Source: Received copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to herextraordinary Psy-Changeling world with a story of wild passion and darkest betrayal...
Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that's exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.
Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence--her mind clear of all emotion--Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That's what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious...and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.
Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed...
Available from Berkley Books TODAY
SILVER SILENCE by
Nalini Singh
Laughing at
the cubs’ antics, Valentin jogged down the slight incline and waded into what
had to be ice-cold water after kicking off his boots and socks. He splashed the
cubs, laughed when they splashed him back. Running so they could chase him, he
turned abruptly and chased them back, to their unhidden joy.
Silver took
a seat on the grass. When the female bear looked her way, she inclined her head
in a silent greeting. The bear did the same, then they both watched an alpha
bear play with two energetic cubs, his hands holding rough care for their small
bodies.
By the time
Valentin made his way back to her, he was drenched and his eyes weren’t human
in any way. When he spoke, his already deep voice was so low it felt like
thunder against her skin. “Couldn’t resist,” he said, pushing back his wet hair
with one big hand. “If you weren’t in recovery and if I wasn’t in terror of
Nova’s wrath, I’d have invited you. The small monsters wanted to play with
you.”
Silver
didn’t get to her feet. “Can we stay here a little longer?” It was patent that
Valentin had an extremely high tolerance for the cold, but he might want to dry
off.
“Sure,” he
said, and, moving away several feet, shook off the wet.
Fine
droplets settled on the skin of her cheek, but she didn’t flinch at the
unintentional tactile contact. She also controlled her urge to reach up and
touch the water where it lay against her skin. There was no reason to do that,
and Silver was alive because she only did things that were rational.
Settling
beside her, Valentin waved at the cubs as their guardian led their tired forms
toward a path in the trees that was at the same level as the stream. “Gentler
climb,” Valentin told her.
“They seem
too exhausted to make it to Denhome.”
“It’s all
an act—they’re hoping for a ride on their aunt’s back.” His tone held the same
fond affection she’d heard when he spoke of Dima. “It’d take more than a few
minutes’ play in the water to wipe out those two.”
The cubs
had played with Valentin for almost a half hour. “They’re hyperactive?”
“They’re
baby bears.”
Silver
watched as those baby bears turned toward her and rose up on their back paws,
as if in challenge. A stern sound from their caretaker, and they dropped down
and scrambled to catch up with her. Their bodies disappeared into the trees as
dusk began to turn from orange to shadowy gray.
Beside her,
Valentin sprawled out, bracing himself on his elbows. His drenched T-shirt
clung to the ridged muscles of his abdomen, pulled tight across his pectoral
muscles, shaped itself over his shoulders. His jeans weren’t much better,
outlining the raw muscle of his thighs.
Valentin
Nikolaev was a man of violent physical strength even in human form. Yet he
clearly had iron control over it; when he’d played with the children, they’d
displayed zero fear of their alpha.
“You
thought about where you’re going to live when you escape the bears who’ve
kidnapped you?”
When she
raised an eyebrow at him, he grinned. “Fringe netter with his own Internet
channel sent out a breaking report last night. Pasha—who obviously needs more
work duties—made up a fake account and posted a comment swearing to have seen
you being pulled into a black van by six burly bears in bear form.”
“You don’t
seem too concerned.” Amber eyes and deep voice, he remained very much a bear in
human form.
“Well,
according to this ‘eyewitness,’ the getaway driver was in bear form, too.
Must’ve been tough for him to steer with one paw since he was drinking a beer
at the same time.”
“Bears,” Silver said, making Valentin throw his head back and
laugh that huge laugh that wrapped around her.
Posted by
arrangement with Berkley, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random
House Company. Copyright © Nalini Singh, 2017.
I have loved this series so hard that it's become my obsession. When I nothing sounds good to read, I read books from this series. I'm so excited about this new chapter as the Psy-Changeling world becomes Trinity!
Bears! There are bears in this one!! And bears are a different breed than the cats and wolves we've seen. Sure there's a wolf pack near-by but the bears feel about wolves the way Lucas felt about Snow Dancer in book one of the original series. What was really new were the bears. They just don't act like cats or wolves. They love to lay in the sun and tease each other. They throw crazy parties at the drop of a hat. There's a cover charge for bears in the city because things tend to get broken around them. And bears have these huge hearts that just keep giving. Of course, they protect their own and especially the cubs. They live in a pack and have an alpha. They are just so fun. Everyone loves the bears.
Well, of course, it's not that easy. But bears do have a way of swaying ones emotions and Silver learns that pretty fast. Silver has a really good reason why she's chosen to remain silent. But a certain bear alpha would love to change that. He's willing to be a patient bear. He tries to be a gentleman bear. He even tries to be like a sneaky cat. Because Silver sings to his bear like no other and he's willing to do the hard work to win her over. His bear is determined. But the work is so much harder then he every thought it would be.
The story for Silver, who we have know before as Kaleb's senior aide, and Valentine is interwoven with the developments with Trinity, the coalitions and the human alliance. A new group that keep killing their own people is added to the mix. Humans, psy and changeling all try to find their way in this new world that is Trinity. And my heart just gets smashed to bits. Nothing comes easy in this story. There are loses, some making me more upset than others. It was a wonderful read and hard read. I wanted so much to be fixed but the overarching story has much left to deliver. And this couples story gripped my heart deeply.
I loved it. I cried. I hoped. I trusted. I read on.
Nalini Singh masterfully unfolds a new chapter for series and I'm so excited to have more!
I really do need more! I want the next book. This couple has resolution but a major event is left hanging. I am equal parts excited and scared for what the next book will bring. Regardless of what comes next, I want the next book. Bring this series on!
About Nalini Singh
I've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.
I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).
So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.
Source: KindleUnlimited.
