Title: Archangel’s Blade
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter, Book 4
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: September 6, 2011
The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.
Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.
As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more…
In Archangel's Blade the past comes back to haunt, from the ancient to the near present. Dmitri's memories come back to the fore when someone seems intent on paying homage to his very bloody beginnings. A taunt thrown directly at him, as Raphael is still out of the country when the book starts, Dmitri will use everything he can to put an end – once and for all – to this viciousness.
For Honor St. Nicholas, a hunter for the Guild, the history is much more recent. After living less than a half-life, recovering from a brutal torture that lasted two months, she must learn to live again, and find those who hurt her. When she's contracted to help decipher a strange tattoo she finds Dmitri may just be the best one to help her…and the most dangerous to her.
Welcome back to the world we've come to know and love with Elena and Raphael. The story flows naturally, each scene building on the last until I was holding my breath wanting more. While we get more of the vampires, and the depths of violence they can descend to, this is absolutely a character driven story.
I've been absolutely fascinated with Dmitri from the start. Cruel, capricious, and lethal while still containing that honor, loyalty, and protectiveness. By the time I was just a quarter of the way into Archangel's Blade I was in love with him. He's everything I just said, but it goes so much deeper. Demanding and possessive, protective and patient, gentle – yes, gentle – and unrelenting. He is exactly who he is, not without regrets and pain, but he doesn't ever make excuses for himself either. I love that Ms. Singh doesn't try to make him softer and easier to accept. He has a razor sharpness about him that isn't dulled.
What can I say about Honor to do her justice? Not only is she one of my favorite heroines now, but I would love to know her. She's strong, not just physically because I think most hunters would be, but emotionally, psychologically. She came back from one of the most horrific experiences, and she managed to retain the core of compassion, care and niceness. Then there's the part of her that just won't give up. Plus, she does vengeance really, really well.
It was absolutely a joy to watch the two incredibly strong characters come together and find love.
I loved learning more about Dmitri's past, and seeing Honor come back out of her shell after her torture. We did see a bit of Raphael and Elena, but they didn't take over the story by any means. Another fantastic thing was seeing the interactions between Dmitri and Illium. Having always loved Bluebell, it was great to see him from another perspective.
Ms. Singh takes you deep into the darkest reaches of the vampires in this latest installment of the Guild Hunter series, pulling Dmitri and Honor out into the light. Archangel's Blade is a story that resonated deeply within me, making my heart ache and then soar. All my expectations were absolutely blown away and I can't wait to read the next book in this fantastic series.
Grade: A+
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