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claire_thebookreader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bibliophilebynight's review against another edition
5.0
Finished this book this morning and I have to say that I have fallen love with the series even more than previously. Seriously. I'm recommending it to all my friends and I love discussing the main characters with those of my friends who have read it!
This story moves on from the previous character in the books to another set of characters as we watch the two races act with one another. The plot is a little more darker in this book and we find out a lot more about the Psy and the Changling races. What I love about these books is that you still see and hear from the other characters in this book. All the books are intertwined and I can't wait to read more! We also get to see different parts of the Races in the book (e.g. F-Psy and E-Psy - and I'm hoping there is still more to come!). Nalini has created this world and I would love to live in and when I read her books I feel like I'm in her world.
What I love about these books (and I think I have said this in my previous review) is the way Nalini has similar plots in each book but the way in which the characters interact and come together eventually differs between all the books.
5 stars from me. I can't wait to start reading the next book :)
This story moves on from the previous character in the books to another set of characters as we watch the two races act with one another. The plot is a little more darker in this book and we find out a lot more about the Psy and the Changling races. What I love about these books is that you still see and hear from the other characters in this book. All the books are intertwined and I can't wait to read more! We also get to see different parts of the Races in the book (e.g. F-Psy and E-Psy - and I'm hoping there is still more to come!). Nalini has created this world and I would love to live in and when I read her books I feel like I'm in her world.
What I love about these books (and I think I have said this in my previous review) is the way Nalini has similar plots in each book but the way in which the characters interact and come together eventually differs between all the books.
5 stars from me. I can't wait to start reading the next book :)
larissa568's review against another edition
4.0
I am really liking this series. I think it's the inner battle the characters go through when they find love and are sometimes unable to recognize it.
dani_girl1110's review against another edition
4.0
I found parts of this hard to read, I lost interest for a bit, I think it was because it was soo identical of a story to Lucas and Sascha's. But Yummy Vaughn and fiery "Red"
mindforbooks's review against another edition
4.0
_____________________________________
2nd read - 27 February to 1 March 2013
3rd read - 17 April to 20 April 2014
4th read - 24 March to 29 March 2015
5th read - 20 April to 25 April 2017
6th read - 2 - 4 April 2021
7th read - 13 - 14 June 2021
8th read - 1 - 2 February 2023
9th read - 2 February 2024
_____________________________________
Vaughn and Faith's story sucks us further into this amazing world.
Faith is a cardinal F-Psy (foresight) and Vaughn is a Jaguar Changeling whose Jaguar is very close to the surface, Vaughn is intense and possessive and once he stumbles across Faith she intrigues both man and cat to such a degree that he aims all that intensity and possessiveness at her.
Faith's introduction to the Changeling world is as a result of dark visions that she has been having and the discovery that during one of these visions she witnessed her sisters murder. Her vision's and 'knowings' lead her to the DarkRiver pack and Sascha.
I do love the DarkRiver cats and I really liked Vaughn but he did push poor Faith hard in this, the Psy have effectively been brainwashed and beaten down by their leaders, it would be difficult for anyone to just change all that they have known and accept that their race had committed some pretty horrific crimes. Vaughn pushed and pushed Faith and just expected her to accept it, drop out of the Net and trust him enough to save her without telling her exactly how but it made for some great edge of the seat reading and some great interactions between them both. Faith is sassy and incredibly brave and Vaughn is a great mate for her.
As with the first book in this series you get some great insight into the other characters in this world and this just creates anticipation for the books to come. We also get to see how both Sascha and Lucas are doing.
A fabulous addition to this series. On to the wolves and Judd next.
pamv's review against another edition
3.0
Ok so I loved Vaughn but also hated parts of how this was written. I know there’s an overarching plot with these books but this book bored me to tears. Like it started on a fast note and then just, nothing. Snails pace. Idk yet if I’ll continue the series.
robinbridgefour's review against another edition
4.0
Re-read rating bumps up to 4 stars
I enjoyed this series the first time, but I think I like it even more the second time. It could just be I know more about the psy-net going in and so it is more interesting to me. I also am enjoying seeing some of my favorite characters all over again.
3.5 Stars
Sweet!!! Vulcan’s, Shapeshifters and Hal the computer entity from 2001 a space odyssey.
I’m enjoying this series so far. In the second book of the series we get a new addition of a sentient consciousness in the Psynet known as the Mindnet or Hal as I’m going to think of it. There is also the indication of a multi-book plot arc that comes through in the form of a hint of revolution in the Psy who have been bound into feeling no emotion. Some are starting to break free and more minds it seems are becoming aware that maybe silence (the forced absence of emotion ) isn’t all it is cracked up to be.
Faith is an F-Psy or a non-pointy eared Vulcan that can see into the future. She has pretty much been kept in a box her entire life and sheltered from everything in the world. She is monitored and kept in isolation to do one thing and one thing only which is predict future economic events for her family and paying customers. Her life starts to deteriorate when she also starts seeing murders, including her sisters.
Vaughn is a sentinel shapeshifter with a tragic past. He never understood the possessiveness of other cats to the women in their lives until he meets Faith. She seems ice cold on the surface but his inner cat is pretty sure that under that there is something more to the Psy. He is completely drawn to her and pushes Faith to her limits in hopes of being able to break through the shields she has constructed around herself. To help protect her he must help her find the person responsible for the murders Faith is seeing in her head.
Parts of this story are very much reminiscent of Slave to Sensation. Faith even more than Sasha is not used to touch and is reluctant with the changlings. It is even harder for Vaughn to break through to Faith than it was for Lucas to woo Sasha. But the mating bond is strong and the cat wants what the cat wants. I am a big fan of monogamy and love the idea of a psychic bond that snaps into place when you find the one. Even if it seems to be there before you really know anything about them after just meeting them. I also like the idea of being interconnected to the people we love and sharing a web of sorts with them. Those are a few of the reasons I like the world that has been built here.
The overall Psy story is becoming more interesting to me and I’m hoping to see some turmoil in the Psynet as control seems to deteriorate. I didn’t like this as much as Slave to Sensation but it was still an enjoyable read and so far the books have wrapped up nicely at the end of each so they are also their own contained stories. I loved seeing snippets of Lucas and Sasha again as they try to help Faith and Vaughn.
I’ll definitely continue on with the series, there are enough interesting characters that I think I will be entertained in this world for a while to come.
I enjoyed this series the first time, but I think I like it even more the second time. It could just be I know more about the psy-net going in and so it is more interesting to me. I also am enjoying seeing some of my favorite characters all over again.
3.5 Stars
Sweet!!! Vulcan’s, Shapeshifters and Hal the computer entity from 2001 a space odyssey.
I’m enjoying this series so far. In the second book of the series we get a new addition of a sentient consciousness in the Psynet known as the Mindnet or Hal as I’m going to think of it. There is also the indication of a multi-book plot arc that comes through in the form of a hint of revolution in the Psy who have been bound into feeling no emotion. Some are starting to break free and more minds it seems are becoming aware that maybe silence (the forced absence of emotion ) isn’t all it is cracked up to be.
Faith is an F-Psy or a non-pointy eared Vulcan that can see into the future. She has pretty much been kept in a box her entire life and sheltered from everything in the world. She is monitored and kept in isolation to do one thing and one thing only which is predict future economic events for her family and paying customers. Her life starts to deteriorate when she also starts seeing murders, including her sisters.
Vaughn is a sentinel shapeshifter with a tragic past. He never understood the possessiveness of other cats to the women in their lives until he meets Faith. She seems ice cold on the surface but his inner cat is pretty sure that under that there is something more to the Psy. He is completely drawn to her and pushes Faith to her limits in hopes of being able to break through the shields she has constructed around herself. To help protect her he must help her find the person responsible for the murders Faith is seeing in her head.
Parts of this story are very much reminiscent of Slave to Sensation. Faith even more than Sasha is not used to touch and is reluctant with the changlings. It is even harder for Vaughn to break through to Faith than it was for Lucas to woo Sasha. But the mating bond is strong and the cat wants what the cat wants. I am a big fan of monogamy and love the idea of a psychic bond that snaps into place when you find the one. Even if it seems to be there before you really know anything about them after just meeting them. I also like the idea of being interconnected to the people we love and sharing a web of sorts with them. Those are a few of the reasons I like the world that has been built here.
The overall Psy story is becoming more interesting to me and I’m hoping to see some turmoil in the Psynet as control seems to deteriorate. I didn’t like this as much as Slave to Sensation but it was still an enjoyable read and so far the books have wrapped up nicely at the end of each so they are also their own contained stories. I loved seeing snippets of Lucas and Sasha again as they try to help Faith and Vaughn.
I’ll definitely continue on with the series, there are enough interesting characters that I think I will be entertained in this world for a while to come.
seekerxr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
It is a sad day to say that this is the very first Nalini Singh book I've rated under 4 stars. I'd like to say that I still think this is a pretty good book and the drop in rating is only because of ONE (possibly two depending on how you look at it) things:
I cannot STAND how the LI approached his relationship with the MC in this book.
Basically, Faith isn't used to touch. Changelings rely on touch so Vaughn, her changeling mate, wants to get her used to touch not only for their mating bond but also because lack of touch is a tool the Psyclan she's in uses to control her. I don't have a problem with that being a plot point. What I DO have a problem with is how he decided to do this, which was repeatedly crossing or outright ignoring her boundaries with touch, including her verbally telling him to stop and him refusing to. Not only did this make her uncomfortable and overwhelmed, it also resulted in the feedback from the touch being so bad that she falls unconscious because of it, which she TOLD him would happen and he STILL ignored. In the second instance of this happening he STILL didn't stop touching her after she fainted and continued to hold her in his lap.
I wish I could say him crossing her boundaries stopped with his plan to "get her used to touch" but I can't. Vaughn as a character is a bit more "you woman, me man" than any of the other LIs in this series have been, and that doesn't bother me in small doses but he is about twice as intense about it as the other LIs. That was more a minor annoyance. The real problem here is the absolute entitlement he feels towards her because they're mates, and he crosses the line mentally and verbally/physically WAY more than any of the others have. And that is given with this whole 'fated mates' trope Singh has going on but he takes it too far. Let me share some quotes that made me very uncomfortable:
"The next shove at his mind was tinged with desperation. Aware he’d pushed her too far, though it wasn’t anywhere near far enough for him, he let her body fade from his mind and forced himself to think thoughts she couldn’t see. Not knowing the reason for their connection was probably driving Faith nuts. Good. She needed to experience the unruliness of the wild or she’d never break free of Silence. And she had to smash through those walls. She no longer had a choice."
"Have you asked her whether she wants to leave the Net?" "She's my mate." Of course she'd leave the Net. "I'll try to give her some time to get used to the idea, but in the end, she has no choice."
"He crouched down in front of her, but didn't touch. He didn't trust himself enough to." This being said when he is mad at her.
"Even as her eyes widened, the beast began to haze his brain with unforgiving need. He wanted. And he was through with waiting. Faith was his mate. It was his right to take her."
"He was through playing by Faith's rules. The jaguar was loose and it was hungry. A roar came from his throat, rough and dangerous. Faith Nightstar was about to come face-to-face with a predator determined to possess her. No compromises. No mercy."
"The thought of abusing her was abhorrent to him, but he was afraid of caving in to the violent need of the beast and losing his capacity for rational thought. And when he rose from the animal hunger, he might find that his claws had permanently marred Faith’s skin, that he’d bitten and cut. The possibility terrified him as nothing else had ever terrified him."
“The longer we wait,” she said, her voice that of the most practical Psy, but her eyes holding the first flicker of lightning, “the worse it’s going to get. It’s become clear to me that you need touch and I haven’t been giving it to you.”
I don't think I even need to explain why these statements are HUGE red flags to me.
If this wasn't a Nalini Singh book, I would've DNFed purely because of his behavior towards her. I finished and rated it higher than I would have with any other author because the story and every other character were just as fascinating as they always are in one of her books. I am DEARLY hoping this is a one-off type of character because I can't stand men like this.
C.A.P.E Rating:
Characters - 3/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5
I cannot STAND how the LI approached his relationship with the MC in this book.
Basically, Faith isn't used to touch. Changelings rely on touch so Vaughn, her changeling mate, wants to get her used to touch not only for their mating bond but also because lack of touch is a tool the Psyclan she's in uses to control her. I don't have a problem with that being a plot point. What I DO have a problem with is how he decided to do this, which was repeatedly crossing or outright ignoring her boundaries with touch, including her verbally telling him to stop and him refusing to. Not only did this make her uncomfortable and overwhelmed, it also resulted in the feedback from the touch being so bad that she falls unconscious because of it, which she TOLD him would happen and he STILL ignored. In the second instance of this happening he STILL didn't stop touching her after she fainted and continued to hold her in his lap.
I wish I could say him crossing her boundaries stopped with his plan to "get her used to touch" but I can't. Vaughn as a character is a bit more "you woman, me man" than any of the other LIs in this series have been, and that doesn't bother me in small doses but he is about twice as intense about it as the other LIs. That was more a minor annoyance. The real problem here is the absolute entitlement he feels towards her because they're mates, and he crosses the line mentally and verbally/physically WAY more than any of the others have. And that is given with this whole 'fated mates' trope Singh has going on but he takes it too far. Let me share some quotes that made me very uncomfortable:
I don't think I even need to explain why these statements are HUGE red flags to me.
If this wasn't a Nalini Singh book, I would've DNFed purely because of his behavior towards her. I finished and rated it higher than I would have with any other author because the story and every other character were just as fascinating as they always are in one of her books. I am DEARLY hoping this is a one-off type of character because I can't stand men like this.
C.A.P.E Rating:
Characters - 3/5
Atmosphere - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Enjoyment - 4/5