Worth the wait! Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh

What a great book! Vasic is an Arrow tasked by Kaleb Krychek with finding a group of E-Psy (Empaths) in hopes that they may be the key to the infection that is coursing through the NetMind. Vasic is paired with Ivy Jane, a young woman who was damaged by a badly botched reconditioning at the age of 16. The hope is that the E-Psy can do something to combat the infection which is making the Psy go into mass killing frenzies. The episodes are happening faster and deadlier as each day passes.
Vasic, who has been the typical unfeeling automaton in previous books, begins to discover feelings he thought were gone when he is paired with Ivy. She is initially leery of Vasic but gradually discovers that she is falling in love with him. The work that the two are part of is a heavy burden and there is an added roadblock concerning a medical procedure that Vasic underwent prior to their meeting and which may cause serious problems in the near future.
The best part of this book was seeing such an emotionally damaged man learn to love another person, to forgive himself for past actions and to watch his slow change into a caring person. Once Vasic opens his heart to Ivy, he discovers multiple instances of emotional bonds he has created with others without even realizing it. Ivy feels so much for Vasic, love for him and sadness for his pain and she helps him realize that he is more than what he did in the past and that he is worthy of happiness.

The nature of the story is such that there is contact with many of the favorite characters but also the introduction of some new people. There are twists and turns with people who have been small parts of previous books but essential in this one. The suspense level is high on several levels which balances the emotional scenes between Vasic and Ivy. I got a big kick out of his inability to control his TK ability when being passionate with Ivy and having to go to Judd for advice. Let me just say that the love scenes are steamy both literally and figuratively! 

I'm hoping that Aden will have a book in the near future. He has been a big part of this wonderful series and deserves his happy ending too.