As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins – cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna…
Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted – and had her mind violated – by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives…
Caressed By Ice, by Nalini Singh
So for the last two books, I prefaced my reviews with the caveat that although I love the series and the books, the couples involved weren’t my favorites. (Which, when there are 14 couples in the series …it’s going to happen.)
That’s not the case with this one.
Judd. Swoon. I would absolutely be a member of the Judd Lauren Fangirl Society. Sign me up! And Brenna? Brenna is more than his match, in every way.
Honestly, this is one of the books in the series that I go back to over and over and over again. I’ve probably listened to the audiobook version at least five times. I’m writing this review without having reread the book for it because I don’t have to; I know this book inside out.
That being said, if you haven’t read the first two books yet, stop. There will be some spoilers for the first two in the discussion of this book — nothing major, but it’s kind of unavoidable when it comes to talking about these characters. So. You with me?
We met both Judd Lauren and Brenna Kincaid in the first book of the series, when Brenna was kidnapped by the serial killer targeting Changeling women. Sascha helped the SnowDancer and DarkRiver Changeling Packs discover the killer’s identity before it was too late and Brenna’s life was saved. Judd, who along with his brother and nieces and nephew had been living with the wolves, helped implement the plan.
Now, months later, Brenna is still dealing with the aftereffects of her kidnapping and torture. Sascha has done what she can to help but Brenna is understandably still wary of allowing anyone into her mind. Indeed, she feels like she can hardly keep the killer out, seeing and feeling his evil again. Then the first victim appears and she wonders if she truly is going insane. Judd is the one person she feels like she can turn to in the den, except it turns out he’s been keeping some secrets of his own.
I can’t think of anything about this book I don’t like, honestly. Brenna is marked by her experiences but not defined by them and the book does a lot to emphasize that. We learn a lot about Judd’s background and why Silence matters so much for some Psy. We get some insight into the wolves, who have so far been side characters, and it’s fascinating to see the differences between the cats and the wolves. Along the way, we still get to see some old friends — both Faith and Sascha show up — and meet some new ones. There are hints of a deeper discontent building amongst the Psy, something we started to hear about in the last book. And all of this is done while pulling off one hell of a story.
I truly believe that if you want to give this series a fair shot, reading through Judd and Brenna’s story is the bare minimum required. The worldbuilding has led to this point, where you’re fully invested in the characters and can start to see the overarching plot. Each book builds on the last and this is a fantastic example of what she can do with that.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go swoon over Judd some more.