"The psy-changelings' lives are at stake when a new darkness threatens to overpower and eliminate them. In a destabilized world with countless lives at stake, two people defined by their aloneness must stand together to stave off ultimate destruction.
Does Nalini Singh write anything that *isn’t* epic? Last Guard was an exquisite slow burn romance that also had a wildly exciting plot about ongoing issues with the PsyNet ... If you’ve been following the Psy-Changeling series, which is now into book five of the Trinity (altogether for the series I believe it’s twenty books total), this was a pretty thrilling installment ... For some reason–and it’s probably just me–it took a couple of chapters to get my head in the game and feel like I was immersed in the story the way Singh’s usually do for me. But once I was there, I couldn’t get enough…especially of Canto and Payal. Sigh ... if you’re looking for a paranormal romance with splashes of science fiction (and even some nosy bear shifters!) Last Guard will be keeper shelf material.
In a society obsessed with genetic perfection, any difference is a cause for concern. In the midst of a gorgeous love story about childhood friends reunited, Nalini Singh’s 'Last Guard beautifully depicts both the perils of that obsession and its alternative: a world in which difference can be strength ... The eventual reunion of these two souls would be more than enough to sustain any novel. But Singh also seamlessly intertwines wonderfully precise discussions of disability into Canto and Payal’s evolution from childhood friend to adult lovers. Ableism is not just challenged; it’s trounced as Canto and Payal talk candidly about the tools and adaptations they use to survive and thrive. Last Guard also goes deep on efforts to save the crumbling PsyNet, the psychic network in which Canto and Payal play an essential role, so while strongly recommended for its life-affirming love story, Last Guard is best enjoyed if readers are already fully immersed in Singh’s Psy-Changeling lore. For readers with a firm grounding in the previous books, however, slipping back into the Psy-Changeling world in Last Guard will feel like coming home.
Ms. Singh does an amazing job of world building. All the intricate little pieces of politics, culture and history that make up this universe are juggled to perfection, serving as an ideal background to the love story ... My one quibble with the tale is that a lot of what we read here is very familiar. The Psy Net has been failing for the last several books and it seems like we are regularly discovering a new designation that is vital to its existence. This book is still great, but the plot feels a tiny bit well worn ... Regardless of that flaw, a wonderful love story and the continuing build-up of the Psy-Changeling world make Last Guard a must read for fans of the series.
