Dying to Read: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

 *Why is the wolf on the cover black? WHY??? Hawke's wolf is WHITE damnit!*

Coming out JUNE 2011!

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s exhilarating world of shapeshifters and psychics is “paranormal romance at its best” (Publishers Weekly). Now comes the story of an alpha wolf named Hawke used to getting exactly what he wants--and of the only woman who dares tangle with him.

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

[Dying to Read description: It's a no brainer really. It is a post where I occasionally rant about a book that I'm DYING to read. Like NOWWW!!! I yearn for the book so badly I stalk the author's website everyday for any kind of news about the book or spoilers and obsessing over it in my head from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. It even haunts me in my dreams. Needless to say, such books are very RARE]


The bookaholic in me is lying on a cold floor like a limp starfish and curling up in pain while trying to will June to come faster. You know how many times I've read the ENTIRE series this year just so I could ease my desperate need for Kiss of Snow? Three times. Three freaking times. Including the novellas. I'm going bonkers. This is pain. Seriously, no joke. 

I've been waiting for Hawke's story since I  first read book 1 in the Psy/Changeling series - Slave to Sensation. In each book that comes next, we could only get brief glimpses of Hawke's past. She's torturing me, that Nalini Singh. Somehow, these short glimpses only intensifies my curiosity and love for Hawke. He's my favorite character in the series and I don't know why.

When Sienna's crush on him was revealed in Riley & Mercy's book (Branded by Fire) I was stoked! I thought it was a perfect match. My obsession only gets worse as I pray 'oh please please let Sienna be with Hawke.'
All the early reviews that had came out from those who were blessed with the story ARCs *curse you all!* had been nothing but glowing with praises.

So, as we all know there is a significant age difference between Hawke and Sienna. In book 3, Caressed by Ice, Sienna was seventeen and Hawke said that he was 32 years old. Sienna is nineteen years old now so... you do the math. I know some people are bothered by the age issue but somehow I don't really mind it.

I have always been fascinated with Sienna's strength and intelligence. She's also an X-Psy - a designation even the Psy run away from. That's just gotta kick ass right! Sienna risked her life alongside her uncles by walking into the SnowDancer's territory after they defected for the sake of the two children in the family - Toby and Marlee. They expected certain death (SnowDancers are known for their ferocity and swift justice) but were hoping the wolves had enough mercy in their hearts to spare Toby and Marlee and to take them into their care. Now, personally I think that speaks volume of a person's strength and maturity especially when that person was only sixteen years old at the time.

Moreover, I love the fact that she was a very smart girl. Sienna was the one who came up with the idea on how to survive after they dropped from the PsyNet. I really like Sienna even though I don't know her really well. Maybe because we are of the same age? Many female main characters that plagued the young adult world have a cardboard as a personality (hello there, Bella Swan), whiny and have an obsession with a guy who wants to murder them/a 100 years old stalker/plain jerk. (cough*Patch*cough*) I guess I'm just thrill to read about a young heroine who is strong, powerful, feisty and possesses a big heart - in adult paranormal romance no less. I adore it! Thanks Nalini Singh for respecting girls my age enough to create a young female character who is smart and admirable which is something many young adult authors have failed to do.

Hawke, on the other hand... well, he's Hawke. The SnowDancer's alpha. Nuff said. I just would like to drool from here on.

*goes back to a limped starfish doubling in pain*

Read excerpt here.