Waiting on Wednesday (83)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. So here's this week's WOW pick:

I adore historical fiction books with paranormal and fantasy elements in them! I just finished the first book in this series and I loved it so much! It has smart, strong girls who are at a "finishing school" because they don't fit the vision of what a girl in society should be. Georgie from the first book was sent to this school because she loved science and had red hair and freckles. But Stranje House isn't a finishing school. Instead of learning how to become more eligible for marriage, they girls of Stranje House are really using their talents to save England from Napoleon. It was everything I didn't know I was in the mood to read! I fell in love with Tess in the first book and I can't wait to learn more about her! I need to get my hands on this book ASAP!

Exile For Dreamers
(Stranje House #2)
Kathleen Baldwin
Release: May 24, 2016
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Tess can't run far enough or fast enough to escape the prophetic dreams that haunt her. Dreams bring nothing but death and grief, and Tess refuses to accept that she may be destined for the same madness that destroyed her mother. Until her disturbing dreams become the only means of saving Lord Ravencross, the man she loves, and her friends at Stranje House from Lady Daneska and her lover, the Ghost-agent of Napoleon, who has escaped from Elba. Can the young ladies of Stranje House prevail once more? Or is England destined to fall into the hands of the power-mad dictator?

What book are you waiting on?

Really Short Reviews: Psy-Changeling #3-5

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 reviewing the next three books! If you haven't started this series yet, you still have time to do so before the next book is out!

Caressed by Ice

(Psy-Changeling #3)
Nalini Singh

Release: September 4, 2007

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Nalini Singh explores new heights of sensuality, returning to the world of the Psy - where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts...

As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now he is a defector, and his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins - cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna...

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted - and had her mind violated - by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives...

Review by Rose Red:

Caressed by Ice is the first book in this series where the story is focused in the den of the Snowdancers instead of in Dark River territory. AND it's the first one where the heroine is a Changeling and the hero a Psy! For some reason, I was nervous going to this book when I first read it. I didn't think I'd be able to relate to Judd or Brenna. I was so wrong! I loved this book! 

Judd's background story is finally revealed and his family members' back story is explored further. Judd Lauren is a former Psy assassin. He is cold and has no intention of breaking Silence to admit emotion to his life because he knows that it will turn him into an indiscriminate killer. Brenna has a lot of baggage because of what she went through in book one and Judd has a lot himself thanks to his occupation when he was still part of the PsyNet. Neither is looking for a relationship and yet Judd and Brenna and constantly drawn to one another.

I loved this book! Both Brenna and Judd are damaged people. While others insist that they cannot help one another, their mutual pain brings them together and gives them an understanding of what the other is dealing with. This is one of those books where the pain and emotions of the characters are put on display in such an intimate fashion that the reader goes through the same emotional roller coaster.

There is a darkness to this book that is counterbalanced exquisitely by the hope and relationship that is developing between these two. They're so different yet so similar. Brenna is incredibly strong and her ability to overcome what has happened to her is amazing. I love that she falls in love with Judd and helps him to see that he is so much more than his previous career. These two make an unlikely pair but they work so well together! They are one of my favorite couples in this series. I seriously love them so much!

  

  5 / 5 Stars!

Mine to Possess
(Psy-Changeling #4)
Nalini Singh
Release: February 5, 2008
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Clay Bennett is a powerful DarkRiver sentinel, but he grew up in the slums with his human mother, never knowing his changeling father. As a young boy without the bonds of Pack, he tried to stifle his animal nature. He failed...and committed the most extreme act of violence, killing a man and losing his best friend, Talin, in the bloody aftermath. Everything good in him died the day he was told that she, too, was dead.

Talin McKade barely survived a childhood drenched in bloodshed and terror. Now a new nightmare is stalking her life--the street children she works to protect are disappearing and turning up dead. Determined to keep them safe, she unlocks the darkest secret in her heart and returns to ask the help of the strongest man she knows...

Clay lost Talin once. He will not let her go again, his hunger to possess her, a clawing need born of the leopard within. As they race to save the innocent, Clay and Talin must face the violent truths of their past...or lose everything that ever mattered.

Review by Rose Red: 

I'm going to be honest, this book is not my favorite book in this series. In fact, it is my least favorite of them all. Don't get me wrong. This is a pretty good story and I still loved it by the end but I struggled with it. I've been curious about Clay from book one. I admit that I had problems with how both Clay and Talin acted but I had a harder time connecting to Talin than I did Clay. To be honest, the first part of the story had me a little confused about Talin’s feelings and motivations. She had a lot of past issues that colored how she looked at things and how she acted towards Clay and it drove me crazy especially since she has come to Clay for help with finding her lost kids.

I found this story to be pretty enjoyable. What I love most about it was the fact that it expands the world outside of the Psy and Changeling packs in the previous books. It definitely will have an impact on the future books. As I said, I liked both Talin and Clay and am happy things worked out for them. I had a little bit of trouble getting completely in to the relationship at first because of mixed up feelings of both Clay and Talin. But once they both worked through their own issues, it was easier to see them as a couple and as being good for each other. I found Jon, Noor, Santos, and the scientists at the lab way more interesting though. Overall, this was another good addition to the series.

   1/2

  4.5 / 5 Stars

Hostage to Pleasure

(Psy-Changeling #5)
Nalini Singh

Release: September 2, 2008

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Separated from her son and forced to create a neural implant that will mean the effective enslavement of her psychically gifted race, Ashaya Aleine is the perfect Psy--cool, calm, emotionless...at least on the surface. Inside, she's fighting a desperate battle to save her son and escape the vicious cold of the PsyNet. Yet when escape comes, it leads not to safety, but to the lethal danger of a sniper's embrace.

DarkRiver sniper Dorian Christensen lost his sister to a Psy killer. Though he lacks the changeling ability to shift into animal form, his leopard lives within. And that leopard's rage at the brutal loss is a clawing darkness that hungers for vengeance. Falling for a Psy has never been on Dorian's agenda. But charged with protecting Ashaya and her son, he discovers that passion has a way of changing the rules...

Review by Rose Red:

Oh, Dorian and Ashaya! How I adore both of you! The Boy Genius and The Psy-Scientist are one of my favorite couples in this series! I continue to be amazed at how much I am enjoying this series. Each book completes a couple story but expands the overarching story of this world. And while the last book added the humans and the Forgotten as featured characters, this one continues in a similar way to the first two books in the series with the Changeling hero and Psy heroine.

I loved this book so much! Ashaya was an awesome heroine! I've loved Dorian since book one so even though he drove me a little crazy in this book I love him even more now. I had never really though about how being latent would affect him since it didn't seem to bother him in the other books.

The development of the romance, as well as their individual arcs, was excellently done. It felt very true to character and was done just exactly right. Dorian and Ashaya had to face the realization that perceptions can be misconstrued and that to really get to know an individual, you have to look inside and maybe see beyond what is immediately apparent. And I just love watching them uncover each layer of each other’s personalities to find out who the other truly is. It absolutely doesn’t hurt that these two had incredible chemistry. :) They both have their own demons to face and they gather strength from each other to deal with those demons together.

As for the bigger series story arc, the plot does indeed thicken and proceeds to build the stakes as well as expand the characters. Everything is building up to something big and I can't begin to guess what it is. Nalini Singh has written a really addicting series. They're like potato chips where you can't stop with just one handful. 

Random Side Note: Nalini Singh deserves a slow clap and my undying love for getting the science right in this book. It's not often that you see prions mentioned correctly in a paranormal romance novel. My inner scientist is super happy right now.

  

  5 / 5 Stars!

My reviews of other books in this series:
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

Read This F@!%ing Book (58)

Welcome to a feature we're going to post on Mondays called:

Read This F@!%ing Book!

This is a feature for us to push our favorite reads that just aren't getting enough attention!

We're also opening it up to anyone who would like to guest post. Do you have a book that you just LURVED but feel like its not getting the play it deserves? Email us to let us know and we'd be THRILLED to have you post about it here! Especially if its something we haven't reviewed yet - that's even better (but not necessary)! If you're interested email us: 

goldiloxandthethreeweres@gmail.com

 This week's post comes from our very own: 
Rose Red!

Read This F@!%ing Book Post 58: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater

(Click book cover to go to Goodreads page)

How do I convince you all to read this book without being a rambly mess? I really don't know how so this may be the shortest Read This F@!%ing Book post I've ever written but let me give it a try. 

Let Me Get The Fangirling Out Of The Way
HOLY HELL! This series was amazing! Oh my goodness! The hype is so deserved! I binge read the first three books over the course of two days and I don't regret not sleeping at all. I loved every minute of reading this series. The only word I can think to describe it all is magical. It was just plain magical! I was hooked from the first. I loved everything about it! The setup, the characters, the cars, the setting, the paranormal aspects, the mythology... I loved it all! WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS SERIES? It was everything!

This series has the kind of storytelling that you don't just give your heart to, you give it all of your love and adoration as well as its own space in your brain because you won't be able to quit thinking about it. I'm blown away by how intricate and detailed the story telling in this series is. I could pour over it for hours, trying to understand the evil brilliance behind each uniquely flawless turn of phrase and each effortless plot twist that leads to the ending with all the major plot points wrapped up. The characterization is so subtle, vivid as all hell, and just plain fantastic! You discover things with the characters as they discover them but there are tiny hints as you work up to the subtle reveal. I need to reread these books immediately because I'm sure I missed a ton of the subtle nudges that Maggie Stiefvater writes into the prose. The writing and atmosphere of these books is truly magical. 

I Have Fallen Head Over Heels For Blue And Her Raven Boys 
Maggie Stiefvater is so gifted and it's incredible how real her characters feel. Many authors can create characters I love, but not many authors can create characters that I can actually believe are real. I feel like that I know these characters and, like Blue, I've fallen head over heels for her Raven Boys. I seriously love them all! Gansey, Noah, Adam, Ronan, and Blue have carved out a piece of my heart for themselves and have made themselves at home. They have one of those all-consuming friendships that so many of us covet. Seriously. The relationships in this series were everything! Their relationship as a group as well as their one-on-one relationships with each other are constantly changing and growing. I loved that the important relationships in this weren't the romantic ones but those between friends and those between family. This is a series where the characters aren't trying to become something they're not or something more than they can achieve in so short a time, but they're characters that are growing more into themselves and learning to be comfortable in their own skins with help from each other. And as much as I love these five, I also love Blue's crazy family of psychics and Gansey's friend, Dr. Roger Malory. 

Not Convinced Yet? I'll Just Leave These Here.
I know this post is awfully fangirly so if you need proof of how great these books are from an outside source, I'll just leave these here.

Am I — am I allowed to be proud of this out loud? The completed Raven Cycle has 19 starred reviews.

— Maggie Stiefvater (@mstiefvater) May 1, 2016

So. Um. The Raven Cycle is now a #1 NYT bestselling series.

You guys did that.

Thank you.

— Maggie Stiefvater (@mstiefvater) May 4, 2016

If you haven't read these books yet, please go buy a copy or borrow it from a friend or your library. I think everyone needs to give this series a chance.

Have you read this series?

Let us know in the comments below!

Did we persuade you to add these books to your TBR mountain?

My reviews of other books in this series:
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvaer  

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

Really Short Reviews: Immortal Vegas and Railroads

Born To Be Wilde
(Immortal Vegas #3)
Jenn Stark
Release: February 24, 2016
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The past has a way of catching up with you.

If there's one thing that Tarot-reading magical artifacts hunter Sara Wilde has never been able to track down, it's the truth about her own past. But now a powerful new threat to the psychic community will take Sara back to where it all began: the last job she worked with Officer Brody Rooks as "Psychic Teen Sariah," the job that destroyed her life and sent her on the run. Because the enemy she fled all those years ago has returned... with a posse of demons as his personal entourage.

Worse, Sara's infuriating mentor, the dangerously seductive Magician, is pushing her to stretch her abilities and explore the very deepest reaches of her magic. But every demand draws her further into the spell he's weaving around her. And every challenge tests her vow to keep him at arm's length.

From the glittering chaos of Las Vegas to the Lost City of Atlantis, Sara must risk everything in a quest for vengeance that grows darker and more twisted with every step. To succeed she'll have to face the truth about her past, her abilities...and the impossible, unstoppable attraction she has to the Magician. A truth that will reveal her ultimate role in the war on magic.

Life is full of surprises when you are Born to Be Wilde.

Review by Rose Red:

This book has the same action-packed adventure that the first books in the series do but it also revealed a lot about Sara's past and I found it intriguing! There are a lot of similarities between who Sara Wilde is now and who Sariah Peltier was then. It was also interesting to learn more about Sara's history with Detective Rooks. I also loved that Sara gets sent to Atlantis in this one! Bravo, Jenn Stark. Bravo!

Aside from the action and exotic places in this series, I love how Sara's personal relationships continue to revolve while not taking over the story. Sara's still the independent woman we met in the first book but just slightly more entangled in the world of the Connected. Sara has undergone a lot of character growth in the last couple of books and her understanding of herself and her relationships with others has only improved.

All of the characters in this story are awesome and the Arcane Council members are downright fascinating! I definitely like some of them more than others but what I loved most about this book is how much page time The Magician got! This book seems to be a pivotal turning point in Sara and his relationship and I'm intrigued to see the outcome of some of the decisions that were made in this installment.

Overall, the series keeps you on your toes and I can't wait to see what happens next!

ARC provided by the author.

   

  4 / 5 Stars

My reviews of other books in this series:
Getting Wilde by Jenn Stark
Wilde Card by Jenn Stark

The Emperor's Railroad

(The Dreaming Cities #1)
Guy Haley

Release: April 19, 2016

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Global war devastated the environment, a zombie-like plague wiped out much of humanity, and civilization as we once understood it came to a standstill. But that was a thousand years ago, and the world is now a very different place.

Conflict between city states is constant, superstition is rife, and machine relics, mutant creatures and resurrected prehistoric beasts trouble the land. Watching over all are the silent Dreaming Cities. Homes of the angels, bastion outposts of heaven on Earth. Or so the church claims. Very few go in, and nobody ever comes out.
Until now…

Review by Rose Red:

This is one of the more brilliant novellas that Tor.com has published recently! I liked it. It was a unique dystopian story that enthralled me like no dystopian has in several years. The worldbuilding was the best part for me! It's a post-apocalyptic landscape with zombies and a dragon! And this dragon is on Smaug's level of scary, creepy dragon.

I enjoyed the fact that the story was told from the perspective of twelve year old Abney. It was definitely a new angle to the whole traveling to get to a better place with avoiding all the things that can kill you trope we see in a lot of dystopian fiction. Abney is still a child and his fear comes through in the writing as he and his Mom make their way to the cousin's house in Winfort with the help of a knight. I'm intrigued by Quinn, the mysterious knight who provides his services for reasons unknown.

I think that while this story was good at the novella length, it would have been even better as a full-length novel. I'm intrigued enough that I want more stories in this world and I kind of want them now. My curiosity knows no bounds. I'm really excited for the next installment of this series because it has more Quinn in the spotlight!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

  1/2

  3.5 / 5 Stars!

Waiting on Wednesday (82)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Here's this week's WOW pick:

Technically, Furthermore is a middle grade book, but I've been hearing a lot of buzz about it from YA readers. I think anything Tahereh Mafi writes will be wonderful either way. She has such a unique and fascinating style in the Shatter Me series and I'm really excited to see how she applies it to something new.

It's obviously an Alice in Wonderland retelling, but I suspect it's more complicated than that. And I wonder if the "boy named Oliver" is based on another familiar character. What an interesting mash up that would be.

Furthermore
Tahereh Mafi
Release: August 30, 2016
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There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it’s been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’s about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she’ll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver whose own magical ability is based in lies and deceit—and with a liar by her side in land where nothing is as it seems, it will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.

What book are you waiting on?

DNF For Now Review: Smoke and Fire by Donna Grant

Smoke and Fire
(Dark Kings #9)
Donna Grant
Release: April 5, 2016
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She wanted to touch him. There had always been something about being in his arms that made her feel as if she could tackle anything and the world wouldn't dare get in her way...

SWORN TO PROTECT
A dragon shapeshifter and a computer mastermind, Ryder is sent to guard Glasgow after a devastating Dark attack. But when memories of an explosive affair come back to him-in the flesh-Ryder cannot help but want to protect the woman who haunts his dreams. Even if means shifting into the dragon he was never supposed to reveal...

DRIVEN TO DESIRE
Kinsey could never get enough of Ryder. His every touch only left her wanting more. But now that she's seen him in his true form, Kinsey's world is rocked to the core. She knows that to stay-and feel-alive, she must be with Ryder. But is Kinsey's passion worth the risk of danger that comes with being a part of Ryder's dark and fierce world?

Review by Rose Red:

Disclaimer: This review is not for the full book. I ended up putting it aside at around 30% in. So this review is pretty much why I put it down and why I'm breaking up with this series for now.

I've seen this coming the last few books but I think it's time to admit to myself that it's time to put this series aside. I'm not permanently DNFing it because I've invested a lot of time into getting to this book since it's the spin-off of a spin-off. Or, more simply said, after reading twenty-five books and several novellas in the Dark World universe, I still want to know what happens at the end. But I'm not going to get anymore of the books until the series is finished. It's become very formulaic and repetitive and not even the characters can make up for it. 

As for this book, I tried and tried to read it but I just couldn't get into it. It makes me sad because I've been looking forward to getting Ryder's book for a while. Both Ryder and the love interest, Kinsey, are described as computer geeks but don't do anything more technical than the generic umbrella of "hacking". The type of hacking wasn't even mentioned. As characters, they both felt really flat to me. There wasn't much time to build them up in what I read as it seems like every other couple in the series dropped in. It felt more like they would come into a scene more to name drop than to actually further the story. I'm also fed up with the couples in this series not being able to communicate with each other. I'm pretty sure almost every couple has had a major misunderstanding that they've had to get over to come together. As I said before, it's getting very repetitive and formulaic and all of my quibbles I had when I finished Smoldering Hunger are still front and center.

So it's goodbye for now, Dark Kings. I'll catch up with you in a few years.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

My reviews of other books in this series:
Dark Heat by Donna Grant
Darkest Flame by Donna Grant
Fire Rising by Donna Grant
Burning Desire by Donna Grant
Hot Blooded by Donna Grant
Night's Blaze by Donna Grant

Soul Scorched by Donna Grant

Dragon King by Donna Grant

Passion Ignites by Donna Grant 

Smoldering Hunger by Donna Grant

Weres Wanna Know: Do You Stockpile Books?

Weres Wanna Know is a new discussion feature where we share a topic that's been on our minds and invite you to share your thoughts as well.

 

One thing I have noticed since joining the book community is how obsessed most people tend to be with their unread books a.k.a. TBR piles. I had never really thought about it before. Of course I have unread books on my shelves. I mean, who doesn't? My personal library is one of the things I'm the most proud of. But I admit that I think about those unread books a lot more now. Heck, I'm specifically participating in a couple reading challenges this year that will help me manage Mount ToBeRead.

But I'll let you in on a little secret. I'm not at all ashamed that I currently have 234 unread books on my shelves and lord knows how many unread ebooks on my Kindle. Honestly, I'm kind of happy to have lots of unread books. In fact, I kind of make sure I have a surplus of unread books. So today I want to ask...

Do You Stockpile Books?

Stockpiling books has become so much easier with the advent of ereaders and ebooks, but I've always stockpiled books. My TBR is my safety net and I'm grateful for it. Although, I will be the first to admit that I have a one-click Kindle deal buying problem. I like to buy ebooks on sale when they're cheap. I've mostly gone digital with my stockpiling because I don't have to worry about ebooks taking up a lot of space. You're probably thinking "Why do you stockpile books while trying to manage your TBR pile, Rose Red? You're being contradictory.". I know I am. Honestly, I wouldn't want to get too many more books on my TBR than what I have now but I like having them. There's lots of reasons why I still stockpile books when I have such a bulky TBR, but in the end it boils down to just two.

The first is that I'm a huge mood reader and I currently live in a library district that has a collection dictated by a community that has radically different reading tastes than I do. I've seriously never seen such small fantasy and romance sections. When I get in the mood for paranormal romance or any genre, I can easily read thirty books in said genre before my mood changes so I try to make sure I have enough books stockpiled so I won't feel like I need to buy anything. I do tend to reread favorites when I get in these moods but I've gone through binges before where I don't want to read what I already own so I buy what I want. Those times can really hurt the pocketbook. *Looks accusingly at her Nalini Singh collection* So I take advantage of Kindle deals and used bookstores to stockpile paranormal romance, urban fantasy, steampunk, and fantasy books.

The other reason is because I know times are going to come in the future where I'm not going to have as much disposable income as I do now and won't be able to buy books like I do now. I know going to the library is always an option. The thing is I've lived in areas that have excellent libraries and I've lived in areas with terrible libraries. I guess I just want to make sure that I have plenty of books in the genres I want to read handy whatever my circumstances become. Not having anything I feel like reading is a nightmare scenario for me because reading is how I deal with my stress and anxiety. Maybe I'm just being paranoid and a little crazy but I feel better having my moderately large TBR pile, even when I'm trying to manage it. I'm interested to know your opinions on this topic. So...

Do you stockpile books? Why or why not? Let's discuss!

If you have a topic you'd like to see discussed in a Weres Wanna Know post, let us know in the comments, send us a Facebook message, or email goldiloxandthethreeweres@gmail.com.

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
Goodreads Amazon

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!