So I finally finished Angels Blood! It took me a while to really get into the book. I think that just may be a me thing though, to buy into an Angel being a hero. It does take a while for the story to get set up, and it wasnt until about page 127 that I had to drag this 8 ½ X 11 book around with me everywhere. On that page, Elena leaves Raphael and note that says something like, Come and find me angel boy from that moment on, I finally started to feel a big connection between the two, and found myself planted into a Manhattan future where Arch Angels run their territories.
Packed with action, angel dust (want to get me some of that), and lots of wings, this book, I did enjoy very much. The downfall for me was that I wanted a bit more romance, and wanted it to start sooner in the story. Fair warning for all: they are only together once in the story, but theres plenty of tension. I really don't want to give too much away.
I am really looking forward to reading more books in this series, and YES, the book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger.
Packed with action, angel dust (want to get me some of that), and lots of wings, this book, I did enjoy very much. The downfall for me was that I wanted a bit more romance, and wanted it to start sooner in the story. Fair warning for all: they are only together once in the story, but theres plenty of tension. I really don't want to give too much away.
I am really looking forward to reading more books in this series, and YES, the book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger.
Helpful Score: 6
It is a rare treat to pick up the first book in a series and step into a fully developed fantasy world. I am entranced. Wonderful characters, with depth and layers, the good guys aren't completely good, the bad guy, well, yeah, he's really bad. There is a nice array of secondary characters that you want to find out more about. I am not complaining, but the romance here takes a back seat to the world-building and character development. From reading Singh's other books, I would expect the romance to step up in later books, but I won't miss it if she continues to turn out a more urban fantasy series.
Helpful Score: 4
I am a little torn in my opinion of this book. I am a certainly a fan of Nalini Signh's work, even her earlier non-paranormal works. This new series, however, is WAY too dark for me. I have a hard time dealing with extreme violence and this book had it in spades. There was tons of blood, guts, and gore, which is not in my comfort zone. In addition, the book focuses much more on the action/story arc than the romance. As a die-hard romance fan, I was a little disappointed in this. The hero is an angel, but he more fits my traditional mold for a vampire: dark, sensual, ruthless, and violent. The heroine, while very brave and spunky, is a little over the top with the whole defying authority act. She frequently comes off as foolhardy and I wouldn't have been the least surprised if she had been killed off at several junctures in the book. But alas, that is not the modus operandi of the romance genre. Overall, a good book, but not my favorite by Mrs. Singh. None-the-less, I will still read the next in the series to see how story continues.
Helpful Score: 4
This is the most spectacular and exciting book I've read in months - hell maybe years. It has an amazing premise - angels create and hold sway over vampires. Though these vampires are more like servants than bloodsucking fiends. They even have festive galas attended by the famous and the mundane.
Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter though not like any hunter you've seen before. She is more a retrieval expert. She hunts vampires who have escaped from their angel masters. She is tagged by the Archangel Raphael himself to hunt down an extremely dangerous archangel who has gone rogue. From the very beginning, Elena is absolutely fascinated with Raphael though she fights the attraction and him not wanting to be like eveyone else falling all over themselves fawning over him. The battle of wills between these two keeps you turning pages faster and faster as the sexual tension escalates.
This book has wonderfully developed characters who you can't help but like. A fast-paced unputdownable read. The ending is surprising and endearing, yet warranted. I can't wait for book 2 Archangels' Kiss in 2010.
Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter though not like any hunter you've seen before. She is more a retrieval expert. She hunts vampires who have escaped from their angel masters. She is tagged by the Archangel Raphael himself to hunt down an extremely dangerous archangel who has gone rogue. From the very beginning, Elena is absolutely fascinated with Raphael though she fights the attraction and him not wanting to be like eveyone else falling all over themselves fawning over him. The battle of wills between these two keeps you turning pages faster and faster as the sexual tension escalates.
This book has wonderfully developed characters who you can't help but like. A fast-paced unputdownable read. The ending is surprising and endearing, yet warranted. I can't wait for book 2 Archangels' Kiss in 2010.
I loved this book! It was definitely different than anything I've read before. It gives a completely different view on vampires and angels than you usually see.
Its not super heavy on the romance, especially in the first half of the book but things do come together eventually. There is also just enough mystery/suspense to keep you wondering. I can't wait to see how this series develops with future books.
Its not super heavy on the romance, especially in the first half of the book but things do come together eventually. There is also just enough mystery/suspense to keep you wondering. I can't wait to see how this series develops with future books.
Helpful Score: 2
This was my first book by Nalini Singh, but it wasn't my last. After reading this book I got online and ordered all of the books in her other series.
I really liked the world that Singh created with this novel. It is definitely a concept I haven't read before. I love when someone comes out with a new way to portray angels and vampires. I didn't just love the book for its world though. The author did a great job creating compelling characters.
I don't usually enjoy stories featuring controlling ultra-powerful men, but it really worked for Raphael's character. I actually loved the fact that he was so powerful and removed from humanity that Elena had to struggle to get him to respect her. It really would have been hard to believe if he was a nice caring guy given his position and age.
There were some things in this book that were brought up but not resolved. It bothered me until I went to the author's website and discovered that there are more books featuring these two still to come.
I really liked the way that the author introduced the angels as something beautiful and innocent but then slowly exposed the corruption and danger that is present in their ranks. I thought it was very well done.
I liked the dynamic shown between Elena and her Guild Hunter group and between Raphael and his Seven. I'm interested in learning more about both groups.
I appreciated we got to see Raphael acting cold and harsh instead of just being told about it happening in the past. I wouldn't have liked his character quite so much if he turned to sweetness and light after he met Elena. Truthfully, I like him because he is dark.
After the surprising event that happened at the end of the book I'm dying to read the next book. I can't wait to see what happens next!
I really liked the world that Singh created with this novel. It is definitely a concept I haven't read before. I love when someone comes out with a new way to portray angels and vampires. I didn't just love the book for its world though. The author did a great job creating compelling characters.
I don't usually enjoy stories featuring controlling ultra-powerful men, but it really worked for Raphael's character. I actually loved the fact that he was so powerful and removed from humanity that Elena had to struggle to get him to respect her. It really would have been hard to believe if he was a nice caring guy given his position and age.
There were some things in this book that were brought up but not resolved. It bothered me until I went to the author's website and discovered that there are more books featuring these two still to come.
I really liked the way that the author introduced the angels as something beautiful and innocent but then slowly exposed the corruption and danger that is present in their ranks. I thought it was very well done.
I liked the dynamic shown between Elena and her Guild Hunter group and between Raphael and his Seven. I'm interested in learning more about both groups.
I appreciated we got to see Raphael acting cold and harsh instead of just being told about it happening in the past. I wouldn't have liked his character quite so much if he turned to sweetness and light after he met Elena. Truthfully, I like him because he is dark.
After the surprising event that happened at the end of the book I'm dying to read the next book. I can't wait to see what happens next!
Helpful Score: 2
I have never read Nalini Singh before this, but man, I can't wait to continue!
Meet Elena Deveraux, Guild Hunter... that is to say, she hunts vampires as part of a large organization that hunts them called the guild. Elena gets a request to do a hunt for Raphael, the archangel of New York. Elena is scared witless, because archangels aren't exactly known for their kindness.
The hunt isn't for a vampire however, but an archangel who has all but turned into a vampire. Elena's fear is replaced by determination as she strives to find the archangel before he turns New York into a bloodbath... but how does one kill an archangel?
This story was great! The chemistry between Elena and Raphael jumped right off the page, and at points, I was all but screaming at them to just stop fighting it, and go for it! And that is why this book doesn't get five stars. For the majority of the book, really up until the last 50 pages, you have no idea what's going to happen with Elena or Raphael. They fight all the time, and neither really shows their feelings about the other until the very end.
Raphael is a great character. He is broody, and secretive, and everything a classic romance hero needs to be. But he's also a bit... twisted. He doesn't feel things the way humans do, so, he's got a bit of a callousness that you wouldn't expect in a typical hero.
The fact that this book series not only has vampires but also angels is awesome. I totally love the concept, and the series, and I can't wait to get started on book two.
Meet Elena Deveraux, Guild Hunter... that is to say, she hunts vampires as part of a large organization that hunts them called the guild. Elena gets a request to do a hunt for Raphael, the archangel of New York. Elena is scared witless, because archangels aren't exactly known for their kindness.
The hunt isn't for a vampire however, but an archangel who has all but turned into a vampire. Elena's fear is replaced by determination as she strives to find the archangel before he turns New York into a bloodbath... but how does one kill an archangel?
This story was great! The chemistry between Elena and Raphael jumped right off the page, and at points, I was all but screaming at them to just stop fighting it, and go for it! And that is why this book doesn't get five stars. For the majority of the book, really up until the last 50 pages, you have no idea what's going to happen with Elena or Raphael. They fight all the time, and neither really shows their feelings about the other until the very end.
Raphael is a great character. He is broody, and secretive, and everything a classic romance hero needs to be. But he's also a bit... twisted. He doesn't feel things the way humans do, so, he's got a bit of a callousness that you wouldn't expect in a typical hero.
The fact that this book series not only has vampires but also angels is awesome. I totally love the concept, and the series, and I can't wait to get started on book two.
Helpful Score: 2
Two stars because the world premise had such promise. Beyond that it was a struggle to finish this book - I even stopped and reread the rave reviews looking for what I was missing. The plot was literally only a few pages in the first 2/3rds of the book with the rest consumed by what I assume was supposed to be the inevitable attraction and developing relationship of the main characters. I thought about just stopping because I was 99% sure of the ending (which also dragged out far longer than it needed to with little purpose or real suspense) but I kept hoping. A disappointing vehicle for a terrific idea.
Helpful Score: 1
Angel's Blood was not as good as I thought it would be. Elena is a vampire hunter. She finds vampires and returns them to their master, the angel that created them. She has a special ability to scent vampires, which makes her unique. Raphael is the archangel of New York and requests her assistance to find an archangel gone bad.
This story never fully captured my attention, though it had many unusual aspects. Angels making vampires was an intriguing idea. The secrecy and mystery surrounding angels, especially archangels, was interesting. It was completely different than anything I've read lately. There was some action, some humor, and plenty of questions as to what exactly was wrong with the archangel gone bad. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to empathize with Elena nor was I able to really like Raphael. I understood that he wasn't human and wouldn't behave as a human does, but he was so cold and hard throughout most of the book. He redeemed himself in the end, but it was too late for me to warm up to him. I haven't decided if I'm going to read the next in the series yet.
This story never fully captured my attention, though it had many unusual aspects. Angels making vampires was an intriguing idea. The secrecy and mystery surrounding angels, especially archangels, was interesting. It was completely different than anything I've read lately. There was some action, some humor, and plenty of questions as to what exactly was wrong with the archangel gone bad. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to empathize with Elena nor was I able to really like Raphael. I understood that he wasn't human and wouldn't behave as a human does, but he was so cold and hard throughout most of the book. He redeemed himself in the end, but it was too late for me to warm up to him. I haven't decided if I'm going to read the next in the series yet.
Helpful Score: 1
Really a good book. I didn't think I would like a book about angels but I was dead wrong. Loved it.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is fantastic. It is the best I have read by Nalini Singh so far. I love her Psy-Changeling series (which is all I had read by her before this book) but this is my new favorite series. The alternate realities she creates are so interesting and her characters so real (despite being paranormal, of course). In this book, she creates a world in which angels and vampires coexist with humans and always have. I like the idea of angels as another species, rather than divine messengers, and vampires as not necessarily evil (no more evil than humans can be). The character of Elena reminds me in some ways of Mercy Thompson, my favorite paranormal heroine. Which is not to say she's a rip-off of someone else's character - she just has similar qualities. The book ends with a setup for a sequel, but it does not feel incomplete as a stand-alone. I look forward to the next book, due out in March of 2010.
Jennifer J. (purple-gia-pet) -
This book is just incredible. I had a hard time putting it down. The story gave a different spin to vampire mythology. The characters personalities were perfect, the interaction between them had me hooked from the start. It was so good that I even recommended it to my mom :)
Enjoyable variation on the theme of vampires and angels with a new mythology of who and what they are, how they come into being. A strong female lead character and interesting dynamics with the male lead. Nice pacing into love scenes and development of love story. I liked the happy ending yet knowing that their love story continues into other books. I also enjoyed the side characters and feel eager to know more about them. Certainly kept me looking forward to further books. Negative side is that the love scenes themselves are fairly superficial. A bit more tell than show, that was the only disappointment. But definitely will keep reading.
Let me start by saying, that i purchased this book solely because one of my favorite authors recommended it. It sat on my desk for weeks, i tried several times to get into it. But always found something better to read. I finally sat down and gave it a try and i was not disappointed. It is not your usual vampire story. It is mainly based around archangels, but not like any angels you have ever read about. Vampires are just a "by product" of the angels 'so to speak'. I got so into the story i finished it in 2 days. The banter between the guild hunter and the archangel Raphael is funny and intriguing. I can't wait until the next book in the series.
Ambivalent. This story didn't 'grab my attention and not let go', as her Psy series did BUT I am giving it the benefit of doubt. The first book in a series is never my favorite b/c of the need to introduce plots, characters, etc for future books. It doesn't have the same romantic feel of past novels but I think it is quite promising for what's to come. I find that any book I read of hers was worth the time I put into it. Hope you enjoy it!
It's not often that I finish a book and think I need to read this again! Angels' Blood was an absolute pleasure to read, I was swept away. This series will definitely be on my 'must buy' list which not many books receive the honor of, simply because I read so much each year.
I fell madly in love with all of the characters. Elena was a perfect heroine to read about; a traumatic past that makes you want to hug her, a fierce heart that causes her fight for her friends and adopted family, a smart ass tinged with kindness personality, and a general aura of awesomeness that leaves her kicking the bad guys to the curb. I loved how honest her point of view was, especially when it came to Raphael. I loved that we could see that she wasn't sugarcoating her view of him from the beginning thus letting us see how her view of him changed throughout their relationship and the book. Raphael is easily one of my favorite love interests out of all the books I've read. I loved that we saw things from his point of view occasionally, most urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors don't do that. I think it really helped the reader see him evolve. And I honestly think I might have combusted from his sexiness combined with the ending of the book.
So adult paranormal romance has to have love scenes right? And holy smokes did Singh deliver. It's been a while since I've read anything that unique and scorching hot. It wasn't just the actual scene that made the book sensual. The arguing and banter throughout the book was like foreplay and, I have to say, it was a lot of fun to read.
The violence and gore in this book was a lot more graphic than I had anticipated. It didn't bother me at all, I actually thought it added a lot to the world building as it had a realness and gritty feel. However, I would steer younger readers away from this book because of it. Continuing my topic of world building, I thought an angel ruled Manhattan was an amazingly done world. Singh snuck so many details into the action and conversations it became an easily visualized place. Her angels and vampires were amazing too, unique and so much fun to read about.
I cannot recommend this book enough and I'm totally kicking myself for not reading it sooner. Angels' Blood is a great example of the genre and any new readers would get a great taste with this book. Aficionados would be blown away by its uniqueness.
I fell madly in love with all of the characters. Elena was a perfect heroine to read about; a traumatic past that makes you want to hug her, a fierce heart that causes her fight for her friends and adopted family, a smart ass tinged with kindness personality, and a general aura of awesomeness that leaves her kicking the bad guys to the curb. I loved how honest her point of view was, especially when it came to Raphael. I loved that we could see that she wasn't sugarcoating her view of him from the beginning thus letting us see how her view of him changed throughout their relationship and the book. Raphael is easily one of my favorite love interests out of all the books I've read. I loved that we saw things from his point of view occasionally, most urban fantasy and paranormal romance authors don't do that. I think it really helped the reader see him evolve. And I honestly think I might have combusted from his sexiness combined with the ending of the book.
So adult paranormal romance has to have love scenes right? And holy smokes did Singh deliver. It's been a while since I've read anything that unique and scorching hot. It wasn't just the actual scene that made the book sensual. The arguing and banter throughout the book was like foreplay and, I have to say, it was a lot of fun to read.
The violence and gore in this book was a lot more graphic than I had anticipated. It didn't bother me at all, I actually thought it added a lot to the world building as it had a realness and gritty feel. However, I would steer younger readers away from this book because of it. Continuing my topic of world building, I thought an angel ruled Manhattan was an amazingly done world. Singh snuck so many details into the action and conversations it became an easily visualized place. Her angels and vampires were amazing too, unique and so much fun to read about.
I cannot recommend this book enough and I'm totally kicking myself for not reading it sooner. Angels' Blood is a great example of the genre and any new readers would get a great taste with this book. Aficionados would be blown away by its uniqueness.
I expected to thoroughly enjoy the Guild Hunter book but I did not. I found this series a 180 different from Singh's Psy-Changling series. I was very disappointed with the story line and characters. The book was choppy, the hero uni dimensional, and characters flat/uninteresting. First chapter or two held promise then the story went lame. I'm not reading any more of the series. It seems weird to thoroughly enjoy an author's series yet do not enjoy his/her other series, but then that has happened more than once in my reading experience.
I also really liked this book. I fell in love with the idea of being an angel here on Earth. Just to have wings and fly. I spent many moments while reading this story just wondering what it would feel like to be in Raphael's arms flying over NYC. I read this book over the 9-11 weekend so I thought it was kind of fitting that it took place in NYC.
I liked the world the Ms. Singh designed and imagine it would be a cool place to live in. I am giving this book 4 stars, the archangel angle really kept my attention.
I liked the world the Ms. Singh designed and imagine it would be a cool place to live in. I am giving this book 4 stars, the archangel angle really kept my attention.
Stephanie S. (skywriter319) -
I highly doubt that there is another urban fantasy series out there that is more elaborate, action-packed, and erotic than Nalini Singhs new Guild Hunter series. ANGELS BLOOD kept me up into the wee hours of the morning, desperate to find out what would happen to Raphael and Elena. Now, logically I know that Raphael is too arrogant to be appropriately attracted to, and Elena is a pretty typical kick-butt urban fantasy, but I just cant help myself: I want more, more, more of their extremely heated interactions. Along with a fantastic plethora of minor characters that Id love to read more about, this was definitely an engrossing read.
This was a decent start to this paranormal romance series. In general this was a pretty typical paranormal romance.
The main heroine, Elena, has special Hunter powers that make her stronger than normal and overworks herself like crazy (like many UF and PNR heroines). The male lead, Raphael, is your typical over protective alpha male (although he tries to temper himself to allow Elena room). I enjoyed Elena's relationship with her best friend; they have a funny and cute friendship that added a lot to the story.
I did enjoy the reimaging of a world run by angels and how vampires related to the angels; the explanation behind this was well done. I also enjoyed the twist the story took at the end.
Overall this was an engaging read but not all the different from many of the other PNR series out there. I thought some of the elements in the world were interesting (angles and how vampires relate to them). I didn't really enjoy Raphael as a character all that much...too alpha male, but I know a lot of PNR readers dig that. I enjoyed the book well enough but am not sure if I will continue the series or not at this point.
The main heroine, Elena, has special Hunter powers that make her stronger than normal and overworks herself like crazy (like many UF and PNR heroines). The male lead, Raphael, is your typical over protective alpha male (although he tries to temper himself to allow Elena room). I enjoyed Elena's relationship with her best friend; they have a funny and cute friendship that added a lot to the story.
I did enjoy the reimaging of a world run by angels and how vampires related to the angels; the explanation behind this was well done. I also enjoyed the twist the story took at the end.
Overall this was an engaging read but not all the different from many of the other PNR series out there. I thought some of the elements in the world were interesting (angles and how vampires relate to them). I didn't really enjoy Raphael as a character all that much...too alpha male, but I know a lot of PNR readers dig that. I enjoyed the book well enough but am not sure if I will continue the series or not at this point.
I like all her books! Definite twist with traditional characters.
Not liking the cold-blooded angel spin so much. Normally I can overlook reference to biblical creatures, but this book was a little much. The heroine is b@#$%y and not at all someone I could relete to. Oh, well... I'll try one more of her books and give her a chance.
Boring. Only able to wade thru 65pgs before stopping. No story. Very disappointed.
Excellent book. Has everything you would expect from Nalini Singh.
usual formulaic stuff- some hot sex- I like reading it even though it is basically a trashy love story
