My delicious guilty pleasures: Shield of Winter - Nalini Singh

Once again this review will be in English - for a book in English that may or may not be translated to Portuguese some day. 

Nota:  

A opinião será apenas em inglês, porque quem quiser ler estes livros tem, por ora, que ser capaz de ler a review... em inglês. Não entendo porque traduzem para PT a série dos anjos desta autora, e não esta!

This is the 13th book in Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series (I have reviewed others, such as this or this ). I was a bit afraid that, as the author added more and more books to the series, they would become too centered on the couple. In fact,  I didn't like all the books as much as this one, for that same reason. A couple novellas (short stories, maybe) set in the changeling world weren't as interesting... they were far too physical and centered in sex and mating and possessiveness. 

Fortunately, this book is not so. 

A bit of the story, hopefully free of spoilers: 

The PsyNet that links all Psy in the mental plane and sustains their lives by feeding them.... errr... physycal/mental energy, I guess (sorry if t sounds confusing, but it is actually very plausible in the books) is changing rapidly, the colour of emotions bursting where before the lights were cold and silent. That's because Silence has been broken, it is not mandatory anymore and the Psy are confused and scared. Some agree and are fascinated, some are afraid of the potential for psychosis and violence in Psy that led to the Protocol for Silence in the first place. There is dissent and revolt, but the real danger is a sort of infection spreading throughout the Net, born from and in Silence and fed by the worst and most psychotic energies of the Psy. It is a black thing that causes spurts of violent madness among the Psy, causing them to attack every one around them, Psy, human or changeling - in a entire street in New York, for example, and in other places throughout the world. It threatens to infect and then collapse the entire Net, killing every Psy in it. 

The salvation may reside in an ability the first Silent tried to eradicate, Empathy. It is since then viewed as legend by the Psy. We know it is not, because the very first book is about a very powerful one, Sasha Duncan. There is little time and it's necessary to find and "awaken" the Empaths (the E-designation), and to teach them how to deal with their ability, so that maybe they can find a way to fight the infection, to which they are immune. The first group of Es is protected by Arrows (one Arrow for each E), the most lethal, secretive soldiers in the Psy world, trained since childhood in Silence and murder. They are mostly broken people who do not believe their blood tainted souls deserve hope or a normal life. Some are beyond redemption, because a drug was used on them to render them completely dependent on orders. Once they overcome their usefulness, they are killed. Others have resisted and formed a small revolutionary group inside the organization itself, one that kept following orders but managed to escape the drug and to give each other some support. A very small number have defected and are hidden. 

The couple in the story are an E, Ivy (loved her perky dog Rabbit) and an Arrow, Vasic. No surprise there, right? She is emotional, strong and stubborn, so much so that she has survived reconditioning. Empathy is dangerous to the Es because they are unable to give up on others. They fight for others to the death. Vasic is very near the edge of darkness, and dying from a neural implant malfunction - an experimental arm-weapon. He has no more than a few weeks before it kills him. Ivy is, of course, capable of identifying his feelings - the hopelessness and the deep rooted conviction that he is unworthy of... well, anything but darkness and death. He is protective and there's a beautiful love story, but maybe because Vasic is so cold in the beginning - and still rather cold in the end - the relationship isn't sudden and terribly possessive (though there's still the horrible "mine" every once in a while). Still, it's not (as) repetitive as was the previous book. Sex is there too, of course, and it's hot, but it doesn't overwhelm the overall development of the events in this wonderful world Nalini has built. The difficulties seem unsurmountable, both is this complex world and in the relationship and... this is it. Anymore would be a terrible spoiler.  

There is great balance between love, politics, the fight, the "science" and the special abilities. It's great that all the characters from the previous books that are relevant in the story are present and active - the alphas, the leaders of the Psy and of the Arrows, for example.  The Psy are still fascinating and difficult, the politics are still twisted, people are still broken and may not be "fixable", and the darkness in the mind a is a permanent threat. There are happy ends (yey! I love me some happy end in these stories) but no permanent solutions. This fantasy world is wonderful, complex, strangely believable and solid, even when it is eroding, and it is still my favourite guilty pleasure.  I'll be glad to read the next book.

Wild Invitation - Nalini Singh

Neste livro (para o kindle) temos um conjunto de contos da série Psy-Changeling, da qual sou fã.

O primeiro conto, Beat of Temptation, é sobre Tamsyn e Nate, do clã DarkRiver , e portanto ambos leopardos, que se envolvem num jogo de toca e foge, de perseguição originada por um mating bond que se estabelece demasiado cedo. Foi interessante ler a história de Tamsyn, a healer que já conhecia com dois filhos gémeos, quando era ainda muito jovem, e, embora a questão do bond e da ligação física seja intensa, não cansa. Também lá está Lucas, que conhecia como chefe do clã, como jovem adolescente. 

O segundo conto, Stroke of Enticement, narra a ligação repentina entre uma humana, Annie e outro leopardo, Zach. Zach é uma delícia, e claro que o conto é muito bom, muito sexy e, no universo changeling, até a insta-relação faz sentido. 

A terceira e quarta histórias, Declaration of Courtship e Texture of Intimacy passam-se no universo SnowDance (isto é, no clã de lobos). Na terceira, Cooper and Gracelutam com a discrepância entre uma relação dominante / submissa, em que o problema é, precisamente, conseguir que a submissa deixe de o ser na relação. Gostei da forma como se descobre a força na franqueza, i.e, se encontra o direito a igualdade na diferença, sendo que cada elemento, dominate ou submisso, ocupa um lucar de relevãncia na comunidade. Por exemplo, é aos submissos que cabe a evacuação dos jovens que, numa situação de perigo, teriam demasiado medo dos dominantes, ou reestabelecer o equilíbrio quando há disputas entre dominantes, com a sua atitude pacificadora. É, como sempre, uma história muito física, uma vez que um dos elementos predominantes nos changelings (que são, afinal, meio animais) é o toque, os skin previleges.

O quarto conto conta-nos o desenvolvimento de Lara and Walker, que é um psy, pós mating, com as suas difculdades. Embora seja tão bom como os anteriores, foi o que esteve a mais - três contos teria sido ideal, este quarto... enjoei.

Há aspectos gerais muito positivos, que são comuns também aos romances. A escrita é limpa e intesa, embora aqui e ali repita uma ideia. O sexo é hot, hot, hot. Mesmo sendo as histórias muito centradas nos casais, há uma envolvente, com as restantes personagens, que é deliciosa, é mesmo interessante ver o funcionamento das comunidades, não só nas relações entre eles, mas nas funções e hierarquias.  Há igualdade homem-mulher, porque estes homens, sendo só meio-humanos, podiam dar umas lições sobre como tratar as mulheres de igual para igual. Há muita possessividade, mas é mútua, e não impede a liberdade de nenhum deles. 

Apesar disto, acabei o livro um bocadinho enjoada:  foi muito mating, muitos bonds, muito sexo, muita pele, tudo muito, muito, muito.

Angels' Dance - Nalini Singh

(Review in English below)

Começo por avisar que  Nalini Singh e Shelly Laurenston / AG Aiken são os unicos guilty pleasures a que não resisto. Não sou imparcial!

Esta é uma novela da série Guild Hunters, com pouco mais de cem páginas, cuja acção sucede quando Raphael já é o arcanjo de Nova Iorque (ou o que quer que a cidade fosse no seu início) mas muitos anos antes de se tornar o mais importante dos Arcanjos.

Jessamy é uma anjo antiga e sábia, com uma asa torcida - que não pode voar. Galen é um anjo com uma constituição poderosa e o desejo de tornar-se Mestre de Armas do arcanjo em ascensão (Raphael). É aberto e franco e não esconde nem os seus sentimentos, nem as suas intenções para com Jessamy, quando a conhece. Há uma ameaça, batalhas e vitórias pessoais e a abilidade especial de Nalini para fazer-nos crer no mundo fascinante que criou. Adorei espreitá-lo, tantos anos antes de começar a desmoronar, quando ainda há alguma paz. Também gostei de "conhecer" os outros anjos (Raphael, claro, mas também Galen, Jason, o belíssimo "Bluebell" Illium...) e o vampiro Dmitri, tantos anos antes da acção dos restantes livros.

Nalini é especialmente dotada a criar personagens que geram empatia, muito humanas, mesmo sendo... angélicas. Tanto Jessamy como Galen são fortes mas ao mesmo tempo cheios de falhas e ansiedades muito natural, dada a sua situação específica. Está bem escrito, é apaixonado e o sexo é ardente e sexy.

Vai ser uma bela leitura extra para quem gosta da série.

REVIEW IN ENGLISH

I'll start by saying that Nalini Singh and Shelly Laurenston / AG Aiken are the only two gulity pleasures I still can't resist. I am biased here!! 

This is a one hundred something novella in the Guild Hunter series, which takes place when Raphael is already the archangel of New York (or whatever the city was in its beginning) but long before he became the most important of the Archangels.

Jessamy is an ancient and very knowledgeable angel with a twisted wing - she can't fly . Galen is a powerfully built angel desiring to be weapons master in the upcoming angel's (Raphael's) court. He is open and forthcoming and hides nothing of his feelings or intentions when he meets Jessamy. There is a threat, personal battles and achievements and Nalini's special ability to make us believe in the fascinating world she built. I loved to get this glimpse of it so many years before it started crumbling down and there was still some peace. I also liked to meet all the angels (Raphael, of course, but also Galen, Jason, the beautiful "Bluebell" Illium...) and the vampire Dmitri, so many years before the action of the other books take place.

Nalini is especially gifted at creating characters that easily create empathy, very human even though  they are... well, angelic. Both Jessamy and Galen are strong and at the same time full of failings and very natural anxieties, given their specific situations. It's very well written, passionate, and the sex is hot and sexy. 

It will be a very pleasant read if you like this series.

Another very guilty pleasure: Heart of Obsidian - Nalini Singh

Review in english. 

E esta, desculpem, não me apetece reescrever em português. Fica só uma notinha para dizer que este é o mais obscuro e intenso dos livros da série e que, tirando um ou outro momento um pouco repetitivo (nos sentimentos) é um dos melhores. Gosto da série, mas os livros com Psy e com progressos na história geral são os favoritos, e este mostra grandes, enormes avanços neste aspecto.

I am very sorry for all the portuguese readers who do not read english and don't get the (guilty) pleasure of reading these books by Nalini Singh. I've read quite a few and everytime I think "she's done", "she can't possibly keep on making this interesting", "it's going to get repetitive and boring", Nalini surprises me. I didn't fully enjoy all the books in the series, because some of them centered too much in the couple and lost balance a little... well, maybe I should explain what I'm talking about.

In this series, each book can be read separately or you can read them out of order and you´ll still be satisfied, because each books tells a love story and Nalini gives you the happy ending you crave. But there's an overall story that's been developing since the first book, and it's far more interesting than the couples (though some of the couples' stories are very interesting). 

Imagine a world where you have humans, changeling packs, like wolves, leopards, tigers, rats, falcons and every other animal, but also a different "species", called the Psy. They are basically human, but far more intelligent, and have enhanced capacities, such as telekinesis, foresight, medical abilities and so on. With these abilities comes madness - violent madness and murderous rage - and therefore, in 1979, the Psy started following a protocol called Silence, which imposes strong conditioning since childhood, to remove sensation and feeling. Sensation brings them pain, so the Psy are rational and cold, eat only nutritional food, exercise only to keep fit, don't have sex (reproduction is medically engineered to mix the best genes), have families to raise the children, but no feelings towards each other. There's a cruel Council do rule them and very strong rules and punishments, to enforce Silence in those who want to break it. They are also all interlinked in a mental net (the MindNet, vey much like Internet in the mind) that "feeds" their minds with mental energy, without which they'd die. So, the least social "species" is, after all, the most social, they need the net to survive and can't hide their thoughts or the breach of Silence easily from others. The concept is quite complex, and the future Nalini presents (we're in 2079 give or take) isn't overdone at all, there are no spacecrafts or weird machinery, but cars hoover and there are very cool communication devices and features in houses, which haven't changed much from what they are now. It's a believable future... in a fantasy world, of course.

So, while changelings and humans intermix and can even mate, Psy maintain business relationships with the most powerful packs and human groups, but do not engage in friendship or love. The problem is, in 2079 Silence isn't working for everyone anymore, and the MindNet is rotting from the inside. Silence prevented a kind of immediate madness, but the lack of feeling enhanced psychopathic behavior - the most horrific crimes can be seen only as scientific experience by their unfeeling perpetrators, and there's no regret or emotion. And, because some Psy have powers that can affect large areas and lots of people, the threat is terrible. Also the Net itself is infected by a virus and has develop a sub-mind, the DarkMind, which harnesses the underlying violence in Psy minds.

In previous books, we saw some important Psy members breach Silence and bond with changelings - I won't tell you how, go read the books. Some of the stories are wonderful and exciting, some a little less. Of course, each book adds a little to the big picture - and we see Silence eroding and the Psy society deteriorating, as changelings become more powerful and humans... meh. That's what kept me reading, because the latest books were mostly changeling and I prefer to read about the Psy. I particularly like Psy-changeling stories, you'll see why if you read them. I was getting a bit tired, and not sure what to expect of this book.

Boy... this was a loooong but necessary introduction. It'll be much longer than the opinion about the book itself, I think... I won't tell you much , because most of the stuff I could tell would be a huge spoiler, but this book is all about the Psy and I loved it. 

This book centers in two of the most powerful Psy in the NetMind. Kaleb is a very important former counselour, very politically cunning, cold to the point of being cruel, a man broken inside by a past of loss and childhood violence, done to him and others by his mentor, a Psy-psychopathic killer. He is also the most powerful telekinetic in the world, so strong that he is off the scale. Sahara (hate the name, by the way) is also Psy, but she could never take to Silence, so she's had feelings she needed to hide since childhood. She's a rare Backseer, with another hidden power that I won't tell you about. There's an old story between them, but it's enough to say - and it's already a spoiler -that she was kidnapped and imprisoned for 7 years, and he never stopped looking for her... until he found her. This is the story of how she regains memory and a sense of self and "saves" him from himself... to a point. It's wonderful because none of them is entirely recovered, some broken things cannot be glued back, but they find balance. 

Also, there are huge and fascinating developments in the Psy world and in Silence. Fanatical Pure Psy try to take over and orchestrate a series of terrorist attacks in major cities across the world (this was interesting) and... can't tell you, but the pace is great and some parts are very exciting. Kaleb has a huge role to play, in either saving or destroying the MindNet, and Sahara a huge role in either saving or destroying him... and the net - and I'm sticking to silence myself, here. Go find out, if you're curious. 

What I liked less was a bit of repetitiveness in the characters discourse about each other - how important they were, how they needed one another to be saved, and so on. But the flashbacks were good, the sex scenes were... well, sexy. They actually rocked the earth. (I'm grinning here). And everything was dark and intense. In fact, I thing this was the darkest book in the series, maybe because none of the other characters suffered half of what these two went through. This book makes you love a hateful character, and wish him luck...