Archangel's Kiss

This book continues off pretty soon after the first book. Our heroine Elena is learning how to fight and learning to strengthen her wings so that she can learn to fly. They have two months to have her ready to meet one of the oldest of their kind and the most powerful. And Raphael and Elena need to be ready for any trick she may pull including trying to kill them. Elena is considered a "baby" and weak and can be killed pretty easily. But Elena is just as fierce in this book as she is in the first one. This story isn't as intense in building of plot and suspenseful moments, but it goes on a different take and one that I really liked. We see more focus on the emotional bonds between Raphael and Elena. The sexual tension between these two is enough to start a fire or more, boy these two have some wicked chemistry and see more focus on that in this story. Which is what I loved most about it, was seeing these two really come together in the way they both needed to. The supporting characters were unique and some of them were some bat crazy, we fall in love with a little boy angel and we get more of the "seven" and Elena holds her own where they are concerned. Overall this is a couple to keep your eye one...excited to see what the next book brings to us!!Question To The Readers:Have you read this series? What do you think of Raphael and Elena? “They didn't understand that she held his heart, held it so utterly that there was nothing he wouldn't do, no line he wouldn't cross to keep her safe.“We'll build our own home."The promise curled around her heart, a vivid ray of sunlight. "In Manhattan?""Of course." A slow, slow smile. "What kind of mansion would you like?"Damn, but the archangel was playing with her again. The sunshine grew, filled her veins."Actually, I kind of like yours." She slid her arms around his neck. "Can I have it? Oh, and can I have Jeeves, too? I've always wanted a butler.""Yes."She blinked. "Just like that?""It's only a place.""We'll make it more," she promised, her mouth to his. "We'll make it ours.”“But you, you’ve always been the rain, the wind, inside my mind. I taste you when I sleep, when I wake, when I breathe.”

Too much angel politics for me, but still good. Just wish more time spent on the romance.

Book 2 in the Guild Hunter series by New Zealand author Nalini Singh. After the fight with Uram, vampire hunter Elena and Archangel Raphael almost died. Elena has woken from a year-long coma to find that she has become an angel. Raphael takes her to the angel's Refuge, where she heals and is trained to use her new body. Raphael has become weaker through his love for Elena. He must ready her for a flight to Beijing, to attend a ball thrown by the archangel Lijuan whose power lies with the dead.

"Archangel's Kiss" is a direction sequel to the first book in the Guild Hunter's series, "Angels' Blood". I think I liked this as much, if not more than Angels' Blood. I really enjoyed the banter between Elena and Raphael and there were other bits that were really interesting, the ones where Elena had to learn new things. (I'm being vague because I don't want to spoil things)
Overall it was a good book, it ends on a light cliffhanger but I don't mind because the rest of the series has already been released.

A few of the scenes were a bit too gruesome for me, which is why I'm knocking half of a star off.

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5

Well paced, with a good balance of action and quiet moments. But it was very dark. Ilium and even the other members of the Seven did provide some light amusement. I can't wait to read the stories of the Seven, they are exceptional secondary characters, but it looks like there's another Raphael and Elena story to read first...

Elena has to deal with past childhood horrors, as she learns how to be a newly made angel. Someone is showing signs that they want to become a new Archangel, and their ticket being her head. On top of that going on while Elena retrains her body to it's warrior physique, Lijuan, the oldest of the Archangels is growing an army of zombies (more or less). Lijuan is feared because her power is so supreme, that she believes herself to be a goddess. The other angels agree that she is not wholly of this world. Elena needs to survive her memories that weaken her, and the constant threats from Raphael's seven elite guards. They believe that she is weakening Raphael, she is causing him to become human. They rather her be dead than risk Raphael.

You get more of Raphael's view. The tenderness that he shows her is not at all the way angels are set up. They are ruthless and cruel and efficient. They both have had devastating childhoods, and I think that makes their pairing more enjoyable to read. You can see how they truly mesh well together.