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 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.
Angels’ Blood, by Nalini Singh
I’ve written before about how much I love Nalini’s Psy/Changeling series, which is why it’s odd that it took me so long to get around to reading the Guild Hunter books. You would think that my love of the one would translate into reading all of her other books. And to be fair, it does. Eventually.
Of course, like I’ve written before as well, I’m somewhat picky when it comes to my urban fantasy/paranormal romance. (I’m still not sure which of the two categories I would put this series into; the first book feels like it falls more into the paranormal romance category but the series as a whole seems to alternate between the two.) Which is why I put this one off for a while.
In the immortal world, angels stand at the top, ruled by the Cadre of Ten, a group of archangels. All angels can create vampires from humans, but demand a price of service for the gift of (nearly) immortal life. Naturally, some object after becoming vampires. Elena Deveraux was born a vampire hunter, which gives her some skills useful when tracking rogue vampires to return to their angelic masters. She’s one of the best in the Guild, which is why the Cadre hires her for a very special job.
Raphael might be one of the youngest archangels in the Cadre but he has the strength and the ruthlessness to do what needs to be done. Little of that means anything if he cannot find the rogue archangel, though — and every day Uram remains alive, the death toll rises. Elena’s gifts may be the only thing that can save the world from another Dark Age, but only if she can survive Raphael first.
This is a fast-paced book with a lot going on. It’s our introduction to the Guild Hunter universe, after all, and so there’s a lot of necessary exposition. But the plot also demands quick action by the characters and so the timeline gets compressed. Nalini’s world-building skills are in fine form and she brings a few new twists to a subgenre that is sometimes oversaturated, at least in my opinion. The focus of the story is definitely on Raphael and Elena but there are still a number of interesting secondary characters who I’m looking forward to getting to know better.
Elena is fantastic as a strong heroine who still has her moments of vulnerability. Her past is complex and we really only get a few glimpses into it, setting up some questions to be explored in later books. Raphael is also a bit of an enigma, especially since we know so little about the angels. There are hints that his past has its own tragic secrets and messy family relationships. It makes sense that as the first book of the series, there are a lot of questions unanswered at the end.
Nalini does a great job of wrapping up the important questions though, leaving the reader satisfied if still curious and anxious to read the next one. If you are like me and hesitant to read paranormal romance or urban fantasy without a recommendation, consider one given for this series. I’m looking forward to reading the second book soon.