TAKE TWO REVIEW: Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh
(Psy-Changeling #1)
Gollancz (March 2010)
Ebook, 334 pages
Paranormal Romance

Carolyn’s Original Review: Sept 2011
Original Rating: 8/10
Carolyn’s Take: Another fantastic read from Singh. I loved the characters, the complex world building and the tender but steamy romance. It’s obvious I just can’t go wrong with reading Nalini Singh

Laura’s Take

Slave to Sensation was recommended to me by Carolyn as a good holiday read, as Nalini Singh is one of her favourite authors. Reading the back cover, it sounded just like my thing so I picked it up with eager anticipation.

Our heroine Sascha, is a Psy. A race that years ago decided to implement ‘the silence’ and rid their race of all emotion. No love, no anger, no hatred, no passion. Just hard, cold, empty logic and reason. Except Sascha has a secret, she has been feeling things since she was a child and has been working hard to conceal it for fear of being rehabilitated, a sentence worse to her than death.

When her mother assigns her to oversee a new housing project with the changeling leader Lucas, her eyes are opened to a whole new way of living, and she is bombarded with emotions and sensations she has worked desperately to conceal.

Lucas is a powerful and dangerous changeling, who has his own agenda for working with the Psy. He’s on the hunt for a serial killer and believe Sascha may be the key to solving the case.

Slave to Sensation is what I would call ‘a grower’ in that the characters ‘grew’ on me as the novel progressed. I wasn’t sucked into the novel immediately, but the cold, eeriness of the Psy’s world had me intrigued. The way they interact, the technology, the powers they posses and the psynet – the global way they communicate was cleverly depicted. It was also unique which was refreshing to someone who reads a lot of paranormal romance.

Sascha makes a great heroine, her plight as a feeling woman in an emotionless world was captivating. But, at the same time it just took me a little time to warm to her. I think perhaps I wanted her to break a little sooner. But there were some lovely scenes with the changeling pups as she slowly began to accept the emotions she was feeling. Once those walls finally came crumbling the love story between her and Lucas was really engaging.

Lucas is a fabulously powerful and sensuous hero. In fact I just loved the whole changeling world. Lucas, the secondary characters of his pack and the rival wolf changeling group too, Ethan, the wolves leader… yum! And I suspect we’re going to see more of them in future books.

The serial killer plot added darkness and tension to the storyline, and additionally strengthened the coldness of the Psy race and the vast difference between them and the changelings. The chemistry between between Sascha and Lucas melted off the page. Even if I did have a bit of a momentary moan about one of my pet hates, sex scenes via dream sequences *grumble*. It didn’t ruin the love story for me and the ending pulled everything together, whilst leaving enough threads to leave you intrigued about other characters and where things will go next.

VERDICT:

I thoroughly enjoyed Slave to Sensation and in particular the world of Singh’s changelings in comparison to the barrenness of the Psy. I have a feeling this is a series that will only get better as it progresses, so I will be definitely picking up the next one. Thanks for the recommendation Carolyn!

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