Bonds of Justice [Mass Market Paperback]

Max Shannon is a cop with a difference. In the Psy controlled Enforcement, unprotected humans are coerced and mind-manipulated on a daily basis. Except for Max. Thanks to his exceptionally rare and incredibly strong natural mind shield, Max is an incorruptible cop. While this makes him a rarity amongst powerless humans, it also makes him a nuisance to the Psy. So despite Max's excellent and tireless case solving rate, he knows he'll never be more than an ordinary cop.

Not that it stops him from doing his job - whether it's persuading a highly charismatic, rich and infamous sociopath to reveal the locations of his victim's graves, or working for a member of the all-powerful Psy Council. If there are innocent victims involved, Max will do all he can to see justice done.

Much like Sophia Russo, a rare Justice-Psy, capable of plucking memories from one person's mind, and projecting it to another. She is a priceless gift to the helpless, and yet she is broken. J-Psy aren't like other Psy in that their Silence is never perfect and they must have regular reconditioning. How could it be when they are regularly confronted by the worst humanity has to offer? J-Psy rarely work past thirty, and at twenty-eight Sophia's clock is ticking, her conditioning is breaking and her shields are almost gone. She knows it won't be long.

Then she meets Max, this strong silent human with so much determination to see that the innocents are never forgotten. And he sees her, not merely another J-Psy, or a woman with terrible scars on her face, but a person. Someone worth knowing, worth caring for, worth saving... even when there is no hope.

In the true style of the Psy/Changeling series, Max is a hero who won't take things lying down. He may be a mere human, but as Tally proved in Mine to Possess, human doesn't always equal weak. He's strong, determined, independent, pushy and utterly delectable. He has no trouble at all going toe-to-toe with DarkRiver Alpha Lucas over issues that impact on his work, but he also shows cat-like patience in knowing just how far to push his Psy without breaking her.

Then there are his playful smiles, his flirtatious bad-boy ways and those notes he keeps leaving for Sophia to find. This is one hot guy who knows that all work and no play makes Max a dull boy. And underneath it all are enough scars and vulnerability to stop his arrogance becoming too unbearable.

He more than meets his match in Sophia, who despite her growing weakness has no intention of giving in. Sophia is strong because of, and in spite of, being broken, and with Max on her side she knows life is worth fighting for. Their instant connection and matching internal scars just further seal their bond, and her willingness to try to take what happiness she can, makes her a heroine worth rooting for.

Along with new glimpses into this ever developing and absorbing world, there are plenty of old favourites making appearances and taking over scenes: with Lucas, Sascha, Faith, Vaughn, Tally, Clay and Dorian for the cats, and the looming menace of the Psy Council. Both Nikita and Kaleb have strong appearances, and reveal yet more fascinating aspects to the characters they're not supposed to have.

Add to this a quick-paced plot split in two - one for this book and another that's part of the overarching plot of the series - that move without obvious manipulation or force, knitting this tale seamlessly into the wider fabric. Everything has a price and nothing is as straightforward or predictable as it first appears. Yet the complexities only add more layers to this incredible world.

With a sweet and sexy romance, plenty of mysteries to investigate, bad guys to thwart and a pace swift enough to make you stay up all night to devour it, this is a wonderful addition to my favourite paranormal romance series. Sure, fans of the wolves might grumble in their absence, but since Indigo's book, Play of Passion is next you can be patient.

Will I ever get enough of the Psy/Changeling series? This is something I wonder with each book I read and savor. Every book explores the depth of romance, each story takes the overall story arc a bit further and all characters become utterly cherished. BONDS OF JUSTICE took me back to this world I love to step into, and this time I met Max Shannon and Sophia Russo.

Nalini Singh at once ensnared me with a meeting between J-Psy Sophia and a sociopath serial killer named Bonner who has committed atrocious crimes. This situation not only bared how significant this case was to Max but also showed how straining the work was for a J-Psy and specifically what it did to Sophia. From those first pages I don't think this story let go of that faced-paced storytelling. The mystery surrounding Nikita, Bonner who plays his diabolical games, Max and Sophia getting very close and various DarkRiver characters coming to aid the leading couple in their case, it all blended together in a whirlwind of emotions and suspense.

With each story I'm amazed at how three dimensional the characters become. The reasoning behind their actions is an everlasting and bold dance between logic and feelings. It's a dance I never grow tired of witnessing and Nalini Singh's characters do make me feel a part of their story, every single time. Max Shannon is very human but has a fierce side to him that signals he's a man, and a cop, to be reckoned with. He bears all the markers for a leading male who grabs the attention; he has heart for his job, he is stubborn, compassionate, emotionally wounded and has a flirting streak too. Max is a male who gets under my skin very fast, with very little effort, and I gave in to him instantaneously.

Sophia Russo has witnessed hundreds of terrible crimes as a J-Psy yet she hasn't ever experienced the beauty in life. The Psy's journey to feel again is a step-by-step progress that is heart breaking yet also speaks of courage and it always affects me. Sophia is at the core the kind of female Psy character I've got acquainted with a few times before; A Psy who is on the brink of the abyss, Silence is failing and she faces a permanent rehabilitation. It was her character and Psy designation that gave a new flavor to the familiar story thread.

Though Max and Sophia might establish a different romantic vibe in this story with their human-psy match, they fully come to life for me via the voice of Nalini Singh. Effortlessly a perpetual sensuality is imbedded in the romance that adds a sizzling hunger to an already combustive pull of a man to a woman and vice versa. The romance affected me, perhaps not as intense as other Psy/Changeling couples, due to the somewhat easy solution for Sophia's problem, but nonetheless a gripping romance all together!

Another thing that I enjoy so much are the additional characters; Sasha, Lucas, Dorian, Clay, Faith, they all add their unique voices creating a warm blanket of familiarity. Which each novel my attachment to the extensive cast of characters gets deepened. It's no longer a singular driven need to read about the main couple or the mystery in this series. I crave to catch-up with recurring characters, to see their mating bond intensified and their interconnected relationships strengthened.

There is an everlasting quality to the storytelling that makes Bonds Of Justice a one-sitting-read. Not in the least it is the mystery that compels to turn the pages. Between the case of Psy councilor Nikita and Bonners case there were hints dropped that there's something else going on. Nothing tickles my curiosity more than a mystery, I want to find out who-where and when, so a whodunit plot keeps my eyes riveted to the pages. The tension of the actual cases and the overall story arc is excellently intertwined with the sensual romance creating a rich satisfying story.

BONDS OF JUSTICE gave all that is important to me as a reader along with two memorable characters I got to fall in love with. Nalini Singh is one of those rare authors who is a constant supplier in stories of great caliber.

Sophia Russo is one of those rare J-Psy's (Justice) who uses her incredible mental ability to search inside the mind of criminals to retrieve memories of their crimes to bring them to justice. In the process she is bombarded with all the horrors of their memories of what they did to their victims. A slow drip of acid within her brain which will eventually render her "expendable". Max Shannon is a human who was born with the advantage of being impervious to Psy probes of his mind. These two are now working hand in hand to convince a serial killer to reveal his hiding places for the bodies of his victims. As if this wasn't enough to keep them completely occupied, one of the members of the Psy Council specifically requests these two people to find out who is killing all the people who work closest to her. Accident? Suicide? Natural death? Or were they all murdered?

Golly Gosh this was good! I was so glad to see that Ms Singh had decided to have a human in a predominant role in this book. I always feel that the humans in this world of Psy, Changeling and Human get pushed a little too much into the background. Well, this story fixed that for me because it was super good. If you are new to this series I can't help but strongly recommend that you begin by reading the first novel in the series, Slave to Sensation: The Psy-Changeling Series. That is where you will find the most incredible descriptions of what the NetMind is, how it functions, who it effects, and how it can be used to manipulate all the minds which are attached to it. This newest book does a really good job of taking readers into the workings of the Net and I think new readers will be able to pick up what is going on. However, the first book should absolutely be on your MUST read list.

I really appreciated that one of the consequences of Sophia's time as a J-Psy was that she had become incredibly sensitive to any kind of touch, no matter how casual. This plot device allowed Ms Singh to extend the building of the romance between Max and Sophia. That was absolutely wonderful for me. If you like the "jump into bed on the second page" type of book, you need to know that this one will not be like that. There is all sorts of emotional and sexual tension, but it isn't instant sexual experiences. These characters actually fall in love with each other, they learn to trust each other, they face the terrible realities of Sophia literally loosing her mind from too much physical touch. This is one of many areas where Ms Singh is a fabulous storyteller. Another possible stumbling block for new readers could be the fact that so many of the characters from previous books are included in this novel. This holds true for each book in this series, Ms Singh doesn't create a character and then let them drop by the wayside. She tends to keep characters inside this future world she has created and they come back again and again. I love that. And one of my very favorites, the Ghost, makes another appearance here. I just can't wait to find out who he or she is and what the ultimate aim of that character is.

Very highly recommended. Since I already know all these characters it is actually a little hard for me to judge if this would be a good stand alone book. But why take chances? Get at least the first book, read it, and read this one too. I can almost guarantee that you will be seeking out all the others. And the absolutely fabulous news is that another novel in this series is scheduled for publication in November of this year. I'll consider it a birthday present for me from Ms Singh. Thanks Nalini!