Shield of Winter review

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Nalini Singh's Shield of Winter at the RT Booklovers Convention! It will be released on June 3rd.

I've been reading the Psy-Changeling series since the beginning and have eagerly anticipated Vasic and Aden's books so you can imagine how excited I was when I found out that Vasic's story would be out this year. I worried a little that I would be disappointed - I'd been dreaming about his story for so long - but Singh hit it out of the park with Shield of Winter. I devoured this book in one sitting and then went back and re-read it a second time.

Vasic has been a solitary character from the very first time we met him, separate not just in the emotionless Psy way but going even beyond that in an isolation even from his fellow Arrows. Even with Aden, Vasic is withdrawn much to his friend's consternation and frustration. Is it because he is the perfect member of Silence? If so, why would he feel guilt at the lives he has taken as an Arrow? It was clear to me through the series that Vasic wasn't Silent at all and that was his reason for isolating himself. So who could connect with such a man? At first I thought it might be a changeling since they are so far opposite Silence but Singh's need to have protection for the newly acknowledged Empaths after the revolution in the PsyNet made the pairing of the Arrow and an Empath the perfect solution.

Ivy Jane was a bit of a surprise. Not because she was an Empath or because she was able to bring out the protectiveness inherent in Vasic but because her growth through the book was very clear. From a scared but determined Psy not willing to be silenced to a worthy match for Vasic and for her role in the lives of the other characters and community, Ivy showed what Empaths can become if given the chance to flourish rather than be stifled. We had seen this with Sasha but she wasn't in the PsyNet so it is a bit different.

The continued journey of a post-Silent Psy and the continued inclusion of previous characters such as Lucas, Kaleb, Judd, and the rest makes for a wonderful continuity as the series gets longer while progressing the world building and plot arc beautifully.

Shield of Winter is a fantastic addition to the Psy-Changeling series and now I have to (impatiently!) wait for the next book - I hope it is Aden!!

Synopsis

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 stifle 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 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…