Tag: Psy-Changelings Series

Throwback Thursday: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Posted October 4, 2018 by Rowena in Features, Reviews | 6 Comments

Each week, I’ll be writing a review for an oldie but goodie that I’ve read through again to see if these books are holding up for me. I’m a different person than I was when I read these books, older and wiser (at least I hope) so I’m curious to see if books that I used to love can stand the test of time.

Throwback Thursday: Slave to Sensation by Nalini SinghSlave to Sensation
by Nalini Singh
Narrator: Angela Dawe
Series: Psy-Changelings #1
Published by Penguin, Berkley on September 1, 2010
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Point of View:Alternating Third Person
Pages: 334
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
Length: 9 hours, 39 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
five-stars

Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind-and none of the heart.

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

While browsing through the romance package on Audible the other day, I came across this audiobook and figured, “Why not?”. I needed something to listen to at work and I’m not sure if it’s because Halloween coming up or what, but I’m in the mood for paranormal, urban fantasy or just straight up fantasy books. Because most of my work is mindless and on the computer, I can get through an entire audiobook in one work day so I try to listen to at least 3 audiobooks every week.

It’s been a bit since I last read this book but man was it just as good as the first time I read it. I am just as intrigued with this series and the characters, the storyline and just everything about this book worked for me.

Lucas Hunter is the Alpha of the DarkRiver changeling pack and is overseeing the building of changelings housing when he’s approached from the Psy to build some housing they’re hoping to sell. His Psy liaison is Sascha Duncan and even though he doesn’t trust her as far as he can throw her, he’s attracted. Hella attracted to her and the more time that they spend together, the more he’s sure that he will have her. Things are complicated for him because he’s hunting a Psy serial killer who is attacking changelings and that more than anything else should be his top priority.

Sascha Duncan has a full plate of her own. As daughter to one of the Psy Council Members, she’s used to being under a microscope and because of that, it makes keeping her secret a lot harder but she does what she needs to do to survive and being around Lucas is making things even harder for her.

Gah, this is such a fantastic supernatural world to get lost in. Nalini Singh does such a great job of building a world that will grip you from beginning to end. I think I enjoyed this read a lot more this time around because I understand the world now. I didn’t spend any time trying to figure out what the hell a Psy is and who are all of the Changelings, stuff like that. I didn’t realize how much I missed this world until I started listening to this book.

This was such a great start to one of my all time favorite series and if you haven’t read this, you’re missing out. Nalini Singh is a magician and this book is only one of the reasons why. Lucas and Sascha will worm their way into your heart and all of their loved ones will too so you should really get this book, read it and love it right alongside me. I promise, it’s good. I’m SO glad I re-read this one.

Buy the Book

AMAZON || BARNES AND NOBLE || GOOGLE BOOKS || KOBO || THE RIPPED BODICE

Final Grade

4.75 out of 5

Psy-Changeling Series

five-stars

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Book Boyfriend of the Week: Valentin Nikolaev

Posted February 2, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

This week’s book boyfriend is one that I read about last year. I am a huge fan of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changelings series. It’s my most favoritest paranormal series of all time and when Nalini announced that she was spinning the series off to focus on the Trinity, I was all in…especially since Silver Mercant was getting her story told first. What’s cool is that I went into this book planning to love the hell out of Silver but it was Valentin that stayed with me all these months. Total book boyfriend material.

Book Boyfriend of the Week: Valentin NikolaevSilver Silence
by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changelings #16, Psy-Changelings Trinity #1
Also in this series: Slave to Sensation
Published by Penguin, Berkley on June 13th 2017
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 452
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Add It: Goodreads

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...

I’m a sucker for a hero who is persistent in his pursuit of his woman…and Valentin is exactly that kind of guy. He’s a bear changeling and he was one giant softy teddy bear that I loved to death. The way that he pursued Silver and how persistent he was every time she turned him down.

When Valentin realizes that Silver is his mate and we read this excerpt below, it cemented Valentin’s place on my book boyfriend list. He’s a keeper, for sure.

“Raw pain scored his insides, but the bear was in agreement with the man: as long as Silver lived, he could take the pain, take the loss that would haunt him always. He had this big body for a reason. It could take a lot of punishment. As long as she breathed, he’d survive. He’d watch over her from afar, and he’d survive because his mate was alive.”

*swoon*

Here’s who I pictured when reading all about Valentin:

If you haven’t read this book and are curious about it, check out my review of this book here. It’s a good book because duh, Nalini Singh wrote it. If you haven’t read this one, you should fix that. You should also read the entire Psy-Changelings series because that’s a whole lot of goodness in one series. Don’t miss out.

Buy the Book


Silver Silence by Nalini Singh
June 13th, 2017
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Series Order

Until next time…enjoy!

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Eye Candy Friday: Hawke Snow from Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Posted October 28, 2016 by Rowena in Features | 8 Comments

ECF

This week’s Eye Candy Friday guy is one of my favorite heroes in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changelings series. He’s a great leader, a stubborn alpha but a big ol’ softie at his core. I loved how there was so many different sides to Hawke Snow but every single side made for one dynamic leader and compelling character.

Here is his book info:

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
Release Date: May 31, 2011
Publisher: Penguin, Berkley
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 330

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules-and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home-and the alpha who is its heartbeat.

Hawke and Sienna don’t get their story told until Book 10 of the Psy-Changeling series and there was a lot of lead up to it. There’s Sienna’s transition from living in the Psy world to living with Hawke’s Changeling pack and then there’s Hawke’s history and his mate that died and the feelings he was denying himself over a certain feisty Psy, the age difference between Hawke and Sienna was another thing that stood in their way of true happiness and I think that Nalini Singh handled every single obstacle that was thrown their way wonderfully.

Hawke Snow was the kind of leader that inspired loyalty in the pack. He was fiercely protective of his pack and his leadership was a thing of beauty. He was flexible when he needed to be but he ruled with an iron first when he needed to. There was a complexity to his character that I was completely drawn to and I loved the hell out him right from the very beginning.

On top of being drop dead gorgeous and the ruler of the SnowDancer land, he said things that would bring a grown woman to her knees.

“You have the power to tear me to pieces, to wound me so deep and true that I’ll never recover. What Rissa’s death did to the boy I was? You have the ability to do a thousand times worse to the man I’ve become.”

*swoony sigh*

“Pack is built on the bonds of family, of mating, of love. You come first. You always will.”

Some more *swoony sighs*

“You are in my every breath and every thought, intertwined so deep inside me that love´s not a strong enough word. You have my devotion, your name branded on my soul, my wolf yours to command. A hundred years? It will never be enough. I want eternity.”

Gah. I’m just a puddle of lust for this guy and if you haven’t read this series, or know who Hawke is…I beg you to fix that because you won’t regret it. Hawke Snow is all that is right in the world. So much goodness and here’s how I picture him in my head:

hawke

Go forth and read his book. But first read the first 9 books to really appreciate Hawke Snow. You know you want to…:)

Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changelings #10) by Nalini Singh
May 31, 2011
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Series Order


Slave to Sensation | Visions of Heat | Caressed by Ice | Mine to Possess | Branded by Fire | Bonds of Justice | Blaze of Memory | Bonds of Justice | Play of Passion | Kiss of Snow | Tangle of Need | Heart of Obsidiant | Shield of Winter | Shards of Hope | Allegiance of Honor

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Top 5 Wednesday: Favorite Spooky Settings

Posted October 26, 2016 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

T5W

Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey at Ginger Reads Lainey but is hosted by Sam at Thoughts on Tomes. You can read more about this meme on the Goodreads Group here.

This weeks topic is: Favorite Spooky Settings

These can be settings that exist in books or ones you’d like to see in books. Also, if you are like me, you don’t really have to make this about horror or scary settings. You can also use eerie, atmospheric settings. Macabre settings. Eclectic settings. I’m not a scary horror person either, but I do enjoy the latter.

I don’t read any horror or scary books so for this week’s topic, I’m going to share five settings that creeped me out in the books that I’ve read.

1. That room where Sahara was taken to and held captive in Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh: Sahara was held captive for YEARS. She was held by this really ugly person and he did everything in his power to break her, break her spirit and he just creeped me the heck out. I associate him with the dark that was in Kaleb and the stuff that he did to Kaleb and then to Sahara before they were both able to break free from him was seriously creepy. He really messed them up so it was good to see them find each other again and heal from the cruel things of their pasts.

2. The place Sully was held captive in Mexico in Midnight Revenge by Elle Kennedy: Sully was taken captive by mistake and the place where he was tortured for information and the things that were done to him broke my heart. He suffered greatly at the hands of his captives and just thinking about the place where he was kept gives me the creeps.

3. Anna’s first Alpha’s home in Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs: Ugh, this whole place was just creepy AF. Her first Alpha, his wife, the people in her pack, all of them were just eww. I would have a constant case of the creeps if I had to go there all the time. Ewww, just freaking gross.

4. The villains lair in Angels Blood by Nalini Singh: The villain in this book was dis-flippin-gusting. He was feral and bloodthirsty and just all around gross and creepy as hell. His lair was filled with every freaking gross thing you can think of. All bad stuff. All bad and bloody. My skin crawled just reading about it. I can’t imagine ever actually visiting that place.

5. The entire town where Cryers Cross by Lisa McMann was set: This whole book was dark and the town that this book was set in was creepy as hell. The people were strange, the feel of the place, the tone of the story just added to the creepiness of the town so yeah, this town was total Creepville.

Have you read any books that were spooky or just all around creepy? Which ones?

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Man Crush Monday (15)

Posted May 30, 2016 by Rowena in Features | 2 Comments

Man Crush Monday

I can’t stop, you guys. I’m still on this Psy/Changelings series high and this week’s Man Crush is Hawke Snow, the SnowDancer Alpha and this is how I see him.

1

1

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4

My favorite Hawke quote?

“You have the power to tear me to pieces, to wound me so deep and true that I’ll never recover. What Rissa’s death did to the boy I was? You have the ability to do a thousand times worse to the man I’ve become.”

*swoon*

Until next week…enjoy!

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