Bonds of Justice is the latest novel [Number 8] in the Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh. [My reviews of the other books here.] It’s Max’ and Sophia’s story.
Plot:
Max is a cop, with a natural shield against Psy abilities. Sophia is a Justice Psy, charged with going into the brains of criminals and retrieving their memories. When councilor Nikita Duncan summons them both to investigate the murders of several of her employees, neither of them expects the impact the other one has.
I’m a little bit torn about this one. After the little disappointment that was the last book, Bonds of Justice was definitely a step up again. But it still didn’t give me the satisfaction the other books gave me. I didn’t care too much about Max and Sophia as a couple and the really interesting bits weren’t expanded upon enough.
Maybe it’s me and I’m just a little tired of the tropes Singh uses (and it’s always the same structure to the love story, down to certain phrases she continuously uses, the same relationship dynamic etc etc). Maybe the last three or four books just haven’t been as good as the first four books. But the fact of the matter is: I was slightly bored to annoyed by Bonds of Justice.
I was disappointed that Max isn’t a “normal” human after all, but has some kind of special shield. The love story left me cold (though I did like that [SPOILER] Sophia didn’t drop out of the PsyNet – that was new [/SPOILER]). And the murder cases always were the weakest points in the books.
But the most suprising thing was the even the world-building and the addition of several pieces of the general puzzles didn’t do it for me this time. I mean, I enjoyed hearing more about Kaleb and I loved to see Nikita get a personality but somehow, it just wasn’t enough.
I’m going to continue reading because I need to see what happens with the Council and the mystery and so on. But I have to admit that the last two books severly dampened my excitement about the series.
Here’s to hoping that the next book will be better.
kalafudra's Stuff 
Huh. I’m not disenchanted yet. I want the next one. Now.
Maybe disenchanted is a little strong. Because I want the new one, too.
I think I must start the Psy-Changeling series as they have the right amount of (high) trash-potential.
And the covers look so incredibly cheap. It’s got to be good.
^^
I don’t know whether the books are violent enough to be really to your liking (I am aware that this might sound a little stupid – bear with me). But I’ll be happy to borrow you the books so you can find out.
“I don’t know whether the books are violent enough to be really to your liking”
Accurately put. ^^
Are there cool dialogues in the eye of the wrong side of the gun? Nice one-liners by handsome bad guys? Heroic, irrational actions? Just-a-flesh-wounds?
If the answer to all these questions is “no”, the books aren’t violent enough to be to my liking.
I’m afraid the answer to almost all those question actually is no. There are lots of heroic, irrational actions, but they’re all the Give-My-Life-To-Save-The-Beloved kind, so it’s all very romantic and not really violent at all. Sorry.
Still…how about you read the first one? It only takes a few hours and then you’ll be able to judge for yourself. (Or you’ll be sucked into the verse just like me, and there’ll be no escape for you, hehe.)
Isn’t it nice when deadra does all my talking/typing for me? ;P
Sorry ^^
… Wah, I thought it had been you, Kalafudra, until I saw Deadra’s name under it.
One day you are going to sit in front of an intellecutal film when there is some sort of accident (nuclear or acid or something) –> and after that you are going to rise as a twoheaded superhero.
“Super-Kaladeadra” or something. oO
Give-My-Life-To-Save-The-Beloved is a start. I’ll give it a try, but I don’t expect to like it (I *dislike* romance novels.)
Super-Kaladeadra is a very real, very frightening possibility.
I’ll bring you the first book the next time we meet.