Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter Book 1)

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

*Beware of possible Spoilers*

Elena is a Guild Hunter, that is a person who hunts vampires and returns them to their masters, the angels. But nothing has prepared her for her new assignment. The archangel, Raphael, has sought out Elena to track down an archangel gone bad and he won't take no for an answer. Archangels are the most powerful beings on Earth and Elena doesn't expect to get out of this situation alive.

Raphael and Elena must work closely together on this case; Elena being the only one who can track the archangel and Raphael being the one who has taken on the task to kill him and stop his bloody murdering spree before the humans get wind of it. But when the final showdown is upon them, both Elena and Raphael's lives are at stake. And, with their growing bond to lose one may be enough to crush them both.

Did I ever tell you just how much I LOVE Nalini Singh? I really wasn't sure about this series. This book started out pretty slow and I was worried that it wouldn't live up to Singh's Psy-Changeling series that I love. But once this story grabs you, it holds you in a death grip and doesn't let go!

I thought this world of vampires and angels was pretty interesting and not like anything I've read before. I mean who would think about making the angels the ones to sire vampires? A neat twist in a genre that I felt I had `read it all' in. So it was nice to actually prove myself wrong and see something totally new.

I'm amazed at the characters Singh creates as they are always interesting and draw me in, I have yet to find one that I absolutely abhor. The secondary characters in this story were phenomenal and all well developed! I enjoyed Dmitri with his loyalty to Raphael and his dislike for Elena which makes things interesting as I imagine will only continue in future books. Illium aka Bluebell was another one of my favorites and he was described so well (as were all the angels and archangels) that I can picture him as good as if he were standing in front of me, striking blue feathers and all! And, of course I have to like Sara. She's sweet and one of Elena's few true friends. And, it doesn't hurt that she has the good taste to name her daughter the same name as my youngest! I even had fun with Ransom. He wasn't in this book a lot, but what parts he was in it, were memorable and I can't wait to see more of him.

"He was trying to make me his bed buddy. I declined. He gave chase."
... "How, exactly, did you `decline' his offer?"
"By slitting his throat."
The silence in the garage was broken only by the sound of water drip-dripping somewhere in the distance. Sara just stared. So did Ransom. Then the idiot male started laughing hysterically. He laughed so hard he fell off the bike and onto the scarred concrete of the garage floor. Even that didn't stop him.
Elena would've kicked him, except he'd probably use the chance to pull her down with him. "Shut up before I do the same to you."
He tried to stop laughing. Failed. "Jesus, Ellie. You are awesome!"

And, you know if an author can write the secondary characters so well that the main characters will blow you away...

Elena is a strong female lead. She's tough. She was born a hunter, always being able to scent vampires, which makes her current profession a no-brainer. She's also has a past she'd rather forget including her first encounter with a blood thirsty vampire and a life with a father that has never shown her love. With no true family to speak of, the Guild has become her home complete with love and people that always have her back.

Ummmm Raphael. What more can I say? He is quite the yummy morsel! I liked him from the moment he was introduced into the story. He is strong, confident, and in control. But he protects what is his with all that he has and he loves with a fierce intensity that knows no bounds. And, what about that bath scene ... sudsy and hot, but with gentleness I never expected from an archangel of his caliber! What more can you ask for? It definitely has me hankering for a soak in the tub myself .... oh wait I don't have a sexy man with wings to join me .... nevermind.

"When you've lived as long as I have," he said, eyes heavy-lidded but definitely on her, "you learn to appreciate new sensations. They are rare in an immortal's life."

She found she'd moved toward him. He hooked her arm around her waist, pulling her closer until she straddled him as he sat on a ledge below the waterline, her legs wrapped around his waist.

He settled her firmly against him.

Sucking in a breath, she said, "Sex isn't new to you," and rocked her heat over the exquisite hardness of him. Good didn't begin to describe how it felt. How he felt.

"No. But you are."

"Never had a hunter before?" She grinned, nibbling on his lower lip.

But he didn't smile. "I've never had Elena before." The words were husky, his eyes so intent she felt owned."

I really like Elena and Raphael as a couple. Once the big showdown with Uram was upon us and the injuries where doled out, I predicted what would happen with our favorite Guild Hunter duo, but I still enjoyed every moment of it and I can't wait to read more about them in the future installments of the series! This series is definitely a must read for all Paranormal and Urban Fantasy fans. This was a fantastic start to the series. I was amazed and you will be too!

"Cupping his face in her hands, she looked into eyes that had seen thousands of sunrises before she was even a glimmer in the scheme of the universe. "But you have an advantage," she whispered. "You're a little bit human now."

This review and more at openbooksociety dot com

So after years of seeing Nalini Singh's books at bookstores, libraries and friend's shelves here on Goodreads I finally broke down and gave her a try. Boy am I ever glad I did.

We are introduced to Elena, a spunky white haired Guild Hunter (Vampire Hunter) who has been hired to do a job for the Archangel Rafael who rules over New York City and help him catch an Archangel who is in the midst of a bloodlust. She also manages to help relieve him of his clothing :)

First off, I loved Elena's Character. She was such a strong female lead even though Raphael was using his Archangel mind tricks to make her do his bidding. She is definately a heroine that is worth the time it takes to write her on a page. I especially liked that Elena stayed the main focus of the novel instead of switching too much to Raphael's POV

Raphael on the other hand was too much of a jack ass IMHO. He was too much of an alpha male for me and I'm really hoping that he mellows out some in the next book.

I was so glad how Singh kept us guessing through the book and I love how she didn't make their sexual relationship the main focus of the book. It was so refreshing to not have sex on every page. I am not by any means a prude. I love me some sexy writing believe me. Yet, at some point when it comes to the genres of Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Romance there are authors who substitute sex to make up for poor writing. I am so glad this wasn't the case in this novel. I do admit that those are the feelings I went into reading this book and I definately think this is a series that should be read by all Paranormal/Urban Fantasy lovers.

Angels' Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunters series. It is also the first book I've read by Nalini Singh, and I'm beating myself for why I've never let myself pick a single book by this author. She is genius, and I'm not saying that lightly.

The author has created a world in which angels, archangels, and vampires live among the human population openly. Then there are guild hunters which are basically hunters that captures vampires gone bad, and return them to their sire, that is, the angels. Yes, the angels are higher in the food chain than vampires. How original is that. That is why I love Nalini Singh. The world builting is so AMAZING, there were times when I wished I lived in it. It is so well researched, and kudos to the author for that.

The main characters include the guild hunter (Elena) who is hired by the Archangel of New York (Raphael) to catch another archangel gone bad. I didn't like Raphael in the beginning, he was just too alpha for me. As the story progressed, I got to know a bit more about him, and gradually I fell head-over-heels in love with him. There are also other equally interesting characters like Sara, Ransom, Michaela, Dmitri, Illium, and many more. I have a love-hate relation with Dmitri (Raphael's second), and I'm looking forward to his book the most. The best part of this book is the ending which is so nerve-racking, suspenseful, and on the whole, absolutely perfect.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes alpha males, strong headed heroine, paranormal twist, and a little mystery with romance.

I've never been a fan of the romance genre per se. But every now and then a girl just needs a good book with some good lovin' inside the pages. I found this in the romance section under the paranormal filter in OverDrive. Honestly, I have to have some kind of paranormal aspect in a romance book for it to make sense for me. Weird, I know, but anyway....

I was not expecting much from Angel's Blood. I'll make a confession and say that I've always thought of writers who pump out romance novel after romance novel as a sort of, how shall I say it, sub-author? As in, some sort of lesser-author writing sub-par novels with sex scenes being the only redeeming quality. Nalini Singh and her Guild Hunter Series has me rethinking that assessment.

As for the heroine, Elena, she is one bad-ass chick. She is hunter-born (a human born with the natural ability to scent vampires along with lots of extra strength.) So she makes her living tracking down vamps for the angels who own them. Being a hunter-born, vampire-hunting, over-all bad ass chick makes Elena pretty intimidating to the male population, but quite enticing to the arch-angel who hires her to track-down another arch-angel who is acting darn crazy and quite a bit vampiristic.

One of thing that sets this series apart from other angel series is that it isn't religion-based. There isn't a mention of God, and they aren't "his" angels. In addition, although this would definitely fit on the romance shelf, it is equal-parts romance and action/suspense--truly a perfect combination.

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I saw a recommendation for this book on Goodreads and thought I'd pick it up. I'd never read paranormal romance before (though another reviewer pegged it as "urban fantasy" and both categories work), but I became a fan after reading this book.

I won't go into an in-depth plot description or analysis because other reviewers have done a good job with those. What I will say is that the writing is superb. Metaphors and description were well done, and the storyline never got lost in the sexual undertones. I'm not a big fan of romance, but the sexual tension between Elena and Raphael leaped off the page. The budding relationship between those two was believable and steamy. My only complaint was that once they finally did the deed, the narrative was hurried. That bothered me a bit because *so much* tension and dialogue was built up between these two as to what acts they would do, etc. that I expected more when it finally happened. Oh, well.

The setting and plot were unique and had me riveted to the book so that I continued reading well after midnight. There's nothing better than finding an author who can write an engaging story eloquently. In short, I can't wait to read more of Singh's novels.

I was looking for a new series, and was told to try Nalini Singh books. This is the first one that came up.

Raphael and Elena had my attention from the very start. A vampire hunter meets archangel .... head strong is an understatement for their relationship!

I tore through the book trying to guess what would be on the next page. The hunt, the fights, the moments of weakness, the denial of love, it wasn't long before I owned the whole series. I look for all books by Nalini now and I haven't been disappointed!

Now I can say right off the mark that there was nothing I didn't like about the Guild Hunter series. It was interesting from start to finish. I found it so good that when I was done reading it, I re-read it again. I have to say tend to get all fangirly for a bad boy alpha and Raphael has all of this in spades. Not to mention I love a heroine who can take care of herself and kick some serious a$$, and if Elena can't do that then I don't know who can. I am writing this after reading the entire series to date. I love the whole series, but Elena and Raphael hold a special place in my heart. Their books are my fav in the series so far, though I am really looking forward to reading about Illium, Aodhan and of course Jason.

Nalini just has a way with her writing that sweeps you away and puts your right beside the characters. You can see what is going on as clear as if it were really happening. I love how she presented Raphael at the beginning of the book. You could tell he was a very commanding Archangel. He is used to getting his way, and people doing what he has told them to do. It makes it all the better when Elena throws him off balance. She really does make him more human. It was interesting to watch him go from being the angel to being something more. I loved seeing the transition from one to another. It didn't happen instantly, and even with him changing he still keeps the parts that make me love him so much. I was swooning over his possessiveness with Elena, made it feel more real that she was more to him than some casual fling.

Elena is a torture hunter. She had some serious bad crap happen to her during her childhood that would break many people. Though what happened was bad I did like that Nalini kept adding those moments where the past would collide with the present. It added more flavour to Elena, that she was not just some super guild hunter doing her everyday thing. I felt sympathy for her and was obsessed with finding out what had happened to her to cause such emotional and mental anguish. If your looking for tortured characters this series is your taste of angel dust. Very addictive, with its own special blend.

I enjoyed reading about the other characters, such as Dmitri. Now here is a man that if sex on a stick existed he would be it. I loved the havoc he created, even when he was punished for it. The man could make any woman crawl to him. He just oozes sex, of course his scent would make him even more of a treat. But deep down there is more to him than what he shows on the surface.

Nalini's characters have a common bond and yet they are all very different. I do see similarities but I think that is a glue that holds them all together. I was impressed with the loyalty of the Seven to Raphael, even if it meant getting rid of Elena because she makes him weak. Though they were loyal to him, they would protect him from even himself. Even if it cost them their lives. Here is true loyalty. They all seem to have their own code of honor, and are dangerous when crossed. They make a dark seductive crew of alpha males that will have women swooning at their feet. But to me, they are a Family. They look after one another and are willing to do anything for each other.

As I said I really enjoyed reading this series and I am more than looking forward to reading the next book. Now if I could just push the next 3 months into moving faster, I would. Nalini is such an amazing writer and I have not read a book by her I did not like. She has a way about story telling that entraps the reader and has them begging for more. She is a true asset to her profession and I hope for many more books written by her. In other words (and as corny as this sounds) Nalini Singh described in one word. Pro!

Reviewed at Another Look Book Reviews

Oh it looks like I'm in love with another Nalini Singh series!

"You want to play, angel boy? Then let's play. Find me." ....and 127 pages in, the field of play really escalated to a heart pumping action urban fantasy novel. Wow Angel's Blood was so good.

Raphael the Archangel is delicious. His power oozes off the pages and you can really read his transformation of feelings escalate towards the mere mortal Elena. Okay, so mere mortal is a stretch since she is a vampire hunter for the Guild Hunters but still. Compared to an archangel, hunter or not, she is still mortal.

Elena is a tough hunter but definitely not over the top with butchiness. (is that even a word? *shrugs*) I love that Nalini Singh made her a brave and courageous heroine and yet there was a strong feminine essence. The story really had a unique way to take a hold of the reader and have them become completely immersed in the pages. With the growing attraction that was sparking off the pages between Raphael and Elena, I was loving how their flirtations were escalating page per page.

Angels' Blood takes place in New York City but the world is occupied by Angel, Archangels, vampires and mortals. (at least that is all we've been introduced to at the moment) The Angels "Make" the vampires and most of the vampire lore we know (burning in the sun) etc, are not relevant. One of the things I absolutely adore with Nalini Singh books is that she includes a variety of different cultures in her stories. Asian, African American, Indian, white etc.; it is a true melting pot of the world that is being represented. I also think Nalini Singh was a genius to only share a few secrets regarding this world. There is still so much more lore to learn and understand about the angels and vampires. The reader is given just enough to get by which leaves room for an awesome future story line. I cannot wait to dive into book 2, Archangel's Kiss.

The villain of the story is Uram. He is a very old archangel that has gone rouge and has turned to bloodlust. Apparently he had turned himself into 1/2 vamp & 1/2 archangel and the combination has made him lethally mad. Uram goes on a gruesome killing spree that is so descriptive that I'm glad I was not reading a graphic novel. He is beyond disgusting. The acts of abomination and chaos Uram creates is spine tingling chilly. With Elena's hunter gifts and Raphael's power, they seek to destroy the destruction that Uram is creating.

Thoroughly enjoying the story and I am only stopping long enough so I can type my thoughts in this review before I pick up the next book...and start right now.

Teasers: A bathroom beyond imagination, Holly Chang, "Bluebell" love, vampire's scent, Angel surprise

I have to admit that I don't normally seek out these types of books - not so much the paranormal romance genre, but the erotica aspect. Still, I'll try anything once and after begin lent "Angels' Blood" by a friend, I settled down for my first taste of what I knew would be a somewhat Mills+Boon-esque novel, at least in regards to the relationship between the protagonists. From the first page I knew that I was in for a heroine who would fail the Mary Sue litmus test: if the name Elena Deveraux wasn't enough of a giveaway, we're told straight away that she has "pale, almost white hair" and had "inherited dark gold skin from her Moroccan grandmother". This is a somewhat indiscreet look for a covert bounty hunter, but I was committed to see it through to the end.

So Elena is a vampire hunter, part of a guild of hunters that specialize in the retrieval of runaway vampires who have fled their angel masters. The urban-fantasy setting is a world in which these great winged beings rule over vast portions of the earth's continents, living in skyscrapers and turning the occasional human into a vampire for reasons that the human population has never quite been able to figure out (though they assume it's for the sake of having immortal servants). Elena is the best hunter in the guild thanks to her innate ability to sense a vampire's presence.

It is because of this gift that Elena is hired by the archangel Raphael for a special task: to help track down a renegade angel called Uram, who is becoming dangerously unstable and the suspected culprit behind a growing number of dead bodies. Through Elena is immediately attracted to Raphael (of course, he's tall, dark, handsome, rich and has two wings growing out of his shoulder blades) she's intimidated to the point of fear when it comes to how much power he wields. Raphael is an arrogant, aggressive alpha-male, who claims (and believes) everything belongs to him and that he can do whatever he wants. Feisty Elena assures him that he has no chance with her, but of course, it's only a matter of time before she wilts, and their relationship is a slow-burning build up toward a romp in the bedroom.

The story is divided into three main strands: the "romance" (such as it is) between Raphael and Elena, the attempts to track down and deal with the blood-crazed angel, and the exploration of the world Singh has created for her characters. The last aspect is lightly sketched, but what we do see is fascinating. In this world angels rule from skyscrapers, living in apartments specially designed to accommodate their wings, collecting vast armies of vampire servants for reasons that aren't explained until the end of the book.

Elena is tough, abrasive, efficient, no-nonsense and good at pretty much everything she does, though Singh thankfully undercuts these attributes with a genuine love and concern for her friends, and a tragic back-story that we only get brief glimpses of (I assume we'll get more concerning Elena's family life in the sequels). Raphael on the other hand is the sort of male protagonist that you'd expect in a book like this: taunting the female with her powerlessness whilst dazzling her with his looks, charm and wealth. And of course, described in great detail in regards to his physicality. I have to admit, this kind of thing really doesn't appeal to me.

Lastly, the plot itself is fairly straightforward, which involves tracking down a highly dangerous angel who leaves a rather gory trail of bodies behind him. It's interesting enough, but really the entire plot is designed to push Elena and Raphael closer together. There's an interesting backup cast of characters, both human and supernatural, and plenty of fodder for future stories set in this world.

As I said earlier, this was a difficult book for me to review simply because I've never read anything like it before. Judging from the other reviews, more experiences readers in this genre seem to enjoy it, but if you're a newcomer to this sort of thing, then you could do worse than starting with "Angels' Blood."

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.

Nalini Singh is one of my favorite writers, I fell in love when Slave to Sensation first hit the shelves. Her Psy/Changling series remains beyond compare.. Even with my own personal love of her work I refused to read a series about angels. It went against some of my basic beliefs to think of angels as erotic beings.. Warriors, yes I could see that.. but erotic, sensual, greedy and yes even evil was beyond me. That being said, I finally decided to go ahead and give Singh's Hunters Guild Series a try. Let me tell you this, waiting was one of the biggest mistakes of my literary life! Angel's Blood has it all!

First off I will say this, these angels are not heavenly hosts they are immortal beings with wings.. In all honesty most of them aren't even that likeable. They are arrogant, selfish, greedy, power hungery, self serving.. yeah so not heavenly hosts.. I think Ms Singh just needed to give her human type characters a name and since they had wings.. well they must be angels..

Elena Deveraux, is one of the best hunters around, if ever. She was hunter born and almost compelled to become a Vampire Hunter. As a guild hunter, her job is not to off Vampires willy nilly but rather to bring in Vampires who try and escape their contract.. Yes Vampires are made by angels and in return for near immortality they must sign a contract giving 100 years of service. And there are those who skip.. some are evil, some are confused and some are just well wicked.. A hunter captures them then returns them to the angel who "sired" them. Elena, being hunter born has talents many hunters who chose to become hunters do not have. She can scent a Vampire.. Escaping her is almost impossible.

Raphael.. of course he has to be Raphael.. one of the most powerful Archangels has commanded Elena's presence. He needs her skills to hunt down a rogue Archangel.. something that hasn't happened in a millennium. He is arrogant enough to think she will just do his bidding or that he can at least slip into her mind and force her to do his bidding.. Yeah, men (even angel men) can be pretty stupid. Raphael is surprised, intrigued and finally aroused by Elena's insistence on making her own choices.. On not be
controlled in any way shape or form..
In some ways their meeting and ensuing relationship is the proverbial rock and hard place.. but there is nothing keeping them apart. Just strong wills and an evil archangel to hunt. Because Urium, has turned Elena can scent him. After his first feeding he lets off the same type of scent all Vampires do. A scent unique to each vamp. The difference of course is, he isn't a vampire and can't be killed except by another Archangel. Hindered by secrets Elena must do her best to flush him out and allow Raphael to kill him.

Ms Singh, leads us on an intense trail.. we see loyalty in Vampires and power hunger in angels.. we see a woman who fears becoming a pawn to anyone willing to sacrifice herself to save everyone. Elena has that innate dignity of spirit that few have. That one essence that has been dragged through hell and kept on going.. and came out with her integrity intact. She really is a fantastic heroine.

Watching Raphael and Elena come together, accept what is and decide that it is worth risking all to save was almost beautiful. I hesitate to actually call it beautiful because this story is dark, the battle is dark and I would not want anyone to think it is a light or easy read. No, it makes you think and wonder and wish..

After being so sure I would hate this series what I hate is of course having to say I was wrong.. It was fabulous.. I hate that I waited so long to start it and I am eternally grateful to find that Ms Singh doesn't disappoint. Her stories have that evocative, sensual pull that brings a reader back for more..

Shauni

Angels Blood by Nalini Singh is a must read for all paranormal-romance readers and fans of urban fantasy. I found this book tightly written- I wasn't shaking my head at any plot holes. For those of you that need a lot of romance in your novels, I don't know if this is the place for you. There IS romance, but I felt that there was more urban fantasy than romance... not an even blend. This makes me happy, I don't mind the love story being on the back burner. The hunt was intense.

Angels Blood is the first in a new series- The Guild Hunter Novels. I haven't read anything else by Singh, but I'm definitely adding the Psy-Changeling series to my TBR list after reading this one. So, our heroine is born a vampire-hunter. She has a special talent... a nose like a dog. She tracks her victims by scent. That's right, Elena is a badass with a hardcore past that she needs to come to terms with. Who would have guessed?

The day has come when Elena must accept the toughest challenge she has been offered to date. Yep, she's been hired by THE archangel of New York himself- Raphael. But there is a twist- she won't be tracking a vampire this time. Nope, she's been hired to track another archangel... the bloodiest, craziest archangel currently living. One of the most powerful archangels has decided to go mad and go on a killing spree. Can Elena come out of this hunt with her body and heart still intact?

And before I forget to throw this out there- this book would be 5 stars for me if the first 10-12 chapters weren't so blah. I found it hard to get into Elena and Raphael at first... separately and as a couple. Instead I found myself enthralled with a secondary character- Illium. I'm really craving a book that's all about this sexy blue winged angel. This isn't a bad thing- it just shows how riveting and lovely the supporting characters are. Dimitri too, a very very old vampire. Loved him. Ah, and all the wittily written novel after about chapter 12 made up for the lack of enthusiasm I had for the first chapters. I was engulfed in Elena's hunt.

This author can express passion and emotions very well in her writings. I felt like the two main characters were a mystery to me and I don't completely understand them- yet I knew exactly how they felt. I felt my heart tense with the characters, I was nervous, excited, frustrated and scared with them too. I have a feeling this is going to be one of my favorite series.

Once again, I feel like I say this in every review of a new series- the book only suffered in the first half because the author had to create a whole new atmosphere for us to divulge into. She did a damn good job at it too! I not only divulged- I plummeted into Elena & Raphael's little world. ...Now I'm ready to plummet into Illium's world. (I'm seriously praying this happens!) Well, I guess I will check out the Psy-Changeling's while I wait for Archangel's Kiss come February!!

Oh, and I have to give credit to @bellie7 for this one! She sent it to me and told me it was a must read- well, she was right! READ THIS!

Summary:

In a world where angels are at the top of the food chain and vampires are tied to angels for 100 years of servitude for being Made. In a world where the powerful rule there are none more powerful than the Cadre of the Ten, the 10 most powerful angels, the Archangels. Raphael is the ruler of New York, and he rules with an iron fist. When one of the 10 goes into blood sickness and starts a terrifying reign of blood and death Raphael knows he needs to bring in a hunter to track Uram. Elena is the best hunter in the guild, she is hunter born and can track any vampire into the ground. But this time she is tracking an angel, an archangel one of the 10.

This is the hardest hunt of Elena's life, not only does she have to track an archangel that has wings but she has to deal with Raphael. Raphael is used to being obeyed at all times and never having his decisions questioned by anyone other than from his trusted 7. Elena questions him and disobeys him at every turn, this warrior woman who is a hunter by birth. Elena is getting under his skin, each time she disobeys him, the more she creeps under his skin and the results may be disastrous for him. Raphael is the most intriguing, fascinating, most inhuman person Elena has ever met. The more time she spends with him the more she realizes this man is not human and never has been, but she wants him even though he sometimes he scares the hell out of her. The longer Uram's reign of terror goes the more Elena realizes that she may not make it out of this hunt alive.

Review:

Nalini Singh has an amazing ability to build new worlds she immerses you in this world that is so rich in detail you almost feel like you are living in this world of hunters, vampires and angels. Where the angels are not so much biblical but very much scary and the archangels can be ruthless cruel beings who don't hesitate in torture. I have to say I like this new take on angels, it is definitely different and like nothing else I have read before. I love when authors take a concept that is not new and makes it their own and N. Singh managed to do that with this series ad it has tons of potential.

Elena, I am a bit conflicted with Elena. On one hand I love that she is such a kick ass female, she tangles with an archangel and holds her own. She is incredibly strong and loyal and yet haunted by demons from her past. There is a lot of good with Elena, and I found myself routing for her. What I had a problem with was at one part of the book she was willing to trade her life and that of her family and friends to save her pride. In my opinion pride is definitely not worth my life or any of my loved ones. But that is just me, although this part of the book does bring us to a pretty big break through so I guess I can forgive this one part of the book.

Raphael is the scariest yet sexy male, there is not a speak of human in him. He has grown up knowing he is at the top of the food chain. He knows that to hold his power he can never be seen as weak. There is nothing that scares Raphael except following in his archangel parents footsteps. Only madness scares him. Raphael has to make hard decisions all the time but he never shirks his duty. He is completely loyal to his seven as they are loyal to him. He is a man that inspires loyalty, confidence and obedience. I truly enjoy his character. Elena and Raphael have a rough start but as the danger increases so does the heat between Raphael and Elena.

This novel is full of action and takes you through a hunt all through New York. You meet a wide variety of new characters that over the series you come to love. Raphael and Elena take you through an emotional ringer. This series has lots of potential and there are so many places this series can go. I love Nalini Singh and this book is no exception.

My Review:
Whoa! This book was so good. This is our November read for the Chick-lits online book club, and I am so glad, because now I know what I am reading for the next few days (whether I have the time or not...hehe!) The premise and world in this series is so different and creative. This is a world where archangels rule the segments of the earth. There are 10 archangels who do this. Angels are the ones who create vampires. There are only about 1000 people chosen to be turned into vampires every year and, as such, there were many people clamoring to be turned vampire and immortal, despite the 100 years service that they then owe the angel after their transformation. Within this world, there are vampires that go bad, just like in a small segment of the human population, and become killers or jump their servitude. Those vampires are why the Hunter Guild was created. The Hunter's Guild are basically bounty hunters for vampires and the very best in their midst is Elena who was born with the natural talent as a hunter.

The book starts with Elena being summoned to the Tower for a visit with the archangel Raphael, whose cruelty when tested is renowned. Unfortunately, Elena is not known for backing down, especially when pushed, which this powerful archangel does with maddening regularity. Being called on by an archangel is extremely rare and the cause for the call is even more rare, as he needs her help to hunt for another archangel who has gone bad.

There is a ton of stress and high-drama in this book...between Elena & Raphael; between Elena & Dmitri (Raphael's head of security); between Elena & her family (who disowned her 18 years ago because of her job.) There is the stress of hunting an extremely powerful and insane archangel. There is the stress of fighting a growing attraction to Raphael. There is so much going on with twists and turns on every page. This absolutely was one book that was simply too good to put down!

I wasn't so sure about the romance in this book at first, although I readily admit that the story was good enough without the romance at first, that I didn't even miss it. But there is so much chemistry between Raphael and Elena and as they get closer and get to know each other better, WOW!!! This is a book that the romance of the story, especially during the climax had me gasping out loud.

This book was so good! I am a girl that prefers to read a real book if I can even though I do a lot of my reading on my Kindle. When I finished this one, I immediately got online to order books #2 and #3 for my Kindle because I HAD TO HAVE THEM IMMEDIATELY! That should tell you just a tiny bit about how good this series is. Hehe! Now I am off to start reading book #2!

Angels' Blood, the first book in Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series, held many unexpected surprises. It is far darker in tone than both B001TJ1O4W Angels' Pawn (Kindle Edition), it's prequel, and Singh's Psy/Changeling series. It also much less romance-centric than the Psy/Changeling series, and unlike that series, which focuses on a different pair of characters in each book, thus far the main Guild Hunter novels have all focused on Elena and Raphael, while the novellas switch between different secondary characters. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I agree with other reviewers who found it a bit unbalanced.

The world that Singh has built in these books is quite interesting, albeit a bit underdeveloped. Angels rule the world, and both make and control vampires. Members of the Hunter's Guild serve as a retrieval team, hunting and returning those vampires who escape their Angelic masters. No background is given for the guild, nor a more detailed explanation of what vampires do once they finish their service, or how humans fit into the world; at times it makes you feel as if you have jumped into the middle of a series.

Singh has populated her series with a rich cast of characters, but seems to be struggling with how to develop main characters that will continue to be front and center in future books. Elena and Raphael are not unique, but they are fascinating; Elena is a powerful hunter with an indelible sense of self but a damaged past, while Raphael is an Archangel struggling to retain his humanity. As they move through the story, Singh reveals their strengths and weaknesses, as well as small hints about their pasts, but fails to fully develop their characters in the present. This is particularly true of Raphael, and by extension, the relationship between Raphael and Elena. Both have undergone extreme transformations by the end of the book, but how they got there is a bit of a mystery. The secondary characters in contrast, are excellent; each unique and interesting, with just enough detail to secure their place in the story, but not so much that they take over.

Raphael has hired Elena to hunt an archangel who has gone mad, and the story of the hunt occupies most of the plot. I was looking for urban fantasy, and enjoyed the story, however those interested primarily in romance will be disappointed, and may be shocked by some of the graphic/violent scenes. The story is not overly complicated, but it is well written, and the alternating action and suspense keep things moving.

Overall, Angels' Blood is well written, and although it is missing some important details, the plot was good and the characters interesting. I'll definitely be looking for the next book.

Ellie, a vampire hunter. In this world, vampires are made by angels, and are indentured to them for their first 100 years of life. If one decides to break the terms of the deal, the Guild gets a call to track him down and return him to his angel. Ellie is one of the best hunters there is; she can track vampires by scent. And as a result, when the archangel Raphael needs a hunter, Ellie is the one he wants.

To call Raphael intimidating would be an understatement. He is centuries old and barely relates to humanity. He is alpha to the extreme; he is sexy; he is a warrior. And he can manipulate the minds of humans. Ellie is both attracted and repulsed by him at the same time. She fights her attraction tooth and nail, which intrigues him. And once she becomes interesting to him, the chase is on.

As a relationship starts to grow between Ellie and Raphael, the two of them must hunt for an angel who is turning into a vampire of sorts. (It's complicated.) The chase gives the book plenty of action and excitement. There is a strong cast of secondary characters, ranging from Ellie's fellow hunters to the angels and vampires in Raphael's entourage. I liked the world building and I loved the ending.

So why am I not writing sonnets to the book? I guess it was hard for me to get on board with the love story. Such a point was made about Raphael's lack of humanity and he was drawn to me as someone incapable of a real romantic love. He inflicts his will on others; he sees Ellie as a puzzle --or an interesting thing-- more than a woman. I guess you can say this changes as she "makes him more human," but it was hard for me to see him as a man capable of love. It felt more like an ownership or she was more like a favored pet than a mate. With the way the book ended though, I think maybe that could change. I'll keep reading to find out... 4 stars.

Elena is the very best at her job, a vampire hunter. Her natural born skill surpass all others, and make her a target for the deadliest of jobs as her unique skills have caught the attention of the Archangel Raphael. He rules over his territory with an iron fist and no one in their right mind wants his focus on them. Unfortunately Elena has not only caught his attention for how he can use her to stop an utterly mad killer, but also as an entrancing woman. Even though she knows it's potentially suicide, she finds herself drawn into his seductive charms. It will take a incredible fortitude to stand up against him, for to give in would to allow herself to be irrevocably broken.

I have such mixed feelings about Raphael. He was so harsh and almost downright cruel at times. I realize that he most definitely is not human, and never was, therefore he cannot be judged by those standards. His coldness and extreme arrogance made it really hard to see Elena's attraction towards him. Yet as they continued to circle around each other in almost a warrior/mating dance, I realized that they may just be perfect for one another. Elena needs someone who will not be put off by her iron will and strength, and who better for that role than the epitome of strength, an Archangel? Even so, there were still times when I simply wanted to strangle Raphael for one thing or another, right alongside Elena.

The love story, all consuming that it was, made it easy to overlook the amazing world building that exists. The roles of vampires and angels were completely unique, especially in how the vampires are made by the angels and then become completely subservient. Typically in books with vampires, those vamps are at the very top of the food chain, and have the arrogance to match. It was really interesting to see them reduced to nothing more than peons. Talk about a role reversal! Also, the angels themselves were quite different than other books have portrayed them, in that they really had absolutely nothing to do with religion. They are supernatural beings that follow a hierarchy system, with each Archangel holding a position of ultimate rule in their own territory. In fact some have considered themselves to be of a goddess position, and considering their power, it is no wonder the humans fall at their feet.

With a romance that is equal parts frustrating and entrancing, and a truly unique world, Angels' Blood was an utterly compelling read from start to finish. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, things would take a different turn, with the ending being the biggest shocker of all. The events were something that I never could have predicted, and I cannot wait to see where things lead. I highly recommend Angels' Blood to anyone who enjoys a romance that burn fiery hot, strong willed characters and a truly unique world.

Angels Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh. It follows the story of Elena Devereux who is a natural born hunter who works for the Guild. She is able to track vampires by their scent alone. In the world that Ms Singh has created Archangels rule and make vampires, once a vampire has been made it must stay working for the Angel for 100 years and if it tries to escape it is Elena's job to track it and bring it back to the Angel. Elena is summoned to a meeting with the Archangel Raphael who requires her to hunt another Archangel that has gone rogue and is on a bloody rampage around New York. Elena does not want to take on the mission as she sees it as a no win situation but Raphael will not take no as an answer going as far as to threaten the life of her friends.

I found this book to be a mix between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance and because of that there were parts (UF) that I liked and parts (PNR) that I didn't like. I sort of liked Elena. She is supposed to be a kick ass hunter and some of the time she is but when she is with Raphael she turns a bit mushy and I just wanted to grab her and give her a shake. I understand that Raphael is meant to be an almighty powerful angel who views humans as toys with a miniscule lifespans but I wanted Elena to be stronger around Raphael than she was. I thought the story had a slow start in getting to the action and actual hunting of the rogue Archangel but once it did it was action packed. I did like Raphael and it was interesting to see how he changed from something so alien into something with human feelings. There were two other characters that really stood out for me one was the blue winged angel Illium (who deserves his own book in my opinion) and the other was the vampire Dmitri who is head of Raphael's security. Apart from the romantic mushy parts I really liked this book and I will continue with the series. I would like to give it 4 stars.

Originally posted at [...]

In New York City, Vampires and Angels live in somewhat harmony; that is until an evil Archangel goes on a killing spree. Elena Deveraux is a for hire vampire hunter who is known as the best at what she does, so it comes as no surprise when being the best catches the eye of Archangel Raphael, one of the scariest, most powerful, and oldest Archangels on Earth. While working together, Elena and Raphael learn to get along while kicking some ass, and more than that fall in love.

I'm not a huge fan of angel/fallen angel stories, so I was a tad hesitant to pick up this series. However, being that it is Nalini Singh, I had a feeling she wouldn't disappoint me. The Paranormal Romance genre is usually hit or miss with me, but Angel's Blood was definitely a hit. The characters go back and forth with their feelings for each other, and while in the beginning it helps keep the story flowing and shows a not so love at first sight romance, it gets a little monotonous after a while. While Elena finds Raphael extremely good looking, like everyone else in the world, she dislikes him because he tries to own her, force her, and threaten her into doing what he wants.

The world building is what I'm most impressed with, because usually the world building in romance seems comes last, at least to me. Nalini Singh created a new New York City for readers to visit and created a legion of Archangels to get to know. The setting and world building are along the lines of Urban Fantasy, and I even went back and forth on whether it could be considered UF, but the romance is definitely at the forefront of the plot, so Paranormal Romance it is!

Nalini Singh, is one of the few Paranormal Romance authors who can suck me in and make me love every minute of the relationships and worlds she creates. I can't wait to read more in this series.

This was my first Nalini Singh novel. I have always heard wonderful things about her writing. I definitely think she is talented, but I am on the fence about this book.

Elena is a hunter-born, which means she was born with super senses. She can scent a vampire and track him/her like a bloodhound. She is hired by an archangel, Raphael, to track a wayward arachangel who is on the verge of creating mass murder. Elena was a likable character, but something that I didn't like was not knowing her full background. We get glimpses into a horrific event in her life that has shaped her, and we know her family disowned her. We don't ever get all the pieces though. I am sure the author is going to fill us in in the next book, but I would have liked more information in this one. Raphael starts off a complete jerk. I really did not like him. He tried to control her mind and make her want him sexually. That really bothered me. He grows and changes as a character, which I like, but I really hated him for a long time. The take on vampires was different from anything I had read before, they are created by angels. Also the view on angels was something I had never encountered. The angels are violent and care nothing for humans.

I am interested in reading the next novel, but this isn't a novel that I would care to reread. It was pretty gruesome, and I disliked the hero through half of the book.

After my attempt at reading Nalini Singh's psy-changeling novels left me feeling rather luke warm, I hesistated to even pick this book up. But angels are among my all time favorite mythological creatures, and unlike vampires and werewolves they aren't dime-a-dozen common in paranormal romance. Plus, people raved about this book to me.

The start wasn't all that promising, I'll admit. Elena is a vampire hunter and by all initial appearences behaves like every female vampire hunter in every book series ever. Maybe it's me, maybe I've read too many vampire books, but come on--Anita Blake, Riley Jensen, the Night Huntress novels, Jane Yellowrock, the list goes on. All good books, but bottom line is, I have definately seen vampire hunters before--show me something new.

As you might guess, the angels hooked me in. Back tracking a bit, in this universe angels are responsible for turning a very select number of humans into vampires. In exchange vampires are required to serve their angelic masters for a century (I believe) and if they try to go rogue, they are hunted and killed or captured as the case demands. So that's Elena's day job, and it's turned on its ear when she is summoned by the archangel Raphael to hunt an angel gone rogue. Archangels are the top of the angel food chain and so they rule everything and scare Elena and every other human out of their wits. Elena has every right to fear Raphael, because he demonstrates his violent streak and lack of conscience or humanity blatantly at the beginning of the story.

As the very dangerous hunt for the maddened serial killing angel goes on, Elena and Raphael start to bond. She is very much the typical butt kicking tough chick, and Raphael is attracted to warrior women. He first pursues her purely for amusement, but over time feelings on both sides seem to deepen. The relationship was handled decently on the author's part, progressing at a reasonable rate. Elena and Raphael challenge each other, fight, and ultimately come to a tenuous agreement to be together.

Trying to skirt around spoilers here, Elena's developement in this book was largely physical rather than emotional. Yes, she comes to care for Raphael and she experiences huge life changes to be with him, but really she remains the same mentally and emotionally. Raphael, on the other hand, goes from cold and heartless and inhuman, to demonstrating softness, compassion, and desperate love. The tranformation is all the more enjoyable to read because Raphael is completely aware of the changes happening to him. At first he's freaked out that developing a human-like temperment is going to weaken him and lead to his death. But then, watching the downfall of his fellow angel, he comes to embrace that bit of humanity, and Elena for instilling it in him.

I'm giving this book a solid 4.5 stars. I can't give it a perfect review, since it did make me suffer through some very cliched vampire garbage. But as a whole, it was a wonderfully consuming novel and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

I don't read romance novels as a general rule, but when I do I prefer those with a paranormal twist to them. I also like romance novels to have a strong story to backup the relationships developed. Angels' Blood checks both boxes.

I'm just going to leap in and say that I loved the idea behind Nalini Singh's world in Angels' Blood. The story is set in the modern world, but where angels and vampires are an accepted part of day-to-day life. The great aspect for me was the idea that angels create and control vampires - it puts a new spin on two quite popular supernatural groups. Added to this mix are the Guild Hunters. They are humans who track and capture rogue vampires. It makes for an interesting mix and provides a ripe foundation for a series.

The fear and respect which angels and, to a lesser extent, vampires inspire is easy to accept because Singh takes the reader straight into her world. There's no sitting back and studying it, it's visceral and immediate and it helps to bring the book to life.

My one problem with the book was that I would have liked to see more of the rogue archangel or at least his actions. The hunt for him drives the story and does a good job of keeping the suspense raised, but the terror he inspires didn't really mean much once the hunt was over.

Elena is a born Hunter, meaning she has the natural ability to sense and hunt vampires. She's good at what she does and she knows it. She is pushy and tough, but Singh has given her a good backstory that rounds her out as a character. Her attraction to Raphael is well handled and I liked that their relationship was part of the larger story.

Nalini Singh has created an intriguing paranormal world in Angels' Blood populated by a cast of interesting characters and I look forward to seeing what happens next in the series.

First, let me just say that this book is HOT. I'd recently found myself getting bored with sex scenes in books, to the point where I would (gasp!) even skip them. Not in this book. Singh builds up the sexual tension between Elena, our heroine, and Gabriel, her dark-and-sexy archangel employer to the point where I thought I might burst into flames before they actually got it on. The buildup is smoldering, and the love scenes themselves are absolutely smoking. Thank you, Ms. Singh, for making me love reading love scenes again.

Angels' Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series, and it sets up an interesting world in which angels fly the skies and make vampires on occasion. I'll admit to a little blink of surprise when I read that, because it's so unusual. Angels AND vampires, and the angels are the vampires' makers? The process is explained somewhat, but I did find myself wishing for a bit more background on this world. I hate infodumps, but so much is left unexplained-I would have liked a pared down history of the world worked in there somewhere that would give a clue as to why the angels live openly in our world.

The world is full of wonderfully creative and expertly described touches, though, that make it very unique and immersive. The differences in the angels' appearances were particularly lovely. Gabriel, the archangel in charge of New York, has what we might think of as more typical angel wings: white tipped with gold, but other angels have feathers of different colors. My favorite is Illium, with his amazing blue wings. But the angels aren't just gorgeous winged beings; they're also very sexual beings, which is a very nice change from the stoic mythological creatures I'm used to seeing. I loved the use of angel dust-the fine, glittery powder given off by the angels, not the drug. The idea that Gabriel coats Elena in his angel dust as foreplay brings to mind other, naughtier things (heh), and I love the visual of her skin sparkling with his sexy dust.

One more observation on worldbuilding: I love the multiculturalism of Singh's world. It's refreshing to read an urban fantasy with a wide variety of ethnicities represented. Reading this made me realize just how whitewashed a lot of the fiction I read really is.

Elena Deveraux, our vampire hunter heroine, is tough as nails and yet also emotionally vulnerable-an excellent blending of strong and weak that comes together to make a realistic, sympathetic character. She can kick pretty much anyone's butt and withstand torture, but she's desperately afraid of having her own control removed. This leads to some rather... well, stupid reactions, not to put too fine a point on it. She knows that sassing an archangel is dangerous for her health, but she just can't put up with his bossy, alpha male attitude.

Gabriel's one of those heroes that I feel a bit weird about liking so much. He's an alpha male in every sense of the word: he's physically powerful and is self-assured to the point of arrogance. I suppose if I were an immortal archangel, I'd be pretty darned arrogant myself, but he occasionally crosses the line into jerk territory. In real life, I'd probably hate any guy who acts like Gabriel, but in this book, I found him irresistibly sexy. The little hints of humanity-strange word to use for someone who has never been human-make him so much more attractive, too. And honestly, the fact that he is dangerous is sexy to me, at least in a written character.

I've already got the second book in the series, Archangel's Kiss, lined up and ready to read. Angels' Blood is a sexy, intriguing mystery that definitely left me wanting more.

This was my first foray into Angels in fiction, thanks to being coerced, nagged, and bullied encouraged by a certain couple of Goodreads members.
However, it turns out I'm glad they coerced, nagged, and bullied encouraged me as this novel was pretty refreshing.
MC was a great character who I liked and connected with right away.
Raphael was an arrogant, dominating (yet totally hot and lickable) angel who I kept wishing would quit teasing the poor woman and just put us all-I mean her out of her misery. I mean, she obviously needed a good man-or angel-to show her some of the good stuff.
But, in all honesty, (despite my comments) the plot was a whole lot stronger for them being made to wait for `the act'-it added believability in a story rife with unbelievability (although said unbelievability and having to push that aside for a few hours and enter the `unknown to this world' is one of the reasons I love this genre so much). Yeah, there were some cheesy moments-comes with the territory, right?
Not sure what else there is to say other than I certainly intend to read on to the 2nd in the series

Before Resuming this book, I'd like to introduce you to the world it takes place in.

The world is lead by a group of Archangels, each ruling their own areas. They are known by everyone, and they are creating vampires, also known figures. Vampires are Angels minions, and after being turned they have to serve for centuries before being free. But sometimes some vampires are rebellious, and that's when Elena Deveraux step into the action.

Elena is a born-hunter. She was born with the ability to smell and track vampires, so Angels and Archangels hires her to recover their wayward vampires and drag em back home. Only this time, Raphael, Archangel of New York, hired her to track another archangel who embraced the dark side. I hope you are ready for action and one epic chase because this is what you'll find in that book.

Think angels are fluffy innocent beings preaching peace and forgiveness? Guess again. Angels are powerful, single-minded and remorseless. They will get rid of anything stepping in there way, and the live of a single human spawn means absolutely nothing.

Elena is a stubborn, big-mouth and reckless woman while Raphael is seductive, powerful, vindicating and control freak archangel. As you can guess, that's one explosive combination - figuratively and literally.

They spend most of the book fighting each other while trying to achieve a common goal, and it's a very interesting relationship. Elena is hunted by nightmares of her past, on the other hand, Raphael's past is so long he isn't sure there's any humanity left within himself.

While most of the book is filled with sexual reference and sexual tension, there's only one real sex scene, and honestly that's the way I like it. I enjoy sex in a book, but with moderation and that's what Nalini gave us in that book. The book was in no way weighted down by the sexual aspect of the story, so kudos to the author.

The end is was very powerful and very surprising, plan to read the last 100 or so pages all at once 'cause you won't be able to put the book down. It's intense, heart-stopping and heart-breaking.

I definitely recommend this book, I can't wait to put my hands on the next installment.

Elena Deveraux is a born vampire hunter, the best there is, and is enjoying the spoils of her latest job when she's summoned by a powerful archangel named Raphael. He has a job for her, but it's not what she expects. She's asked to hunt down a rogue archangel who's embarked on a killing spree, one unlike any she's ever seen or heard of. This task will test everything Elena is made of, not to mention trying to resist the seduction of the most powerful being she's ever encountered.

In Angels' Blood, Nalini Singh created a very different, interesting world, but I had quite a lot of trouble sympathizing with the characters. I think it put me off a little that almost from one page to the next, Elena went from "I'm am so not laying down for you, Raphael", to "give it to me", but then again, I'm a "paranormal romance" virgin, so maybe this is the norm. Not to mention that Raphael is kind of an pompous jerk, but maybe that will change as the series progresses. I'll probably grab the next book in the series when I'm in between books. I really wanted to like this more, because it is quite well written and it's obvious Ms. Singh is a talented writer. It's also just very possible that I wasn't in the mood for this type of book when I was reading it. That happens from time to time, then I pick it up at a later date, and totally love it! I certainly didn't hate it, and like I said, the world building was intriguing enough that I might just pick up the next one!

Well, I finally took the plunge and started reading this series! I am really glad I did although I still have to say that I love Nalini Singhs Psy-changeling Series way better! This series is still good though and I enjoyed the mixture of Angels and Vampires.
I fell in love with Raphael, he is an awesome character and Elena is a good strong heroine too. The sexual tension between these two, kept me on the edge of my seat wondering when they were going to take the plunge and sleep together!!! LOL! Yes, I tend to have a one-tracked mind when it comes to my romances! That was my only real disappointment was I had to wait so long before they took that plunge and when they finally did it was over with quite quickly! Other than that the book was full of loveable characters and evil villians and lots of action. I look forward to the next book in the series and I am hoping some of the characters in the book will get romances of their own..(hint: Dmitri!!) I think this series can only go up from here and I have a suspicion that the books are just going to get better! I look forward to the ride!!

Great characters, great plot, great book! I loved Elena from start to finish. She's strong, opinionated and doesn't back down to anyone; not even a sexy archangel! The sexual banter and tension between Raphael, the archangel, and Elena was hot and humorous. There was one point where I had to fan myself with the book! (All I have to say is pg. 163). The suspense of Elena chasing down a rogue archangel kept the book moving at a steady pace. The sexual tension between Raphael and Elena provided witty, sexual banter. I kept wanting more banter and was happy that they didn't immediately hop into bed with each other. I think it would have gone against Elena's character if she had.

I did not want the book to end but of course it had to. Nothing was neatly wrapped up. I finished reading the Angel's Blood wanting more. Many questions were left unanswered. For instance, what the hell happened in Elena's past? We were teased throughout the book but weren't told much of anything. Did a vampire attack her and her family? There were references to the sound drip, drip, drip. I hope some my questions are answered in Archangel's Kiss. I love that Archangel's Kiss is centered around the same characters, Raphael and Elena, and how they deal with the aftermath of what went down at the end of Angel's Blood. I look forward to reading how Elena handles her new life.

Final thoughts:
A must read. Not your typical good vs evil because even the supposed "good" have issues. LOL! Great dialogue, sex-infused witty banter, and a great plot. You won't be bored.

I usually don't enjoy urban fantasy or urban romance. I especially find the first person narration and the over-the-top toughness of the heroine to be boring and predictable. However, the other day, I randomly looked at the store's top romances for 2009, and this book came up. I decided to give it a try...and I am so glad that I did! The book is fast-paced and interesting. The best part: the heroine is someone that more readers can relate to in the end. She is tough, of course, but Elena is confident enough to enact all aspects of her sexuality and gender, from toughness to the feminine. The archangel hero, Raphael, is rough around the edges and damaged, but, as my friend Kelly says, what creature who had lived for thousands of years wouldn't be damaged? It makes him that much more interesting and he has to work out a lot of things for himself in this novel as well.

As for the narration: I am truly thankful that Singh decided against the first person style that so many novelists choose in this sub-genre. Her narration makes for a much stronger story and allows the reader to slide into it easily.

Bottom line: If you have never tried this sub-genre because it doesn't appeal to you or if you have tried other books in this sub-genre and they have disappointed you, give this series a shot. It is smart and funny. The hero is old school and alpha enough to appeal to die-hard romance fans, but he is also modern in a very unique way--as is Elena, the heroine. Enjoy this fabulous first in a series!

I read the review by one of my favorite authors Christine Feehan and decided to try reading Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter novels. I was not disappointed. She goes into detail in this first book outlining all the different life forms and the characters that are in the series so that you don't wonder what or who she is talking about. Love that when there are multiple life forms that are so important to the plot. Elena has been through such a traumatic childhood and has had major hurt where her family is concerned. It leaves her with enough emotional baggage that at times it gets in the way of her life. It is also what has made her the strong, self sufficient woman she is. She is a "Warrior Woman" who does not give up her identity to be with an extremely "Alpha Male". Really enjoyed that she does not in any way lose her identity. I look forward to reading more of this author. Loved loved Raphael...especially how she describes his blue eyes.

I enjoy urban fantasy and really wanted to like this book. I'd heard so much good about Nalini Singh so I was really looking forward to it. The blurb on the back sounded amazing and most of the reviews were good. However, I was really not sucked into the world as I should have been. I had a big problem with her hierarchy - archangel-angel-vampire-human. I could not suspend disbelief that archangels "make" vampires. It really bothered me in fact.

Elena accepts the job to hunt the rogue archangels but it's not until about page 150 that she finally says, "So how do I hunt this guy?" I mean, really? This bugged me A LOT. The first half of the book is her spent trying to thwart Raphael's advances and it really gave me a "who cares" feeling. That feeling continued the closer I got to their big love scene. I wasn't attached to the characters at all and really didn't give a flip if they got together or not.

I gave this three stars because the writing IS superb. I will not be reading any others books in this series as it's really not for me.

Angels’ Blood is the first Nalini Singh novel that I’ve read. Nalini was recommended to me by a couple of friends who share my taste in paranormal romance authors so I had no problems picking up a new author. As I began reading I found myself checking back a couple of time to make sure that Angels’ Blood is indeed the first Guild Hunter novel of the series. There was something about the way that Singh launches into the storyline that gave me the sense that I was missing some important background details.

It didn’t take very long however before I was able to push that distraction aside and get into Elena and Raphael’s tale. The first couple of chapters are devoted to establishing what a tough chick Guild Hunter Elena is, despite hauling around a great deal of emotional baggage where her family is considered. Then we are introduced to Archangel Raphael and it quickly becomes apparent that Singh’s version of angels is quite a bit different from the way that many of us ‘know’ them to be. For starters, they live on earth and seem to be very much in control of humanity, without any mention of God or heaven. They also have very human-like emotions and behaviours, and not just our best traits either.

We quickly learn that this is not the only major difference in the Guild Hunter world. The other main difference being the fact that vampires are quite prevalent and rank under angels, but above humans, in the social hierarchy. Some members of the human population do their best to level the playing field between the vampires and humanity but the powers that be – the angles – value the vampires more than they do the humans, and humans themselves are lining up in droves to apply to become vampires.

I was quite intrigued by the idea of a world that reveres vampires as it is in direct contrast to the majority of paranormal literature that I’ve read where vampires are feared, hidden, marginalized and hunted by mankind. I was also fascinated by the idea of angels ruling on earth in all their imperfect glory. They are portrayed as cold and dispassionate, concerned more with control and power than with right vs. wrong, good vs. evil. In fact, the angels themselves walk a fine line where morality is concerned and they are a law unto themselves, without any apparent higher authority to answer to.

As one of the most powerful of the Cadre of Ten, the ruling archangels, Raphael contracts Elena to put her Guild hunting skills to the test to track down one of their own who has turned rogue. Even though Elena knows that she is the best Hunter that there is, even she doubts her ability to track a rogue archangel. After all, vampires are her specialty, not angels. And then there is the pesky fact that although Raphael terrifies her with his incredible power and lack of predictability, she is also sexually attracted to him and he makes no secret that the sentiment is mutual.

Their mutual attraction grows as the archangel and Guild Hunter team up to track and destroy the rogue, who is cutting a wide path of destruction through Raphael’s territory, torturing and killing innocent (read virginal) young women at a rate that makes even the most diabolical serial killers seem tame in comparison. They get their rogue in the end, of course, but not without great personal cost to both of them. They put their lives on the line, suffer tremendous personal injury and find themselves both transformed in the end, no longer the same beings that they were at the beginning of their quest.

Although I thought that the novel got off to a bit of a shaky start, Singh answers the majority of those early questions by the end, filling in the missing details one fact at a time. We come to understand why the angels value vampires over humans and award them special status. What is left to answer further in the series is how the angels themselves became earthbound and whether or not there is a higher power that they must answer to. It’s enough of a mystery for me, that when accompanied by the edginess of the angels themselves, I’ll pick up the next book in the series. There is a certain blue winged angel, a dark angel, and a naughty vampire that I’m looking forward to learning more about and I’m hoping for some steamy scenes involving them in the future!

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Elena Deveraux is a Guild Hunter, which means she hunts down rogue vampires for their Angel makers. It's an age old story line. Good guys try to solve crimes and keep bad guys in check. But I don't think I have ever read a book with these type of characters. I have read Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series and enjoyed them as "filler" books. But something about the Guild Hunter just sucked me in.

Raphael, an archangel, is powerful and cold. You see it coming right? Can Elena melt that coldness and make him just a little bit mortal? Can Elena escape her childhood terrors that threatens to tear her apart as an adult? Oh so many questions.

Action, adventure, sex and friendship. Winning combo.

Story line 3***
Characters 4****
Romance 3***
Sizzle Factor 3***

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The Angels hire vampire hunters Elena Deveraux to capture or kill vampires who turn evil. Elena is the first choice of the Angels as she is the recognized best vampire hunter in the world. Her uncanny innate skill of scent tracking is what makes her the greatest.

However even the unflappable Elena is shocked when the Archangel Raphael wants to hire her. She has never done a job for an archangel before and finds his beauty overwhelming. The assignment is extremely dangerous: hunt down a rogue archangel, the most powerful species of all. Raphael says she only track the target as he will perform the kill, but she fears she might be part of the collateral damage of two archangels fighting.

This opening act of a new urban fantasy (after the fabulous Psy-Changeling saga) uses an interesting hierarchal spin to refresh archangels, angels, and vampires. The story line cleverly uses action to depict the relationships between the paranormal; as Angels control vampires using hunters when the bloodsuckers go rogue. Fans will relish Nalini Singh's excellent first GUILD HUNTER thriller starring a courageous heroine struggling with lust and the powerful archangel who wants her.

Harriet Klausner

I thought that this was overall a wonderful book with a creative, original plot, strong characters, and beautiful writing. My only complaint was that is was a little too much sexuality in it for my taste, but that's just me.
THE PLOT:
The plot was one of my favorite parts of this book. Elena is a born vampire hunter in an alternate New York, where vampires are more powerful than humans, angels are more powerful than vampires, and archangels rule all. Elena can track vampires who have escaped their angel masters by using scent and she is the best hunter in the Hunter's Guild. Raphael is the ruthless, 3,000 year old archangel who rules North America. Raphael has a problem. Another archangel has gone rouge, and means to bathe the world in blood. So Raphael calls on the best tracker in New York, Elena.Elena and Raphael set off around the city after Uram, the rouge archangel. They find many bloody, horrifying scenes and hints are given at a horror in Elena's past. As Elena and Raphael draw closer to finding and destroying Uram, they also find themselves growing closer to each other.
THE CHARACTERS:
The characters were very well developed and you find yourself instantly caring about them. Elena is a strong female lead who can take care of herself, but isn't perfect, either. She has a terrible experience in her past and is deeply scarred by it. Overall, she is a very relate able, likable character. Raphael is an ancient, extremely powerful archangel. He is used to everyone instantly obeying him, until he meets Elena.Raphael is a bit off-putting at first, but he slowly grows on both the reader and Elena as his "humanness" is revealed.There are several great secondary characters as well.
Overall, I thought this was a great book and worth reading. However, I would not recommend it to younger or faint hearted readers, as there is very graphic violence, gore, torture, and sex. The author is extremely talented and writes beautifully, making this book flow very well. I recommend it.

I am a first time reader of this author. I judge a book to be 4 or 5 stars by the way I read it. I mostly give out 3 stars. I read this book from cover to cover without picking up another book. So very good book, hope it continues. Will go on to the 2nd book in series.

This series is my all time favorite series. The first book is incredible. The characters are well thought out and the story is unique. I was able to lose myself in this book. Raphael is sexy and most Alpha male of all time. I get goosebumps everytime he speaks. The main character is an awesome independent female. Always does what needs to be done with no whiney girlie crap. I just loved this book. I have read it at least 5 times. I hope she writes a book for Illium, he just stole my heart, and blue is my favorite color.

Singh has created an extraordinary world, with angels, vampires and humans coexisting with full awareness of each other. The two main characters, Elena and Raphael, are two very intriguing characters, he mysterious and layered and she fearless and complex. The power struggles between the Archangels are frought with delicious tension and hidden agendas and the roles of the vampires are yet to be fully disclosed.

My one issue with the story is actually the interplay between Elena and Raphael. Elena's dialogue with Raphael seemed immature and was annoying. I understood her efforts to maintain her independence and sense of self but she just came across as childish so often.

I think this world is extremely complex with ulterior motives at the forefront for so many of the main characters. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds in future books in the series, even the new foundation for Raphael and Elena's relationship. I'm in for the long haul.

While stories involving angels aren't done that often, I can't help but feel that this book was very much like a lot of others. I can't tell you how many stories I have read where a mortal falls in love with an immortal, where two people start out hating each other and then suddenly for no apparent reason decide that they love each other, and where the immortal finds some impossible way to make the other person also immortal. Granted this hasn't been done with angels before but it is done all the time with vampires and for me it has been done to death. Angels would have been interesting if they had focused more on what made the book unique and less on what had been done so many other times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It made me hungry for more. I am not usually drawn to angel stories, but this book drew me in. Elena and Raphael become a wonderful couple. This is tale of how they met. Both are strong and are drawn together as the hunt for the most dangerous of predators. This is a great start to a wonderfully original series

LOVE! I fell in love with Elena and her Archangel immediately. There is something about a strong, determined woman that grabs my heart strings like no other. The sense of urgency had me turning the pages like a madwoman to find out what happened next! The characters are amazing and I seriously can't get enough of Bluebell and Dmitri...They're my favs! Thank you for starting me on this wonderfully amazing journey of self discovery and HOT moments!

~ Courtney Shockey

I was so pleased to see Angels Blood come out as an audio book at [...]! Then even more than pleased to have the book narrated so well.

I admit I was nervous that the narrator wouldn't do the book justice as Angels Blood is an all time favorite read for me. But Justine Eyre does a really excellent job! Her interpretation of each character's personality and tone was perfect to my ears. Loved the accents she did for Illium and Dmitri. Elena sounded just right too. As for Raphael, there is just enough of a "distant" sound to Raphael's tone to make you believe the description of him that goes something along the lines of ... "he never was, nor ever will be, human"

I pick up something new about the "world" Nalini Singh has built, or one of the characters each time I read or listen to this book. And the second book, Archangels Kiss is now also on audio, fabulous!

I don't know what it is about Ms. Singh's books, but she creates wonderful worlds full of details and suspense. And the Guild Hunter books are a great example. I've just never seen the combination of angels and vamps together in harmony not just mythology-wise and it works, REALLY well. I'm re-reading this series and can't wait to get to the 2nd book. Elena is one kick ass woman, and while I don't usually LOVE the MC, I approve of Elena's arc so far in that she is strong, but she knows when she's in over her head and isn't afraid to back down. Onto the next one!!

I really didn't know what to expect with this first book..so glad I got it after all! Nalini Singh has not exactly detailed this world of hers, but you get all the important elements. The ultimate rulers are Archangels and they have the world divided into their territories. Male and female archangels who are of course, beautiful and deadly. They need their vampires for removing deadly toxins from them since they have never ending lives. This book is about the archangel Raphael(hot!) and a woman named Elena. Elena is a born "hunter", meaning she's a tracker. She and her associates in The Guild, track and trap vampires who have escaped their angel masters. Raphael hires her to track something never done before..alot of sexual tension, great character vampires, humans, archangels. Romance, sex..really enjoyed this one! Don't be put off by the cover, next book you'll see Elena the way she was written :)

Elena Deveraus is a vampire hunter. She is hired, this time, by an arch-angel to hunt an arch-angel gone bad. It's extremely dangerous and when she finds him he almost does her and her boss, Raphael, in. They manage to prevail, however, but Elena takes quite a hit which changes who she is. I enjoyed this book except for the love scenes between her a Raphael. So far they're not too long, so I will get the next in the series.

This is a really great beginning, except it really is a sequel to a novella I read in Must Love Hellhounds, so it was lucky I just read that one yesterday. This has some wonderful characters and a beautiful love story set in enough adventure, fighting, emotional and physical bloodbaths to fit anybody's taste. I getting the next one right away, because this one is several years old. Yeah, I don't have to wait.

An avid reader of all things science-fiction and fantasy (with a particular taste for paranormal romances), this book has been on my to-read-list for a while, and I only recently caved and made time to read it. I cannot say I am unsatisfied. While the story has lots of room for growth, readers of Christine Feehan and Kenyon will certainly enjoy this. Those who love Saintcrow or Hamilton's earlier works will likely feel a unsatisfied.
Angel's Blood has a unique plot among paranormal romances, centering upon angels rather than the usually vampire or demon as a love interest. The heroine is a quirky, often foul-mouthed, young woman that is reminiscent of Anita Blake without all the character development and a harem of beautiful men. With a hidden, pain-filled past that isn't miraculously forgotten through the story (as is unforunately common among the genre) and an almost cynical outlook on life that keeps her from panicing, Eliane manages to remain interesting but rather one dimensional.
This is a problem that plagues most of Singh's characters. While flash-romances based on lust and inexplicable "connections" proliferates the genre, in this particular novel it only feels cheap.
The beautiful and surprisingly vulgar, archangel Raphael has a strong sexual interest in Eliane from the first and while she too is captivated by him, the line between lust and love isn't clear. Relationship development is nearly nonexistent, and unless your definition of romance is ethereally beautiful and sexy men who spend half the novel trying to sway the heroine into sex with suggestive lines about where they want that heroine's mouth, this is not a particularly romantic novel. indeed, given Raphael and Eliane's personality it seems unlikely that such a powerful love would develop from little more than fascination and a few tumbles between the sheets.
The language use isn't all that skillful either. While far from the worst of novels, as an adult-novel this book reads more like one targeted at teens or young adults with its simpler vocabulary and sometimes inelegant descriptions. The flow is sometimes choppy, particularly when using onomatopoeia, and the dialogue often feels half-cliche-half-porno, but that need not deter readers.
The main aspect that will keep readers in, is the wonderfully promising plot and set of characters. So many aspects of the story remain unfinished and untouched that readers will want to read the sequel if only to see if those aspects are further developed.
Overall, a promising novel that does a good job at setting up the future events of the story, but that works poorly as a stand-alone novel.

I received this book for an unbiased review

Elena is a vampire hunter she nows she is the best. When she get assigned to the Raphael to help take down an Archangel she is going deeper than she ever thought possible. I was in it from the beginning this book is loaded with action and romance and everything you would want in a great book.
It was really hared to put down as you are trying to figure out where the story is at and what is happening. This is the first book I read by Nalini and will be reading many more.

Darker than her Psy-Changeling series and more urban fantasy suspense than romance. Singh's new Guild hunter universe is fabulous with its combination of angels, vampires and human hunters. And even though it is not super romantic, the relationship between the leads in Angel's Blood is still compelling.

As the best hunter of the Guild, Elena comes to archangel Raphael's notice when her talents are required for a special hunt. This time the target is not a vampire trying to opt-out of the hundred years of servitude that is the angels' price for immortality, instead the quarry is far more dangerous - the supremely deadly archangel, Uram, gone rogue. Elena knows that even should she survive the hunt and deliver her blood thirsty prey, she will likely loose her life for her inability to swallow her pride and act the nice little mortal in order to treat the powerful archangel Raphael and his immortal vampire cadre with the submissive deference that they expect - she will not crawl, no matter the price. But it just that combination in of suicidal bravery along with an innocence and forthrightness that captures Raphael's interest and Raphael soon begins his own hunt with his seductive pursuit of Elena. Despite his arrogance and cruelty, Raphael's beauty and power is attractive. And even knowing the danger of becoming one of Raphael's toys, Elena may find it hard to deny her overwhelming desire for the magnificent winged immortal.

Angel's Blood definitely lives up to - and surpasses - its prerelease buzz. I loved this one, even with some dark horrific moments showing the handiwork of the violently insane rogue `blood angel'. The Guild Hunter world is fascinating with its twist on the vampire mythos and the presence of angels on Earth. I really liked Singh's take on angels as dangerous ancient powerful inhuman beings and I loved that she doesn't make the mistake of turning Raphael fluffy and cherubic by the end of the story - she just gives him enough of a touch of humanity to make his transition work in the context of his relationship with Elena. Add to this flying scenes, Singh's evocative descriptions of the angels' beautiful wings, and the nod to changes in the angels' environments to accommodate a winged being and Angel's Blood captures the top spot on my list of angel paranormals.

But even with all the other great things going on in Angel's Blood, it is Singh's amazing cast of characters who really make me excited about this new series. Raphael and Elena are terrific and there are so many standouts in the supporting cast: deadly vampires Dmitri and Venom, Illium the gorgeous flirtatious blue-winged angel with a weakness for mortals, angel spymaster Jason, and Elena's fellow hunters Sara and Ransom, not to mention hunter Ashwini and cajun vamp Janvier from Angels' Pawn: A Companion Novella to Angels- Blood who are not on stage here.

If you'd like another little taste of the Guild Hunter world do check out Ashwini and Janvier in the companion story available only on Kindle and E-book, it has a slightly different flavor and explores another corner of the Guild Hunter world, but shows the same deft hand with the leading characters. For me, I've already read Angel's Pawn and I liked Angel's Blood so well that I actually read it twice - a very rare occurrence for me - so I guess I'll just have to console myself with Singh's upcoming Psy-Changeling stories (Branded by Fire and Blaze of Memory) until we get finally get another trip to the Guild Hunter world in "Angel's Judgement" (in Must Love Hellhounds) and full length Angel's Kiss next year.

If you're into paranormal stories, then you're in the right place. And it's not your typical paranormal story either. Angels, Vampires, and Guild Hunters (human with a little extra?) rule this world. I loved the fact that the angels were not your typical angelic creatures. Really, the way they were portrayed reminded me a lot of how vampires are depicted in other novels. But I loved it.

Elena is an interesting character, and Raphael even more so. Honestly, he seemed to have more character development than any other character but that could be because he was displaying the most drastic changes. I do wish more was shown about Elena, about her past that is hinted at SO MANY TIMES! But never fully revealed. At the same time, the little hints that are given are well done and tantalize the reader into wanting to know more. I also thought that the interactions between Elena and Raphael were really well done and interesting.

The story itself is a great mix of fast paced action with a little one on one intimate action thrown in there, just enough to keep it interesting but not to the point where the story is centered around the developing relationship. I can't say enough just how much I enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read the next one! I'm hoping it explains more what happened to Elena and that she shows character development.

Well, it's not as good as the Psy-changling series. I find parts of it to be rambling, the relationships a little thin, the universe not as rich. I just read the Psy-changling series from start to finish, and though not every couple was a 5 star rating, that series grabbed me from day 1. This one...it's just not as strong. I'll give it a few more books before I make up my final mind.

Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter. The best of the best, she is the woman Masters go to in order to find and capture their wayward vampire minions. After a routine arrest and containment, Elena is notified that her presence is required the next day for another assignment. Upon finding out who has requested her, Elena's heart beats a little bit faster and her instincts cringe. She has been called to Raphael, the archangel in charge of New York and a winged celestial being feared by many, Elena included. Failure to show up is not an option and so Elena travels to Archangel Tower to meet with the powerful but beautiful archangel, Raphael.

Raphael's assignment for Elena is simple but almost impossible - she is to hunt and kill not a rogue vampire gone awry but a rogue archangel. Raphael is used to being obeyed immediately and when Elena tests him, more than once, he finds himself almost amused. His amusement doesn't stop him from making sure that she knows exactly what will happen should she fail. The more Raphael is around Elena, the more he feels human and this concerns him. He seeks to find the answers to his dilemma while still craving Elena's human touch which is forbidden and deemed wrong on many levels.

Raphael and Elena's relationship is the stuff with which `difficult relationships' are based on. Raphael is immortal and an archangel. That means he is one of the Cadre of Ten, a celestial being with enough power to change history if he feels the need. He was not human but Elena made him feel some aspects of humanity. Raphael didn't understand why but refused to allow anyone else to touch her. She was his and his she remained. Their feelings for each other run hot and cold and more than once I winced at Elena's goading of her angel.

There is so much I want to say about Angel's Blood but won't. To do so would spoil the entire novel and I refuse to do that. Just know that Nalini Singh has penned an addictive first installment that will leave you so focused on Raphael and Elena's story that you will be unable to put Angel's Blood down. I was completely mesmerized by the world, the characters, and ultimately the love. Urban fantasy doesn't get any better than this and I loudly and joyfully recommend Nalini Singh's Angel's Blood. Angelic, addictive, and awe-inspiring, Angel's Blood is not to be missed.

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Of course I've read a few vampire-laden romance series by other authors, but I was hesitant to read something that was truly paranormal. This book has changed my opinion of closing off other paranormal books because I thought them to be too "weird." Singh's writing style is carefully crafted word perfection. There's not a single word in the book that does not have purpose. There's not a paragraph or chapter you can skim over because it's "filler." Every nuance is necessary and meant to convey what she intends.

I can't say that the story is realistic in any way, but I can relate to Elena's inner dialogue and her struggle to accept her feelings. That Singh is able to weave this realism into a paranormal character is an artform.

I found this to be a well-paced and exciting suspense novel that blends the conventions of romantic suspense with the contemporary-paranormal-in-the-city elements of urban fantasy. In other words, it's very much a paranormal romantic suspense novel. For lots of readers, this is a very good thing, because it's done terrifically well.

I actually got it hoping it was stronger in the urban fantasy than romance, but I found them about equally balanced. Readers who prefer their urban fantasy to be stronger in SF and who do not enjoy romance novels may have a problem with the strong sexual tension between the hero (Raphael, an archangel, but not in the Biblical sense, exactly) and the heroine (Elena, a vampire hunter from an organized guild who is engaged for a particularly dangerous case by Raphael). This is very much a romantic suspense novel that is working in the context of urban fantasy, not so much vice versa.

But it works. I had a hard time setting it down.

Context for whether what I like is what you'll like: I used to read romance novels voraciously from 1987 through 2002, before I burned out. After that, I pretty much stuck to SF fiction. So, I'm a fan of both major genres covered in Ms Singh's ANGEL'S BLOOD. And I'm a fan of urban fantasy. I enjoy Jim Butcher's Dresden novels, Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, and the Nightside world. When I read romance, I particularly like romantic suspense and paranormal romances and Christian ones that explore the faith aspect. (The angels in this one drew my attention.) That's the context for whether YOU will enjoy these.

Caveat for religious readers: Devout Christians and some other religious persons may have a big issue with this novel. The angels here fuction more like fairies or elves or other creatures of folklore or like Greco-Roman gods, rather than actual God-commanded agents who are sexually pure. They are powerful. They do have wings. They are immortal (though there is a way to kill them). In other words, they are more like fallen angels--they are rulers of areas, they lust, manipulate, covet, and they are often power-hungry, etc. They can be petty and they can go mad. There is no divine power above them. (That is disclosed or implied.)

At the core of this urban-romance-fantasy/paranormal thriller, is an angel who has gone mad and is on a murderous spree, but with that madness comes increasing danger and power to humans and angels alike, and for the sake of civilization, Elena will have to track him down so that he can be taken out. The novel is the chase for the rogue angel, but is also the escalating stakes for Elena, as she has to deal with all sorts of threats--vampiric, angelic, and the desire in her own mind/heart/spirit for a being who may very well cause her demise, the uberhottie archangel Raphael.

That is a very cool premise--angel mass murdere/serial killer-- and it hooked me.

Ms Singh has mastered the tropes and conventions of romantic suspense. We have the dangerous, powerful, fearless, incredibly seductive alpha male who against his will desires a strong, attractive woman for whom he can prove lethal. If you've read Anne Stuart or Linda Howard, you know well the type of male and female relationship this works out to be. Very tight sexual tension, lots of threats of violence, even as the heart becomes vulnerable for both parties.

I was surprised to see some reviews that thought the heat was missing. Really? Must be in comparison to previous Singh novels, becuse I thought this was a very sexy novel. By sexy, I mean not in the sense of having pages and pages and pages of sex scenes, which would have bored me out of my gourd, not to mention frustrated me, given it's the thriller aspect I was more concerned about. What I mean is that the sexual tention between Raphael and Elena is as combustible and unrelenting as in any top-notch classic romantic suspense from Stuart or Howard or Krentz. Ms. Singh nails it!

The world-building is excellent and is another factor that kept me riveted. I wanted to delve deeper into the hierarchies and customs of vampires, vampire hunters, and angels. Very well done, indeed.

The finale is amazingly romantic and made me whoop. I even had to rush over to tell my husband what happened, and he, who is not a fan of fiction, put up with me delineating the wonderfulness of the conclusion.

So, while there is a bit of uneveness in the novel (repetitiveness in the conversations that is unecessary, some eye-rolling dialogue), it's not a lot. What there is a lot of is narrative drive and action and a really archetypically powerful romance.

Recommended for lovers fantasy who like romance, especially paranormal romantic suspense, for vampire fans, for angel fiction fans, and for those who just love happy endings that rock. I look forward to the next vampire hunter/angel novel from this author.

Tuesday I walked in to Borders, eyes downcast afraid to pick up Angel's Blood, afraid not to. Why you might ask? The answer is I am in love with all of her Psy/Changeling characters. I love the way they move, talk, act, everything!! When I picked up Angel's Blood I was afraid I'd be disappointed... I was so inlove with Lucas, Clay, Judd and the rest what if this one wasn't as good? But I love paranormal and I love Ms. Singh, so I grasped the book and slowly opened the cover....

WOW...OMG....WHAT?!?!...AMAZING!!! This is entirely different than the Psy/Changeling world. I mean it is a completely different tone, extremely different characters/personalities then we're used to and I have to say it makes Nalini Singh that much better of an author!

Raphael is so tortured; he is not your alpha protective good guy. He is not black or white, he lives and breathes in the grey area. He messes with Elena's mind, he's killed and then regretted (ever so slightly and then only sometimes) later, and when he goes in the `quiet'... wow hard core is the only word to describe him.

On the other hand Elena is much, much stronger than any other female lead Nalini has written. She would rather die than crawl to that arrogant Archangel! She slices a vampire's throat without thinking, shoots Raphael's wings up, insults archangels, and that's only the tip of the blade (so to speak).

I won't sully Elena's good name by mentioning another previously awesome character... but Elena would kick Anita's butt any day of the week! Buy this book! Seriously go out and get it, I can't wait for Branded by Fire and the next Angel installment! Nalini Singh is a riveting author!

After two grueling week of reading slump, I am finally back on my niche and that is thanks to Nalini Singh for writing this book. Elena is a vampire bounty hunter, that sounded a little too familiar but the picturesque description of her Manhattan apartment, her notable personality and impressive work ethics immediately isolated her from the "other" VBH that I've read about. I love a dreamy image that is the New York City and in addition to where this story is set there is now a additional architecture called Archangel Tower, ruled by the powerful and dangerous Archangel Raphael, his angel and Vampire equivalent of the Secret Service called the Seven. My imagination went over drive reading this book. I immediately adjusted on how they place and characters look like.

There are simple yet many interesting points that stood out (my opinion) while reading this book. About the Archangels:
1. At the beginning, Elena doesn't seem to know where Angels come from, what no heaven? no hell? Elena hasn't seen any cherubs, do Angels reproduce?
2. Archangels rule every city in the world. Although there are still humans in position (government).
3. Angels are the only ones who can make a vampire. By selective / lottery and the candidate goes through intense test, they only choose 1000/ year and in return is upon their mercy for 100 years of service, disobey and a Bounty Hunter like Elena finds them.
4. Angels have what we call the equivalent of demon juice, ecstasy, aphrodisiac and that is Angel Dust. Which was described as the most enticing / exquisite of chocolates or as Elena put it "orgasm on a stick".
5. They are everything that I want Castiel of Supernatural to be. Bad ass, in every way yet I can't categorize them. Good or Bad? They seems to be neither, well except for Uram (Archangel gone rouge) obviously.
6. Archangel Michaela is a total bitch and I am happy that Elena infuriates her.
7. Jeffrey Deveraux, father of our protag deserves to have a very unhappy situation yet I am grateful for his tyranny, as it molded Elena's character.
8. What are the secrets these Archangels keep?

Characters? I love Elena she is strong independent and stubborn woman who knows how to do her job and has an amazing will power to resist our resident angel. Raphael is just perfection. His arrogance and the hint of cruelty most especially. The supporting characters are amazing too. Elena's best friend Sara and her "occasional" friend Ransom strengthens Elena's character and Dimitri's vampiric prowess and his loyalty to Raphael helped me visualize a big part of their world.

The plot is definitely marvelous. As mere mortal vampire hunter Elena was tasked to do a job of looking for the Archangel turn rogue Uram. Surely she wouldn't stand a chance, only another Archangel can kill one of their own. Despite her awesome persona, I was really concerned for her. And then of course my doubts were all proven wrong. Of course she has hidden powers beyond just any human, I should have expected that really but I didn't, maybe because the "sexual tension" for the first 12 chapters that build up was so distracting. I've read wonderful review about this book yet I didn't really expect it to live up to my expectations. I did and more. I love it!

This is the first book that I have read by this author and although I enjoyed it was very violent although these features were integrated into the plot with both the hero and heroine having very bloody pasts. I like the interaction between the two main characters and the world building that was accomplished. The secondary characters are interesting and should make the continuation of the series entertaining (this is the first book). I am looking looking forward to seeing what happens next and have bought some of other books in the series.

I've been eyeing this series ever since I saw my friend raved about it on Twitter and now I finally managed to read it. It's quite fun and entertaining, a little bit intense too. I'm definitely bingeing this series.

This one was a page-turner and earned every star I'm giving it. The plot was unique and interesting and the pacing was perfect. I *loved* the world the author built - original and she made me believe it. The hero and heroine had believable and redeemable flaws. I was able to care about Raphael in spite of his initial coldness and cruelty, and Elena in spite of her sometimes willingness to be a doormat to her family. The tension and steam scenes were very well done. Just a big wow on both. The only flaw, and this is not a big one, was the backstory was a little confusing in parts, and I believe more of it should've been introduced earlier in the story. Otherwise, one of the best reads I've had in a while.

I admit it; I was turned off by the cover, and that's what took me so long to read this book.

I loved the idea of angels being lords over the humans. It was an interesting concept that I hadn't seen before. But mostly, the standout aspect of this book for me was the sexual tension between Elena and Raphael. By the middle of the book, I was just itching for them to move their physical relationship forward, which in my opinion is a true sign of a romance that has hooked me.

I understand that later books explore the other angels (besides Raphael) more, and I'm excited to learn more about their backstories.

I have recently stumbled upon Nalini Singh after reading Ilona Andrews. Her creative description of the angels, especially the wings is so vivid I can almost imagine myself being able to touch. Elena hunts vampires that have gone rogue and returns them to their makers, the angels. (that is def. a new view on vampires)In this book she is asked to hunt an Archangel. Everytime Elena comes in contact with Raphael or Dimitri she seems to loose some of her toughness and is overcome by trouble of the sensual sort. It is a great supernatural read and I will be looking forward to reading some of the Psy series.Angels' Blood: The Guild Hunter Series

For weeks there have been many pre-reviews of this book out in Cyberspace. I've searched for them and read them all, and perhaps because of that, and because of my enjoyment of Singh's Psy/Changeling series, I had rather high expectations of Angel's Blood. Maybe that's why, then, I read the book and wound up feeling disappointed.

It's certainly not a bad book. It's a GOOD book. I enjoyed it, I'll keep it, I'll re-read it from time to time, and I'll buy and read the others in the series as they are published. But while this book was good for me, it wasn't great. That's the part that's so disappointing.

A lot of the pre-reviews talked up the worldbuilding of this book. It's an interesting premise, no question. But at the same time, I thought the worldbuilding and characterization was not particuarly complex or layered, especially compared to the Psy/Changeling series.

Another issue I had with the book was the sizzle factor, or lack thereof. I'm a fairly old-school romance reader. I'm not necessarily a fan of the new super-hot brand of erotic romance. I don't want to read a romance in which the sex plays so significant a role that it overshadows the rest of the story and the characterization. But on the other hand, I've read all of Singh's Psy/Changeling books, and as a result, I have certain expectatins about the degree of sexuality in her books. Most of the pre-reviews really "talked up" the sexual tension between Elena and Raphael and so I went into this story expecting a little something extra. However, in my opinion, there was less sexual tension here...less of a sizzle factor...than there is in her Psy/Changeling stories. For instance, the big scene between Judd and Brenna from Carressed by Ice was WAY hotter than the one sex scene between Elena and Raphael. (And Judd was a virgin, for crying out loud!)

My last "complaint" had to do with Raphael and Elena's respective backgrounds. I know that this is the first book of a new series, so I fully expect that Singh will be more forthcoming about their pasts in future books. However, I thought that in Angel's Blood there was a lot of build-up with regard to their pasts, but then no follow-through. It felt like a loose-end to me, like unfinished business.

If I had never before read any of Singh's books, I think I would have liked this one much, much more. The writing here is terrific. The characters are interesting and likeable. The premise is fresh. There's no question that if that had been the case, my rating for this book would have been a resounding 5 stars. But I HAVE read her other books -- I LOVE her other books -- and I have rather specific expectations of her stories. And in this case, Angel's Blood just failed to live up to those expectations for me.

Angels' Blood is a story that you will not be able to put down,until you have read the whole book. I have not read any of the other books by Nalini Singh. I have been wondering about the books she has written for a little while but just think I would like to read them. I was wrong,so if you have a chance to read this series do it. It will be well worth the money,or if you can get the books from the library well worth the time. Gotta go get started with the other books in this series, I am about to read Archangels Kiss.

I'm revisiting this book and realizing that I never wrote a review for this wonderful book. I hated Raphael when I first met him. He was so magnificent and beautiful, yet heartless and cruel. It was amazing to watch him change and evolve into a man willing to sacrifice his own life for the woman he loved.

Elena was such a breath of fresh air as a heroine. She was strong and independent. So what if she had a little baggage. What hero doesn't. She managed to tame Raphael and teach a thousand year old angel how to love. This was an amazing read and I highly recommend this series!

"Angel's Blood" is a sheep in wolf's clothing. The cover, blurb and first chapter scream urban fantasy. However, as the book unfolds slower than molasses it becomes nauseatingly apparant that its a sappy cliched romance.

I expected a wild, adrenaline rush from this book, but all I got was a Harlequin Presents as the heroine fights her feelings for her overbearing and bullying boss--the hero. This would have been somewhat okay, if the hero were likable. Heck if any of the characters were likable.

Angel's blood is simply a paranormal with romantic elements, if the one sex scene counts. The only action you see besides the first chapter and almost the very end is the heroine arming herself with every possible weapon she can find, donning cargoes in various colors and pretending to be Dr. Temperance "BONES" Bennan. Maybe the author thought that if the heroine was always dressed and ready for a fight it would keep readers on edge. Not me, I simply put the book down and walked away for a week.

You wouldn't be missing much if you skipped this book, only your time which can't be replaced.

I really liked the book because it was a very creative idea that I don't think I've seen before. Usually we think of angels as these heavenly creatures but in this story they are totally BAD and I LOVED it. I think the series has much potential and a lot of people would really enjoy it.

My only complaint is that there was way too many sex scenes. I mean... for people who like paranormal romance this could be a lovely treat to them. For me, I like true urban fantasy where romance and love grow overtime just like in the real world. Romance like Mac in fever series and kate in Magic series are perfect examples. I started this series because it was under the urban fantasy section. I would love the story if the sex scenes were cut down a bit. It was way too much like every time they were alone! don't get me wrong I like them but make them more special. The sex scenes helped fill up the book LOL. Again some people might enjoy that, but I didn't.

Angels, and vampires, and humans living together, oh my! In Singh's exciting new world where immortal Archangels basically rule the world and make vampires out of select humans, it is the Hunters Guild which polices the nearly immortal. And Elena is the best because she was born with the supernatural sniffer to find her prey just about anywhere.

That's why archangel Raphael employs her against her will when one of his own goes horrifically bad. But he also finds that she breaks up the cold monotony of his immortal existence as nothing else has done for centuries and is drawn to the warrior against his own near godly will.

I laughed, I cried, I shook my fist and swore. I coward under the covers and still stayed up till 2 a.m. reading this fantastic story. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't grab it off the shelf. Bravo to Ms. Singh!

P.S. Ms. Singh also did a stand alone novella about guild hunter Ashwini that makes a lot of sense if you read it before Angel's Blood. It's called Angel's Pawn and you should check it out.

Book One of an *amazing* series. I love the world building, the characters and the descriptive battles. Graphic sex, graphic violence, true love, mystery, suspense, thrills and chills. Amazing storyline. In this one, we meet the Archangel, Raphael and his future true love, Guild Hunter Elena Deveraux and their struggle to find and kill another archangel turned serial killer.

This is an extremely well crafted series. Ms. Singh has created a magical world indeed, where the interplay of humans/vampires/angels flows seemlessly into a world so realistic that it feels familiar. What might seem like a far-flung stretch of imagination when put in simplistic prose becomes quite believable through her amazing story-telling. And the character development throughout the story is very well done.

Nalini Singh has the ability to tell a story and make you feel a part of that story. From her 1st book in the Psi-Changeling series until the last I have loved her world and wanted to read her next book and her next.

Angel Blood is the 1st of a whole new series--Vampire Hunters, Angels--Arch Angels and Vampires. came out....

As the best hunter of the Guild, Elena comes to archangel Raphael's notice when her talents are required for a special hunt. This time the target is not a vampire trying to opt-out of the hundred years of servitude that is the angels' price for immortality, instead the quarry is far more dangerous - a supremely deadly archangel has gone rogue. Elena knows that even should she survive the hunt and deliver her prey, she will likely lose her life. Archangels are supreme--their rule is absolute and so is their need to be obeyed. The life and future of Humankind is based solely upon the Vampires believing their archangel is strong enough to rule them--and stop them from blood-thirst. The character of Elena I found to be quite conflicting. She was frightened of the archangel, but her mouth never seemed to be able to stop taunting him. She thought Raphael was beautiful, and sensual, even though she continually told herself she should be afraid, that he would kill her. Yet, she was the only one to ever draw blood--she seemed far more attuned to killing the Archangel that hired her, then the archangel who was said to be sooooo evil.

I'm not sure why, but I had to reread chapters here and there because the archangel was sounding more like a vampire in bloodlust than a archangel who turned evil.....I did enjoy the book--the author does a beautiful job of describing the world with angels and vampires in it. I just didn't like the heroine. The reason for Raphael's fascination was never quite clear to me--unless it was the pure unpredictability of Elena's behavior. He never knew if she was going to screw him or try to kill him..... It is fortunate, archangels can only be killed by other archangels or the story might have ended halfway through........

Elena and Raphael are very different and live separate lives but the hunter and archangel are drawn to each other. Raphael needs Elena's help to find another archangel who has become a problem. It soon becomes clear when this will be more than just a business relationship.

Angels' Blood, the first book in Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter Series will give the Urban Fantasy genre a great big jolt of excitement. In the past few years we have seen big changes in both Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. With Angels' Blood, Nalini has taken a specific creature from myth and religion, broken some rules and made it all a bit taboo.

Angels' Blood takes place in present day Manhattan, but in an alternate universe where angels and vampires are well known and accepted but also feared. They may act as if they want be on the same footing as the lowly humans, but in actuality they manipulate those weaker then themselves. It is a hierarchy, and the top dogs are the angels who rule with an iron fist and won't be ignored.

Sometimes vampires need to be put in their place because they lash out at their masters. Yes, vampires have masters and those are the angels because they made them. When a vampire tries to escape their angel master, a bounty hunter is called in and returns them to their rightful owner. Elena Deveraux is one of these hunters. She is a licensed hunter under the Guild. Elena is very good at what she does, not because she was trained, but because she was born one. Because of her natural born skill, her father disowned her and she was left to fend for herself. Her best friend Sara is the Guild Director for the U.S and a great support for Ellie, as she likes to call Elena. Elena has a pretty good life and loves her work even though she is the black sheep of her family and lives all alone.

Elena has a love/hate relationship when it comes to angels. She is quite fearful as well as in awe of them. One very powerful archangel has a need for her services. She is called by Raphael, the archangel who rules Manhattan. Elena is tough, but that doesn't stop her from shaking in her boots. There is no way out for her and she must meet Raphael. Offending him would be the worst possible thing she could do. He would kill her without a second thought.

When Elena and Raphael have their first meeting, it is polite and much like business associates discussing a merger. Raphael is jaw dropping beautiful. Elena compares him to a warrior. Raphael thinks of Elena the same way because she too is a warrior in his eyes. Raphael gives Elena some small tests to see if she is worthy. She thinks he is playing with her. Raphael doesn't like to be argued with and expects his minions to do whatever he wants without question. He doesn't demand, he orders, and expects to be obeyed.

The reason he needs Elena is because she is the best at what she does. Elena is so good at catching vampires because she can scent them. Raphael doesn't want her to retrieve a vampire for him, but one of his own. It seems Uram, the archangel who rules over most of Europe and the teacher to the Marquis de Sade is no longer in control. He is consumed by bloodlust and may already be in Manhattan, torturing and draining the blood from innocent humans. He has already killed fifty-two people in one month. He must be stopped and Elena is the only one who can accomplish this. And if she fails, Raphael will kill her.

There is no room for error in this case and Elena is screwed every which way. Raphael is part of the Cadre of Ten, the group of archangels who have thousands of years of experience behind them.The Cadre really don't want Uram destroyed because he is an archangel. Raphael is the one who makes them see reason why Uram must be destroyed. Surprisingly, Raphael doesn't let Elena hang out to dry and will work with her to find Uram. The reason? Raphael wants Elena. His past lovers have always been warrior woman and since Elena is a warrior, they will become lovers.

Elena tries to keep Raphael at arms length. He uses his powers to persuade Elena to do what he wants. He has no conscience when it comes to her surrender and will use anything, even entering her mind to make her respond to him. Elena lashes out at him, which is a death sentence because you do not tell an archangel no. But Elena does and because of it she walks on a very slim tightrope. And even though Raphael threatens Elena bodily harm, a part of him holds back. He doesn't want to hurt Elena because he wants her to come to him willingly.

But then Elena goes too far and taunts Raphael. The chase is on. He will have Elena on his terms, and for the moment, finding Uram is pushed to the side. Raphael will do whatever it takes, even if that means punishing those she loves, including Sara and her family, as well as her good friend and hunter, Ransom. In all the years Raphael has walked the Earth, he has never met a woman like Elena, and he is in for a big surprise, because Elena will fight back. And when she does, Raphael is weakened in both heart and body. He has no choice but to claim her as his because his vampire followers and the Cadre want to punish and kill Elena for her insurrections. Time is also running out for they must find Uram before he makes the island of Manhattan a river flowing with the blood and bodies of humans, vampires and angels alike.

Dark, seductive and mind-blowing are only a few words that come to mind when I think of Angels' Blood. Raphael will be on the lips of many because he is an enigma. He is an anti-hero in its truest form. You really don't know how he will turn out. From the moment we are introduced to Raphael, he is definitely not what you think a hero should be. He is sinister and very wicked. Because of all these things, you can't help but fall under his spell. The way he tries to seduce Elena is the same way he tries to seduce the reader.

The reason I enjoyed Angels' Blood was not just because of the sexual tension and eventual consummation of Elena and Raphael's relationship, but because of the character of Elena. The way she stands up to Raphael is so very dangerous but because of the woman we see her to be, we wouldn't expect it any other way.

The sexual tension is fierce, and that also includes the murder and bloodshed that Elena witnesses. When Elena allows Raphael to have is wicked way with her, that first scene lives up to the buildup. The foreplay between these two is their bantering and how Elena is able to stay out of reach from Raphael and he enjoys the chase. When they finally come together during sex, it is as equals. Raphael becomes so protective of Elena because she has accomplished something no other mortal woman has done before. There are also some shocks, and a twist with Elena that you won't see coming at the end.

Angel's Blood is a wonderful accomplishment. There are only two small issues I had. One was the setting. I feel that Nalini was just too vague with her descriptions and the feel of the New York I know. Also, the storyline with Elena and her father is pushed right into the front during a critical moment in the story. It took me out of the story and I felt that was unneeded. The way Elena's father is introduced and how their relationship was written took me away from the moment.

When all was said and done, all I could say was, "WOW" and when can I have more?

Katiebabs

Elena is a strong, mouthy woman and when she meets Raphael she doesn't let her fear of the archangel stop her from standing up for herself. This is an amazing story where angels, with all their power, are really no better than humans. I loved the love/hate relationship these two start off with, especially as it turned into more.

Prior to reading ANGEL'S BLOOD, I was a Nalini Singh virgin. I'd heard nothing but good, but just never found myself in the mood for paranormal romance. My feelings on the genre are uncertain at best. However, this book, the first in Singh's new Guild Hunter series, is being billed as urban fantasy, which made it seem more palatable and like a good place to start. It does have several of my favorite urban fantasy characteristics. Kick-A** heroine, deadly vamps of the non-sparkly variety, strong world building, etc. But. It remains a paranormal romance at heart. So if extremely heated situations make you cringe, giggle, or otherwise react unfavorably (as they do me), tread lightly here.

Elena Devereaux is a vampire hunter. She's what is known as hunter-born and so it's not just her job. It's her calling. She could no more walk away from it than she could sprout wings and fly. Elena belongs to the Hunter's Guild and, as such, is hired out to those willing to pay to have an expert hunt, capture, and/or kill rogue vampires. In this world, vampires aren't the top man on the totem pole. That honor belongs to the angels. Specifically, the archangels. Archangels rule the world and, get this, they create vampires. Who are then at their beck and call for at least a hundred years of servitude. The vampires are pretty much evil incarnate, but interestingly enough, the angels are not their polar opposites, i.e. paragons of virtue and goodness. In fact, they're sort of outside the whole good vs. evil spectrum. They run the show. They use who and what they need to to keep the vampires and humans in line and, if you value your life, you stay out of their way. Life spices up for Elena when Raphael, the Archangel of New York, enlists her services to hunt down a rogue Archangel who has done the unthinkable and become a vampire himself.

Here's the thing about ANGEL'S BLOOD. It grew on me more after I finished it than it did while I was actually reading it. While I was reading it I spent a fair bit of time on the fence. Since finishing, I've found myself thinking about it throughout the day, wondering what will happen next and what the characters I particularly liked are getting up to in my absence. That's a pretty good sign, after the fact, I have to say. I had two main issues with the story, the romance and the backstory. I love me a good antihero so Raphael was right up my alley. So much so that I wanted his gradual transformation to something resembling something human to be even more gradual so that I could savor the process. And while I'm a big fan of protracted tension between the two main characters, this one tended heavily toward the sexual variety and I tend to like mine a little more cerebral. I kept wishing Elena and Raphael would wrangle a little more over the differences in their species and background and a little less over their mutual desire to jump the other's bones. Similarly I liked Elena, but I really wanted more on her backstory to push that like over to love. There are all kinds of hints at a dark past and I felt like a little more reveal earlier would come in handy sympathizing with her position in the present and understanding where she's coming from. That said, I still think this was a good place to start and I'm glad I read it. I'll be picking up the sequel to find out what happens to Elena and Raphael (and Ilium and Dmitri--love those two).

I enjoyed this book, and I think the series has a lot of potential. I read a lot of paranormal romance because there's so much to choose from, but I really prefer urban fantasy, and this book had more of an urban fantasy feel to it. The characters were likable and the twist on angels and vampires was interesting. In this series, it seems angels have nothing to do with god or heaven but are some sort of separate species that is certainly not all benevolent. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator was really good also. Looking forward to starting the next one.

What a great read. Between Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson and now Elena Devereaux, I am hooked on this genre. All so different, all so well-written and all so action-packed, these are all sleep losing series. This is the first of the Guild Hunter series and it is spectacular. The author sets up an intriguing world that takes hold, with fascinating concepts and great characters. Can't wait to get to the next one.

Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter. She's hired by the archangel Rapheal to track down another archangel who is going to go on a hunting rampage. In Elena's world, archangels live among us like vengeful gods, that is, when they haven't gone bad. Vamps are made by them too. I had problems with both of these facts. To be honest, I couldn't warm up to the archangels at all.

Nalini Singh is also author to the series, Psy-Changeling. I read the first one and fell in love with her writing style. In this case though, it's the story and characters I have a problem with. Although I won't be continuing on with the Guild Hunter, I will do so with the Psy-Changeling series.

I'm still not really sure what I think about this book. I loved the new world and WANT to read more about these Angels (but not enough to pick up an e-book). I loved the interaction between the two main characters. And I DID stay up all night to finish the last 300 pages.

However, I think the first 15 pages really should be re-written. What happened to books having a hook in the first 5 pages that motivate you to keep reading? This book had no hook until Elena and Raphael started to interact. The more I think about it the book could have been a 5 star with some editing and re-writing.

There were several problems for me.

(1) The language was pretentious and sometimes just wrong. Why not use ordinary words instead of "malodorous ambience of this dank piece of New York City," (maladorous? and why is city capitalized?) "squeezed in his girth," and a native New York resident paying a taxi with "a twenty dollar note."

(2) Way too many vague mentions of the two characters back-story (drip, drip, drip) with no pay off. Didn't get enough to know what actually happened and it didn't tie into the story.

(3) Thinking back it seems more time was spent on developing future storylines then on the actual story.

(4) The final fight was not satisfying for me. Again with the too vague. No detailed descriptions of the action and then the final blow just came out of nowhere! I'd of preferred details from all 3 not just whine, whine, whine I'm failing then bam.

(5) Finding out what actually did happen was strung out too long. And looks like it will carry into the next book.

I do recommend reading this book. I really enjoyed it--while I was reading it (except for the first 2 chapters). It just kind of fell apart, for me, after I read it. For stories that raise more question than they answer to work I need to think "that was clever" when I think back...this one just leaves me thinking it could have been really great with more editing.

I liked this book. It wasn't great, but it wasn't so bad that my eyes were rolling because of how trite to whole plot was. The only annoying thing was that Ellie kept threatening to kill and maim knowing full well she wasn't able to make the final kill against an archangel. Kick butt heroines are great and all, but when they act too macho, and become repetitive, it's a turn off. The book had it's flaws, but I'm hoping that the next book will improve on them.

Update:
I'm on the 3rd book now, Archangel's Consort, and 35% through, and Elena has become extemely annoying, bossy, & arrogent. I guess being an Archangels obession has gone to her head. The story just has me eyerolling thinking blah, blah, blah. It's lost my interest, fast. If I never read the words, Guild Hunter, Archangel, and especially Hunter Born again, I'd be extemely happy. I'm going to try to finish the book, but after every chapter I feel like calling it quits for this series.

I heard a lot about this book before I finally caved and bought it. I heard a lot of Singh's Psy series too, but having picked up the first one and struggled to get through the massive world-building, I skipped that series. Going to rectify that after this. This new series has made me a Nalini Singh fan.

The first thing I loved about this book was that there was no complex world-building. Angels fly around, they make vampiress, accept it and ask no more questions for now. I found that a very refreshing way to start a new series. Some people didn't like that, wanted more explanations, they even felt that this had a "second book in the series" feel. I can see why they felt that way, but I loved it. My brain must be tired, I just wanted to read a good book.

And it is. Elena is tough, but not overly so. Raphael is immortal and strong and veers towards the cruel, as immortals probably would. But he has a big ole gooey center for Elena, which is what is required in my romances.

Extra points for making me think about wings a whole new way too, and yummy angel dust.

Elena's friends are very supportive and awesome too, and the ending Romance Extreme. The next book doesn't come out in this series until 2010, but I'm happy to wait. This book was just what I needed; interesting, intense, and romantic. Singh has hooked another reader.

I think this is a wonderful book. I've read four in this series, and each of them has been just great.
I did have to rework my little mind to get the traditional image of angels out of there, but once I did it was a joy from then on.
My only complaint is that there are two writers with the name Nalini Singh.
I wish that the store would keep them separate, perhaps by putting New Zealand on the list of books for the talented Ms Singh, and USA for the other one.
Perhaps she could convince her publisher to put the initials N.Z. after her name?

I was recommended this series by someone and I am not disappointed!! Elena was so much fun and she reminded me a lot of Cat from the Night Huntress series. She was really spunky and outspoken. This is also the first archangel book I've ever read so it was refreshing. Raphael is so hot! Even in the beginning when he's mean he's still hot.

I liked the ending especially. It was unexpected and I can't wait to read the next.

Elena Deveraux is a Guild Hunter. She mainly hunts runaway vampires. Those who sign a contract with an angel to Make them know that their first one hundred years is spent in the angel's servitude. Should a vampire run, he is hunted down and returned to his angel for punishment or death. Elena is the best. She is hunter-born. She did not choose the dangerous career of a hunter, it chose her. Born with an ability to smell and track vampires, Elena became shunned by her family.

The Archangel of New York is the legendary Raphael. He hires Elena to hunt someone for the Cadre of Ten. Anyone Elena dares to tell anything about her assignment would be instantly killed. Elena is to hunt one of the Ten, an archangel who has gone insane. She needs only to locate her target and Raphael will do the terminating. But Elena would have no outside help; she is basically on her own.

The more secrets Elena learns about angels, vampires, and archangels, the more those powerful beings wish her to be permanently silenced once her job is done. And as much as Elena and Raphael clash, they are also attracted to one another.

***** FIVE STARS! An intense story set in a fantastic world where mortals and immortals live among each other. I will never think of vampires or angels the same way again. This compelling tale immediately grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I kind of gave up on this book when the "hero" kept calling the "heroine" his toy. Elena was boring, Raphael was borderline abusively controlling, and certainly unlikable...The scenes where he took over her mind were honestly gross. There was no love between them, because neither of them had character, so I wouldn't call this a romance.

I love the Psy series, so I had high expectations for this book. But it's like Singh devolved with this one.

It took some convincing from a couple of fellow readers to get me to try the Guild Hunters series. Though I became a true fan of Nalini Singh after reading her excellent Psy-Changeling series and in particular the outstanding Kiss of Snow, I'm always wary of PNR authors attempting to traverse the UF arena by branching off into a new world with a so-called urban flavor.

Angel's Blood, the first book in the Guild Hunter series, certainly takes place in an urban setting with a world that is populated with humans, vampires, and angels. There is also an interesting plot twist where the angels have taken up residence on earth and the archangels are now running the show and creating vampires as their servants.

It was the shortcomings and lack of chemistry between the key characters that underwhelmed the pacing of the story.

The main female protagonist, who has all the stereotypical traits of the irritable, androgynous, warrior chick, is mostly unremarkable. Elena Deveraux has plenty of personal issues and is a legendary hunter of rogue vampires, but she's certainly not a complex or compelling enough character that would attract, inspire, or hold the absolute devotion of an intense 2,000 year old, uber powerful archangel as Raphael.

Elena and Raphael spend the majority of the book in the dance of repel-attraction conflict by bickering and arguing for most of the story. I found myself skimming scenes with them interacting together in order to get back to the action which was the actual driver of the plot. I didn't really connect to Elena at all and I can't fathom an entire series built on the foundation of this particular couple.

It's a shame that most warrior "heroines" usually come across as one-dimensional personalities who speak, dress, and behave with the same chip on their shoulders. Obviously writers as JR Ward and LKH are just journaling and transcribing their therapy sessions into novels. But Nalini Singh's writing is much richer and visceral that I expected her to create a much more relatable heroine with a vibe of integrity.

I did find the world building in Angel's Blood to be interesting enough for me to read the next book in the Guild Hunter world, Angel's Kiss, because I admire the creative mind and writing style of Nalini Singh. But it's not promising when the first book in the series doesn't pull me in right away. From where I'm standing, the Guild Hunter series starts off not as a gritty, edgy urban fantasy but as a violent, blood-soaked, dark PNR serial.

Nailini Singh is such a great writer !! started with pay/changling series and Immediately went to Guild Hunters
Each book is better than the last
Guild Hunter books are so complex sometimes you even have to read them 2X !!
Paranormal Genre lovers will get a completely different slant than all others.
Comparison: Gena Showalter
Diedre Knight
TOP NOTCH !!!!!

Nalini Singh is so excellent in everything I've ever read from her and I already own all the books in both the Psy-Changling and Angels series, but I have real affinity for unabridged audiobooks since it allows me to "read" and actually get some mundane tasks accomplished at the same time. I have been craving all of Ms. Singh's books on CD for some time now and FINALLY the Angel series is available. It was like Christmas when I found out!

If you haven't read the Angels books I'll try to give you a brief overview without giving anything away. Set in a world with humans, vampires, and angels, this is an alternate version of earth and in a reality where vampires and angels are part of daily life and in no way secret. In fact, the world is ruled by the very top of the food chain: archangels. There are only ten of them (the Cadre of Ten) and they have divided up the earth. Some of the Ten allow humans (and those vampires who have already paid their hundred years of service for the privilege of being "made") to mostly live their lives as they wish so long as they in no way clash with the archangel's wishes. Some of the Ten live as gods (or goddesses) with the humans, vampires, and other angels all in virtual slavery within their territories.

Under the archangels there are angels and under the angels there are vampires. Angels "make" vampires out of a tiny fraction of the tens of thousands of applicants (humans who wish to be made) each year. The vampires pay for this gift with service for 100 years. After that time, the vampire is still likely to be in service to one angel or another, just not necessarily his or her maker.

Now vampires being vampires, sometimes their bloodlust gets the better of them (or sometimes they just try to skate out of their contracts before the 100 years is up) and an angel can't be traipsing all over the place looking for them. That's where the Guild comes in. Guild Hunters can find vampires. The Hunter-born can actually smell vampires and track them anywhere.

The Archangel of New York is the extremely dangerous, possibly homicidal and definitely beautiful, Raphael. Raphael is the point man for the Cadre in the little problem they are trying to solve before the puny humans and vamps get wise: they have a rogue archangel on their hands. They need the best hunter the Guild can boast. Enter Elena, the savvy hunter-born Guild Hunter who learned early the horrors of a vampire in the grip of blood thrall. Elena is terrified to be summoned to Archangel Tower. Who wouldn't be? Archangels do not associate with peons (read HUMANS) or anyone else so low on the power scale. She's shocked when the Archangel himself interviews her and more than shocked to find herself completely captivated with the glory that is Raphael even as she reminds herself that angels are nothing at all heavenly and even though she's seen proof of Raphael's own ruthlessness.

Raphael's job for her is even more of a shock. Hunters hunt vampires, not angels and most certainly not one of the deadly archangels, but that is just what she will do because Raphael leaves her no choices at all. Not in that. She may just have a choice about whether or not she ends up in Raphael's bed but it soon becomes clear that he wants her there and her hormones are definitely on his side.

The story here is fascinating on all its levels and the world-building is superior, but the book never loses sight of the fact that it is, at its core, a love story. No one writes love stories better than Nalini Singh.

Wow. That's all I could say for about thirty minutes after completing 'Angels' Blood'. Just wow...

I seriously never would have imagined that Nalini Singh could get any better than she already was but WOW! Ms. Singh rests firmly now in my top five authors of paranormal romance and she's currently battling it out for the number one spot with J.R. Ward and Meljean Brook.

To put it simply, 'Angels' Blood' sang to my reader heart, touching upon every one of my favorite themes with bold and confident words that leaped off the pages. It grabbed me from page one and I must say that it's an example of perfect pacing. At the close of every chapter, I was jumping straight on to the next with nary a pause for breath. I had to know what was going to happen next no matter that my eyes were burning cause my dog chewed my up reading glasses the night before. Dinner was a nuisance and I would gladly starve to appease my desire to read more of 'Angel's Blood'. Then there is the horrible knowledge that only thirty pages remain and no matter how long I wanted to drag out my exquisite reading pleasure, I had to know how it all would end. And the ending, WOW!

'Angles' Blood' takes place in what I've come to think of as a parallel modern world. No dates are given but I get the distinct feeling that the New York City represented in the novel is not futuristic. Given that the technology seems to mirror today's like cell phones and modern day vehicles, there are some new contraptions that are certainly unfamiliar but essential to this parallel world which is teaming not only with humans but angles and vampires as well.

Elena Deveraux is hunterborn, meaning that while human she possesses strength and extra-sensory gifts that supersede the norm. With scent capabilities ten times that of normal human, Elena becomes one of the best trackers of the Hunters Guild - An organization that tracks and bags rogue vampires and returns them to their makers, angles. It's this very notoriety that garners her the attention of the Archangel of Manhattan, New York.

The angles of Singh's world are not biblical. In fact, there is no claim to God or heaven and hell. They are simply an immortal species that rule the world with a circle of power known as the Cadre of Ten(very similar to the Psy Council in Singh's Psy/Changeling series except for the angel ruling body extends over all species.).

Raphael, Archangel of Manhattan and member of the Cadre of Ten, has hired Elena to track not a rogue vampire but to her surprise, he demands that she track a rogue archangel and once member of the Cadre of Ten, Uram, who has fallen off the grid. Elena's reward if she accomplishes her mission are riches beyond her imaginings, but if she fails she will be punished which translates to slow torture followed by death.

Elena is not unlike another favorite heroine of mine - Mercedes Thompson. Both are not reluctant heroines, but rather they simply know that for the job to be done their skills are needed and for this reason, there is no backing down or turning away for them. Plus, they both are natural protectors of innocents and embody a unyielding desire to bring down that which is trying so desperately to destroy that innocence. They also both have smart mouths that even despite their terror of the moment, they still can not resist putting a man in his place. Which, come on ladies, who can't love that trait in a heroine?

On the other hand, Raphael is more anti-hero than hero but it's this very trait that not only ignites Elena's desire for one the most powerful archangels in the world, but it plays havoc on my hormones as well. The man is simply sex incarnate with his gold tipped wings that shed glittering dust that tastes like ambrosia, food for the gods. He possess eyes so blue that nothing there is nothing comparable or even represented anywhere else on earth. In addition, Raphael is not in human and is a being of little to no remorse. Being an archangel alone demands more of his soul than being a mere angel. His archangel gifts strip him of his humanity each year of his existence which has already been long. This lack of humanity reminds not only me but Elena as well that Raphael will most likely kill her at the end of her hired mission based mostly on the fact that she simply knows too much. More than any other mortal. For if an angel reveals their secrets to humans it's punishable by the taking away of his/her wings leaving said angel earthbound for eternity. A steep price to say the least.

There are many traits embodied by Elena that spark Raphael's interest. For an immortal, it takes a lot for a human to be more than mundane. Perhaps it's her fearlessness in the face of death for she pushes him time and again right up to the killing edge. Or is it her shear will to never be cowed, to never fall to her knees before another.? Maybe it's the fact that immortality is the last thing that Elena would ever ask for much less desire. She covets immortality like an angel would covet being human. Suffice it to say that even Raphael doesn't understand his desire for her but what he does know is that he loathes ever having to one day break her warrior spirit.

The sexual tension is absolutely fierce between Raphael and Elena. Couple that with the constant threat of death for Elena by the hand of Raphael and you're on shaky but sexually charged ground. It was in these instances that Raphael's humanity within his soul began to shine. Never, in his ancient existence, has he ever taken a woman by force. His seductive power alone would make taking a woman so easy but he it's his own personal vow that she come to him and when Elena does, whew! Their coupling is beyond explosive for by that time the tension had reached it's ultimate peak.

The death and blood portrayed in 'Angels' Blood' is not for the faint of heart. Ms. Singh leaves little to the imagination and what Uram does to his victims is beyond insanity. His macabre art forces Elena to loose the contents of her stomach many times over. Although, this blood red gore is important for it reinforces the readers awareness that these angels, while sublimely beautiful, are far from being human. Raphael himself is subject to and fully capable of becoming like Uram for with each passing year, his archangel abilities strip pieces of his soul. But what I believe causes the reader to fall in love with him, although there are many things, but rather what humanizes him is his fear of becoming Uram. Perhaps Elena and his steady fascination of her will help him retain what little humanity he does possess.

'Angels' Blood' is an absolute must read for anyone who loves paranormal romance. I know many fans have reservations with Nalini Singh publishing this new series but she is an author to trust. The only aspect of 'Angels' Blood' that left me twitching is that Ms. Singh ends the novel with a sizable cliff hanger, not only with Elena's fate but the fate of possibly the world with the emergence of another rogue archangel. Aw man, I can't wait to get my hands on the next series installment, 'Angel's Kiss' releasing 2010, which thankfully returns to the adventures of Raphael and Elena. Their relationship is on precarious ground to say the least.

I loved this book, got hooked on the series and am now a Singh fanatic! Elena is short, blonde, cute (just don't call her that) and gutsy. She stands up to the Archangel Raphael, even though it is like the ant raging against the boot. It makes him sit up and take notice of humans again and her in particular. He's been heading out of the realm of real for a while and Elena makes all sorts of things happen for our hero. I LOVED this story!

A fast, exhilarating ride! I could not put this down!  On the whole, angels are not exactly my thing, but this book has made a fan out of me!  Lots of excitement, and sexy romance.  I like the author's world building, great storyline, and characters!   A HOT book!  Can't wait to read the rest of this series!  

I am a fan of the Psy-Changeling series so I looked forward to this one by Nalini Singh. It did not disappoint. I enjoy her style of writing and am pleased that she remained consistent with character development, detail, plot and emotion. It wasn't overtly sexual but instead it was sexy. I liked the humor she has in her books as well as tension between the characters. I look forward to the rest of the series.

Loved the book right away! As I was reading it, I got a little concerned it was too paranormal romance for me, but I was wrong it's definitely an urban fantasy book that has some romance in it. I liked the main characters and the story. Excited to read book 2. Just when you think vampires have been done to death, someone thinks of something new!

This is a solid start to a new series. This is a very different take on the whole vampire thing. I found it very interesting that the author mixed angels and vampires. This is a good book from an author that is awesome at world-building.

Oh my goodness!!! This is the best book EVER! I walked into this series blind but I'm so glad I took the chance! I'm bummed that I don't have the next book in the series but a quick trip to B&N tomorrow will solve that problem! :-)
Angels, vampires, hunters... AMAZING! :-)

First up, I don't agree with the other reviewer who said 'not much of a romance'. Well...I do in a way....in that it wasn't sweetness and light and wooing. The sizzling scenes between Archangel Raphael and Elena were very steamy and provocative. Thankfully they didn't end up in bed together within the first few pages, like a lot of authors these days seem to think is what we want. Well I DON'T. I can't stand those sort of 'romances'....it just cheapens what could be between the 'couple.' Not so this book. Oh don't get me wrong, they do enjoy some 'angel bliss' but just not too early in the book. Oh but along the way, the do seem to sizzle whenever they're together.

Elena is a truly kick-butt Hunter and Raphael very powerful, which mean the two do butt heads in a huge way.

The ONLY thing I'd say I think could have added to this phenomenal book is more of an explaination at the beginning of the story about this amazing 'world' and 'beings'. Other than that..STUNNING story, STUNNING 'couple' and BRILLIANT 'beings'. [...].

And FYI...I rarely rave about a book unless it keeps me enthralled, fascinated by the 'characters', is sizzling with heat and..well heck...just makes me wanna turn the pages faster to get to the end but also take it real slow 'cause I DON'T want it to end. Man I hated finishing this book.

Job well done Ms Singh!! Just give us a wee bit more 'world building' and more info on where these 'beings' came from.
[...].

My first by this author, what a fascinating take on Angels and vampires. The story sucks you in from the first. Loved Raphael and Elena and the way love grew to conquer all. Can't wait to read about the rest of his Seven, Illium, Dimitri, Jason and the rest.

I have read the entire series so far. I absolutely LOVE it! I read them all (plus novellas) in 3 days. I can't wait until her next books in the series. So far away! But I'll console myself with starting in her Psy-Changling series, in hopes that it sucks me in like the Guild Hunters series. Such a great writer! Keep them coming!

Angel's Blood is the first of the series, but also the first of Nalini Singh's books I read, and I was completely hooked. Not only do we get the powerplay of powerful beings vs humans, we get love, horror, suspense and everything I love in a novel. Elena is a powerful hero in her own right and I'd highly recommend this book for anyone that loves a good dark romance. And Angels. Powerful, moody Angels.

I have decided to start saving money on books. I get them from the library and then purchase them if I enjoy them. After reading this book, I promptly went out and bought it, and have been reading it over and over again since I purchased it 2 weeks ago. This book is GREAT. I am becoming more and more of a romance reader. I try no to, and I try to stick with urban fantasy, but sometimes characters are just so magnetic you are drawn to them. That is how they are in this book. I am glad they stuck pretty close to the story line with just the two characters and I like how they were kept together most of the book. This book is also written in 3rd person, so even though it is mostly from Elena's prospective, we do get some of Raphaels thoughts and actions too. Most books I read tend to be in 1st person, but it is a nice change to get feelings and action of more than just the narrator.

I have been a die-hard fan of Nalini Singh since the first book in the Psi-Changeling series came out....now, she delights us with a world of archangels, vampires and guild hunters. A suspenseful, thrilling and sensual story line that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last page...and yearning for more..more..more!!! I truly couldn't put this book down...well written as always, meticulous in detail, with both main and supporting characterization that drew me in and won me over. Bravo to the marvelous work of Ms Singh. I heartily recommend Angels' Blood as a book that will stay with you long after you finish it...Raphael will definitely go on my listing of "hotter than hell" alpha males...and Elena was everything I could hope for in a heroine...again..kudos to Ms Singh...bring on the next one if this series soon...please!!!!

As a fan of Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series, I was super excited to see a whole new series from her, and with vampires to boot! Add undeniably hot archangels, superbeings with powers beyond belief who treat humans as inferior bugs, then things are bound to get ugly. Elena is the Guild's most lethal weapon, but to her it's just another day on the job. To Archangel Raphael, she's just what the Cadre of Ten needs to acquire a rogue gone mad on a killing spree of despicable violence. That is, if he can keep his hands off this beautiful Hunter, which is rarely. The chemistry is ON for these two characters and I enjoyed their mixed emotion meltdowns, however I would've liked a little more story-wise that I know Singh is capable of delivering. I guess balance is the word I'm looking for. Overall I enjoyed this book's chemistry and am curious to read what the next book has to offer.

A vampire hunter, Elena Deveraux is one of the best of the best. Masters hire her services to capture their wayward charges and Elena never fails at returning the minions to their sires. When she is notified that she is to be present at Archangel Tower the next morning to get her latest assignment, Elena's heart does a flip. No one else but Raphael would be so blatant in his instructions and because he is the often feared but also revered archangel in charge of Elena's area, she has no choice but to comply.

The assignment Raphael has for Elena is simplistic in the directions but pretty much impossible to complete. She isn't supposed to hunt a rogue vampire, she is to find and capture a rogue archangel. Elena knows she is being set up for failure and with passive aggressive intentions she tests Raphael. He is not amused and lets her know in no uncertain terms what will happen should this assignment fall through. Through it all however, Elena begins to notice things about this beautiful and powerful angel. Things like how he looks at her and how he touches her. Things that make him almost...human...

I loved ANGEL'S BLOOD! Usually I am not a fan of urban fantasy and while hesitant to read ANGEL'S BLOOD at first, I had faith in Nalini Singh's ability as a writer. And in ANGEL'S BLOOD, Ms. Singh's ability shined like a beacon. Raphael and Elena's relationship is forbidden. He knows it. She knows it. But like Romeo and Juliet, they couldn't stop their hearts from beating just a bit faster whenever the other was near. Unlike Romeo and Juliet, however, Raphael and Elena found a way to make it work. I can't say anything more or I will give away the plot of ANGEL'S BLOOD. Just know that you will become immediately addicted to this brand new world and will ache once you finish reading. Hurry and get your copy today - ANGEL'S BLOOD is just that magnificent.

***Natalie S.***

I have read Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series since it came out. I must say that although I love that series now, for me the first few books in that series left me wanting. The idea of the series was intriguing and she has a great writing style, but the first few just didn't have that "oomph" I was wanting in the romance area; however, I continued to read just because the stories were so interesting and the "oomph" I was looking for did come in later books. This first book in her new Archangel series was a good start. I read it when it first came out. I find the worlds she creates to be easily believable, meaning I don't think twice as she weaves her tales because of her talent at being matter-of-fact yet creative. As with the Psy-Changeling series, I believe the Archangel series will get even better as the series progresses.

Having said that, I am currently reading Must Love Hellhounds (published in September 2009), an anthology of 4 authors, including Nalini Singh. This book actually has the FIRST Archangel story in it (Angels' Judgment). I am guessing there were publishing issues for this short story to come out after Angels' Blood. If it was intentional, I don't know why since Angels' Judgment is about Sara, Ellie's best friend, and shows how Sara becomes the Guild Leader, a title she holds at the beginning of Angels' Blood. (Side note: I really, really wish Sara's story was not a novella and was a full-sized book since Deacon deserves his own book! lol)

All in all, I recommend Angels' Blood and give it a solid 4 stars. I am confidant that this new Archangels series will become 5 stars.

This is a very different book from Singh's other psy series. I have to admit that I was a bit put off when I started reading. I didn't like the idea of angels and archangels not being so...well...angelic. The thought that they were creators of vampires turned my stomach. Not only that, many angels and archangels were not only held in awe, but were bloodthirsty and feared (rightly so). Yet, I continued to read...and the next thing I knew was 4:30 in the morning. This book totally grabbed me and held on tight.

It's always great to read a book with an orginal idea...one that was so engrossing as this one. Elena's character was very likable (I find that to be unusual in most romance and urban fantasy). She was strong. Definitely kick-butt and tough. Yet, feminine and relatable. She had childhood horrors that shaped, created her, and made her vulnerable. I think that's important in a heroine and hero--they have to have some sort of weakness to be well-rounded. The archangel, Raphael, also had a traumatic childhood (probably unbeknownst to everyone) that shaped him into something that was not so hard and cold as other archangels. Together they made an awesome pair.

This is a continuing story. Even though Singh completed the conflict in this story, she did not complete the relationship between Elena and Raphael. I can't wait to get the next novel.

This is the first Nalini Singh book I read, so I have no preconceptions as to how she writes or anything. Often times, the first book in a series spends too much time world building, and the story/action suffers for it. The book however, does not have that hiccup. The story is fast-paces, from the beginning, and the reader is drawn in right away into the heroine's predicament. A summary of the story is covered in other reviews so I won't repeat it here. There may be SPOILERS in some of the comments.

The story does suffer a bit from the distracting - drip drip drip - that shows up more than necessary. Presumably this is related to what happened to Elena when she was younger. I got the impression that some vampire messed with her when she was a child. There never was closure as to what exactly happened, so presumably this will be futher expanded in future stories. I enjoyed the sparring between Elena and Raphael, although it would be more believable if the relationship between the two developed a bit more slowly than it did (perhpas over 2 or 3 books). The plot of hunting the rogue archangel was interesting AND fast-paced enough without having to throw in the romance and SPOILER Elena's "conversion." Being the first book, I expected a certain degree of world building, so the story could have developed slower than it did. The secondary characters were interesting and held their own in the story -there is definitely a lot of potential for development of these characters. Overall, it is a strong start for a new series and I look forward to future books.

It was quite by accident that I stumbled upon Nalini Singh's amazing books. I count the works of Joey W Hill, Lora Leigh and Gena Showalter among my many favorites - so Imagine my glee when I found I had a whole new series of books to add to that list. I will not go into the details of the plots in the Guild hunter series, but I have to say that the Angels in these books are oh-so-'not the usual innocent cherubs'. They are warriors and ruthless leaders with a shiver-inciting dark and intense side to them that just grabs onto you and makes you keep reading through the book.
I absolutely loved Elena and Raphael. No wimpy heroines in Nalini Singh's books.Am I glad for that!!
If you are into alpha/dark/brooding heroes and a whole cast of strong characters to aid the story line along..then this is one author you shouldn't miss.

I picked up this series upon reading a review in Goodreads, and so glad I did! This story was amazing!!! Elena, Raphael, friends, sarcasm, humor, excitement... you couldn’t ask for more!!! Thrilled to have found this author and my new addiction!

Being a fan of the “Legion of Angels” series by Ella Summers and having never read Singh’s work, I went looking for the first book of the series to give it a shot. I decided against it when I saw that the Kindle version is still $7.99 on a book published in 2009...8 years ago! The paperback version is the same price. This was enough for me to say not worth it.

I'm a Newbie to Nalini Singh and the Guild Hunter Series, and I found it to be an Entertaining read. her approach to writing about Vampire's and archangels is Different and well done. I like the Character's Elena Deveraux (Vampire hunter) & the Archangel Raphael even though he's pretty arrogant. But all and all a Great Read.

As an avid reader of the urban fantasy genre I was pleasantly surprised reading Angels Blood. Nalini Signh is such a great writer, immediately after reading the first couple of pages you are sucked in and it's pretty much impossible to stop reading.

The characters were for the most part very well developed, although Raphael is still in the dark about what scared Elena when her mother died. The flow of the story was excellent and it was non-stop action, romance and drama. The ending was amazing, I was practically sitting at the edge of my chair wondering if Elena had become a vampire or what....

Can't wait for Angel's Kiss!!

I read this because it was supposed to have one of the best surprises ever at the end of the book. Hmm... have these people not read much? I totally guessed what was going to happen. It was pretty obvious really. Oh well...

The book was pretty good although I was did not read it when it first came out because I was uninterested in the whole angels and vampires thing. I do like Ms. Singh's Changling series though and she is a writer who draws me into her stories. It moved fast and was fairly clear and understandable in its mythos. A lot was left to be explained in further books though and the way that was done was a bit heavy handed here and there. Kind of like the author is beating us over the head with "there's more to this story but...I'll tell you later if you're good." However, the angels being able to change the "blend"/taste of the angel dust that falls off their wings was a bit too hokey for me. Oddly enough even though I am generally not fond of vampires as a sympathetic character type, I did really like the character of Venom.

I liked the heroine. She seemed strong and cocky while still having a femine side. We didn't know as much about the hero though. Maybe that will come out in future books as I understand that these are continuing characters. The great love he had for her seemed to come out of the blue though. There wasn't enought time spent in his POV to make it plausible nor were there actions taken by him that did much to show him falling in love. He also changed from impartial almost uncaring immortal to loving almost human very rapidly. It was kind of like slight of hand. Now he's chilling...voila! now he's cuddly. I would have liked to see a more defined progression there.

I'm guessing I probably won't read the next one but not because this one was bad but because it wasn't quite my cuppa.

Read all the changeling series and then started on guild hunter. Expected it would suffice but not be anywhere as good as her other series. Boy was I wrong! I never knew an author could have equally good series but she does. You fall in love with the characters and the plot line means you can't put it down.

I read Archangel's Kiss first and then backtracked quickly to bring myself up to speed on Nalini Singh's very unique 'Verse and a set of characters who really pushed my buttons into overdrive. There's a great balance of action and adventure and very real character development. I have to admit ... I am hooked.

I stumbled onto this book as I was searching for something else. Darn glad I did. What an excellent story. The storyline was so different from all the rest that it's refreshing. Will definitely reading the second book in this series.

Angel's Blood is a great book! I couldn't put it down and had to immediately read the next one in the series when I finished it. They are very well written with good story lines that keep your interest. I love Elena because of her strength and toughness as the main character but with a hint of vulnerability. I would recommend it to anyone that likes reading paranormal romances.

This is the first book I've read by Nalini Singh and to be honest I was never into angel books... but I do love a good romance book and when you add action to it and I'm sold.. I looooove Elena, she is a strong heroine, which I love.Raphael grew on me and I just love them together

And they say this book is five star worthy.

Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter. She works as a hunter for the Guild, a company that goes after rouge vampires, hunts them down, and sends them back to their sire's--the immortal Angel's. Elena's hunter skills are good. She uses her heightened senses to track vampires and is highly effective at her job, so effective that her aptitude puts her under The Archangel of New York's radar. The beautifully cruel archangel, Raphael, needs Elena's talent as a hunter to track down a rouge. He enlists her (more like commands her) to find a very dangerous rouge that is terrorizing Raphael's New York territory.

Elena thinks the job will be a piece of cake. She has tracked down many vampire rouges before with little problem. She soon finds out that the mad-man that she's after is terrifyingly different from any other before him. And he has the power to destroy the world. Elena, with the help of the extremely seductive Raphael, sets out to find the rouge and stop him before his madness brings the world to destruction. Along the way, secrets that change life as Elena knows it are revealed and a bond, frowned upon by Elena herself, is forged between she and Raphael.

Unlike most recent Urban Fantasy, Angels' Blood is not told from the first person female perspective. It is told in third person and the point of view, while mainly Elena's, also extends to Raphael, and there are short passages where the reader gets a glimpse into the rouge's mind. The world that Angels' Blood takes place in is something like an alternate earth. Everything is as we know it, the difference being that angel's rule the world and they have the ability to make vampires. So there are three species of people: angel's, vampires and humans. Like Ms. Singh's Psy/Changeling series, this one is filled with fully realized, multicultural characters. Also like her paranormal romance series, this one is great on the world building, which is always a plus when reading Urban Fantasy.

Angels' Blood is equally plot and character driven. Neither point is overshadowed by the other. I will admit that it took me a few chapters in before I began to warm to Elena. For me, her character was a little off putting in the beginning, but when I finally began to understand Elena, I grew to connect with the character. Raphael, on the other hand, I liked from the jump. Angel's are known to be cruel and harsh to a fault, and Raphael fit that mold. But there was more to him than that, as was shown through his relationship with Elena. The supporting characters were fleshed out and I'm not sure if there are plans to feature any of them in the future, but I'm sure that a few of them would make really great leads in their own books.

The story does not skimp on the gore and is not for the squeamish. It delves into the gritty, displaying the killer's work in grotesque detail. I'm not a fan of gore for the sake of gore, and luckily, there is none of that here. The descriptions serve to show just how far gone the killer's mind is. It also ups the creepy factor and the stakes for Elena and Raphael. On the flip side of that is the romance. For those who like their UF to have a little romance, this one fits the bill. Elena and Raphael have chemistry for days and their relationship has a slow, tantalizing build with a payoff that makes it worth the wait. The romance plays a great counterpoint to the darker side of the story, balancing out the good with the bad.

Angels' Blood is full of surprises and twists and turns. Truth's are slowly revealed through the story, successfully fleshing out the world and the characters. The ending, while unexpected, was very pleasing. There is resolution enough that the reader won't be left unfulfilled, at the same time there are a few open threads that should carry nicely into the next installment. Angel's Blood was an excellent first entry in the Guild Hunter series. All around satisfying. I'm eagerly anticipating Angel's Kiss.

This isn't your Biblical angel either. Unless the Bible left off telling us that angels create vampires. That's right, vampires. So goes it in Nalini Singh's new Guild Hunter series with Angels, Archangels, Vampires, and Hunters, Oh My. This new series is good enough to eat up with a big spoon. Which is what I'd also like to do with the Archangel Raphael.

Imagine angels flying in and out of Angel Tower in New York City. The city is ruled by the Archangel Raphael and his vamps. When the vamps don't fulfill their contracts enter the Guild Hunter. In this case Elena Deveraux. Born a hunter she has the unique ability to smell vamps which makes her the best there is. Which is why she is called in by Raphael to hunt an Archangel gone bad. He's going to pay her a fortune but you can't spend money if you're dead. And Raphael is not an easy guy to work with. The last to displease him was a vamp and he broke every bone in his body. The vamp will heal but Elena is a mortal and wouldn't survive an Archangel's displeasure. Clearly Elena will have her hands full.

And if the archangel is also hitting on her? Fiesty Elena has no intention of being an archangel chew toy and isn't shy about informing him of that fact. Unfortunately Raphael has a thing for fiesty warrior women and isn't used to being told no about anything. For Elena things just keep getting more complicated.

This book is one of the best I've read this year. Singh has created a fascinating world you won't soon forget. The only thing I didn't like about this new series is that the next installment doesn't come out until 2010. That wait may kill me. If you want to put off reading this one for a few more months you won't have such a long wait. But don't miss it. Archangel Raphael and his new pet hunter are delicious.

I really like Nalini Singh's Psy-Changling series but this book is just not my cup of tea. Angel's Blood is dark, unsexy, and a bit moody. I didn't like the main characters and the sub-plots made my skin crawl. The author is an fantastic writer, I don't argue that.

I just don't like this book and I have no plans to read the rest of the series. It's a romance without romance, why would I read it? It's more of a dark urban fantasy with sex than a romance. If you want a good flavor of Singh's books, read one of her Psy-Changling books instead.

Perhaps it's the superpower angels or the bitchy female character but I'm not not biting. I was so excited the author was doing a new series and so disappointed when I got it. If you like well-written dark fantasy, read it. Want a romance? Say no.

I loved all the books in the series. Wonderful main characters and fun interesting secondary characters that probably have spinoff books in their future. This is a great author and I have enjoyed reading (and collecting) most of her books. Worth the time, money, and space on the bookcase.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down. It is so romantic and the story is interesting with archangels, angels, vampires, and hunters. The sexual part is not too vivid or explicit. Raphael is perfect :-) and Ellie is very cool. I can't wait to read the next one.

Prior to reading ANGEL'S BLOOD, I was a Nalini Singh virgin. I'd heard nothing but good, but just never found myself in the mood for paranormal romance. My feelings on the genre are uncertain. However, this book, the first in Singh's new Guild Hunter series, is being billed as urban fantasy, which made it seem more palatable and like a good place to start. It does have several of my favorite urban fantasy characteristics. Kick-A** heroine, deadly vamps of the non-sparkly variety, strong world building, etc. But. It remains a paranormal romance at heart. So if extremely heated situations make you cringe, giggle, or otherwise react unfavorably, tread lightly here.

Elena Devereaux is a vampire hunter. She's what is known as hunter-born and so it's not just her job. It's her calling. She could no more walk away from it than she could sprout wings and fly. Elena belongs to the Hunter's Guild and, as such, is hired out to those willing to pay to have an expert hunt, capture, and/or kill rogue vampires. In this world, vampires aren't the top man on the totem pole. That honor belongs to the angels. Specifically, the archangels. Archangels rule the world and, get this, they create vampires. Who are then at their beck and call for at least a hundred years of servitude. The vampires are pretty much evil incarnate, but interestingly enough, the angels are not their polar opposites, i.e. paragons of virtue and goodness. In fact, they're sort of outside the whole good vs. evil spectrum. They run the show. They use who and what they need to to keep the vampires and humans in line and, if you value your life, you stay out of their way. Life spices up for Elena when Raphael, the Archangel of New York, enlists her services to hunt down a rogue Archangel who has done the unthinkable and become a vampire himself.

Here's the thing about ANGEL'S BLOOD. It grew on me more after I finished it than it did while I was actually reading it. While I was reading it I spent a fair bit of time on the fence. Since finishing, I've found myself thinking about it throughout the day, wondering what will happen next and what the characters I particularly liked are getting up to in my absence. That's a pretty good sign, after the fact, I have to say. I had two main issues with the story, the romance and the backstory. I love me a good antihero so Raphael was right up my alley. So much so that I wanted his gradual transformation to something resembling something human to be even more gradual so that I could savor the process. And while I'm a big fan of protracted tension between the two main characters, this one tended heavily toward the sexual variety and I tend to like mine a little more cerebral. I kept wishing Elena and Raphael would wrangle a little more over the differences in their species and background and a little less over their mutual desire to jump the other's bones. Similarly I liked Elena, but I really wanted more on her backstory to push that like over to love. There are all kinds of hints at a dark past and I felt like a little more reveal earlier would come in handy sympathizing with her position in the present and understanding where she's coming from. That said, I still think this was a good place to start and I'm glad I read it. I'll be picking up the sequel to find out what happens to Elena and Raphael (and Ilium and Dmitri--love those two).

This is one of those books that, when you finish it, you're left going "Holy crap! What a ride!!"

This is a dark urban fantasy, much darker than Singh's Psy-Changeling series. If you enjoy Kim Harrison's books, you'll probably like this one. I like Harrison's books, but sometimes I have a hard time reading them, because she's so darn mean to her characters and the endings are tough to handle sometimes. I like Nalini's books lots better, because--as much garbage as she puts her characters through, she gives them a happy ending.

The universe of this series is much like ours, except that angels and vampires have always existed openly. In fact, angels rule the world and always have, in the persons of 10 archangels. Angels aren't heavenly creatures, however. They're flesh and blood, male and female. They look just like people, only with wings. Vampires are Made by angels, not by each other, and they are the servants of angels, at least for their first 100 years of vampire life.

Guild hunters hunt vampires, because sometimes vampires decide they're tired of being servants and run away. So the angels hire hunters to go bring them back. Elena is the best guild hunter there is, which is why she's come to the attention of the archangel of New York. The head uber-boss guy. Vampires are dangerous. Angels are even more dangerous. Archangels are way beyond any of that--and Raphael wants Elena to do something for him. She doesn't want to, but he'll do whatever it takes to get her to do it. There are all kinds of other vibes going on--Elena doesn't take kindly to being told what to do, and Raphael doesn't know any other way of behaving, so there are lots of clashes. LOTS of clashes. Then there's a really evil bad guy, and there aren't really any good guys, exactly--just "less bad" guys--but then--well, I really liked this book. I would think this would even appeal to those who liked the early Anita Blake books.

And it has a happy ending. Really.

Interesting take on the holy host. Good heroine. The hero takes some warming up to, but I like that it isn't all cookie cutter. The villain is truly evil and I enjoyed the psychological thriller aspects he brings to the book. A good read and a great beginning to this series.

This is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. The book is about an Archangel named Raphael who hires Elena to hunt down a rogue Archangel by the name of Uram. The angels live in an Angel Tower in the middle of the city. The book explores the relationship of Elena and Raphael who by the way is not what you would think of as a typical sweet loving angel. He is tough, sometimes cruel and full of passion. She is cocky and very independent. The descriptions of the characters was amazing. Her details on how they looked and what their personalities were like was spell binding. Overall this was a great story with outstanding characters and a really good read. 5 stars for this one.

Loved it. Well written, very interesting. The pace kept moving and I didnt want to put it down. The characters are great and you want to know more about them. Really looking forward to getting the chance to read the next in the series.

This book is one of those books that live on in your memory for a long time. I picked it by accident and I was blown away! This book was the just the beginning of my obsession of anything Nalini Singh!

I was with the other people who are a fan of Nalini Singh's Psy/Changeling series, and wasn't happy at the thought of the new series because it would mean longer wait times for the other.

But this series completely drew me in, it was a unique setting without the religious overtones I was afraid she might insert. I know some people may get upset about the comparison but it was almost like Anita Blake but more romance, an ACTUAL monogamous relationship.

I loved it and its definately going right next to her PSY/Changeling series on my keeper shelf!!!

Nalini Singh is a favourite of mine but she has now leapt into my top 5 list. I started this book with a little bit of trepidation having no idea how angels would work or if I was really interested in angels at all. Well, let me tell you, Ms Singh can weave the most amazing worlds imaginable and draw you into a landscape which you can actually visualise. Raphael and Elena had amazing chemistry and all the secondary characters were awesome. I was unable to put this one down and finished it wanting the next one.

Others are summarizing and comparing very nicely. Warring angels are everywhere these days, but this is a kick ass adventure with some steamy romance. I had to go buy the sequel Angel's Kiss today. Can't give them up!

I generally don't write too many reviews because I would rather read. But, I enjoyed this book immensely and would rate it very near some of her peers (Kim Harrison, etc). Very rarely am I surprised by an ending but this one did just that. Can't wait to read the next one!

I've been wanting to read this series for a long time. I finally started and am so disappointed. The characters are always either thinking about, talking about or having sex. There is apparently a big evil enemy but no one does much about that because they're too busy with sex!! Sorry everyone. Really wanted to love this but there really is more to life than sex!

made it about half way through before giving up. boarder line rapey, abusive and degrading. I found I really didn't care if somehow the male lead turned around and became a nice guy. I don't care if he has some horrible past or whatever. It just promotes the illusion that a abuser can change somehow.. Nice tough female lead being forced into an unhealthy romantic interest...no thanks.

it's for every girl who wished to find her hot DARK night ;)
i pessonally dislike books which the herione does nothing but think for a lot of the book, ellena is the perfacft example that even if a woman is though, she's still a woman who simply is mentally stong.
However if you ar not into romance and dark character apeall yu won't like it.

I`m only half-way through this book but I`m already very disapponted with it. So far what I got from it...Raphael wants Elena, she doesn`t want him, he makes a move , she wants him a little, he makes another move, she shoots him, he makes another move and now she`s crazy in lust! Really? I feel like all these mystical creatures roaming Earth are just a pretense for soft ( ok very soft ) porn. I remember reading a book by Carol Mortimer ( Mills & Boon I think ) 20 years ago when I was a teen, didn`t know any better...kinda the same thing ! lol

Not enough back story. Sexuality is a subjective thing so I'll just say that if you don't mind reading about fingering and lots of panty dampness and angel's, er, male parts (rhymes with "tocks") then you might enjoy this.

I am not sure I could be more disappointed with the writing, when most parts are on the whole are well done. Confused? Me too. Good characters, story line, plot and development will usually get you at least three stars. Where the book looses me is the narrative's description method.

Elena Deveraux's constant comparison to the apparent barometer, moisture meter and muscle tension devices located in her nether region every other paragraph really started getting on my nerve! She compares one of those three pieces of information almost always located in her lower abdomen to every single thing that happens to her.

With the first two chapters I was actually relieved that the author had the fortitude to be so sexually aware in her character! I thought it was a relief to see some sexual honesty from the author and her female protagonist until I realized that it seemed to be the only way the character could compare her world to her feelings. There seemed to be nothing but either tight throbbing swamps at the thought of vampire scents or the Archangel, or tight scorched clinching of fear... which seemed to read the same between sexual fear and fear for her life. It was so over done that it distracted what was sincerely the better of the currently two books in the series judged by plot, story arc and character development.

It is frustrating but true to say that the first one was a better story and the second one had a much larger selection of descriptive methods and better over all word use! She was still a sweltering, guitar chord tension, Southern Florida swamp for her boy, and all the vampires.. but the description wasn't placed into every situation in the character's life.

Variety is the spice of life or in this case it would have made for a pleasant read to go along with the goods of story arc, character development and yes sexual tension... It was just way too much. I played the audio book with my wife and we were both looking at each other asking ourselves "Did she really just compare that to how wet and ready she is/isn't?" If we hadn't bought both audio books at the same time we would have thought the author was incapable of performing well constructed and various methods of description. After we reluctantly started the second novel and enjoyed how it was written, we were sad that it had far too much predictability and really didn't perform well leaving the final climax unspectacular and rather limp.

The first book however drags it's sopping wet hair out of the gutter just long enough to have a brilliant and beautiful climax (narrated by another character at both points in the narrative) enough character development to care about them (even if they aren't particularly original) and decent pacing. Since we went through the Herculean effort to start the second novel (even though it was better written though a worse story) we delved into the author enough to hear wonderful things about an entirely different series she wrote which seems to be hand, hoof and wing better than this unsatisfying fling with a book. We will be taking the Psi series out onto the dance floor.

To be honest this was more in the way of 1 1/2 star book. They really should allow us the leverage to be more accurate.

I don't think you have to rewrite the entire book, to express your like or dislike of any book. First time I had read anything written by Nalini Singh, and it won't be the last. I enjoyed this book very much. A whole new world has been opened up, and I can't wait to see what she does next.

I will admit that in the first 10 pages of this book I was sooooo confused. Once I started to better understand this world, I loved this book. The world is unique and the female lead is actually likeable. I finished this book and immediately gave it to my sister to read. Highly recommend!

I was beginning to loose hope fantasy books with angels. The same plot got tiring real fast. This book took that angel's storyline and turned it on it's head. It's so amazing, and I want to know more about every characters. The characters are so rounded, so real. Something made them the way they are, and I want to sink into this world.

It's rare that I end up really liking a book when I couldn't stand the "hero," but that's what happened in this book. There's a difference between alpha male and complete jerk, and for me, Raphael really crossed the line. But Elena made up for it, being brass and sassy, but not annoyingly so, and with a well rounded three dimensional personality so many action heriones seem to lack. Now, if she could just get a better guy...

I began this book a little hesitantly, since I'm a bit tired of the Urban romance phenomenon, but this novel rocks!
It reads like a combination of Sharon Shinn's "Archangel" and Kelley Armstrong's "Bitten." The world building is easy to follow and hold together, but does not distract from the main plot. The main characters are both good people, although in very different ways.
The only problem with the story was that the first part of it dragged a little, but when it picked up speed it really made up for that.
Only pick up if you like heroines who know their own mind and are able to take care of themselves.

I wanted this novel to be bad. I really did. Anything that takes Nalini away from the psy novels has to be bad, doesn't it?

Not the case. This is a refreshing and unique perspective on the Vampire mythos. It breaths new live into this often cliche genre. And it's even better then her psy books!

OH well, Singh is just going to have to start writing faster.

Well done, Nalini!

Angels' Blood is a great new series by Nalini Singh. Her ability to draw a reader into new world's, fall in love the characters, and make you hungry for more is fantastic. I own every book she's written.

This first book in the "Guild Hunter" was a disappointment. I am a fan of the Psy-Human-Changeling series, not only because the concept is interesting and the characters are believable, but the stories are well paced and the dialog is usually crisp. This book took forever to lay some basic information about this newly revealed world where Angels-Humans-Vampires live, the parameters of their existence and the rules by which they must abide. As many of the reviewers pointed out, the main heroine Elena is not endearing and often really annoying. How can you waffle to the extremes of love and murder for someone--several times a day; day after day? I could not see how or why the love/affection developed past what ever enchantments angles/vamps have over humans. Raphael's once in half millennium infatuation was completely baffling based on the violent and nasty interactions with Elena. The gore and violence was excessive, exhausting and ultimately distracting to the story. The plot was weak; limping along on the shoulders of underdeveloped characters. The love scenes were surprisingly crude and pedestrian for what one would expect from a creature called an angel for Pete's sake.

Perhaps Ms. Singh's next effort in this series will redeem this first try, if not, one hopes course she continues her success with the Psy-Changling series. It certainly was not a stinker, but it is not a keeper either.

I love all the Psy books and I was really enjoying this book up until it hit the breaks. I thought this was a fresh idea in the paranormal romance genre but the balance or imbalance of power between Elena and Raphael seemed pivotal so I was interested in how Singh would handle the characters in the bedroom. I was extremely disappointed that the love scene practically became a fade away and the chemistry build up was ignored and not dealt with.

Nalini Singh is definitely one of my favourite authors after reading the Psy/Changeling series and then Angel's Blood. I read Angel's Blood in one night-yes...that's no sleep with kids to deal with the next day. The only bad thing is the wait is so long for the next book.

I bought this book because of its good reviews. One reviewer said it was like "Twilight." Obviously this reviewer never read the actual Twilight saga because if the reviewer had, he/she would have never compared this piece of literary disappointment to Twilight. The writing is rushed. The are a multitude of subplots too many to keep track of them. And it's right out corny, and not in a good way. Waste of money. But if you like corny OMG I so love the way his wings sparkle , then read it you'll like it.

I absolutely love this book! I enjoyed the bickering and the power struggle between the character sort of like foreplay. Although Rafael exude power, Elena was able to handle her own; she didn't seem weak. I can't wait for the next book.

I love Nalini Singh; the Psy-Changeling series is my absolute favorites. I wish Singh would just stick to that series. Yes, it was a new spin on Vampires/Angels/Humans relations. That in and of itself earns my applause. Everything else was not up to Singh's standards. The love-interest is suppose to be the hottest man on earth...hello? Cliche, repetitive, and I didn't find Raphael's attitude attractive at all. He turned me off. Plot: C- The details (gore) unnecessary. I read a review once and it applies to this book, too: "Bloated"

Well, I just finished reading Angel's Blood. And, yes, of course, the title got me to buy the book right then and there. For theologians, this is not the book for you unless you are able to throw out all your knowledge to jump into the story. I literally had to shake my head trying to jerk my mind from slamming out the freedoms taken by the writer from my knowledge of angels. There is a comment in the novel that not many people know much about angels, and I would have to strongly disagree with that statement. Granted, some people falsely think that pudgy cherubs are angels and the author didn't, but still the author really didn't do her homework.

The world created would be if the fallen angels over certain territories were out in plain day and ruled the world. That angels created vampires to worship them and be there slaves and mortals were beneath their existence. Oh, and there is no God. Yes, all legends say that angels are warriors and messengers of God yet in this author's universe there is no God, but the author does use the Judeo-Christian levels of angels, archangels, etc. It's kind of weird till you blank out knowledge to jump into the story. The author's angels have wings, can be born, can create zombies, think of themselves as gods, and rule the earth in front of all media.

So, I found the story entertaining, a bit overly combative emotionally....how to explain. Often I would completely jerk because a character's reaction/comment was so over the top, and I began wondering what psychological issue was up with the heroine. Her mood swings and stinging tongue were exhausting. I just could not understand her constant irrational outbursts; I felt like I was babysitting a spoiled, selfish brat. But all in all, my heart went soft at the end of the novel, so it was worth the read..... till I read the preview for the sequel.

Will I read the sequel? Maybe. The mentality of the archangel is intriguing, but the heroine is so annoying. She is the least rational being I've ever read. She keeps trying to annoy and kill her love interest and when it seems like it may work out.....the preview to the next novel.... she's trying to kill him because she thinks he's trying to kill her. Uh, I don't watch soap operas.

Nalini Singh is a good writer. If she could just stop using the crutch of disgusting gratuitous sex scenes to spoil her writing. You can't read two pages in this book and the one that follows it; (which I actually threw in the trash- I didn't even want to subject another unsuspecting human being to it)-without mention of the hero or heroines nethers and how said nethers are feeling at that moment. This book is much more of a sex book than a fiction book. EW! If you are looking for a good sci-fi fantasy writer check out Karen Marie Moning's Fever series, Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series, Seanan Mcquire's October Daye series, and Juliet Marillier's books. These books are much more realistic and have a plot that is not mired in verbal smut.

It was a pain to finish. A complete waste of time. No need for any further explanation as many reviewers has hit the point of why it's good for them and why it's bad. In this case, the majority opinions didn't make me a believer in this series.

This is basically Twilight, but with angels. Lots of descriptions of how beautiful they are, how the main character feels about them...the story (what little attention is paid to it by the author) exists only as a flimsy basis for angle lovin', and I really don't like romance novels. Part of this may be that I was unfamiliar with this author when I picked this book up an honestly was not expecting a romance novel. Had I known, I would have avoided this author entirely.

I HATED it!
It was so dull, so predictable , so void of meaning and value.
I saw the good reviews of it and thought I'd try it.
SOOOOO DISAPPOINTED!!!
I'm taking it to trade in at the used book store 1st thing tomorrow.
I will never pick another book by this writer.