Book Reviews

It’s been a long time coming, but I finally started the Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh. It’s one that has been on my radar for a long time. I always walk past it at work and go to pick it up, but never have. But with Nick talking about it and loving it so much, I had to give in. And I fell in love. So today I thought I share my thoughts on the first four books in the series that I have read. 

The Psy-Changeling series follows two Changeling packs, the DarkRiver Leopards, and the SnowDancer Wolf Pack as well as the emotionless Psy and humans who at first seems to be the weakest of them all, but now fields are levelling and things are about to get interesting. 

Slave to Sensation: I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading this series. I haven’t read many paranormal romances before. But as soon as I started reading Slave to Sensation, I knew that I made the right decision. The first book in this series follows Sascha Duncan as she tries to hide her emotions that her kind deems flawed. Because if the Psy knew, it wouldn’t be good for her. When Lucas first meets Sasha, he thinks she is his ticket for answers, but he soon learns that she is more than she seems. But they both come from conflicting worlds and on different sides of a brewing war. Will they give in to temptation or hold their feelings close to their hearts?

Slave to Sensation is the perfect start to this series. It’s fast-paced, sexy and takes you for a ride. As soon as I started it, I feel in love with the characters, plot, writing and world, and I couldn’t it down.

Sasha was such an interesting protagonist. At first, the reader thinks that she is cold and calculated. But as the novel goes on, we understand that it’s a front. Not only does she have to hide her emotions from the Psy council but it’s the way she has been taught. I adored that Lucas and the rest of the DarkRiver Leopards can break her down and show her a new way of life.

Lucas was an alpha male in more ways than one, but he was also sweet and would do anything for the people he loves. It was great to see this contrast. I also love seeing how different authors write ‘true alphas.’ And I think that Nalini can have a great balance here.

The romance was adorable, sexy and everything that I look for. I like that it was a forbidden romance combined with an enemy to lovers. It was fantastic. I adored that the reader can see both Lucas and Sasha slowly fall for one another. It was especially interesting to see Sasha discover her feelings and what they are.

One of my favourite things about Slave to Sensation was that everything wasn’t info dumped. I sometimes find that when I start a new series, especially one with a world as advance as in this series. Things can be thrown at the reader. But information about the world and characters were slowly dripped into the book and it made for such a great read.

Overall, I adored Slave to Sensation. It was a fantastic first book and explores not only Sasha and Lucas. But the world as well. Plus, I haven’t even talked about the Cubs. Oh gosh. They are incredible. I love the world, the characters, the pact and everything else. Basically, I knew I would love the rest of the series, just from this book.

Photo by Sebastian Unrau on Unsplash

Visions of Heat: When visions of blood and murder start to torment Faith NightStar it’s a bad sign for anyone. As an F-Psy she is widely sought out for her ability to predict the future. But she has to be careful, and when the visions turn to something even more dangerous, she doesn’t know what to do. Because succumbing to these desires, could also mean the end of her. When Faith catches the eye of changeling Vaughn D’Angelo things are about to get even more interesting. But while Vaughn wants sensation, it could snap Faith’s last thread of sanity.

Visions of Heat was a fantastic second book and not only introduced us to some new characters but made sure the characters we already love is present. I felt that this one had a different feel to the previous book, and I loved that.

Faith was intriguing from the get-go. I loved that we get to know more about the Psy world with her gift. It was a fantastic way to see more of the world, without info dumpling everything. Faith had to do a lot of growing throughout the book and it was nice to see. The reader gets to see Faith not only discover the world but also rediscover herself.

Vaughn caught my eye from the first book and I’m glad that we were able to get to his book early. He is intense and mysterious and that made for a great male protagonist. He is different from the others in his pack. Yet they still treat him like family, and I adored that.

The romance was once again fantastic in Visions of Heat. It was intense and interesting, and I adored seeing both of them fall for one another. Like Sasha, Faith doesn’t understand the notion of emotions add to that she is an F-Psy and things get intense. It was great to see the contrast between the two. I liked how Vaughn didn’t push Faith and let her grow on her own, but also gave her a little shove when she needed it.

The plot is pushed again in this one and the overall arching plot starts to take form. I love that we get to know more about the world as a whole throughout the book and it builds on things we know from book one. It’s really well done and I wish more authors were able to do it this way. 

Overall, Visions of Heat was a fantastic read. I loved the intensity, the feeling like the reader is on the edge most of the time and how everything is moving forward. The romance was steamy and intense. It explores first love, new sensations and learning to understand again. Faith and Vaughn felt different from Sasha and Lucas but still had the same energy that I love.

Caressed by Ice: Judd Lauren was once an elite Arrow soldier forced to do terrible things for his people. Now in hiding with the people he once called his enemy. Once a deadly assassin he was cold and callous until he meets Brenna. Before she was abducted Brenna was innocent. Now her she evil runs deep inside of her. And when a body turns up, Brenna feels like she could fall to the maddens, but Judd is her hope. But her intensity goes again everything that makes up Judd. Now they both have many things to overcome.

Judd is such an interesting protagonist in Caressed by Ice. He has some pretty horrible demons. As an Arrow, he had to do things at the time he thought was right, but as his time with them went on he knew they weren’t. And when his family walked into trouble, he had to step in and help. It was fascinating seeing him understand what he did and how he learns to live a new life. He has to come to terms with this new chance of life he has been given. 

With older brothers and an overprotective pack, Brenna needs some air. Ever since she was recused from a serial killer, she has needed space. Her mind was violated, and she has never felt the same. She feels like she is suffocating. I liked that the reader gets to see Brenna heal throughout the novel. And while she isn’t 100 per cent, we get to see her make some process.

The romance was so well done in Caressed by Ice. It was sweet and steamy and just worked so well. Both Judd and Brenna have had a lot happen to them. And it takes them both a long time to give in to each other. I liked that they both helped each other as well let each other find themselves.

I felt that this was one of the darker books in this series so far. Everything is starting to build up. People are dying, people getting seriously hurt. It’s intense and at times I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

Overall, I just love this series. Caressed by Ice is very different from the first two books. It still has the same feel and there is no doubt its part of the same series, but I feel it’s much darker. Both our protagonists have been through a lot, they both have many demons to overcome. It’s also our first real look at the SnowDancer Wolf Pack which I loved. It’s a fantastic addition to the series.

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Mine to Possess: As a powerful sentinel of the DarkRiver pack, Clay Bennett has a place where he feels like he belongs. But it wasn’t always that way. Growing up with his human mother he didn’t know his changeling father. He didn’t know the like of a pack member. Because of that, he tried to hide his animal nature and because of that, he murdered someone. And that he lost more than his freedom he lost his best friend Talin. Talin McKade just survived her childhood. She never thought she would see Clay again, but she needs help and he is the only that can help her. But seeing each other again brings back old memories and some of them aren’t good.

This is the first book in the series where the love interest is human. Which was so intriguing. It added another element to the series and more depth. It’s a strange feeling. There is so much going on in this series. But I never feel overwhelmed – and I think that is fantastic.

Clay is one of the darker characters from the series. He has demos that he has never been able to deal with and with Talin back in his life, it’s time to. For a long time, he believed that she was dead, and it hurts him a lot when he finds out that she is alive. It was interesting seeing the dynamic of Clay change and grow throughout the book.  

Talin was interesting. I didn’t fall in love with her right away, like other characters in the series. It took me a while to warm up to her. But as Mine to Possess went on and she started to let go a little, I enjoyed her a lot. Like Clay, she has been through a lot before the novel. And all she wants to do now is find the children that she has grown to love.

The romance in Mine to Possess is a mix of second chance and friends to lovers. While they weren’t together before, I think in time it could have happened. And because of all their past, they want to be friends at first. They both have issues with one another and as the novel goes on, they start to fall.

We get to see much more of the world in this book. We get to meet different changelings, humans and even Psy. Some interesting things happen in this novel and it again pushes the overarching plot of the series forward. I’m enjoying that while each book has its own storyline, it still adds to the series.

Overall, Mine to Possess is a fantastic addition to the series. I liked that Clay and Talin were different from other couples in the series. It was interesting seeing the human and changeling dynamic. It’s also a second chance, friends to lover’s romance and I’m here for that. Plus, more cubs. I can’t deal with baby shifters. I just can’t. 

Photo by Steven Kamenar on Unsplash

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Overall I am just loving this series so far. I’ve currently got all the books up to book 11. I’m trying to take this series slow and just read a few books at a time. But it’s hard because I’m just enjoying it so much. I’m loving all the characters, the world, the writing, the plot. The cubs! It’s all fantastic. 

Have you read any of the books in the Psy-Changeling by Nalini Singh? What do you think of it? Who are some of your favourite characters? Do you plan to read this series? Let’s Chat!