Mine to Possess (Psy-Changelings, Book 4)

"Slave to Sensation", book one, set the romance world on fire with a unique, new element in a genre rife with emotions - a race with the potential for cool, icy, emotionless precision, the Psy. Their counterparts are the animalistic and earthier Changelings, packs and herds of men and women that take on the forms of wolves, leopards, deer and much more than we could imagine. Now Singh brings mere humans into the fold. Are they just the worker bees of her futuristic society, or do they hold the key to so much more?

Clay Bennet is barely holding on. He's dangerously close to going rogue, even within the confines a loving and healthy pack - the San Francisco DarkRiver leopards. Too tangled in a tragic past, it eats at him still. The slaying of a depraved monster may have seen the streets rid of one more evil, but it cost Clay his freedom and the person he cared more about than anything. When he finds out she's dead, well, Clay no longer had a reason to be good himself.

Talin McKade vowed to stay away from the man who used to be her best friend. An act of violence, born of violence, triggered her flight and fear didn't allow her close...till violence once again brought her full circle to the one person she always wanted to count on. It's her job to see that children like she had been have a chance at a better life. And when her kids start dying, she takes a wild card from the past, hoping Clay will help her solve the mystery. Little did she know, once marked by a leopard, there's no going back.

What was interesting about Clay and Talin's relationship is how seamlessly it's integrated into the storyline in this installment. Actually, Singh does this extremely well in each book, the marriage of the love story with the overall plot, but the way it was done in "Mine to Possess" was just flawless! The events unfolding weren't just happening to and around the main characters, they were happening because of them and vice versa. Take one of them away from the other and suddenly neither will make sense. Everything happening in these books is happening for a reason and there's not an ounce of fat in the mix. "Mine to Possess" is perhaps the most integral book of the series to date. Not only does it reach all the way back to "Slave to Sensation" (book one) and reinforce what we found out there, but it seems to be a major turning point in the Changling struggles against the more insidious Psy Council. So, it is heavy on info, but you'll find no dumping of it here. I believe we're getting what we do because it's vital, necessary and the right time in the series. Beware, there is some rather shocking violence in this one as we continue to discover just how ruthless and cold the Psy are (though it's not portrayed as graphically as, say, a horror piece), but Clay and Talin's relationship, to me, never got dragged under because of it, but actually shone brighter because the dilemmas actually made them come together, closer than they'd ever been before. It helped them, sometimes forced them, to come to terms and I just don't think that anything happening less plot-wise would have enabled that transformation in their conflict better, but hindered it instead or made it seem unbelievable. I loved the way they came together and how they came to terms with their interwoven past. Hands down, this is my favorite book of the series to date, as well as my favorite couple. The next book is titled "Hostage to Pleasure" about DarkRiver sentinal Dorian.

A lifetime ago, Changeling Clay Bennett lost his freedom, as well as the only girl he loved. Although both were children at the time, his leopard knew his mate when it saw her. But a cruel twist of fate tore them apart, and when Clay was finally freed, he learned that young Talin had died years earlier.

Now a DarkRiver Sentinel, he has made a home with the powerful pack in San Francisco, but his beast walks a fine line between sanity and insanity, threatening the loss of his humanity. When Talin McKade turns up not only alive, but in need of his aid, he finds his salvation. Her presence stirs emotions he thought long forsaken to him and the leopard in him demands to take its mate.

But Talin has been damaged, scarred by the tragedies in her past and their shared history. Clay must tread carefully if he is to convince his mate that they belong together.

Through it all, Talin and Clay work together to save the children that have gone missing, only to have their bodies turn up later, gruesomely battered. The truth behind the murders is even more diabolical than they could imagine.

With the very first book in her Psy-Changeling series, Nalini Singh made this reviewer an instant fan! With seemingly effortless world building, she crafted a fascinating universe that is part science fiction, part paranormal, and part suspense - three genres that happen to be among my favorites. Yet through each book, she has kept the romance first and foremost, with stories that never fail to capture the hearts of the reader even as the hero and heroine are finding love with one another.

Mine to Possess exemplifies this perfectly. With Clay Bennett and Talin McKade, Ms. Singh delivers a couple with a long and tormented history. Although separated years earlier, their love for each other never wavered, and each of them do whatever they believe necessary to protect the other at all costs.

From the very beginning, the author engenders empathy for both of the main characters, as well as a feeling of familiarity. Of course, we have met Clay previously in the earlier books, even if we didn't get to know him intimately. Talin, however, is a stranger to us when the story begins, but she somehow never really feels like one. Indeed, from page one, I wanted to know this woman, discover where she had come from, what she was doing there, and most importantly - why she was watching Clay.

When we really get to know Talin, we find a woman who is courageous and caring, despite her troubled past and a bleak future. She'll do anything for the people she cares about, even at her own expense - much to Clay's dismay and utter frustration.

Of course, Clay shares the very qualities that so worry him in Talin. Being a hero, it is only natural that he prefers to be the one who takes all the risks while the woman he loves is safe and sound at home. Even still, Clay respects the woman that Talin has grown into and it isn't long before he realizes he loves here even more now than he did when they were children.

As fans have come to expect with Singh's Psy-Changeling saga, there is a very intriguing suspense woven throughout Mine to Possess, and our intrepid couple will stop at nothing to solve it before it is too late. Easier said than done. Although their immediate mission is, of course, successful in the end, the ongoing story arc continues as the Psy threat to humanity and Changelings alike grows even more.

Anyone who enjoys a well-written paranormal romance will love not only Mine to Possess, but the entire Psy-Changeling series. Bear in mind that with the continuing storylines that span the books, they are best read in series order, with the exception of the novella Beat of Temptation published in the anthology An Enchanted Season. That story is a prequel and can easily be read out of order. If you are new to the series, be sure to buy all of them at once. Once you get started, you won't want to stop reading this series until you've reached the last one!

Series Order:
[[ASIN:0425212866 Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1)]]
[[ASIN:042521575X Visions of Heat (Psy-Changelings, Book 2)]]
[[ASIN:B000UZQHE8 Caressed By Ice]]
[[ASIN:0425220168 Mine to Possess (Psy-Changelings, Book 4)]]

Connected Stories:
[[ASIN:042521785X An Enchanted Season]]

As children Clay and Talin find one another in a time when they hunger for some warmth and compassion in their lives. Both have family that traumatizes them on an emotional level and forges a bond between them that can never truly be broken. But the fierce protectiveness of Clay roars in fury when he senses the pain of his Tally inflicted on her by her adoptive father and when the fury at last subsides he is soaked in blood looking at the face of Tally whom is in shock of what Clay did.

Now, about 20 years later, Talin needs Clay again in the search of kids who've gone missing, not just any kids, her kids. She is now a Shine Guardian who protects and guides kids from the street in to a normal life and when a few under her care end up dead pain lacerates through her and she will not rest until their murders are solved. With another teenager whom is still missing Talin hopes to prevent his death and she will need Clay as a DarkRiver Sentinel to aid her in her quest.

As they both meet for the first time old pain, old feelings and old memories drift to the surface and the bond forged between their hearts so long ago slowly flickers to life. Still Clay can't ignore the cat inside him nor can Talin ignore the violence she witnessed so long ago or the lifespan she has left. Together they start a journey to seek the truth and rescue a teenager whose life still holds so much promise. And when Clay introduces Talin to the DarkRiver pack in order to protect her they hold a chance in their hands to become true mates.

But when one knows so much of darkness can one dare to touch the light?

I'm awestruck by the raw intensity of this novel and I almost feel the urge to flash a warning signal that before starting in a Psy-Changeling novel of Nalini Singh you better have food, drinks and a comfortable place to snuggle yourself in because you aren't going anywhere before reading Mine To Possess from first till last chapter. For me Nalini Singh takes the shapeshifter theme to a whole new level and draws me effortlessly into another world of the Psy-Changeling. Though I haven't read the previous novels I know where I'm heading off to!

Clay and Talin are childhood friends and that time is beautifully captured by the author in memories of feelings, events and actions they have as adults. The unraveling of all those feelings and of their actions they've taking after a certain moment in their life sometimes had the impact of a sledge hammer, that is how intense I felt them, felt with them as both children and adults. Trying to find their way back to that unique, trusting and loving bond that can make you survive almost anything. Clay and Talin are a dynamic love couple whom sizzle with a passionate nature and came alive through the impeccable writing skill Nalini Singh possesses.

The DarkRiver pack leaped of the pages with its colorful characters and I just fell in love with the animalistic characterization of the Changelings. Clay is part human, part leopard changeling, the coexistence and sometimes struggle between those two sides in him is so life like told it gave his emotions all the more impact and authenticity making him all the more real to me. With this I could also empathize with, and understand Talin with her emotions and reactions to certain events even better. I felt that all the elements in this story flawlessly fits together in to a riveting romance story and for me, with that, it unexpectedly turned out to be such a gripping reading experience that it leaves me satisfied and closing the book with a fulfilled sigh.

I think that you will even appreciate Mine To Possess more, if this is possible, when you've read the previous three novels in this Psy/Changeling series, reoccurring characters do show up and the plot does show signs that it finds its origin in another novel, I experienced this almost solely with the Psy world and its plans with the Implant Protocol. I also was on the edge of my seat plot wise, slowly Nalini Singh revealed it all and had some cutting edge moments making my heart skip a beat in relief. The Psy with their world and plans makes me root for every victory on them, because what would the world be without emotions, without passion or love, without all the good and bad things to feel, to learn from it and grow. The author created a very believable race with the Psy as she adds layers to their plans and ended this novel with a certain revelation I appreciated and was intrigued by its possibilities.

What a wild ride Mine To Possess turned out to be and I reveled in it until I closed the book with contentment and knowing I have another series to add to my bookshelves as Nalini Singh became an instant favorite author of mine.

Reviewed by Leontine
Courtesy of Realms on our Bookshelves

This is the fourth in Nalini Singh's series of books about the world of the Psy, Changelings and Humans. The first two books "Slave to Sensation" and "Visions of Heat" featured Psy women who escaped from the world of Mr Spock-like emotionless after finding their mates amongst the Changelings big cats. The third book, "Caressed by Ice", took Werewolf Brenna as the heroine and Psy assassin Judd as the hero. This fourth book is the first that introduces a human as one of the main subjects - Talin McKay. Tally is a social worker whose troubled childhood still haunts her - as did her only real friend in her youth, Clay. Clay is a Leopard Changeling and when he killed Tally's abusive foster father and went to prison for the crime Tally disappeared from his life, requesting that he be told she had died in a car accident.

However when some of the children Tally oversees go missing and then are found dead she realises that she needs assistance to get to the bottom of the disappearances and her former friend Clay, now an important person in the DarkRiver Pack, can help. The Clay she knew as a young boy has changed into a wild and dangerous man of whom she is initially afraid. When Clay brings Tally back to his pack and she starts to interact with the others they work together to find out what's happened to the young people and it's a race against time to rescue young Jon before he is killed. But can Clay and Tally get past the issues of mistrust and abandonment of the previous twenty years in order to find their friendship again - and perhaps more?

The characters in the previous books all appear in this one, along with a couple of new characters who will probably feature in future books. Once again Nalini Singh has written a tightly-plotted and enjoyable book with her alternative world with the Psy/Changeling/Human triumvirate taking on a new twist. As with the previous three books much of the romance between hero and heroine is based on physical touch, 'skin privileges', and although Tally isn't Psy she is a damaged young woman because of her past. I wonder what the author would do if one of her characters didn't mind touch as that's such a part of her writing style! She wrote the character of Clay very well as a part-animal, part human and a frightening but also loyal and reliable man. Tally wasn't always as easy to get a handle on and the underlying thread of her illness was dealt with in a rather easy way. Still, like the other books in the series, this was a worthwhile read and I look forward to the next book.

I had heard some good rumblings about this author so I picked up Mine to Possess thinking I had found an exciting new paranormal series to fall into. Well, the plot's origin is strong; however, if I don't connect with the characters, the story is not enjoyable.

I really disliked the heroine of this book, Talin. She treated Clay with fear and contempt through most of the book; she was selfish, shrill, and mired in the past, not someone you would want to be mated to for life. It was cruel that she let Clay believe she was dead for two decades, after he killed to protect her from an abusive foster father. But of course, when she needed those animal instincts to use for her own means, she had no problem coming back from the dead to enlist his help. Clay certainly deserved better than this bratty woman-child.

Also, Talin's sordid past was a huge turn off for me, the way she dealt with sexual abuse was entirely cliche. For the record, most abuse victims do not resort to rampant promiscuity to deal with their pain.

Unfortunately, since I started this series with Mine to Posses, I am not inclined to read any of the earlier books. Maybe I will pick the first few up from the library, but I don't plan to spend anymore money on this series or this author.

I love this series of books by Nalini Singh. This one is wonderful and I can hardly wait for the next one. I particularly like the warmth and substance she brings to her characters. These are not cardboard people but fully fleshed out individuals who have deep loves and haunting fears. Clay has been one of the darker characters and now we know why.

Clay is a sentinal for the Dark River cats, he has made a place for himself because of his loyalty and honor and trustworthyness. Protectiveness is hardwired into his system. He joined the clan after he was released from juvie. He has been a trusted member for 16 yrs.

Talin was 3 when she first met Clay and he was only 9. They lived in a project and he was her protector. Ultimately he killed her foster father who had been molesting her. Due to the fact that the foster father had murdered several other children, Clay was only sent to juvie until he reached 18. At which time he was told Talin was dead.

Now Talin needs Clay to help find one of the children she mentors for the Shine Project. Several children have disappeared and been found murdered. Talin comes to Clay in desperation, she has no one she trusts, she was very damaged by all the things that happened and is unable to trust anyone.

Needless to say Clay is stunned to find her alive and even more angry to find he was lied to about her death. He must fight the anger if he is to save the kids who are threatened by this elusive danger. He and Talin must fight through the deciets, secrets and misunderstandings if they are to have any chance to find the love they once knew as children. The love that may now change to a more passionate type.

I loved the book. Do not miss it and be sure to find her other novels about the Changlings, Human, and Psy. Good Reading.

Nalini Singh has shot to the very tippy-top of my author auto-buy list with her latest novel, Mine to Possess.

Clay Bennett, a leopard changeling and a DarkRiver Sentinel, has intrigued me ever since he was introduced to us in Slave to Sensation. His exotic looks of coco skin and dark hair provided a perfect backdrop to showcase his intensely green eyes. While his dark exterior conveyed his mood and monosyllable speech told the world to back off; something just grabbed me from that very fist moment and never let go.

Clay's pain, we learn, is rooted in his self proclaimed failure to save his childhood friend, Talin McCade, from the horrible torture inflicted upon her by her stepfather. These glimpses into the past are laden with darkness yet the light of the friendship that Clay and Talin shared during their childhood was beautiful. It made you root from them, for their love, even when the future, so tainted by the blood of the past, made that love seem impossible.

Talin McCade, seemingly back from the dead, needs Clay's help to find her missing children that are disappearing off the streets. A Guardian of the Shine Foundation, Talin is a social worker for orphaned children. Her love and possessiveness of these children remind me of Changeling Pack, and their fierce protectiveness of their own. This trait immediately bonded me to Talin. This same possessiveness is projected on Clay from the start. God help any other woman who looks in his direction with anything more than civility. Although she is terrified of Clay she sucks up her pride and asks for his help. Clay can no more say no to Talin than he could stop the rain. Although he is furious over her secrets he still intends to help Talin and ultimately make her his in every changeling way.

I particularly loved all the scenes and dialogue devoted to Clay and Talin. Since Silence was not an issue here, Clay could immediately become possessive. From the very first page, we are alone with them together and silently offering encouragement while they battle to rise above the blood of the past and love each other without pain or punishment. The heat between the two was tangible and the love scenes were hot and emotionally intense.

The entire novel is peppered with cameos from our other beloved mated couples. Judd seems to have thawed out more while Faith is still learning to understand her emotions. Her protectiveness of Clay was really sincere and an interesting catalyst in regards to Talin understanding the depths of her feelings. Sascha's development was the most intriguing. She has really become `human' and out of all the changelings and Phy additions to the DarkRiver and SnowDancer packs, Talin, a human, related to her the most. We also got to see a lot of Dorian which sets up his story, Hostage to Pleasure, in the fall of 2008.

This addition to Ms. Singh's Phy/Changeling series was superb. The depth and clarity she brought the characters was truly awe inspiring. Mine to Possess now resides peacefully on my Keeper Shelf beside the first three novels in the series. I'll be waiting impatiently for her next.

The 5th book in the Psy/Changeling series by Nalini Singh (I'm including her short story) has finally reached my sunny shores. I have to be honest and say that going into this book I was very nervous. In all of the previous novels we have only heard about Clay, the main character, in asides. He has always been referred to as angry, and I guess I never really thought I'd like his story. So when I had the opportunity to read an ARC of the novel Mine to possess I was worried this might be my first bad review for Nalini.

Clay, a mature predatory Leopard Changeling belonging to the Dark River pack, is holding onto a deep anger that is starting to threaten his life. He once lost a woman that meant everything to him and then lost his freedom. Talin is a woman who has never finished dealing with her heart wrenching and dangerous childhood. The only constant at the time was her best friend and protector now known as Dark River's sentinel Clay.

After a parting of almost 2 decades they meet again. But Tally hasn't found Clay to attempt a reunion. She's there for help and has finally decided that the only person who can help her is the only friend she has ever had. He's strong and dangerous in his own right Tally knows that Clay will do all he can to help...if she can convince him. But once she starts to get to know Clay again she begins to realise that not falling for him is going to be the hardest part.

Like Nalini's other novels she develops an emotional and engaging story that I found hard to put down. I did feel that though there was definite climax to the story, there wasn't a lot of emotional climax. This doesn't mean that the novel doesn't keep you emotionally involved, it will, and it strikes lots of sparks, but it doesn't have the same emotional punch that some of the others have. On the other hand Nalini is one of the only authors that can make me cry like a girl and then again when I think about it later, so I think my bar on emotional involvement from Nalini is WAY too high.

The story allows for readers to revisit favourite characters again through the strong pack ties that the changelings hold to each other. Unlike many other novels, Nalini does this so that the other parts of the story in no way outweigh the main characters development. This novel also develops some new characters who I hope we'll have the opportunity to see more of. We also see more of the council and the Psy net. We also finally get to witness the goings on in the human world and just quietly, they aren't quite as helpless as I thought.

This book is a wonderful read. It makes me want the next one already. Nalini has woven a story that just makes the world she has created more developed and interesting without feeling strained or heavy on the information.

I reeeeeally wanted to love this book. I've been a big fan of the changeling series so far and was looking forward to Clay's book. However, my dislike for the heroine, Tally, made it so much less enjoyable than i was hoping for. I just found her whiny and very selfish. i kept trying to like her but found myself yelling for her to get over it already time and time again. I think Clay deserved a better mate than he got. Otherwise, the story was well written and i'm looking forward to the next in the series and hoping i like ashaya better than i did Tally.

Unlike the first three this book was a bit of a struggle for me, for a couple of reasons.
So as ambiguously as possible..(if you havent read any of the earlier books there may be spoilers)
This book had the potential to be stellar, but it just didn't live up to that potential at all.
Clay and Talin knew each when they were children. When we are given the impression Clay fell in love with her but didnt realize it, hence the reason he's been unable to find happiness since her death (or the belief of her death)
Nalini Singh unfortunately seemed to have written herself into a corner with their past translating into a future though, as it can very difficult to convey chemistry when a character is as damaged as Talin is.
Partially because of her past, and partially because...well frankly she's a little mental, Talin doesn't know what she wants but that doesnt stop her from punishing Clay for not knowing either. Ms. Singh really tries to sell us on how spunky Talin is in Clay's eyes (Clay says it constantly...really) but she writes her as anything but.
Clay...oh Clay what happened to you? You had so much dark potential. So much hurt and smoldering anger that needed to be healed. You deserved more. And you should know that. And you could use some sensitivity training on dealing with victims of abuse too.
As sad as it sounds. Faith makes a better friend, than Talin does a mate.
The one thing I do adore about these books is that the supporting characters are often just stellar. And it is a real joy to be able to follow some of the earlier stories in snippets. Sasha being so accepted by the pack. Faith having such a strong, protective friendship with Clay. And Tammy just being the totally kick butt, mother earth, wise, healer that she is.
Unfortunately when the book ended I was left with too many loose ends that had either been tied up too hastily or just dropped and I was left scratching my head going Huh? The secondary story seems thrown in more to advance future plotlines than anything else, and it does that wonderfully. I did Kindle up The next book as soon as I finished this one..so it wasn't a complete loss.
So while I do recommend reading it (mostly for everyone else's story than for Clay and Talin's) just don't go in hoping for love stories on par with the previous ones.