Book Review: Archangel's Shadows by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Shadows
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter (Book 7)
Publication: Jove (October 28, 2014)

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.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story of Ashwini and Janvier's romance. It is hard to fit a romance in when both are busy trying to find a vampire who is brutalizing women and draining more than their blood. Ash is determined to find justice for a hopeful young woman  who was used, abused and left in a trash dumpster. The more she finds out about Felicity the more she wants justice for her.

She and Janvier have been friendly enemies for quite a while. As a guild hunter, she has been sent to track him down on more than one occasion when he has irritated an angel. But all the while she has been falling for his Cajun charm. It helps that he is one of the few people that she can touch without being swept into his memories. Janvier has wanted her since he first saw her and has come to the point, after her near death in the angels' war, where he isn't going to be put off any longer.

Ash is keeping a secret that she believes prevents her from forming a relationship. Janvier has a lot to do to convince her that nothing will separate them.

I also enjoyed seeing Elena and Raphael in this one but wished we could have seen more of them. They are both busy picking up the pieces since the defeat, probably temporary, of Lijuan. I liked seeing Elena's growing relationship with the Legion and her growing role as Raphael's consort.

Fans of the Guild Hunters series will definitely enjoy learning more about these two characters.

Favorite Quote:

Releasing her grip on the cotton of his tee, she slid her hand up into his hair, and kissed him soft and sweet and with every ounce of the heartbreaking emotion inside her. It lasted for a fleeting fragment of time and it changed the world.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.