"so many twists and turns that you simply can't read fast enough"
Ashaya Aleine was a scientist for the Psy Council, only
Ashaya holds a secret inside her mind and her heart. In one
act of bravery her life changed forever. In that one act of
releasing children from the hands of the Council, she finds
herself face to face with a sniper, a very lethal man. In
desperation Ashaya bargains for her son's life, begs for
the very sniper holding a gun to her head to save her only
child. Now Ashaya must face terrors even worse than the
Council, but what wouldn't a mother do for the life of her
only child? It's simple, there is nothing a mother will not
do for her child; especially when that mother feels
emotions and has secrets when a Psy in the PsyNet are
forbidden through Silence to have such feelings, even for
her child. The Council will not allow Silence to be
compromised. The Psy live with the threat of Rehabilitation
looming over their head if they break Silence, a fate worse
than death. Her feelings become glaringly obvious to the
brilliant Ashaya when she comes face to face with the most
lethal man she's ever met. Still she gambles on the sniper,
yet soon finds he is not only lethal to her life, her
shields, her existence, but her very peace of mind and a
heart thought buried so deep no one would touch it but her
son and one dark secret. Because not only is Dorian all of
that, this dangerous leopard Changeling is also the one
thing that breaks down the barriers of false Silence and
reaches her heart. Once there, she finds that leopards are
very single minded when they have a mission to fulfill.
Soon she will find that not only has Dorian broken into
Ashaya's heart, but Ashaya has breached the heart of a cold
and emotionally damaged Sentinel of the Dark River Leopard
Pack. Dorian Christensen, Sniper, Computer Genius, Sentinel for
the powerful Dark River Pack, holds many secrets locked in
his heart and in his body. Dorian is devastated by the loss
of his baby sister to the brutal hands of a Psy sociopathic
murderer. Dorian lives with a guilt, hatred and anger that
threaten his very existence. He also lives with the
knowledge that he is latent, he is a very dangerous and
strong Sentinel who lacks the ability to shift into his
animal form. The fact has eaten pieces of his soul away
year after year. Now Dorian is trying to rebuild his life,
with the help of his pack and his Alpha's mate, the E-Psy
Sascha. But some wounds not even Sascha, a strong Psy
empath, can heal. Some things Dorian must learn to heal for
himself. He never once thinks that he may find healing in
the arms of a Psy, let alone one who was a puppet for the
Council, an enigmatic scientist named Ashaya Aleine. Ashaya
is a mystery, so many layers, so many temptations; and once
his leopard has decided she is a mystery worth unraveling,
worth having and worth keeping, he will never let her go.
Despite the fact that she is Psy, a race he will never
forgive for the death of his sister. Dorian keeps his
promises though, even to the beautiful Ashaya and saves her
son, then saves her and in doing so finds himself face to
face with a pure Psy sociopathic evil once more. An evil
bent on taking Ashaya from him. The question is, can Dorian
let go of the past? Can he see past his hatred, can he
protect what his leopard feels is his own from the most
dangerous threats his pack and this woman face? Will they
even be able to survive it? Only time and skill will tell,
but time is running out and they may not be able to outrun
the murder and blood that threatens to destroy them all. Dorian and Ashaya find themselves faced with one impossible
task after another. For Ashaya, the ever looming threats of
capture by the Psy Council spell out the woman's death at
the hands of a deadly Council, or worse. Is there something
worse brewing in this war with the Council, than the
Council itself? Are they missing something crucial? She
could find her demise at the hands of so many suspects,
will it be someone she loves or is growing to love or a new
threat she doesn't yet know, or the ever present Council?
For her child, a mother will face anything. Ashaya's fate
seems sealed, it's only a matter of time, a matter of which
threat will find her, and who will be the one to deal out
such a fate. Will it be the brutal Psy Council,
Rehabilitation, a Sociopath, a Sniper, or something far
worse? Only time will tell if any of them will make it out
of this alive and well. I have been waiting impatiently for Dorian's story and this
book has proven yet again, that Ms. Singh is truly one of
my favorite authors. Her Psy Changeling World is intricate,
thrilling and the war is brewing. Rebellion is growing. The
series is woven with so many twists and turns that you
simply can't read fast enough. I couldn't tear myself away
from this book, this is truly thrilling from page one.
Nalini Singh only proves time and again why she is at the
top of her game, why she is fast becoming one of the
greatest paranormal authors of our time. She is truly
amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Though, I
will say this, this series is not a stand alone series. In
my opinion, it needs to be read from the start of the
series to be fully understood and enjoyed. Please do
yourself the service of reading them as they were intended,
from the beginning with book one so you can enjoy the full
experience of the storyline. I knew Dorian's book would be
intense, but intense doesn't begin to describe the range of
emotions you will feel for this couple. As always, I will
be impatiently waiting for the next book and I was not
disappointed with this book in the least, there was not a
thing I could say against it, read this book if you love
this series as much as I do.
Reviewed by Stephanie Q. McGrath
Posted August 19, 2008
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**2008 PEARL NOMINEE - BEST SHAPESHIFTER** **A PNR Staff Top Pick & Reviewer Recommended Read** Now, as the deadly Psy Council tightens its grip, a rebel Psy scientist finds herself at the mercy of a changeling who has sworn vengeance against her kind... 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... Genre: Paranormal Romance, Shapeshifters, Psychics Psy/Changeling reading order per author's website:
- Slave to Sensation (September 2006)
- Visions of Heat (March 2007)
Free short story: The Cannibal Princess
- Caressed By Ice (September 2007)
- “Beat of Temptation” in An Enchanted Season (October 2007)*
- Mine to Possess (February 2008)
- Hostage to Pleasure (September 2008)
- “Stroke of Enticement” in The Magical Christmas Cat (October 2008) *
Free short story: A Gift for Kit
- Branded by Fire (July 2009)
- Blaze of Memory (November 2009)
*This novella was written to stand alone so you can pick it up at any stage in the series.
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