Reviewer: Casee Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #2
Also in this series: Archangel's Consort, Archangel's Blade, Archangel's Consort, Archangel's Storm, Archangel's Storm (Guild Hunter #5), Archangel's Legion, Archangel's Legion (Guild Hunter #6), Archangel's Shadows, Archangel's Shadows, Archangel's Enigma (Guild Hunter, #8), Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter #1), Archangel's Heart, Archangel's Heart, Archangel's Heart (Guild Hunter, #9), Archangel's Kiss, Angels' Blood, Archangel's Viper (Guild Hunter, #10), Archangel's Viper, Archangel's Prophecy, Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter, #3), Archangel's Prophecy, Archangel's War, Archangel's War , Archangel's Kiss, Archangel's Sun, Archangel's Light, Archangel's Resurrection
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 2, 2010
Format: Print ARC
Source: Publisher
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 323
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Series Rating:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of angelic rulers, vampiric servants, and the woman thrust into their darkly seductive world…
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…
They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…
There are some reviewers out there that write consistent glowing reviews for the same author. After a time, I tend to take new reviews with a grain of salt. Now I find myself as that reviewer. I’m the reviewer that is saying ZOMG, you HAVE to read this book. It’s not b/c Nalini is one of the nicest authors I’ve ever met (she is). It’s not b/c she sends me ARC’s (can you send me Hawke’s book?). It’s b/c Archangel’s Kiss shows what a truly extraordinary talent Nalini Singh has.
It’s true…I wasn’t convinced that I was going to love this Angels/Vampires world when Angels’ Blood came out. I was a believer of the series by the time I finished it and wanted more of Raphael and Elena. Archangel’s Kiss picks up right where Angels’ Blood left off. It’s been a year since Raphael Made Elena. She’s been asleep most of that time, recovering from what would have been mortal injury. She still retains her Hunter senses, which end up being needed in the Refuge.
Raphael is still the same uber-alpha hero. He will fight anyone to keep Elena safe, including Elena herself. He doesn’t apologize for his need of her. That’s one thing that sticks with me whenever I think of Raphael. He may not understand how Elena came to be as essential to him as breathing, but he doesn’t question it. His need of her is a living breathing thing.
Elena has been a great heroine from the beginning. The thing that I always liked about her is how she stood up to Raphael. She’s always recognized that his power is absolute, but she didn’t let him bully her. She fully admits that he intimidates her, but that doesn’t stop her from speaking her mind. I love that about Elena.
In Archangel’s Kiss, Elena has to learn the intricacies of being an angel. She basically has to relearn the most basic of functions. Her wings were described in such detail that I could see them. This book really delves into the world of the Angels and vampires. The hierarchy of the angels is really fascinating. Having Made Elena, Raphael finds himself in a unique position. Not only has he Made the first angel in any angel memory (which is a long damn time), but she is a Hunter. She’s not just a vampire hunter any more. She finds she also has the ability to track Angels, which is a gift she has to learn to use. And fast.
The blurb implies that the book revolves around Lijuan and her power over the dead, but it really doesn’t. Archangel’s Kiss is a continuation of the journey Elena has found herself on since she met Raphael. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. It’s one of those. The book that keeps you up late so you look like a zombie at work the next day. It’s official. The Guild Hunter series has nowhere to go but up.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
oooh – one of “those” books 🙂 Can’t wait to read it!!
Ahhhh. With every review I want this book more and more.
Raphael is a flying sexy on a stick.
I’m so glad release date is tomorrow. Gonna hunt this book down! I’ve been looking for it for the past two weeks, hoping that was out early. lol!
I hope some of you have already found it. Hopefully you’ll love it as much as I did.
this looks really good. Great review
I’m late as usual. I immediately spotted the Angel’s/Angels’ typo. Since I’m an editor for my school’s literary journal, my advisor would skewer me (verbally, of course) if I hadn’t. Congrats to Mandi and Veronika! The cover is freakin’ AWESOME! I love Elena’s wings. I want to get a t-shirt made with the black-indigo-blue-gold wings on the back.
It’s definitely going to be an amazing book. I just got it and can’t wait to start!
In this book we get to see the vulnerability of Elena in relation to all the other angels in her new world.The verbal sparring between Elena and Raphael and also between Elena and members of Raphael’s Seven is superb.