One of the things I hate most is coming to a movie after it has already started. I spend precious minutes catching up on the plot and characters, and before I know it, the movie is over and I've missed it all!

I have to admit this was one of my concerns when I picked up Nalini Singh's Caressed by Ice since it is the third installment in her Psy-Changeling Series. Lucky for me and for all you spec fiction readers out there, Ms. Singh does a great job of catching us up and pulling us into the action quickly.

Judd Lauren is the man you want at your back if a bar fight breaks out. He's strong, fast and can melt a person's brains with a single thought. It doesn't hurt that he's incredibly sexy and mysterious too. What a combination!

Judd's former job as a trained killer has led him to a life of exile within the SnowDancer den. He knows his position is shaky since changelings don't care much for the Psy---and he is about as Psy as you can get. When Brenna, a changeling female, is tortured by a Psy from the outside, Judd is called in to help her recover. Trained for years to resist emotional and physical contact, Judd is taken aback by his responses to Brenna.

Could it be her memories of being tortured by a Psy have touched him in some way a normal changeling could not? The Silence forbids such things and to leave himself open to feelings could cause him great pain, or even kill him. But he can't help himself. He knows all too well that his kind is far too dangerous to even think of reproducing, but he definitely was thinking about it. So just how was he going to help Brenna without hurting himself or endangering the rest of her den?

Brenna Shane Kincaid lived through being tortured by a Psy, but she isn't sure she's going to live through falling in love with one. The Psy who invaded her brain and robbed her of her ability to become wolf was nothing like the irresistible Judd Lauren. Her bodyguard and therapist, Judd is the man for her, her mate. It'd be easier if he wasn't Psy, but perhaps they can get around that.

Of course there is also the small matter that Judd is a trained killer and cold as a glacier when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Still, a girl has to give it a go, right? Brenna is certain if she can crack that frozen exterior there's bound to be a river of fire underneath. But how can she reach him?

Caressed by Ice was an excellent read, even for someone who missed the first two installments of the Psy-Changeling series. This story is packed with romance, psychic marvels and a hefty dose of suspense as the SnowDancers struggle to solve a murder and save their den.

Strong characters, a hotter-than-the-sun attraction between Brenna and Judd, and a fascinatingly detailed Psy-Changeling world make this a perfect read to get lost in. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new series to enjoy since Ms. Singh already has several books completed and more on the way.

I can guarantee that once you finish Caressed by Ice, you'll be running to get copies of Slave to Sensation and Visions of Heat to see where the series started.
 
Reviewed By Sabine Maurier
© March 2008