A review by lucy_qhuay
Shards of Hope (Psy-Changeling, #14) by Nalini Singh

5.0

And Aden's time finally came. Loved it!

I gotta say that his and Zaira's journey was as difficult as I had predicted. Even more so.

I knew just by the way Aden took care of Vasic and refused to let him give up entirely on life that he wasn't Silent and when Nalini told us Zaira was it for him, I just knew he would have to fight like hell for his chance at love and happiness.

And fight he did. For the Squad, for him, for Zaira, for them both. The hardest battle, though, was against Zaira herself.

He had to make her see that he wouldn't ever let her go and that he believed she was strong enough to fight the 'madness' within in order to be with him.

Zaira was one of the most tortured heroines I've ever read about. She had a horrible childhood, being caged and tortured to the point of breaking by her psychopathic parents and, as such, she had to learn how to protect herself the best she could.

In a sense, she became one with the darkness and it became a living, breathing entity inside her, making her a little mad. That's why she sometimes fell into bloodthirsty rages, especially when those she loved were threatened.

Curiously, I saw her kinda as a female version of Kaleb. He too had to face the same darkness in his childhood, and it eventually became a part of him that he will never lose.

Those two will never be like Aden and Sahara. They will always need someone to guide them, to be a moral compass, to teach them how to be a little more human. That doesn't mean they don't have morals or that they are psychopaths. It just means emotions and morals don't come easily to them.

I really thought Aden and Zaira made sense in a beautiful way. They were two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, making a whole together.

I loved Aden from the moment I got to know him. His love for Vasic was what got me first, but then I saw he cares for every single member of the Arrow Squad, no exceptions, and I was a goner.

I also love his dedication, strength, courage and intelligence, but above all, I love his big heart.

He truly is a person who makes the world better and like Zaira said, I just know he is meant to lead the world into a new dawn. It's his destiny.

That's why I'm so happy he has Zaira and vice versa. He's her anchor, giving her love and stability when everything seems to be falling apart and she's his pillar, the one always there for him, putting him first, making him stronger.

Well done, Nalini! Can't wait to see what you have in store for us in the future! :D

(P.S. These two are definitely in the podium with Sascha & Lucas and Vasic & Ivy. I guess it's time to admit I'm partial to Psy, particularly Arrows. ;P )