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Archangel's Blade
Archangel's Blade
Archangel's Blade
Audiobook11 hours

Archangel's Blade

Written by Nalini Singh

Narrated by Justine Eyre

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this audiobook

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.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 6, 2011
ISBN9781400187188
Archangel's Blade
Author

Nalini Singh

NALINI SINGHNew York Times and USA TODAY bestselling authorNalini Singh loves writing paranormal romances.Currently working on two ongoing series, she alsohas a passion for travel and has been to places as farafield as Tahiti, Japan, Ireland and Scotland. Shemakes her home in beautiful New Zealand. Tofind out more about Nalini’s books, please visit herwebsite, www.nalinisingh.com.

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Reviews for Archangel's Blade

Rating: 4.17847014164306 out of 5 stars
4/5

353 ratings29 reviews

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  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Let me start by saying I got the scribd subscription because I wanted to finish listening to this series because I loved it so much and my Local library only had the first two books. I am so sad and so disappointed.... I found it to be lacking the plot that the first couple of books had and I felt like it was tedious love scene after tedious love scene that read more like frat boy convo that steamy and hot. I felt like alot of the book was going back to Damien’s past and didn’t spend enough time building on the relationship that he had with Honor. And the whole previous life thing with his wife and Honor was just very strange to me and it didn’t work. At all. Not sure I’ll listen to any more in the series... Truly hope someone likes it more than I did!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent story. The main characters dealt with tragedy and horror in their lives, and they survived!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is more about Dimitri's background before he became a vampire. It plays importantly in the current dynamics with the heroine of the book, Honor.

    Slow burn, decent payoff, easy storyline, very dark themes.

    This book has a some very dark themes, with some really cringy moments.

    There is imprisonment, torture, and the death by eating (vampire) of a baby with descriptions of the sounds. So yeah.

    However, it was a good book.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This wasn't terrible, but it was below average enjoyable for me. Their story and developing relationship were heavily overshadowed by their tragic pasts. I don't at all mind some darkness in a romance, but this felt like it just wallowed in it, or was trying to reach a new level of awfulness or something. Many considerable content warnings. multiple instances of enslavement, multiple instances of prolonged mental and physical torture, prolonged (2 months!) rape of heroine by multiple abusers, incest (though not involving hero or heroine), terrible deaths of loved ones including children, eesh. and probably some others as well, I'm not particularly sensitive to trigger warnings, these were just in my face enough that I couldn't help but note them. Actually I felt a little bit beaten over the head with them. A giant chunk of the book is about the two of them reeling from these terrible events as well, so it's not like they're just mentioned in passing or something. Every time I turned around it seemed like I learned that it was actually even worse than I'd previously thought! lol. I would have imagined that my empathy at least would have bonded me to the characters or something, but I didn't end up liking them all that much. Perhaps if more of the focus had been on the characters and their relationship, rather than so much about their trauma, and this mystery they're trying to solve, they would have been a bit more relatable or developed or something. There would at least be more romance to counterbalance the disturbing aspects.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    This was a good read but truthfully there were way too many 'conveniences' for my liking... it felt as though there were 2 good stories battling for attention. I won't be selling it..but not a favourite
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Despite my general disinterest in "second love" stories (Dmitri was married as a mortal), I loved this book!!! Honor's journey of healing was so well done, and the angst was right up my alley!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Archangel's Blade
    5 Stars

    Dmitri, the enigmatic leader of Raphael’s Seven, seeks the help of the Guild in deciphering the strange symbol tattooed on the corpse of a young vampire. Guild historian, Honor St. Nicholas is recovering from a brutal attack that left her shattered and demoralized. She is in no shape to deal with the dangerous vampire who arouses inexplicable emotions and an intense attraction in her. Yet, the more time they spend together, the more Dmitri and Honor come to realize that their connection goes beyond the physical and they may have more in common than they think . . .

    This is the fourth book in the Guild Hunter series and the first to focus on a couple other than Raphael and Elena. Dmitri has always been somewhat problematic due to the animosity and distrust in his relationship with Elena. Consequently, the extent to which his character grew on me was surprising and it is a testament to Singh’s skill at drawing intense relationships that his romance with Honor is so captivating.

    Despite his capacity for cold cruelty and vicious brutality, there is also something vulnerable about Dmitri and Singh does an excellent job outlining his backstory and explaining the circumstances behind his actions and motivations.

    Honor is an exceedingly resilient heroine. Despite the trauma she suffered, she stands her ground with Dmitri, toe to toe, and never allows him to intimidate or bully her, which is really something considering his lethal personality.

    There is nothing sweet or mild about Dmitri and Honor’s sexual chemistry, which sizzles from their first meeting and builds slowly but surely toward a raw and almost violent explosion. The only problematic aspect of their relationship is the reincarnation theme, which takes time to get used to (although there are plenty of hints as to what’s going on). Nevertheless, given Dmitri's nature, it becomes clear that this is the only way for things to resolve themselves.

    Familiar secondary characters put in an appearance: Illium, Jason, Venom, Raphael and Elena, are all there, but the focus never strays from Honor and Dmitri’s incredible story. The dual investigations into those behind the attack on Honor and the person responsible for the dead vampire are compelling with some interesting twists and turns as well as exciting action scenes.

    In sum, an engrossing addition to one of the best paranormal romance series out there.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I was so looking forward to Dmitri's story and then when it came, it just blew me the hell away. Honor was an incredible character, with some beautiful qualities and a backbone to put others to shame. Again with the amazing world building and character development, Nalini Singh's got another hit to her name.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Love Dimitri- he's one tough vampire, and he's super sexy on top of that. He deserves some happiness after all those years of endless blood shedding. Finally he might have found some new love, but is it really ? Ilium/aka Bluebell shows up with his beautiful self, another macho sexy man/angel. (Can't wait for his book) I loved the book till the cheesy for me ending-I think it gave me cavities.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I like that this one took a break from the angels and focused on Dmitri, who is the most interesting character in the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I don't know what it is with this series. It's got everything I love...angels, vampires, strong women, dangerous men, violence, sex, Bluebell ;). So why can't I rate it five stars? Well because it's got a lot of things I don't like abused women and alpha assholes. A too large percentage of the women in these books have been abused. Vampire, angel, human. Doesn't matter. If you're in the GH universe, you're getting abused. It's really really REALLY annoying. I love Singh's books with a passion. The GH world is rich and complex, but please for the love of all the gods stop with the abused women.

    So. Onto the story. Loved this couple. I've always loved Dmitri. His dark sensuality and aggression was always engrossing even if he acted like an alpha asshole. Honor was a good match. Smart, capable, tough, she held her own with Dmitri. I could definitely see the two of them as a couple. So when that reincarnation business started I thought, "No. She's not going to do that." Yup. She did that. All the struggling Dmitri and Honor did to open themselves up to love each other and it turns out Honor is his beloved first wife anyway. What's worse is now Honor has two overly traumatic experiences in her psyche now. Oh, and Honor has no problem with being Made. I knew that would be how they got their HEA but I thought it'd be more of a struggle. What the shit?

    The GH series is pretty high on violence and this book is quite bloody. I love that sort of thing, but I know a lot of PNR readers don't.

    I'm not quitting the series. Yet. But these abused women heroines have to stop. Although by the looks of things Venom/Sorrow will be a thing so there's at least one more traumatized woman getting a HEA.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Archangel’s Blade is book four in the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh.

    I usually write a small summary of the book but in this case the blurb will have to be sufficient because I don’t want to give too much away. Also I’m going to try to write this review as spoiler free as possible. Let’s see if I can.

    When I learned Mrs. Singh was writing Dmitri’s book I was excited and to tell you the true a bit skeptical too. I couldn’t picture Dmitri as a hero in love and caring for anyone. Dmitri is a very dark character who punishes and enjoys the suffering of others, so how was Mrs. Singh going to makes us like him, how was she going to makes us change the image we have of him from Angel’s Blood (book one of the series)? But, she did it. She took us on a trip to his past in which we see his core and the events that transformed him, making him the “person” he is now days.
    Saying Dmitri is a tortured soul is putting it mildly. He has live for thousand years in anger and resentment to others and towards himself for events that were completely out of his control. The way he lives his life is almost as a defense mechanism against his past and his memories. And seeing him letting “his walls” crumble because of a woman was a very nice experience.

    Honor is also a survivor, she was the victim of a very traumatic experience involving vampires, one in which not many will survive with his/her mind intact, but Honor is a fighter and everyday is a milestone to her recovery. Spending time with Dmitri is not an easy task for her on the beginning. He is a vampire to start with, but also he has fascinated her since the moment she arrived to New York, years back, but now after the attack she associates vampires with her attack, so when she is with Dmitri the conflict of emotions is palpable.

    Since their first meeting the tension between these two is off the charts. At the beginning Honor is just a prey for Dmitri but when he learns about her past he takes it as his duty to help her find her revenge from her assailants. With every moment they spend together they get closer and closer and start to open to each other about their lives and their past. I really like this approach to their HEA; honesty is the base for any good relationship but sadly after this highlight in the story is when I started to have a problem with a book that was perfect. There were some hints about Honor that I wasn’t sure where they were going but was suspecting it, and when the end came and my suspicions were confirmed I felt a very big disappointment and cheated. I thought the ending didn’t make justice to the romance. It’s also an ending in which the HEA is very subjective therefore not real (in my opinion). I want to tell you more but if I do I will spoiled the book for you. And that is the last thing I want to do. Also my reaction to the end was a very personal one and it may not be the same reaction you would have.

    We see some glimpses of Elena and Raphael, they seem to be doing great and I’m happy for that. We also see more of Illium, Jason, Venom and Holly, now called Sorrow. I don’t know if it was me and my wild imagination but I felt there was something between Venom and Sorrow, we’ll see… Illium worries me a bit, he is still too attached to Elena and I have a feeling that is not going to end up well. I hope I’m wrong because Bluebell is one of my favorite characters and I want him to be safe and happy.

    Janvier from Angel’s Pawn (0.5 prequel of the series) is mention couple of times I think we will see more of him and Ashwini in the future. It was also said that Aodhan is moving to New York, he is one angel I would love to know better and I can’t wait to see what Mrs. Singh has in store for him.

    In general I loved Archangel’s Blade, as always Mrs. Singh writing is spotless, sexy and fluid. If it weren’t because of my disappointment with the end this would have been a 5 Paws book. Anyway Archangel’s Blade is a great book, a book I recommend you to read. It could be read as a stand-alone but I recommend you to read previous books first to have a better image and understanding of the characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While Elena and Gabriel feature in this one they are not the focus of the story. This story features Honor and Dmitri. Honor is a hunter, savaged in a sustained attack that saw her used by several vampires she's helping Dmitri research the source of a head with a distinctive tattoo. This case is going to bring them closer together and is going to change their lives. Dmitri is determined to bring her attackers to justice and this will have lasting results.

    I liked it, the relationship between Honor and Dmitri had to be fought for, it wasn't easy and her reflexes came close to killing him a few times before he managed to convince her that he meant no ill. She was proud, broken in parts but determined to get her revenge and live well as part of that.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I was a little apprehensive I guess, as I've loved Elena and Raphael so much I didn't want to read about other characters and have it fall flat. I did think the dead love come back to life trope was a little tired, but the author made it work. A good read, well worth a look. 4 and a half stars.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Woop la woop woop woop. I love Dmitri, but I'm not gonna lie, I didn't really plan to read this book...because, I hate series that don't keep the same main characters all the way through, I feel like all the books end up being the same just with different characters, my one major exception has been Nalini Singh (Psy-changeling) and even those I have not read them all.

    If anyone is like me, and not planning to read this book...DO IT. You won't regret it, I'm looking forward to the next novel (but I hope it'll be back to rafael and elena, I love them)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    When I heard that the next GuildHunter book would be about Dmitri, I was a bit curious how Ms Singh would manage to redeem him. I must say, she succeeded splendily. This is a complex, violent tale about venegance. It was interesting to see the world through Dmitri and Honor. The two main treads in this tale, is what happened to Holly, and Dmitri's past. As Dmitri and Honor start to search for the ones that planned Holly's aduction, they reveal the dirt sides of the society. Paralell to this, Dmitri is working on another case, on that leads straight to his past.
    I was a bit surprised that I wasn't bothered more by the violence, but it feels right. Dmitri is ruthless, and it would have been odd if he hadn't acted like he did. Or maybe it is that I expect the GuildHunter novels to be violent.
    Or maybe it is that there is so much more in the book that counter it, the friendship between Honor, Ashwini and Vivek. The way Honor treats Holly. The glimpses into Dmitri's past.

    Honestly, this review only scrapes the surface of the book. To really appreaciate it, you need to read the book.


  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I haven't been the biggest fan of this series, but I love this book! Possibly the darkest book she has written, however the characters are great...ugh, my words are failing me. It's great :)
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Excellent read. Forgot to put it in my currently reading as I pretty much read right through.

    I'd like Demetrius from the first Guild Hunter book so this was so anticipated for me. It didn't disappoint. This was more a PNR than the preceeding books and it focused mainly on the two main characters of Demetrius and Honor.

    We did get more of Holly, the girl/woman who was attacked in the first novel by the crazy angel. And I get the feeling that Venom and she will probably be a story in themselves down the road. Holly changes her name to Sorrow which is interesting and it made it so I stopped confusing the main character with her. My brain just kept twisting Honor with HOlly.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Holy cow. Goosebumps, tears, an absolute welter of emotions that will have me going straight back to ANGEL'S BLOOD and reading the series straight through again... ARCHANGEL'S BLADE is an instant favorite that wrung me out with it's emotion and passion. Dmitri was always dark and a little scary, and seeing the smoking coals that his immortality was built upon, the happy husband and father he once was, gave that darkness an extra depth and pathos that was breathtaking. While the extra little twist that brought him and Honor oh so much closer in the end was nice, I almost felt like it was a bridge too far in their relationship. It was so tender and sweet how he and Honor grew to understand each other. Giving that knowledge a preternatural origin cheapened the hard earned intimacy... but not to the point where I didn't adore the book entirely. Once again, Singh handles all of the threads of her previous plot points along with an issue that drives the action just for ARCHANGEL'S BLADE. The glimpses of Raphael and Elena through others' eyes were wonderful (Elena's little fist pump upon landing is my favorite), and the angelic politics and characters added a depth to this story that makes it feel as if their world keeps turning even once I run out of pages. This series, dark though it is, masterfully tugs at my emotions, playing the full scale between tenderness and arousal, humor and heartbreak.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think this book was my favorite in the series so far.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    How odd to suddenly move to a peripheral character for this book after focusing elsewhere on the first three. Also, this one would have worked nicely as a short story. It got repetitive find a bad guy, torture a bad guy, find the next bad guy...etc. The end was a bit too easy as well. How hard will they need to work at this relationship now? Eh.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Honor strength, as a lead character, comes from sheer survival instincts. She was abused beyond recognition and now bores the vestiges from the trauma. At the beginning of the story Dmitri aptly calls her a rabbit because that is how she is portrayed, skittish and nervous. As the storyline progresses she begins to believe in herself and to pick up the pieces of who she used to be before the incident, slowly stepping into the heroine role. She’s a likable character who’s maternal instincts and soft nature contrasts greatly with Dmitri’s ruthlessness.

    Dmitri has always been a strong player in the Guild Hunter Series, as Raphael’s second he is one of the most ruthless vampires, although Venom could give him a run for his money. But it isn’t until Archangel’s Blade that we learn the reasons behind that cold blooded heart. We also get to discover Dmitri’s soft side; does he have one? The simple answer is yes. For a book that didn’t hook me from the opening chapters like its predecessors had done, Dmitri’s character shows a great depth and an emotional pull that sneaks up on you and wraps around you tight enough that by the time the story’s unraveling occurs there is no turning back.

    To be honest, as the book began I didn’t felt the immediate connection the characters were describing they felt to one another. As the story opens, their banter feels forced. Maybe is because Honor is not a character that was eased into the picture, rather one that came down on a parachute and took the lead role. However as the narrative progresses and the relationship gets explored the attraction becomes believable. Especially after details about Dmitri’s past begin to surface and Honor’s journey to recovery takes a turn.

    I enjoyed the book, it took me longer to finish than the previous ones because it took me longer to be hooked by the story, but once is did is was a nice journey. It was actually good to see the real Dmitri and to go along Honor as she tries to end the nightmares that hunt her. If you are a fan of Nalini Singh you will enjoy this book.

    Be aware, this book contains some serious hot scenes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really beautiful, made me cry and smile at same time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Bloody Hell! Nalini Singh’s Archangel series just keeps getting better and better with each addition. Archangel’s Blade is the fourth full-length novel in this series and is the first that doesn’t focus almost exclusively on Elena and Raphael. Archangel’s Blade is the story of Dmitri, and man is it a good one.I feel pretty safe in saying that most readers have, to this point, likely found Dmitri to be totally creepy, seriously lethal, absolutely intriguing, and disturbingly sexy. None of these qualities change in this novel but we are given a glimpse into Dmitri’s world and particularly his past that helps the reader better understand his personality. Dmitri’s past spans a bit more than a thousand years and to say that that past is bloody is putting it mildly. We learn that Dmitri honed his skills as a warrior as a result of his abuse at the hands of Isis; he carries a torch for his long-dead wife, Ingrede; and his loyalty to Raphael runs deeper than anyone ever suspected.And then there is Honor St. Nicholas, the totally damaged Guild Hunter whose first mission following her abduction and abuse at the hands of a gang of demented vampires is with Dmitri. Man, did she draw the short straw, or what? The problem however is much more complicated than simply dealing with Dmitri’s vampirism. The larger issues are: 1) Honor is still flashing back to her time in captivity which makes her a bit twitchy and somewhat lethal; 2) she and Dmitri are trying to track down a sadistic killer who is taunting Dmitri with memories from his past and; 3) that both Dmitri and Honor are ridiculously attracted to one another.Here’s what I liked about this book: freakin’ everything!! Once again, the plot not only unfolds but deepens leaving the reader with a ton of questions about what’s going to come next. And we know there is going to be a next. The characters, all of them not just Dmitri and Honor, evolve as the story goes on but remain true to their basic natures – an absolute strength for this series. As for the secondary characters, well, Singh once again manages to dangle just enough information to make the reader crave more. For example, there’s Venom who is still remarkably creepy but evidently has a soft spot for Sorrow (nee Holly), Illium is still dangerously far too interested in humans, and Ashwini has become a more prominent player. With all this being said, Singh doesn’t ignore the older more established characters like Elena and Raphael; they are still very much a part of this series even when they are not center stage. Singh’s willingness to move established and beloved characters like Elena and Raphael to a secondary position is a risk but one that she makes work each and every time. As a dedicated reader of this series I find the risk to be worth it as it allows more time and pages for the development of other characters.Bottom line: Singh changed my mind about Dmitri; I always thought he was a dangerously sexy but didn’t really care for his attitude. After this book, I’m good with Dmitri and looking forward to seeing how his character will further evolve in future novels. As for Honor, she has nowhere to go but up and with Dmitri at her side, they may be damn near unstoppable as a team. The long-term plot line has far-reaching possibilities and has yet to become even remotely close to stale. I have yet to feel frustrated or cranky over an Archangel novel’s ending because I know, without doubt, that Singh is going to trot out something equally as good within the next year.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales Quick and Dirty: Dark, sexy and one heck of a ride. Opening Sentence: Crouching on the concrete pier lit only by the dull yellow glow of a flickering streetlight several feet away, Dmitri tilted the severed head toward him with a grip in the dead male’s damp hair, not bothering with gloves. The Review: The setting of this fourth installment of Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series is “modern day” New York with an added twist. In Ms. Singh’s world the angels and archangel’s run the show and vampires are common place. In order to become a vampire, a mortal must submit to testing, and be physically compatible to the venom secreted by the angels that turns mortals into vampires. The vampires are then required to serve under those angels for a period of time before they are given their freedom. Then there are the Guild Hunters. These are mortals put in charge of policing the rogue vampires, ones who break their contracts with their angels, or break the rules of living within the mortal realm. It is these hunters that the series is based upon. Honor, this novel’s heroine, is one of the Guild Hunters. Well, she used to be anyway. After being kidnapped and tortured for two months by a group of vampires, Honor finds herself unable to perform her duties, and hides out among the archives. But, when her expertise is needed, she faces her demons head on and teams up with a vampire *gasp*to solve a string of murders and find her kidnappers. I am a lover of Ms. Singh’s writing in this and her other series. She has a knack for writing characters that are truly believable, and admirably strong and resilient. I am in awe of Honor’s tenacity in the face of adversity (and I believe I’ve heard that somewhere before). A quote from Dmitri says it best. “So soft,” he murmured. “Feminine, beautiful, and tough to break.” Dmitri is the baddest of the bad. As the archangel Raphael’s second in command, he is the vampire that all others of his kind and everyone else fear. Dmitri was also kidnapped and tortured, long ago, but by an angel named Isis, who also murdered and tortured his wife and children. When this bit of bad news rises up from the past, Dmitri must bring in Honor to help him find out who and what is going on. Also, after meeting the lovely Honor, he makes it his personal mission to hunt down those vampires that tortured her, and make sure they pay in kind. In every book in this series, Dmitri comes off as one scary SOB, and I’ll be damned if that isn’t what makes him so sexy. Gifted with the ability to attract with his scent, and who wouldn’t want a man who smelled of “a drugging whisper of champagne and desire molten as gold, orchids under moonlight, chocolate-dipped berries kissing a woman’s skin.” I don’t know where Ms. Singh gets her inspiration for her heroes, such as Dmitri, but I think we’d all like a chunk of it. Add into the mix his tortured soul, and this vamp reaches heartthrob status. All in all, Archangel’s Blade is a perfect follow up to Archangel’s Consort, and Nalini Singh knows when to give her readers exactly what they want. So, this reader would like to put in a request for a book for the delectable Bluebell. Pretty please? Notable Scene: When Valeria bared her teeth at Honor, refusing to answer the question, he shot the other woman through the thigh, in almost precisely the spot where the female vampire liked to feed. Valeria screamed high and shrill. Honor understood that the punishments used for immortals, their bodies able to recover from brutal injuries, weren’t the same as for mortals. But she’d never been up close and personal with the merciless reality of it. “Does it bother you at all?” she asked Dmitri when Valeria’s screams died out into sobs. He shrugged, shoulders moving with muscled grace beneath the thin cotton of his T-shirt. “No.” Putting his gun down beside the crystal bowl, he said “Valeria, be a good hostess and answer Honor’s question,” before popping one of the chocolates into his mouth. “I don’t know anything else,” the vampire sobbed, her eyes rimmed red with her tears. “J-just about T-Tommy.” “Oh don’t worry,” Honor said, remembering how Valeria had sipped at her own tears, how she’d giggled when Honor screamed so much her throat turned raw, her voice gone, “we’ll get to Tommy.” She didn’t know what Valeria had heard in her voice, but the vampire suddenly looked afraid in a way Honor would have never expected in a vampire of her age and power. “He did everything, remember?” Valeria said, hands rising to her throat again as the wound began to heal around the heavy hunting knife. “I wouldn’t.” Dmitri ate another chocolate. Dropping her hands in spasming fear, Valeria continued to speak to Honor, eyes shimmering with tears. “He was the one who hurt you—I just wanted to feed.” Yes, Tommy had hurt her, as only a man could hurt a woman. But only because Valeria had egged him on. Before that, his psychical assaults had been relatively minor in the scheme of things—the bastard had enjoyed her blood more than anything else. Valeria, however, has always been very inventive when it was just her and Honor in the dark. “Oh, did that hurt?” A whisper-soft laugh. “Naughty me. But a girl has to feed.” “Dmitri,” Honor said, “I’ve changed my mind.” And then she shot Valeria through the other thigh. Guild Hunter Series: 1. Angel’s Blood 2. Archangel’s Kiss 3. Archangel’s Consort 4. Archangel’s Blade FTC Advisory: Berkley Sensation provided me with a copy of Archangel’s Blade. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I’m a huge Nalini Singh fan and I love the Guild Hunter series. But to be honest I was worried when I found out the series was changing direction from being completely focused around Elena and Raphael. Then the cover was released and I didn’t like it near as much as the past in the series. I was starting to get really scared that this was going to be the first Singh book I didn’t like. Archangel’s Blade Is all about Dmitri (Raphael’s second) the first book that focuses on one of Raphael’s seven. I am extremely happy to say I was wrong. I loved Archangel’s Blade!With everything I knew about Dmitri from previous books in the series I knew the role of his love interest would not be an easy one to fill. Honor is a strong hunter who has been completely broken. Watching Honor put herself back together was beautiful. There is one part of herself that she had no idea she had (I’m not going to give a big spoiler here) and it’s what will keep Honor and Dmitri together. I can’t say that before Archangel’s Blade I really loved or hated Dmitri, but now…oh Dmitri. I find myself again jealous of a woman in a book for having this fictional man that I know does not exist. I knew that he was one thousand years old and that he has been Raphael’s friend all that time. I know that in all that time horrible things can happen to you, still I was amazed at the heart ache he had lived through. I enjoyed how Nalini Singh told Dmitri’s back story just a little at a time throughout the book and not in big chunks I felt like it really set a great pace for the book. Throughout Archangel’s Blade we got to see Illium (Bluebell) and Venom, who are two of my favorite out of the seven. I loved their supporting rolls in this story and can’t wait to read each of theirs!Happy Reading,Rebecca
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Redonk Nutshell: An ancient and powerful vampire teams up with a damaged Guild Hunter to track down the culprit responsible for ritualistic murders of vampires around the cityHere it is, ya'll. The reason I got into The Guild Hunter series. Don't judge by the cover - look past the dude and his entrancing six -pack. Or as Spaz from WLP puts it the guy " that looks kind of like a buff Kevin Nealon." The rom bloggers I follow all had something to say about Dmitir, which more or less sums up to: Nasty byatch be hot. How could I not be intrigued? Having plowed through (and enjoyed) the first three books in The Guild Hunter Series, I was excited to finally get to Dmitri's story. I wasn't disappointed. Briefly here's what we got: Dmitri, the right hand to the epic Archangel of New York, is on the case of a murdered vampire bearing a strange archaic tattoo. The Guild has assigned one of their hunters specializing in languages to assist him. Honor accepts her task begrudgingly. She's only barely recovered from a vicious vampire assault, but she's determined to get herself back out there and conquer her fears. Who else to help her get over her fear than one of the scariest, most renowned vampire in the world? Ha effing ha. What makes Dmitri so intriguing is he has no qualms about being a dark and disturbing individual, and at times, jack ass. He purposely pushes people's buttons, constantly toeing a line between what's acceptable and what's not. He has no qualms about who he is and why he does what he does. The only other person to truly know him is Raphael, the Archangel. Dmitri has a horrific past, events that have carefully honed him into the beast of a man he is today. You can imagine his reaction when he meets the Guild Hunter he's been assigned, a woman battered and utterly terrified yet fiercely committed to meeting his unspoken challenge to control. Dmitri is not an easy man to face, yet Honor forces herself to do so, earning herself the spotlight of Dmitri's interest. They work together to solve the case of the strange tattoo and the dead vampires piling up around them. In the process, Dmitri helps Honor to overcome her fears, taking it upon himself to track down the vampires that had abducted, tortured and violated her. In the process these two form a unique bond, and Dmitri finds himself struggling to come to terms with his past and what's being offered to him presently. Without giving spoilers, Honor and Dmitri's story is resolved in a manner that may leave some with a flat taste in their mouths. I personally am not the biggest fan of...this sort of plot device...but in this case it worked. Dmitri and Honor are SO damaged that the manner in which they finally find peace seems appropriate. It's the only way for them to have their Happily Ever After. Overall, I enjoyed Archangel's Blade. It was worth delving into the series - I'm so glad I did! I can't wait to read more. And seriously, Ms. Singh? I need me some more Illium. Pronto. Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh, 310 pgs, 9/6/11Rating: BRomance: 2/5 Raunch: 3.5/5
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Honor is a Hunter who is trying to recover from being kidnapped and held prisoner by some vampires for two months. She was hurt every way a person can be hurt but she survived. When the story begins she is being forced out of her new secure rut and sent to meet with Dmitri because she has a knowledge of ancient languages. A recent vampire corpse was found with a tattoo written in an unknown language.Honor begins by being very afraid of any vampire and especially afraid of Dmitri. After all, Dmitri has made himself the most feared vampire in New York. As a second to the Archangel Raphael, he has had to be this way to control the other vampires in the city. But, while Honor is afraid of Dmitri, she is also fascinated by him. Dmitri begins to admire her too but doesn't believe that he has a heart to give her. His heart still belongs to the wife and children that he lost 1000 years ago. This story tells a lot of Dmitri's backstory and helps us understand him and know how and why he is the way he is. Even though Honor is still traumatized by her captivity, she is still very strong and brave. This is what first intrigues Dmitri. Soon he begins to aid her in finding and punishing those who held her captive. Together, the two of them try to solve both crimes - her captivity and the deaths of newly-Made vampires.The book was filled with lush sensuality with a hefty dose of cruelty. The whole Angel-Vampire world seems to run on cruelty and harsh punishment. I liked that Honor was able to overcome the trauma that she suffered and I was glad that Dmitri was finally able to overcome some of the trauma that he had suffered too. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is about revenge. Ok, it is a romance, but both our hero and heroine must deal with others who have hurt them very badly. Vampire Dmitri's revenge happened in the past against the angel who ruined him deeply. He has been a hard, lethal vampire ever since. And now some local murders seem to have a connection to that past. Guild Hunter Honor has been hiding from others and herself ever since her brutal torture at the hands of some sadistic vampires. When she is assigned to a case with Dmitri, he ends up helping her hunt and bring vengeance against those who hurt her.Singh knows how to bring it. She is able to present a character as hard and lethal and unforgiving in one book and make you fall in love with him in the next. I liked Dmitri and Honor very much, and I liked them even more when they were together. They have an uneasy relationship at first, but they start to depend on and care for and, of course, lust after (almost immediately) the other. The twist at the end in regards to their relationship I completely saw coming - not a surprise at all. But it was still emotionally and brilliantly presented.I am giving this book 5 stars, though I do have one beef. I find the cover quite awful - really really awful. That absolutely is not Dmitri.