Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling Novel, A)

He wants her. There's no use lying to himself about that. Hawke aches to possess her with a single-minded intensity that has his wolf starving for the most intimate of skin privileges. But he's not going to take her. He's a mature wolf changling, alpha of SnowDancer, and significantly older than she is. But damn, he wants her. PsyNet defector and cardinal X-Psy Sienna Lauren is an adult in the pack, and given her past, she's older than her years. She is the ultimate weapon, one that requires unimaginable discipline, and it makes her crazy that the one man she wants, Hawke, refuses to see her as anything but the child she was never allowed to be. As attacks by an aggressive faction of Psy known as Pure Psy are leveled against SnowDancer and the winds of a burgeoning war start to blow in their direction, Hawke's focus is torn between his pack and his desire for the one woman he refuses to take. His resolve is legendary, but even he has to see that a woman who can fight for her pack, risk her life for them, is old enough to decide who she lets into her bed. She has to do something to show the stubborn wolf she is more than the child he sees. Even if it endangers the woman she's become. ~*~ I can't tell you how many times I've highly anticipated a book in series only to have that book disappoint in some way or another. You'd think I'd know better than to ever let myself feel that anticipation, but it's a lesson I seem to need to keep learning. Or maybe it's books like this, those rare awesome books that are highly anticipated...and manage to deliver for me on every front...that keep anticipation burning. Don't know. Don't care, either, at the moment. I'm too busy being thrilled with this book. Obviously, as I'm still reading this series at the tenth book, both the series and the author are favorites of mine. Some of the books in this series have been more beloved than others, and I do slightly prefer Singh's Guild Hunter series to the Psy/Changling series, but both are two of my favorite ongoing series and I highly recommend both for fans of well-written and imaginative paranormal romance/urban fantasy romance. I loved everything about this book. The complexity of the plot and the myriad of plot threads that Singh wove together throughout the story were impressive. There's so much that goes on, and so many characters involved in so much of it, with a rock-solid foundation built by every one of the preceding books, that I would definitely not recommend a reader new to the series start here. It could be done, Singh has a gift for condensing necessary exposition and fitting it in well with current developments, but so much of the emotional impact would be lost that it just shouldn't be. I adored the relationship arc and character developments for Hawke and Sienna in this book. It wasn't what I would call a traditional romance, really, and that's what I love about Singh. She has such a gift for creating stories that fit perfectly with the characters featured in it. Hawke and Sienna have known each other for a while, have battled and locked horns, have struggled against their attraction for years, so the relationship between them is in a completely different place and needed completely different things than, say, Judd and Brenna did in their book. The pack, the past, who they are, what they're responsible for, what they can do, the issues each have with how they feel, the threat of the Psy, all of that plays a significant role in each character's definition and development, not to mention on their romance. It was frustrating at times (very frustrating at times). It was enlightening at others. There were moments that made me mad and moments that made me laugh. Sometimes it just flat-out broke my heart. For me, though, all the sublimely well-crafted pieces that factored into their personalities and into every moment of their relationship arc worked...perfectly. I loved every second of it. I was also very much in love with the secondary romance between pack healer Lara and Walker, Sienna's uncle. Where the relationship between Hawke and Sienna was rocky, fiery, raging with emotion, and practically shouting its passion and angst, hurt and strength, stubbornness and pride, Lara and Walker's relationship balanced that with its quiet implacability, its soft moments and tender touches. The frustrations were more internal, the feelings more subdued. That relationship created such a wonderful counterpoint to Hawke and Sienna's point that I can't imagine what the book would have been like without it. By no means is this book, or any of the books in this series, focused solely on the romance, though. This one definitely provided some forward progression on the Pure Psy threat and the continuing degeneration of the Council and the PsyNet. There are so many, many balls up in the air in this series that a single book can't really touch on every plot point without being six hundred pages long, but there were certainly a lot covered here. Singh manages to keep me guessing on some things, keep me horrified about others, and still manages to introduce new story elements all the time. Honestly, I don't know how she does it. I don't know how this series, even at the tenth book, feels just as fresh, just as original, just as intriguing and compelling and a thousand times as complex as it did in the beginning. I open a Psy/Changling book and feel like I'm visiting old, beloved friends who I care about very much...even if I wouldn't want to catch a meal with them. In particular, I want to thank Singh for the gift of seeing Lucas and Sasha's newest development meet the world. I'm so incredibly invested in this series. To me that's the mark of a series that is a step above, one that has just that little extra that makes it stand out among a huge crowd. This, its tenth installment, is perhaps the best of them for me. It certainly did not disappoint. QUOTABLES: "Do you really think I'd let you go that easily?" An implacable glance from eyes that were suddenly decades older than him. "I'm not yours to let go." "Walker doesn't glare...He just LOOKS at you until you obey." "You're in my every breath and every thought, intertwined so deep inside me that love's not a strong enough word - you have my devotion, your name branded on my soul, my wolf yours to command. A hundred years? It'll never be enough. I want eternity." ~*~*~*~ Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

...he tugged her close and whispered, "You sure you want to play with the wolf, baby?" Her stomach somersaulted, but she was ready. "Sure you're ready to handle an X, wolf?" ********** First, I have to just say that as a reader and book lover, I couldn't have asked for a better month of May. It felt like every book I picked up to read and review was either a completely pleasant surprise that I couldn't wait to recommend to other people or for books I was anticipating, they lived up to every expectation. KISS OF SNOW absolutely falls into the latter category. Not only is it a series that I look forward to with each new yearly installment, but the build up for Hawke and Sienna's story has been steadily growing over the course of many books, and their book delivers on every level. This review is going to mainly focus on the relationship between Hawke and Sienna. We do have an explosive show down with people from the splintered Psy Council that makes the last portion of the book very action packed. We see the packs strategize throughout much of the story and prepare as best they can for an attack they know is coming. Its potential for devastation is high as the main attack happens on the SnowDancer's land, and everyone must come together and use their abilities to the highest extreme to get everyone through the battle. But this book is all about Hawke and Sienna. We've seen their relationship building up to this point over the course of many books and to see them finally stop dancing around each other and confront everything they've been (Hawke, mainly) ignoring, brought up plenty of angst, possessive need and ultimately love. I've been crazy for Hawke since he came on page and started flirting with Sascha just to mess with Lucas. We knew very little about him other than he lost his potential mate when she was just a child and he became Alpha at a very young age. Beyond that, he was somewhat of a mystery and to finally understand all the layers of his life as he slowly talked about everything with Sienna brought out the man he is that's always overshadowed by his very Alpha personality. Sienna's the Psy with an X-designation that for all anyone knows is her death sentence. There are no known X-Psy's who've lived as long as she has, and for her, burnout and death are coming fast. From the moment she met Hawke, she knew he was hers. She also knew that he believed his true mate to have already died and could offer her only so much of himself. Sienna struggles with this most of the book, but comes to realize that any part of Hawke he can give her is better than nothing at all. I was really happy that their age difference played a very minimal role. Sienna was wise beyond her years and while she may have been inexperienced in some aspects of life, she was forced to grow up fast and the difference in their ages simply became a nonissue. Hawke took care that their relationship not move to quickly, much to his wolf's dismay, and it was a very believable progression for them both. Completely unexpected was the Walker/Lara storyline, which I fell in love with big time. They have a complete side story and it was especially nice learning more about Walker and watching Lara get under his skin, in a very good way. Walker and Judd have played very important roles in not only Sienna's life but in Toby and Marlee's being father figures to them all, no one more so than Walker. We learn just how much Sienna needs Walker at the end, which not only gives Sienna a huge amount of relief, but I think helps Walker understand himself better, as well as the purpose he's meant to serve, especially in Sienna's life. Yes, that was all very cryptic...but no spoilers here, so just read the book to get the full story! Nalini Singh does a couple things with her Psy/Changeling series that are so well done, it's become the standard for me when reading shifter/paranormal genre books. First are her shifters themselves and the idea of "skin-privileges." The packs need touch to survive and it doesn't matter if the pack members are young or old, when someone needs a cuddle or a hug or a simple touch from their Alpha, they make it known. Second, the children in the pack. When they show up on page, it instantly lightens the story, brings a sweetness to any situation and I look so forward to scenes with them present. I was completely head over heels for little Ben when he was introduced by streaking down the hallway (avoiding bath time of course) to hide behind Judd, many books ago! Whether it's a scene with the kids simply playing in the White Zone, or watching Lucas cuddle his newborn and purring to give that sense of security and love, every scene conveys the importance of how much all the young mean to the entire pack. This might be one of the easiest 5 star ratings I've given. Hawke and Sienna's storyline was completely satisfying and where would a book ending be without some interesting unanswered questions: Who is Ghost, and when will we find out? Whose side are the Arrows on? What role will Ming play in the future, especially now that the Lauren Family can no longer hide? How can I already be wrapped around Kit's finger, when he was on page for just a small amount of time?! I would recommend this book to all fans of the series. It could be read as a nice stand alone, but as the Hawke/Sienna relationship has been building over many books, it's a much more emotional book having their background going into the story.

This book was definitely worth the wait. Love it to bits. I read it almost every week and it never gets old. Thank you Nalini Singh for the pay/changeling world.

L'histoire des psy - changeling - humains continue. La romance : Hawke et Sienna. Elle est une X, une arme secrète dont on comprend la force à mesure que le livre avance. Le bébé de Sacha et Lucas nait enfin. La guerre éclate entre les psy et les changelings. Cela tombe bien d'avoir une arme secrète sous la main! J'aime l'équilibre entre la romance et l'avancée de l'intrigue. Les scènes de guerre sont très aseptisées et comme toujours il n'y a que pas ou très peu de morts, tous sans noms. J'ai reçu le livre hier et je l'ai lu d'une traite. Malgré quelques longueurs, il m'a bien plus passionné que les précédents. L'intrigue est intéressante. Bref, un bon dans la série.

I love this series. In particular I love this book. I have read and re-read this series a number of times, yet this book in particular always stays in my memory. I am lucky, knowing the stories I can pick and choose my favourites to read. I highly recommend this series to all who like this genre. Nalini Singh is a master storyteller. So do read the series.

最高に素晴らしい！ 最高に切なく！ 最高に楽しく！ 最高にホット！

Para ser una saga donde cada libro cuenta la historia de una pareja y todas pueden ser muy similares entre ellas, este destaca. La historia de estos dos personajes es tortuosa y adictiva, y tienen bastantes más luces y sombras que otras parejas de la saga. Después del primer libro, "la noche del cazador", este es el mejor para mí. Para disfrutar más de esta historia, es recomendable haberte leído unos cuantos de la saga, puesto que en todos ellos van dando "pistas" y trocitos de la historia que se cuece entre estos, hasta que al final este libro se centra en su relación. Totalmente recomendable.