Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 5: Last Guard by Nalini Singh

Psy-Changeling Trinity Book 5

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to a world devastated by change in her award-winning Psy-Changeling Trinity series, where two people defined by their aloneness hold the fate of the Psy in their hands…

Termed merciless by some, and a robotic sociopath by others, Payal Rao is the perfect Psy: cardinal telekinetic, CEO of a major conglomerate, beautiful—and emotionless.

For Canto Mercant, family and loyalty are everything. A cardinal telepath deemed "imperfect" by his race due to a spinal injury, Canto cares for the opinions of very few—and ruthlessly protects those he claims as his own. Head of intel of the influential Mercant family, he prefers to remain a shadow in the Net, unknown and unseen. But Canto is also an Anchor, part of a secretive designation whose task it is to stabilize the PsyNet. Now that critical psychic network is dying, threatening to collapse and kill the entire Psy race with it.

To save those he loves, Canto needs the help of a woman bound to him by a dark past neither has been able to forget. A woman who is the most powerful Anchor of them all: Payal Rao. Neither is ready for the violent inferno about to ignite in the PsyNet…or the passionate madness that threatens to destroy them both.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56120060-last-guard

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My Review: 5/5 Stars 

I adore this series so much. Every new book gets better and better as we explore new characters, visit old ones, and learn more about this crazy world Singh created. I knew I was going to love this latest addition when I learned that one of our main characters of the book was a Mercant. You can't NOT love the Mercants. The family is a powerhouse of the most interesting characters who are all about family and loyal to the core to one another and those they claim as their own. Canto Mercant is no exception. Head of intel for their family and who will be the right hand man of his cousin Silver when she takes their grandmother's place, he fantastic. Blunt, hilarious, but with a heart of gold and pure protector. Canto's life wasn't easy. He is a cardinal telepath was deemed imperfect due to this spinal injury, when he was born he went to his father who left him at a horrible place where he was abused and nearly killed. If not for his mysterious 3K. Another child left to be "fixed". They formed a bond in blood when they were children but were separated. Canto has spent his life searching for her because he would be dead without her. Years later, he has realized that the Anchors need to step out of the shadows and stabilize the PsyNet. As an Anchor himself, he takes it upon himself to gather those like him and find someone to be their voice. This leads him to Payal Rao. 

One look at Canto and Payal knows he is 7J. The boy who's hand she held and who had cared for her at her most wildest. Reunited, their connection is stronger than ever but Payal has grown up in a family that is more dangerous than anything. Psychopaths ready to off the other at a moment of weakness. Payal had to learn to keep her Silence and survive. Her abilities are ones she had to learn to keep control over and not let the little wild girl out or else be destroyed. Now she is being asked to be the voice of the Anchors and work with Canto to help them save the PsyNet. I loved their story and their romance. These two souls who were beaten down and survived anyway. They found one another once more and this time won't let the other go. 

The Anchors have such a fascinating history and it was nice to finally see them brought out of the shadows and learn more about them. Canto and Payal were such great characters. I loved both of them together and apart. Another great thing about this story was we got more Mercants and bears cameos. How can you not love that? Bears are just...bears. Anyone who has read the series knows what I mean! So much humor and love in this story. Great, great story! You will not be disappointed in this latest book of the series!