Shield of Winter (Psy/Changeling, #13)

by Nalini Singh

[Linda]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Shield of Winter is definitely a tipping point in the overall story-arc when it comes to the Psy-Changeling series. Strong characters move the story forward, helped by a tough plot.



Somehow, I had read the book that is after Shield of Winter in this series, but not this one. I was so happy when I realized I had an unread Psy-Changeling book on my kindle just waiting for me to indulge. Vasic is a character who has intrigued me since I was first introduced to the deadly Arrows, and seeing him with a seemingly fragile E psy, one who might be able to save the Psy-Net, made him seem more human somehow.

A lot happened in Shield of Winter, and it all was building on what happened in the prior books, both when it comes to the complex politics and the various storylines and plots that are happening in this series. From the first book in this series, I knew I was going to love it - both because of the very unique concept of the Psy, and the way Singh's changelings are a bit different from your average shifters. Also, the whole series is set in the future, and that makes a lot of the technology seem plausible, too.

Singh is an expert at bringing together characters that don't really have a lot in common - at least on the surface. And when Vasic first met Ivy, he was ready to just do his job - protect her with his life if necessary - and that was all. As he got to know the empath, though, he slowly come to realize that there was more to life than being an arrow - even if that was all he knew. I also really enjoyed that several characters from prior books in the series had important roles to play in Shield of Winter, and I especially liked seeing Sascha and Lukas who were the main characters in the very first book.

Between the fast-paced action scenes and the slower pace of characters getting to know each other, there were some very tender, and smoldering hot romantic scenes as well. I found Ivy's almost naïve joy for life, and her positive optimism and outlook on life to be the perfect counterbalance of the darkness that lived inside Vasic. They were both a bit broken, though, and it was beautiful to see them try to mend each other.

Written in third person point of view, past tense, but with a closer perspective on Vasic and Ivy, the story unfolded in a way that made me completely engrossed from start to finish. There are great dialgoues as well as the narration, and some notes and messages between characters to make the reader have a full view of what was going on.



Insanity, blood-soaked death, murderous aggression, this is the way the Psy were before Silence. No other race, it is said, bred more vicious, more intelligent, or more sadistic serial killers. But worse was the clawing madness that destroyed so many of them, saints and sinners alike, until it became known as the flip side to their incredible psychic gifts.

That, Kaleb would never accept, never permit. The world had taken seven years from them. It would get nothing else.

She stared at him, this woman whose presence caused him physical pain the same way Sascha Duncan's had. But he wasn't going to ask for another assignment if Ivy agreed to Krychek's proposal