Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Title: Kiss of Snow
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Gollancz
ISBN: 978-0-575-10013-8
Pages: 432
Series: Psy-Changeling #10
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Hawke is the Alpha of the SnowDancer wolf pack and has vowed to stay alone after losing the woman who would have been his mate. Sienna's family was adopted into the pack after abandoning their Psy lives to save her. Hawke is drawn to Sienna but has always managed to resist, until Sienna changes the rules. Sienna isn't a little girl anymore and is prepared to fight for the man she wants, even if she can only keep him for a short while before her Psy powers kill her.

This is the tenth book in the outstanding Psy-Changeling series and finally lets Hawke and Sienna take center stage. Ever since their introduction in the very first book (Slave to Sensation) there has been tension between the two, and now Sienna is an adult there is finally a chance of a relationship. One thing I would say is that if you are new to the series, start at the beginning. There is a lot of world building and character development in each book and this also reveals some of the endings of the previous novels.

I've liked both Sienna and Hawke since the beginning. Sienna has real spark and an attitude, but she's grown from an outspoken teen into a well-rounded confident woman. Hawke is very protective and responsible with a brooding streak. They are surprisingly well suited, and their romance is cleverly developed allowing them to deal with their issues realistically.

The book is really well paced. Sienna's powers as an X-Psy have never been fully explored in the previous books so the revelations here are amazing and keep the pages turning. I only meant to read a few pages and ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. There is also a bonus storyline that I wasn't expecting in this book. Another pair of characters manage to begin a relationship. I don't want to give away who they are, but the different issues between the couple presented a nice contrast to Hawke and Sienna.

As with all of the previous books, part of the storyline is focused on world development. The pro-Silence Pure Psy have decided that San Francisco presents a dangerous resistance to their cause and hope to destroy it, along with the SnowDancer and DarkRiver packs. Unlike the previous book, the romance between Sienna and Hawke doesn't drown out this storyline rather helps it develop.

All in all this was an incredible read and I can't wait for Riaz and Adria's book Tangle of Need.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10

Overall: 49/50

Play of Passion by Nalini Singh

Title: Play of Passion
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-23779-3
Pages: 321
Series: Psy-Changeling #9
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Drew Kincaid is the tracker for the SnowDancer wolf pack. His job is to track down any wolves who have gone over the edge and either bring them back, or remove the threat entirely. Lieutenant Indigo Riviere is one of the highest ranking, most experienced soldiers SnowDancer has, and she doesn't date younger or less dominant males. Drew is determined to get Indigo to break her rule and let him in, and he's prepared to play any games necessary to win her over.

This is the ninth book in the Psy-Changeling series and while I was really looking forward to a changeling focused book after the last few were psy heavy, I must say I was a little disappointed. It was a bit like Psy-Changeling-lite. I liked both Drew and Indigo where they've appeared in the other books in the series, and was surprised that I didn't enjoy this more. There are a lot of similarities between this and Branded by Fire and I think that book was vastly superior to this.

Most of the focus of the book is on the relationship (normal for the series) but in this one it almost totally drowns out the background story. In the last book, the Psy Council split in two with some members supporting Silence and others beginning to reject it. This book has the pro-Silence Psy beginning to act against the things they regard as a threat, including the SnowDancer wolves. The storyline that was included was good, I just wish there had been a greater depth and more of a build up of tension.

There were also some little Hawke/Sienna sections thrown in. I know their book (Kiss of Snow) is up next so I didn't mind their appearance as they helped build my anticipation for that book.

All in all, this was a good read and I can't wait for Kiss of Snow.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 45/50

Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh

Title: Bonds of Justice
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-23544-7
Pages: 348
Series: Psy-Changeling #8
Type: Young Adult Paranormal
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Max Shannon is a good cop but hasn't progressed far in his career within New York Enforcement because he has a natural shield, leaving his thoughts protected from the Psy. Sophia Russo is a Justice Psy able to see into the minds of criminals and extract relevant memories. When Psy Councillor Nikita Duncan's advisors begin dying in accidents and apparent suicides, she hires Max and Sophia to investigate because of their unique skill sets. But as Max and Sophia start work on the case they are irrevocably drawn to one another, and Sophia is forced to fight to preserve what is left of her mind.

This is the eight book in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series, and while I am a big fan I approached this book with a little trepidation. I really missed having a changeling central to the previous book (Blaze of Memory) and was worried that this would be the same, especially as Max was introduced briefly like Dev in Mine to Possess. Thankfully I was wrong, and this book is a real return to form.

J-Psy's have been mentioned in previous books and it was great to see more of their world. I'm used to the author developing the world in each book, and I really liked how she portrayed the two approaches to justice - that of human cops alongside the J-Psy approach. I like cop-based storylines so the secondary story of a psycho killer was just as interesting to me as the main investigation.

I really like Max and Sophia, and I also like how Sophia is unique to the other Psy from the series. She is told at the beginning of the book that she has a month before her mind is totally wiped, and this means that she has more reasons to begin living her life the way she would like. As most of the book takes place in San Francisco, the DarkRiver changelings make frequent appearances which I really enjoyed.

All in all, this was a great read and I can't wait to get stuck into Play of Passion.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 49/50

Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh

Title: Blaze of Memory
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-23111-1
Pages: 373
Series: Psy-Changeling #7
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

When Dev Santos finds an unconscious battered woman on his doorstep, he takes her into his care. Katya has been stripped of her memories and programmed to carry out an unknown task. All she knows is that she is dangerous. Dev feels duty bound to eliminate any threat to the safety of his people but is irrevocably drawn to Katya. Together they must work to discover who Katya is, and what her captors programmed her to do.

This is the seventh book in Nalini Singh's incredible Psy-Changeling series, and the first to not include a changeling as a lead character. Instead this book focuses on the world of the Forgotten, the psy who refused Silence when it was introduced and abandoned the Psy Net. Both Dev and Katya have had small roles in previous books, and I didn't really like them that much and I think that impacted my enjoyment of this book.

Dev is the head of the Shine foundation and a key part of protecting the Forgotten from the Psy Council. He's pretty standoffish and I found I missed having a changeling as a lead. Katya has no idea who she is at the beginning of the book so it was interesting to see her discovering who she was, and deciding who she wants to be. I really liked watching Katya's journey, especially as uncovering her secrets also led to the discovery of other hidden facets of the Psy world.

The book does give greater insight into the Psy Council, and Ming le Bon in particular. It also looks at the Forgotten society as a whole and reasks an old question from the series - are some psy designations safer with silence? There are more hints about a mysterious X-Psy designation, which will most likely affect Hawke and Sienna's book (the tenth in the series Kiss of Snow). Sherrilyn Kenyon did a similar breadcrumb trail when she was building up to Acheron so I hope the pay-off is as good.

All in all, this was a interesting read and I'm looking forward to Bonds of Justice.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 7/10

Overall: 45/50

Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh

Title: Branded by Fire
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-22673-5
Pages: 345
Series: Psy-Changeling #6
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

When the DarkRiver and SnowDancer packs agreed to become allies, DarkRiver sentinel Mercy Smith and SnowDancer lieutenant Riley Kincaid are forced into the role of liasons. Mercy and Riley spar with each other, but when their relationship becomes personal it turns into a struggle for dominance. When a changeling researcher is kidnapped and a greater conspiracy uncovered, Riley and Mercy are forced to work together to protect their packs and struggle to find a new balance.

This is the sixth book in the incredible Psy-Changeling series (after Slave to Sensation, Visions of Heat, Caressed by Ice, Mine to Possess and Hostage to Pleasure) and is the first book in the series to deal with two changelings. Mercy and Riley have been sniping at each other since the beginning of the series, so it was great to see their dynamic change.

Riley and Mercy spark off each other, creating a relationship where each is infuriated and intrigued. This is the first book in the series where a lack or supression of emotion hasn't played a part in the story; in fact Riley and Mercy seem to have an excess of emotion between them. It was great to see a relationship between two dominant personalities, especially given the difference between wolf and leopard changelings.

The Human Alliance introduced in the previous book take a greater role, and while the Psy as a whole become part of the backstory Councillor Krychek gets more development - which only creates more questions as to who he is and what his motivations are. Also part of the book focuses Sienna and Hawk who take the lead roles in the tenth Psy-Changeling novel (Kiss of Snow). Given the story developments here I can't wait to see how that relationship is handled.

All in all, this was another incredible read and I can't wait for Blaze of Memory.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 49/50

Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh

Title: Hostage to Pleasure
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-22325-3
Pages: 330
Series: Psy-Changeling #5
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

On the surface Ashaya Aleine appears to be the perfect Psy - cool, calm and emotionless. But beneath that cover lies a woman fighting to escape from the clutches of the Psy Council who are holding her son captive to force her to work on an implant that will basically enslave her entire race. Ashaya manages to free herself and her son, only to land in DarkRiver hands. Dorian Christensen may not be able to change into a leopard but he is one of the deadliest most anti-psy members of DarkRiver and when he finds Ashaya he is drawn into the biggest conflict of his life.

This is the fifth book in the Psy-Changeling series (after Slave to Sensation, Visions of Heat, Caressed by Ice and Mine to Possess). This is one of my favourite paranormal romance series, and I was really excited to read this as Ashaya was introduced in the previous book and the storyline about her son set up. Ashaya traded favours with DarkRiver in the previous book and now she has called in her favour - DarkRiver are to rescue her son from his Psy captors.

Ashaya also manages to escape and ends up in DarkRiver territory, but has not only the Psy after her but human groups as well. It took me a long time to warm to Ashaya and she's probably my least favourite heroine of the series so far. I don't dislike her, but I can't identify with her. However I loved how her relationship with Dorian developed, especially as he is so vehemently opposed to all things psy.

Unlike the previous books, this has journal and letter snippets at the start of many of the chapters. While they provide insight into Ashaya's mind I found them distracting and they interferred with the pacing of the book at times. After Ashaya's escape the revelations and development of the world occurs quickly and these snippets were a little irritating.

As usual the world is developed further, with some Psy councillors receiving a bit more backstory along with some changelings, Mercy in particular. Ashaya's actions create major ripples in the psy world so I'm interested in seeing how that plays out, as well as how the new psy and human groups are developed.

All in all, this was another great read and I can't wait to get stuck into Branded by Fire.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 46/50

Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh

Title: Mine to Possess

Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-22016-0
Pages: 328
Series: Psy-Changeling #4
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Clay Bennett is a DarkRiver sentinel, but he hides the scars of a traumatic childhood where he lost control and in a bloody rain of fury took a life and lost his only friend as a consequence. Clay has spent years believing Talin died, tempted to surrended to the darkness, until Talin reappears in his life. Talin McKade barely survived her childhood and has become a mentor reaching out to children in need as an adult. Now those children are disappearing and when bodies begin to be discovered, Talin has no choice but to turn to the strongest person she knows...Clay.

This is the fourth in the awesome Psy-Changeling series (after Slave to Sensation, Visions of Heat and Caressed by Ice) and it is unique from the other books in that it features a changeling-human pairing. The plot moves a bit faster in this book as Talin's desperation to find the children she cares about really shines through. The narration is mainly from Clay and Talin's points of view, but like Caressed by Ice it does jump to other perspectives where necessary to continue the story.

It took me a while to warm to Talin as a lead character. There are lots of hints and leading statements as to how she was abused as a child, although no graphic details ever reach the page, and it's difficult to identify with someone who has survived that kind of trauma. Clay has always appeared as dark in previous books so it was no surprise to learn his childhood was less than perfect, but it was great to see how he became a member of DarkRiver. On the whole the romance was well developed and believable.

Again, the entire world of the books has been further developed. The Psy society is beginning to crumble under the continual assault of the Ghost, the Council are struggling to hold on to their power and Protocol I (to turn the psy into a completely controlled hive mind) is gaining priority. This book covers the human angle, as while humans have been mentioned in previous books their role in the psy-changeling-human world hasn't really been explained before now.

All in all, this was an incredible read that has set up Hostage to Pleasure perfectly. I can't wait to read it!

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 48/50

Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

Title: Caressed by Ice

Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0425-21842-6
Pages: 352
Series: Psy-Changeling #3
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Judd Lauren was an Arrow, an elite soldier trained to be a merciless killer under the complete control of the ruthless Psy Council. But when Judd's family was slated for rehabilitation, a fate far worse than death for any psy, he defected and now the Laurens live hidden in SnowDancer lands. Brenna Kincaid was a happy innocent student before she was kidnapped and tortured by a Psy serial killer. Her SnowDancer pack saved her, but her scars run deep and when she begins to have visions of another killer she realises the only one who can help her is Judd.

This is the third in the Psy-Changeling series (after Slave to Sensation and Visions of Heat) which is fast shaping up to be one of my favourite paranormal romance series. In the last two books, a female psy has broken the Silence (the training that strips psy of their emotions) and fallen for a changeling. This book changes that formula to have a male psy fall for a female changeling. Brenna and Judd were both introduced in the first book and up until now have been little more than background characters, so it was great to see them get more development.

Brenna was kidnapped in Slave to Sensation and although she was rescued, it was after she had spent almost a week at the hands of a sadistic serial killer. Not only is she emotionally damaged, her abuduction has also scarred the SnowDancer pack as a whole. Judd has always seemed like he was made of ice in the previous novels, but it was great to see why he was so committed to maintaining his lack of emotions despite his defection from the psy. The whole relationship was sweet and well thought-out, and a welcome variation on the theme.

Unlike the previous books, this is also unique in that the book isn't just from Brenna and Judd's perspectives. Small sections of the book are also from Sascha, Faith and the killer's perspective as well. This could have been jarring but it was so cleverly done that there are seemless transistions between the narrators which really helps the story to advance smoothly and at a good pace.

Nalini Singh also continues her world building, gradually deepening and developing the world she has created. The idea of Arrows was introduced briefly in the last book, but the concept is fully explored here. Also developed from previous snippets of information is the new protocol for culling emotions within the Psy, basically creating a fully controllable hive mind. There is also a new plotline introduced about a renegade Psy known only as 'Ghost' who is working within the PsyNet to bring down their world from within.

All in all, this was another awesome read and I can't wait to read Mine to Possess

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 48/50

Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

Title: Visions of Heat
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-21575-3
Pages: 332
Series: Psy-Changeling #2
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Faith NightStar is one of the strongest F-Psy of her generation. Gifted with the ability to foresee the future her ability has begun to change. Where she previously was only able to see clinical business transactions, Faith is now haunted by dark visions of blood and pain. Suddenly her visions change again, showing her passion and pleasure...and changeling Vaughn D'Angelo. Vaughn's animal side is irrevocably drawn to Faith, but as a man who craves sensation how can he cope with a woman who can't stand to be touched?

This is the second Psy-Changeling novel (after Slave to Sensation) and I was as blown away by it as I was by the first in the series. The author has managed to build on the world she created giving it even more depth. This book covers the F-Psy (or foresight) designation, but also goes deeper into the psy world revealing more about the Council and introducing PsyClans smaller almost familial groups within the larger psy community. It also explains more about how the PsyNet works and introduces the Arrows, psy who guard the Council and destroy threats to it.

The plot is very similar in some ways to Slave to Sensation in that it deals with a psy beginning to feel emotions and being romantically drawn to a changeling. I've checked the back of the next book (Caressed by Ice) and it appears that this isn't going to be a standard formula for the series. That said, although the romance covered similar lines to the previous book this didn't feel repetitive or formulaic.

I liked Faith as a lead character and it was great watching her grow in confidence and spunk. Vaughn is more primal than Lucas in the first book having spent more time in his animal form as a child, so it's interesting to see the battle between his animal and male sides. Having Faith's abject refusal of touch and Vaughn's need of it also impacts on the rest of the pack, and it's great to see how it impacts on the pack dynamics.

All in all, this was another amazing read and I can't wait to get stuck into Caressed by Ice.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 48/50

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Title: Slave to Sensation
Author: Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 0-425-21286-6
Pages: 334
Series: Psy-Changeling #1
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Sascha Duncan is a Psy, a race that instituted a program called Silence decades ago to eliminate all emotion. All Psy are supposed to be cold and unfeeling, but Sascha is broken...she can and does feel but must hide her emotions as discovery would lead to her mind being erased. Her latest job is to work with panther changeling Lucas Hunter on a building project. Lucas has his own reasons for wanting to work with Sascha - one of the Psy has been murdering changeling women and Lucas thinks Sascha might be the only Psy able to track the killer down.

I've read this book twice and I am as awed by it this time as I was the first. Nalini Singh has managed to create an incredibly unique world, something that is very hard to do given the sheer volume of paranormal romance novels available these days. Set at some point in the future (maybe 100 years or so) the world is populated by three species: humans, Psy who are cerebral and unfeeling and changelings who have the ability to take animal form. While shifters are a common theme in books, the Psy is something I haven't seen before and it's a brilliant idea.

The plot of the book is incredible and multilayered, with lots of twists and turns. Sascha is a great lead character and her struggle to contain her burgeoning emotions is well written and believable. The book can really be split into three parts - Sascha's emotional struggle, the potential romance between Sascha and Lucas and the hunt for the Psy killer.

A lot of supporting characters are introduced, and a quick check of the author's website showed that the main ones mentioned all have their own books out or coming soon. The author manages to avoid info-dumping and sets the world up so well with so much detail that I can't wait to see where she goes with it next.

All in all, this is an awesome read and I can't wait to read the next book Visions of Heat.

Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 48/50