Caressed by Ice - Nalini Singh

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…

This is the fourth book I read in this series and the fist one where we have a Psy hero and a changeling heroine, not only that but the heroine is Brenna, the woman rescued from Enrique Santano at the end of Slave to Sensation. She survived but she has felt damaged ever since despite the healing rituals she undergone with Sasha and Judd Lauren.Judd is a member of a family of Psy’s who defected earlier and joined the Snowdancer pack, in this book we learn that while still in the Psy world Judd was member of an elite of assassins who worked for the Council. The go through violent training since they are children and are even further conditioned by drugs to be the lethal weapons needed to erase those who oppose the powerful Council members especially Ming LeBon.

He managed to retain his personality and when faced with the choice of abandoning his family and live or die with them he decides to abandon the Psy net and look for refuge with the Changelings. He is feared by them and usually keeps to himself but lately Brenna, the woman he helped Sasha heal after her ordeal, keeps coming closer and Judd is having a hard time keeping her at arm’s length.

Brenna has refused to continue the healing treatment but she is very much afraid that the Psy who kidnapped her may have left her with a part of him, a murderous part that leads her to have strange and terrifying dreams where she sees killings. I really liked Brenna not only because she is an interesting character but because she is the first Changeling female to be in the spotlight and I really enjoyed knowing the more feminine side of the changelings. She only feels safe when she is with Judd even if he is similar to the criminal who tortured her. The obstacles keeping the apart are many, not only because of whom they are but because Judd feels that he must maintain Silence to dominate his ugly, killer side. He actually feels that is he lets himself feel emotion he will be an uncontrollable killing machine. The problem is that although he knows he should stay away he just can't resist her.

Not only I enjoyed knowing a lot more about the Psys and especially Tk-Psys, I enjoyed the tortured hero side of the story as Brenna realizes much sooner that she doesn't want to give up on Judd no matter what, while he to be an Ice Man for a long time before accepting she is her fate. It was also very interesting to follow the process of him breaking Silence.

But someone is targeting Brenna and Judd, her brothers and Hawke will have to join forces to keep her safe. My only complaint of the story was that there was so much build up regarding who was targeting her that I was expecting something else in the end.

A wonderful read that may even be my favourite of the series so far along with STS. Now I want to know who will be Indigo’s mate and Walker’s and who is the Ghost??

Grade: 5/5