Blaze of Memory

Psy-Changeling Series, Book 7

By: Nalini Singh

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

Dev Santos finds a woman with amnesia - and all she can remember is that she's dangerous. Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor and programmed to kill, Katya's only hope is Dev. But he could very well be her next target.

Mind over matter: listen to more in the Psy-Changeling series.

©2009 Nalini Singh (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"When it comes to delivering stories that grab you by the throat and don't let go, Singh is in a class by herself!" ( Romantic Times)

A sleeper

This book started out very slow,almost DNF,but that’s not me,gotta finish what I started.Man am I so glad I did.This book had me in tears. I LOVED IT....who’s I could give more than 5 stars

Psy with psy romance

This one had an interesting & unusual mystery with “Sunshine “ & real interesting new psy talent with Nora & Kenon.

Transition stories are always tough

What made the experience of listening to Blaze of Memory the most enjoyable?

I appreciated that this story wasn't focused on a changeling, but a psy and a forgotten (aka psy-human hybrid). It's a testament to her stronger writing points that Ms Singh was able to transition away from the changeling world into the other aspects of this alternate universe she has created.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I liked learning more about the forgotten, and getting different perspectives on the happenings of this psy-changeling world.

What aspect of Angela Dawe’s performance would you have changed?

Real talk I wish she had more variety. There are no varied accents, only rough, rapsy or age-specific variations. I have wondered before if this is as Ms Singh envisioned. If it is, that's a bummer. On paper having a unified accent (for lack of a better term) might make sense based on the development of her world, but from an auditory perspective it makes things a little flat.

Any additional comments?

I had a hard time getting into the love story between Dev and Katya. Why, you ask? Let me tell you! Ok, so I get that Silence clearly is a construct that psy hide behind (it becomes more obvious throughout the books that most psy are big fakers about having no emotions), but it felt like the dynamics between these characters fell into a recognizable pattern: "psy breaking silence meets dominant possessive male; sexual tension ensues." So I guess what I'm saying is that, for all intents and purposes, it didn't feel like it had any new aspects to the romance, when it should have. But at the same time, the bigger story got way more interesting in this one, so I didn't really care as much about the lovers anyways. Not sure if that's a good thing for a romance, but it didn't bother me. I want a good story - well played to Ms. Singh if she can slip in a fantasy adventure story when I thought I was going for something else.

Do not trust this review!

Where does Blaze of Memory rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book had all the usual ingredients for greatness and lived up to it!

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main characters were perfect and evolving as a they should.

Which character – as performed by Angela Dawe – was your favorite?

No real favorites in this book. I still enjoy Sasha overall of the series.

Any additional comments?

Previous reviews lead me to believe that this book was unworthy. But it was a bad review. I am glad I did not believe it.

Favorite Series

Any additional comments?

Great series!!!! This is my favorite series. Each book builds on the overall world while keeping you interested in the individual romances. A few of the book were about secondary characters that I didn’t care about at the beginning and absolutely loved by the end. This review applies to the first 9 books in the series.

Great Series

Love her books, just another of her incredible stories she tells. One flows easily into the other. Great storyteller

Great new characters with new possibilities

Excellent narration, the story introduces new characters and makes you care for them. Sexy as always and hard to put down. I love her work.

Not Standalone - Intelligent Romance - Formulaic

What did you love best about Blaze of Memory?

This novel delved into the background of the Psy world more than the others, and there were some eerie parellels to true history that make the story believable.

I like strong characters, who overcome traumas, and I am drawn to displays of raw compassion. Man's inhumanity to man is a common thread in this installment. There is significant brutality implied although it is not gruesome (more disturbing). This all is overcome by love, courage, and loyalty.

As in all of the books so far, love and physical passion are tied together. These guys all find enviable soulmates rather than cheap one-night stands.

What other book might you compare Blaze of Memory to and why?

"Hostage to Pleasure" (Psy-Changelings, Book 5)

The heroine of this book is tied to the heroine of the preceding installment. Both are scientific and clever women. This ties up a few loose ends from that novel.

All of these books build upon each other. They are repetitive in some ways. The stories are relatively predictable. That said, they are more intelligent than others in this genre. I HIGHLY recommend "Hostage to Pleasure." That had the most depth and contained more surprises than the rest.

Which scene was your favorite?

The guy introduces the half starved girl to an ice cream fruit smoothie. I craved smoothies for a week after. LOL

Honestly, that's what I remember most without giving anything away.

Two children work together to do something unique at the end. That's the most memorable part. Emotions run high, and it's somewhat unexpected. Anything more would be a spoiler. Sorry!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

See answer above...

Any additional comments?

This series is not rocket science. It isn't brainless "smut" either. There's a real plot in each novel, and all of the characters stick around to be woven in and out of various threads of narrative. I intend to read all of these. Listening to them back to back makes the adult scenes dull and repetitive - only one of them really did anything different. I suggest reading other books in between to keep it "fresh." I really like the back-story. None of the characters are irritating. They're all endearing and still unique. For what it is, I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars. These aren't classics, but they're worth the credits in my opinion. In fact, I've paid outright to see what happens next with some of them. Happy Listening!

so very good

One of my favorites in the series. this novel grips your heart. Singh really put soul in this.

Not bad, but Narrator Threw Me Off

Sometimes it's beneficial to skip reviews and go straight to download.

I took about a 4 month break with this series and picked up with this book. The story was good: adding yet another element to this world and strengthening the bonds between the Forgotten and the Changeling.

My only complaint was the pacing. I don't remember Angela Dawe pausing at odd moments. Like, when you know that there should just be a comma and not a period between phrases. Very odd and I couldn't sync with that. The pauses were so long that I thought we were about to go to a different chapter or segment of the story. Otherwise great book.