Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changeling, #7) in Dangerous Hero Addict Support Group

Feb 04, 2009 MelissaB rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2009-reads, kindle, paranormal-romance, 2013-reads, psy-changling-series, 2017-reads, 2022-reads

*** 4 1/2 stars *

Blaze of Memory tells the story of Devraj Santos, the director of Shine, and Katya, a damaged Psy with amnesia. Ekaterina, aka Katya, is dropped off at the headquarters of Shine unconscious, starved and abused. She doesn't remember who she is or what happened to her except in nightmares she can't remember upon waking. Dev knows she is probably a Trojan horse sent by the Psy to infiltrate Shine, which is the front of the Forgotten who are the descendents of the Psy *** 4 1/2 stars *

Blaze of Memory tells the story of Devraj Santos, the director of Shine, and Katya, a damaged Psy with amnesia. Ekaterina, aka Katya, is dropped off at the headquarters of Shine unconscious, starved and abused. She doesn't remember who she is or what happened to her except in nightmares she can't remember upon waking. Dev knows she is probably a Trojan horse sent by the Psy to infiltrate Shine, which is the front of the Forgotten who are the descendents of the Psy who broke from the PsyNet at the institution of Silence. Dev spends his life protecting the Shine children from the Psy, who want all of the Forgotten who show signs of Psy gifts to be killed. He has become a hard man due to methods he needs to use to keep his people safe. Dev has also become colder due to his affinity to metal, which allows him to read machines but also slowly seeps into his blood and makes him less human and more cold Psy.

Katya starts to remember bits and pieces of her torture. She knows Ming LeBon messed with her head, commiting a psychic rape of everything in her mind and replacing it with his own compulsion. She is afraid she will become a dangerous traitor because Ming could overcome her free will at anytime. She has an instant affinity to Dev when she meets him. She knows he is a hard man who will protect Shine's interests at all costs but she can't help but be fascinated by him, which is a surprise to Katya because she never felt before Ming destroyed her conditioning. We find out very quickly that Katya was programmed to find out all she can about Shine and the Forgotten - then kill Devraj and herself, so we spend most of the book wondering when the programming will rear it's ugly head.

Dev decides to keep Katya close to him to determine whether she was put there on purpose to do harm to Shine. He knows she is probably going to turn on him but he feels protective toward her due to the abuse she suffered. Dev takes Katya to his home to keep her away from everyone while she tries to regain her memory. Katya knows her mind is compromised but she bravely tries to recapture her life. Dev is helplessly attracted to her despite knowing she will probably turn on him at any time. They start feeling deeply for each other, even knowing that Katya could unintentionally harm him against her own will. But the time is ticking down because Ming set a timeline that Katya must meet and it could mean both of their deaths.

This story started out a little slower for me because I missed seeing the Changling society I have come to love, but Dev and Katya's story drew me in and had me rooting for them to overcome what seems like truely impossible odds. Katya was a strong character who overcame horrible torture and the rape of her mind only by her own unbendable will. She knows that her time could very well be limited so she lives her life as fully as she can, giving her heart and body to Dev because she loves him and admires the warrior he is for his people. Dev falls for Katya as he sees the courage she shows by fighting Ming's grip on her mind and trying to keep Shine and her friend Ashaya safe. He quickly becomes possessive of her and knows he cannot kill her even if she does turn into a traitor, even wanting to take on the formidable Ming himself to keep her safe. Katya is able to thaw the ice around Dev's heart that was turning into someone as heartless as the Psy, so in a way she saves him too.

I did enjoy Dev and Katya's romance, toward the end I was crying because it was so emotional and my heart was breaking even though I knew the ending just couldn't be sad. Some old friends do show up, as we get to see a bit of Dorian, Ashaya and Keenan. We also got a glimpse of my favorite cat, Lucas, and Sasha so the story was not completely wihout the changlings. Judd also makes a brief but powerful appearance. The story is also interspersed with notes from a Psy mother to her son at the implementation of Silence, which gave an interesting view to events in the book.

Overall, while it was not my favorite book in the series (Lucas and Vaughn's stories hold those spots) I did enjoy the story and the romance. Dev was a good hero, he was possessive of Katya and was willing to fight to keep her with him but was strong enough to do what was best for her. Katya showed a lot of heart and courage by giving herself to Dev despite her bleak future, she just tried to protect Dev and others no matter the cost. The ending was definitely wonderful, I was crying then sighing over happiness. The story was furthered somewhat, we now know a lot more about the Forgotten which could give us clues to the future of the Psy when/if Silence fails. ...more

44 likes · Like · see review

Jan 07, 2009 Danielle The Book Huntress rated it it was amazing

Shelves: hero-i-loved, owned-copy, fated-to-be-mated, possessive-and-or-jealous-hero, psychic, scary-sexy-cool-dangerous-hero, heroine-i-loved, favorites, paranormal-romance, abused

Blaze of Memory was one of those books that exceeded my expectations significantly, although I know by now what a great author Nalini Singh is. I thought that Dev wouldn't be a very interesting hero (don't ask me why)--but I ended up loving him! He is my kind of hero: ruthless, dangerous, intensely masculine, possessive, powerful...I'll stop now. And, even better, he was capable of tenderness with wounded and fragile Katya. I liked how Nalini Singh showed the dilemma that Dev faced. He has taken Blaze of Memory was one of those books that exceeded my expectations significantly, although I know by now what a great author Nalini Singh is. I thought that Dev wouldn't be a very interesting hero (don't ask me why)--but I ended up loving him! He is my kind of hero: ruthless, dangerous, intensely masculine, possessive, powerful...I'll stop now. And, even better, he was capable of tenderness with wounded and fragile Katya. I liked how Nalini Singh showed the dilemma that Dev faced. He has taken on the tough role as the leader of the Shine Foundation, which was established to help the Forgotten, descendents of Psy who dropped out of the PsyNet to live their lives, embracing emotion. And things are not great for the Forgotten right now. The Psy Council has resorted to ruthless tactics to eliminate all the Forgotten. And the younger generation is showing new abilities that have the potential to be very dangerous, even if controlled. Dev carries a tremendous weight on his shoulders, and he does it well. He's a true alpha, in that he takes care of others, yet will fight for those in his care, and resort to being ruthless if necessary.

I was so glad that he found Katya. There was an instant bond between them. Dev had become more and more remote and icy in his dealings with people, as a way to keep control. His past had a horrible event that made him feel like control was absolutely necessary. But, even when he was ruthless, it was more than clear what a good man he was. No question about that. I thought his ability to manipulate metal and use that to control his emotions was very cool. Katya somehow negated this effect, making him into a passionate man and being his weakness in that sense (not really, though). I was really surprised at how possessive Dev was. That seemed more like a Changeling trait. But, I suppose that any man could feel that way about someone with whom he has a powerful connection; and it quickly became clear how connected Dev felt with Katya.

I loved Katya, too. She was emotionally and mentally broken, but somehow she was able to find the strength inside of herself to pick up the broken pieces left after being tortured by cardinal Psy Councilman Ming Le Bon, and made into a possible lethal time bomb weapon against the Forgotten. Poor Katya. How she suffered. She was soft and sweet, but strong at the same time. Her gentleness was the foil for Dev's strength. Yet, he didn't swallow her up or consume her identity.

I just love when a couple turns out to be perfect for each other in a romance. I definitely felt that way about Katya and Dev. They had a lot of chemistry, but there was a strong emotional bond there. To be honest, I wish the love scenes were longer, and in depth, but they were pretty hot the way they were. I loved all the touching and connection they had--Katya needed the stability of touch after her horrible torture, and Dev felt this need to be close to her, and give her with she needed in all ways. It gave me the warm and fuzzies.

This book has a lot of science fiction elements that I loved. I never thought I'd be so into psychic talents in paranormal romance. But I've found I love it, especially after reading this series and the Ghostwalker books by Christine Feehan. And Ms. Singh doesn't let those who like the Psy part of the equation down at all. It's funny. Despite being the shapeshifter lover that I am, I find that Psy-centered books in this series come out on top. I guess I like seeing the powerful abilities, and how the intrinsic human nature that the Psy try to suppress always wins out over intellect and logic. That's real life to me. It gives this very futuristic, cerebral concept a grounding in everyday reality of human existence that appeals to me.

At first, I wasn't too fond of the letter parts and the reports from the Sunshine Facility, but I see why Ms. Singh incorporated those. It really does tie into the story very well.

Can I say that the climax nearly broke my heart? I didn't think I could handle it. Oh, Dev's pain just about killed me, and seeing the suffering that Katya went through! But, Ms. Singh really pulled it off. The part with the kids, oh, I thought I was going to cry tears of joy. That was just perfect. And, you get to see a lot of the other beloved characters return and take part in this story. Judd, Sigh! Dorian, Big, Huge, Sigh! The list goes on.

I am so in love with this series. It really stands out amongst the various paranormal series. I think Ms. Singh has come up with such a brilliant concept here, and she executes it fabulously. I will definitely read every book she writes. And, I am so glad that she managed to give me such an unsuspectingly fantastic and delicious new hero to love in Dev Santos. I can't wait to see what surprises she comes up with for me next. ...more

37 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2010 Lady Jayne *~*The Beach Bandida*~* rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance-paranormal, author-nalini-singh, owned-read, shifters

4.5 Stars

To be reviewed...But briefly...

I'd been on a sort of roll with the Psy-Changeling series, last year, and then heard mixed reviews on this book, so I stopped at this book and it took me a while to pick this one up. I was all prepared to not like this because of the unsatisfactory things I'd heard about this book and the hero, Devraj Santos, but I was pleasantly surprised - I LOVED this! ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2009 Cindy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: keepers

Excellent read with a different viewpoint than the previous books - the Changelings play only a supporting role in this book. The hero is Dev, director of the Shine organization, a man with his own problems. One of the 'Forgotten' he has an interesting ability - he can manipulate metal and through the metal is developing the ability to interface directly with machines. The heroine is full Psy Katya - whom we met in earlier books as Ekaterina - who was tortured by Ming to the point where Ekaterin ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Aug 11, 2011 Wendy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: re-read, e-book, books-i-own, paranormal-romance, 2011, 2013

Brilliant! Cannot wait for the next one but I'm trying to pace myself :-) ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Feb 24, 2010 Stamatia rated it it was amazing

Goodness, this one made me cry like a baby, and I purely hate crying over books. I loved it! I just loved the way Ms Singh drew me into her story. What can I say? I'm just a sucker for great storytelling and Boy! she's got that down pat. ...more

Like · see review

Aug 21, 2010 Netanella rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal-romance, author-nalini-singh, amnesia

I loved this latest in Singh's psy-changeling series, a series of complex stories set in the near future where humanity has evolved some serious psychic and physical powers. Devraj Santos, the leader of the Forgotten, a group of Psy rebels who rejected the Silence protocol years ago, and the Psy scientist Ekaterina, now reborn as an amnesiac Katya who's mind has been reshaped into that of a sleeper assassin, as the featured couple. Singh does a superb job in telling their story, and particularly ...more

Like · see review

Oct 03, 2010 RogueHireling rated it really liked it

This one made me cry. Thought it might have just caught me at an emotionally sensitive time. =)

Another great psy/changeling book. I really enjoyed seeing a wider view of the "war". ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Oct 21, 2011 Pet rated it it was amazing

This is my third re-read of this series and each time I read this book I end up in tears. There is so much going on, at times I hated Dev he was harsh and cruel to Katya when she was so very lost and very helpless, but as she grew stronger so did her backbone and I love that she stood up to him even when he held all the cards.
I grew to understand and respect Dev and I can see his love for Katya, but he鈥檒l never be a soft or gentle man. I loved this book because of the way he is not despite it.

Like · see review