Format: Paperback, 383 pages
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Berkley
Source: Publisher
Genre: Paranormal Romance
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.
Archangel's Heart is the Ninth installment in author Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series. So, apparently I somehow skipped over Archangel's Enigma, because this story takes place a few years after Ancient Archangel Alexander woke from his Sleep, and there are now ELEVEN active Archangel's in the world which isn't supposed to happen. But, there is an issue with one of the more brutal Archangel's, Lijuan, who oversees China. She is missing, and her area is in danger of falling into vampiric bloodlust if something is not done quickly.
This causes the Luminata to summon the Cadre to Morocco, to discuss how to handle Lijuan's lands, and make plans to fix things before they get out of hand. Morocco is the home of Elena's descendants, but there is something deeply disturbing going on here. The country holds some interesting secrets, especially where Elena, and her own grandmother are concerned, but it also holds danger for anyone who goes digging too deeply into what the Luminata is really up to.
While this story does drag on for some parts, especially when Raphael is engaged in meetings, and Elena is off with Aodhan exploring priceless works of art, there is a brief glimpse into something that happened years ago. This scene focuses on Elena's mother Marguerite. I'm thankful that Elena has found a bit of her past so that she can now focus on the future, rather than the losses that have been hanging over her head since this series first began. It's not like Elena to forget the losses of her sisters, or her mother, but she still has a sister who actually wants to be around her, and another sister who is training to be a Hunter, and now someone even more interesting.
I have come to enjoy this series more and more over the past several books. I have become rather nonchalant about the sex scenes, and am usually not let down over the action, suspense, and even mystery behind the stories. I love Elena's relationship with Aodhan in this story. I am glad to see Aodhan actually get more story time since we haven't had a chance to get a full story out of the writer yet. Aodhan is a character who has plenty to share, and we finally get a back story to what happened to him in the past.
I loved Elena's relationship with Raphael. They are each others Hearts, and their respect and love has grown ten fold since Elena met the dangerous Archangel, and became a made Angel. Hannah, the only other consort among the Archangel's. Not unlike Elena's relationship with Sara, this has grown over the past several books to be one of respect, and admiration. I was even happy to see Raphael's mother Caliane take an interest in Elena. Instead of wanting to kill Elena, the two have a warm relationship that has actually grown.
I'm curious to see where the author goes from here. Who will be the next characters to be spotlighted. We shall see!
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Excerpt from ARCHANGEL’S HEART by Nalini Singh – released November 1, 2016
Raphael’s
response was silent, his wing brushing hers as he . . .
“Raphael!”
The damn archangel had dusted her.
Glittering,
sparkly stuff stuck to her, delicious beyond compare when she parted her mouth
and it licked onto her tongue. Her thighs clenched. “This is not funny!” She
glared at him even as arousal flooded her system, but he was laughing too hard
to care.
Her
heart, it just stopped.
Even
now, the Archangel of New York rarely laughed and never like this. Until she
could see the youth he must’ve once been, with eyes of a wild, astonishing blue
that asked a woman to laugh with him. She’d never before seen him as truly
young. How could she? He had so much power that it pulsed in his every touch, burned in his skin.
Hauling
him close to her with her hands fisted in the cream linen of his shirt, she
took a kiss, took him. He sank into her, his wings sweeping up to wrap around
her until all she could sense was Raphael, all she could taste was him. And
angel dust. The special blend he’d created just for her.
He
pushed one hand into her hair, fisting it as he wrapped his other arm around
her waist and backed her up against a wall. Something fell with a dull thud.
Maybe the vivid painting of wildflowers that had just been put up, all the art
having been taken down during the repainting.
Elena
loved that simple piece Honor had found in a thrift shop, but right now, it
could’ve been a priceless artwork by the Hummingbird and she wouldn’t have
cared. She was far too happy to be pressed up against the hard warmth of her
archangel tip to toe after spending the previous night on watch. No time for
shenanigans with Dmitri away and Illium off-shift, Aodhan assigned to patrol
the sea border, and Raphael dealing with the overall security situation.
She’d
flown a proper defense grid, both to stay in practice and because none of them
could afford to be blasé with the Cascade an unpredictable foe that could
unleash itself at any moment, smashing the world back into chaos and, possibly,
war.
Today,
however, the others were on‑shift and she could kiss her lover. He burned hot, Raphael, but he
was a crashing sea in her mind, a tumultuous, passionate storm that swept her
up and thundered through her veins.
We can talk to Dmitri later,
she sent to Raphael, sliding her hands up the ridges and valleys of his chest. Let’s go upstairs to our suite.
“A‑hem.”
She
tried to ignore that pointed cough that held a biting amusement.
Raphael’s
lips smiled against hers. I think my second has other ideas.
Posted
by arrangement with Berkley, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin
Random
House Company. Copyright © Nalini Singh, 2016.
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