Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Review, Excerpt & Giveaway - - Silver Silence


Silver Silence
By Nalini Singh
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Reviewed by Nancy Northcott







Silver Silence is the latest installment in Nalini Singh’s popular Psy/Changeling series.  The heroine, Silver Mercant, will be familiar to established readers of the series as the assistant to cardinal telekinetic Kaleb Krychek, the hero of Heart of ObsidianSilver Silence, however, stands alone. 

Even though Silence, the emotionless way of life ingrained in the Psy for generations, is no longer required, Silver clings to it.  The discipline it offers protects her from one of her own gifts, making it a haven for her instead of the prison it was for some Psy.  Still, she can’t quite tell the alpha of the StoneWater bear clan, Valentin Nikolaev, to leave her be.  He uses any pretext his business with Krychek offers to contact Silver.  Despite the excellent security in her building, he has a habit of showing up frequently.

It’s a good thing for Silver that he does.  One of his unexpected visits occurs while there’s an attempt on her life.  Valentin saves her and, after conferring with her powerful grandmother, takes her into his clan’s den for safety.  There, surrounded by the open affection and playfulness of the bears, Silver finds her silence cracking and her desire to experience an emotional life growing.

She takes her first steps toward emotion tentatively, and Valentin, despite his obvious desire for her, restrains himself to her pace.  Meanwhile, the bear clan’s welcoming nature and loyal support are working their own magic on her heart.

The romance plays out against the background of conflict over the Trinity Accord, the agreement forged by Changelings, Psy, and Humans after the fall of Psy’s Silence.  Not everyone believes in the pact, and some will stop at nothing to destroy it. Silver has a prominent role in the new administration, one that puts her at risk. Along with Valentin and Krychek, she deals with emergencies created by terrorists while trying to unmask the being who attempted to kill her.

As Valentin and Silver grow closer, the stakes go up, both in terms of danger from without and of the risks posed by her abandonment of Silence.   

The characters are sympathetic and have depth.  There’s also a lot of humor, some of it involving tabloid news media.  The story moves at a good pace.  Characters from other books in the series make brief appearances without distracting from the main story.

Highly recommended.


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 SILVER SILENCE by Nalini Singh
Excerpt

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.

Do you enjoy paranormal romance?

Have you read any of Nalini Singh's books?

Do you like an alpha hero who can also find joy in uninhibited playfulness?

One randomly chosen person who leaves a comment on this post before 11:00 PM, June 21 will receive a hardcover copy of Silver Silence. (U.S. only)

13 comments:

  1. I haven't read anything by Nalini, but this does sound like a very interesting book. I love an Alpha male who isn't afraid to find joy in uninhibited playfulness.

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    1. Diane, I love the way Singh depicts bears in this story. The line "Because bears" is used very effectively.

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  2. Paranormal romance is unique. I enjoy an alpha hero who doesn't take himself too seriously.

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    1. You'll like Valentin, then, Traveler. He's wonderful.

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  3. Nalini's novels are captivating. An alpha hero is always a treat.

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  4. She is on my tbb list. I definitely enjoy paranormal and alpha males - I love when they make me laugh and cry.

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    1. Catslady, I think you'll get some chuckles out of this book.

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  5. I have not really read many paranormal romances. I'm kind of a scaredy-cat, so they make me nervous :-)

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    1. Katie, we all have to read at our comfort levels. I happen to like books in which things go boom. *g*

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  6. I have read some of the books from this series and they were very good. She has created a unique world.

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    1. Maureen, I agree that the world is unique. It's one of the things I enjoy about this series. I also think the Guildhunter books have a layered and unique universe, one totally different from the Psy/Changeling world.

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  7. I bought an anthology for the library several years ago that had one of her Psy/Changeling stories in it. The mistake was mine, the cover had an adorable kitten on it. Not that many of our patrons read paranormal, and I often wondered at the reactions of the little old ladies who picked up the book because of the cover. They certainly had a bit of a shock when they read it. Anyway, I enjoyed the stories but haven't yet gotten an opportunity to read any more of her books.

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