Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling, Bk 12) by Nalini Singh
Review by Cynthia F. (frazerc)
This is a book I’ve been waiting for. The author has been teasing the readers with glimpses of Kaleb Krychek for some time. Is he a good guy? A bad guy? Does he only have his own agenda or does he have a moral compass? In this book, you find out the answer to all of the above is ‘yes’…
If you’ve been following this series, you start the book knowing some things about Kaleb. He is an incredibly strong telekinetic cardinal. He is a member of the Psy Council. He has a tentative alliance with the Arrows. He was raised, if that is the right word, by counselor Enrique – the serial-murdering villain from Slave to Sensation. And he’s looking for someone—someone from his past—someone who seems to have been erased…
And he finds her. Mostly. She’s tortured, starved, and abused but alive. But her mind? Her shields have been stripped and she seems lost within her own mind. As the story progresses you find that while her shields were ripped from her, she created the labyrinth herself. Created as a self-defense mechanism, she believes she built in a method to escape – now if she could only remember what it was…
The story arc of the series has been exploring the possibilities of rebellion, the collapse of the PsyNet, and the fall of silence. We discover that much of this hangs on the ability of Kaleb to heal his lady. If she falls, the world will fall with her – Kaleb will see to it.
This is an incredibly moving love story between a woman who considers herself broken and a powerful man who considers himself Silent. Both of them are wrong… And the sex? Let’s just say that when they make love the earth moves – literally. And there is no question, it IS love. Everything he has done has been to find her, heal her, and protect her.
Nalini Singh has managed to keep her Psy/Changeling series alive and thriving. Her characters are strong, people you would like to know. Her plots manage to advance the series story-arc while still accomplishing a satisfying end to each book. Each book brings new material to light without violating any of the previous books. (I hate it when authors call their books a series but don’t bother to maintain consistency from book to book. But maybe that’s just me.)
I loved this book but don’t start here if you’ve never read any of the earlier ones. This is a series best read in order.
Below is the chronological reading order according to the author’s website, www.nalinisingh.com:
1. “Beat of Temptation” in Wild Invitation
2. “Whisper of Sin” in Burning Up
3.5 “The Cannibal Princess” – free short story
5.5 Movie Night – free short story
6 . “Stroke of Enticement” in The Magical Christmas Cat
7.5 “A Conversation” – free short story
8.5 “A Gift for Kit” – free short story
9.5 “The Party” (deleted scene from Branded By Fire)
10. Blaze of Memory
11. Bonds of Justice
12. Play of Passion
12.5a “Wolf School” (deleted scene from Play of Passion)
12.5b “Declaration of Courtship” in Wild Invitation (overlaps with Play of Passion)
13. Kiss of Snow
14. “Texture of Intimacy” in Wild Invitation
15. Tangle of Need
(The free short stories are available on the author’s website)
