Everything Singh writes is interesting and enjoyable. She could write a romance about worms and make it intense and romantic. I've read all her titles and have never been disappointed.

Singh unsurprisingly does it again with this fantasy romance all about Silver and Valentin. I like the dichotomy in this series between the two protagonists. The growing threats are interesting; Singh is so deft with political tensions. Their relationship is well-developed. That's everything I can ask for and more (taking in the yumminess of Valentin!) out of a romance read.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Jennie: * Technically, Silver Silence is the first book in the new Psy-Changeling Trinity series, but I didn’t note much difference between this book and the previous books in the original Psy-Changeling series. Some new characters, yes, but a lot of familiar faces and conflicts, and the structure and tone were the same as in the previous series.

Anyway, on to our story. It opens with Silver Mercant, familiar from previous books as Kaleb Krychek’s ultra-efficient second-in-command, opening the door of her Moscow apartment to Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater Bear pack. This is not the first time Valentin has gotten into her apartment building by mysterious means, ostensibly to conduct business but clearly also to flirt. Except Silver doesn’t flirt. She is Silent, and she’s a Mercant, meaning she’s pretty much perfect and precise in her every thought and action. If there is some vague stirring of emotion deep inside her when Valentin comes around, she does an excellent job of hiding it.

Valentin is pretty much the opposite of Silver – charming, playful, and in spite of his alpha ruthlessness (and some secret, pack-related sorrow), a happy-go-lucky guy. Still, he’s drawn to Silver, whom he suspects of harboring a “secret fire.”

Their brief encounter (playful on Valentin’s part; irritated, if irritation didn’t break Silence protocols, on Silver’s) is interrupted when Silver falls to the floor and convulses. Valentin immediately summons help, and then uses his extra-keen bear sense of smell to confirm what he already suspects – she’s been poisoned.

Thanks to Valentin’s quick actions and the work of the Psy doctors summoned by Kaleb Krychek and Silver’s grandmother Ena Mercant, Silver recovers from the poisoning. But while she is being worked on, Valentin and Ena come up with a plan to safeguard Silver until her attacker is unmasked: she will travel to the StoneWater den under the conceit that she’s working to strengthen Psy-Changeling bonds, particularly as StoneWater is the controlling Changeling presence in the area.

Silver is the director of the worldwide Emergency Response Network, otherwise known as EmNet. EmNet is tasked with coordinating disaster response under the authority of the Trinity Accord, the fledgling organization of humans, Psy and Changelings trying to build a new and more equitable world for all three groups. As such, she’s a visible target for those who don’t want the Trinity Accord to succeed. The reader is given the perspective of one such person, an unnamed human who hates and distrusts the Psy. But Silver and her grandmother also suspect that a Mercant had a hand in the poisoning, because no one else would’ve had access to Silver’s food supply.

The only Mercants Silver can continue to trust are her grandmother, the matriarch of the tight-knit Mercant family, and her brother Arwen. Arwen (his name put me off – isn’t that the name of one of the elves in Lord of the Rings?) and Silver have always had a special bond, which seems odd to say given that all of the Mercants were Silent before the recent change in Psy protocol that allows Psy to choose for themselves if they want to maintain Silence or not. But the fact is that throughout the series there have been Psy who, while technically Silent, have had emotional connections with each other.

This is one of those aspects of the series that I’m unclear on – is it the author’s intention to show that following Psy protocols completely is impossible? Or are we supposed to believe that certain Psy are “perfectly Silent” even when that doesn’t seem to be the case?

Janine: My reading is that the only Psy we are meant to believe are truly perfectly Silent are the cold killers and the sociopaths. The Psy protagonists in these books have flaws in their Silence, but many conceal those flaws so well that they fool most people—and in some cases, even themselves. Silver might be one of the latter; I got the impression that she was influenced by the empathic Arwen’s presence in her family in ways she did not always acknowledge.

Jennie: You’re absolutely right – Silver might easily be more perfectly Silent without Arwen. Her other close connection is Ena, her grandmother, but Ena is a much better at presenting a facsimile of Silence than Arwen is, I think.

Anyway, Silver has a mysterious reason, frequently referenced but not spelled out, for feeling that giving up Silence isn’t for her. At one point she tells Valentin that she has a mutation in a genome that makes breaking Silence dangerous for her. It feels like something we’ve heard before; someone else will no doubt remember what books/characters had similar conflicts in regard to breaking Silence.

Janine: Judd is the one who immediately comes to my mind. He could not break Silence for fear that he would lash out at people with his telekinesis and harm or even kill them unintentionally. I’m pretty sure Faith had to stay Silent too, but I’m fuzzier on her story.

Jennie: I knew you would remember at least one example!

Silver settles in at the StoneWater den and is able to view up close, for the first time, a very different way of living. The closeness, the nosiness, the physical affection are all, obviously, alien to her. Meanwhile, Valentin is continuing his courting of Silver and it’s beginning to work. Despite her super sekret reason for not wanting to break Silence, she begins to consider engaging in a physical relationship with Valentin so that she knows what she’s giving up by maintaining her current lifestyle. Valentin wants more, of course (he’s definitely one of those heroes that are all in from page one), but he’s willing to be patient (sort of).

So, there are a few plotlines going on here: one, obviously, is the shadowy, seemingly human-driven entity that wants to disrupt EmNet and the Trinity Accord, both by poisoning Silver and later by terrorist acts targeted mostly at humans. Then there is Valentin’s grief and an impending decision he needs to make about the division in his clan, one that apparently occurred when he took over from the previous alpha. There’s Silver’s own struggle to maintain Silence and resist Valentin’s charms, all while dealing with a potential traitor in her own family. Then there’s the actual romance running through it all, as Valentin and Silver are thrown together and learn more about each other, and as lust and intrigue deepen to love and respect.

As I stated early in this review, none of this is structurally or thematically different, IMO, from the first 15 Psy-Changeling books; the only difference is that we’re supposedly in a “post-Silence”/Trinity Accord world now. I suppose the introduction of a new changeling group, the bears, could also qualify as a change of sorts.

The bears are a little different from the leopards and wolves we’re familiar with from the earlier books. Their personalities seem to be generally more light-hearted and playful (they have a reputation for raising hell in the Moscow bars). As someone who has never been that into the “animal” aspect of the Changelings, I didn’t care *that* much, but there is something viscerally less romantic, I think, about bears. I think of them as shambling rather than sleek (I guess while leopards are sleek, wolves aren’t really. But come on, wolves are cool). After a while I stopped being concerned with that aspect of the story, though. It helped that we didn’t spend a huge amount of time with Valentin in bear form.

Janine: I just could not get into the bear thing, and it didn’t help that Valentin was said not to lumber, or that he and his sister were described as having grace, because trying to picture a graceful bear just brought up the image of the bear from the Charmin toilet paper commercial. Along similar lines, when, during a love scene, Valentin spoke of Silver’s pussy “glistening with your honey,” my mind called up Disney Winnie the Pooh imagery, which wasn’t conducive to a sexy mood.

(Incidentally, the word “pussy” jarred me too. I expect it and have no problem with it in erotic romances, but I think it’s new to the Psy/Changeling books.)

Jennie: Ha, I think I stopped on “pussy” too – I wasn’t consciously aware that it was on the graphic side for Singh, but it did give me pause (not “paws” – the ursine humor just keeps coming). I didn’t even notice the “honey” mention but it seems unfortunate in this context.

Janine: In addition to mentally tripping up over pop culture bear iconography, I was disappointed that the bear changelings were so similar to the leopards and wolves in their characteristics—warm, loving, close-knit and fierce defenders of those they loved. I would have preferred that this book deal with the loner ocean changelings of BlackSea. That would have felt like something truly new, rather than a surface change.

Jennie: I’m afraid that even the BlackSea members would get the same treatment if they were to get their own full-length book. Singh has developed such an iconography around the Changelings; I’ve complained about it at length before. They are imbued almost entirely with positive traits, and a lot of their representation is tied up in how cute the little ones are and how protective and flawless the adults are in their treatment of the babies and children.

I mean, she could prove me wrong, and represent BlackSea differently, but it doesn’t surprise me that the bears are familiar, because the leopards and wolves have always been very, very similar to each other.

There were developments fairly late in the book that engaged me more than the first 3/4ths or so; the earlier part felt familiar to anyone who’s read the series, especially the books that feature a Psy-Changeling pairing.

Janine: I was frustrated and frankly, bored with the first 70% of the novel because the plot revolved around three tropes that have already gotten a lot of play in the series, from the Psy heroine who discovers the warmth, love and emotion of changeling life (Sascha in Slave to Sensation, Zaira in Shards of Hope) to the Psy character who must, at all costs, remain Silent (Faith in Visions of Heat, Judd in Caressed by Ice), to the character facing the possibility of impending death (Sascha in Slave to Sensation, Katya in Blaze of Memory, Vasic in Shield of Winter).

Don’t Psy have any other problems in their lives? I feel ready for some romance tropes we have not yet seen in this series such as a friends-to-lovers story in a Psy or changeling setting, a secret baby kept hidden because of his/ her Psy abilities, or a marriage of convenience story. Heck, I would even take a fake romantic relationship which is one of my least favorite tropes.

Jennie: Ooh, a marriage of convenience would be interesting! Maybe between two Psy?

Janine: The main thing that saved this book, to the degree that it was saved, was that the last thirty percent of it did introduce a brand new trope I have not seen used in this series—or elsewhere in the genre, for that matter.

Jennie: Without going into spoilery detail, Valentin and Silver’s relationship is basically reset and I found the action in the last quarter poignant, engaging and romantic.

Janine: I’ll go into BIG spoilers, but hide them:

Spoiler (“spoiler”): Show

I agree that this last section was far more engaging than the first three-quarters. It felt fresh and different in a good way and provided the story with a satisfying conclusion, but for me, that felt like too little, too late.

I don’t often restructure novels in my imagination as I read them, but in this case, I found myself wishing that this book had been structured differently, beginning with this last section and then telling the earlier part of the story in flashbacks interspersed between Silver and Valentin’s dates, because doing so might have lent the first 70%, which was so familiar and tired, that same poignancy and high emotional stakes that the final third had.

Jennie: That would’ve been interesting. I think I was just glad that the good part was at the end, though, because it left me finishing the book with a happy feeling.

I was pondering why I think I liked this book better than I have many of the other books in the series, and I think a big factor is that Silver felt more like an equal than the heroines in many of the Psy-Changeling books. I have often complained that the books give lip service to heroines being “badass” or challenging to the hero’s dominance. But inevitably it’s made clear that he’s really in charge, and that he’s stronger, faster, more dominant, etc. In Silver Silence I felt like Valentin really did admire Silver’s strength, and they were actually pretty evenly matched. I liked that a lot.

Janine: Yes. I’ll agree with that. I got a little weary of the oft-repeated “Silver. Fucking. Mercant.” meme, but your point stands. Silver has always been a badass and I’ve loved that about her since she was first introduced as Kaleb Krychek’s assistant a dozen or so books ago.

I’ve been waiting a long time for her to get a book worthy of her and for me, this was not that book. I liked Valentin and I agree he was a good match for her, but in addition my main issue (tired tropes in the first two-thirds), I also felt that the external suspense plot involving the attacks on EmNet and Trinity lacked freshness and suspense. I was never truly scared for Silver’s safety or that of the Trinity accord.

Jennie: Fair, and I feel like terrorist attacks have been a central theme for a while now (am I remembering right?). I don’t like the overreliance on them, and it hits a little too close to home these days.

Janine: Yeah. I could not help but compare this book to Slave to Sensation, the novel that began the previous arc and the Psy-Changeling series itself. Maybe that comparison is unfair, since the series was completely new and it’s impossible to compete with the freshness of that. Slave to Sensation was not a perfect book and I had some issues with it, but at the time, Lucas, Sascha and their allies were underdogs fighting the all-powerful Psy Council, so the threat to them felt real.

Here, so many powerful people and groups have now signed on to the Trinity accord that the accord does not feel truly vulnerable. If anything, it is actually Trinity’s shadowy enemies who are the underdogs in this conflict, and their defeat feels like a foregone conclusion. That doesn’t give me much reason to keep turning the pages.

Jennie: If I were to have a quibble (I always have quibbles!) I would say that for a book set in Moscow and featuring ostensibly Russian characters (well, I’m not clear if Silver is supposed to be Russian, since she doesn’t have a Russian name, but she’s based in Moscow, and Valentin definitely is), the setting and characters didn’t feel very Russian to me. There were Russian words thrown in here and there, but I never got the sense of a different culture, with different worldviews and history and foods. I guess one could argue that in the Psy-Changeling world, Russia isn’t “Russian” the way it is here, but I was disappointed not to get some local flavor out of the setting.

Overall, though, a book that started off for me being another B-/C+ (or so) Psy-Changeling book was really elevated by the last quarter. I am giving it a B+.

Janine: Usually I grade Singh’s books a bit higher than you do, but in this case, it appears we are reversing positions. The first two-thirds were a C- for me, and the last quarter, a B. And since the later section was considerably shorter, I have to give the earlier one more weight. It’s a C for me.

Nalini Singh isn't capable of writing a bad book! Before I read this book I wasn't sure if I would like a book based around Silver. I am happy to say I was wrong. I loved this book and the characters were awesome; likable, funny and intriguing. Bears are the best and the worst (in the best way)! The perfect blend of romance and paranormal.

Silver Mercant is a character we have seen through much of the Psy-Changling series. It was an unexpected delight for her to be the first to have a story in the second season. Silver has been Silent, but loyal. Her family is a great one, but they also protect their own. Now with Silence falling, Silver is working a critical role in emergency management.

In this new world, The Consortium is still working against the Trinity Accord that is trying to bring peace to the three major races. A new group wanting the three races to stay separate is growing in the shadows. They have set their sights on Silver. Bringing down the one in charge of managing emergencies would cause chaos. So is born the idea to take out Silver. When a poison attempt comes too close, Silver is thrown into a the wild world of a bear den and with the one man that could draw emotion from her if anyone could.

Valentin Nikolaev, the Stone Water bear changeling clan, is more than what everyone sees. He cares for his clan deeply, has a mischievous side, agonizes of what his parents have done to his family. and wants a better world for all. But most of all he sees the fire in Silver no one else sees. The one he finds himself drawn to and in need to have in his life. He pursues Silver, knowing she is he one mate he craves, no needs. As his story unfolds, you learn the depth there is to his character that you don't see on the surface when you meet him.

The romance is slow and at times seems to be stalled. When tough decisions are made, Valentin has to accept his Ice Queen needs to figure things out for herself even if it means she will never be the mate he longs for or even in his life. There are a lot of elements to juggle through the slow build of romance. The slowness of this at times left me feeling off.

While you don't totally need to read the Psy-Changling series, it will help you understand all that they have gone through and what they are putting in place today. Past characters are integrated into the story and without knowledge of who and what their past is will have you missing out on the entire experience that is Psy-Changling.

I expected the series to jump further in the future, so when they picked Silver shortly after the last book, it feels more of a continuation of the same series just with new enemies and circumstances to deal with along the way. The Psy-Changling series drew me in with the unknown, but this new series has me wondering if the bad guys and circumstances will build enough to have the epicness of the original series. Time will tell!

Silver has been Silent since she was very young. She had to be as it was the only way to save her life. She is now the director of EmNet and doing a wonderful job at it. Unfortunately she keeps getting visits from Valentin Nickolaev, the Alpha of the StoneWater Bears. She should be sending him away on a regular basis but for some reason she’s not. On one of these visits Valentin saves her life as she had just been unknowingly poisoned. The only people that could have poisoned her food was family so her grandmother and Valentin work out that Silver should stay in StoneWater territory until they find out who tried to kill her. Silver hates the plan but figures she’ll recover and then move out asap – probably within a few days.

Once at StoneWater Silver finds a different kind of life than one she’s used to seeing. Valentin makes no secret of the way he feels about her and when he finally talks her into breaking her Silence she loves every minute of their time together. Unfortunately as I said earlier she was Silent to save her life. She has a Psy designation that will soon kill her if not fixed. She’s loved not being Silent but isn’t ready to die. A surgery by Ashaya Aleine and her sister, Amara, may save her life but then she’ll probably be 100% Silent. Valentin is willing to deal with any outcome as long as Silver is alive.

I have to say that reading about Silver in previous books didn’t make me want to read her story. Kind of like with Kaleb’s book I was, of course, pleasantly surprised. Silver was a wonderful heroine and I loved her dry sense of humor and the fierceness of her love for Valentin.

Valentin was one persistent bear and I loved that about him. He knew that Silver was his mate but wasn’t about to let things set just because she was Psy. He approached slowly but when he had his opportunity he took it and ran with it. He was a good, good man and had so much love for Silver, his family and the entire bear clan. It truly warmed my heart to read about this amazing hero.

We also got to learn more about other characters, the Consortium and events that happened with Bowen Knight. I have no idea what’s going to be happening next in the series but I can’t wait!

Great book, definitely recommend it – like, read it NOW. 🙂

Rating: 4 out of 5

As usual, Nalini did a great job creating differing personalities and using resources already created in another only tangentially related storyline to handle the twists in this one. Love the bears! Valentin was sweet as well as hot.

Silver Merchant has been tasked as the director of a worldwide emergency response network. Her business suits are her armor as she battles to bring the three races together. Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater Bears, keeps sneaking into her life and especially into her apartment building. One morning he rescues her from an attempted assassination by poison. As Grandmother Merchant tracks down the poisoner, Silver is sent to the bear clan for protection and to foil any other attempts.

Why I started this book: I clicked on the netgally request button so fast my track pad is still glitchy... and even though I had tons of other items on my to do list, I dropped everything and stayed up way too late to start (and finish) this book.

Why I finished it: Changeling bears! Drinking, changeling Russian bears! What fun, to see a new animal clan, to meet new characters and to shift to a new location. I love that Singh's world is big enough to encompass the world... that each character and mating pair are unique and not a recycling of previous books with just the names changed. (We all know those series.)

5 stars!!!

Full Review On My Blog

Summery:

This story was amazing, evolving, with an on point world filled with depth, danger and action. Unique strong characters held my attention from the beginning. I really liked how even though there was multiple POV which usually irks me, it really worked here. It helped push the story forward and added depth to the story. I really loved how a typical Who-Done-It mystery was done in a unique way with high suspense and action.

Their relationship was so fun to see develop. Filled with depth, challenge, growth and a blazing hot connection. I loved how their relationship really took time, even with their strong chemistry they took the time to really know each other. I was bit sadden to miss their meet-cute but that was made up for with the multiple developments of their relationship.

I loved how Valentin was determined to win Silver over, not being intimated by Silver’s power and dominance but its what made him drawn to her more. I really enjoyed how even though Silver was harden by Silence she was courageous enough to step away from what she knew to explore emotion and love with Valentin. Their journey to love was indeed complex, emotional and intense. I think its obvious how much I loved Silver Silence by Nalini Singh and I really can’t wait to read more from this new avenue of the series.

Silver is one of the few who needs silence to survive. Valentin (Mischa) is a bear determined to coax Silver into breaking silence. Can Silver chose another way not that she is a woman grown or will silence be all that allows her to survive?
Silver Silence by Nalini Singh is the latest story in her psi world but first in the Trinity series. I want a Mischa!! He has a big heart, strong will, sense of fun and could kill you dead with one strike. Silver isn’t quite sure what to do with the bear shifter Alpha who is determined to uncover the fire within. I loved his sense of playfulness not only with Silver but also with his den. Ms. Singh did not make Mischa a caricature of a Russian although I will admit a few stereotypes slipped in. Mischa was a fully developed male with deep feelings and a strength of honor that was bone deep. And while Silver wasn’t used to anyone like Mischa, I loved that she did not allow herself to be seen as week; even when Mischa sees her at less than her best. I adored Silver and Mischa together. Family is important to them both and a willingness to protect at all costs was deep within both their dna. This story is well written. It is full of joy, pain and love. I can’t wait to see where Ms. Singh will take us as the Psy-Changling world continues to grow and change.

I received a free copy to read and review.
I love this author, and there is nothing I haven’t read and loved.
And this was no exception.
As always a great story. Strong characters and a great cast of supporting characters.

Silver Mercant has a full card with her dual jobs of being the director of the Emergency Response Network known as EmNet and as the senior aid to Kaleb Krychek. She really doesn’t have time the for bear who keeps asking her for an ice cream date. Yet, when an assassination attempt is made on Silver, it is that same bear who not only saves her life, but finds the way the attempt was made. When it’s time for Silver to “disappear” from the public eye for a while, it’s just her luck that the place she is sent is to the very home of her persistent bear suitor.



Valentin Nikolaev is the Alpha of the StoneWater bear clan in Russia and while he has the same overall attitude as most bears, when it comes to protection for those under his care or those he loves (sometimes one and the same), there is no doubt about why Valentin is the Alpha. Valentin has been attracted to Silver since he first saw her, and he is determined to show her that they could be an item if she would only give it a chance. All Silver’s constant refusals do is fuel his determination. When Silver is moved into the StoneWater clan home, Valentin knows he will never have a better chance to prove to Silver his love and how they belong together.



Silver starts out as just mystified by how the bears live and go through their day-to-day activities, but as she is exposed to life in the clan and sees Valentin in action, it becomes harder and harder to stick with her silent leanings. Valentin is even amazed at how good he and Silver are once she gives their attraction a chance to become love. What Valentin never expected is a fight that Silver has kept secret and how her feelings have become a danger to her. So as Silver and Valentin hunt the person or people behind her attack, all while exploring the love that has sprung up between them, they both are working on figuring out a way to solve the worst danger of all to Sliver and their love. When Valentin convinces Silver to go for an all or nothing cure, it’s with the knowledge that he may lose his mate forever to silence or death. The question is, can Silver and Valentin have their forever after or will their future die before they ever get the chance to reach for it?



Take one pushy and laid-back bear Alpha and one efficient and silent woman, throw in equal parts of danger, adorable bears and a passion that quickly turns to love, and you have just a bit of an idea of what Silver Silence is all about. I quickly grew to love Valentin and saw just as fast on why, if anyone, could drag Silver out of her silence, it was him. I will also say that I never thought anything would get Silver to leave the silence that she has lived with her entire life. Watching as Valentin showed Silver just how good life could be when you included feelings, and especially love, was an adventure at every turn. I also loved watching as Sliver fought and then gave up her attempt to not give in to her feelings. She was such a goner as soon as she moved into the clan home.



All of the things I have said above only covers the top layers of why I fell in love with Silver and Valentin’s story. There are also times that made me want to cry and times when I laughed out loud. This was a book that I turned around and re-read as soon as I finished it, and I discovered new elements that I had missed the first time. If you ever wondered just how determined bears can be—Valentin not only won Silver’s love once, but he did it twice against all the odds against him. How can you not love a man who can do that?? Silver Silence is definitely a Joyfully Recommend Read and has become one of my top favorites in the Psy-Changeling stories. I can’t wait to see where this Trinity series is going to go next.

Silver Silence is a book that definitely benefited from me not reviewing it immediately after I read it. I remember distinctly that I came to love it after I finished that first time, but it took me a LONG time to really connect to Valentin, especially. Silver I was always connected with, but Valentine….not so much. I think because he was just so different.

Which obviously makes the fault mine. Because I want different. I don’t want to read about the same heroes and heroines over and over again with different names. I love the world that Nalini Singh has created here, and the huge variety of characters, cultures, and people.

Obviously, we’ve known Silver – at least peripherally, and recently more closely – for quite some time. She’s always intrigued me. And when I first heard that this book was going to be Silver’s, I was sure that Bowen was going to be the hero. Wrong. But I’m so happy I was wrong. Valentine is perfect for Silver. As she is for him.

This is the first book in the new Psy-Changeling Trinity series that starts immediately following the events in Allegiance of Honor – which you’ll recall was a bit of a “where are they now” book, except one that had an amazing story. So we’re still in the same, albeit newly made, world of the Psy, Changelings, and Humans. The triumverate that makes up the planet, and Trinity is the beginning of them trying to figure out how to live, for the first time in hundreds of years, together with each other. Silence has fallen. The Psy are starting to feel. Humans are gaining power. And there’s a ton of resentment, mistrust, and worry to go around.

But there’s also a strong will, by many, to move forward, to make it better. To heal the wounds. I once thought that this series would end when Silence had fallen. Because that was the goal for so many books. And so many stories end when the main battle is won. Nalini has taken it further, where it truly and naturally would go. The story isn’t over when the battle is won. Life, change, is a constant battle. Some small, some large, but the struggle and the drive to continue along….it doesn’t just stop.

There are a lot of logistics to work out yet. How, after so much discord and wrong-doing, will these three disparate races learn to trust; to love? This first book, in the second series, of the Psy-Changeling world begins to tackle just that.

I, for one, can’t wait to see where we go. Can’t wait to see them succeed. I need to see that success, especially in the world that I currently live in. After all, this is why I read fiction. Not only to escape from the real world – which is increasingly too harsh for me – but to see the best, to see the possibilities, to see others overcome evils just as great as stand in the real world.

When I read this for the second time, I loved everything immediately. I love Valentine – because I understand him now. Silver, I always loved. I adore Ena. That didn’t change from the first read – I am absolutely relish Grandmother Mercant.

But what really struck me the second read through, is to watch and pay attention to all the people fighting for what’s right. Quietly struggling to do good. To not lose hope when things seem horrible, but continue pushing for what I know to be right. Thank you for that, Ms. Singh. Thank you.

Oh my goodness! The Bears! I love the bears! As much as I've enjoyed reading the cat and the wolf books, there was just something so great about the bears. They still have that strong sense of pack and family that the others have, but there's just something... more about them. That and that the mating games they play by sneaking after their "prey" aka future mates, was just so yummy! The bears are so rowdy and full of trouble and yet everyone can't help but loving them. I found myself grinning from ear to ear the entire time reading this. Trust me, if you've enjoyed the pack dynamics of the other packs, the bears are going to instantly win your heart ten times over.

Onto the romance. Remember my love for the bears? Their traits made for one heck of a fun and hilarious mating dance. The shenanigans Valentin gets up to are nothing short of hilarious. But don't worry, Silver gives him more than a run for his money. Still it was incredibly enjoyable to watch him slowly break down her walls one by one. Their chemistry is off the charts from the first page despite her initial coldness. It truly made for an incredibly enjoyable read.

Simply put, Silver Silence is utter and completely fantastic. You cannot go wrong with a Nalini Singh book, but Silver Silence knocked it out of the park!

I’ve been a fan of the Psy Changeling series for a long time. And if at any point you would’ve asked me which of Nalini Singh’s heroes were my favorite, I would have said without hesitation, the ice cold Psy men who are thawed into emotion by their heroines. Kaleb… Judd… my beloved Arrows… now they have some serious competition in a lovely gentleman bear named Valentin.

I absolutely, completely, 100% fell in love with this changeling. He is head over heels for Silver Mercant and he is unwavering in his devotion to her. As far as I’m concerned, he says everything right; he does everything right; he is sexy; he is powerful; he is all of the things.

Silver, you may remember was Kaleb’s assistant for a long time. She is part of a powerful Psy family that works a little under the radar. Now she is the head of a worldwide emergency network, which brings together Psy, Changelings, and humans to work together to help each other. And the wrong people are taking notice of her good work.

Someone tries to kill Silver. And the bear who was trying to court her ends up bringing her back to his den in order to keep her safe. Silver is Silent, well, mostly. She has always had a small soft spot for Valentin. But once she is in his home, and sees what and amazing Alpha he is and sees more layers to the man, it gets harder and harder to resist his overtures.

I love how we are still getting surprised by new Psy designations like we get with Silver. The way her Silence breaks is different from everyone else in the previous books, which is cool. And as much as I loved the wolves and the other Changelings we have been exposed to in the past, they’ve got nothing on the Bears. I. Love. The Bears.

Just about the entire book takes place in Russia, so there is a little bit of the Russian language peppered in. I was cool with that, but as dorky as it sounds I loved all the little bear expressions even more. It was so endearing.

There are no Snow Dancer answer or Dark River folks in this book, but Kaleb is there and we talk about all of the major changes that have come about in the series. It still feels very cohesive with the other books.

I did get a little tired of the whole “Silver Fucking Merchant” moniker, but otherwise I really had no complaints about this book. I did not want to put it down. I cried twice. I laughed so much more. And I was totally satisfied with the ending. Nalini Singh is made of awesome.

Rating: A

Another excellent addition by Nalini Singh! Once again Singh expertly crafts a tale infused with love, loyalty, passion, and intrigue. The efficient and cold Silver, and her unusually familial Psy family, have had an important presence in recent books, and I, like many fans, have eagerly awaited her book. The insights into the Mercant family, and the introduction of Silver's closest familial relation, alone made this book remarkable. I know I'm not the only one happily waiting to see how that person's story continues in the future! The introduction of the loving and playful Bear clan also created a fun twist, as we've previously seen only wolves or cat changellings in the main character role. The mystery of the book hooks you right away, as Silver suffers from the villain right out of the gate, an event the necessitates her being bundled off to the bear'a lair for safety. Unfortunately the believability that the Mercants would place their heir in the paws of the bears so readily, rather than turning to Kaleb for her safety reads as highly unlikely and very out of character. Also unfortunately, what could have been a splendid edition to the changeling aspect of this series, the bear clan, ended up falling extremely flat. It was distracting and bizarre how Val, the bear leader, kept referring to his and other bear's actions as wolflike or cat like. I thought we were getting a bear clan? Should their actions then not be bear like? After all, Silver is not a wolf or a bear, so these references were off putting. Nevertheless, despite its weak points, Singh gives us a satisfying installment in her popular and ever original Psy-Changeling series, and leaves us, as always, eagerly awaiting the next. Until then, we hibernate!

This is a paranormal romance set in a futuristic setting, but it is a Nalini Singh work and I totally idolize this talented woman.

Silver Mercant is a strong, independent and emotionless Psy who spearheaded EmNet. She is very powerful Silent that she has enemies lurking in the shadows. She is a kind of woman who does not back down and who is not scared of anything unless it involves her family and loved ones. I admire her a lot! I was so glad that she took a risk and opened her heart.

Valentin is the sweetest Alpha Bear that I've read. He has a huge heart, great leadership and he is very protective and persistent. Who cannot fall in love with him? Even the one like Silver who has an Ice Heart cannot resist his charm.

I love Starlight and I am Teddy Bear! I was heartbroken when Silver chose to be emotionless again and my heart smile once more when she followed her heart.

Thank you Nalini Singh for creating their love story and how you weave the plot and twists.

An exciting romance between and ice queen and a shapeshifting bear who tries to melt her frozen heart. Fun read!

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Psy have been conditioned from young children to feel no emotions and to stay calm, cool, collected, efficient, and in control at all times. They have all feared what happens once their Silence is broken. But now Silence has fallen and Psy are allowed to feel emotions once again. However, not all Psy can live without Silence.

Silver Mercant is one of those Psy. She is a rare designation that most think is extinct. She knows that if she breaks Silence that her auditory telepathy will kill her. Before Silence, none of her designation lived past the age of three as auditory telepathy is linked with emotions. However, when a hardheaded Bear Changeling Alpha sets his sights on her, she can’t help, but give in to the temptation to try a life without Silence. But will she ends up breaking Valentin’s heart when her biggest fear comes true?

First off, I want to say how incredibly happy I am that Singh has continued on with the Psy-Changeling world! This is the first book in a new chapter for the characters we’ve all come to love. If you have not read the series, you will want to start at the beginning though, there is just too much that has happened to pick up at this book to actually understand everything that has gone on, up to this point. It may seem like a lot of books to read, but they are well worth it!

Silver is a cool and calculated Psy. She is about what you’d expect, but like most that have been featured so far; her Silence isn’t perfect. I guess it’s a good thing that Silence has fallen, even if she doesn’t believe she can live without it.

We also get our first real look at the Bear Changelings in this book, with the Alpha of StoneWater, Valentin. And, I have to say he is one of the most lovable changelings you could expect to meet. I thought it was really cute when he was trying to woo Silver to give him a chance, being a ‘gentleman bear’ and ‘sneaky like a cat’. I also loved the interaction he had with his pack, especially the cubs, he was never too busy to drop down and wrestle with the little bears!

My heart really broke for Valentin through a majority of this novel though. There aren’t many people that could go through what he did in this book and for the most part be civil to people. He never gave up.

Despite my love for Mr. I’m a teddy bear, this book wasn’t as quite as good as I had hoped it would be. Don’t get me wrong it’s still an okay read, but I’ve just grown to expect so much more from Nalini Singh and the Psy-Changeling world as a whole. It will not keep me from reading the next book though as I can’t get enough of this series and can’t wait to see what happens next! I’m really hoping for another changeling/changeling relationship though as they are always my favorites!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*