In this Guild Hunter novel, 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 of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the … flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…
They’ve barely begun to learn 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. For ancient and without conscience, Lijuan’s power lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…
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I devour Guild Hunter novels. I can’t get enough of this epic world. Full of danger, intrigue, and heady seduction, the Guild Hunter series is perfect!
Archangel’s Kiss finds a mortal turned immortal and her struggles with her new body while facing down the politics and murder attempts of angels and vampires. The story is entertaining and interesting. The characters are believable and likable. The storyline captivating. The narrator did a good job with providing unique voices for each character.
I love Nalini! She has 2 fantasy series that I read and each time I read one from one of the series I think it’s my favorite series. Then a new one from the other series comes out and that is my favorite series! The Archangel series is so fun and romantic. You’ll love Elana and her angel.
World-building that blew my socks off.
These books just keep getting better and better. The connection between Raphael and Elena is wonderful. They both bring the best out of each other. Sorry got to keep this review short I need to get started Archangels Consort. But seriously I loved this book.
3 stars – I liked it
Elena wakes up from a year-long coma to find herself changed. She now has to learn how to use her wings and the politics of being an angel, and the consort to an archangel. Time is against her though when the archangel Lijuan invites them to a ball.
So this book picks up shortly after the previous book ended. A lot of the beginning of this book was Elena learning how to fly and fight with her new wings. She also is struggling to learn about the angel’s history and the politics of the archangels. I was really happy that she actually struggled to learn how to fly and fight again. A lot of paranormal/UF stuff sometimes makes the characters instantly grasp the changes, which is crazy.
The relationship between Elena and Raphael is still pretty unbalanced but Raphael is actually making an effort to respect her boundaries. Not always but I definitely liked him a lot better in this book than I did in the first book. Elena still fears him, but only his power and his potential to lose his mind, not him hurting her which I think is a good because I don’t love relationships that start from fear.
I really enjoyed meeting more of Raphael’s court and seeing how they interact compared to other archangels. The other archangels definitely have gone powermad, which I can easily see happen for creatures who are basically immortal. Lijuan is a terrifying archangel with a terrifying ability. I really am interested in seeing how she will impact the series in the future books. Overall, this was a good sequel and I look forward to seeing how Elena changes the angels world.
I loved how the tension between Raphael & Elena didn’t disappear just because of their near death experience. Even though they’re in love, it doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling to figure each other out and define boundaries. I also really enjoyed getting to know so many of the angels & vampires in Raphael’s life and seeing Elena prove how very useful she is even if she’s “just” a former mortal/property of Raphael. There is so much heartache, grief and brutality in this book, an acknowledgment that some wounds never heal, even if we could become immortal. What truly makes this book sing, and what made me fall completely in love with this pair, was watching Raphael support Elena exactly how she needed, regardless of what he wanted, while she confronted the horrors of her past.
Another reread and I raced through this in record time.
This deals with the aftermath and fallout from the first book when Raphael and Elena after that epic violent showdown fell together and their fates were forever entwined.
What happens when an Archangel loves with all of his heart and soul he becomes a little bit human and makes a baby Angel. His willingness to die for Elena producing ambrosia a very rare phenomenon and triggering Elena’s metamorphosis.
Elena awakens here from a year-long sleep with wings of midnight reborn as a young immortal she’s as weak as a baby but with new enemies on the horizon, she must push herself to grow stronger both physically and mentally.
Elena has enemies at every turn and being Raphael’s known weakness she must rise to the occasion.
Here we learn about the refuge a guarded secret haven for young angels most of the story takes place here as Elena recovers and gains strength.
This upped the romantic factor and I could literally devour Raphael here he was just so possessively intense and protective whilst at the same time giving Elena the room to grow.
And there was no way you could doubt his adoration for his beloved hunter even placing her life before his own.
Loved this and I’m very much enjoying getting lost all over again in this imaginative world of Angels and vampires. I definitely recommend this series highly.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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I can not say how many times I have read this series just recently however I decided to give it a go in audio
My house is a mess and my kids are starving but Holy Fires am I having a fabulous time!
The back and forth between the cast – not just Raphael and Elena –
The way they all interact – the emotional connections –
You can’t help but physically react
The edge of your seat suspense
The heart pounding twists and betrayals
The unique relationship between Raphael and Elena
One of the best series to date
Worth owning in audio and physical form!
First Time Read: October 2014
Second Time Listened: April 2017
Third Time Listened: October 2019
I love this series from Nalini Singh. I’m kicking myself in the butt for not reading this series sooner because I’m a huge fan of Angels/Archangels in the UF/PNR genre.
Now I’m on a mission to read the rest of the series before the next book comes out. I will need days of being closed off from civilization, so I can manage reading them. If only I could make myself a clone for a few days, so my clone to get the housework done, get the oldest daughter and youngest daughter off to school. *sigh if only that were possible I could get through books faster*
Forewarning – If you haven’t read the first book, skip reading this review. I highly recommend reading this series in order; otherwise, you will miss out on what is going on. I’ll try not to spoil anything because I’m one of those that hates spoilers, but it’s kind of hard to not gush over this book/series.
In Archangel’s Kiss, Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to have become an angel with wings. She’s not fully immortal, though, which makes Raphael (the Archangel that helped change her) worry about her. Elena now has to adjust from being human to learn how to fly. It’s not as easy as everyone thinks. She also has to change to having Raphael boss her around, and she’s not someone who takes to authority very well. (Can’t say I blame her because Raphael is a very controlling alpha male but sexy too!!!) Now that Elena is an angel, Raphael is more intrigued by his Guild Hunter. He wants to help her adjust to her new life, but he has a hard time adjusting to what happened in Angel’s Blood with him going into the Quiet slightly.
In the second novel to the Guild Hunter series, Elena and Raphael have been invited to Lijuan’s ball. Raphael is a little weary on accepting the invitation, though. Lijuan is one of the oldest Archangel’s, and she’s showing signs of having an extreme power that awakens the dead. Lijuan is intrigued by Elena as well and has several surprises in store for Elena.
From the beginning to the end of this book, you’ll be on the edge of your seat because Elena does not only have to deal with Lijuan but several other nuisances. Poor Elena can’t catch a break, and Nalini is going to put Elena and Raphael through several tests with each other. She also tests Elena a lot with her strength. Let’s say I was always worried about Elena’s safety, but I knew my girl could get through it all. The person who ticked me off the most was another Archangel who keeps giving Elena a hard time. Get a life, Archangel!
I could go on and on about how much I loved this story, but I’m going to move along and finish reading the next book in the series. I’m having a hard time leaving Elena and Raphael for too long. I need to know what happens next to these two characters.
Nalini makes her Guild Hunter series very addicting and hard to put down. I give this book five full moons and highly recommend this series to UF/PNR readers out there.
Archangel’s Kiss picks up right where book one left off. Raphael has accomplished something incredibly rare by making Elena into an angel. She’s vulnerable right now and anyone who wants to get to him will now try to go through her.
I don’t really get why the Archangel’s can’t trust each other. As a small group, you would think that they would protect each other. They do seem to stick together, but any sign of weakness and they strike against each other. They seem to be power hungry and very selfish.
This whole book was basically Raphael protecting Elena from anyone who wish them both harm. Now that she is still pretty weak, the danger is hitting them fast and furious. We get to see a very protective Raphael in this book. He’s still a bit cold but you do get his thoughts on Elena and he loves her very much. She’s a lucky woman.
Elena is still a very brave woman. Sometimes too brave. I like that she still has the ability to hunt and I can’t wait to see her in action when she gets stronger. I hope that is soon. Right now she isn’t well liked by his Seven since they all think she is Raphael’s weakness.
I really like these two and can’t wait to see them grow as a couple. I’m sure there will be a lot more danger to come and some awesome action from Elena. On to book three.
I am soooooooo thrilled Nalini Singh decided to continue on with Raphael and Elena’s story. Absolutely overjoyed. I think I squeed aloud. My new current favorite is Raphael. I love him. I want to roll around with him and his wings and angel dust. Seriously.
The Good:
The world-building that Nalini Singh does is abso-freaking-lutely amazing. I mean hands down one of my favorites now!
Plus the chemistry between Elena and Raphael makes one seriously hot. It whets your appetite and leaves you hungry for more. The love between these two, an archangel of imaginable power and a once-mortal newly born angel is one of the more beautiful I’ve read in my urban fantasy novels.
I am just in awe of these two and want so much more.
The Bad:
You want more! Sooo, soo much more!
5 stars! Or more!
We pick up shortly where we left off in ANGEL’S BLOOD. Raphael gave his Elena immortality in order to save her life. Her transformation is nothing that has ever been seen in recorded existence. While Elena is considered a baby in immortal terms, Raphael’s enemies would like nothing more than to destroy his happiness by killing her. Not wanting to be a weakness to Raphael, Elena throws herself into training and getting used to her new body.
Thankfully, Elena’s hunter born tracking abilities stayed with her after the transformation. They are needed here. A series of unfortunate events have been staged in order to create dissention between the archangels. With a seat open in the Cadre of Ten, some nefarious, power hungry beings are playing a deadly game.
If that wasn’t enough, Lijuan—a batsh*t crazy archangel with some super scary abilities—is throwing a ball in Elena’s honor to welcome her into the immortal world. To decline such an invitation would be unwise. Everything comes to a head at the ball and you definitely don’t want to miss this explosive second installment to the series!
The brilliance of Nalini Singh always amazes me. Her stories are finely crafted with engaging plots and extraordinarily complex characters! I loved reading about Elena’s transformation and I admire the strength she possessed. Despite the past she still suffers from and her current status as a weak, baby immortal, Elena’s determination is off the charts. I want to be Elena!
I also love the shift of background in the book. The story is set at the Refuge, a safe, hidden land where younger immortals are protected. We also get page time with the rest of Raphael’s Seven, including Galen, Aodhan and Naasir.
There is nothing about the story that I didn’t like. I can’t recommend this series enough!
Audiobook, borrowed through the Audible romance package.
Thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the seven. I love this world and how it flips traditional angels/archangels being good as just these powerful beings that are largely lacking humanity. Or any care for the humans, vampires, and angels under their care. Reminiscent of the stories of old Greek/Roman gods that cared more about themselves and whatever drama they had going on than the humans that worshiped them. Alas, I digress.
In the first book in this series, the relationship between Elena and Raphael is rushed and largely unexplained. Not that any of that is really cleared up in this book, but the relationship is more consistent and steady as they grow closer. Less all over the place.
The absolute best part of this book though, is that you get to meet more of Raphael’s seven and LAWD. I want a book for all of them! Definitely dying to see what’s going to happen with Elena’s precious Bluebell.
This narrator, Justine Eyre, is so good. The only accent or voice I found that didn’t work in this book is her southern one for the creepy archangel over Alabama and such? Is that right? Not really an easy way to go back and check in an audiobook unless I’d left bookmarks. Oh well.
The second book in a great series. You won’t find a lot of hearts and roses romance in these books, but the love and loyalty is there. An interesting, alternate realty if humans, angels and vampires co-existed. The characters are strong and interesting. Highly recommend the series.
This series is so amazing ,i love the characters and the storyline .
Nalini Singh it such a great writer and i love all her books .
Elena is such a bad ass ,i love that she never backs down and she gives just as good as she gets 🙂 her relationship with Raphael is complex and so interesting to read about , they are one of my favorite
couples 🙂
Raphael is so devilish and i loved getting to see a side of him that he only shows to Elena , they both have hurts that only they can heal with each other 🙂
Also loved getting to see more of the side characters ,love Illium , Vemon ,Dmitri , Aodhan ,Jason and Galen, they are all so interesting in their own ways and i can’t wait to read more about them
This book is about Elena trying to come back from the fall of her life with the Archangel of New York. Elena has to learn to walk and fly because of new life with wings. Raphael had to heal to from the fall too but he did not take a year to heal like Elena but he had her where he could watch over her as she was healing as well as becoming an Angel. Elena’s friends was worried about her because they was hearing things about her that she was a vampire now and them was not let to see her. Elena was learning to fly and fight with her wings as she got stronger. Now is the time grab the book to read. I will be getting more of the books from this author. Thank you for writing these books.
This book was incredibly slow. This series didn’t deserve another whole book about Raphael and Elana. It could have centered another couple and the events concerning them could have been addressed.
I didn’t want to finish it because it was long winded and much ado about nothing. I suggest you skip.
The characters in this paranormal fantasy are incredibly described; the writing is superb. The description of wings and flying were fantastic and made me want wings of my own.
Coming into the middle of the series made it difficult to understand all the nuances going on in this complex alternative world that includes archangels, vampires and more. So I would suggest starting at the beginning, if possible. But I still enjoyed this book. Recommended for readers who are into deep dark fantasy with hot sex and violence.
Wonderful series!