Last Guard by Nalini Singh

Last Guard (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #5)

by Nalini Singh

An instant New York Times bestseller!

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to a world devastated by change in her award-winning Psy-Changeling Trinity series, where two people defined by their aloneness hold the fate of the Psy in their hands. . . . 

Termed merciless by some, and a robotic sociopath by others, Payal Rao is the perfect Psy: cardinal telekinetic, CEO of a major conglomerate, beautiful—and emotionless.

For Canto Mercant, family and loyalty are everything. A cardinal telepath deemed “imperfect” by his race due to a spinal injury, Canto cares for the opinions of very few—and ruthlessly protects those he claims as his own. Head of intel for the influential Mercant family, he prefers to remain a shadow in the Net, unknown and unseen. But Canto is also an anchor, part of a secretive designation whose task it is to stabilize the PsyNet. Now that critical psychic network is dying, threatening to collapse and kill the entire Psy race with it.

To save those he loves, Canto needs the help of a woman bound to him by a dark past neither has been able to forget. A woman who is the most powerful anchor of them all: Payal Rao. Neither is ready for the violent inferno about to ignite in the PsyNet . . . or the passionate madness that threatens to destroy them both.

Reviewed by booksandcats on

5 of 5 stars

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I loved this book so much! I can't believe Nalini Singh is able to write 20 books in one series and I still like it, it's still surprising and just soo good!

Canto Mercant, a powerful Anchor who works as the backbone of the Mercant family decides to bring together all, or most of the Anchors, in order to stabilize the PsyNet. Whilst doing so he finds Payal Rao, another incredibly powerful A and the girl who saved him as a child.

I LOVED Canto. He seems like a grumpy bear in psy-disguise and it was just so nice to see! I liked how he was so supportive of Payal, admiring her strengths and helping her be the best she can be. His cunning ways and working in the background were really interesting and it was interesting to get a MMC with a physical disability.

Payal seems like a mix of Kaleb and Silver to me. Very dangerous, very difficult with affection and her own emotions (in contrast to Canto, who grew up in a loving family for the later part) and scarily well organized and put together, not accepting bullshit from anyone. I love it when she puts people in their place in her matter of fact way, it made me laugh out loud several times.

I really loved finding out more about Anchors and how the PsyNet works, it's fascinating how Ms Singh is able to build her world in such a complex manner and I look forward to finding out more!

Honestly, the only part I wasn't too sure of was the Architect, I'm just not sure how compelling I find her as a villain. I'm aware that her actions account for a some of why the PsyNet is fracturing, but I am more invested in how our heroes are going to save the Net then in them taking her out... The little snippets that happened in here didn't seem to affect to overall story at all, I think it would be absolutely believable that some Scarabs did some chaotic things without her involvement, but I hope Nalini Singh has some bigger ideas and plans for her.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 21 July, 2021: Finished reading
  • 21 July, 2021: Reviewed