ARC Review: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

“I wish I could give this book 10 Stars!  Every single page of this book is packed with intensity.  It’s enthralling, all consuming, and mind blowing.  Yes, I was thoroughly blown away! ” ~Under the Covers

Highly anticipated books like this always scare me.  What happens if the author can’t take the pressure of writing such an anticipated story and it falls flat?  What if it doesn’t go the way I WANT it to go?  There are no guarantees and I was both extremely excited and extremely scared to start reading.

Another fear of mine was the fact that knowing this book had the big Ghost reveal, this story would be centered around the Psy.  In the past, the psy-only books have not been my favorites.  They lack some of the intensity that the changelings bring to the world.

I shouldn’t have worried.  I was hooked from the very first line.  I wrote my review with names in it and then have changed them to HERO and HEROINE in case people don’t want to know.

There are some series that always have a tough leader, a guy that makes those sometimes ruthless decisions that go against most morals.  He may seem heartless but there is always a purpose to his actions.  The last one I remember that caught my interest as much was Jonas from the Breeds series by Lora Leigh.  But after that, it’s been the HERO.  The HERO, who should be psy and Silent, but has so much bottled up passion he could melt you at his feet.  The HERO, who is ruthless in the pursuit of what he wants and won’t leave anything or anyone who gets in his path standing.

Then focus all that intensity on the woman he loves.  OMG!!!!!  Ms. Singh, I am in awe of what you’ve done with this story.  From all the layers to the HERO we get to unfold, to the story of his one true love.  This is a second chance at love story.  The girl he fell in love with as a kid and was taken from him.  Brutally.  The one he’s been searching for since.  For such a hard shell on the exterior, I couldn’t help but melt at the softness inside of him.

The HERO is, in one word, INTENSE.  There’s so much he has learned to keep bottled up and as that shell cracks and all that intensity spills out….. Be prepared to fall in love.  Changelings have nothing on the HERO.

The HEROINE was also perfect for him.  The perfect balance to his intensity.  Nurturing, soft, but strong at the core.  Able to stand on her own.  Able to fight for her man.  Able to heal him.

Then there’s the Ghost.  On this subject, I’m keeping my mouth shut.  However, I will say that I found the big reveal a bit….anticlimactic.  After waiting to find out who the Ghost is for so long, I was expecting bombs going off, cities collapsing and the Ghost riding in on some white horse to save the race.  I don’t know.  I wanted something epic.  Instead, we find out as almost an afterthought.  And that’s all I’m going to say.  No more.

Nalini Singh’s writing has the ability to paint a picture in my mind.  Beautifully crafted words that flow and let the imagination run wild.  And for the span of time it took me to read this book, I was living it.

I wish I could give this book 10 Stars!  Every single page of this book is packed with intensity.  It’s enthralling, all consuming, and mind blowing.  Yes, I was thoroughly blown away!  This will be one I want to re-read and hold dear.

Favorite Quotes:

The bed slammed back to the ground.
Hard.
So did every other item in the room.

“I’d line the streets with bodies before I’d ever hurt you.”

“Why are you holding me?”
Closing his hand over hers, the tanned skin of his shoulders warm in the sunlight pouring through the window, he said, “Because you belong to me.”

*ARC provided by publisher

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[about-author author=”Nalini Singh”]