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Catherine's Reviews > Archangel's Kiss
Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, #2)
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Catherine's review
bookshelves: angels-guardians, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, romance, series, vampire, excellent, read-2010, read-2011, assassin-killer-bounty-hunter, necromancy, already-married
Mar 08, 2010
bookshelves: angels-guardians, fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi, romance, series, vampire, excellent, read-2010, read-2011, assassin-killer-bounty-hunter, necromancy, already-married
Ever since I read the previous novel, Angels' Blood, I have been waiting impatiently for this book to come out. I was nervous about reading it though. Sometimes I'll love the first book in a series and then feel disappointed in the following books. That is definitely not the case here. It was definitely worth the wait.
In this book we get to see the vulnerability of Elena in relation to all the other angels in her new world. She's used to being the strongest person and now has to deal with being the weakest. I liked that though she tried to stand on her own she didn't fall into stupidity and refuse to listen to Raphael about her limitations as a new angel.
I loved watching Elena's interactions with the Seven and all the new angels she encounters in the refuge. I'm very interested in seeing more developments with the members of the Seven. I also liked how the author avoided making Michaela into a cardboard cutout villain. She's not wholly bad although she's not wholly good. She has vulnerabilities and weaknesses that throw her into an area of gray that Elena wishes she didn't have to see. It's much easier to hate someone when you don't feel bad for them.
The author did a good job of showing Elena emotionally vulnerable but still strong. It was her choice to allow herself to lean on Raphael and he recognizes and treasures it. I loved how he's learning that though he is powerful he can't force Elena to open to him. Trust is a fragile thing and he realizes that he has to toe the line or he'll break her. I liked watching him try to reconcile his own personality with the care the new relationship needs.
Speaking of breaking Elena, this book did a really good job with sexual tension. Because Elena is still so weak from the transition Raphael won't make love to her because he's afraid he'll break her. The tension was great and the payoff worth it. I also really loved the vulnerability we saw when Raphael couldn't leave Elena in silence. After her year in a coma and his inability to reach her mind he has some definite anxiety there. It was sweet to see.
I can't wait to see what will come with the next book. I'm so glad I found this series
In this book we get to see the vulnerability of Elena in relation to all the other angels in her new world. She's used to being the strongest person and now has to deal with being the weakest. I liked that though she tried to stand on her own she didn't fall into stupidity and refuse to listen to Raphael about her limitations as a new angel.
I loved watching Elena's interactions with the Seven and all the new angels she encounters in the refuge. I'm very interested in seeing more developments with the members of the Seven. I also liked how the author avoided making Michaela into a cardboard cutout villain. She's not wholly bad although she's not wholly good. She has vulnerabilities and weaknesses that throw her into an area of gray that Elena wishes she didn't have to see. It's much easier to hate someone when you don't feel bad for them.
The author did a good job of showing Elena emotionally vulnerable but still strong. It was her choice to allow herself to lean on Raphael and he recognizes and treasures it. I loved how he's learning that though he is powerful he can't force Elena to open to him. Trust is a fragile thing and he realizes that he has to toe the line or he'll break her. I liked watching him try to reconcile his own personality with the care the new relationship needs.
Speaking of breaking Elena, this book did a really good job with sexual tension. Because Elena is still so weak from the transition Raphael won't make love to her because he's afraid he'll break her. The tension was great and the payoff worth it. I also really loved the vulnerability we saw when Raphael couldn't leave Elena in silence. After her year in a coma and his inability to reach her mind he has some definite anxiety there. It was sweet to see.
I can't wait to see what will come with the next book. I'm so glad I found this series
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Reading Progress
March 8, 2010
– Shelved
June 2, 2010
– Shelved as:
angels-guardians
June 2, 2010
– Shelved as:
fantasy-paranormal-sci-fi
June 2, 2010
– Shelved as:
romance
June 2, 2010
– Shelved as:
series
June 2, 2010
– Shelved as:
vampire
August 25, 2010
– Shelved as:
excellent
September 22, 2010
– Shelved as:
read-2010
January 15, 2011
–
Started Reading
January 15, 2011
–
15.17%
"Illium's better watch himself if he keeps dusting Elena and jerking Raphael's chain."
page
49
January 15, 2011
–
29.1%
""Illium, you should know something about me if this friendship's going to have a hope in hell of working. I'm unlikely to obey Raphael's every order.""
page
94
January 15, 2011
–
51.39%
""Offering to soothe my aches, hunter?" the vampire said, flicking his tongue over one long incisor and coming away with a golden droplet full of poison. "I'm touched." "Just being friendly," she said, matching snark for snark. Venom's pupils contracted the instant before he slid his sunglasses back on. She couldn't help it. "Why isn't your tongue forked?""
page
166
January 15, 2011
–
74.3%
"I love that scene where Elena drops into the hunt in her sparring practice with Venom. It was kind of bad ass."
page
240
January 15, 2011
–
99.07%
""He should have let her rest, but he couldn't bear the silence." - I find it touching that Raphael has this weakness after what happened at the end of the first book."
page
320
January 15, 2011
–
100.0%
"*sigh* Still just as good as when I first read it. Now I'm fresh and ready to tackle the third book!"
page
323
January 15, 2011
– Shelved as:
read-2011
January 15, 2011
– Shelved as:
assassin-killer-bounty-hunter
January 15, 2011
– Shelved as:
necromancy
January 15, 2011
–
Finished Reading
February 1, 2012
– Shelved as:
already-married
Comments Showing 1-47 of 47 (47 new)
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by
Niko
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Sep 22, 2010 12:37PM
Brilliant review Lady ; ). You captured the magic of it exactly. Thanks for giving me the push to read it and stop being a sissy, it was amazing.
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Glad you loved it! I cannot wait to get the next one! I'm actually really glad that this one was set somewhere else so we got to focus on the new circumstances and people, but I do hope we get to see her adjusting to her new life at home soon.I'm glad you commented on my review, I just realized I typed a paragraph twice! Must edit!
Wonderful review Catherine! I love this series too!
Great review, as always! When is the next book out?
Great review, Catherine. I can't wait to read the next book. Is it January yet? ;)
UniquelyMoi *~*Dhestiny*~* wrote: "Great review, as always! When is the next book out?"Thank you UM. So nice! <3 It's out January 25th!
Thank you :)
Dina wrote: "Great review, Catherine. I can't wait to read the next book. Is it January yet? ;)"I wish! I want it now!
I don't know whether to rush to the store that day and read it right away, or try to make myself wait a bit so it's not another year spent impatiently agonizing.
Super review, Catherine. I love this series so much and I can't wait for the next one.
Ally wrote: "Super review, Catherine. I love this series so much and I can't wait for the next one."Thanks! This is my favorite of Nalini Singh's two series. I like the other one a lot too, but there's something extra special about this one.
Catherine wrote: "This is my favorite of Nalini Singh's two series. I like the other one a lot too, but there's something extra special about this one."That something extra special is called Raphael. ;)
So right. *sigh* I love him.
Great review, Catherine! You said everything I thought about this so eloquently. Loved the review and love, love this series! I really don't know how I'm going to wait for January to get here.Nalini Singh is an absolutely amazing writer and her world-building is phenomenal. I adore this series.
Thanks Lynsey! I agree, she creates intensely interesting worlds and I just can't help but be sucked into them.
Catherine...Have you read any of Nalini Singh's contemporary books? I have a couple in my TBR pile.
These are contemporary too Ally. I've read all of the books currently out in the Psy/Changeling series and this series. I think you should try her out!
Thanks Catherine...I am a huge NS fan! I love the Archangel's series and I have only read the first Psy/Changeling book. It was good, but there are other books I want to read before continuing with that series (to my goodreads friends...please don't throw anything at me for saying that)! I haven't read the other contemporaries she has written so I was just wondering if you had or not. I have a couple of them as ebooks, but I can't remember which ones. I think they were recommended to me by Dina.
Oh, I misunderstood you. I didn't know she wrote anything else! I haven't read them.
Me? Are you talking about me, Ally? ;) Yes, I've read three of her Silhouette Desire books and I liked them. They aren't as amazing as her mainstream books, but they were fun to read.
Dina...There is only one you! LOL! Yes...I can't remember when, but you told me the NS books you had read and they were pretty good. I ordered them from Amazon, but haven't read them yet. I don't think anything could compare to the Archangel's books...I love this series so much.
I'm just amazed that I didn't know she had other books running around!
Catherine...If you feel like it, you should check them out. I would guess they are pretty good and we would like them. I had kind of forgotten about them until we started talking about her. I guess I just never think to read one of them when I am looking for a new book to read. This is the one drawback to ebooks for me.
I really prefer not to read ebooks. Trying to read electronically is like pulling teeth. My eyes blur lines together and I read waaaaay slower.
Ally wrote: "I just never think to read one of them when I am looking for a new book to read. This is the one drawback to ebooks for me."That's why now I browse my GR to-read shelf instead of my physical bookshelf when I'm trying to decide what to read next. There's no forgetting those "hidden" ebooks this way. ;)
Catherine...I totally know what you mean and it has honestly taken me probably over a year to really like it. I just got to the point where I was running out of room for my books so I had to look for other options. I have a Kindle and enjoy it, but there is still something about having an actual physical copy of a book in my hands. There are some authors like Nalini Singh or Lisa Kleypas that I still get their books from the bookstore (I can't help it).
Dina wrote: "Ally wrote: "I just never think to read one of them when I am looking for a new book to read. This is the one drawback to ebooks for me."That's why now I browse my GR to-read shelf instead of my ..."
Smart!
Ally wrote: "Catherine...I totally know what you mean and it has honestly taken me probably over a year to really like it. I just got to the point where I was running out of room for my books so I had to look ..."The space issue is always a concern. I can only play Tetris with my books so many times. :)
LOL, Catherine! I love playing Tetris.
LOL, Catherine! I am terrible at getting rid of my books too. I don't mind letting people borrow them, but I just have to have them back. I think I have a book addiction.
LOL. Tetris on my phone. Is this your second time reading this, Catherine?
I've actually read it a few times. :) I didn't read it recently though. I just had to edit my review and forgot to make sure it wasn't pushed as an update. I always forget to do that.
Ah, I thought so. Since we've talked about it a few times, LOL. Great review. I agree with everything you said.
Love, love, love these books. Great review!
Jen wrote: "Love, love, love these books. Great review!"Me too! Can't wait for the third! Thanks!
Hey Catherine! Great review! You already know how much I love this series :)
Thanks, Annie! I wish the third book was out already.
Oh, me too. Hae you read the short stories?
No I haven't. I'm not a fan of the short story format, so I tend to avoid them.
I might have to give this series a try. It sounds intriguing.
Keri wrote: "I might have to give this series a try. It sounds intriguing."I hope you enjoy it if you decide to. It's one I really enjoy.
Yeah, give it a shot, Keri! :)
Hi Catherine! :DPlease vote for Archangel's Kiss at DA BWAHA , the link is below :
The polling opened until noon CST. So please, hurry! ^^
Thanks
Thanks for the FYI. I voted. :)
Woohooo :DHope she make it to round 6 ^^.
I'm still reading this series.
