Book Binge

Tracy’s review of Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling series #10) by Nalini Singh.

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

Sienna and Hawke have been dancing around each other in previous books – mostly because of two things: Hawke’s hesitance about going after a woman who can never be his bonded mate and Sienna’s age. Sienna wants there to be a deep and meaningful relationship with Hawke but she’s not prepared at first to deal with Hawke who is the uber-alpha male. But Hawke is an alpha male similar to Singh’s alpha’s and that is that he has a tender, gentle side and knows when it’s needed.

I think I liked this book so very much because Hawke truly knew exactly what Sienna needed – or didn’t need for that matter and he wasn’t afraid, once he decided to go for it with her, to go slowly. Sienna is young and inexperienced and she’s a Psy who still has protective mental barriers. Things aren’t like they would be if Hawke was going for a fellow wolf shifter. But despite having to go slowly when it came to the sexual side of their relationship that didn’t stop two very stubborn people from having their issues and arguments. I loved, loved, loved the fact that Sienna was never shy about standing up to Hawke and would just tell him what she thought about certain things. It just showed us that even though Sienna was young in years it didn’t stop her from being an old soul who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it.

So Sienna and Hawke begin their courtship dance but it doesn’t stop life from happening. The Psy start making decisions to end the SnowDancer pack altogether and the pack isn’t going to take it. The story has great political intrigue and strategies that were quite compelling. I love that Nalini Singh blends the darker side of her world with her romances so very well. I never once felt that I was getting more of one than the other and they were both fleshed out so nicely.

Then there was the issue with Sienna and her Psy designation. She’s a Cardinal X – and the only one, as far as anyone knows, that’s been born. No one truly has any idea what she is capable of, how her powers will manifest and if she can control them. The uncertainty of the whole situation really kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

Along with Sienna and Hawke’s romance we also got to visit in with the DarkRiver pack members and there was a secondary romance with Walker (Sienna’s uncle) and Lara the SnowDancer healer. We got a nice dose of interaction with many shifters both cats and wolves and that was lovely.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. I’ve loved Hawke’s character since he was first introduced and I wanted nothing more than to see the man happy in his love relationship. Singh gave us that in this book and so much more. Just a great read.

Rating: 5 out of 5

The Series:


You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place.

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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