Really Short Reviews: Psy-Changeling #1-2

As you all know, I've have become hopelessly obsessed with Nalini Singh's books. I cannot begin to tell you how much I have come to love them but I can tell you that I have reread this series five times since I first marathoned it last June. See? I told you I've become obsessed.

The fifteenth book in the series is set to come out next month and in celebration of its release I'm going to review two or three books in the series each week until Allegiance of Honor is out. I was lucky enough to get a copy of it for review and I've already read it! It was SO good! Since I don't have enough to say about each book to warrant a full review, I'm going to do Really Short Reviews of the series so far! Today, I'm starting with the first two books! If you haven't started this series yet, you still have time to do so before the next book is out!

Slave to Sensation
(Psy-Changeling #1)
Nalini Singh
Release: September 1, 2006
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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.

Review by Rose Red:

I had been recommended this book for years before I actually picked it up and I'm kind of kicking myself for not reading it sooner. It's the start of a new series that deftly combines both paranormal romance and sci-fi elements together. I loved the world so much! I found it fascinating that you have three groups who are radically different from each other but yet are interdependent on one another. You have the Psy, who have suppressed their emotions so much that the don't feel anymore. You have the Changelings who are shifters who are very big on family and pack ties and are very much tied to their emotions. Then you have the regular humans that seem to fit somewhere in between. I loved how each group while seeming completely different were kind of similar. I was so impressed with the world building that Singh does. She depicts the world without being info-dumpy and everything revealed about the world serves the story. I was instantly enthralled.

Not only was the worldbuilding top-notch but so were the characters. I needed to know if Sasha and Lucas could overcome their differences to come together. Not only was I invested in the main couple, but I needed to know the story for each secondary character as well. I was also invested in the plot itself. Who was this killer? What happens when they find him? What will happen if Sascha and Lucas get together? How will affect the pack? It took a bit for Sascha to grow on me, but she soon did. She's strong, determined, and immensely likeable. I admire strong heroines who are also likeable. The romance between her and Lucas was both sexy and sweet. There was absolutely nothing about this book that I didn't like.

Nalini Singh has created a unique world with great characters. I was instantly sucked into the story and couldn't stop turning the pages. The story has emotional depth and I believed in the characters and their world. I highly recommend this series enough.

   

  5 / 5 Stars

Visions of Heat

(Psy-Changeling #2)
Nalini Singh

Release: March 6, 2007

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Hailed as a major new talent in paranormal romance, Nalini Singh takes us deeper into the world of the Psy and the changelings in her latest extraordinary novel, where a gifted woman sees passion in her future - a passion that is absolutely forbidden by her kind...

Used to cold silence, Faith NightStar is suddenly being tormented by dark visions of blood and murder. A bad sign for anyone, but worse for Faith, an F-Psy with the highly sought after ability to predict the future. Then the visions show her something even more dangerous - aching need...exquisite pleasure. But so powerful is her sight, so fragile the state of her mind, that the very emotions she yearns to embrace could be the end of her.

Changeling Vaughn D'Angelo can take the form of either man or jaguar, but it is his animal side that is overwhelmingly drawn to Faith. The jaguar's instinct is to claim this woman it finds so utterly fascinating and the man has no argument. But while Vaughn craves sensation and hungers to pleasure Faith in every way, desire is a danger that could snap the last threads of her sanity. And there are Psy who need Faith's sight for their own purposes. They must keep her silenced - and keep her from Vaughn.

Review by Rose Red:

I loved the first book in this series like a lot a lot but this one proceeded to eclipse my love for that one almost immediately. I appreciate a series that completes every book with it's own story, yet still relies on the foundation built by the first. Visions of Heat does that, perfectly. This book was more of a grand love story than a thriller like Slave to Sensation, but it still added to the overall landscape of the world and helped to expand our view of the situation between the Psy and the Changelings. I was fascinated by what we learned about the Psy-Net and the Council in this book! Something is coming and it's going to be big.

Faith and Vaughn were characters that I never knew I needed a romance between until I started reading this book. Faith is a cardinal F-Psy which means she can see visions of the future. Except she's not supposed to see anything outside of her business forecasts. So she goes to the one person she thinks can help her without reporting her, Sascha. And in the process, she runs into Vaughn who is a little more wild than most changelings.

I loved these two together! Vaughn seriously fits the profile of an alpha male. He's arrogant, stubborn, persistent, demanding, and possessive. He relies on his animal instincts and pushes boundaries. But he is also sexy, gentle, loving, and protective. Faith is a strong heroine but in a different way than Sascha is. She's not unlikable but she's not as warm and friendly as Sascha. She's kind of fragile with a sharp intelligence because of her ability. Vaughn provides her a safe place to move outside her comfort zone. The character growth she goes through between the first and last pages is immense and highly satisfying. The romance between Faith and Vaughn is beautifully written and fits with who they are as individuals. They've definitely become one of my favorite couples in this series.

  

  5 / 5 Stars!