Review: Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Kiss

Author: Nalini Singh

Publication: Berkley; Original edition (February 2, 2010)

Description: Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find that she has become an angel-and that her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, likes having her under his control. But almost immediately, Raphael must ready Elena for a flight to Beijing, to attend a ball thrown by the archangel Lijuan. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan's power lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena...

My Thoughts: This book was great! I loved watching Elena go from being one of the strongest and most talented humans around to one of the weakest and most vulnerable angels. It was good watching her learn about the angel world and find her place in it. It was also good to see the relationship between Raphael and Elena grow. Raphael makes most alpha males look a little soft and fluffy. He is immortal (well sort of) and has unbelievable skills and power. He is an object of fear to anyone with any sense at all. But he loves Elena and is willing to compromise for her. Elena is strong in her humanity even though she is now also an immortal angel. She is strong enough for a relationship with equality. She brings her strengths to Raphael.

I like the world and mythology that is created. Singh talks about some of the hidden dangers of immortality. So many of the angels have gotten to the point where they have no value for human life and the only thing that interests them is causing pain. Angels are the top predator on Earth and their politics are based on who is the strongest. Elena is a weakness for Raphael and she must quickly learn to defend herself. Luckily, she is a skilled survivor. Both Elena and Raphael have pasts that haunt them. Elena was witness to a rogue vampire coming to her home when she was ten hunting her who then killed her two older sisters in horrible ways and torturing her mother. Her mother later commits suicide. Elena had blocked most of those memories but becoming immortal has stirred them up again in the form of nightmares. Raphael has nightmares of his own. His own father was killed by his mother after he devolved into a blood-craving monster and his mother disappeared. Raphael fears that he too will devolve. You see, immortals do either devolve or evolve over the course of their long lives. Elena's human heart is what will keep him from devolving.

Lijuan is the oldest of the immortals and she has evolved in such a way that she has no interest in humanity at all and is busy creating zombie like creatures who are loyal only to her. She sees Elena as a curiosity to be experimented with. She has so much power that the other angels fear her. But Lijuan is not Elena's only enemy. She dodges many attempts to kill her and a good part of the book is concerned with finding out who is targetting her and stopping them.

This was a rich, fascinating book filled with well-rounded characters. I look forward to following further adventures in the Guild Hunter series.

Challenges: RYOB Reading Challenge, Bottoms Up Reading Challenge

  

Friday Memes: Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Happy Friday everybody!!

Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Becky at Page Turners. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
• Post a link along with your post back to Storytime with Tonya and Friends.
• Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

My book this week is Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh. It has been sitting on my TBR pile until I got to it. However, I have read some great reviews lately and moved the book to the top of the stack.

The first two sentences are:

Elena gripped the balcony railing and stared down at the gorge that fell away with jagged promise beneath. From here, the rocks looked like sharp teeth, ready to bite and tear and rip.

Here is the fifth sentence on page 56:

He cupped her cheek, his fingers cool from the night air.

I have high hopes for this book. I love the cover and enjoyed the first book in the series.

Waiting on Wednesday: Mouse and Dragon by Lee & Miller

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

Mouse and Dragon

Authors: Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

Publication: Baen (June 1, 2010)

Aelliana Caylon has endured much, and finally, she appears to have won all: a spaceship, comrades, friends -- and the love of a pilot she adores.

 

Even better that her lover—the man who was destined for her, a man as much a loner as she—is also the Delm of Korval, arguably the most powerful person on all of Liad. He has the power to remove her and protect her from the toxic environment of her home Clan. Best of all, he agrees to sit as her co-pilot and her partner in a courier business.

 

Even happy endings sometimes show a few flaws. Such as Aelliana's home clan being not as agreeable to letting her go as it had first seemed. And the fact that someone is stealing pilots in the Low Port, which falls within the Delm of Korval's honor. Oh, and the revelation that the man she loves—the man who is destined for her—isn't entirely the man she thought he was. And finally, she discovers that even the lift from Liad she'd so fervently desired, is part of a larger plan, a plan requiring her to be someone she never thought she was, or could be.

 

This is the story for people who want to know what happens after Aelliana is almost brain fried in Scout's Progress and before Val Con is caught pretending to be Terrence O'Malley in Agent of Change.

 

WW28: Out of Mind by Stella Cameron

WW28 (which explains this meme) 

 

A chance to showcase your favourite!

• First you grab our Wicked Wednesday pic.
• Then you grab a book. Turn to page 28. Take the first sentence. And then you post it in your site with a link back to WW28.
• Come back to Cherry Mischievous - WW28 and give us the url of your post (in a comment at a WW28 post) so that other WW28 readers can find your WW28 offering.

The book I'm reading right now is Out of Mind by Stella Cameron. I received it as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. It seems to be a paranormal thriller.

 

Here is sentence 1 on page 28:

"Marley," Willow said, "you'd better give Gray a call."

The only thing I can say about this sentence is that it is talking about the characters who were the stars of the first book in this series - Out of Body. The heroine of this one -Willow - is the speaker.

Tease Tuesday: Out of Mind by Stella Cameron

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Out of Mind

Author: Stella Cameron

Publication: Mira; Original edition (March 30, 2010)

Willow couldn't miss the sexy cavorting in and around the pool, but behaved as if she hadn't noticed a thing. She needn't have bothered to put the swimsuit on under her dress since nothing would get her to take off any clothing here. (p. 68)

I received this from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. I find that it is the second one in a series. Luckily, the first book deals with another sibling in this family with unusual paranormal gifts. The couple of pages I have read so far are downright chill-producing, scary.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (May 3, 2010)

It's Monday, What are you reading is a meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Here is what Sheila says about it:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme. I offer a weekly contest for those who visit 10 or more of the Monday Meme participants and leave a comment. You receive one entry for every 10 comments, just come back here and tell me how many in the comment area.

Here is what I read and reviewed last week:

A Place for Delta by Melissa Walker was sent to me for review. It is a middle grade book. I wrote the review and scheduled it for the last week in May as the publicist requested. Check back then on Ms. Martin Teaches Media if you are curious about it.

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts was an excellent addition to the Brides Quartet. I love a feel good romance between two competent adults.

Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick was a historical paranormal romance. I am a big fan of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick/Jayne Castle and always buy her latest releases. This one did not disappoint. It was another quick, feel good read.

Mistwood by Leah Cypess was a paranormal book by a debut YA author. I found the story to be entertaining. I liked the fantasy world that was created.

I am currently reading:

Burned by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast -- I have been following the House of Night series since the beginning and am excited to find out what is next for our heroine and her friends.

 Here is what is next on my TBR shelf: 

I received Out of Mind by Stella Cameron from LibraryThing Early Reviewers. It looks interesting.

I am eager to get to Hard Magic by Laura Anne Gilman. I enjoy her Retrievers series and think this spin-off series sounds good too.

I have The Thief on my Kindle and actually began reading the first few pages the other day when I had my Kindle but no print books with me as I was waiting somewhere. This will be a re-read. I want to read the series again before I get to book 4. I think Thursday will be this book's day. I have appointments at the Mayo Clinic and expect some significant waiting time when I can read.

Archangel's Kiss has been on my TBR stack since February. I have read such great reviews lately that I had to move it closer to the top of the pile.

Romancing the Dead by Tate Hallaway has been on the stack even longer. I'd like to read it before I go to the book signing next Saturday but the odds are getting longer that that will actually happen.

I haven't even given a thought to the books that I have pre-ordered that will be arriving this week. They are just going to have to wait. Those are my plans. What are yours?

 

In My Mailbox (May 2, 2010)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.

I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the cool books everyone gets. You will discover lots of wonderful blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

New books were published this week so I added a bunch to my TBR stack.

Laurie R. King published The God  of the Hive, a new Sherlock Holmes/Mary Russell adventure, and I had to find out what was going on in their lives. Don't you love it when fiction characters are so real that you just have to know that?

Blood Ties by Kay Hooper is another series that I am following. I waited a while for this one so that I could buy a used copy through Amazon Marketplace.

Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts is the third in the Brides Quartet. I pre-ordered it as soon as I could and I am deep into to the story of Lauren and Del even as I am writing this post.

Christine Feehan published Wild Fire. I have been following this author and the series. I love her books about shape shifters.

Linda Howard and Linda Jones published Blood Born. I think this is Linda Howard's first venture into the paranormal. I have been reading her books since her Silhouette Romance days.

The Sweet Scent of Blood by Suzanne McLeod is a new author to me. I don't know why I bought it. It must have been well-reviewed on one of the many blogs I read.

Out of Mind by Stella Cameron arrived in my mailbox a couple of days ago. It was also a surprise. If I won it somewhere, thank you. (I don't remember buying it.)

I also added some new titles to my Kindle.

Her Vampire Husband by Michel Hauf has been getting a lot of buzz on the blogs I follow. When I learned that she was a fellow Minnesotan, I had to buy the book.

Regina in the Sun by R. G. Alexander was a free book for the Kindle this week. It looked good. So I added it.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer has been on my radar for a while. I passed up the chance to buy a copy at one of our school book fairs. And then it wasn't available at the next book fair. I heard about it again at the Spotlight on Books conference I recently attended and decided that I had to have it.

Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines looked and sounded good when I read the reviews.

Never Less Than a Lady by Mary Jo Putney is the second in a series. I did read and enjoy the first.

Sharp eyed readers will note that I also bought a copy in paper of Blood Born by Linda Howard and Linda Jones. This was a mistake. Amazon doesn't tell me that I already bought a different version of the same book. The book version will be given away in my next giveaway. I am starting to get a pile of ARCs and duplicates again.

That was what I got this week. What did you add to your TBR stack?