Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling Series #10)

ARC review of Kiss of Snow!!

** Warning - spoilers ahead **
I was fortunate to have won an ARC of Kiss of Snow and read one of the most anticipated romance books of this year. It definitely did not disappoint! It has everything you could want in a paranormal romance - action, suspense, passion, adventure and paranormal elements. Hawke and Sienna are sizzling together. Hawke is one of those heroes you won't forget - he's thrilling, intense, deep, demanding, protective, he's the Alpha wolf of SnowDancer but he's also tender, sweet, witty and funny. There were times when he would say a simple sentence to Sienna and it made me laugh out loud. Sienna is a Cardinal X Psy and the readers finally see what that entails. All I can say is that she's a bad*ss psy and I'm glad she's on the good side. She's is a wonderful heroine who has many facets to her. She's smart, beautiful, caring, vulnerable (the scenes with her brother Toby are heartfelt) but also passionate, fierce, strong and tough, which she needs to be in order deal with Hawke and her incredible powers.
Hawke is reluctant at first to start any type of romantic relationship with Sienna. Having lost his "mate" when he was younger, he doesn't believe he can give Sienna everything she deserves - the encompassing love and connection that a mated pair share. Sexually frustrated he goes so far as to almost turn to another woman to alleviate his needs but realizes that only Sienna can do that. And Sienna doesn't just sit idly by, she wants Hawke and with the help of Kit, the future alpha of the DarkRiver cats, Hawke is forced to choose if he wants to make Sienna his or risk losing her. I loved the scenes at Wild nightclub. On a side note, I would love it if Kit had his own book! When Hawke decides to court Sienna, he does it with a slow and passionate intensity but taking into account her inexperience and her powers. The sexual tension builds until it explodes in a fiery cascade and it's a "beautiful thing" J
I don't want to give too much of the plot away but Sascha has her baby! Reading the parts with Sascha and Lucas made me want to go back and read Slave to Sensation all over again! There's also a secondary romance between Lara, the SnowDancer healer and Walker, Sienna's uncle. I never thought of this pairing before but Nalini is full of wonderful surprises. Their romance just added another level of excitement to the book. However, the Pure Psy, led by Henry and Shoshanna Scott threaten all the SnowDancer wolves and DarkRiver cats hold dear - family, pack. The changelings must band together to stand against this threat.
I loved this book. I found myself alternately wanting to speed read to see what happens next and then to slow down to savor it. It is a must read for all paranormal romance lovers!

-Ellen C.

29 out of 30 people found this review helpful.

Breathtaking addition to Psy-Changeling series!

Wow - Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling world is mind blowing! I have been waiting for Hawke's story and love that he was paired with Sienna. Their chemistry is off-the-charts fabulous. I love how every story written by Nalini Singh utilizes all the previously introduced characters and yet each book is so distinctly different. I had a fear in the back of my mind that Hawke wouldn't live up to my expectations. Over the course of reading this series I had imagined all these versions in my mind of how his story would play out but Singh delivered and exceeded anything I could have dreamed for Hawke and the Psy-Changeling community.
The Psy-Changeling war has reached a point of no return and this book proceeds a new order of what is to come in Singh's world. We get to see new designations of Psy and new Changeling groups are introduced. I love how Hawke's dominant, sexy, alpha wolf played against Sienna's Stubborn, powerful psy personality. Sienna really came into her own in this book and her Uncle Walker also discovered his HEA within the Wolf pack's Healer, Lara. The cat pack Alpha's, Lucas and Sasha were also given a major role in this book. I don't want to give spoilers but the events in this book are so wonderful and world changing for this series!
I read the book in one sitting. I tried to make it last, but know I will be re-reading again and again since it is sitting on my keeper shelf. I am so hooked on this series and look forward to seeing where Singh takes us next within the Psy-Changeling population. I read this series, not just for the couples story, but because the world of characters and the events played out amongst them is just so increasingly beautiful and emotionally captivating. Kiss of Snow is a must have read! 5 Stars! It's a Breathtaking addition to the Psy-Changleing series!

9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.

Sienna & Hawke...at last!

For those who didn't want to pay for a hardback, the NOOK price means readers don't have to wait for this much anticipated 10th book in the Nalini Singh Psy-Changeling series. And that's a good thing, because we've waited long enough! Hawke has stayed away from Sienna because of her youth; the fact that his wolf's mate died as a child has also meant that he'd always be alone. But in viewing Sienna as an inexperienced child, Hawke has made a serious miscalculation. One of the rarest talents in the Psy world, the mysterious and lethally dangerous X-Psy were once studied by a young thesis student named Alice Etheridge whose knowledge may be the only thing to save Sienna from certain death. One problem; Etheridge and her work have not been seen since before Silence was imposed on the Psy race. Sienna's talent is so lethal that the longest any X has survived is until their 25th year...and that was caged in the complete control of Silence. The defection of the Lauren family from the Psy Net meant that they escaped rehabilitation and could carve out whole new lives as a family and freed both Judd and Sienna from being used as weapons by the Council. But it also meant that both Judd and Sienna had to learn new ways to control their powers as one loss of control could mean the deaths of everyone they've come to love. In Kiss of Snow, Hawke allows himself to get closer to Sienna and finally learns that she was never the youngster he thought her. Raised under the martial tutelage of Ming LeBon, she never had a childhood and was being trained as a weapon from the age of 5. Only the Lauren's defection as a family from the Psy Net when Sienna was a teen saved her from becoming an assassin for her race. Slowly Hawke comes to see her as the perfect mate for an Alpha as she possesses both the strategic knowledge and the physical training of a soldier, cool Psy intellect, and such loyalty to the Pack that accepted her family that she is willing to die to save it from the Psy...and from herself. Readers of Singh have come to expect her perfect characterization (we get to see lots of characters from the old books), complex world-building (she's done it twice now with the multi-layered Psy-Changeling world and her equally splendid Guild Hunters books), and explosive sensuality, and she doesn't disappoint us with Hawke and Sienna's story. We get both a beautifully tender and sensual love story and the increasingly dangerous escalation of the war between the Psy and anyone who would challenge their complete domination. This is a paranormal series that should be read in order : Bk. 1 Slave to Sensation; bk. 2 Visions of Heat; bk.3 Caressed by Ice; bk. 4 Mine to Possess; bk. 5 Hostage to Pleasure; bk. 6 Branded by Fire; bk. 7 Blaze of Memory; bk. 8 Bonds of Justice; bk. 9 Play of Passion.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

ARC review of Kiss of Snow!!

** Warning - spoilers ahead **
I was fortunate to have won an ARC of Kiss of Snow and read one of the most anticipated romance books of this year. It definitely did not disappoint! It has everything you could want in a paranormal romance - action, suspense, passion, adventure and paranormal elements. Hawke and Sienna are sizzling together. Hawke is one of those heroes you won't forget - he's thrilling, intense, deep, demanding, protective, he's the Alpha wolf of SnowDancer but he's also tender, sweet, witty and funny. There were times when he would say a simple sentence to Sienna and it made me laugh out loud. Sienna is a Cardinal X Psy and the readers finally see what that entails. All I can say is that she's a bad*ss psy and I'm glad she's on the good side. She's is a wonderful heroine who has many facets to her. She's smart, beautiful, caring, vulnerable (the scenes with her brother Toby are heartfelt) but also passionate, fierce, strong and tough, which she needs to be in order deal with Hawke and her incredible powers.
Hawke is reluctant at first to start any type of romantic relationship with Sienna. Having lost his "mate" when he was younger, he doesn't believe he can give Sienna everything she deserves - the encompassing love and connection that a mated pair share. Sexually frustrated he goes so far as to almost turn to another woman to alleviate his needs but realizes that only Sienna can do that. And Sienna doesn't just sit idly by, she wants Hawke and with the help of Kit, the future alpha of the DarkRiver cats, Hawke is forced to choose if he wants to make Sienna his or risk losing her. I loved the scenes at Wild nightclub. On a side note, I would love it if Kit had his own book! When Hawke decides to court Sienna, he does it with a slow and passionate intensity but taking into account her inexperience and her powers. The sexual tension builds until it explodes in a fiery cascade and it's a "beautiful thing" J
I don't want to give too much of the plot away but Sascha has her baby! Reading the parts with Sascha and Lucas made me want to go back and read Slave to Sensation all over again! There's also a secondary romance between Lara, the SnowDancer healer and Walker, Sienna's uncle. I never thought of this pairing before but Nalini is full of wonderful surprises. Their romance just added another level of excitement to the book. However, the Pure Psy, led by Henry and Shoshanna Scott threaten all the SnowDancer wolves and DarkRiver cats hold dear - family, pack. The changelings must band together to stand against this threat.
I loved this book. I found myself alternately wanting to speed read to see what happens next and then to slow down to savor it. It is a must read for all paranormal romance lovers!

-Ellen C.

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

spoiler alert!!!!!

i won a copy of the book (shocking) and i have to say that it was great!!! i wish there was more sienna and hawke loving in the book but their story was great!!!! i loved seeing the war break out and how deadly the threat was and how sienna was struggling to deal with her ability. getting more glimpses into the psy minds was great and walker's story/history was good as well. i really wish there was more book to read but what is great about this series is that despite going into a new arc we will continue to see our fave characters and glimpses into their lives as times goes on

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Kiss of Snow-a really good book

This is the book those who read the other Psy-Changling series have been looking for. I really liked the story within the story. Not only do you have the story about Sienna and Hawke, but also what is happening with the split in the Psy Council. It will be interesting to read the next book to find out more about the upcoming war with the Psy.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

She did it - AGAIN!

Wow! I hate to sound like a broken record, but each book is better than the previous. I was so glad to finally find out how Hawke and Sienna get together. The entire storyline about the X-psy kept me turning the pages. Hawke is so deliciously written. He shines, once again, as the alpha of the SnowDancer pack. Sienna is certainly a good match for him. We also find out about Walker, Sienna's psy uncle. And the Council is still up to no good, providing just enough anxiety to keep reader's heart rate up. Nalini Singh did it again - OUTSTANDING!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

The anticipation for Hawke & Sienna.....so totally pays off!

One of the best things about being a bookseller is receiving advanced reading copies. The very BEST thing is receiving one from my favorite paranormal romance author, so when I got my hands on Kiss of Snow, I dove in with abandon. Some people will be peeved that they have to shell out the dough for a hardcover, but this book is so worth it! At over 400 pages, it's the longest (if I remember correctly) of the Psy/Changeling novels, so you get your moneys' worth. Also, remember that when a publisher decides to put an author into hardcover, it signals that they've made it big time. Of course, all Nalini Singh fans know that she made it to the big time with the first book in this series...and when she created an equally excellent series with the Guild Hunter books, well, you know she's got talent to burn. In Kiss of Snow, I initially wanted to pound on Hawke for awhile. His hesitance to romance Sienna has been indicated in all the books with the age difference being a large obstacle and the death of Hawke's one true mate as a child an even more insurmountable one. But knowing the rareness and the dangerous quality of Sienna's talent and the utter control she's had to maintain all her life means that she has never been an ordinary young woman. Taken under the tutelage of the coldly silent and powerful Councilor of all things martial, Ming LeBon when she was only 5 meant that Sienna never had a childhood. Trained as a soldier by the age of 9, tormented into using her talent to kill others...well, let's say the only games she got to play were the lethal kind. So discovering all this makes Hawke's hesitance a little wearing. Still, he comes around and their courtship is a thing of beauty with equal parts wolf-play, tenderness, and Sienna's flat-out refusal to accept Hawke's position of dominance as pack Alpha while they're together as just man and woman. Which, of course, is just the way to handle Hawke, smart girl. And as one of the best parts of the Psy/Changeling books, we get to see the rest of the Pack and Dark River, too. So we get to see how Riley and Mercy, Indigo and Drew, Judd and Brenna, and others are doing. As a bonus, we get to share in the birth of Sascha & Lucas' baby and witness the romance of Lara, the Snow Dancer pack's healer, and Walker, the eldest and most reclusive of the Lauren defectors from the Net. The acceleration of the aggression of certain members of the Council heats up to a huge confrontation in this book and leaves the reader wondering what will happen in the next book. And wondering whose story will come next?! Loved it!!!! For first time readers, this is not a series you can dive into the middle of...start at the beginning with Slave to Sensation, bk. 1; bk.2 Visions of Heat; bk.3 Caressed by Ice; bk. 4 Mine to Possess; bk.5 Hostage to Pleasure; bk. 6 Branded by Fire; bk. 7 Blaze of Memory; bk. 8 Bonds of Justice; bk. 9 Play of Passion. And for a prequel which tells Nate & Tammy's story, read the anthology An Enchanted Season.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Must Read

Kiss of Snow is the 10th novel in the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh, and the book many fans myself included have been anxiously awaiting for months. This book has a lot to wrap up plot wise in the SnowDancer and DarkRiver changeling packs storyline. Will all of our burning questions be answered, who is Hawke's mate or Sascha's baby (boy or girl) the identity of the Ghost, is war coming and who are the major players behind the military coup. Sienna Lauren is the strongest and deadliest Psy alive. Hawke is the wolf alpha known for his cunning and ruthless protection of his pack. They have been drawn to each other since her defection from the Psy Net into the Snow Dancer Pack but her age and Hawkes past loss stand in their way. Sienna is tired of waiting for Hawke to notice her as an adult, not a child so she takes matters into her own hands to force him to really see her. Nalini Singh does a great job of answering the questions above and others such as what caused Hawkes hatred of the Psy and how his childhood mate died; also what caused the Lauren family to defect and their lives in the Net. Kiss of Snow has all of the main characters that we have enjoyed in the past and some newcomers. I enjoyed the surprise romance of two of the secondary leads and the courtship dance between Hawke and Sienna even though it seemed to drag at times. The conflict with the major Psy players coming to a head with SnowDancer and DarkRiver at the forefront will not disappoint nor will the final outcome to see if everyone gets their "Happily Ever After".

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

great book!

First of all, if you don't like the price, don't give a book 1 star. Complain elsewhere. Many people read the reviews and I have not boughten a book I wanted because of a low rating.

On to the review. This is a great book. It starts off a little slow, however it picks up and end it a satisfactory and surprising way. I plan on picking up the paperback when it becomes available.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Psy/Changeling fans will love this great entry

Sienna Lauren and her family escaped from PsyNet several years ago. They asked and received refuge amongst the SnowDancer wolf pack. Since joining the pack, X-Psy Sienna and alpha wolf Hawke have been at war with one another. Both respectively know in their gut, their gender battle has become a means to conceal their attraction to one another. Hawke's mate died when he was a child so he fears taking the next step in the relationship with Sienna. She refuses to step out and risk her heart too as she expects her cold fire skill that she struggles to control will kill her before she turns twenty-five.

Meanwhile the Psy Council deploys plans to destroy the SnowDancer and DarkRiver packs. That is the opening gamut to destroy the opposition to the Council. Although this will speed up her death, Sienna vows to use her power to save her clan while Hawke pledges to keep his beloved safe though he is unsure how to stop her from deploying the rare cold fire.

Psy/Changeling fans will love this great entry that contrasts the long anticipated heated relationship against the backdrop of a heated war. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with action on the battle front and romantic fronts (there are actually two loving relationships in Kiss of Snow). Nalini Singh provides what may be the romantic fantasy of the year.

Harriet Klausner

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazing as always

Really great story

Loved it! I have been waiting for Hawke to find his mate ever s

Loved it! I have been waiting for Hawke to find his mate ever since the beginning. His charm, strength and humor made him one of my favorite changelings. Very happy that we got two love stories in this book. Walker & Lara definitely took a back seat to Hawke & Sienna but it was nice that both couples found what they needed - especially with all the fighting and turmoil going on. Can't wait for Book #11!!

Must READ!

The Psy-Changeling series ROCKS!
I Love this series , Must read the whole series.
I can not wait till the next book!

Awesome

Finally Hawk and Sienna

Great Book!

This is the first book of Nalini Singh's that I have read. I've already bought another. She is fantastic.

I want more!

This entire series was just amazing, but this one was the one that I was really waiting to get to. I only hope that the series doesn't stop here, I really want more.

Love love love

I hope she writes a new one for every character!

Was prepared not to like it, but...

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book because I have a real problem with 40 year old men dating twenty year olds. However, the author did a good job of showing the maturity of the female lead. Add the secondary story and the typical (read: fantastic) interaction between the changelings and Psy, and this was a pretty good read.

I loved it!!!

An amazing read! Favoyrite of the psy/changeling series!