Cold Redemption

Psy-Changeling Trinity #10

by Nalini Singh

Amara Aleine was born emotionless. A scientist with a piercing, cold intellect, the only person who matters to her is her identical twin. Some term her a psychopath. They might be right.

Pax Marshall is the epitome of Psy perfection. Raised by his ruthless grandfather, he was never permitted to be anything less. But Scarab Syndrome has ravaged his mind, until he’s now mere weeks away from total psychic collapse, insanity…and death. Any cure will come too late for him, but he is determined to spend his last weeks fighting for the rest of the afflicted.

Amara has never seen a mind as clean, as orderly, as beautiful, as Pax Marshall’s. Patient Zero. A twin just like her. And a man so cold-blooded that everyone warns her about him—when she is used to being the predator in the room.

As they work together in a hunt for the cure, Pax’s enemies deliver a violent strike. The choice Amara makes as Pax struggles to survive will have consequences far beyond anything Amara or Pax could have ever imagined.

This time, Amara might just have played herself…

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, Urban Fantasy

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication December 1, 2026

About the author

I've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.


I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).

So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.

Reviews

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]]

OH MY GOD I LITERALLY JUST OPENED NALINI'S NEWSLETTER WITH THIS BLURB AND I RAN STRAIGHT HERE

AMARA ALEINE!!!! AMARA ALEINE!!!!!

I have wanted her book for SO LONG and I cannot believe we're finally getting a book with a character I already know and care about!! That hasn't happened in literally almost a decade!

Pax is one of her newer characters so I don't remember as much about him, but I'm glad I at least have encountered his name before.

I am FINALLY excited for a new Psy-Changeling novel. Nalini Singh please don't let me down!!!!!

[Mary]

PAX AND AMARA?!?!?!?! I'M SCREAMINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

the blurb came out today and never in a million years did I expect these two characters (nalini always surprises me). I'm so excited!

[Irene]

Amara and Pax 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

[Yoru]

Omg I just read NALINI'S NEWSLETTER!!!!! I'm sooooo Excited kyaaaaaaaaaa! Amara Alaine!!! AND Pax Marshall !!! Can't waaaaiiiiit!!

For people that have forgotten about Pax, here, from my P/C notes (Spoiler until Primal Mirror (#23)):
Pax Marshall = seen for the first time in Shards of Hope (Zaira&Aden). Patient Zero for the Scarab Syndrome. Harmonic twin healer. The twin half giving the power. Becomes the Father(?) of the scarabs in Resonance Surge (Yakov&Theo). Refused to be linked to Libby via the blue web in Primal Mirror (Auden&Remi).

[Ash]

I'm so excited, it's finally happening!

Amara has always been a favorite of mine ever since her introduction in Hostage to Pleasure. I love the complex relationship she has with her sister and the Darkriver pack. I hoped Amara would get her own book but didn't think it would happen since it's been so long since her introduction.

And don't even get me started on Pax Marshall, I have been waiting for his book since the Scarabs were introduced. Every new book that's announced my best friend and I discuss who we think it will be and I've been saying that I hope its Pax's book every time- finally it is!

This will likely be my favorite book in this series, thank you Nalini ♡

Also, who gives1 star before the book even comes out without leaving an actual review? So gross.

[Ayla]

Amara and Pax????!

I can't wait right now, I've been thinking that Amara can have her own book and I'm on Resonance Surge, I'm screaming about Pax like that's my man right there!!

Edit 7/23/26

What a gorgeous cover!!! I LOVED IT SO MUCH

[Vanessa]

This better be miane's and her second's book - if as the title suggests - is another book about blacksea changelings.

Eta: omg amara???

[Chantaal]

AMARA?!?!?!??!?! AND I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL DECEMBER????

[Alexandra Galaz]

OMG OMG OMG! Nalini, you did it again! You completely exceeded my expectations. I love that it's Amara and Pax; for me, it makes perfect sense! I already want it to be Decembereeee!

I love your books. Thank you so much for all the amazing stories. ❤️

[Morvarid]

I’ve been waiting for Pax’s book for so long and it’s finally here!!! I never would have predicted the pairing. I thought he’d be paired with Alice Eldridge and Amara would be paired with that scientist Samuel Rain that fixed Vasic’s arm.
Can’t wait to read this!

[Tyrex]

SCREAMING. CRYING. THROWING UP.

Haven't been this excited for a book release in forever. I'm speechless. My sign to re-read the entire serie for the 5th time 🤣 because what else am I even supposed to do until December !

[Lady Lioness · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read Nalini's newsletter announcing that the main couple was Pax and Amara, I immediately began stalking NetGalley. Like, how does this even work????

I think my feelings about the Trinity arc have been well-documented so I went into this very skeptically. Like, I had kinda come around after reading Atonement Sky and realizing why I struggled with the arc, but there's been a lot of crazy stuff happening in this arc. How on Earth was Nalini going to pull off taking a well-established psychopathic character and making her into a believable romantic heroine? The relationship between Theo and Pax showed that Pax is not really devoid of all humanity, so I wasn't as concerned about him, but he is, after all, terminally ill.

So there were two very major obstacles that Nalini had to overcome to make me buy into this.

It probably comes as no surprise that I ended up going all-in. Is this my favorite book in the Trinity arc? No. That honor probably rests with Last Guard. Is typing up this review making me want to re-read Cold Redemption again? Hell yes. I've actually been scrolling through the book and I'm going to put a quote behind spoilers, which I think illustrates Nalini's genius. It's towards the end of the book:

"I'm not the best person to ask," Amara said. "The best I can do is suggest that you put her into a permanent light sedation--but that probably doesn't line up with your ethics."

"I'd do it," Pax said with a shrug. "But Theo..."

Amara's gaze was far more open than it had been the rest of this day when she looked at him. "It's a problem having a sibling with a conscience."

One of the things I loved the most about the Psy-Changeling series is how Nalini would seed things in and the plot point would bloom later on. Okay, I'm going to talk about the relationship now, so I'm going to stick it another spoiler cut. There's Scarab stuff happening while the relationship is developing, but to me, the point of the book is Pax and Amara, so spoilers.


Nalini makes Pax and Amara work, not by dramatic changes to their personalities or "fixing" them, but by building on what's already been established.

We know from Hostage to Pleasure that a) Amara experiences emotions via her mental connection with Ashaya and b) her perceived "evilness" drops away when she's no longer exposed to the corrupted PsyNet. We know from Wolf Rain that Amara is undergoing therapy with Memory and Sasha. The therapy is not necessarily intended to make her something other than a psychopath (I honestly think Amara is more of a sociopath, but Nalini refers to her as a psychopath in the book), but to make her cognizant of how her actions affect those around her. There's also a mention of how Amara started seeing her colleagues as people in their own right. So the building blocks for Amara to develop an emotional connection to Pax have already been established.

Pax, on the other hand, would have been a cinnamon roll type of hero, if his abusive grandfather hadn't beaten it out of him. Despite the abuse, despite Silence, despite his mental abilities depending on rock solid control, he cares so much. We see it in Wolf Rain when he realizes he is a danger to people and breaks down his conditioning to ask for help. We see it in Resonance Surge when we see more of his relationship with Theo. Despite dealing with Scarab Syndrome himself, he tries so hard to protect and comfort the other victims. Once he learns about the rehabilitation clinics, he works to create a better life for those victims too.

So what happens when a gradient 10 telepath who is desperately trying to take care of everyone before he dies meets a woman who becomes fascinated by the scientific challenge he presents and, gradually, by extension, him?

Magic happens, that's what.

Amara gives Pax someone who understands the darker parts of his soul, the hard choices he had to make to keep the majority safe. She doesn't judge him for those choices because she'd probably have made the same ones. Pax gives Amara another emotional connection, but unlike Ashaya who felt smothered by Amara's need, Pax wants to feel the connection, he wants to feel needed. So he's all in and now she's experiencing new emotions that she's not entirely sure what to do with, but thanks to her therapy, she's open to the possibilities. She chooses him.

Here's another quote from the beginning of chapter 45 that illustrates this:

"It appears Sascha continues to be right--to beat the badness, I must make conscious choice after conscious choice.

"It was a lot easier when it didn't hurt."

I mean, COME ON. How do you not root for a self-aware person who knows they are psychologically messed up, but continues to choose to be better?



I'm done with the relationship talk now. So yes, be sure you read Mine to Possess, Wolf Rain, and Resonance Surge before you pick up Cold Redemption. It probably wouldn't hurt to also read Storm Echo just for the Scarab stuff, but the important character stuff is in the other three books.

I get the sense we are nearing the end of the Trinity arc, which makes me nervous, because despite my issues with the arc, I don't want to say goodbye to these characters. Yet I'm also hopeful that maybe we will be returning to the concept of a brighter future. I want books featuring the next generation, starting with Kit. Fingers crossed!

[Keily · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has never read any of Nalini Singhs works before, I admit I was a little nervous going into this book. I've of course come across her books in the wild (the wild being the library or B&N) and have always been curious about jumping into the worlds she creates, but I've always felt slightly intimidated about jumping in because of how many books she's written in this universe.
When I came across this book on NetGalley, I was super intrigued with the book summary and decided to take the leap.
I am very glad I finally leapt.
Singh wonderfully weaves world knowledge/information into her books, I didn't feel like I was missing critical information as a first time reader of her works and I was able to fully enjoy this reading experience.
I loved watching the relationship between Pax and Amara form and getting to read about Amara growing and learning who she is becoming. Amara is typically the type of character I have a harder time relating to bc I 100% would consider myself an empathetic person who picks up on peoples moods or emotional being, but I found myself loving her and her logical mind. I adored Pax bc he didn't try to change Amara and just accepted the reality of who she was, who she is, and who she becomes.
Their approach to intimacy was very healthy, and my only wish is that we got more of those scenes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been waiting for this one, and it absolutely delivered. Nalini Singh continues to prove why the Psy-Changeling series remains one of my all-time favorites.

One of the biggest strengths of this book is the characters. I loved spending time with them, watching their relationship develop, and seeing how perfectly they fit into the larger world of the series. Singh has an incredible talent for creating emotionally complex characters that are easy to become invested in, and this story was no exception.

The balance of romance, suspense, and ongoing series development kept me turning the pages. It was wonderful to revisit familiar faces while also getting a deeper look at characters I've been eager to know better. The world continues to evolve in meaningful ways without ever losing the heart that made me fall in love with the series in the first place.

If you're already a fan of the Psy-Changeling series, this is another fantastic installment that won't disappoint. I loved every minute of it and can't wait to see where the series goes next. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amara Aleine was born emotionless, she's the evil twin. She's a scientist , brilliant with the inability to care for anyone or anything other than her twin.

Pax Marshall is also a twin. His ruthless grandfather raised him to be perfect and punished him when he wasn't. But Pax is living on borrowed time. The Scarab Syndrome is eating away at his mind. He has one last chance, not to save himself, but to give himself as a guinea pig for all those that will be infected after him.

Why I started this book: Singh is one of my favorite authors and I eagerly requested this ARC and hoped.

Why I finished it: Read it in under 24 hours and loved it. This book proves that everyone deserves a happy ending, someone who can meet them where they are and see their efforts and talents.

[Melody]

PAX MARSHALL

[Ark · Rating 5 out of 5]

No idea why someone rated it 1 star when it was literally only just announced :^/ anyway I'm really excited to see how the book turns out

[Annie Deo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a paranormal romance in forever and wasn't expecting much from this, but omfg. psychopath4psychopath is underrated and I'm 110% here for this one

[Aiyesha]

** THE VERSION OF THIS BOOK THAT I READ WAS AN ARC **

[Kat]

HOLY SHIT. I saw Amara and my mouth was open and then I saw Pax and OMGGGG I need this book right now injected into my veins.

[Glennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come

[Ariel Vaughn]

I ran to NetGalley AS SOON AS I SAW THIS. Freaking out rn. I LOVE Amara. She's so interesting. This book could be top tier. Like Kaleb Krychek level. It has the potential.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review coming closer to publication.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book from Nalini Singh. I have read the entire series and look forward every year to the next one. Thank you for letting me have an ARC.

[RosaLuce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, to say I’m excited would be an understatement; I wanted a Pax book and an Amara book so, so, so much—but the two of them together? Nalini, I love you, I adore you, and I have total faith in you. But my head feels like it’s full of lice from scratching it so much while trying to figure out what the romance between those two is going to be like.