Shield of Winter

After the collapse of Silence and more or less chaos of dealing with an infection that threatens all Psy with madness, the hero, a trained assassin living on the edge of his own madness is tasked with the safekeeping of a woman who has the power to save them all. Him and his fellow arrows establish a secret society in shifter territory to experiment with the E classes ability to fight the illness in the net. They constantly have to cope with the violence the sickness brings out in the population and are caught more than once in a fight to save innocent lives and their own lives. The heroine is nothing like the cold blooded psy, instead she's warm and caring. She admits freely that she was never very good at being silent because of her show more unknown E classification. She lived through a horrible experience where her people tried to silence her again yet failed and her parents have secreted her away where she's built a life for herself. She an empath and when the hero comes to her one night offering a chance to save lives and figure out what is she, she jumps at the idea. She finds him to be mysterious and magnetic but nothing like the monster he believes himself to be. From the jump it's clear that though the hero is stone faced and robotic, he's far from the coldness of silence. It's not that he can't feel happiness or other emotions-it's that he doesn't know how. He doesn't know how to respond to the heroine's openness but he knows instantly that he'll protect her to his dying breath. It was honestly so romantic how the heroine steadily taught the hero how to be human, and how to allow himself to feel comfort and love-something he has never before had in his life. He was drafted as an arrow at the age of 8 and forced to endure unspeakable torture in a bid to make him into a weapon. But she in some ways was just as innocent as he was when it came to sexual feelings. She took off her shirt and bared herself to him like she was a teenage virgin and sent him images of her naked before blushing beat red at what she had done. Of course she was a virgin and it was so sweet how they had to teach each other how to kiss. They did this by practicing. Awwww! Also every time they were touching and kissing the hero would lose control over his teleporting abilities and they'd find themselves in the desert. It was a such a crazy amazing book because it had a very different feel from the other books in the series. The two characters weren't enemies and they didn't truly fight their feelings for one another. The hero tries to distance himself from her because he's ashamed of what horrible things he did for a madman in the name of peace but it's half hearted at best. It made everything so much easier for them to explore their emotions freely because the evil oppressiveness of the council and the burden of silence was gone. My only issue with the book was the fact that I did feel it was a little dragged out. I didn't mind at all reading about the two characters because they had such passion for one another but it dragged a bit near the end. But it didn't take away from the fact that this was a homerun and honestly I think this author can do no wrong. show less

When I first heard that Ms Singh's next book (Shield of Winter) was going to be Vasic's story, I was disappointed because I had wanted Aden's story. But was I ever wrong! This was a fantastic book! I can see why we needed Vasic's story first for the Arrows - because he was on the razor edge of slipping into the abyss as a result of the guilt he carries from all the deaths he's meted out on the orders of the leader of the Arrow Squad, Ming Le Bon. Seeing him dragged back from the edge and forming not only a bond, but a family with Ivy gives the other Arrows hope that they too can have a life and belong to someone.

I also love the role Rabbit has in thawing these Arrows out. It is such an innocent way of forming a bond. Plus he has lots of show more character.

Ivy broke conditioning at age 16 and voluntarily surrendered herself for reconditioning. The brutal reconditioning left her little more than a zombie until Rabbit entered her life and aroused her empathic abilities once more and brought her back to life.

With the fall of Silence, the Net is in chaos, not just because of the fear of those Psy who didn't know how to cope without Silence - but from a pervading infection in the Net that had flourished from all the dark and angry emotions the Psy no longer acknowledge.

Kaleb Krychek forms a plan to wake the empaths to try and save the Net.If that fails, he plans much more drastic action.

Vasic and a group of arrows are assigned to protect the emapths, and it's not long before the effects of being in close proximity to them is noticeable, not least of all with Vasic.

I think this story is a lot about the ties that bind us to others, even seeming invisible ones, having a sense of belonging and working together.

We see some of my favourite characters from the earlier books, especially Lucas and Sascha, and Judd Lauren. I loved the little snippet of Kit and Naya - that was lovely.

My only complaint with the book (and it's a tiny one) is that in the Cast of Characters at the front of the book, Tamsyn is listed as the Snow Dancer healer.

For anyone new to this series, or Ms Singh as an author, I highly recommend this and all of her other books.

You really need to read the books in the right order as there is a lot of world-building and storylines that keep developing throughout the series.

Can't wait for Aden's story now! show less

Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to suffocate her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for show more this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness… show less

Silence has fallen and things are changing in the Psy-Net. The infection in the net is spreading faster than ever and has started sending Psy into murderous rages. Kaleb Krychek believes empaths are the key to stopping the darkness and death that is spreading unchecked through the net, so an effort is undertaken to identify empaths and get them working together before the net implodes. This brings our hero (Vasik) and heroine (Ivy Jane) together in a working relationship that evolves into much much more.

Vasic has been one of my favorite psy heroes, second only to Kaleb Krychek. As one of the top members of the Arrow squad, and the strongest teleporter in the psy-net, Vasic has always been in demand by both the good guys and baddies. In show more previous books, Vasic became self-destructive and volunteered to try a piece of biotechnology which basically made him a human guinea pig with an expiration date. What struck me most about Vasic was that he believed himself to be one of the most silent people in the net... but that wasn't really true. Vasic's fractured silence was evidenced by his extreme loyalty to the other Arrows, and the way he took care of Aidan since they were children. Someone lacking emotions would not have those feelings of loyalty and friendship. It was wonderful to see Vasic realize that he deserved to live and love. Plus, he was pretty darn sexy and powerful. Yum. It's always fun to watch these stoic and practical Psy learn how to be intimate with one another - its a strange and fun blend of innocence and intelligence that makes intimate moments hot and endearing at the same time.

Ivy Jane has lived under broken silence most of her life. Having no idea that Designation E existed, she always thought she was broken. When this scary Arrow appears at the orchard where she and her family have been in semi-hiding, she is terrified and curious. Now that she knows she was not broken, she wants to learn everything she can about being an empath. Seeing Ivy throw herself into the program and try to solve the problem in the net was inspiring. I had a good emotional connection to her character, particularly when it came to the sadness, desperation and hope she felt when it came to Vasic and the ticking time bomb on his life.

I loved that Vasic became the face of the Arrow squad as this silent hero, and that he and Ivy's relationship achieved celebrity status. This is something we have not seen in previous books, and added a touch of realism to the story. We got a much closer look at the Arrow squad in this installment, and I was amazed at the steadfast loyalty among the group. It was nice to see how they all looked up to Vasic - almost as an older brother - they are truly a family built on bonds of loyalty.
And finally, I was glad to see some of our previous favorite couples play a bigger part in this book, namely Sasha and Lucas. It made me want to go back and read [b:Slave to Sensation|178476|Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changeling, #1)|Nalini Singh|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403541641s/178476.jpg|172416] all over again... especially because we got a little more of the inventive and oh-so-steamy telekinetic sex tricks in this book.

4.5 stars / 3 flames. show less

I thought Shield of Winter was a great follow-up to Heart of Obsidian. Vasic had been painted as a damaged Arrow so it made perfect sense to me that his relationship with Ivy was a slow burn. My only quibble is that perhaps the underlying angst was glossed over a bit too quickly. We never got to see more than a token mention of Vasic dealing with his guilt by interacting with the families of the victims he had been forced to kill. And aside from some self-doubt in the beginning, we don't see Ivy worrying much on how her brutal reconditioning may have affected her abilities and personality.

The fall of Silence also brought about some pretty dire consequences. How these problems were solved really brought the story arc back full show more circle--from when an empath broke away from the PsyNet in the first book to the realization that empaths must remain in the PsyNet in this book in order to keep everyone stable and healthy. Clearly, though, empaths don't solve every problem. Even with things stabilized, there are those who are still pro-Silence and power hungry (like Ming LeBon). I suspect these loose ends will be further addressed in the next book.

What I really liked about SoW were the interactions between the characters. I think, ultimately, one of the major themes is about family and community. I don't think it's a coincidence that the individuals most prone to the PsyNet infection didn't have any semblance of family, community, or even loyalty--instead, they literally viewed everything as either a genetic legacy or business. What saves Vasic is those very bonds, not only with Ivy but with the Aden, Judd, the other Arrows, and his great-grandfather Zie Zen. (I particularly enjoyed the scenes with the Arrows and their growing adaptation to the aftermath of Silence.) show less

While Silence is falling, it may be too late to save the Net. The infection of the PsyNet is growing and catastrophic collapse is imminent - a collapse that could kill thousands. As it gets closer there are more and more Psy infected by darkness, driven to unreasoned and uncontrolled violence even as Psy society is learning how to live without Silence

Kaleb, leader of the net and former Councillor, can think of only one way to save the Psy - the key must be the Empaths.

He collects Empaths into a camp to learn how to overcome the trauma of being suppressed in the Net and try to find the extent of their powers after so much knowledge has been lost. And who better to protect them in a hostile net than the Arrow Squad?

Led by Vasic - broken show more by the demands the Arrows have placed on him, he is slowly awaiting death and not valuing his own life. But if anyone can reach him it’s the Empaths - specifically Ivy

While we followed so many trope laden romances over this series, in the background there has been another story developing - the Arrows. The Arrows have always been a really fascinating element to this series because they are the very epitome of what Silence was for - and the damage it did. All of them are Psy with lethal combat abilities - the very Psy who rely on extreme Silence training to control their lethal abilities. At the same time they are the Psy used and abused by the Council to enforce their reign, causing so many disappearances and deaths. Seeing them turn from Silence, even as they relied on it’s training was an excellent parallel to the actual fight for the future of the Psy Net. Seeing Aden worry about his people and trying to lead the Arrows to a new future and a new life - independent from those who constantly use and abuse them is, again, a wonderful microcosm of the actual net and the Psy race in general. There’s also Vasic, bowed, broken and wounded from the terrible deeds the Council has forced upon him, now just looking to end a life he no longer sees as worth living. Again - an excellent parallel to the wounds of the Psy Net and the many broken and damaged Psy who have been so torn by Silence

Their story, interlinked with Kaleb, the new de-facto ruler of the Psy, also shows the growing evolution of the Psy themselves - and not just in the loss of Silence or the battle against the Darkness Infection of the net. But simple things - in a society where inconvenient people are just disappeared (because actual Psy criminals would expose the lie of Silence), what does it mean in a new age when justice must be done in the light? When justice happens where everyone can see it? When you have a society where the most powerful and ruthless have always ruled, where people’s power is denoted by their inherent woo-woo, what does that mean for future rulership, what does a government look like? In a society where obedience and conformity has been ruthlessly enforced for nearly 100 years, how do they adapt to allowing actual dissent and disagreement? Where are the lines drawn? In some ways wish there were no romance at all in this book and we focused on the Arrows and Kaleb and Sahara alongside the other Councilors actually looking at what the future of the Psy should actually look like - because that is fascinating and just the elements that are hinted at here

I have to say i was also annoyed by this romance because of Vasic and Aden. We have seen repeatedly how deeply Aden and Vasic care for each other, how close they are - we have seen how worried and sad Aden is that Vasic is embracing death, how determined he is that Vasic won’t die, determined to show Vasic he is valued and cared for. I was looking forward to see them growing closer, for that love to become clearer, for Aden, who knows more than anyone exactly what Vasic has had to endure and suffer, to be the comforting arms that Vasic could fall into and be lifted up and…

And Designated straight love interest Ivy appeared. Oh. yay. And we had another book - now book 13 - without a single LGBT character so we can tell the same trope laden straight romance again and again.

And I have to complain yet again about the archaic gender roles in this series because they’re cringe worthy. How come the man always has to be the big dangerous alpha in control one? How come he’s usually the one with the big dangerous powers? Even when a woman has strength and power - like Mercy or Adria - she has to be paired with an even MORE Dominant man. And when she’s dangerous that means she’s desperate and fragile and needs a big strong man to save her like Sienna (note that the big strong dangerous men - Judd, Vasic - don’t get big, extra-dominant women to order them around. No, they get sweet, gentle, delicate and sometimes fragile women to shelter and be all protective and gentle with. Even Sienna was more dangerous to herself and had to be paired with The Most Dominant. I cling to Indigo, though even her and Andrew’s dynamic was hardly a subversion.

Not only have we got Shapeshifter biology supporting this rigid binary with big Alpha possessive males and “matriarchal” females but now the Psy are getting in on the action as well: apparently most Empaths are female. Because lovey-emotions-soft-gentle-healing while most telekinetics are male because big-strong-destructive-dangerous-heavy-lifting-chest-hair.

Why couldn’t there be a big dangerous telekinetic woman who is breaking things and covered in the blood of all she has slaughtered saved by the gentle, loving, patient Empathic man to find her heart and emotions. This is a world with amazing imagination, incredible world building, awesome character development, a history that is truly fascinating and is generally excellent in so many ways - so why - with all this excellent proof of imagination and creativity, are the romances and gender roles so cliched and tired and limited?

In addition to the whole gender roles thing, there was just nothing about this romance that stood out to me. Ivy in particular felt really under developed - I mean she’s had major issues with her broken silence, being rehabilitated, being Silent - but where is this? Beyond having a pet, where is Ivy? Who is this basically hollow she-cares-and-finds-Vasic-hot-despite-his-brokenness woman. Because we’ve seen pretty much that with Sahara (and Sasha, really maybe even Mercy - only these women had a but MORE to them than that).

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"In the end, they’d all grown up under a regime that attempted to turn them into tools for the use of others—tools meant to be discarded once they passed their use-by date."

First, I must confess that this is my first Psy-Changeling book. Ms. Singh’s work has been on my “to read” list for quite some time, but I simply haven’t had the opportunity to read any of her works. When Penguin Books gave me the opportunity to read Shield of Winter I literally jumped at the chance. What a great excuse to move it to the top of my reading pile!

Going into the story I was well aware of the fact that this is Lucky 13 in the Psy-Changeling series, (actually, there are also quite a few “shorts” and novellas extant in this world) so I show more feared that I couldn’t expect to really understand what was going on. However, I must say, I was wrong about that. Looking at the long list of characters in the front of the book, I worried that I would be lost or confused, but Ms. Singh is such a brilliant writer that before the first chapter was over I was completely riveted.

This is a deeply layered series, with one of the more unusual premises extant in the UF genre. In the world of the Psy there is no emotion – no love, no hate, only mercilessly unemotional characters, driven a slavish obsession with perfection in all things. There is only The Silence, controlled by the NetMind and DarkMind, the twin entities that know every corner of the vast psychic network that connected all Psy on the planet.

Now, however, that link is broken, the Silence is no more. But all is not well, as the cold, emotionless Psy struggle to live in a new reality, where emotion is not a crime to be punished by devastating psychic brain wipes. Silence was a deeply flawed construct – but a necessary one, as cruel as it may have been. And now a deadly contagion is whipping through the Psy population with deadly result. In order to save the Psy, changes must be made, and the Empaths, nearly wiped from existence in the past, may be the only beings who can save the world.

The first step is finding and bringing in Ivy, an Empath who, though she was subjected to the brutality of a mind wipe as a child, gives hope that she may actually be a savior. Sent to find her and bring her back is Vasic, a sort of “super soldier assassin” on a par with the "Terminator."

Now, I understand that Ms. Singh’s works are based more in the “Paranormal Romance” end of the Contemporary Fantasy genre, and I can work with that. However, I will admit to having an overwhelming problem with Ivy. She was an unpleasant character to my way of thinking. Needy and clinging don’t do it for me in a heroine and Ivy has that in spades. Vasic was a much more empathetic character. He has done horrific things in his life, things he understands to be unforgivable, even though he did these things under the control of a sort of “hive mind. His pain and sense of hopelessness, and his attempts to do the right thing even though he doesn’t feel worthy of living touched me on a visceral level and kept me reading just a much as the amazing world that I was learning.

Unlike other readers of the series (I have read the reviews) I was not as interested in the “romantic” side of the story, so my problems with Ivy didn’t overwhelm my sheer enjoyment of a well built world, a stunning concept, and great writing. Overall, I am looking forward to starting the series at the first book and learning about how this new situation has come to pass.

Recommended. show less