Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, Book 2)

When I read a book I want to get out of real life and get taken away to fantasy land! Nalini does this in all of her books! Never disappoints. 👍👍💜💙💚

Nalini Singh continues to impress me. Her writing is so powerful, and puts you right there in the scene with the characters. I did not want this story to end. I love the fire that Elena and Raphael generate. I cannot wait until the next segment in this series. Ms Singh has become my new #1.

This book is seriously amazing - the imagery and details are so beautiful and it's like you're really in the setting and the scene. Nalini Singh has developed her characters so deeply that Raphael and Elena seem like real people that could be found in real life if angels and hunters did, in fact, exist. While they are not perfect, have a realistic love and their relationship is not automatic - each one has to work to not lose themself to the other and destroy that which makes them them. These extremely stubborn and headstrong couple learn how to comprise in their relationship and, although it is not always happily ever after, it is very real. This book is also rife with danger, mystery, romance, humor, and snappy comebacks as well. Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fun read (and no, it's not just because I have a major crush on Raphael - the guy is HOT, what can I say? ^-~) ... trust me, you WON'T regret it! :D Also, I suggest that you read the first one as well! Angels' Blood

Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood was a favorite read of mine last year, and I had waited with much anticipation to see how the series would continue. Often the second book of a new series is a bit of a letdown, as it either focuses too heavily on the world building that didn't occur in the first book or too heavily on character development that wasn't satisfactorily explored in the first book. Singh's second in the Guild Hunter series didn't fall into either of those traps. In fact, Singh writes delightfully against the norm here, giving us a familiar albeit alternative world that isn't thoroughly fleshed out (yet) in either book, instead allowing the reader to glean a satisfactory amount of information in bits and pieces (about the world and the characters both) without hitting them over the head with excessive exposition. Ultimately, this method lets the reader keep the STORY as the focal point at all times. That being said, it seems from this reader's perspective that while there are a lot of unanswered questions about the world of angels, vamps, and hunter born, Singh herself has a very clear and fantastically detailed awareness of the world in which her characters live. Simply put, she writes NOT like she's developing the world as she goes, but that she is in iron-clad command of it. I hadn't realized until I was reading this book just how rare that is, in much the same way you don't always realize how thirsty you are until you start drinking. There is a complexity of mythos and plot here that, were Singh not the artisan she so clearly is, could easily get away from an author, yet the story never overwhelms the reader, and the characters - flawed and damaged, and a little scary (or a lot) - battle not only their situation, but the surprisingly human pitfalls of avarice, vanity, power, and independence. I hesitate to call Archangel's Kiss a literary masterpiece, but there is more than a mere glimpse of brilliance in this intelligent and powerful book filled with intelligent and Powerful characters. With a deft and at turns fanciful and realistic hand, Singh pens Elena's and Raphael's evolving relationship while fleshing out the world of angels and archangels and vampires, an often brutal and cruelly pragmatic world that allows to go unpunished often hideous executions of beings that transgress (or don't, as the case - and their master's whims - may be), while the laughter and innocence of children is held in highest regard. It's an unusual yet intriguing dichotomy. As to Elena and Raphael... their relationship is at the core of this particular book and the characters are evolving into a more three dimensional and symbiotic partnership that is both deeply moving emotionally and - on a strictly personal note - phenomenal to experience. I commend Singh on giving her readers an unflinching reality that elucidates the strengths and weaknesses of BOTH characters while shining a sometimes harsh light on the dangers and potential crises that arise whe

It's rare that a long-awaited book meets my high expectations let alone exceeds it like this powerhouse second installment of Elena and Raphael's love story. One word sums it up = WOW! This book was everything and MORE I wanted to see for these two characters. Rachel became a little more humanized, still scary as hell, still extremely alpha male dominant and possessive, his MINE sends a shiver down my spine. He can be scary powerful but he more than proved in this book his absolute love for Elena with his tender care during her nightmares and his respect for her plea to have some privacy AND especially his opening up about his own troubled younger years. I fell MORE in love with him in second book. I really love how Singh penned this extremely strong archangel struggling not to smother his angel-made woman b/c he didn't want to change her or break her warrior woman spirit. BRAVO to Singh for penning Elena as emotionally fragile yet at same time with such a core inner strength she slayed her darkest nightmare come to life. Bravo to Raphael for not doubting her strength and letting her serve the killing blow. Bravo to Elena for not being too stupid to live and respecting these powerful supreme beings and her own limitations. She wasn't that rashly foolish Elena as much as one a smart, warrior woman who knew when to fight and when to run. Singh managed to build a real deep bond of utter trust between them, and they came out far more equal than I expected. Elena stared down Raphael's darkness and instead of flinching as he expected, she vowed to be his conscience, his inner light, to keep him anchored to humanity. Finally, I've loved Singh's PsySeries but often when finished reading one of those books I feel the relationship development comes way too secondary plot to the world building. Such was the case in 1st book of Archangel Series and while I loved it, I was thirsty to read more focus on relationship and in THIS book the relationship is ALL... the plots, even the background of the characters are all woven brilliantly to develop and build and build upon the growing love AND trust between Elena and Raphael. Elena made Raphael far more mortal and he made her stronger, more immortal. They met in the middle in a way I didn't expect this early in the series. How rare a true alpha male meets his alpha female partner, and that's how the book ends, in no doubt whatsoever these two are warrior soulmates and the sensuality between these is off the scales HOT! WOW!