Slave to Sensation [Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Have you heard about Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series? They are the kind of books those fond of well-written paranormal romances with a dash of suspense and plenty of interesting characters are highly likely to love. If you haven't heard about them, don't feel too badly, the Psy-Changeling series is relatively new, and I only discovered it by chance in late 2007. Truth to be told, I am very happy I did so, because now I am a fan.

"Slave to sensation" is the first book in this saga, and it was published recently, in 2006. That story begins to acquaint the reader with a different world where three species live side by side, if not always in harmony. The Psy are a race with psychic powers and devoid of feelings; the changelings, shifters that embrace those feelings; and finally, the humans, less powerful and not always taken into account in the arithmetic of power. But what happens when a Psy killer on the loose that preys on changelings breaks the fragile equilibrium achieved by the two main races? That premise is the starting point to the story of Lucas, a powerful changeling, and Sacha, a cardinal Psy, two persons that should be enemies, but that soon realize that they can be much more.

"Slave to sensation" is also the beginning of an universe that Nalini Singh weaves even more consistently with each book, a strange world that makes sense and that ends up engaging the reader, and making him want to know what happens next. Thankfully, Nalini Singh has already written more books in the series ("Visions of heat", "Caressed by ice" and "Mine to possess") and is in the process of writing another, something you will fully appreciate after reading "Slave to sensation".

On the whole, I think that this book is a keeper, great on itself but even more valuable as the introduction of an outstanding series. Highly recommended...

Belen Alcat

Sascha Duncan is a member of a race known for their emotional detachment, cold precision and deadly sharp minds. Only Sascha isn't like other Psy. She feels powerful emotion and she grows worried she may soon not be able to repress the building surge. A business meeting with changeling Lucas Hunter, the alpha of the DarkRiver leopards, lures her even closer to the edge of certain discovery. As she is assigned as the Psy contact for the ensuing project Lucas's company takes on, she soon begins to fear grave repercussions from her people.

Lucas feels something different about Sascha--she's not like other Psy. It doesn't take long for the dominant male to begin asserting his blatant interest in her in traditionally pack ways. Could her mysterious differences be the key his and a rival pack's have been looking for? A serial killer has targeted changeling women, and the packs believe the killer to be Psy. As a Psy with connections amongst her race, Sascha will become the only saving grace in a race against time to stop two opposing groups on the brink of war. Her and Lucas's efforts will bring them to some shocking realizations as well as some heated and sensually stimulating encounters.

The first impression of this romance was that it combined an awesome feel of not only paranormal elements, but sci-fi as well. Lucas's pack dynamics will ring somewhat similar to other paranormal romances, while having their own unique qualities at the same time, most notably their love for one another and family dynamics. The chilling addition of the Psy brings to mind a more futuristic sense with their sparse and utilitarian lifestyles. There are some very interesting twists to the plot that makes good use of the pacing throughout the book, making for a very hard to put down read. Sascha is a heroine readers may sympathize with in her plight to become fully herself, while Lucas is so wonderfully sexy in his concern for her welfare. Look for the sequel, Visions of Heat (March 6, 2007) about Psy member Faith NightStar and changeling Vaugn D'Angelo

Slave to Sensation is my first Singh novel. It is an interesting world she has built with the various Changeling factions, the Humans and the Psy. Lucas Hunter is an amazing alpha male and Sascha, a damaged Psy, is more than strong enough for him. I enjoyed watching her morph into what she was meant to be - which wasn't damaged at all. Slave to Sensation is pretty steamy and has some mating similarities to Leigh's Breed books. This book has some sci-fi, some romance as well as some suspense. I did find there were some parts of the story that were left unexplained but I am hopeful that they were left that way on purpose to be explained later in the series in one of the other books. With that in mind I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next book in the series.