Review: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

AMAZON | KINDLE

Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling #12) by Nalini Singh
Paranormal
Berkley Hardcover (June 4, 2013)

Rating: A
Heat: Warm

Heroine: [see review]
Hero: [see review]

**May contain minor spoilers. Spoilers aren't my intention. I mention who the hero is - but not who The Ghost is. You don't know 100% who it is till 2/3 in. There's so much going on in this book that it isn't the focus.**

 

 

 

Synopsis:

A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.
A woman whose very existence has been erased.
A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.
A deadly price that must be paid.
The day of reckoning is here.

Review:

This is the book all Psy-Changeling fans have been waiting for! Well, other than Hawke’s book, which was one I desperately wanted from the very beginning. In Heart of Obsidian we get answers. Big answers. So many things happen that I’m hesitant to say anything at all. What should you know? Nalini Singh is pure genius—dark, twisted, and brilliant—and in Heart of Obsidian her genius really shines through.

Singh took a character I wasn't fond of and, in some instances, despised, and made him... well, not human, but... understandable. Relatable. She managed to keep him unapologetically true to character, a very dark sort of character, and made me feel for him. Care for him. Fall deeply, madly in love with an unscrupulous and ruthless man.

Kaleb Krycheck, former Councilor, is cold and inscrutable. A man known for his unconscionable deeds and his mercenary attitude. Kaleb is dedicated to one cause so completely he'd end the world for it. And, as a dual Cardinal with off-the-charts Tk abilities, he could – and would – end the world. Kaleb is a man so full of darkness, you don't want to like him. I actively fought not to like him. But the more you know, the deeper you fall into his darkness. He’s a man capable of anything. So when he kidnaps a woman, who was previously kidnapped years ago and held captive - and steals her for himself, his motivations and reasons aren't obvious.

That woman, Sahara Kyriakus, is lost in her own mind. In a labyrinth of her own making. She turned her mind into a puzzle that her captors could never solve. The only person who can is Sahara herself. When she finds her usual windowless cage is swapped with another, and a new jailer is introduced, she remains on guard. Except nothing about this man who’s taken her makes sense. He allows her freedoms and concessions and gives her truthful answers. Its disarming, confusing, and causes her defenses to begin unraveling all on their own.

Kaleb and Sahara… left me breathless. A broken Psy and a Silent Councilor. From their very first interactions, I was in their thrall. There have been cold men in the Psy-Changeling series, Jude was made of ice till Brenna thawed him some, but with Kaleb—there is no thawing. He’s too powerful. He’s too… much. His chill is to the marrow. And Sahara never tries to change him, because she knows the consequences would be too dire. To have a hero like Kaleb… he might not melt, but he sure as heck finds a way to melt you. Sahara stood no chance against a man so… impressively tenacious. The truth is a very powerful thing and he gives it to Sahara when no one else would. Even if it means she’ll run from him.

And all of this takes place in the midst of the Psy civil wars that are bleeding out into the other races. Pure Psy is amping up their destruction and the casualties are piling up. Things are racing toward a big, big final showdown between Pure Psy and… well, everyone else. Inter-species relationships will never be the same. The Psy will never be the same. Good or bad, this book is a game changer.

Heart of Obsidian is intense on all levels—the romance, the action, the emotions, the drama. Nalini Singh has written a book that’s savage in its intensity. It will rock you. The Psy-Changeling world is already impressive, but this book will leave you awestruck. I can’t wait to see were Singh takes it from here.

 

Favorite Quote:

“A good man,” she said, her lips against his, “wouldn’t have survived what you did, wouldn’t have been able to find me. To fight evil, you have to understand the dark. We both do.”
”You’ll have to be my conscience.” He knew his flaws, and he knew the part of him that were irrevocably broken. “Mine isn’t going to grow back.”
Pushing off wet strands of his hair from his forehead, Sahara held his gaze. “Have I ever let anything slide? That won’t change.” A slow smile. “I intend to have a thousand fights with you.”