Archangel’s Blade
Book 4 of the Guild Hunter Series
by Nalini Singh
Published: Berkley Sensation – September 2011
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 310 (paperback)
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Rating: ★★★½☆ (3.5 stars)
Summary
The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.
Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.
As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more…
The Good
Yup, you read right. Dmitri got his own book. And boy what a book it was. Dmitri’s story is filled with darkness, sadness, and ruthlessness. In Archangel’s Blade we find out why Dmitri has no softness, no love, and no mercy. His past still haunts him and he cannot let it go, which becomes obvious in the many flashbacks throughout the novel.
Then we have Honor. She has also gone through a horrible experience, which has caused her to become a fearful shell of what she once was. But, as a Hunter, she learns to fight like she did in that nightmare room of pain. And she starts to find her strength while working with Dmitri on a case. But more frighteningly, she starts to have feelings for Dmitri. And Dmitri can’t deny the pull he feels towards Honor.
This couple is cute. They help each other beat their past demons. It was a tough road, but you couldn’t help but admire how these two came together. It took time, patience, and acceptance. And it was all worth it.
In the book, we get to catch up with some other characters, like Raphael, Elena, and Illium. But the story with Holly, the only survivor of Uram’s phsychotic rampage, is for sure going to be a great future book (I hope).
The Bad
Personally I didn’t really feel Dmitri’s love for Honor. In Dmitri’s flashbacks, the love we saw between him and his wife was so much more raw, intament, enticing. I wish the relationship between Honor and Dmitri was more built up throughout the novel. Singh may have told me Dmitri loved Honor, but she never really showed it in a way to make it believable.
Though the flashbacks were fascinating as they were horrific, they were way to often. It kind of stopped the flow for me.
There were two seperate climaxes and neither were that great.
The Snuggly
Surprisingly not as much sex scenes as you would expect for a Dmitri story. Don’t get me wrong. We get a lot of sex, but all of it was actually needed to move the story along. None of it was uneccessary. I actually expected half the book to be sex, lol.
Overall
I almost gave this book four stars, but I had to bump it down because I was not as emotionally invested with this couple as I could have been. Singh missed the mark there. But I did enjoy reading it and will for sure continue the series.
Denise Z
I have not read, but would love to read this series. I have heard so much about it that I want to find out for myself what is going on here LOL Thank you for sharing. It sounds as though you have been following the series, if you were starting the series what book would you choose?
Jennifer L. Bielman
@Denise – Though with many series you don’t have to start from the beginning, I would have to say 100% you have to read the Guild Hunter Series from book one. The first three books follow Elena and Raphael. This is the first book in the series that followed a new couple. I have no doubt you will love Elena’s story, so start with Angels’ Blood and work your way up.
Sarah (saz101)
OK, so, uh, DELAYED COMMENT, but here goes:
YES YES YES YES YES!
I didn’t really feel the Dmitri loving Honor. Oh yes, he was drawn to her, interested in her, but he doesn’t really show much love. He still kind of freaks me out with the way he thinks of and treats women. He’s a little bit of a douchebag. The emotion he felt for his wife was so much more intense, and even AFTER the great big revelations, just… yeah.
I still really enjoyed the book, but it could’ve been so much more, right? Oh, but the bit with the son? Broke my heart a little. It was GOOD. Just not great.
Jennifer L. Bielman
Yeah, this book definitely cracks the heart open a little. I almost wanted to cry sometimes. But yeah, I just wanted the love story to be a little more real, a little more heart felt. And yes, can’t deny Dmitri’s douchebaggery.
Sarah (saz101)
OOOOOh, yeah. This one HURT.
He’s just… yeah. I mean, ultimately as a romance reader, you wanna fall for the hero, right? Dmitri doesn’t scare me in a good way like Raphael. He just straight up SCARES ME. And he’s an asshat to Honor, and women on a whole. That doesn’t make me want to fall for him even a *little* bit.