Slave to Sensation - Psy-Changeling #1 - Nalini Singh

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Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers. 

The three species have their own rules and codes. Psy are not to feel any kind of emotions or they would be considered broken and they would be sent for reconditioning. Their brains are literally connected together through a network. They feed from each other mental states and privacy is forbidden. Life is easy for them: you have what is useful and what is not. It is unnecessary to know what chocolate taste like because it is of no use for their organism. 

Changelings are organized in Packs. There is the Alpha who protects and is devoted to his Pack, the Sentinels who also swore to protect the Pack, the Healer and the submissive. Nothing is more sacred than the mating bond and the relations between members of a Pack. 

This is in this context that Sasha Duncan - Cardinal Psy - and Lucas Hunter - Darkriver's alpha - meet. Their only relation is as business partners for a building project and yet, when they see each other for the first meet, they cannot help feeling drawn toward each other. Sasha has always known that she was special. She is a Cardinal, which means she is the elite of Psy and yet, she has no real skill. But the worst is that she wants to do things a Psy should not do, such as laugh or tease. She knows it: she is broken. She has been trying to hide it but the longer she remains among the High Counsel and her mother, the more she takes the risk of being sent to reconditioning. 

But along her problems, the High Counsel asks her to collect as much information about the Changelings as she can. 

But what she does not know is that Lucas also wants to collect information from Sasha. 7 Changelings women have been found tortured and a particular scent left on the crime scene led them to think a Psy could be behind these attacks. Lucas wants closer to Sasha to find out what she knows about this sordid affair. 

He never intended to actually fall for the broken Psy. He never thought that getting close to her would lead him to develop feelings. When Sasha hears about the murders that happened in the Changelings community, she decides to help the Pack even if it means that she has to take the risks of being discovered by the High Counsel. 

Now, that being said, this book was incredible. Nalini Singh brought a whole new world to life. It is unique, original and complex. At first, it can be sightly difficult to understand but the longer you read, the easier it becomes to read about this world. 

Now, about the story and the characters: I loved the story between Sasha and Lucas. Some emotions are new for both of them and they struggle to understand fully what they are feeling - Sasha more than anyone. As they discover their new feelings, the reader is thrown into a first crush: the confusion of emotions, the fear of falling in love, the discovery of a new culture that is completely different from what we know... 

I loved the chemistry between Sasha and Lucas. Sasha is lost. She is a Cardinal Psy and yet, she has no real skills. She thinks she has no value. She struggles to understand what emotions are and how to deal with them. She is novice in relationships but when Lucas shows her how to love, she will love fully and she will finally be able to understand where she comes from and her skills. 

Lucas is THE alpha male. He has seen his whole family slaughtered and he had been tortured when he was just a child. When he meets Sasha, he also struggles to understand what he feels toward her. He should not feel anything for a Psy, a person who has no feelings.