Slave to Sensation

Psy-Changeling Series, Book 1

By: Nalini Singh

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

Length: 9 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind - and none of the heart. Born a Psy, Sascha Duncan must hide the emotions that mark her as flawed. But a passionate Changeling will tempt her to reveal everything - and risk her very soul.

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

©2006 Nalini Singh (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This book is a must even for those uninitiated in the paranormal genre." ( Romantic Times)

Better than I remember.

I read this book years ago and while I remembered it fondly, I was a little reluctant to get the audio version. I am so glad I indulged and I just 3 hours into listening, I knew I'd purchase book 2.

Sasha is a psy who has been taught that emotion leads to madness in people who have psychic abilities. Their people have trained themselves to block out all emotions to avoid the emotions that could lead to violence. Such apathy leads each individual psy to be physically separate, even avoiding touch. Sasha's mother is a powerful member of the psy council and Sasha is expected to be a perfect psy. Unfortunately for Sasha, she has emotions.

Lucas is a member of the changeling society and he was raised with deep, protective emotions for his family and clan. The changelings can't imagine how a society as insular as the psy can function; the changelings' biggest strength is that they are not alone. The changelings use touch to affirm their relationships and for comfort and play.

I love how the relationship between these two builds and how the author builds the psy and changeling societies. Each society is distinct and hints of a long, rich history.

This is a romance, so expect explicit sex scenes. I have listened to romances where I cringed at the language and had to fast forward past the scene, but this book never made me do that. I also like that while this book is the first in a series, it also works as a stand-alone book and doesn't leave the listener at a cliff hanger.

Happy this series has come to audio

I read Slave to Sensation when it was first published in 2006. I closed the book and thought, “Wow! This may be the best paranormal I’ve ever read.” Revisiting the origins of Singh’s Psy/Changeling series in audio format recalls all the reasons to admire the clever, deceptively simple world-building that imagines the way things might be in 2079. The Psy are a race of cerebral beings who for the past one hundred years have enforced Silence, a protocol implemented to breed all emotion out of the populace. The Changeling are the antithesis, shapeshifters who embrace life with passion. Psy and Changeling view each with disdain and suspicion but coexist within an uneasy truce. I’m relieved to report that humans are still around, but we’re just a footnote here, and a fairly boring one at that.

When Lucas Hunter, Alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack, becomes certain that the serial killer preying on young changeling women is Psy, he proposes a joint business venture to the Psy ruling council hoping to ferret out the killer. Sascha is assigned as liaison and Lucas wastes no time in using his considerable cunning and charm to get close to this female who appears to embody the cold Psy ideal.

In truth Sascha is not the perfect Psy. She knows that she’s “broken” because she feels far too much and lives in constant fear of discovery and rehabilitation (mind wipe). When Lucas introduces Sascha to his warm and loving packmates, her barriers begin to crack. She yearns to love and be loved and Lucas senses her vulnerability. What follows is a heart clutching romance between complete opposites.

Angela Dawe’s narration has a soothing, steady cadence. Her reading of Sascha’s initial robotic monotone is spot on and I “heard” her gradual thawing. Her voice for Lucas and the Changelings is a bit off kilter. I missed “hearing” Lucas’ playful nature, his warmth, his growliness, and his sexy charm. Key to these characters is how very different they are from one another. Although it’s clear in Singh’s text that Psy and Changeling are polar opposites, I didn’t hear it in the narration and I’m not sure that Dawe got that. Nevertheless, It’s more of a missed opportunity that I hope will be enhanced as Dawe becomes more familiar with the characters. I’m thrilled that the series has come to audio and I loved,loved, loved, listening to Slave to Sensation.

Review written for Speaking of Audiobooks at All About Romance.

Worth the credit!

I almost didn't buy this book because the description was vague at best...boy did the publisher do a disservice to this book. If I did the blurb it was say something like....”Sasha has known all her life that as a Psy there were certain expectations she MUST live up to…no fear….no emotion…no humanity. Yet all her life Sasha knew that she was different from other Psy, and lived in each day in fear that someone else would find out her secret. To live up to her mother’s high expectations Sasha must oversee a building project for her people, but when she stares across the table at proposed builder Lucas Hunter…a Changling… a species fully capable of emotion, she starts to lose her hold on the lie that has been her life and embrace her desire.

Got me hooked on Audiobooks!

I have to admit, I love this book in print, but I haven't liked the other audiobooks I've tried. I heard that this series was being released on audiobook, so I thought, okay, try again. I was *very* pleasantly surprised. Angela Dawe, who reads the book, is fantastic. Even the more, er, heated, scenes were somehow not the problem I thought they might be. I will definitely be getting the rest of this series!

If you haven't tried audiobooks yet, and you like this in print, I definitely recommend it in this format. (And if you've never read it in print, Nalini Singh is an incredible author, and this is a great book--worth the listen!)

Wonderful Surprise!

I had never before heard of this series before listening to the audiobook and I have to say that this is quite the pleasant surprise. I love fantasy books and I have recently started to enjoy romance books, but I never before imagined the two genres could be combined. Nalini Singh has done a fantastic job of mixing two together. I picked this book mainly for the fantasy appeal, but as I began listening to it, seeing the world that Sasha and Lucas lived, I definitely could tell that I was going to enjoy this. The plot was not a cliche at all and the characters, all of them, were very well developed. The only bad that I would have to say about the book is the chapters seemed to stop in odd places and it didn't help that the narrator did not pause long enough to allow the listener to register that a new chapter was taking place. If the pause was a little longer, the odd spots for new chapters wouldn't seem as odd. Besides that little annoyance, the book is wonderful and I will one of the fan girls that I will be on the look out for other books from this series.

GrammiLynn

I have read this entire series and there is no one better than N Singh. The series needs to be read in sequence to really get the most of the books - I pre-order every new book months in advance as I can hardly wait for the next and the next and the next. It is so fun to "hear" this book again. The narrator does a great job, makes the characters come alive. I am anxiously awaiting for the second book in the series, I'll definitely buy them all!

My favorite paranormal romance book!

I have decided to write this review after listening to it three times. And each time I'm amazed as to how much I enjoy it. This is the story of Sasha Duncan, a psy who has been conditioned from birth to have no feelings. She meets Lucas Hunter a changeling (shifter) in a business deal they begin to build houses for he channelling community. Sasha's conditioning begins to crumble due to the magnetism of the sexy and very fisical Lucas.

This is simply my favorite paranormal romance book. The attraction between Sasha and Lucas is sooo well written and the romance is so believable. There are some sexy dreams they have that are really hot. And between all the hot sex and amazing romance there is an intense story of betrayal and kidnapping that keeps you wondering who the bad guy is. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romance story.

Also, I must say that Angela Dawe does an excellent job with this book and the rest of the series. You definitely can tell when each character is speaking. And she keeps all the different voices throughout the series. Truly a flawless performance. From the first time I listened to this story I compared all other paranormal romance book to this one and still I haven't listened to one that is better. I'm a slave to
Sensation...

Singh has a new fan

This was my first Nalini Singh book and I must say I’m very impressed. I am now her biggest fan. The character development is very deep and the plot is fascinating. The climax was a little predicable but that’s what I love in a book. I hate cliff-hangers or disappointing endings, they leave a bad taste in my mind.
I’m going to download the first of her other series now.
BTW the narrator (Angela Dawe) is wonderful. One of the few females that can do male voices without making the male characters sound a little creepy.

Fantastic New Series

I love this book. Can not wait for the rest of the series. Thanks Audible.

3.5 Stars - worth a listen.

This starts out with a strong story. I was intrigued most of the way through. The story was very creative and the world of Changelings and Psys seemed promising. I got bored toward the end. The ending seemed rushed and left me ready for the book to end with about 30 mins left. The HEA was silly.
As for romance, it was promising. But somehow missed the mark.
I am not just a reader of romance novels, but I'm looking for the gems in the genre.

Some of my favorite Fantasy Books and Authors: Jeanine Frost's Night Huntress Series is my all time favorite, Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series and Highlander series, JD Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood. I also liked Outlander, although I'm not making much progress with Book 2.