FIRST IN THE GUILD HUNTER SERIES!Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires.Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the … spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.
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I have enjoyed the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh. So when she came out with a new series, I purchased Angel’s Blood. I then had to wait forever…not really, but it seemed like it…for the next book in the series..There are now several books in this series, so you can enjoy having the next book readily available for a while.
This series is set in a world that has angels and vampires. Archangels are very powerful angels that have divided the world up, and rule their parts of the world. Vampires are created by angels, and humans can petition to be changed. However, vampires sometimes go rogue, since they can live a very long time, and can go crazy, sometimes leave their creators, and must either be captured and returned, or in the worst cases, executed. Thus the creation of Hunters, humans with special attributes that allow them to locate rogue vampires, return them to their bosses or execute them, if needed. Elena is a member of the Guild Hunters. She attracts the attention of the Archangel in New York, Raphael.
Thus begins a great adventure, full of laughter, thrills, world building, and the beginning of a wonderful sexy love affair. I read each book in this series in one day, can hardly wait for the next book in this series, and usually reread the entire series before reading the newest book. My only complaint is that Ms. Singh can’t write faster, but I love her books and wait with great enticipation for her next book.
Angels, hunters and vampires, anyone? If you love all of these then this book is for you! Comprising of archangels, angels, hunters and vampires, this book is action packed and romance packed. If ever there was a good mix of the urban fantasy and romance, this was it. I absolutely love Raphael and Elena. They are kickass. There is a lot of action going on in this book and it’s romantically inclined too. And then ending! Oh boy! It gives a new meaning to true loves kiss. So if you are into fantasy and paranormal books with strong characters and a strong story, this book is for you.
This was a fast, fun, entertaining read. It reminded me a little of one of my favorite shows, Lucifer, but instead of the devil, it was an angel made more vulnerable by his love for a human woman/hunter.
This is the first book of the white-hot Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh. By white-hot I mean smoking, molten, crazy hot. It’s not always edgy sex (but sometimes it is!), sometimes it’s kinda normal sex, but it is always perfect for its moment. As you continue with the series (and you will!!) get ready for a wild ride on Archangel wings (and vampire fangs!) because Nalini Singh’s world DELIVERS.
Wow where can I get me a set of Angel wings and a Archangel? What a read. I loved every moment of this book. Ellie and Raphael what a dynamic duo. Both having a little bit of them changed because of the other person, one become a little more human and the other immortal. A strong willed Guild Hunter and a cold calculated Archangel falling for one another. Nalini you have done a fantastic job with writing this book it kept me on the edge of the seat. One minute I thought I knew where the story was going then bam it went a different direction. I can’t wait to get into Archangel’s Kiss.
A friend recommend this series to me and I went and got them all after reading the first one.
I don’t read a lot of Paranormal romance and normally don’t like Angels and Vampires. But Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter books are amazing. Angel’s Blood is the first and to me, totally mesmerizing. Her world building is phenomenal and the characters are great. Plus…Raphael. I was totally hooked from the moment he walked onto the page. (Well, I think he flew) If you’re looking for something different that blows all your preconceptions out of the water, these are the books for you.
~ 4.5 Angels’ Blood Stars ~
Angels’ Blood is book one in the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh.
Lots of my blogger friends have been telling me for years now to pick up the Guild Hunter series, especially since I enjoy Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changling. I am so glad I picked up this book.
WOW. LOVED every page. I devoured Angels’ Blood from beginning to end. I was glued to the pages.
Vampires, Angels, Hunters and they are not what we have come to think of in the normal sense or what we are use to their roles being. Angel’s aren’t the good guys nor are they bad, same with the Vampier’s and well the Hunter’s don’t hunt to kill. It was quite a unique world set up.
Elena Deveraux is capable of handling herself well, is smart, tough and a little snarky. She is one tough warrior. I always enjoy reading about strong woman who can hold their own. Especially against strong male characters. Raphael, Archangel and one character I just don’t know how to describe. One minute I’m in awe, the next I’m pissed, and then frighten. He’s a force to be reckoned with. Singh does a great job keeping a balance between Elena and Raphael, that you can identify with both.
I’m so glad I picked up this series. I’m devouring the books one after the other and can’t get enough. It’s fast paced and action packed. Intruding the reader to a wide variety of new characters as well as our leads taking us on an emotional journey.
Their is just so much to love and enjoy in the Guild Hunters series.
3 stars – I liked it
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux has been hired by the Archangel Raphael to hunt a monster who is on a killing spree. Failure isn’t an option and she knows she might be killed, but her biggest concern is being seduced by Raphael.
I have mixed feelings about this book. This whole world is quite fascinating with angels, vampires, and vampire hunters. I really love all the different elements and how they interact with each other. But, while I really loved Elena and the whole concept of this world, I have issues with the relationship part of the story.
My issue is the huge power disparity between Rapahel and Elena for the majority of this book. Elena is terrified of him most of the time, and knows he will most likely torture and kill her at the end of the mission. This is an issue for me because the way their relationship progressed to actual intimacy felt almost like she was just giving in to his demands, not because she actually felt something for him. Later those feelings are there but that first sex scene felt more like she was just tired so she gave into his constant requests.
The reason why this is getting a three star instead of two is because I enjoyed the hunt for the enemy and seeing Elena in the field. Also Elena’s internal monologue, when not obsessed with Raphael, was really enjoyable. I really loved learning more about her and her reasoning for being a hunter, which I hope we learn more about in the next book. Hopefully the relationship will get better in the next book.
Trigger Warnings: dubious consent
I’m several years late but very glad I finally started this series. This is one of the best written paranormal romances I’ve found and I enjoyed the uniqueness of the world building. Love me a strong FMC that doesn’t go weak and whiney to let the dashing immortal save her, but could have used a bit more tension before she actually ended up in bed with the LI.
I really do love this series and it’s been quite a while since I originally read this hence me wanted to do a full reread starting with this one.
I loved this just as much the second time around the genre is urban fantasy combined with romance and it’s fast-paced and action-packed throughout.
The story is so imaginative it’s set in an alternate earth universe where angels rule at the top and the highest of them all are archangels.
Raphael is the Archangel of New York and he has a problem. One of the other Archangels has gone rogue killing innocents across the city he needs a hunter to scent him out so he can contain and destroy the threat.
Elena is a born hunter employed by the Guild an organisation that bags vampires and returns them to their masters the angels.
Vampires are made and part of the price of this is the service of time owed to their overlords.
When Elena is summoned to Angel Tower by Raphael himself she knows that to refuse is not an option.
This is a graphic one in terms of gory descriptions Raphael and Elena are basically on the tail of a serial killer psychotic angel.
This balanced the plot with the romance very nicely but this story is essentially more plot-driven than romance-driven.
I liked where we eventually ended up here and that ending was fabulous and definitely makes you want to continue on with Elena and Raphael’s story.
The world-building is good and even though certain things weren’t explained fully here I know having read this series before that these explanations do come and the more this series progresses the more we do learn.
I can’t wait to dive fully into the next book which again focuses on this particular couple.
A well written and imaginative series with Angel’s vampires and humans.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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Intrigued and captivated.
Every now and then I like to take a brake from the lighter stories I like so much, and indulge a bit heavier taste. The trick is to find stories that are not too heavy and not too dark, but more than my usual read. Task completed. Angels’ Blood is an awesome story, not too heavy but flirting at the line. Main characters and supporting cast are as intriguing as the main plot and world building. So often it is either or, this story has it all. I personally often fall for the world building aspect of the story, while finding the characters and their story lacking. Am happy to report here it isn´t so. Am even more happy about the characters than the big picture. Still, the big picture is glorious. A world where archangels rule, the question of good and bad, where the line of insanity is crossed, and if power should rule insanity irrelevant. Color me impressed. Add my weakness for mythological Biblical anything. And the spirit of the warrior. I am in heaven. In 5th chapter I gave up on the audio, and bought the ebook as well … turns out I want to be able to follow what on earth is happening. After figuring out the names of all the archangels, I went back to the audio though. The narration is awesome and allows me to cook while enjoying the story. Nothing got burned in my kitchen. And now I am wondering if I am really more in love with the characters than the main plot or world building. But I think I am. Heroine and hero are so lovely. In a kickass sorta way so brutal, they can afford to be soft with each other. Sooo good. Am thinking of abandoning my stacks of “to be read next” and just buy the next audio book in this series. There are some serious badasses in this story I would love to know more about. Did I say it is also hot? Plus, there are this unanswered mystery about the heroine´s childhood trauma still out there. My first book by this author. A new favorite.
This one kept me glued to it from beginning to end. It’s an odd world, with angels and vampires as regular parts of everyday life, and the first book with vampires I’ve actually liked, and I’ve read quite a few.
I’m late to the party with Guild Hunter, by holy cow! I’m totally sucked in, as usual with Nalini. I’m a huge fan and can’t recommend her enough. Every book in this series leaves me speechless with new twists.
https://sherrilhollister.com/2019/10/13/angels-blood-by-nalini-singh-read-by-justine-eyre/
I have been underneath a rock since 2009, I guess, because I wish I had read this book/series sooner. Now I’m making time to darn it because I have been in a reading rut and needed something to get me out of it. Thank goodness for Angel’s Blood because I’m out of that rut, and I’m now obsessed over Nalini’s Guild Hunter series. I read this book so fast that I’m already having withdrawals. Thank goodness for having the next couple of books in the series on hand; otherwise, I would be driving my family crazy. (especially the husband)The minute I started reading Angel’s Blood, I knew I was not going to get anything done. The very first page had me hooked into this world that Nalini Singh created. There is nothing new about me loving to kick-butt female characters because I prefer heroines that can handle their own, other the damsel in distress. Elena is that character in this book, and Nalini got me liking her the minute she stood up to Raphael (the archangel). Oh, how I LOVED Raphael in this book. He was one lethal, sexy archangel that I loved following in the story.
Elena is a Guild Hunter who hunts vampires that the archangels want back who try to run from their duties. Elena has been tasked though to hunt down an archangel that has gone rogue. She’s going to be tested and put through a lot during this mission because she has the sexy, dark archangel making sure she doesn’t screw up. In the meantime, she’s trying to resist his charms, and Raphael is trying to resist losing his angel powers to a human that intrigues him. Nalini creates a different world where nothing is what it seems. There are archangels in the world that try to keep everything in order, but it’s kind of hard when one of them goes rogue. In comes the importance of the Guild Hunters who help in the matter of the rogue vampires and now rogue archangels. Elena is the strong female lead in the story that will steal the show with her personality, and Raphael is the dangerous archangel that you will either love or hate. In my case, I LOVED him!
I loved how Nalini made the story from different points of view so that the reader can follow Elena and Raphael in the story. It made the story very well with the back and forth between the characters. I also enjoyed the ending. I expected the conclusion but was still blown away with how Nalini ended it. Okay, I admit it was an explosive ending. Now I need to find time to read the next books in the series back to back with no interruption. I must convince the husband to let me have 3 to 4 days by myself to read them. Ha…we’ll see how it goes. He did allow me to have my birthday weekend last year to read a series. It was my birthday wish, and he knew I instead read books then have an actual birthday present (but he still got me a fantastic birthday present) =)I give this book five full moons (ten if I could) and highly recommend it to UF/PNR readers out there.
(Re-Read/Listened to this book again in 2019. This book always gets me out of a reading rut.)
There is something about one of the most powerful creatures falling for a human that always intrigues me. Through most of book one you know he is drawn to Elena but you also don’t know if he will kill her when his fascination ends. He’s pretty cold and remote. I don’t know what that says about me that I like that even more.
Elena is one of my favorite kinds of heroines. She one of the best vampire hunters. She a born hunter and can track by smell. She’s also very smart and deadly for a human. I like a heroine who can really kick some butt. She can’t kick any archangel butt, however that doesn’t stop her from standing up to him. She risks his and others wrath that either makes her brave or stupid. Sometimes it was borderline, but I liked it. I like that she didn’t take crap from anyone.
I’m very thankful I read the side characters short stories first. When they appeared in this book, I already knew who they were and some of their background. I do believe it helped me enjoy each side character just a bit more. I would highly recommend reading those novellas before starting the series.
I’m listening to the audiobooks and the narrator, Justine Eyre does a very good job with both the female and male voices, plus the multitude of accents in this series. The one thing that can have me not enjoying an audiobook is when a narrator can not do the opposite sex voice well enough. Justine Eyre does not have this problem. I would highly recommend giving the audiobooks a try if you enjoy them.
This fictional world was pretty fascinating and I can’t wait to see where this series is headed. This didn’t end on a huge cliffhanger but you do know there is more to come with Elena’s new life with Raphael. Onto the next book…
Reread-2019
This was the first book of Nalini’s I’d ever read and I was seriously impressed with her phenomenal world building and her characters-utterly fascinating! Elena and Raphael are both survivors, warriors, and loyal to a fault with their closest friends. Their relationship is a gradual development-you know it’s got to be something grand- because hello! -Archangel and human aren’t an everyday match and these two have enough sexual tension to set a city on fire!
Raphael’s Seven are definitely an impressive group of angels and vampires in their own right. The relationships amongst them showcased an amazing amount of trust in a world that was very cutthroat when you get down to the fine details. The Guild Hunters are similar to Raphael’s Seven but with a human touch. Just enough to empasize the differences between mortals and immortals-yet not enough to keep an Archangel from taking a chance on an epic love story and become a little bit human himself.
If you haven’t already, take a chance and give this series a whirl!
Wow.
Wow.
Why the freaking hell haven’t I bothered to read Nalini Singh before now? I had heard of her, I figured she was good, but it wasn’t until I wanted to read an angel romance and asked for recommendations from one of my groups and this one was mentioned that I actually got my rear in gear.
Super glad I did!
The Good:
This was an awesome story that compelled me to keep reading even when I meant to put it down. Everything was awesome. The read was effortless and engaging. Most definitely an awesome story!
The Bad:
I wished for a tad more chemistry between the arrogant archangel and the stubborn, willful guild hunter. I’m not sure if the story continues in book two or if we get another angel and couple, but I hope it continues…. I want it to continue because I feel the need to feel more emotion and tension and sexual awareness between Raphael and Elena. So good….
5 stars!!
This book is the beginning of an urban fantasy series, and it is wonderful. This author has an amazing imagination. It takes courage to write a book in which Archangels rule Earth, and this author did it so very well.