Slave to Sensation (Psy/Changeling, #1)

by Nalini Singh

[Berls]

This is one of those books that you planned on reading for such a long time and never got around to it. And then you FINALLY do, thanks to something like Anne's 2021 Read-along, and you kick yourself for waiting so long. Gah, that was good! And original. And considering how much Urban Fantasy I've read, that's saying something.

The world is both familiar and unique at the same time, making it easy to settle into but intriguing. If you've read some urban fantasy, the Changelings feel very familiar. In a lot of ways, there what you expect from shifters, with their own unique qualities. And then the Psy are where it gets original. They are a race of telepaths that have supposedly bred/trained out all emotion in order to eliminate violence that comes from extreme emotion. They are constantly connected in this hive mind.

I found the Psy fascinating, especially in the main character, Sascha. From the get-go we know she's "broken" because she experiences emotions she shouldn't. This puts her in danger from the other Psy and makes her doubt herself. I enjoyed her growth as a character and think we'll see a lot more growth through the series.

The romantic connection between her and the Changling Lucas Hunter was electric - the telepathic / psychic element really added another dimension. I was a little surprised with it being an Urban Fantasy the depth of their relationship in book 1 and I'm interested to see how it develops over the series. Feels like maybe this will perhaps be similar relationship as some of my favorite UF couples ...

I listened to the audio and hadn't even checked to see who narrated it before I started. I immediately recognized the voice of Angela Dawe. It's been a while since I listened to her, but she's still in my favorites list. So I know I'll enjoy listening to this series. The only challenge will be waiting until January to start the next book to keep on schedule with the read-along!