Customer Reviews

Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changelings, Book 7)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I won't bother going into detail about the plot of this book since the other reviewers have already done an excellent job of that. I will start by stating that Nalini Singh has done it again and written another page turner with a strong story arc that just keeps getting better and better as her books in this series continue. It is obvious that she has taken a lot of time, effort and done some strong editing to make this series, and the world building within it, the best, most tightly focused and complex that it could possibly be. Obviously she has seriously thought through this current story arc which will come to an end in book 10 of the series(Hawkes YEAH!!). For that reason alone I cannot recommend this book as a stand alone, there is just too much back story that is relevant to the current book, and though enough is explained within it not to be lost, knowing what has happened in the previous books adds a richness all its own to reading this one.

This author knows how to keep her world building believable(if such a thing is possible in a paranormal) and consistant throughout all seven books. I especially appreciate this since another well known author ruined any paranormal series for me for a long time with her 'swiss cheese' world building and urban fantasy switch five books into an otherwise fantastic vampire romance series. Nalini Singh has given me faith in following through on another paranormal series again and that means a great deal to an avid reader like myself.

As for the story itself, I must admit that I wasn't expecting much from this one since I do have a real weakness for the changeling world and its culture(and those yummy changeling men!)and am just not as interested in the human part of the world. Well, I was proven wrong with this book. Since the hero, Devraj Santos, is actually a part of The Forgotten and not what I would consider a human, it was Katya as the heroine who proved to be the most human in her reactions even though she was a Psy. The obstacles presented with breaking Silence were not needed in this book MILD SPOILER ALERT...................................since Councilor Ming Le Bon had already torn into her mind and broken it during his torture and re-conditioning of her mind to become his mole. This made her responses to Dev much more believable since she was 'broken' already, as well as giving the story arc a chance to move along at a much faster pace than the last book (lots of changeling men and hot sex in that one so no complaints there).

Overall I was truly enjoying the story, as well as the other subplots in the book (I got to see Vasic the teleporter again, when will he get his own book?), so as I neared the end I was ready to give it a solid 4 stars (no matter what it just can't be a 5 star without my changeling men I thought), when the last few chapters blindsided me. I will state right off that I rarely cry when I read books, especially romances, so it was a total surprise to find myself blubbering like an idiot during those last chapters. I swear I went through half a box of tissues before I finished the book. There was something about the way the author wrote those chapters and the heroes and heroines actions that just got to me at that particular moment. That woman knows how to write emotional scenes like no other!!!

The added star was because even though I was bawling and having to stop every few sentences to wipe my eyes or blow my nose, I was thoroughly enjoying a good cry because I knew without a shadow of a doubt that Ms. Singh would not disappoint me and would deliver in the end (unlike other authors who shall remain nameless). She did hint at the solution to the dilemma early on in the book in a scene with Judd and Noor so I kind of had an idea of what was coming, even though she managed to add on a complexity to even that section which I know will be built upon in future books.

Here I was just expecting a good read for what I thought would be a 'filler' book in this series since there was no hot changeling sex LOL, therefore I believed the main characters wouldn't interest me as much, but Ms. Singh delivered again. I am now actually really looking forward to her next Psy-Changeling book "Bonded by Justice' due out July 2010 even though there will be a human male cop (Max from Talin's book) with a J-Psy in it. She made me a believer in this book with characters I didn't expect to love so I know she will do it again.

So thank you Ms. Singh for writing another wonderful addition to this fantastic series! I only wish you wrote super fast so I wouldn't have to wait until July 2011 for Hawke and Sienna's book(he can have no other heroine after what you quite clearly insinuated in 'Branded by Fire')and what I know will be an exciting conclusion to this particular story arc!

This book had a different flavor to it. In most of her novels the hero and heroine are from different worlds and it takes a lot of 'dancing' and flirting to get them angled into just the right position for the 'mating heat' to take effect. With Blaze of Memory is was about a Human Forgotten and a Psy. Katya seems to have broken silence quite easily and falls for Dev hard. This is unusually in Singh's books, but it does coordinate with Katya's personality.

Katya was dropped on Dev's door step as a 'sleeper' which basically means that when triggered she will perform action/s without forethought or consciousness. This is especially dangerous for the Shine Foundation's Director. I noticed in the last three books, but Dev was getting harsher, meaner and plain scary. I actually was a little nervous (and I know my changeling loving friend was too) about Dev being the hero and Katya being the lovely leading lady. What I did like about this book was that we got an even deeper look into the Shine's mechanics and the people who work there. The readers are given more knowledge and background on the Forgotten, and learn a lot through letters placed in between chapters, of what Silence was like in 1975 when the movement first came around.

I know a lot of people hate reading spoilers, I can't give away anymore of the plot with out indulging in a few spoilers regarding Katya and the reason she's still alive.... so I'll leave well enough alone. The one thing I do have to say is I usually hate sugary sweet, too happy to be real situations or solutions to problems. I feel like it goes too far out of reality (kinda funny for someone loving the paranormal genre right?) But Nalini Singh managed to use one with grace and tie it into the future of the Changelings/Psy/Humans. Not many authors can do that and I enjoyed the bliss while it happened. As for the characters, Katya seemed a little too.... I'm not sure? At first she was just "Let me go I have to Escape or I'll hurt you" then it was "Dev don't leave me" followed by "stop or I'll taser you." I suppose though that if your brain is messed with you will have random thoughts and actions. Dev was not dislikable, but he defiantly was the 'fallen hero.' You could tell he takes hits for Shine, including Katya's imprisonment. He does, like Judd, hold on to what he considers Honor.

I really am hoping I'll like her next one with Indigo... but I'm really, really, really holding out for Hawke's and The Ghost's books..... awww man just picture them finding their future mates and what types of women they'll have to be! ;) Enjoy!

Finished reading Blaze of Memory a few hours ago. It pains me to say it, but for me the book was an utter disappointment. It wasn't a BAD book -- I doubt Singh can write a BAD book -- but I found it to be...boring. Nothing much seems to happen.

An abused amnesiac shows up on the doorstep of Dev Santos, the leader of the Shine Foundation. Dev and the others deduce her identity quickly, and just as quickly, Katya herself realizes and acknowledges outloud that Councillor Ming has "programmed" her to kill Dev. Dev can't trust her, but at the same time, he's drawn to her, sexually and emotionally, and she arouses all his possessive and protective instincts. And that pretty much seemed to be the entirety of the book. The whole book read to me like one prolonged foreplay session and (rather tepid) sex scene.

There was the usual Council stuff, but even with that, I can't say that there was a lot of forward momentum or that anything particularly noteworthy happened (except maybe at the very end).

Another observation I made while reading the book is that the psy women too often strike me as being somewhat childish. I'm sure it has to do with their awakening to emotion for the first time. That's probably what gives them that childlike quality. In this book in particular, all that wide-eyed wonder and the veneer of "Ooooh....shiny!" grated on my nerves. Sascha and Shaya and the others started that way for me, too, but they also seemed to have a reservoir of strength and self-sufficiency that made them more appealing. Katya, on the other hand, was just TOO helpless and innocent and vulnerable for my liking. She came across to me as fragile and pathetic -- not a type of character who stands up well next to the vibrant (and more appealing) Changeling characters like Mercy, Indigo, and Brenna.

I'm still loving this series and I can't wait for the next book. Singh does a bang-up job with her world-building, and I'm intrigued by the power-play going on in the Council. Can't wait to see how that all shakes downs. But for me, Blaze of Memory was unmemorable...and possibly skippable.

I've gobbled up the rest of the books in the Psy- Changeling series but this one fell a bit flat for me. Dev Santos is immediately drawn to a mysterious woman he finds dumped at his house. Even though he knows she's dangerous to him personally and to the Shine foundation he heads, he takes her with him almost everywhere and doesn't really fight his attraction to her. Katya, the mentally altered Psy who has no loyalty left to Silence, does her best to be a forward and brave woman in a very quiet way but falls a bit flat character wise.

Snippets of letters from a mother of one of the first Forgotten as well as mysterious missives from a Psy outpost designated Sunshine are scattered tantalizingly through the books pages but end up not really mattering to the overall story. In fact I was disappointed at how that storyline just abruptly petered out. The look into the inner workings of the Forgotten was interesting and two or three characters in particular stood out for possible future books.

Of course I was moved toward the emotional climax at the end of the book, won't go into why so I don't ruin it for future readers. But even then you knew there was going to be some type of happily ever after, so I didn't get myself too worried. The story actually got dull enough around page 280 or so that I abandoned the book on my nightstand for a week or two, which I rarely ever do. All in all, this wasn't a vital book to the series and I hope the next installment will be much more exciting.

Blaze of Memory is seventh book in Nalini Singh's highly popular Psy-Changelings series. The character highlighted in this story is Devraj Santos who was first introduced in Mine to Possess (book 4). Dev runs the Shine Foundation, a type of shelter for children known as the Forgotten. These children are human but have Psy abilities. Dev is one of these Forgotten. He tries to not let his emotions run away from him and can be very cold and meticulous. If Dev wanted to, he could become a killer, but lucky for those around him, he still has humanity intact.

An unconscious woman, who has been severely abused, is left on the doorsteps of the Shine Foundation's headquarters. She is a Psy and Dev knows she is dangerous because she could be a plant by the Psy Council to kill him. When the woman awakens, she has amnesia. She has been mind raped by a very powerful Psy and Dev places a call to some associates who may be able to tell him the woman's identity. Another Psy, Ashaya Aleine (Heroine in Hostage to Pleasure), who left the Psy community and mated with a changeling, knows who she is because she used to work with her in a lab where they did experiments on children. Her name is Ekaterina and they come to the conclusion that Ming LeBon, a very deadly and powerful Psy is responsible. Ekaterina no longer wants to be known by this name and will go by Katya. By being called Katya, she feels new and alive. Katya is living a death sentence because as her memory slowly comes back to her, she remembers the orders Lebon gave to her. Whichever way it ends, Katya is doomed.

Dev can't trust her because she's a weapon, a ticking time bomb that will go off at any moment. He should kill her, but Katya touches him deeply. He wants to protect her, because even though she may seem fragile, she is a survivor just as the children he has helped. Dev has to figure out a way to save Katya and eliminate Lebon before he can harm Katya. As Katya continues to get her memories and identity back, she grapples with her feelings for Dev, as well as his growing feelings for her.

Nalini has written another wonderful hero in Dev. He is protective, alpha and very inventive when it comes to loving Katya. There is this great scene in Dev's bedroom where he shows Katya how skilled he his with his hands. Katya took a bit more warming up to because she was so abused and pretty much a victim throughout the whole story. The big issue I had with these two is that Dev feels he cannot trust Katya, and rightly so. One minute he has to decide if killing her is the best for everyone involved or will throw caution to the wind and love her. This back and forth was a bit unnerving, especially because the tension and attraction these two have for one another just happens so fast. I was a bit unconvinced with Dev and Katya falling for each in such a short time period. Dev is always on his toes around Katya because she could kill him without any warning.

Even though I found Dev and Katya's relationship not as appealing as the past ones in this series, their love scene were still satisfying even though there is always this doubt on their minds that everything could end for them in a blink of an eye. Theirs is a very needy love each that seemed a bit hollow. In part this is because Dev is such a strong character while Katya wasn't so much.

Many past characters make appearances as well as a nice change where the reader dwells into the past about how the Psy Silence came to be. There are also more rumblings of a revolt and breakdown in the Psy community where Nalini keeps inserting key pieces of information to be aware of. I have a small inkling who the Ghost is; this mysterious individual who is causing major concerns for the Psy Council. I really think it is one of the Council members. Perhaps it is Kaleb, that deadly Psy working behind the scenes for his own gain? I have become such a big fan of his that I really can't get off my mind.

Blaze of Memory has some interesting moments and again I can always count on Nalini to write a pleasurable story. I was hoping for a bit more shocks and awe, but I guess not every book in a series such as this can always have you on the edge of your seat.

Katiebabs

I adore this series, but this book fell really flat for me. I found it hard to connect with the hero, I certainly wouldn't want to be in a relationship with him. Because of that, the sex scenes really did nothing for me,and boy were there a lot of them! Perhaps the thought was to disguise that the two characters had nothing to build a relationship upon? The only scenes that really worked for me on an emotional level were the ones dominated by previous characters.
If it didn't set up things nicely for future books I would say this was skippable. If nothing else get this one used.

This is 4.5 stars for me!!Nalini Singh has not written a story that I havent loved.

Dev Santos the new head of Shine finds Katya Haas dumped on his doorstep. Katya has no memory of her past but it is clear from her physical condition that she has been tortured. Everyone knows Dev's weakness of course is a woman in need so he immediately assumes that Katya is a plant by the council. Singh fans need to have their chocolate, a quiet place and maybe a tissue to read this. Dev and Katya's romance seems almost doomed from the beginning. Is her memory loss fake or real, is she working for the Psy council and if she is can Dev do what needs to be done. I was up to the wee hours reading this but there was no way I couldnt finish. The action and focus of the story is on the romance as these two fall in love. The counselors are still up to no good and even 7 books in I dont have a good grasp on what that group of mad people plan to achieve from all their actions. In Blaze of Memory we are also given more background on Silence and how it came about. Perhaps with this new bit of information I can also see why mankind would have thought it was a good idea. Some of the changeling couples make an appearance to support Dev in figuring out the councils latest plot. Oh and another secret slice of the Arrows, their role and Judd. (I think I will reread Caressed by Ice) Any of you fans of Judd will melt when his character makes a small appearance. He is more than what meets the eye and I love how the author is slowly leaking that through the stories.

This is a well thought out series and I wish I knew more about what was going on which is part of why I keep coming back for more. This can be read as a stand alone but it would better if one had the background on the story line in order to better follow the behind the scene scheming by the "villains". My only neggie which kept this from 5 stars is the confusing double talk and innuendo from the counselors.Trying to understand the Psynet, DarkNet/Darkmind and ShadowNet. Lately in the Psy novels, I gloss over those parts.Maybe my own neuro paths are fragmented :)

I highly recommend this latest as it was def worth the wait. At the end,I was smiling and sniffling.A real Keeper!

Dev was an extremely minor character in my least favorite book (book 4) in the series, so I was surprised to see that he had received his own book. While both Dev (male lead) and Katya (female lead) have good chemistry together, it is the saddest story in the series. While Dev is not part of either the Dark River or Snow Dancer packs, the characters are interesting enough to make the book a solid addition to the series. Books 1, 2, 3 and 5 are the best books in the series.

I'm a big fan of this series and this book is one of the best in adding to the overall plot-line. Although I wasn't too fond of the leads, I can't give the book less than 5 stars.

The H/H in this one seemed to be too big to fit in such a big plot for such a limited span of pages and Singh just shared what she had to about them while forcing them into sexual unions.

Aside from that...Singh did a great job of piecing together the culture and politics of the 1970-80s to the 2080 time period in which the book takes place. I could have read a whole book of the letters by Devraj's great-great-whatever-grandmother, it reminded me of one of my favorite stories, and it really puts the climate of change the plot is taking into a relatable context.

One last rant I can get away with without giving anything away: The ending was just too cliche. Way to `and it was all better, love concurs all' I'd love to see some permanent damage after all that drama toward the end.

I was surprised at the negative reviews! Wow. I thought the book was well written and it certainly held my attention. I was not disappointed at all. I thought there was a lot of mystery to it and didn't see where it was going!