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Archangel's Heart (A Guild Hunter Novel) Mass Market Paperback – November 1, 2016
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“Raphael and Elena are the heart of this series…they are what keep me coming back for more.”—Fiction Vixen
One of the most vicious archangels in the world has disappeared. No one knows if Lijuan is dead or has chosen to Sleep the long sleep of an immortal. But with her lands falling into chaos under a rising tide of vampiric bloodlust, a mysterious and ancient order of angels known as the Luminata calls the entire Cadre together to discuss the fate of her territory.
Accompanying her archangelic lover Raphael to the Luminata compound, guild hunter-turned-angel Elena senses that all is not as it seems. Secrets echo from within the stone walls of the compound, and the deeper Elena goes, the uglier the darkness. But neither Raphael nor Elena is ready for the brutal truths hidden within—truths that will change everything Elena thinks she knows about who she is…
Nothing will ever be the same again.
- Print length400 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBerkley
- Publication dateNovember 1, 2016
- Dimensions4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
- ISBN-100451488008
- ISBN-13978-0451488008
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“This eighth novel highlights the author's ability to weave threads of devastation and hopefulness together; it is emotionally jarring and at times grim yet ultimately fulfilling, resonating with the conviction that love is the strongest force in the universe. Singh explores power, love, and redemption with her typical consummate skill.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Praise for Archangel’s Enigma
“Eight books in and the Guild Hunter Series continues to build on that early momentum and evolve into the one of the most dynamic and compelling series in its genre. Singh’s balance of romanticism and action and adventure is unparalleled. The battle scenes are epic, the sensuality is potent, and the story arcs twine and bend to blow your mind.”—Smexy Books
“Singh breathes new energy into the Guild Hunter series with her splendid eighth installment...The blend of intimate tenderness and globe-spanning action reaches new highs in Singh's most exciting novel yet.”—Publishers Weekly
“Singh is a brilliant writer, and her words about the world of angels and vampires sing from the pages...Archangel’s Engima is another hands-down winner by virtuoso Nalini Singh, proving her worthy of her reigning queen of PNR status. Brava, Ms. Singh!”—Fresh Fiction
“It’s happy dance time! The incomparable Singh finally reveals the origins of the fascinating and feral Naasir! Naasir’s presence as an intriguing secondary character has quickly made him a fan favorite, and his story is everything we hoped for. As always with a Singh novel, not only is there a compelling relationship story mixed with high-stakes action, but it also includes critical advancement of the overarching series plot. Singh is one of those rare storytellers who literally never disappoints!”—RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars, Top Pick)
About the Author
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Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Two years had passed.
Two years since Alexander woke.
Two years since the last confirmed sighting of Zhou Lijuan.
Two years since Illium threatened to burn up in a catastrophic explosion of power.
Two years while the Cascade seemed to hit Pause.
Elena was fucking over waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Come on already," she muttered up at the sky, Manhattan a toy borough hundreds of feet below the edge of the railing-free Tower balcony on which she stood.
"Speaking to your ancestors, Elena-mine?" The voice came from behind her, familiar and imbued with a power so violently deep that the mere sound of it engendered fear in the hearts of mortals and immortals alike.
It made Elena's own heart ache, the love she felt for her archangel a painful, terrifying thing in these times of uncertainty. If she lost him . . . No, she couldn't think that way. Even if that damn other shoe was still smirking at her, just waiting to thunk down on top of her head when she least expected it.
"Whoever or whatever it is that controls the Cascade, that's who I'm talking to." She leaned back into Raphael. The position trapped her wings in between, but with Raphael, she could be vulnerable, she could be weaponless, and still be safe. Not that she wasn't armed to the teeth, but that was habit and none of it would ever be turned against Raphael except when they sparred-or when he pushed her buttons a little too hard.
Her archangel hadn't quite got the hang of the fact he wasn't lord and master over his consort. He tried but a thousand-five-hundred-years-plus of power had a way of messing with his attempts at seeing his once-mortal lover as an equal when it came to their personal relationship.
Elena cut him some slack every so often. "Some" being the operative word.
Today, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, his jaw brushing her hair as the two of them looked out over their city from their vantage point on the cloud-piercing form of Archangel Tower. New York. Brash and messy and noisy and full of color and energy and life. So much life. Elena could hear it on the busy streets far, far below, sense it with every beat of her heart, taste it in the myriad scents that clashed and fought and yet somehow made their peace.
Her blood hummed in awareness.
"I have news," Raphael murmured. "It may inject a little excitement into your currently mundane life."
Elena snorted. "I don't need any more excitement. I just need the damn Cascade off Pause so we can get it done." Her hand twitched to go for the lightweight crossbow strapped to her thigh.
Unfortunately, she didn't have anyone or anything to shoot at right now.
Raphael's chuckle vibrated against her. "You sound a little tense, Consort."
Elena would've elbowed him if her wings hadn't been in the way. "Why are you in such a good mood?" The past two years had been as tautly tense for him as they'd been for her. All the archangels had stayed within the borders of their own territories-but for a few secret trips here and there-in preparation for further Cascade madness.
Only the unpredictable worldwide phenomenon that caused dangerous power fluctuations in the archangels as well as some angels, along with tumult across the earth in the form of storms, quakes, and floods, seemed to have decided it was finished. But of course, they all knew it wasn't. Not by a long shot. Even Elena could feel the thunderous portent in the air, just hanging there, waiting to unleash itself.
"My good mood is because something has at last broken the stalemate of the past two years."
"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Elena said darkly.
"Such a suspicious mind."
"Yes. It keeps me alive." She watched an angel with wings of an astonishing, haunting blue edged with silver rise up over a skyscraper in the distance, Illium's physical strength back to what it should be for his age and development. There had been no other vicious and possibly deadly surges that threatened to tear his body apart from the inside out.
Even better, he was laughing again, was once more the playful angel who'd become her first friend in this immortal world. "Bluebell's about to do a dive," she predicted from the way Illium was soaring up into the crystalline sky.
And then he was turning and falling, a sleek bullet whose laughter she could almost hear.
"I bet you he's planning to go low enough to freak out the pedestrians." New Yorkers were used to angels in their city, turned up their noses at the tourists who gawped up at the sky, but angelic acrobatics could still make them jump. Especially acrobatics done by an angel as fast and as quick to maneuver as Illium.
"That is no bet," Raphael answered. "He's been playing such tricks as long as I've known him."
And Raphael, Elena thought, had known Illium since the other angel was a child.
She reached up to close her hands over the arms he'd wrapped around her. Illium meant a great deal to her archangel; that was a truth most people didn't comprehend. All of Raphael's Seven meant far more to him than simply the positions they filled in his Tower or in his Refuge stronghold.
They weren't just his most trusted warriors-the Seven were family.
Rubbing his jaw against her temple in a silent response to her touch, he said, "We are about to leave New York."
Elena blinked; she couldn't have been more surprised if he'd told her he wanted her to strip naked then and there and start chanting to invisible sky gods. "What happened to batten down the hatches and watch for an attack? All our enemies are still out there."
"The Cadre has been called to meet."
Rubbing at her face, Elena turned and took a step back so she could face Raphael, her wings a familiar weight at her back and the wind tugging lightly at her feathers as if in invitation for flight. The almost cruel masculine beauty of his face hit her hard, as it sometimes did when she looked at him after glancing away. All clean lines and skin brushed with finest gold, he had eyes so shatteringly blue they had no equal on this earth, his hair a black beyond midnight and his lips shaped with a sensuality that hinted at passion and power both, wings of white gold arching over his shoulders.
Already, he'd been magnificent, but the Legion mark on his right temple-the violent, vivid blue and hidden white fire of it shaped like the primal manifestation of a dragon-added a wildness to his beauty that made him beyond beautiful, beyond magnificent. He was Raphael, Archangel of New York, and the man she loved so much that sometimes she couldn't breathe from the force of it.
And he loved her.
That truth she could never doubt, no matter if, at times, he crossed lines in their relationship that made her threaten to pull out a blade. Even if the Cascade messed with everything else, this one thing no one and nothing could ever mess up.
Lifting his hand, he cupped her cheek, brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. "Your eyes are even more luminous today."
Elena scowled. "I don't want luminous eyes," she said. "I want normal gray eyes that let me blend in, not silver eyes that make it obvious I'm an immortal."
Raphael's lips curved. "A pity about the wings then."
"Ha ha." Putting her hands on her hips, she turned her head to press a kiss to his palm before facing him once more. "Which one of the archangels called for the meet?" It would tell her which ones were likely to go-and which ones would be salivating at the opportunity to attack other territories while the archangels to whom those territories belonged were occupied elsewhere.
"None."
The single word fell like a gunshot between them.
Shaking her head, Elena reached up to tuck back a strand of hair that had whipped across her face. She'd left the near-white stuff unbound today since she wasn't on a hunt and had been planning to hang out close to the Tower and the Legion skyscraper.
"I know I've only been an immortal a zillionth of a second according to angelic time," she said dryly, "but I'm pretty sure there's no one more powerful than an archangel. Unless it's one of those Ancestor creatures Naasir told me about." She'd taken those Sleeping beings to be myth, but maybe not.
"There is no one more powerful than the Cadre," Raphael confirmed. "However, in one situation and one situation only, another group can call the Cadre to a meeting. Attendance is mandatory-anyone who does not attend can have their territory divided with the might of all angelkind standing behind those who are given the resulting pieces."
Elena whistled. "Sounds like an invitation to war." Especially since angelkind wasn't exactly united right now.
"Yes-which is why no one refuses an invitation. It's not worth the aggravation when all possible threats will be at the meeting with you." Raphael nodded to behind her. "Aodhan is dodging crossbow bolts."
Swiveling on her heel, Elena spotted the angel who seemed created of pieces of light, a thousand rays of sunshine sparking off the filaments of his wings, the glittering strands of his hair; he was darting this way and that while an entire squadron shot at him. The members of the squadron were wearing wraparound sunglasses in an effort to track the piercing blaze of him in the sky.
Aodhan, meanwhile, dropped and dodged with uncanny skill.
"And the prize for most bored goes to . . ."
Raphael moved forward to stand beside her, his wing sliding over her own. "He's just staying in shape for the battle to come."
Unfortunately, that was true. The battle would come and that damn shoe would drop. "This group that has the power to force the Cadre to meet, what's it called?"
"The members call themselves the Luminata. They are a spiritual sect-not religious in the human sense." He paused, as if thinking of the right words to describe them. "The closest mortal analog is likely the Buddhist search for enlightenment. The Luminata seek to understand themselves individually and angelkind as a whole; their self-imposed task is to discover who and what we are in the greater scheme of the universe, and to accept whatever answer may come. They call it a search for luminescence."
Spreading his wings, he folded them back in a susurration of sound she'd never associate with anyone but her archangel. "Many mortals believe in gods, but when death is but a faint glimmer on a distant horizon that may never be breached, such beliefs fade into confusion. The Luminata attempt to find luminescence in the now, rather than hoping for it on the other side of that distant horizon."
"I met a holy man once during a hunt in India," Elena found herself saying. "He lived as a hermit, had nothing to his name but the clothes on his back, but his eyes . . . such peace, Raphael. I think he's the most peaceful being I've ever met. Even Keir doesn't have such a well of peace inside him." And the revered angelic healer had lived thousands of years.
"From what I know, this is what the Luminata search for." Raphael continued to watch Aodhan's movements in the sky ahead of them. "A purity of soul that leaves them with no earthly questions or concerns."
"Have they had any success in their quest?"
"The only Luminata I've ever met are those who have been asked to leave the sect, and the once-novices-those who walked away from the life after a short attempt. So I have no basis to judge the luminescence of those who follow the path."
Elena raised an eyebrow, but kept silent, interested in this sect that could call a Cadre of archangels to order.
"At some point in our past," Raphael told her, "a point so far back that no one remembers-"
"Did you ask the Legion? Their memories of the past are fading but they're not totally gone."
"I did." Raphael's eyes went to a nearby high-rise, one that had a shape unlike any other in the city, and that was covered in the fresh green of living things, a building that was designed to be a living thing. For the Legion were of the earth and it was in earth, in growth, that they thrived. "But those memories, if they existed, are gone. The Legion know the Luminata only from more recent times."
"Recent" being a relative term, Elena thought. "So a long time ago in a land far away, the Luminata . . ." she prompted.
Raphael's laughter was a caress of sunkissed waves over her senses, the power of him no threat but a promise. "I wonder what the sect will make of you, Elena." Love surrounded her, so deep that she felt it in her bones. "As you say, long ago the Luminata were entrusted with a certain task. This task was given to them because it was-and is-believed that they are the only group that can be trusted to be impartial with it."
He raised one hand to stroke it over the arch of her wing, the touch an intimate one between lovers, as, not far in the distance, Aodhan took a crossbow bolt in the thigh. Pulling it out, he threw it back and kept dodging. Yeah, Elena thought, he might be training to stay in shape, but he was also bored. So was Illium, if the screams floating up from the city streets were any indication.
He'd clearly kept up the dive bombing.
"I think," Raphael said, "I must tell your Bluebell to stop scaring our citizens."
Illium appeared in view a few seconds later, a grin on his almost too handsome face that Elena could see from here. Dipping his wings toward the Tower in acknowledgment of Raphael's order, he joined Aodhan's "dodge the bolts" game.
One bolt went crazily wild at nearly the same instant, heading straight for Elena.
Snatching it from the air with a single hand, Raphael passed it to her. "Whoever this is needs further training."
Elena recognized the markings on the shaft, grinned. "Izzy." The young angel was still a baby in angelic terms. "You have to admit, he's brilliant for his age."
"Galen wouldn't have recommended him for a Tower apprenticeship elsewise," Raphael said before continuing to speak about the Luminata. "By dint of their spiritual quest, the Luminata have no earthly ties and no loyalties beyond that to their quest for luminescence. They take no lovers, participate in no wars, and when they become Luminata, they sever all blood ties."
Product details
- Publisher : Berkley (November 1, 2016)
- Language : English
- Mass Market Paperback : 400 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0451488008
- ISBN-13 : 978-0451488008
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 4.2 x 1 x 6.8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #736,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6,509 in Vampire Romances
- #11,316 in Paranormal Fantasy Books
- #12,087 in Romantic Fantasy (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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Customers find the plot fascinating and exciting. They appreciate the well-developed characters and their depth. The love story is a strong theme throughout the book. Readers praise the writing quality as beautiful and flawless.
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Customers find the plot fascinating and engaging. They enjoy the adventure, suspense, and action in the book. The pacing keeps them hooked throughout the tale. While some readers missed the steamy love scenes, they enjoyed the mystery and how it answered many questions.
"...This book is a tightly drawn suspense story, political thriller and a very human story about surviving and rising above the past...." Read more
"...I loved this book for a few reasons, the politics of the Cadre meeting is fascinating to me...." Read more
"...Each book fleshes them out more, so I have no problem recognizing and remembering them...." Read more
"...1. There's no mystery surrounding who the Bad Guy is. Like none. “..." Read more
Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters intriguing and solid, with a good dose of ethics. They appreciate the series returning to the original characters that made them fall in love with the series. The shift in Elena's personality is also mentioned as an interesting aspect.
"...So many characters express this theme and it leaves such a good feeling that I dread that more darkness is on the horizon for these characters...." Read more
"...that quietly moves the story along, while giving us more depth and understanding of the characters that we already know and love (or hate)...." Read more
"...The characters we know have their lives and characters continually added to...." Read more
"...I'm fascinated by them! We also got to meet new characters that I hope show up more in later books...." Read more
Customers enjoyed learning more about Elena's past and lineage. They also appreciated the maturity of Elena and Raphael's relationship. The book centered on Raphael and Elena, with new characters introduced and surprises for Elena.
"...In this book, we see the developing relationship between Elena and Aodhan, which has its own contours...." Read more
"...This world just keeps getting bigger and more intriguing as the series progresses...." Read more
"...I mainly enjoyed, however, learning more about Elena’s past...." Read more
"...Raphael and Elena were the main characters, and because we delved into Elena’s past, through her quest for genealogy while they were in Morocco on..." Read more
Customers enjoy the love story. They mention it's full of love and devotion, with a strong theme of love and family. The book contains their favorite couple from the beginning of the series. Readers appreciate that the relationship deepens with each succeeding book. It creates emotion in them, and they recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances.
"...So many characters express this theme and it leaves such a good feeling that I dread that more darkness is on the horizon for these characters...." Read more
"...And they’ve been some awesome, sweet, romantic, and heart-wrenching novels...." Read more
"...She's usually not intimidated by anything. She's brave, loyal and questioning...." Read more
"...It's the perfect blend of urban fantasy and paranormal romance! I'm dying to see where Nalini Singh takes the story next! *..." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They enjoy the exciting paranormal world and the reveals about immortal life. The worldbuilding is also appreciated. Readers appreciate the devotion between the characters and the incorporation of the evil Gian as a good angel gone bad.
"...giving away the secrets of this book, I can say that this book is about survival and overcoming darkness...." Read more
"...I've mentioned this in previous reviews but I love the worldbuilding in these books so much!..." Read more
"This series from the beginning, was so freaking predictable. You meet a bunch of characters...." Read more
"...Of course, I continue to love Elena and Raphael, and it’s great to see their devotion and commitment to each other...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book. They find it well-written, easy to read, and vivid. Readers describe the author as an artist for the mind.
"This is the latest installment of my favorite series. Singh is a very good writer and her books always satisfy...." Read more
"...The writing in Archangel’s Heart is beautiful!..." Read more
"...As usual Nalini Singh’s work is vivid, lush, and enticing...." Read more
"...The Luminata are traditionally artistic, and preservers of angels priceless artwork, taking a self discovery path to luminescence...." Read more
Customers like the artwork. They find the art magnificent and amazing. They love the cadre and get a better look at Aodhan. The artwork is vivid, lush, and engaging.
"I loved Archangel’s Heart, both because Raphael and Elena were the main characters, and because we delved into Elena’s past, through her quest for..." Read more
"...stars*** Talk about total book hangover! I adored Archangel’s Heart. ADORED!..." Read more
"...It was beautiful to see, and it brought many a wistful smile to my face as I was reading this...." Read more
"...As usual Nalini Singh’s work is vivid, lush, and enticing...." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's pacing. Some find it fast and steady, with an intriguing plot and intimate relationship. Others feel it takes too long to get to the exciting parts.
"...This is a book that quietly moves the story along, while giving us more depth and understanding of the characters that we already know and love..." Read more
"...I don't want to give away plot. While the first half was a little slow, the second half kept me up to 3AM...." Read more
"...And, as with previous books, the pacing and the mystery were on point in this story...." Read more
"This book started very slowly for me...." Read more
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Archangel's Heart
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- Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2016"He was hers. She was his. And together, they were something far better than either one of them was alone."
FINAL DECISION: Goes deeper into Elena's background in unexpected ways. This book is a tightly drawn suspense story, political thriller and a very human story about surviving and rising above the past. Plus, there is a very settled and sexy couple: Elena and Raphael.
THE STORY: This book continues the focus on guild hunter turned angel Elena and her archangel lover Raphael. Things have been quiet since the disappearance of Lijuan, the Archangel of China (who also happens to be crazy dangerous). A year has passed and because no one knows whether she lives or has withdrawn from the world and is sleeping, there is uncertainty. An ancient order of angels called the Luminata calls the Cadre together to make a determination of what to do with Lijuan's territory.
Attending the Luminata requires Raphael and Elena to travel near the place of her grandmother's birth. There, Raphael and Elena must deal with dangerous archangels, mysterious threats, strange events surrounding the Luminata. Elena also hopes to find out more about her past and that of her family.
OPINION: The Guild Hunter series returns to focus on Elena and Raphael. I have to admit that I love the Elena and Raphael books most in the series. This book, thankfully, doesn't involve problems in the relationship between Elena and Raphael (that remains increasingly strong) but rather Elena's own history.
This book continues the overarching series story regarding the Cascade, Lijuan and the possible end of the world. While this book doesn't have a romance as its organizing feature, it doesn't need one. This book delves into the adventure and politics of the Guild Hunter world -- but reserves its emotional core for Elena's discovery of her own family's past.
There is a dark suspense story involving the Illuminata who are a mysterious addition to the series. Elena ends up investigating what is going on with this mysterious group and their connection with her own family. That story keeps the pace of this book quick and the pages turning.
While the suspense story keeps the books hopping, the theme explored in this book is about how the past makes us who we are and how one can overcome the pain of the past to go forward. Multiple characters in the book have to deal with their past -- the question is how will they respond. This is most present in Aodhan who is recovering himself after years of separating himself from those he loves. The events in this book challenge his recovery and he must make a choice. The series has been an increasing interaction between those of Raphael's world and Elena. In this book, we see the developing relationship between Elena and Aodhan, which has its own contours.
Singh goes deep into the emotions of her characters and even as the events feel dark and dangerous, her characters possess a lightness and beauty that gives the book heart. I always love reading Singh's books because even when things seem bad for her characters, they maintain a likeability and a lightness of spirit that overcomes all the darkness.
The events of this series appear to be approaching a crescendo and this book provides a little breather that allows the exploration of character and relationships. Elena finds out the truth about her mother's family which has been shrouded in mystery. I'm glad I didn't know where this book was going because I enjoyed the resolution which provided a happy ending in an unexpected arena.
Without giving away the secrets of this book, I can say that this book is about survival and overcoming darkness. So many characters express this theme and it leaves such a good feeling that I dread that more darkness is on the horizon for these characters.
For fans of the series, this book gives more background on the characters you love and gets everyone in the right place for the next stage in this series. There are no new romances but much happens in this book that illuminates where the characters are now and where they have come from.
WORTH MENTIONING: We learn more about Aodhan.
CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL'S HEART is the ninth book in the Guild Hunter series. This series builds upon each of the prior books in the series and thus should be read in order.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2017We’ve had two non-Elena/Raphael books since the game-changing battle that happened in Archangel’s Legion. And they’ve been some awesome, sweet, romantic, and heart-wrenching novels. Now we’re back to Elena and Raphael, and digging into her history more than I ever thought we would really get the chance to.
When we start Archangel’s Heart things have been relatively quiet, both on the Cascade front, and the Lijuan front, for nearly 2 years. Elena’s been waiting for the other shoe to drop this entire time. When it does, it comes in the form of a summons to the Cadre.
I started this book shocked, who dared to think they had the right to summon the most powerful beings in the world? Apparently the archangel’s arrogance is rubbing off on me. The further I delved into the Luminata life and compound the more intrigued I became. This is clearly a sect with a long history, and the search for luminescense – when pure – is a worthy intention. But there are also veins of darkness flowing beneath and within this group. Even before it becomes clear that Elena is somehow connected to the center of what’s going on, she makes it her mission to find out why fear permeates the ancient walls of this compound and the nearby city.
I loved this book for a few reasons, the politics of the Cadre meeting is fascinating to me. I find the politics and manuerving more and more interesting in recent years, and I focus on it in a lot of my reading now. The personalities of each of the ten (or eleven?) archangels, and how they interact with each other, is absolutely captivating. I like learning, and being reminded, that no archangel, indeed no immortal, is likely to have a single facet. They are complex beings with the capacity for both great good and incredibly evil. Even when I want to hate them, I find that there’s something more to them that I actually respect … except for those vague few that have crossed a few too many lines for my tastes.
The other thing that I really loved was delving into Elena’s search for more information about her history. With little to go on, she hopes that a trip to a respository of knowledge – as the Luminata is known to keep – will shed some light on who the vampire in her history may be. Or, since they’re going to be in Morocco, perhaps some small thread on who her mother’s mother was. Elena’s familial relationships are all complicated, both with those left living, and the ones that have already left her. It’s no surprise to me that she wants to get a better grip on the history of her life in order to try and balance out the known pain and upheaval.
This is a book that quietly moves the story along, while giving us more depth and understanding of the characters that we already know and love (or hate). There were times when my eyes were wide at the absolute power that the Cadre (or some singular archangels) possesses, the enormity of what they keep in check still shocks me. I really enjoyed so many of the interactions of these powerful beings, and seeing how they interact with others as well. And then there are my favorites.
I loved every single moment with Aodhan. I have to call this particular one out – though it’s far from the only character that I adored in this book. Seeing his progression was a balm to my soul. The way that he’s creating bonds and friendships, and becoming more comfortable in them, makes me happy in a way I can’t explain. Plus there’s so much more going on that I can’t wait to see come to fruition – in whatever way Nalini Singh decides to take it.
Archangel’s Heart isn’t as wildly game-changing as some of the previous books in the series, where huge happenings are occurring almost on top of one another, but it’s life-changing in a different way. Quietly, though no less drastically. There’s a moment to take a breath, before the storms. But I have no doubt the storms are coming. Now, as always, I’m left waiting for the next book in the series. Dare I hope it’s a certain someone’s?
- Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2016This is the latest installment of my favorite series. Singh is a very good writer and her books always satisfy. That being said there is a problem with this one.
Elena tells me too many times how beautiful her Archangel Raphael is. I got it! You're in love and he's a terrifying (to others) being, who is as stunning as he is dangerous. But you don't have to start Elena's every thought with it. I'm starting to think that she's shallow and values looks over everything else. Now, those could be her 'real' thoughts every time she sees him. But this isn't a stream of consciousness novel. Nalini or her editor should pick and chose how many times she thinks or says it.
This problem follows with the other characters also. They have their beauty or unique properties listed every time they're spoken to or thought about. Elena seems still dazzled by the company she keeps which belies her solid feet-on-the-ground outlook. As both a Hunter an an Angel, Elena has a unique perspective. She's usually not intimidated by anything. She's brave, loyal and questioning.
That being said, I have no problem with the rest of the book. The characters we know have their lives and characters continually added to. Each book fleshes them out more, so I have no problem recognizing and remembering them. The central problems, there are two, are intrinsic to the world she created. I don't want to give away plot. While the first half was a little slow, the second half kept me up to 3AM.
My suggestion is a "Cast of Characters" at the beginning of each book. Make each vignette long, including looks, powers and where their loyalties lie. It will make the novels smoother and the reviews Five Star.
Top reviews from other countries
- gabyReviewed in Germany on July 14, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Archangel 's heart
As always Ms Singh's stories are a compulsion to be read and reread. Thank you again for these lovely stories you tell.
- Tania RoblesReviewed in Mexico on July 26, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars Another hit story!
Seriously amazing! Absolutely recommend this book, the entire series!
Action packed, adventurous, exciting and more!
You can't miss reading this collection!
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Rosendo Padron PerezReviewed in Spain on May 30, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars No decepción
Leído en inglés porque parece que no se van a publicar en inglés por lo menos en un periodo corto de tiempo.. y a veces apetece saber cómo continúa la saga
- Cassie CroftReviewed in Australia on April 1, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Love Love Love this series!
I love this series. It is always an amazing story by Nalini Singh and always feels like the first time reading it through whenever I do a reread. Can’t wait for Archangel’s Lineage.
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joanReviewed in France on April 12, 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Génial
J'adore cette saga, ce nouveau tome ne m'a pas déçu ! Et que de surprises !
J'attends avec impatience les prochains