Ms Singh decided that Riaz and Adria were going to commit just like humans, mating bond be damned and all that. It does add a nice twist since, by and large in this series, we are presented with bonds and links that take a certain amount of choice away from the characters. And on one hand I can see how someone could argue theirs is as good a bond, maybe even better than the actual mating bond. Not going to argue with that. HOWEVER, since these are at heart, romance novels, I found it incredibly irritating and kind of sucky that at the end of the day, these poor kids are always going to live with the fact that there is someone else out there who might be their destined mate or whatever. I mean, come on, you couldn't have the mating bond surprise them both in the epilogue? What's up with that? If everything else in these stories can have a silver lining ending I simply don't understand why you couldn't do the same for these two. (Hello you managed to find one for Hawk and Sienna. What, Nalini? You don't like Adria or something?) It's not like it would detract from their commitment to each other. I dunno, maybe it was just me, but I thought that was a total cop-out. It's a romance novel - let us all have a happy ending.

Wow!!!! Major changes

What made the experience of listening to Tangle of Need the most enjoyable?

Lots of changes in the Psy/Changeling series... I love that we got to see more of the day to day lives and the building of relationship foundations in the Snow Dancer pack I just Love Love Hawk and Sienna!!! Riaz and Adria story was good I like the emotional pull it had on me I connected with Adria and that surprised me because in Kos I did not like her at all..... I have very mixed feeling about Riaz and Lezette... I am excited about Alice and what we will discover about her.... But the way the book ended and the Major Cliff Hanger!!!! Wow now that was enough to make m scream...lol

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love Hawk, I have since the first book but now that we are deeper in the series I am very curious about Vasick.

Which scene was your favorite?

Ming and Sienna

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wanted to gobble it up all in one bite but knowing I have a full year to wait for the next book I drug it out for 3 days....

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next book.. I am hoping that because of that HUGE cliff hanger NS won't make us wait forever for the next book!!!

so sad.

I would of wished for a mating bond... without it I am lost. a great story otherwise.