Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novel
It’s only a week after the events in Incubus. Nathan Grier is on the mend from the wounds that he suffered in the last fight and he’s in need of some recovery time. But the mark he has on him means that he doesn’t have much time before the dark fae lord that holds it calls in the bounty. Together with his lover, incubus Sasha Kelly, and his twin brother Jim, Nathan heads toward a safe house for a couple of days to recuperate before they get back to the task of trying to find out who holds Nathan’s mark.
They don’t stay long, following leads that take them to different places around the country. They hope for a real solid lead on who holds Nathan’s mark, but in the meantime they do what they can to rid the world of those dark sidhe that are wreaking havoc. They meet up with several old friends along the way and slowly piece together information.
Nathan and Sasha’s relationship continues to grow, and though Nathan struggled with his sexuality in the beginning, he’s accepted his attraction to Sasha fully now. He embraces their relationship and knows that he is falling in love with the man. During a night of passion, Nathan begins to change into an incubus a well. But that brings out the dark sidhe lord that holds his mark. He proposes a deal: if the trio can banish all the dark fae in the world back through the veil, he will release Nathan from his fate. Nathan doesn’t want to accept, but in the end, he’s convinced that it’s the only way that he can be saved.
The trio cross the country, banishing fae back through the veil. Jim has embraced his changeling powers, and he’s using them for good to help them on their task. Jim also knows the end is near and he knows that one last battle with be the end for them. He can finally send all the fae back, and Nathan will be clear from his fate. For a moment, it does look like they succeed in their task. But a twist of misfortune and a technicality means that they may not have succeeded after all.
Another barebones summary because there is just too much going on in this book for me to do it any justice. Meuwissen continues to build on the amazing world that she created in Incubus, drawing us deeper into the story of this trio of men. This book builds on the first, delving deeper into the world of fae and monsters. One of the things I love most about this series is the way that these three guys care for one another. There is a tie between them, blood and love, and I love that they would do anything to keep each other safe.
Nathan continues to be a self-sacrificing man. He puts his brother and his lover before himself and will do anything he can to protect them. He’s grown since the first book; he’s surer of himself and has a bit more confidence. I loved seeing this. It would have been easy for a character like Nathan to be stagnant. But the author does a nice job of showing us that Nathan is growing and changing.
Perhaps the biggest change for Nathan was his acceptance of his sexuality and his love for Sasha. He’s over his doubts and insecurities, for the most part. He’s a lot freer with his touches and affection. The care he has for Sasha just shines brightly through the words. And let me tell you, when Nathan and Sasha are in bed together, it’s hot enough to burn the pages. But more than that, I really liked seeing their relationship continuing to evolve. After Nathan’s hesitancy in the first book, it was really wonderful to see him embracing his relationship so fully. He wants to be with Sasha and he’s not going to let anything get in his way. But I will warn you: there is a scene in which Nathan is assaulted and nearly raped because of his sexuality. I really liked the way the author handled the aftermath. Because of the desperation of their task, Nathan only has a short time to come to terms with it. But with some real conversation, and his own resolve, Nathan is able to move forward. Though he isn’t completely and magically healed, Nathan is beginning the process, and it’s isn’t completely glossed over.
There is an overall desperate feeling to the story. The men are trying to save Nathan from being taken through the veil to become an Immortal Shadow and, at the same time, trying to keep Jim from turning fully into a dark sidhe. Due to the length of the book, there were a few moments where the desperation seemed to lag a bit and the story became slightly bogged down in the side plots. It wasn’t a huge issue for me, but there were a few times where I was ready to move on before the characters were.
This is definitely a series that must be read in order. While there are some clues and explanations when past events are mentioned, it’s not enough to stand on its own. But I was actually happy to see that. The author takes it on faith that you’ve read the first book, and gives us just enough to remind us of past events. As a fan of series in general, I really appreciated this and it was done in a masterful way.
If you read Incubus, you are absolutely going to want to pick this one up. And if you haven’t, get it and read it first. Then you’re going to want to jump right into Changeling. But one other thing I will warn you about before you do: this book ends with a cliffhanger. I, for one, can’t wait for the next installment.