Guild Hunters Series: Archangel's Kiss

Archangel's Kiss is the second book in the Guild Hunter series, and it sees Elena dealing with her transition from human to angel. This installment of the Guild Hunter series is also a lot less action packed, focusing more on Elena's relationship with Raphael.

I did sort of miss the action from Angel's Blood. There's the threat of Lijuan, the oldest archangel in the Cadre of Ten. She's a little bit nutty and has the unfortunate tendency to raise the dead. She's also taken an unhealthy interest in Elena. I actually wish that we'd seen more of Lijuan and what she was capable of. It was a little hard to be scared of her like we were of Uram, the baddie from the last book. Elena has been invited to a ball that Lijuan is hosting, so she needs to get her strength back ASAP. Unfortunately, the ball takes place right at the end of the book meaning that there isn't a whole lot of time for Elena to be as fierce and kickass as we know she can be. 

While Lijuan is a peripheral threat, we have another angel committing horrific acts of violence in the Haven (basically the place where angels go to chill out). And it looks like a lot of this violence is being committed with Elena in mind.
Since Elena isn't as strong as she should be, she needs to be protected by Raphael's Seven. They are Dmitri, Illium, Jason, Venom, Galen, Naasir and Aodhan, and these boys are fine! I have a confession to make here: I find these guys more interesting than Raphael himself. I know, I know! You're thinking, how is this possible? Raphael is the king of uber-sexy! 

I just think that Raphael is the kind of sexy that you admire from a healthy distance. Another thing I was a little disappointed with was how little Dmitri featured in this book. He was there for about five minutes and then he was gone. But we got lots of Illium, which I really enjoyed.

Overall, Archangel's Kiss was really good. It was just missing a little bit of that something that took Angel's Blood from really good to friggin' awesome. This series is still totally worth following though. I can't wait to see what Ms Singh has in store for Elena next!

Guild Hunter Series: Angels' Blood

Nalini Singh, where have you been all my life? I am so flippin' glad that I found Angels' Blood. It is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best book I've read all year. It was funny, it was action packed, and it was sexy. If the rest of Ms Singh's books are anything like this, she may have knocked J.R Ward off her spot as my most favouritist author EVER. I know I'm gushing but I honestly can't stop. 

It was so good! I'm going to work backwards, from the things I really liked to the things I absolutely, flat-out adored.

The book is set in New York and follows a guild hunter by the name of Elena Deveraux. In this world vampires, humans and angels coexist. I don't usually like it when authors revamp (pun intended) vampire mythology.

*glares pointedly at Stephenie Meyer*

 It's like, you've got plenty of good stuff to work with. Why change it? But I loved what Singh did with it! Her older vampires are mostly sex on a stick. The best example of this was Dmitri, head of the archangel Raphael's security. Holy. Crap. Whenever this guy was on I was grinning like an idiot. He is just totally... wow. Words fail me. I will love Nalini Singh forever just for coming up with this guy.

Then we have the Raphael. He was kinda scary but also totally hot. Since he is way old, he's also really detached and cruel. Being one of the ten most powerful angels in the world, he's used to people doing exactly what he tells them to do without hesitation. This is where Elena comes in. He needs her to track another archangel who's gone psycho.

I loved Loved LOVED Elena. I can't remember the last time I liked a heroine this much. Unlike most other heroines, she doesn't just fall at the hero's feet. She has the good sense to be terrified of Raphael. She doesn't make excuses for his bad behaviour and she tells him off when he crosses her boundaries. Elena is also one of those take-charge heroines I love so much. Saving the day isn't just left up to Raphael. Elena kicks some serious ass too.

I loved how Elena and Raphael started softening towards each other. Elena doesn't just meekly do what he tells her and Raphael, in spite of himself, is intrigued by this. 

Can I just share my favourite part of the book? It's not a scene between Raphael and Elena but between Dmitri and Elena. Elena has had a huge fight with Raphael and is heading home. Dmitri has been instructed to escort her but he's being a little too... forward for Elena's liking. So she slits his throat (no biggie, he heals fast).

"Bitch." It was a wet gurgle.                                                                                  "Thanks."                                                                                                                                    He actually smiled, hard, lethal, scary as hell. "I like bitches." The words were clearer, his healing progressing at a faster pace than she would've believed.                                                   But it was the dark hunger in his tone that got to her. Damn kinky vampire had actually liked the knife.

I laughed like a drain. 

Angels' Blood is the first in the Guild Hunter series. Here the rest are in reading order:

Angels' Blood

Archangel's Kiss

Archangel's Consort

Archangel's Blade (Dmitri's book!)

Archangel's Storm