Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Title: Visions of Heat
Author: Nalini Singh
Published: 2007, Berkley
Category: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 7/10

Visions of Heat is Singh's second book in her Psy/Changeling series. I read Slave to Sensation last year and really enjoyed it. Again, I had to get over the cheesy title and awful cover, but once I had, this one was great too.

I'm not going to try to explain the world, because most people who come here already know. And it's just too complicated to go into. Read my Slave to Sensation review if you need an intro to the set-up. :)

Faith NightStar is an F-Psy, meaning she has the gift of foresight. Before Silence, F-Psy saw all kinds of visions about future crimes and were able to help prevent them. Faith, however, as an initiate of Silence, has been conditioned to only receive visions about economic trends and whatnot. But lately, she's been having strange visions of murder breaking through into her consciousness. She's worried because she thinks this is the beginning of insanity. She decides to go to Sascha for help, seeing as how Sascha is the only Psy living outside the PsyNet and therefore the only one who won't turn her into the mind police or whatever for being a looney. Once she meets the changelings, Vaughn (one of Lucas's sentinels) pretty much immediately knows that Faith is his mate, so he devotes himself to helping her deal with her visions and encouraging her to leave the PsyNet.

I was a bit annoyed (as I always am) by the whole predestined lovers thing. Vaughn knows Faith is his mate from the get-go. Why? He doesn't know and neither do we. We just have to accept it. Okay, it's not that bad. But I just didn't buy that this very sensual, hot-blooded (RWAOR!) jaguar would go for this rather cold woman. (Unlike Sascha, she doesn't even want to leave the Psy. She wants the visions to go away so she can go back to her simpler, safer life.) The attraction between Sascha and Lucas was so phenomenal that this couple paled a bit in comparison.

That said, I am still fascinated by this world that's been created. Singh introduces new elements that are just as original and fresh as those in Slave to Sensation. I loved the bit with the NetMind. And we're getting some foreshadowing about a Psy revolution that could be ve-ery interesting.

9 comments:

Rosario said...

I loved the NetMind thingie, too. Silence does seem to be breaking down, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Kristie (J) said...

*whistling and looking up*

I kind of like the cover of this one. And between yours and Cindy's reviews, I'm going to have to move this one up on the ole TBR pile

Jennie said...

Rosario--I hope we see more of the NetMind in the next book. If Silence is breaking down, then I guess we will since he's sort of the monitor or whatever. Yay!

Kristie--Ooh, I hadn't seen Cindy's review yet! You should definitely get to this one soon.

Jennie said...

Oh, Kristie, I forgot to tease you a little about the cover. Check out the dude's eyes!! AAAHHH! He's creepy.

I will admit that the cover does a pretty good job of evoking the whole paranormal/changeling/woodsy feeling of the book. Maybe if they'd given him whites in his eyes like a normal person, I could manage. LOL.

nath said...

Jennie, have you seen Caressed by Ice's cover?!?! Shudder ^^; I think it's the worst... I hate seeing the faces of models on my covers :( Anyway, I will definitively need a book jacket from your sis :P

As for your review :D Good one, although weren't you a bit rough on the grading? :P just asking. I agree that Sascha and Lucas' story was so compelling that Faith and Vaughn pale in comparison... the whole mate thing didn't bother me, until you brought it up... i guess i'm too engrossed in the storyline to wonder why. I'm seriously anxious to find more about the revolution :) as you say, might be very interesting :D

Kristie (J) said...

Actually I do have it already. It's still an unread book though :)

Jennie said...

Nath--Maybe I could have given it a higher grade. It just struck me as a 7--really good read but not like OHMYGODTHISISGREAT. You know? I haven't seen the cover for Caressed yet...I'm scared to look. :)

CindyS said...

I was saying how very comfortable I am in Singh's world and I knew something struck me funny but it wasn't until people explained about 'why did these two fall in love' that I realized what it was.

Did you read the preview of the next book? A Psy hero with a wolf heroine - I wonder if the women have that bonded mates thing. Part way through this book I was wishing it hadn't been the same combination as her first - Psy female with cat hero.

But, I was happy!

CindyS

Jennie said...

I did read the preview--it sounds interesting! I liked the concept of Judd as an Arrow, that has all kinds of possibilities. :) Except I don't like the name Judd--it makes me think of that awful song in Oklahoma "Poor Judd Is Dead." Don't mind me, I'm a show tune dork.

I'm wondering if we'll ever meet a human character. Maybe not. Us poor humans are so boring--no tricks. LOL.