Monday, July 9, 2018

Silver Silence (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #1) by Nalini Singh

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Control. Precision. Family. These are the principles that drive Silver Mercant. At a time when the fledgling Trinity Accord seeks to unite a divided world, with Silver playing a crucial role as director of a worldwide emergency response network, wildness and chaos are the last things she needs in her life. But that's exactly what Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater bears, brings with him.

Valentin has never met a more fascinating woman. Though Silver is ruled by Silence--her mind clear of all emotion--Valentin senses a whisper of fire around her. That's what keeps him climbing apartment buildings to be near her. But when a shadow assassin almost succeeds in poisoning Silver, the stakes become deadly serious...and Silver finds herself in the heart of a powerful bear clan.

Her would-be assassin has no idea what their poison has unleashed...
“She cleared her mind of all other thoughts, her attention only on the wild, beautiful man who called her his sunshine and who saw starlight in her eyes.”

Because… Bears. Ohhh, I loved this one! I completely devoured this beast of a book in less than a week (which is good for me right now with everything else going on). Now, I've heard this is a series within a series, so I'm not entirely sure how it ties into everything else. However, Silver Silence easily stood on its own, and I never had trouble following the story. 

This is the first book I've ever read about changeling bears, but they are the best. I enjoyed their way of life and how the clan was like one giant family. Everyone looks out for their neighbor, and they all help with raising the children. The cubs knew they were loved by everyone and wouldn't hesitate to barrel into an unsuspecting adult. Bears are quite resilient, and their personalities were infectious! Also, can I be a changeling bear? If so, I want to be a StoneWater bear! Valentin can be my alpha any day. 

I've never thought about what it would be like to live without emotion, but now I can definitively say that it's not something I would ever want to do. Yes, it would allow you to avoid heartache and be more efficient as an individual, but people need human contact and feelings. It's a defining characteristic of who we are that often gets overlooked. I want to feel the overwhelming love and joy that I have for my children. I want to hear them laugh, see them smile, and have them know without a doubt how much they are adored by their parents. 

Silver Silence was a truly amazing read that I stumbled across on accident (I have a review copy of the next book, Ocean Light). It has been one of the best parts of my day all week (the hour or so I have to myself once the kids are asleep), and I look forward to revisiting this beautiful and complicated world that Nalili Singh has created. 

21 comments:

  1. Glad you didn't have trouble keeping up with the story even though it sounds like there were other books (another series even?) before it. I've heard and seen good things from this author but I have yet to try her. Sounds like I need to change that.

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    1. I'm not really sure how this fits in with whatever else is out there... When you look on Goodreads, it has this one listed as #1 AND #16. If you want to start somewhere, I recommend this one!

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  2. Oh Valentin....my favorite book boyfriend. Swoon!!! I love this series so much. I started with this book, then binged the entire series!!!! I love the Psy-Changeling World!

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    1. He's THE BEST. Valentin has so much love to give, and he's so forgiving of everyone. I loved how much he cared for his clan and his mate. Silver didn't stand a chance against his bearish charms! <3

      I'm definitely going to be reading any book that has anything to do with this world! Do Valentin and Silver pop up in the other books??

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  3. Ooh this looks good. I love the cover!

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    1. I didn't notice the faces in the background until I did this post, and I must have looked at the cover 100 times. ;)

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  4. Well all your talk definitely has me intrigued.

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    1. Yay! I hope that means you try this one soon!

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  5. Wow this sounds pretty good. Bear changelings? A bear clan. Kinda cool. :)

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    1. The bears were the best! There are other changeling groups mentioned, but we don't really get details on what their lives are like. The bears are such warm, loving, and fun people/bears.

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    2. I also enjoyed how he and his bear were the same, but different... like he would react to something one way in human form, but his bear would have a different reaction. Just like when he would hold himself back with Silver, his bear was trying to nuzzle her... if that makes sense. It was sweet and interesting in the book!

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    3. Sounds like he captured that aspect of their relationship well (the guy and his bear). I'm always fascinated by books that explore that human/ animal companion dynamic.

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    4. I had zero expectations when I went into this one, but it's easily one of my favorite reads this year. I smiled, laughed out loud, held my breath... maybe even dreamt I was a bear once... ;)

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    5. The author briefly mentions wolf and leopard hybrids, but we don't get very many details about them. However, we really get to know the bears and how they function as a unit. Bears are tough, have an awesome sense of smell (good for sniffing out poisons and people), can be scary as flark, and really know how to party! They also love their cubs and each other, and would never turn their back on someone in need. They crave touch and acceptance from their alpha, and they also love to play pranks and woo their potential mates. Food is super important, too.

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    6. That sounds pretty awesome actually! Like then author put a LOT of thought into it- which frankly you have to, I guess, if you're gonna write that and want to pull it off. I love the idea of wolves and leopards too- wolves would be so social with their pack, while leopards would be so solitary.

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    7. It was really awesome! The wolves and bears had a natural animosity towards each other, but they could be civil. There are still territorial battles and boundary lines, and they've had pretty bad battles in the past. I think the two current alphas are trying to maintain the peace. Bar brawls are definitely a thing with the two clans/packs.

      She does mention the leopards being more solitary and living separately, while the bears like to live in an area they all share (separate rooms, though it doesn't stop people from barging in, because... bears). I think the author did really well with this! <3

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  6. Ohh. This sounds so good! And I've wanted to read something by this author for a while so I guess Bear Changlings it is! I'm going to find this one to add to my TBR. Great review!

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    1. Happy to help! If you have a chance to read this soon, let me know what you think! :)

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  7. YAAAAY! I absolutely loved this one too, Lindsi! It was my introduction to the psy-changeling universe as well, and like you I didn't find the world confusing at all...which is a relief. THE BEARS! Ugh they're so adorable and loving and cool. I'd much rather be a member of StoneWater than someone living in Silence, that's for sure. Silver and Valentin are all sorts of catnip for me. Unfortunately I wasn't a big fan of Ocean Light, but maybe you'll like it more than I did!

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    1. YES! THE BEARS! It's one of those instances where you wish reality and fiction blended a little, lol. If they existed... I would totally join a changeling bear clan. Bears are for life! It also just sounded like a really fun place to be. Silver and Valentin were the best. I love how much they respected each other and only wanted what was best for their loved ones. They both had big hearts and a huge capacity to love, even if Silver didn't realize it at first.

      Is there a book about Arwen and Pavel? Because that would be bananas good! They were both adorable, and I want to watch that particular bear mate with that Mercant. <3

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    2. Bummer about Ocean Light! I skimmed the synopsis... it's mostly about the humans, right?

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― Marissa Meyer, Heartless