Archangel’s Shadows by Nalini Singh – Dual Review & Giveaway

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Description:
In the wake of a brutal war, the archangel Raphael and his hunter consort, Elena, are dealing with the treacherously shifting tides of archangelic politics and the people of a battered but not broken city. The last thing their city needs is more death, especially a death that bears the eerie signature of an insane enemy archangel who cannot— should not—be walking the streets.

This hunt must be undertaken with stealth and without alerting their people. It must be handled by those who can become shadows themselves…

Ash is a gifted tracker and a woman cursed with the ability to sense the secrets of anyone she touches. But there’s one man she knows all too well without a single instant of skin contact: Janvier, the dangerously sexy Cajun vampire who has fascinated and infuriated her for years. Now, as they track down a merciless killer, their cat-and-mouse game of flirtation and provocation has turned into a profound one of the heart. And this time, it is Ash’s secret, dark and terrible, that threatens to destroy them both.

Barb’s Review:

Archangel’s Shadows by Nalini Singh is the 7^th book in her Guild Hunter’s series. I am a big fan of Nalini Singh & her Psy/Changeling series. It bothered me that I did not have a chance to read this series, since Sandy was always telling me how great it was. So I was determined to get ahead on my reading and this summer I was able to sneak in time to read 6 books. I am so glad I did, as it proves that Nalini is a fantastic writer, who can change the format and still put together another fabulous series. Now I had the opportunity to read the latest novel in this series, and do the dual review with Sandy.

Archangel’s Shadows picks up where the last book left off (Archangel’s Legion), right after the battle of New York. Raphael’s angels are recovering, and the newly found Legion are helping rebuild New York. This book belongs to Ash and Janvier, though we get to spend time with many of our favorites, such as Raphael, Elena, Dimitri, Honor, Illium, and Aodhan. I also want to note that Naasir has become another intriguing character that I cannot wait to find out more of him.

Ash is a top notch hunter, who is a friend of Elena and Honor. Janvier is one of Dimitri’s top vampires, and he works closely with Ash. There is no question that Janvier is in love with Ash, but she holds a secret that stops her from any kind of relationship. They do have some wonderful chemistry together, and their banter between each other is awesome….I loved Ash and Janvier together.

They both work together to find out who was committing horrific murders, that left their victims drained. Raphael and his Seven, worried that it looked so much like Lijuan’s doing, though she was either dead or in the throes of a long recovery; they suspected some of her infected angels may have been left behind in New York. Ash and Janvier work quietly and quickly, so not to alarm the city, to discover the culprit. This is a very exciting mystery, with a few twists along the way; though at times early on it was a slower pace, as we learned more about Ash.

As exciting the hunt was for the killers, the best part was watching Janvier and Ash act on their feelings, which will become sizzling. As Ash reveals her secret, it is Janvier’s dedication to Ash, that will help her move forward. I loved both of them, but I totally fell in love with Janvier, as he took care of his Ash. I do not want to give spoilers, but I will say that I worried that they would not be able to stay together.

Nalini Singh does it again, with another wonderful addition to her Guild Hunter series. There are so many more Angels that need their happy endings. I cannot wait for the next book. If you have not started this series, you should not wait, as it is a gem.

Sandy’s Review:

ARCHANGEL’S SHADOWS is the seventh full length installment in Nalini Singh’s adult, contemporary Guild Hunter paranormal romance series focusing on archangels, angels, vampires and hunters. This is Guild Hunter Ashwini and vampire Janvier’s storyline but one that looks at the aftermath of a war (brought about by the Cascade) that pitted archangel against archangel, and angels against vampires-a war that all but destroyed New York and archangel Raphael’s territory. With a number of angels in recovery, there is a new enemy on the streets of New York known as Umber-and its’ source of power is unlike anything they have ever seen.

The focus of the storyline finds Janvier and Ash on the hunt for a killer. With emaciated and desiccated bodies-both human and animal- finding their way onto the streets, the Guild and the Cadre begin to suspect a very powerful archangel may have returned ‘from the dead’. But clues begin to point in another direction when human vampire feeders go missing.

The relationship between Ash and Janvier is one that began in a previous storyline when Guild hunter Ashwini was sent to retrieve Janvier for being on the lam. Their attraction to one another was immediate but Ash knew that as a hunter there was no room in her life for a vampire who had broken the rules. A portion of the storyline focuses on Ashwini’s family history cursed with the ability to sense and feel the emotions of anyone they touch, hinting that Ash’s mental and emotional well being may be in jeopardy. The sex scenes are intimate and intense but limited in number. Janvier is a man possessed by the need for one woman and he intends to spend the rest of eternity with Ash as his mate.

The secondary characters include a number of the previous storyline players including Honor and Dmitri, Illium, Aodhan, Jason and Naasir, and of course Raphael and Elena. Raphael and Elena’s story continues as we are pulled into the burning love between the Archangel and his consort- a love that was never meant to be. Naasir’s true identity begins to unravel as more clues about his ‘lineage’ are slowly revealed.

Nalini Singh’s GUILD HUNTER series an amazing and starling look at the paranormal. The world building is infinitely detailed and continuous throughout the series; the characters are well developed, colorful and control the storylines of which they are a part. There is conflict, betrayal, emotions and anger; there are cultural nuances that are cleverly injected into the premise. Nalini Singh has developed a political infrastructure of angels and vampires that could rival a human senate or parliament at any give time in history-one that is controlled by the elite of the supernatural world.

I applaud Nalini’s imagination and her ability to pull the reader into a storyline where we become one with the story-touched by the emotions –and fall in love with some very delightful characters.

Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley.

Reading Order

Angel’s Dance *
Angel’s Judgement*
Angel’s Pawn *
Angel’s Blood
Archangel’s Kiss
Archangel’s Consort
Angel’s Wolf *
Archangel’s Blade
Archangel’s Storm
Angel’s Legion
Archangel’s Shadows

Nalini’s publisher is offering a paper copy of ARCHANGEL’S SHADOWS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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7. Giveaway is U.S. only

8. Giveaway runs from October 28-October 31, 2014, 2014