Shield of Winter (Psy-Changeling, book 13) by Nalini Singh
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Edition Reviewed: eBook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Shield of Winter (13)
Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.
For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…
Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she'll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…
Review:
Ah. The sweetness that only Singh's Paranormal Romance books can give me. Silence has officially fallen and now the Psy need a cure. Each new book had me chomping at books for this! While many readers have been unhappy with too much world building and focus on the Psy I've been in heaven. I've said it before and I'll say it again Singh has ruined me for other PNR series. World building. That's the key to any great book. Intricate plots that don't end after the HEA is given to the current lead couples. Follow through. Being able to visit and see how events are affecting beloved couples/characters.
Most importantly the current couple of the book are affected by what is happening in the world. They're fully interacting in it. There's consequences for their actions as well as outside factors altering their lives. So each couple is unique. The process in which they fall in love is unique. Sure it can be said that it's basically the same Happily Ever After formula. But that's true of every romance book. (Except a few brave ones that decide to be different.) No matter what PNR series you read there is a formula. Sure a lot of characters in the Psy-Changeling verse share some fundamental personality traits, morals, and other things. But in the end I know all of the characters and each one has their own personality. Some of those similarities is also what makes characters in Singh's world friends.
OK, I’ve shared my thoughts on that matter. Moving on.
Vasic is a character I’ve always been curious about. Come on he's the kind of character fans of the series just swoon for. Plus, in the past ice cold Psy men have lead to some steamy-steamy reading. Most importantly I always wondered who he would be paired with. Personally I didn't want him to be paired with another warrior. No in my hearts of hearts, I wanted him to be with an Empath. So what a surprise when Ivy walks in. These two are amazing together. That's all I'll say on that matter so nothing is taken away from readers.
What I will say is that Singh does a wonderful job of how “Silence” was probably never truly worked. It was helpful on some levels true. Silence helped Psychopaths and killers seem legit, while helping those with scary powers. Nothing is black and white. And maybe there are already many Psy not fully Silenced. It's seen here in Ivy's parents. How despite being under Silence they were flawed enough to be parents. To take actions to save their child. For me that made me think of a certain Empath that started this whole series and her relationship with her mother.
Shield Of Winter is intense. I had faith that some type of fix would come, because it was made clear that a number of the Psy characters we've come to love would not abandon ship. That doesn't mean that it was any less intense. When finally the cure is realized, I thought it was perfect. This is a new era for the series and the Psy. The politics, maneuvering, and factions that come up are so realistic that I commend Singh for putting all that extra work in. For making this marvelous world so rich.
Vasic and Ivy's love pulled at my heartstrings. Not to mention Rabbit. Apparently Singh can not only write men, women, children, teens and so on. She can right pets. This is a wonderful stepping stone into the Psy's new future. It's dark, lives are lost, and even with hope at the end of the tunnel there's still plenty of enemies hoping it will fail. But I've always loved the aspects of love, friendship, family, and hope that this series explores. Shield of Winter the perfect follow-up to Heart of Obsidian. Yet again I have more characters to love and care about in one of my favorite series.
Sexual Content: Sexual humor, steamy bedroom scenes, and you know the drill!
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!
