I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Branded by Fire
by
Nalini Singh
paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Berkley on July 7, 2009 and has 372 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon, Audibles.
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Must Love Hellhounds, Kiss of Snow, An Enchanted Season, Archangel's Blade, Angels of Darkness, Lord of the Abyss, Desert Warrior, Angels' Flight, Tangle of Need, Play of Passion, Archangel's Storm, Wild Invitation, Heart of Obsidian, Archangel's Legion, "Hide and Seek", "Making Dinner", Shield of Winter, "A Conversation", "Home", Angels' Pawn, "New Year's Kisses", Night Shift, "Weapons Training", "Zoë's Workshop", "Wild Night", Archangel's Shadows, Archangel’s Enigma, Shards of Hope, “Fairy Balloons”, “An Unexpected Guest”, Allegiance of Honor, "The Song of the Wolf", Silver Silence, Archangel’s Heart, Archangel’s Viper, Ocean Light, "Elena's School of Horror", Cherish Hard, "Ain’t No Party Like A Bear Party", Archangel's Prophecy, "One Night At The Refuge", "Secret Things", Rebel Hard, Rock Hard, Wolf Rain, "Clean and Dirty", "Wolf School", "Naya’s Most Important Visitors", "Grocery Shopping", "The Cannibal Princess", "A Gift for Kit", "Movie Night", "Kaleb and Sahara’s Meeting with Sascha and Lucas", "Housewarming at the Orchard", "Christmas in the Kitchen", "Stalking Hawke", "Romancing Drew", "Sunday Morning", "Rowan", "Baubles & Ben", Wild Embrace, Love Hard, Rock Addiction, "Music Awards", Rock Courtship, "Rock Courtship Memo"s, Rock Redemption, "Sunshine", Rock Wedding, "With This Memo", "That Lip Ring…", A Madness of Sunshine, "Beary Tiny Ghosts", Alpha Night, "A Wedding Breakfast", "Poker Night", "Knives and Sheaths", "Seedlings", "Star Kissed", "A Walk on the Cliffs", "Wild Cat Blues", Slave to Sensation, Caressed by Ice, Visions of Heat, Kiss Hard, Angels' Blood, Archangel's Kiss, Archangel's War, Archangel's Sun, Archangel's Light, Archangel's Resurrection, Last Guard, “A Perfect Moment”, "Music in the Rain", Storm Echo, Resonance Surge, "Mate", “New Year’s Eve”, Archangel's Lineage, Visions of Heat, Mine to Possess, Hostage to Pleasure, Blaze of Memory
Sixth in the Psy-Changeling paranormal romance series and revolving around three races: the Psy who have phenomenal psychic powers and no heart, the Changelings who support and love their own, and the humans. The couple focus is on Mercy Smith and Riley Kincaid of DarkRiver AND SnowDancer in the year 2080. If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of the Psy-Changeling books on my website.
In 2010, Branded by Fire won the All About Romance Annual Reader Poll for Best Paranormal Romance and an Honorable Mention for Best Love Scenes. It was also nominated for the Sir Julius Voegel Award for Best Adult Novel. In 2009, Branded by Fire won a P.E.A.R.L. for Best Shapeshifter Romance.
My Take
Poor Mercy. It’s a gender conflict with Mercy determined to hold onto her self. She needs someone who can be dominant with her and there is no one in the area she can allow such intimate skin privileges.
I love how Singh describes Drew and his ability to get along with everyone. In spite of his position as the pack killer. I gotta wonder how much of Drew is a result of his and his siblings’ early childhood trauma and how Riley, with a heart as big as Texas, kept them pulled together.
That extra conflict that Singh has included in the series between the juveniles of both packs keeps things hopping. It’s useful that Singh uses a third person global subjective point-of-view from a number of perspectives so we get more of a picture, although Mercy’s and Riley’s perspectives are the primary ones.
An ongoing series conflict is the disintegration of the PsyNet and Singh uses it to create tension as well as a way to describe the Psy way of life. Singh’s split of the PsyNet between the NetMind and the DarkMind is a brilliant idea that highlights how wrong Silence is. Its cruelty and evil.
More series arcs include the evolution of pack bonds and the increasing friendships between the three races. It’s a treat to watch.
Singh mothers more tension with her bits of reveals about Krycheck. About his power, his tortured upbringing, his dreams, and his ultra Psy-ness.
Singh has created a fascinating alternate world with major conflicts between races: the emotionless Psy who will betray anyone, the changelings who nurture and support each other yet have a ruthless set of rules, and the terrified humans. It’s that love and support by the changelings that really pull me into this series. How the adults take the time to be with the children. Of course it does help that Singh has a fabulous range of characters (in all the races) that intrigues me.
Ming LeBon is a hideous example of the cold-blooded Psy. I read about him, the things he’s done, the torture, and I want to kill him. It’s a tremendous contrast with the love and support of the changelings. In contrast,
it is fun to watch Judd evolve from the cold Arrow he was into a being with a tiny bit more emotion.
The bigotry continues amongst the races, and yet Singh does not discriminate due to skin color. That’s a treat right there. Singh also includes many characters who are willing to grow and accept others.
There’s no end of action in Branded by Fire what with Mercy’s need for touch, Riley’s attraction to her despite his plans to mate a domestic submissive, the Human Alliance attack on the packs, and the continuing devastation occurring in the PsyNet.
There is no end to the humor in the Psy-Changeling series, and Branded by Fire is no exception — those defurring tools Mercy pranks Bas with, oy. As for Sascha’s cooking “abilities”, lol. Mothers will relate to the story about how Mercy got her nickname. Hmmm, I wonder if it contributed to the Bikini Babe contest . . .?
There is, of course, the scary, of whom Amara is one. The Psy brainwashing their own to terrorize the rest of the world and the leaders of the Human Alliance determined to wreak their own havoc.
Whoa, I hope that Nash’s story continues on. I wanna hear more about a company willing to help others!
The Story
Though DarkRiver Sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.
But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man — before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire . . .
The Characters
Méliasande “Mercy” Smith is a leopard changeling in DarkRiver and the pack’s official liaison with the SnowDancers. Her brothers include Sage “Herb”, a photographer who covers the crime beat; Grey “Shadow” is a musical genius; and, Bastien “Frenchie” is brilliant at finance. Lia, a submissive, is their mother. Michael Smith is their protective father.
Riley “the Wall” Kincaid is a wolf changeling in SnowDancer and its most senior lieutenant. Andrew “Drew” is his brother and the pack tracker. Brenna is their sister who had been kidnapped and tortured in Slave to Sensation, 1. She’s now mated to Judd Lauren (Caressed by Ice, 3). Judd, an Arrow, is part of the Lauren Psy family that defected to SnowDancer, forming the LaurenNet. Toby and the eighteen-year-old Sienna, a powerful cardinal, are brother and sister with Judd and Walker their uncles. Marlee is Walker’s daughter.
The Changelings are . . .
. . . shifters, divided up into packs of similar individuals.
DarkRiver is . . .
. . . a pack of leopard changelings based in Northern California whose alpha is Lucas Hunter. He’s mated to Sascha Duncan, a Cardinal E-Psy (Slave to Sensation). Nate Ryder, the most senior sentinel, is mated to Tamsyn “Tammy”, the pack’s healer. They have two adorable twin cubs: Roman and Julius. The twins have a new pet, a kitten named Ferocious. Faith NightStar of the NightStar Psy clan is the most preeminent F-Psy, a foreseer mated to Vaughn D’Angelo (Visions of Heat, 2), a jaguar changeling, best friend to Lucas, and one of his sentinels.
Dorian, an overachieving sentinel, is mated to Ashaya Aleine, a brilliant M-Psy scientist (Hostage to Pleasure, 5). Kylie had been the sister murdered in Slave to Sensation. Amara Aleine is Ashaya’s very evil twin. The taciturn Clay Bennett, one of the sentinels, has mated Tally McKade (Mine to Possess, 4). Jon is one of the Forgotten, a prankster teen adopted by Clay and Tally (Mine to Possess). Kieran may be human but he acts like a wolf on the prowl, seducing women. Emmett Schaefer is a soldier mated to Ria, a human and Lucas’ administrative assistant (Burning Up: “Whisper of Sin”, 0.75), is running training exercises. Other sentinels include Garrick in Chicago and Cian. Other soldiers include Owen, Monroe, Dezi, Aaron, Jamie, Barker, and Kit, a potential alpha. Others include Nicki, Cora, Kenyon, and Mia. Zach, a changeling, and Annie, a human, are mates (Magical Christmas Cat: “Stroke of Enticement”, 3.5).
CTX is the communications network run by DarkRiver and SnowDancer. It’s telling that CTX is trusted by the Psy for reliable reporting. Eamon is another photographer. Clara and Claude also work for CTX. Sierra Tech is a respected R&D company. Bibi Pink is a celebrity.
Eight-year-old Willow Baker is a lynx changeling. Nash is her brilliant brother, a student at MIT specializing in nanotech. Their parents are Iain and Enid. Jen and Lisha are some of the nonpredatory changelings. Zara is a wildcat and DarkRiver’s architect. Hamilton is a SilverBlade sentinel. The WindHaven clan is one of falcon changelings with Adam as its wing leader, their alpha. Naia is their healer. Aria had been WindHaven’s leader and Adam’s grandmother; Jacque is now the second-highest-ranking member. BlackEdge is a wolf pack in Russia with Selenka Durev their alpha. StoneWater is a bear pack warily allied with BlackEdge.
SnowDancer is . . .
. . . a pack of wolf changelings based in Northern California whose alpha is Hawke Snow. They are allied with DarkRiver. Other lieutenants include Riley, Drew, Indigo, and Jem. Tai is a soldier who now thinks Judd walks on water. Keeley is the Pack historian; Nicki is her new assistant. Helene is a source of Nicki’s. Lara is the pack healer. Sakura is one of the pups and her parents are Yuki and Elias “Eli”, one of their best trackers. Mimi is Sakura’s doll. The adorable Ben is another pup. Sing-Liu is a human mated to D’Arm.
AzureSun is . . .
. . . a cat pack in Brazil led by Gran, Isabella, Mercy’s maternal grandmother. Eduardo and Joaquin are changelings Isabella has sent to woo Mercy. Juanita had been a soldier.
The Rats are . . .
. . . a very small changeling pack who live in the sewers under San Francisco, tolerated by DarkRiver for the Rats’ spying intelligence. Teijan is their alpha.
Touch hunger can build to a debilitating degree and requires touch from family and friends who have skin privileges. The best touch is from lovers. Maternals are the changelings who nurture. Rogues are changelings who surrendered to their beast half and kill the ones they love most. I think the ShadowWalkers is a pack that had attacked DarkRiver years ago.
The Psy are . . .
. . . a race of humans whose evolutionary path veered off into a life of psychic strength who believe themselves superior to any others. They are ruled by the Psy Council. The current Councilors include Kaleb Krycheck, a very, very powerful dual cardinal in Moscow; Anthony Kyriakus, Faith’s father and head of the NightStar clan is in Tahoe; Nikita Duncan, Sascha’s cold mother with a gift for viruses is in San Francisco; Tatiana Rika-Smythe is in Australia; Ming LeBon is a combat telepath based in France; and, Shoshanna and Henry Scott, who fake being a couple, are based in London.
Silver Mercant is Krychek’s most senior aide. Samuel Rain, a robotics expert, has been brainwashed. Laniea is an M-Psy who works for NightStar. The Forgotten are those Psy who were against Silence and fled. PurePsy is a pro-Silence vigilante group. The Information Merchant is a Psy who deals in, yep, information. At least he had a backup plan.
The PsyNet is a mental network that provides the biofeedback the Psy require to live and has split into the benevolent NetMind and the vicious DarkMind. Silence is a protocol that eliminated the emotions of the Psy to save their minds. Santano Enrique had once been a Councilor, a psychopathic serial killer (Slave to Sensation). The Cassandra Spiral is a major mental cascade that can kill.
The Human Alliance rose . . .
. . . to combat the Psy who have always used their mental abilities to rape human minds. The organization is based in Venice. Bowen Knight is part of their paramilitary arm and their security chief. Lily is his adopted sister. Aurine and Douglas are on the board and against the latest operation. The chairman believes himself a god. Claude had been one of the betrayers.
Over a hundred years ago, Alice Eldridge, a human, had written The Mysterious E Designation: Empathic Gifts and Shadows. Max Shannon is a human Enforcer based in New York. Enforcement are the police of the world and widely believed to be in the pocket of the Psy.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a forest background that includes a waterfall to the right with part of a full moon at the top. The bottom of the cover is shrouded in fog with a black tank-top-clad Mercy, her back to Riley who’s wearing blue jeans, his head tilted to her upturned face, their hands at Mercy’s hips and a swirl of oranges and reds encircling them, a fiery aura reflecting their courtship. At the top is the author’s name offset in a scripted white with an info blurb tucked to the right. Below the name is a testimonial in white on the right. The title is at an angle at the bottom in a gradated orange to yellow.
The title refers to two dominants who discover a passion so raw, they’re both Branded by Fire.
