I've been waiting for Aryal's story for some time now. In Kinked, we finally get to see the woman behind the harpy: how she thinks, feels, and why she acts the way she does. A kick-ass warrior, Aryal is also a woman and subject to the whims that fate throws her way in the form of fellow Sentinel Quentin. The two are forced to work together after one too many fights and end up on a roller coaster of an adventure that includes danger, lust, and a hint of romance. Tragedy strikes but, in the end, both Quentin and Aryal prevail. A long awaited Elder Race story that really met my expectations. This is the 6th book in The Elder Races series and it was one that I was most reluctant to read. First, I have been so spoiled by Oracle’s Moon (Khalil and Grace) that it’s been hard to move off that plane of pleasure. Second, there is not another book in the series due out for a while, leaving me stranded in the wasteland of “NOTHEA” (including the novellas that I’m not particularly fond of). Third, I have not been a fan of the Sentinel Aryal (the Harpy)—I mean REALLY, a HARPY. And a Harpy that’s a total bitch to boot—I mean who DOESN’T like Pia? Aryal, that’s who and her description of Pia’s decision to take Dragos’ last name (Cuelebre) reveals the contempt:“Last names -- they were like word parasites . They attached to people in strange ways, moved across cultural and political lines, traveled the world and reattached to others certainly at whim and seemingly at random. Why didn’t anyone else see how creepy last names were?”Quentin, friend of Pia and newly crowned Sentinel (this guy can FIGHT) proves to be just another irritant to Aryal, who trusts no one and loathes everyone. She is onto Quentin like a tick on a puppy…festering with burrowing deeper into Quentin’s life, determined to find the evidence of wrongdoing that would discredit him.Aryal, after spying on Quentin’s dominant coupling with an ‘escort’ finds herself attracted to him but hating him at the same time…you know where this is going. As Dragos is ‘want’ to do…he sends the pair on a mission together, a large portion of which is spent with each of them plotting to kill the other. No love lost here. And even though this storyline is predictable, Ms. Harrison lights it up with fresh dialogue and creative mythology of the Wyr, Elves and Other Lands. (I SO want to go to an Other Land).Quentin’s description of Aryal on the plane trip that takes them to Numenlaur is so good you can just feel it. She’s “sharp like vodka straight from the freezer; hot like mulled whiskey”. Quentin is not immune to the sexual attraction either…so here we go.Sure enough, through a series of events, unfoldings and bartering (you’ll have to read the book for that tidbit), the anger barriers melt slowly away to be replaced (albeit reluctantly) by friendship, trust and, of course, love. The banter between Aryal and Quentin is so engaging, so fun, so powerful and so pure…it is just a joy to be a part of it. And as misfortune befalls them both, the struggle to protect each other, to win the ultimate fight and to recover is quite profound. Each is tested in a manner that reveals their frailty and essence. Many folks do not care for the ‘paranormal’ world but fail often to see the allegory that it is. The Elder Races series is a beautifully crafted sequence of ‘real’ concerns couched in a world of ‘make-believe’. I have said it with all of these books…I love the mind of Thea Harrison and the creative force that must hold her at bay on many an occasion. I loved this book and the wonderful narration of Sophie Eastlake, who has spoiled me with her grasp of the story and the characters.
What do You think about Das Lied Der Harpyie (2014)?
Oh, Thea Harrison. Everytime my library adds one of your books, I secretly fist pump the air.
—Tiffany
I think this was my least favorite in the series. It was good, just not as good as the others.
—karebear
Loved, loved, loved this one!Best female lead ever! :)
—Evelyn
