After reading Kiss of Snow, I had to go back and get caught up with the rest of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changelings and that meant digging into Bonds of Justice. While it was a great story, I have to admit it’s probably not my favorite.
Max Shannon is a good cop, one of the best in New York Enforcement. Born with a natural shield that protects him against Psy mental invasions, he knows he has little chance of advancement within the Psy- dominated power structure. The last case he expects to be assigned to is that of a murderer targeting a Psy Councilor’s closest advisors. And the last woman he expects to compel him in the most sensual of ways is a Psy on the verge of catastrophic mental fracture.
Don’t get me wrong, the story was fantastic, the way Singh builds these fabulous constructs of plots and the way they just flow. There’s all this mystery and you’re never quite sure where it’s going to leave. Even though each novels focuses on one set of individuals, there are all of these other characters that we continually see that just get more and more intriguing. Take for instance, Kaleb – there’s one scene towards the end, where Max and Sophia are finally ending one story thread, that doesn’t seem like something he would do. He’s this cold councilor who was molded by a sociopath and yet he seems to have these hidden feelings that are so buried behind logic and reason that you miss them if you’re not looking for them.
As for Bonds of Justice‘s main couple, Max and Sophia were great together, but they lacked the heat of previous couples. I fully blame it on the Human/Psy relation though. Psy are these cold beings who have ‘silenced’ their emotions. While the humans still have their emotions, they are nothing compared to the savagery and intensity of the changelings. It’s that heat that Max was missing. Sophia was fabulous with her experimentation of feelings; she took her time, knew her limits and jumped head first once she was ready. Max, however, was too patient. Too easy-going. I just didn’t feel like the sexual tension was there like it has been in the past. Maybe it’s due in part to how long it’s been since I’ve read a changeling relationship, but I don’t know. There relationship wasn’t what kept me to the story.
And that is where Bonds of Justice is truly fascinating. The complexity of the plots Singh is able to weave never fails to keep my interest. There’s never just one hidden agenda, but multiple, and we never know when they are going to be revealed until they are. I love it. It may seem like there isn’t a lot of action in Bonds of Justice, but there is a lot of stage building going on. I’ve read Kiss of Snow, so I know something major happens, but all the initial legwork has happened in silence and we get to see the intrigue and the beginnings of a revolution. We’re given more in-depth looks into a few characters who are going to have a strong role and may not be the people we think they are. Now that I’m at Play of Passion, the novel right before Kiss of Snow, I can’t wait to dig into it because I know there’s going to be a wild ride waiting for me.
So overall, while not my favorite of the Psy-Changeling novels, Bonds of Justice completely kept me invested in the story and totally made me hunger for more by Nalini Singh. I’m not sold on the Human/Psy relationship, but with the atmosphere of Silence right now, I have a feeling if another situation with a similar couple pop up, it could get interesting. Things are changing and that is very obvious with Bonds of Justice.
Read Order:
Slave to Sensation
Visions of Heat
Caressed By Ice
Mine to Possess
Hostage to Pleasure
Branded by Fire
Blaze of Memory
Bonds of Justice
Play of Passion
Kiss of Snow
