Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1)
by Nalini Singh
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Book Reviews of Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1)
Book Review: A bit lackluster I'm sad to say...
Summary: 3 Stars
The realization occurred to me that my exposure to erotic paranormal romances was disgracefully limited and in need of some serious expansion. In order to remedy this glaring deficiency, I set out to find a handful of books that would be widely considered qualified ambassadors for this genre. Based on countless recommendations and glowing (to the point of gushing) reviews it appeared that Slave to Sensation would fit the bill perfectly. So, I ordered the book and waited with bated breath for my immersion into the seedy world of trashy lady reads to begin.
Once the book arrived, I exhaled and began to read. To my surprise, I didn't find a hero who was a lusty billionaire psychic alpha shape shifting were-lion vampire hunter who also happened to be a prince and a pirate, who incidentally, had the recent misfortune of pulling a much needed muscle in his groin area and the only way for the world to be saved from certain destruction was for the virgin heroine to reluctantly help "heal" him from this wound through her uncanny ability to perform surprisingly proficient tantric massage.
It's a shame really because what I did find was slightly less sensational and I was unfortunately left a bit underwhelmed. It wasn't altogether a bad book; in fact, it was a fine book for the genre. It even had a few moments of gluttonous goodness but overall I just couldn't seem connect to the characters or the world enough to care what happened.
I have decided to try and bear the burden of reading a few more racy reads before ruling out the genre entirely. I figure it's the least that I can do.
Book Review: A different angle on paranormal romance
Summary: 4 Stars
I'm not going to rehash the plot, that has been done here several times -- and sometimes with too much detail.
I am a huge Kresley Cole fan and when I noticed how much a large Lot of Nalini Singh books sold for on eBay -- I was curious.
I downloaded this first book in her Psy/Changeling series and I feel it was a good way to spend a weekend.
While Singh does not employ any of the humor of Cole, she did weave an interesting story with paranormal elements. Her creation of the Psy race is different though I found it pretty similar to the Vulcans in Star Trek. (Just no pointy ears.) So the contrast between a woman raised to show no emotion contrasted with a shapeshifting panther who is all emotion was fairly interesting.
Singh also found a couple of interesting ways to twist the plot to make things a little more believable. The mystery plot was half the reason the book pulled me in, too.
The author DID manage to completely surprise me once with a plot twist toward the end of the book that offered potential salvation for the Psy, however the villain was absolutely no surprise. That is probably what kept me from giving the book five stars.
I enjoyed the book and consider the read a weekend well spent. Whether I will go on to read Singh's entire series depends on the next book or two. I do miss the humor that shows up with Kresley Cole and some other paranormal writers. Something needs to break up the "You're my true mate -- we must be together" atmosphere once and awhile.
Book Review: Good, but I expected better
Summary: 3 Stars
After reading the fantastic reviews on this book, I must say I wasn't all that ecstatic about it. There were several grammatical errors throughout. And there were times where two people would be in the middle of a conversation and there would be paragraphs of someone's thoughts in between dialogue and when it was over, I couldn't really remember what the conversation was about so I had to glance back up to see what that person had said (not to mention sometimes I couldn't even figure out who was saying it!). And there were a lot of repetitious adjectives repeated over and over again (How many times do we need to hear "night-sky eyes"?!). I understand this was the author's first book so those kinds of things can slide a little, but it just got frustrating.
As for the story, it was okay. I like the fact that the author thought of a new world of paranormal romance (instead of the familiar vampire/werewolf stories). It was a unique idea (although the story of the Psy was a little reminiscent of Brave New World). But I didn't find myself excited and eager to read the next chapter to see what happens. As for the love scenes, they seemed a little rushed and some were a little unbelievable (Sascha was raised Psy... I know she was different but would she have really been that sexually aggressive?). I'm a huge Kresley Cole fan so maybe the transition from her books to this one just didn't work for me, but I wasn't too impressed with this book.
Book Review: Surprisingly Good
Summary: 4 Stars
I was hesitant to read this book. Too many of these types of books/series just disappoint me. I've tried many of the mainstream, well-liked series and they just didn't do it for me. However, I read Angels' Blood and liked it so I thought I'd give this series a try. Happily, I was surprised that I liked it quite a bit. Usually, I prefer the h/h to have a bit more time before they decide that they are passionately in love and to jump each other's bones. This preference is not often found in these types of books. While I still felt that h/h got together a mite too fast, Singh somehow made it seem okay. Also, she built the basis of their relationship on more than just lust. Although, don't get me wrong, the love scenes had the right amount of heat w/out being too graphic or clinical.
I did find some of the world building stuff a bit confusing and there were times when it felt like there too much info dumping. This seemed especially true in the beginning parts of the book. However, the second half of the book picked up speed before it finished off with a great finale. The very last bit of the book felt a bit cheesy to me but that's okay. There wasn't enough cheese to clog my arteries, just enough to make me feel a slight bit of "ugh". Still, I'm looking forward to reading the next book.
Book Review: Enthralling story
Summary: 5 Stars
It feels like I'm late to the game with this one, since almost everybody I know has already given this author a go. But I finally pulled this book off my TBR pile to see what the big deal was, and promptly fell in love.
This shouldn't have worked for me. I like paranormal romance, but shapeshifters and anything with mates leaves me profoundly skeptical. Toss in the fact that Singh is a headhopper - switches POV without scene breaks - and I should've tossed the book after the first couple chapters. It's a credit to her storytelling talent that I didn't. I got sucked into the story with absolutely no fail, and couldn't put the book down once I'd started. I love Sascha's "brokenness," and her struggle against it while at the same time trying to figure out what exactly is going on with her. Lucas, too, is an alpha hero to the nth degree. As pack leader, he is strong, loyal, and passionate, and the way he goes after Sascha took my breath away.
The mystery of the serial killer is secondary to the romance, and not really all that surprising when the truth is ultimately revealed. But for anyone who loves their alpha heroes paired with deceptively flawed yet strong heroines, this one's a keeper. I'd rather give 4 1/2 stars instead of 5 because of the perspective thing, but in this case, I'm willing to round up.