Nalini Singh never disappoints. This is one of my favorite series. I’ll be sad when it eventually ends. In this 5th installment, we get a Psy-Psy romance between Payal Rao and Canto Mercant.

Singh is fantastic at pairing her characters together. Each romance is well-written, and the characters complement each other. Canto and Payal’s romance was super sweet and heartwarming. They knew each other when they were little, and Payal actually saved Canto’s life. It was fun getting to see the flashbacks to when they were kids. Those scenes really showed how much of an impact they had on each other when they were younger.

Canto’s relationship with the bears warmed my heart! I adore the bears. Their cameos made me so happy! Another thing I really loved about this book is that there is some disability rep in here! Canto is in a wheelchair.

I really enjoyed Last Guard! If you’re a fan of this series and Nalini Singh, then you won’t be disappointed.

Canto and Payal are Psy and have both been abused as children at a school. The two are anchors in the PsyNet that help to keep others alive. Payal has a brother that is a psychopath and loves to torture people. Her father murdered her older brother as he was deemed deficient. Canto is part of the Mercant family and in a wheel chair. Lucky for him he is talented like other members of his family. The Psy are a sad, tortured race but also very strong in spirit. I recommend reading this series in order to understand the complex world of the Psy-Changeling people.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley and am leaving a review.

Last Guard completely focuses on the Psy and their struggle to maintain the PsyNet. It is the importance of the Anchors and their part in holding the PsyNet together that we explore. This designation has not had a lot of page time so they are brought to the forefront just in time. Cantos Merchant has been trying to pull together a group of Anchors to get more focus on them and what their part is and how they can help Caleb and the Arrows keep the PsyNet from falling apart.

I am going to go insane trying to figure out who the Architect is and just who/what these "children" of hers are. Besides the romance, the story continues with the struggle on the PsyNet with just little tidbits of how the Architect is orchestrating it. She seems to think that all is going well with her plan while each of the attempts on the PsyNet gets foiled. That is what confuses me. If those attacks were hers, you would think she would be more upset when the Trinity figures out a way to plug the holes. I can't wait to find out more about this character and how her plan progresses.

Canto and Payal share a similar experience as children and developed a bond. Then they were separated. Canto spent many years trying to find Payal, not even knowing her name. His searches have always failed, which is a hard thing to accept for a Mercant. But then he comes face to face with Payal and they are both taken back to their time in a special school. Cantos was rescued by his Mercant family, while Payal grew up getting progressively more emotionless and ruthless. The risks of Payal taking down her shields is life threatening as that is what keeps her safe from her father and brother. Canto and Payal's relationship faces many hurdles until they can finally, safely be together. Most of the issues are from Payal's side as she deals with her part in rescuing the PsyNet, her dependency on what she needs from her father, a psychotic brother, keeping her sister safe and then her emerging emotions. Canto is so patient and is determined to be with her every step of the way to save herself.

I enjoyed the couple's relationship. The flashbacks to when they were young helps solidify how they needed to depend on each other. I was somewhat hesitant about how Payal was handling all the things in her life. Being robotic is certainly one way, but I didn't really understand why she did not investigate some things in her life further. Mainly that thing Payal's father was holding over her head. Knowing her family, she should not have trusted in anything either her father or brother told her.

Last Guard was another great installment in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series and with all of the open plots, will keep me anxious for the next book.

The fall of Silence meant certain freedom for Psy. A freedom many never knew or expected they'd achieve. But just because Silence fell doesn't negate the need for the PsyNet. Unfortunately even before the fall of Silence the PsyNet was dying. Now, it's almost on it's final leg, being held up by scraps by Anchors (Designation A). The As have been a silent support for the PsyNet since the beginning but their penchant for staying in the background is no longer working.

Enter Payal Rao a prominent member and CEO of the Rao family. Many know her to be cold as ice and formed from stone which will work well when the As demand entry into the Ruling Coalition. Truth is, Payal has had to form walls around herself otherwise she risks being more damaged by her father and psychopathic older brother than she already was in early childhood. But when Canto Mercant contacts her about being the face and and name of designation A, Payal is intrigued by the fellow A.

Canto Mercant is part of one of the most revered Psy families in existence. They are extremely loyal to each other and crossing a Mercant is pretty much equal to being shunned in the Psy community. They have long memories and never forget those who've done them wrong. Canto works mainly in gathering the intelligence that the family is known for. But he's also a hub-A which means he is responsible for holding up a large portion of the PsyNet. He recognizes the problems are coming to a head sooner rather than later. He knows Payal will be the perfect representation for the As, but if he's being honest there's something that draws him to Payal.

When they meet face to face they both realize they share a connection formed in blood.

I have to say Last Guard is one of my favorites of this new(er) Psy-Changeling storylines. I like that this one focuses on the Psy as it's been awhile since we've had a Psy-centered book. The past couple of books, I haven't really felt a connection to the characters. But this time around I think with Canto being a Mercant he was a little more of a known subject, if that makes sense. Anyone who hass been reading this series for a while now will know the Mercants have been weaved in and out of storylines for quite sometime and I think there's just a familiarity with their family but also still a certain mysteriousness that makes me want to know more about this family that, even during the coldness of Silence, kept this bond and loyalty within their unit.

I also was very interested in the Anchors. I honestly can't recall if we've ever had mention of the A designation before which kind of plays well into the idea of this group being kept in the shadows of the PsyNet. I loved how Nalini Sing keeps on weaving these layers together within this world. It's quite a feat for such a long running series to continue to find new niches of information.

I also loved Payal and Canto's connection, despite the fact that it's formed out of some very dark and traumatizing times in their lives. But I loved the idea of them being each other's person and learning, especially in Payal's case, to trust. Even though we haven't really met Payal before this, you can feel the isolation she's created for herself out of a sense of self-preservation and it's extremely satisfying to see her open herself up to someone. I kind of wish we had more time with Payal after certain revelations so we can experience her growth a bit more. I liked how Nalini Singh has made Payal into an almost mirror image of Kalen Krychek. Kaleb and Payal have one of my favorite moments in the entire story and the moment I read it I knew it was going to stick with me.

The PsyChangeling series (as well as Nalini Singh's other series) has always been a well of diversity. Last Guard continues this, however, I feel like it's the first time we've seen a neurodivergent character (Payal) and a character with a physical disability (Canto) where we it's pretty much spelled out in no uncertain terms. Not that it was previously skated around, but I think it's the idea that the Psy are supposed to be perfect. They are not supposed to have flaws (hence the adoption of Silence), and any flaws would be hidden otherwise the Psy, for lack of a better word, like to silence the flaws in their genes. I think with the fall of Silence we'll start to see characters who are more open to showing these other types of diversity and I think it's great that we'll get to incorporate that more into the series.

What kind of didn't work for me was the fact that there was a lot to unpack here. With the As, the ongoing problems with the still-unknown Architect, Canto and Payal's relationship, and with Payal's history/family there were often times I felt the build up did not really meet the payoff. I liked the majority of the aspects of the story both individually and together, but wish Nalini Singh had maybe pared down some of the conflicts in order to give the rest a good time to flourish and have a satisfying resolution.

Overall, one of my favorite within the new cycle of the PsyChangeling world. Each entry raises the stakes for the next and this time around I feel like we're possibly heading into a big confrontation with the main villain of this spinoff.

I didn't think I could love this series more until Nalini gave me a Filipino male lead and a female version of Kaleb Krychek. I don't mind that the Filipino parent is a piece of doodoo only that he existed and coming from a best-selling author that's plenty. Also, everyone who has read my reviews knows that Kaleb is my favorite Psy-Changeling character ever and Heart of Obsidian is my favorite book of the series. I have it in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. With Kaleb's multiple appearances and story similarities to HoO, Last Guard already deserves a high rating from me. The clever expansion of the world-building, the awesome diversity/representation/inclusion of characters and plotlines, the uniqueness of the names--Canto and Payal, the strength of the character development, the sweetness of the romance, and the BEARS put it in the five-star category.

As with all the Psy books and her fabulous Guild Hunters, LAST GUARD is filled with raw emotion, action, danger, drama, and some touches of humor and a romance that will have you sighing. The flow of words is such that you, the reader, will not realize how much time has sped by as you become lost in this amazing world.

Reviewed by Annetta Sweetko for fresh Fiction

Complete review: https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=74602

Another winner in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series by Nalini Singh. The Psy and the failing PsyNet are front and center in this newest installment and readers will meet Payal Rao and Canto Mercant, two Hub-Anchors who have a history that will bring them together.

This book reminded me quite a bit of Heart of Obsidian, which is a very, very good thing. Payal and Canto met as children when they were both rejected by their families and sent to a "school" for the Psy. They protected each other in that horrible place and even through the many years never forgot one another. When Canto aims to bring Anchors together to save the PsyNet he reaches out to Payal Rao, the cold CEO of one of the Psy's most powerful families, not knowing that she is also that little girl who saved his life so many years ago.

This couple was wonderful. Payal is so cold at first, but gradually opening up when she realizes Canto will always be her safe place and Canto who is passionate and loyal, supportive and strong, willing to do whatever he must to have this woman forever.

This story is full of wonderful secondary characters. I think I love the Mercants just as much as I do the bears. The worldbuilding is opened up even more with the addition of the Anchor designation and Payal now sitting on the Council. I look forward to seeing where this series goes next.

Final grade- B+

I adored this book, adored the pairing between the two Psy anchors who had such a loaded history between them. The neurodivergent rep and the disability rep were both perfect and this has now become one of my favorite books in this long running series.

Full review at smexybooks.com

Two powerful, damaged Psy and the others of their hidden psychic designation are holding the Psy net together by a thread. They have a connection that extends into the past and connects them even now, but is it enough when they are so damaged.

Last Guard is the fifth of the Psy-Changeling’s second season and twentieth of the overall Psy-Changeling series. Though paranormal romance, each book connects tightly with series arcs and character relationships so they work best read in order.

Last Guard introduces two relatively new Psy characters and a Psy designation that hasn’t been in the forefront before. Canto Mercant was a minor character in previous books with the rest of his family, but it was fabulous to get his backstory and have him sharing the stage with strong and sometimes ruthless and cold, Payal Rao, the CEO of her family’s business empire.

Payal and Canto share a history back to childhood that makes all the difference in the world when it is time for Canto to pull the Anchors together when their need for representation on the Ruling Coalition and their work in the Psy net has reached critical mass. There was suspense of how this pair would even have a relationship with all they had against them, but also how the mysterious Architect and those acting with her could be thwarted before they destroyed the Net and the ongoing work of all the major players in the Psy race keeping the Net from utterly unraveling and killing them all.

There were so many moving parts in this one and yet the pace remained steady and the development of all aspects of the book pitch perfect. Not one part of the book didn’t fail to captivate, but I confess to loving most all the shared time between Canto and Payal as he carefully brought her to life, showed her that she was valued as more than a money-making machine, and helped her heal from the abuse and damage her psychotic father and brother had done and were doing to her. Payal is fiercely strong- amazingly so- considering she has been abused and controlled all her life. Canto is possibly the only person who can get through to her where she hides behind high, thick walls of self-protection and her off the charts Telekinetic talent. He needed someone who could see past his physical challenges and the wheel chair while she needed someone who saw the wild broken girl inside and still loved her.

I do enjoy seeing the Ruling Coalition all working together and what Canto and the other A designation types brought to the table. The Architect is brilliant and insane and each installment brings things closer to a confrontation. The tension is taunt and each book leaves things on a high note while letting a few threads dangle enticingly for the next book. From world to characters to sexy, smart romances, and riveting suspense plots, there is so much to love about this series and I can heartily recommend it to paranormal romance fans.

This is an excellent installment in the series, and fans of it should enjoy it. I liked the use of an Indian setting for the first time.

She was a powerful TK, the face of the Rao corporation out of India. He was a shadow behind the powerful Mercant family grandson to THE Mercant. They've survived a brutal childhood, their bond forged in blood and tears where they only knew each other as a number.  Together they have the power to change their world. What an exciting new chapter in the series where we get to catch up with some of our favorite characters, enjoy a few laughs with the bears and welcome a new dawn in the Psy-changeling world. 
Payal definitely knows how to maintain the icy façade of the silent but inside she is a screaming mess that only one person can calm. The treacherous Rao family is the stuff of nightmares and it's a wonder that Payal has survived them with her inner sweetness intact. She's a powerful anchor and it's a pleasure to see her hold her own against the likes of Nikita and Kaleb.  Her façade is perfect that even the formidable Ena Mercant cannot penetrate it.  
Canto has never been silent but hidden as a shadow within the folds of the powerful Mercant family his secrets are safe. He seeks out Payal to be the Anchor spokesperson little realizing that she is the 3K whom he has been searching for all his life after they were brutally separated. Living on the periphery of bear territory readers get the benefit of the bear visits especially the lost little baby bear. If you hadn't fallen in love with the bears already you'll definitely succumb this time around. 
All of the books in this series are compellingly different making one wonder where Ms. Singh finds her characters and plot lines but this one is probably one of the best.  The Psynet is crumbling and the fate of the psy people is in jeopardy plus you have the scarab weaving her own plot to take control of what would be left of the Psynet.  When all seems lost can Payal and Canto help bring hope of a brighter future?Can't wait to see what happens next!

I received a copy of this book for review from NetGalley. I'm starting to think that Nalini Singh can do no wrong, and this book continues that streak. Last Guard was emotionally wrenching, and both main characters were deeply scarred by their mutual childhood traumas. They each learned to deal with their scars in a different way, and watching them learn to connect and help each other was satisfying. While not as funny as some of the earlier books in the series, there were still a few moments of levity to break up the action. The action sequences were interesting, and this felt like a good continuation of the overarching story arc.
The only caveat to this book is that it is the latest in a long-running series, and it reads as a continuation of that series, rather than a stand-alone book. While I don't think you would be completely lost if you read it as a stand-alone, you'd be missing most of the background and world-building. This is a complex world, filled with a huge host of recurring characters, and the glimpses that this can afford you of them is not quite enough to get the full flavor. If you are a fan of the series, then you will feel right at home, and this is another excellent addition to the set.

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.

Canto Mercant and Payal Rao were born into two of the wealthiest and most influential Psy families, but with privilege came a dangerous fixation. To their families, any variation is weakness, and no weakness is tolerated. When a child shows signs of being atypical in any way, they’re shuttled out of public view.

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, slipping back into the Psy-Changeling world in Last Guard will feel like coming home.

Nalini Singh has been one of my favorite authors for a number of years but to no fault of hers I took a long break from reading within the Romance genre. When I saw she had a new book coming out it rekindled my interest in the Psy-Changeling series. So I went back and caught up on the series backlog made my way to Last Guard.
Finally we get a glimpse into the mysterious Anchors. They had been introduced in the earlier Psy-Changeling books but we never learned too much about them.
I really enjoyed Canto’s character he was charming and engaging. From the beginning he pulls you and keeps you engaged. His backstory makes you like the Merchant family even more than you may have already. The Merchants take care of their own, even those deemed “flawed”.
Payal is a bit enigmatic at first but as she opens up to Canto you see more into her heart and the pain housed there. You quickly learn that what the public sees is just a façade and underneath she is just doing everything she can to just survive.
Overall, it was a good story that kept the reader moving and engaged. I wouldn’t say this is my favorite book in the series but it is a solid read.
An ARC was provided for an honest review.
4 out of 5

Posted to: Amazon, Goodreads and Blog

Last Guard features 2 characters we aren't familiar with at all. One thing I find different about the Psy-Changeling Trinity series is that we are getting characters from all over the place, and we aren't really meeting them in books prior. It is a change that kind of throws me off, but the story is still so good!

Canto is a Mercant. He is a Cardinal telepath and brilliant at all the computer/information stuff the Mercants are known for. He is bound to a wheelchair and if he were in another family besides the Mercants, he probably would have been killed already since this would have been seen as an unacceptable deficiency. He is withdrawn and grumpy, but his cousin Silver is mated to the bear, Valentin, and the whole bear den has adopted Canto. Honestly, the bears are amazing and I want more of their books. I want ALL the bears!!!! I love that they sort of soften Canto.

Payal has not been mentioned before, but she comes from a super dysfunctional family. Her oldest brother was deemed a liability and murdered by their father. He other brother is a psychopath who enjoys torturing people. She knows that depravity exists in her mind and she keeps a tight reign on it. While everyone sees her as cold and robotic (even though the silence protocol is over), as you read you understand how complex she is because of her life. She is a cardinal telekinetic with teleport capabilities-very cool in terms of power.

Beyond their cardinal status, both Canto and Payal are anchors. Last Guard introduces a designation we have heard almost nothing about, but because they are so vital to the PsyNet, and the net is dying, their role is becoming more vital. Payal has to play the mind games of her family to stay alive and also stand up as a voice for the anchors, who are dangerously overworked. The anchors are such a unique designation and I loved that Singh explored them deeper. In each book of this series sees more demise of the PsyNet, so we are learning a lot about the various Psy and their powers.

While Canto and Payal were relative unknowns when I picked up the book, I loved them. They are both incredibly unique for Psy-both in who they are as people and in their jobs as anchors. Each book adds such depth to the world Singh has created and I always think I can't love it more, but I do. I wasn't sure about Last Guard when I started because I had trouble connecting to Canto and Payal, but I really loved their story.

The PsyNet is sick, and the Ruling Coalition are aware, but they’ve never really considered a crucial part of its foundation: The Anchors. These Anchors are a big part of what’s been keeping it stable, but they’re all stretched to capacity. Canto Mercant, an Anchor, realizes their error and seeks out another powerful Anchor, Payal Rao, to form a coalition with other Anchors to find a solution. Canto doesn’t realize Payal is the girl from his broken past. A girl he’s spent years searching for. They cared for each other in a dire situation, and the bond created from the experience is deep. Now meeting again as adults there is an undeniable magnetic pull between them, an instant attraction.

Loved all the bits with the bears! Canto was basically claimed as a member of those misbehaving, lovable bears. And the Mercants, so fiercely loyal! Ena Mercant, the powerful matriarch, supposedly Silent, had a big savage heart ready to fight tooth and nail for anyone in their circle!

Last Guard grabbed and held my attention from the first page! I enjoyed the romance between Canto and Payal, but all the side conflicts: the Anchor issues with the PsyNet, the struggle to keep it from collapsing and Payal’s ruthless family and her constant need to be on guard kept me on the edge of my seat! I had to read on to see what would happen! Absolutely loved this installment, and while Canto and Payal’s story came to a satisfying conclusion, the survival of the PsyNet still remains in question, so I can’t wait for the next story!

I absolutely love, love, LOVE this book!!!

When a new Nalini book comes out, I always think, “Surely she can’t do any better than the last book, can she?” She sure as hell can! OMG this story is so amazing! It’s captivating, entertaining, enchanting and I couldn’t put it down!

Last Guard pivots from previous storylines and shows us a different side of the Psy-Changeling Universe: The Anchor Designation.

Sound confusing? Well if you are new to the series, it just might be. The Psy-Changeling world is set in a futuristic world with three races: Humans, Human/animal shifters referred to as Changelings, and the Psy, a society of people with dangerous psychic talents who suppress all emotion, relying solely on logic. Just think of the Psy as a bunch of Spocks, except they don’t have an awesome greeting 😀

Now, the Psy’s psychic abilities are classified in groups called designations. Examples of these designations are TK-Psy: Telekinetics (can move stuff without touching it), TP-Psy: Teleport-capable, F-Psy: Foresight (can see the future or possible futures) and the list goes on. If you haven’t read the series yet, I highly recommend each and every book! There’re a lot of surprises too!

So, the Anchor Designation is not a new designation, just one that has been kept secret for over a 100 years. Anchors perform a very specific and vital function for the health and wellness of the Psy and the PsyNet--what the Psy race needs to survive. It’s so exciting! Ms. Singh unfolds yet ANOTHER facet of this ever-changing landscape and gifts us with new discoveries!

Payal and Canto are wonderful characters! I absolutely LOVE them together. I felt that they balanced each other well and I loved how protective they are of each other. With the introduction of the Anchor Designation, we are introduced to new characters but are also treated to a revisit with some old ones! I don’t know how much happiness my heart could take! Yes, I’m gushing! Sorry! I just can’t help it!

What I absolutely love about Ms. Singh is her ability to craft her characters. In her stories, everyone deserves a happily ever after, regardless of race, sex, creed, religion, sexual orientation or disability. Her diverse characters and poignant storylines define her as an author, a master storyteller and it's what has readers flocking to bookstores every time a new Nalini book comes out. And Last Guard is no exception.

I haven’t talked much about the book because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone. You gotta experience this read on your own. I am so excited to learn more about the Anchor Designation and I’m curious to know just how many other secrets the Psy-Changeling world has to tell.

Delve beneath the surface of the PsyNet in Last Guard. Psy Designation A gets its first true time in the spotlight as Nalini Singh expands the already vast and engaging world she’s built. I loved seeing beneath the surface to the twisting world of the Substrate where As keep the PsyNet from falling apart. But the As are stretched thin; there are too few for such a vast space. And the As that have been born were often seen as imperfect under Silence and eliminated before their A status became known. The problems stretch back before Silence and it’s utterly fascinating to see how this oft-forgotten designation plays such a crucial role in the survival of the Psy. There is a lot of information in Last Guard that goes into the history of Designation A, what went wrong, and what is continuing to fracture the PsyNet.

Canto and Payal are both hub anchors who had a brutal childhood that bonded them. Canto was nearly killed before his mother’s family found him. The Mercants never let go of one of their own so they took the angry, injured boy and gave him the love and support he needed. Canto has grown up to be a shadowy figure in the Mercant family, but a powerful one nonetheless. Abelists who think the grumpy Psy is imperfect have a shock coming when they see the power of this brilliant, caring man. Payal grew up in a nightmare and it’s a testament to her inner strength that she became someone good, honest, and true. She’s seen as a robot by many, her Silence perfect even in after its fall, but they don’t see the struggle behind the mask and the wear of having no truly safe space. Payal is at war with herself and she broke my heart more than once. She also has to deal with monsters every day in the form of her father and brother. She and Canto are bonded by shared horrors and their childhood connection has remained. Though they’ve been separated for decades, that bond does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to the romance. There’s so much going on in the world around them that the romance often takes a back seat, but nevertheless Singh made me believe in their happily ever after.

Last Guard takes the Psy-Changeling/Psy-Changeling Trinity world in new and interesting directions. The major players of the Ruling Coalition make appearances and as always it’s nice to see them. It was even more of a delightful surprise to revisit Sophia (of Bonds of Justice) who isn’t a character that pops up very often. There are many difficult topics broached in this book and it’s a testament to Singh’s talent that the book never drags because of it. There are also lighter moments, thanks in large part to the StoneWater bears, the clan that Canto’s cousin Silver mated into. The bears never fail to make me smile and oh, I do hope Singh has at least a novella planned for Arwen Mecant and his bear.

Last Guard is interesting from beginning to end. It goes more into the technical aspects of the PsyNet which may make the book a bit of a dry read for some. Payal and Canto are unique, well-drawn characters and I’m interested to see what comes from them as the world continues to build. Singh knows how to keep her characters – and her readers – on their toes.

Two prominent Psy families are the focus of the latest entry in the Psy-Changling series. The Mercant family, who has been featured before, and the Rao family, are the major characters. While the Mercants are ruthless but scrupulously honest in their dealings, the head of the Rao family is a man who murdered one son and covers up for his other son who is a psychopath. The last known sibling is Payal Rao who is now the CEO of the company and was at one time in a school for "retraining" where she was abused physically and mentally. Canto Mercant was also in that school and had his life saved by a feisty girl he knew only as 3K. After his Mercant family rescued him from his surrogate family, Canto has been searching in vain for 3K.
Another thing both Canto and Payal have in common is that they are the Anchor for their geographic area and pretty much are keeping the NetMind from collapsing. When Canto realizes that the A's need to have a seat on the Ruling Coalition, he approaches Payal to be the spokesperson. When they meet the truth about their shared past is revealed and both of their lives will never be the same. It's a combination of love story and futuristic Mission Impossible.
I loved this book. Both Canto and Payal have deep, lasting, emotional scars from their childhood as well as physical issues that continue to affect them. Canto is emotionally stronger but has physical disabilities. On the surface Payal seems physically perfect but she has control issues and requires medication to function. I enjoyed the interplay between them and how they are able to be strong for each other in different ways. His family supports him in every way and he has moved his home to Bear country which had led to a more relaxed life. Her family undermines and mentally tortures her however they can and causes nothing but stress. Working with Canto leads her to acceptance of her quirks and a willingness to let go of the rigid control she maintains. Using her need for order, they discover new ways to help strengthen the NetMind and work with the other designations.
There is so much going on in this book. Our understanding of how things got so bad is deepened by what these two bring to the Coalition and how they are able to make sense of things that no one else could. Aside from Valentin, there is very little changeling interaction but the major Psy characters play a big role in moving the plot forward. The Architect is also lurking in the background waiting to make her big move. The ending will leave you dying for the next book!

Last Guard is the fifth book in the Psy-Changeling Trinity series and the twentieth book overall in the Psy-Changeling universe. Due to the sequential, highly connected nature of the two series, this book contains spoilers for the previous novels. This review will, consequently, also contain spoilers.

Payal Rao is in a desperate situation. Her father, Pranath Rao, current head of the Rao family, is a merciless fiend who killed her eldest brother when Pranath caught that young man conspiring against him, forcing his other children to watch the homicide to be sure they got the message. Pranath has also fathered a second, much-younger-than-his-current-heirs set of children to remind those set to inherit that they are dispensable. Payal, her father’s likely successor and current working CEO of the family firm, may be publicly known as a “psychopathic robot” – cold, methodical, and ruthless – but she is none of those things. She’s simply a survivor.

Canto Mercant places family above all. Why shouldn’t he? He belongs to the wonderful, powerful Mercant clan. Cousin to Silver (heroine of Silver Silence) and friends with her mate Valentin, Canto is surrounded by people who love and care about him. But it wasn’t always that way.

Many years before, Canto was in a rehabilitation center for “damaged” Psy children. Their teachers called their subjects by numerical designation rather than by name and used violence as a lesson plan. One such lesson cost Canto, known there as 7J, the use of his legs. It would have cost him his life if a brave young girl he knew only as 3K hadn’t intervened at her own expense. Canto never learned her name; once the Mercants rescued him from the facility he never saw her again – but he’s continuously searching for her.

Canto and Payal are united by a rare skill – both of them are Anchors on the Psy Net. They are also united by a critical, secret piece of information – the Psy Net is dying. And the millions of Psy who rely on it, themselves included, will die when it fails. Canto needs Payal to be the spokesperson for the Psy Anchors, to go public about the problems facing Psy with their designation and about what those problems mean for the Psy people as a whole.

Canto thought he had thoroughly researched Payal before he arranged their initial meeting, but she surprises him by greeting him as 7J. He knows instantly she is 3K, the girl he has been searching for. Their shared history changes everything for both of them. Payal is willing to trust Canto, something she wasn’t prepared to do when she first agreed to liaise, and Canto is prepared to trust her. In the Psy world, where families and individuals often feud to the death, this mutual trust is a rare and powerful commodity. It is that trust that enables them to unite the Anchors in a desperate bid to fix the Psy Net and save their race – and to fall in love while doing so.

Fans of the series will be familiar with the plot and characters of this story. Payal, like most powerful TKs, controls her considerable abilities with the use of Silence, and her family situation makes the rigid emotionless discipline required by this protocol a must for her life. Her father not only yields inflexible control over her through threats of assassination, but he also regulates a form of chemo which keeps brain tumors from forming in Payal’s head. He gives her only one dose at a time and Payal has been unable to find a lab capable of reproducing the elixir. Her life literally depends on keeping him happy.

Payal’s younger brother, who would very much like to take her place as heir apparent, is a murderous psychopath. Pranath uses him as a failsafe in case Payal finds a way around the chemo, reminding her on a regular basis that a sociopath will be her replacement, possibly torturing and murdering the younger siblings whom she loves, should Payal ever fail him.

Canto had only been in the torture facility where he met Payal because his father’s family had the raising of him during his early years. Fortunately, when his mother learned what had happened, she and her mother, the powerful matriarch of the influential Mercant clan, were able to get him out of that location and pull him into their own warm and loving family. Canto was always too broken to maintain Silence, hence his presence in that ‘school’, but he still has formidable gifts of his own. One of those gifts is to understand the Anchor position as no one has done for generations and to understand how crucial it is that he and Payal work together to forge a powerful Anchor Alliance that can force the ruling Psy Council to take their issues seriously.

The differences between Canto, with his warmth and broken Silence, and Payal, whose Silence is so complete she is essentially a mobile block of ice, should have kept the two from falling in love. Instead, they find in each other precisely what they need. Payal feels deeply but suppresses it all because her family could use it against her. Canto provides her a safe harbor in which to love and be loved, he offers aid she can depend on, and a security that she has been longing for all her life. Payal knows she is safe with Canto and having never been safe before she finds that feeling wonderous. Canto is loved by his family but his inability to walk has made them protective of him, so the chance to be the protector and anchor that Payal needs makes him extremely happy. Canto also appreciates the caring, giving person he sees buried beneath Payal’s Silence. By becoming the public face of the Anchors, she risks much but she is willing to do so for the sake of the millions of strangers who would die without her aid. Given Payal’s family situation, Canto knows the incredible courage it takes for her to make herself so vulnerable. I liked that their romance is based on a very mutual protecting/being protected situation and that both of them are fiercely committed to the community they are a part of and to each other.

I’m not going into the details of the plot around the failing Psy Net but as always, 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 (minute) 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.