Posts Tagged ‘Nalini Singh’

Publisher – Gollancz
Publication Date – 11th February 2010
Paperback – 368 pages
Genre – Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Series– Book 1 in the Gulid Hunter Series

Source – Library

Book Information - Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best – but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job.  Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear – failure is not an option…  even if the task she’s been set is impossible.  Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track.  It’s an archangel gone bad.  The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other… and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion.  Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may.  Because when archangels play, mortals break…

Review - Elena Deveraux spends her time capturing wayward vampires and then delivering them back to the angels that ‘Made’ them.  In Angels’ Blood, the angels are not the religious icons that we have come to know them as today, but are in fact all-powerful rulers of the human world who use vampires to help them impose their will.  When Elena receives a summons from the Archangel Raphael, she knows this is not good.  He is known to be incredibly dangerous and seductive and he needs Elena to work for him and track down another archangel who has turned to the dark side.  During the hunt that ensues, Elena finds herself getting closer to Raphael whilst her inability to keep her mouth closed manages to upset a lot of other dangerous characters.  As a result of this, Elena is constantly fighting off threats from vampires, angels and even archangels.
I loved the main characters of Elena and Raphael.  Elena is strong and independent and I love that she will not back down on things, even when facing an archangel (although this does tend to get her in a lot of trouble).  She has been through a lot in her life and although at times her past comes back to haunt her, she fights through her fear and still manages to get on with the job at hand.  Raphael is dark, dangerous and incredibly sexy.  There is a huge amount of sexual chemistry between these two characters and I love the way the relationship develops between them.
I also really enjoyed reading about the world created by Nalini Singh.  I am fairly new to the genre of urban fantasy but this book was very different to the others that I have read.  Angels are the most powerful creatures on the earth and they are beautiful and deadly.  Vampires, on the other hand, are created by angels and are their subordinates.  In Angels’ Blood the vampires are not portrayed as the all evil beings that they are in some other books - although they do drink blood, they do not kill people.
I loved reading Angels’ Blood; it is full of action, romance, sexual tension and mystery.  I especially loved the ending – it is the first urban fantasy book that has brought a little tear to my eye because of a happy ending!  I cannot recommend this book enough to anybody who loves reading urban fantasy or paranormal romance.

Other books in the series:
1. Angels’ Blood
2. Archangel’s Kiss

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading.

Here’s what you have to do:

1. Grab your current read.

2. Open to a random page.

3. Share two (2) teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

4. Be careful not to include spoilers.

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the books to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh.

The gun had done what Vivek had promised.  It had almost destroyed the bottom half of one wing.  What Vivek hadn’t told her was that when an angel’s wing got hurt, he bled.  And he bled dark red.
Page 137

Also, I am hosting a new meme every Thursday called Radiant Reviews.  All you have to do is link up a review you have written for a book that you have loved and then visit some of the other links to find out what other bloggers are loving.  You can find more info here, and if you have time please do pop back on Thursday – it is very easy to take part and a lot of fun.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  Every week I’ll post about what books I have received that week – either through the mail for review, borrowed from the library or bought.

Purchased:

Philippa Gregory – The White Queen

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets.  They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.
The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty.  While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown.  From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.
With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

Library:

Kresley Cole – A Hunger Like No Other

A mythic warrior who’ll stop at nothing to possess her…
After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he’s waited millennia for is a vampire.  Or partly one.  This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.
A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy…
Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents – until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle.  There, her fear of the Lykae – and their notorious dark desires – ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.
An all-consuming desire…
Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

Nalini Singh - Angels’ Blood

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she’s the best — but she doesn’t know if she’s good enough for this job.  Hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, only one thing is clear — failure is not an option… even if the task is impossible.
Because this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track.  It’s an archangel gone bad.
The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other… and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion.  Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may.  For when archangels play, mortals break…

Elizabeth Noble – The Girl Next Door

What makes a house a home?
For Eve Gallagher, home is miles away in England since she and her husband relocated to an apartment building on New York’s Upper East Side.  And life isn’t remotely coming up roses.
What makes a neighbour a friend?
Violet has lived in the building for decades but she’s always kept herself apart, until Eve’s loneliness touches her heart and friendship blossoms.
What makes a wife a lover?
Jason Kramer in Apartment 6A is no longer sure he loves his wife, but he’s head-over-heels for Rachael Schulman in 6B.
What makes the girl next door the woman of your dreams?
Meeting Emily Mikanowski from 3A turns Trip Grayling’s world upside down.  It’s love at first sight, but he needs help from Charlotte, the shy romance addict in 2A, if he’s going to win the girl.
Dreams come true, hearts are broken and no one is left unchanged when the secrets and desires hidden behind closed doors are finally brought into the light.

Jill Mansell – Nadia Knows Best

When Nadia Kinsella meets Jay Tiernan, she’s tempted.  Of course she is.  Stranded together in a remote Cotswold pub, with a snowstorm raging outside… let’s face it, who would ever know?  But Nadia’s already met The One.  She and Laurie have been together for years — they’re practically childhood sweethearts, and she still gets goose bumps at the sight of him.  Okay, maybe she doesn’t see that much of him these days, but that’s not Laurie’s fault.  She can’t betray him.  Besides, when you belong to a family like the Kinsellas — bewitchingly glamorous grandmother Miriam, feckless mother Leonie, stop–at–nothing sister Clare — well, someone has to exercise a bit of self–control, don’t they?  I mean, you wouldn’t want to do something that you might later regret…

What was in your mailbox this week?