Series: Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 5
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: July 20, 2021
Source: Publisher
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Nalini Singh Reading Order
Termed merciless by some, and a robotic sociopath by others, Payal Rao is the perfect Psy: cardinal telekinetic, CEO of a major conglomerate, beautiful—and emotionless.Delve beneath the surface of the PsyNet in Last Guard. Psy Designation A gets its first true time in the spotlight as Nalini Singh expands the already vast and engaging world she’s built. I loved seeing beneath the surface to the twisting world of the Substrate where As keep the PsyNet from falling apart. But the As are stretched thin; there are too few for such a vast space. And the As that have been born were often seen as imperfect under Silence and eliminated before their A status became known. The problems stretch back before Silence and it’s utterly fascinating to see how this oft-forgotten designation plays such a crucial role in the survival of the Psy. There is a lot of information in Last Guard that goes into the history of Designation A, what went wrong, and what is continuing to fracture the PsyNet.
For Canto Mercant, family and loyalty are everything. A cardinal telepath deemed “imperfect” by his race due to a spinal injury, Canto cares for the opinions of very few—and ruthlessly protects those he claims as his own. Head of intel for the influential Mercant family, he prefers to remain a shadow in the Net, unknown and unseen. But Canto is also an anchor, part of a secretive designation whose task it is to stabilize the PsyNet. Now that critical psychic network is dying, threatening to collapse and kill the entire Psy race with it.
To save those he loves, Canto needs the help of a woman bound to him by a dark past neither has been able to forget. A woman who is the most powerful anchor of them all: Payal Rao. Neither is ready for the violent inferno about to ignite in the PsyNet…or the passionate madness that threatens to destroy them both.
Canto and Payal are both hub anchors who had a brutal childhood that bonded them. Canto was nearly killed before his mother’s family found him. The Mercants never let go of one of their own so they took the angry, injured boy and gave him the love and support he needed. Canto has grown up to be a shadowy figure in the Mercant family, but a powerful one nonetheless. Abelists who think the grumpy Psy is imperfect have a shock coming when they see the power of this brilliant, caring man. Payal grew up in a nightmare and it’s a testament to her inner strength that she became someone good, honest, and true. She’s seen as a robot by many, her Silence perfect even in after its fall, but they don’t see the struggle behind the mask and the wear of having no truly safe space. Payal is at war with herself and she broke my heart more than once. She also has to deal with monsters every day in the form of her father and brother. She and Canto are bonded by shared horrors and their childhood connection has remained. Though they’ve been separated for decades, that bond does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the romance. There’s so much going on in the world around them that the romance often takes a back seat, but nevertheless Singh made me believe in their happily ever after.
Last Guard takes the Psy-Changeling/Psy-Changeling Trinity world in new and interesting directions. The major players of the Ruling Coalition make appearances and as always it’s nice to see them. It was even more of a delightful surprise to revisit Sophia (of Bonds of Justice) who isn’t a character that pops up very often. There are many difficult topics broached in this book and it’s a testament to Singh’s talent that the book never drags because of it. There are also lighter moments, thanks in large part to the StoneWater bears, the clan that Canto’s cousin Silver mated into. The bears never fail to make me smile and oh, I do hope Singh has at least a novella planned for Arwen Mecant and his bear.
Last Guard is interesting from beginning to end. It goes more into the technical aspects of the PsyNet which may make the book a bit of a dry read for some. Payal and Canto are unique, well-drawn characters and I’m interested to see what comes from them as the world continues to build. Singh knows how to keep her characters – and her readers – on their toes.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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