Showing posts with label Guild Hunters series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guild Hunters series. Show all posts

Sunday, May 3, 2026

Archangel's Eternity


 

Archangel's Eternity (Guild Hunter #18)- Nalini Singh

Berkley

Release Date: May 18, 2026

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: It’s been a millennium since Elena’s fateful first meeting with Archangel Raphael. She has survived war and loss, experienced beauty and cruelty. But no matter what, she has always held on to her mortal heart, as she and Raphael have held on to each other. Passionate and vibrant, they’ve built a life that has stood the test of time, growing ever stronger with each turn of the sun.


But change is coming—of a magnitude they could have never imagined—and it will forever alter the trajectory of their existence.

Even as they grapple with the cataclysmic shift in their personal lives, the Cadre of Ten, which has maintained a hard-won peace for centuries, begins to simmer with dangerous fault lines. The specter of madness looms in one archangel, the promise of war burns between two others, and in darkness far from mortal and immortal eyes stirs an ancient, slumbering power.

Suddenly, the future is terrifyingly uncertain . . . at the very moment that Elena and her archangel need to protect a treasure infinitely more precious than eternity.
__________________________________________________

The last book in the Guild Hunter's series is a low stakes, high character love letter to the fans and all of the characters we've come to know across the past 17 books of the series. Think of it as an extended epilogue taking place 1,000 years after the main series—life goes on when you're immortal, but what does that mean?

Not going to lie, I spent a good part of this book (especially the beginning half) in tears. This is a book that will emotionally destroy you, so probably don't read it in public. Elena is still coming to grips with all of the goodbyes she has had to say as an immortal, which means memories of many of the humans we knew through the series. 

But of course, that's not the whole book. There are new friends, deepening friendships, and (as you may have guessed from the synopsis hints) our favorite Guild Hunter and archangel spend much of the book preparing for the most terrifying new feat of all: parenthood. I loved how very human Raphael was in his emotions around the whole experience—and seeing everyone we knew from other books as honorary aunts and uncles was a lot of fun!

As the last book in the series, don't start with this if you haven't read any of the others. If you've been reading this series, don't miss this one—but read with tissues close by.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review








Sunday, May 4, 2025

Archangel's Ascension


Archangel's Ascension (Guild Hunter 15)- Nalini Singh

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: May 6, 2024

Rating: ðŸ“šðŸ“šðŸ“šðŸ“š

Synopsis: Aodhan and Illium. Adi and Blue. Sparkle and Bluebell. Friends become lovers, their future a wild unknown.

Finally reunited in New York, they must now learn to navigate the monumental shift in their relationship. But for these two members of Archangel Raphael’s legendary Seven, there is no time to rest. As they investigate a case for the Tower that echoes the darkness from Aodhan’s past, they will be forced to confront not only the scars that mark them both, but the promise of a vast power that flickers in Illium.

The threat of ascension has haunted and troubled Aodhan’s Blue for too long, the forces of change immutable and without mercy...and uncaring of Illium’s fierce wish to remain part of the Seven. Change is a constant in an immortal’s life, and this new horizon will bring with it both terrible heartbreak and a joy extraordinary enough to reverberate through time…
__________________________________________________

Archangel's Ascension threw a curve right from the start by being broken into two timelines: "Today" which is actually 700 years in the future, and "Yesterday" which is the present for the series' normal timeline. I admit to a moment of panic when I fiugred that out, but I should have had more faith in one of my favorite authors. The majority of the book takes place in the current timeline, so situation normal.

Aodhan and Illium admitted in their last book that they loved each other and in this book we get to see them trying to figure out what that means. Because despite what they think, both men still have some issues they need to deal with. Together in New York they investigate the murder of a young vampire and his human girlfriend that has some similarities to Aodhan's past. Meaning he has to face that past, and we as readers get to learn some more about it. 

The murder investigation is pretty basic, but does a good job of helping reset a 'situation hopefully normal' and reminding everyone life doesn't need to be all about wars, zombies and other major craziness, but can be about the more day to day concerns as well. And perhaps should be. It also allows Aodhan a chance to consciously fit more into himself in a way he hasn't before. We see him trying to talk to strangers, to allow physical contact with friends. We see both Adi and Ilium talking to others to try and figure out how not to mess up their changing relationship and hurt each other as they grow. There's plenty of angst along the way, perhaps more than is needed, but readers who have been with the series since the beginning and have been cheering the two on will probably be more lenient with the repetition than they would be otherwise.

The title gives away what the "today" section will be about, and on the whole I thought that was really beautifully done. I did cry a bit in a few places, have to admit. You can tell the series is almost wrapped up, and it will be interesting to see if Singh goes back to the present day for the end, or jumps to her new future and shakes things up there.

This sequel to Archangel's Light is what readers have been waiting for- the conclusion of Illium and Aodhan's story.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 








Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Archangel's Resurrection


 Archangel's Resurrection- Nalini Singh

Berkley

Release Date: October 25, 2022

Rating: ðŸ“šðŸ“šðŸ“šðŸ“š

Synopsis: For thousands of years, the passion between Alexander, Archangel of Persia, and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile, burned furious and bright, seemingly without end. But to be an archangel is to be bound to power violent and demanding. Driven by its primal energy, Alexander and Zanaya fought as fiercely as they loved, locked in an endless cycle of devotion and heartbreak. It is only Zanaya’s decision to Sleep that ends their love story.

Eons later, the Cascade of Death wakens them both. The passion between them a flame that yet burns, Alexander and Zanaya stand together in one last battle against the ultimate darkness. But even a warrior archangel cannot win every war. Alexander’s scream shatters the world as Zanaya falls, broken and silent . . . only to rise again in a miracle that may be a devastating curse. For is it truly the Queen of the Nile who has been resurrected? 
 
Only one thing is clear: This is the last beat of their passionate, angry dance. The final song for Alexander and his Zani . . .
___________________________________________________________________


Archangel's Resurrection is a bit different from the rest of the Guild Hunter's series (Archangel's Sun), so readers should prepare for a book that focuses more on the relationship and less on the world/world building- unusual in this series. But this is the story of Archangels Alexander and Zanaya, whose on-again-off-again relationship has literally spanned eons, so there's a lot to cover and anything else is kind of extraneous. We start at the battle of New York and Zanaya's fall at Lijuan's hands, then go back in time to Alexander's childhood, so readers new to the series will probably be pretty lost and either need to accept that they'll have no idea what is going on for awhile and go with it, or put the book down and start with Book 1 in the series.

This is a story of growth and learning, of two angels who are often too similar for their own good. Both Alexander and Zanaya are strong and proud warriors, determined to be the best possible and hold onto their honor, something we have frequently seen lacking in other angels and it's nice to see others recognize this as well. Unlike many previous characters and their equally strong mates however, Alexander and Zanaya don't seem able to compromise with each other and they clash as fiercely as they love. Interestingly, when Zanaya meets Elena seems to be the first time she realizes that it is possible for two warriors to be equals as well as lovers without clashing apart becoming inevitable. As much as we see Alexander and Zanaya grow into the people they will become across the millennia, it seems that they still have things they can learn from even the youngest of humans or angel kind. This is one of the first books where we get to see the point of view of not one but two Ancients and we get a bit of a different take on how age and time change angels, even Archangels. It makes you want to go back and reread the series through a different lens, something Nalini Singh is always good at doing at the most unexpected times. 

I wasn't always in tune with Alexander and Zanaya in terms of their love relationship. For me it worked best when one or both of them allowed themselves to be emotionally vulnerable and relaxed with the other, which didn't happen too often for the first half of the book. I could see why they didn't always work. I liked them both as individuals, but I didn't feel the all consuming chemistry/passion that was supposed to keep bringing them back together. The second half/second chance part, both during the battle against Lijuan and then after Zanaya resurrects from her injuries ten years later, felt like a better romance to me. Softer and more tentative in many ways, two people who know they've made mistakes and aren't sure how to keep from making them again. For all of that, I felt like some things changed too easily the second time around. They decided they weren't going to fight and were going to get along and that was what happened. Of course, it wasn't entirely that easy, and there was a lot of growth that probably finally matured into the relationship, but in someways, it really did feel like it was that easy, which I didn't like. After everything the end of the book was more of a 'and now things are fine' than 'we've worked really hard and will keep working at it but are now happy'. Unusual for Singh, who usually torments her characters into the worst possible corners and then manages an out that works without a deus ex machina feel, but makes you feel like the characters (and you as the reader) worked really hard to reach a deserved happy ending. 

In the end I was conflicted about this book (as this review probably shows!). It's a Nalini Singh book, so I want to love it. I liked having backstory on Alexander filled in and seeing pieces from other people's eyes. I loved the surprise scene where we discover Nassir's origins. I liked Zanaya and (usually) Alexander as individuals. I loved the emotional scenes where Alexander lets his guard down and shows his vulnerabilities to Zanaya- those were maybe some of the most romantic and well written in the book, in my opinion. The world building, usually Singh's strongest suit, was an afterthought in this book, which was disappointing. The up and down relationship wasn't as emotionally convincing or absorbing as Singh's books usually are. I guess in a long series there will always be at least one book that doesn't resonate for someone, and this book just didn't fully do it for me. I hope others feel differently.  



I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Archangel's Light


 

Archangel's Light (Guild Hunter #14)- Nalini Singh 

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: October 26, 2021

Rating: ðŸ“šðŸ“šðŸ“šðŸ“šðŸ“š

Synopsis: Illium and Aodhan.  Aodhan and Illium. For centuries they’ve been inseparable: the best of friends, closer than brothers, companions of the heart. But that was before—before darkness befell Aodhan and shattered him, body, mind, and soul. Now, at long last, Aodhan is healing, but his new-found strength and independence may come at a devastating cost—his relationship with Illium.

As they serve side by side in China, a territory yet marked by the evil of its former archangel, the secret it holds nightmarish beyond imagining, things come to an explosive decision point. Illium and Aodhan must either walk away from the relationship that has defined them—or step forward into a future that promises a bond infinitely precious in the life of an immortal…but that demands a terrifying vulnerability from two badly bruised hearts.
_________________________________________________________________________

Aodhan has spent the past year helping new archangel Suyin find her footing in China, the territory that keeps on giving- in the horror movie sense of the word. As extra help moving her people from one of Lijuan's area's to a new, "safe" part of China, Raphael sends Illium to assist. When patrols discover a suspiciously empty village of seemingly vanished people, Aodhan and Ilium stay behind to investigate.They'll have more than their own issues and ghosts to deal with, for Lijuan has left at least one last unspeakable monster behind to walk in her footsteps. 

Archangel's Light tells the story Guild Hunter fans have been waiting for: Illium and Aodhan. Illium, the seemingly carefree angel, always playful, always curious, always kind to mortal or angel alike. Aodham, the angel made of sparkling light but trapped in mental darkness, a tortured artist slowly coming out of his protective shell. We know they've been friends their whole lives despite seemingly opposite personalities. We know something unspeakable happened to Aodhan that he's only now mentally healing from. We know their relationship has been rocky the past year or so as they struggle to find new footing as Aodhan finds his new self. And we are pretty sure we know what they haven't figured out- they belong together in every sense of the word.

Singh takes the phrase "slow burn" to a whole new level here, probably because most readers are going to be familiar with the backstory of her main characters. She isn't just telling us the 'today' story, she's giving us their past stories as well.  How they first met, early triumphs, Illium's infamous first love, Aodhan's capture and torture at the hands of other angels. The highs and lows that shaped them into who they grew up to be both individually and together. It took a little while for me to get used to this style of back and forth, but I ended up liking it more than I expected too- possibly because it often came as a welcome break to some heavy hitting horrors in the 'today' portions of the story. Vague spoiler-ish warning: Singh does not pull any punches in her descriptions of the latest atrocities so have a strong stomach ready for when the guys go searching for danger.

A lot of Archangel's Light seemed to be about the downsides of being immortal. How easy it becomes to lose your core goodness and light (if you had it to begin with) to petty cruelties that become larger cruelties because of boredom or madness. Lijuan is always the main example, but thanks to Illium and Aodhan's comparative youth they see it in many of the others around them as well- even in Raphael and Dimitri before those men found the women they now love. They constantly question what people missed about Lijuan's descent into madness while acknowledging some things are acceptable in the angelic world that the human world wouldn't accept. Most characters see Illium as the rare example of an angel who might never let immortality harden them, although Aodhan and even Suyin are also mentioned as possibly being the same way. Each of these people has suffered and now tries to find a balance in their life, a light to the darkness they know exists in the world. As much darkness as we find in this book, the light of hope is continually held out for those who can see it, and those brave enough to reach for it and work to keep it lit.  Something we can take great inspiration from in these days.

Weaving past and present together, Archangel's Light is a complex tapestry of friendship and love and loyalty that reaches soul deep. It asks strong people to bare emotional weaknesses that could leave them destroyed or fly higher than ever before, and in a triumph of world building and character creation, takes readers soaring on an incredible ride along the way.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

Archangel's Sun


 










Archangel's Sun (Guild Hunters #13)- Nalini Singh

Berkley Publishing

Release Date: November 24, 2020

Rating:📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis:The Archangel of Death and the Archangel of Disease may be gone but their legacy of evil lives on—especially in Africa, where the shambling, rotting creatures called the reborn have gained a glimmer of vicious intelligence.

It is up to Titus, archangel of this vast continent, to stop the reborn from spreading across the world. Titus can’t do it alone, but of the surviving powerful angels and archangels, large numbers are wounded, while the rest are fighting a surge of murderous vampires.

There is no one left . . . but the Hummingbird. Old, powerful, her mind long a broken kaleidoscope. Now, she must stand at Titus’s side against a tide of death upon a discovery more chilling than any other. For the Archangel of Disease has left them one last terrible gift . . . .
_______________________________________________________________

In the aftermath of war, the survivors are left to pick up the pieces.  When archangels fight, that takes on a whole new meaning.  Archangels Lijuan and Charisemmnon may be dead but their legacy continues in the flesh-eating, zombie-like reborn creatures infesting the world- in particular, Africa.  Archangel Titus and his people have been fighting them nonstop since the war's end but need more help to turn the tide.  Help comes from an unlikely source: the Hummingbird.  An Ancient who lost millennia trapped in the broken kaleidoscope of her mind, she is known and revered as a great artist.  But now that she is fully awake, the Hummingbird proves equal to any task set to her.  Perhaps even gaining the love of an archangel.

 The world is rebuilding from war, but also the Hummingbird, Lady Sharine, is rebuilding her life after centuries spent in her own broken mind. Here we learn her past, and the traumas that caused her to retreat from life.  And here we (and she) learn who the Lady Sharine truly is. A woman of strength and humor, courage and tenderness, she turns out to be the perfect person to help Titus and his people.  It is wonderful to see her become herself, to discover her strengths and what she can do to help not only the world, but the people who she loves.

Just as Sharine is not who we necessarily expect her to be, Titus has layers and hidden depths that make him a brilliant general, a compassionate leader, and a good man.  He's more than the loud and gruff soldier we met in earlier books, but is far too used to his own way.  Watching him spar words with Sharine, and his reactions as she treats him just like anyone else instead of the Archangel of Africa, is entertaining every time.
  
As you would expect from a book by Nalini Singh, Archangel's Sun is beautifully written, intense, and thought-provoking. The relationship that develops between Titus and Sharine is wonderful, and the scenes between Sharine and her sons (adopted and born) are beautiful.  The reader sees the world through the eyes of an artist, and descriptions of the land and its people are rich in color and beauty.  Archangel's Sun picks up after the events of Archangel's War and it will definitely help the reader to have read that book, if not others, before starting this one.  But if this is the first Guild Hunter book someone is starting with, while a few of the people referenced won't mean anything to them already, Archangel's Sun is still a fascinating and intense story of rebuilding life. A must read!


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Monday, September 23, 2019

Archangel's War



Archangel's War (A Guild Hunter Novel Book 12) by [Singh, Nalini]
















Archangel's War (Guild Hunter #12 )- Nalini Singh
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: September 24, 2019

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Wings of silver. Wings of blue. Mortal heart. Broken dreams. Shatter. Shatter. Shatter. A sundering. A grave. I see the end. I see. . . .

The world is in chaos as the power surge of the Cascade rises to a devastating crescendo. In furiously resisting its attempts to turn Elena into a vessel for Raphael’s power, Elena and her archangel are irrevocably changed. . .far beyond the prophecy of a cursed Ancient.

At the same time, violent and eerie events around the world threaten to wipe out entire populations. And in the Archangel Lijuan’s former territory, an unnatural fog weaves through the land, leaving only a bone-chilling silence in its wake. Soon it becomes clear that even the archangels are not immune to this deadly evil. This time, even the combined power of the Cadre may not be enough. . . .

This war could end them all.

_________________________________________________________________

If you're like me, and you've been waiting for this book since October 30, 2018 when you put down Archangel's Prophecy than you have already guessed- there's no way to avoid at least some spoilers in reviewing Archangel's War. If you are new to the series, put down this book and at least read Prophecy before coming back.  You'll be pretty lost on some major issues otherwise.

With that out of the way, Archangel's War does not disappoint those of us who have been waiting desperately to find out what was happening to Elena.  The last time we saw her, she and Raphael were fighting a prophecy that would turn Elena into a vessel for Raphael's increasing power.  And there was the whole chrysalis thing at the end.  Without giving away details, sorting that out is a big part of War (to the surprise of no one. It was kind of a big deal). 

The Cascade has awakened new Ancients before their time, China is a horror movie waiting to happen (hopefully I was not the only one seeing the Miranda scenes from Serenity playing in my head when Elena and Raphael were in China), weather across the globe has turned chaotic and deadly.  If you thought you'd seen Lijuan as creepy-crazy as possible, think again.  It would be easy for a less talented author than Singh to focus on these big picture problems and lose the people along the way.  But War balances nicely the personal issues Elena and Raphael face as they settle into their new 'normal' and the global issues the archangels as a Cadre face thanks to everyone's favorite Angel of Death. Archangels whose defining traits before this had been their oversized egos and personalities prove that they are capable of putting their egos aside and fighting together when faced with a terrible enemy.  Elena especially helps ground the story and the fighting with the people everyone fights to save.  Fans will be happy that Dimitri, Illium, and the rest of the Seven each get some action- and will certainly love one of the personal moments between Illium, Aodhan, and the Hummingbird when we learn that even powerful and deadly angels can be reduced to guilty children by a mom like the Hummingbird.

Once again, Nalini Singh exceeds all expectations for her Guild Hunters series.  Her world-building skills are top-notch, her pacing of the story a perfect blend of war and stolen personal moments. Fans will rejoice in this newest, much anticipated, release- Nalini Singh doesn't disappoint!


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Archangel's Prophecy



Archangel's Prophecy (A Guild Hunter Novel) by [Singh, Nalini]















Archangel's Prophecy- Nalini Singh
Berkley/Penguin Group
Release Date: October 30, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill. 

Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.
 
This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.

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Elena Deveraux.  Vampire Hunter. Hunter born.  Bad-ass fighter. Archangel's Consort.  The first mortal to become angel-made.  Elena has grown into her role as all of these things over the course of the Guild Hunters series.  But now she is regressing into a mortal and no-one, angel or vampire, can figure out why.  With the world still shaken from the effects of the Cascade and the madness of Lijuan fresh in everyone's memory, everyone is jumping at the smallest strangeness.  Sudden lava pits, a strange set of murders, and ghost owls only Elena can see take things to a whole new level of Cascade-Weirdness.  Elena and Raphael must try to change destiny and protect their friends and their world or an ancient prophecy will come true- and Elena may not survive it.

Like most of the Guild Hunters series, (Archangel's ViperArchangel's Prophecy does a good job of walking the fine line between personal problems and relationships and world-shattering change and clashes of archangels.  And Elena is, as always, the heart of the series.  Her view guides readers through the harsh world of immortals while at the same time reminding many immortals of their own capacity for kindness and wonder.  And she does her best to always remember (and remind others) that what is most important in the world, whether you are human or immortal, is love, friendship, and family.  So it is really no surprise that even when her own world seems to be crashing down around her, what she focuses on is a sudden threat to her sister and niece.  And it is a testament to Raphael's love and understanding that he doesn't try to wrap Elena up and hide her safely somewhere, but supports her hunt for a murderer even when she is at her weakest.  Elena and Raphael remind me a lot of Eve and Roarke in J.D. Robb's In Death series.  They may view the world very differently at times, and have come to the same place in very different ways, but despite the occasional fight, they are a perfect partnership.  Supportive, wildly in love when they thought it wasn't possible, they compliment and anchor each other perfectly. 

It's hard to talk too much about Prophecy without giving away too many spoilers.  But it is another example of Nalini Singh's wonderful writing genius: emotional, compelling, fast-paced, edge of your seat action, with just the right amount of humor and softer moments mixed throughout.  Readers new to the series would probably do best to read some of the earlier books first to get the most out of Prophecy and long-time series readers won't be able to put it down!  Just be aware that it ends with the biggest cliff-hanger Singh has ever given us and will leave you begging for the next book to find out what happens!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

ArchAngel's Viper


Archangel's Viper (A Guild Hunter Novel) by [Singh, Nalini]
















Archangel's Viper (Guild Hunter Series)- Nalini Singh
Berkely
Release Date: September 26, 2017

Warning: Potential Spoilers Ahead!

Rating(out of 5):
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Once a broken girl known as Sorrow, Holly Chang now prowls the shadowy gray underground of the city for the angels. But it's not her winged allies who make her a wanted woman--it's the unknown power coursing through her veins. Brutalized by an insane archangel, she was left with the bloodlust of a vampire, the ability to mesmerize her prey, and a poisonous bite.
 
Now, someone has put a bounty on her head...
 
Venom is one of the Seven, Archangel Raphael's private guard, and he's as infuriating as he is seductive. A centuries-old vampire, his fangs dispense a poison deadlier than Holly's. But even if Venom can protect Holly from those hunting her, he might not be able to save himself--because the strange, violent power inside Holly is awakening...
 
No one is safe.


_________________________________________________

Taking place at the same time as Archangel's Heart, Archangel's Viper follows the members of Raphael's Seven who stayed in New York to hold down the fort while Raphael and Elena are away.  Specifically, it follows everyone's favorite venomous vampire as Venom, rather accidentally, finds true love. Long time readers of the Guild Hunters series may remember Holly Chang, once known as Sorrow, as the girl Elena and Raphael rescued from the insane Archangel Uram in Angel's Blood.  Holly is beginning to accept her new life as a not-quite vampire but no-longer human.  She works with Janvier, Dimitri and others to keep New York safe. She has reconnected with her family, and the nightmares of her torture by Uram aren't quite 24/7 anymore.  But, like Vemon and Nassir (Archangel's Enigma) Holly is unique.  And in this world of immortals and angels, unique is not always a safe thing.

Because of her fast reflexes and poisonous bite, Holly is assigned to Venom for training.  Where others treat her gently, Venom treats her the same as any other new recruit.  He pushes her, annoys her, and makes her test her limits. When a botched kidnapping attempt alerts them to a bounty on Holly's head, Venom is the natural partner to help her figure out who's behind it.  But things become complicated and past becomes present as Uram's shadow continues to haunt Holly and it turns out that the past may not be quite as behind them as everyone thought.

As enjoyable as Elena is, the Guild Hunter books who follow the 'secondary' characters are just as good, if not better.  Each of Raphael's elite Seven is unique in some way and we've been able to get to know the men behind the warriors in these books. Venom may be one of the ones we know the least about, so it's no surprise how eagerly anticipated Archangel's Viper is by fans!  I think everyone will agree this story was worth their wait.  Holly has grown into a strong woman who may still be working on her confidence, but is learning in leaps and bounds and carving a place for herself in the Tower.  She and Venom have a nicely antagonistic relationship from the beginning that shows a great chemistry- even though neither believes it at first.  Venom thinks she's too young for him, Holly thinks he's a jerk.  But in the best Nalini Singh tradition, the more they work together, the more they discover about each other- and themselves.  Emotions like love sneak up on both of them, which really worked here.  Neither was looking for a relationship with anyone, especially each other, so it felt like a genuine journey of discovery on both sides.  I also liked how, even though Venom thought Holly was too young for him as a woman, he treated her as an equal partner in their investigation from the beginning.  She didn't have to prove herself to him, if anything he proved to her what she was capable of.

Much of the conflict in Viper comes from Holly's past trauma and what Uram did to her, but I don't think readers who haven't already read Angels' Blood will be lost.  There's enough background given and Holly does enough flashbacks, that new readers will catch up quickly.  Holly's story is one that she herself is still discovering, and the questions readers (new and old alike) have are questions Holly is looking for answers to: what did Uram do to her? What is she now? Why does she have the abilities she has, and what is the darkness inside of her?  The answers we get by the end are both a surprise and not a surprise. Holly has to learn what Nassir and Venom, and plenty other Nalini Singh characters, have learned: you are unique, an individual, and it is your choices that make you what you are, not what others try to label you.  

A great addition to a great series- Nalini Singh fans and paranormal romance fans will love Archangel's Viper!


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review