Archangel's Storm (Guild Hunter, #5) in Audiobook Junkies

Sep 02, 2012 Melindeeloo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance, favorites, angels, vampires

4.5 stars - There is reason that Singh is one of may favorite authors, her Guild Hunter world is vividly framed but it is all of the small details that make me believe in that world of powerful, dangerous - and not always sane - winged beings and in Singh's characters who are so well drawn that they have a depth that makes them 'live'.

The story, as are the leads and the romance, in Archangel's Storm is more nuanced and subtle than some of the other Guild Hunter stories but I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars - There is reason that Singh is one of may favorite authors, her Guild Hunter world is vividly framed but it is all of the small details that make me believe in that world of powerful, dangerous - and not always sane - winged beings and in Singh's characters who are so well drawn that they have a depth that makes them 'live'.

The story, as are the leads and the romance, in Archangel's Storm is more nuanced and subtle than some of the other Guild Hunter stories but I really enjoyed it. There is a great deal of relationship development between the two angelic leads: the highly observant and very emotionally closed off spymaster, Jason - who suffered severe emotional trauma as a child - and the also watchful Mahiya - archangel Neha's adopted daughter - who is both punished and the punishment for the betrayal by her father that led to her birth. Also very interesting is the background hunt for a murderer - which is the reason that one of Raphael's Seven is allowed access to an 'enemy' archangel's court. I liked that Singh gave enough clues to the mystery to allow the reader to figure out identity of the killer along with Jason and Mahiya.

Following this series since the beginning, I appreciated the chance to touch up with a fair number of the supporting cast that Singh has brought to life of the course of five books and several short stories. In addition to Elena and Raphael, there is just a bit of Venon here, a touch of Aodhan, a brief glimpse of Illium, and an enticing reference to Ashwini and Janvier - I am waiting for another short that finally gives them their HEA. Also given a more significant portion of page time in Archangel's Storm are past starring pair Honor and Dmitri who get an epilog to their HEA.

While in some ways it was nice to see a bit more of Honor and Dmitri - especially since there is a brief conversation that makes it clear that while Honor carries Dmitri's past wife Ingrede's soul, Honor is not Ingrede and Dmitri is in love with Honor as she is now and not just the shade of his dead wife - I thought that their side story was a distraction and I didn't feel that it really had a purpose in 'this' story. If I were to reread Archangel's Storm, I would skip their parts with the exception of the wedding at the beginning.

From a series arc perspective, Archangel's Storm gives hints of interesting things to come with a change in the archangels themselves, and I am very much looking forward to the next book which heads back to NYC and puts Elena and Raphael back in the lead (no title yet, but due out 9/2013.) ...more

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Jan 01, 2011 Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, fave-series, i-own, kindle, paranormal-adult, fave-2012, pre-ordered, look-forward-to, strong-female-protgagonist, angels

This book was actually even better than I had hoped before I started reading! Beautifully written, with both heartache and hope.

Full review to come soon - also on my blog. ...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Angela Carr marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Wow. Look at that cover. I better get a move on!

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Nov 06, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was another heart-warming and heart-wrenching romance by Nalini Singh. This one stars Jason who is one of Raphael's seven and who is his spymaster. When Archangel Neha's consort is murdered, Jason goes to her court to try to find out who killed him. There he gets to know Mahiya who is the daughter of Neha's sister and her consort. That makes Mahiya a constant reminder of Neha's consort's infidelity and her betrayal by her sister. Mahiya has learned to keep a smooth face and a low key presen This was another heart-warming and heart-wrenching romance by Nalini Singh. This one stars Jason who is one of Raphael's seven and who is his spymaster. When Archangel Neha's consort is murdered, Jason goes to her court to try to find out who killed him. There he gets to know Mahiya who is the daughter of Neha's sister and her consort. That makes Mahiya a constant reminder of Neha's consort's infidelity and her betrayal by her sister. Mahiya has learned to keep a smooth face and a low key presence as she struggles to find a way to escape Neha's court. Mahiya has grown up believing that Neha killed her sister after Mahiya's birth.

Together Mahiya and Jason try to solve the murder of the consort and the subsequent murders of others in Neha's court while gradually getting to know each other. Jason quickly comes to like Mahiya's hidden strength and intelligence and her optimism even in the face of her troubles. Mahiya also comes to love Jason because he treats her with respect and courtesy.

Jason's troubled past - which we see in a variety of flashbacks - has convinced him that he is lacking something that would allow him to connect with other people. He doesn't feel that he will ever be able to love or even understand love. But Mahiya isn't giving up on him. She is determined to love him whether or not he is ever able to love her back.

This story also adds to the story arc by featuring some of the strange new powers that some angels and archangels are developing. Neha has developed some very frightening new powers. It also talks about a cascade of power that may cause widespread devastation.

This story was a wonderful romance between two strong but damaged characters. I was rooting for them to find a happy ending since the very beginning of the book. I really liked getting to know more about Jason in this story too.

This is a must-read episode for all fans of the Guild Hunters series and would also work for those who are new to the series. The intriguing hints about other characters and romances will encourage readers to seek out the other books in the series too. ...more

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Nov 12, 2013 Sunny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: a-1-favorite-series

I continue to love this series. What strikes me most is how deeply romantic these books are in the midst of a scary, violent,and dangerous world. The author strikes such a great balance and is able to achieve depth in both the relationship aspect of the story and the suspense. Nalini Singh's writing is clear and lyrical, painting a masterful picture of her world and the characters in it. I devoured every word. ...more

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Sep 05, 2011 Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, guild-hunters-series

My Rating: 4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/09/revi...

Taking place immediately after the previous novel, Archangel’s Blade, we find ourselves at the wedding of Dmitri (Raphael’s second) and Honor (the couple were the primary focus of the last book). While at the celebration, Jason discovers that Eris, the imprisoned consort and husband of Neha, one of the Ruling Archangels known as the Cadre of Ten, has been murdered. Jason is best suited to he My Rating: 4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Full Review: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/09/revi...

Taking place immediately after the previous novel, Archangel’s Blade, we find ourselves at the wedding of Dmitri (Raphael’s second) and Honor (the couple were the primary focus of the last book). While at the celebration, Jason discovers that Eris, the imprisoned consort and husband of Neha, one of the Ruling Archangels known as the Cadre of Ten, has been murdered. Jason is best suited to help solve this mystery, which is necessary to prevent Neha from complete madness and the needless destruction of any territory or loss or lives.

Right from the start I was intrigued by Jason, an angel we know little about. He has a sixth sense which helps him perfect his spying skills. He also has the ability to blend in with the shadows, making him nearly invisible. Through intermittent flashbacks, we find out that Jason was loved by his parents, but something went horribly wrong when he was young, leaving him on his own. He's is an enigma and a riddle worth solving.

The same can be said of Neha’s adopted daughter, the Princess Mahiya. Mahiya is Neha's niece, born of Neha's sister Nivriti, and her father is Eris (Neha’s husband). Although Neha raised Mahiya as her daughter, the betrayal of her sister and husband left Neha bitter and angry. Mahiya was hated by both Neha and Eris as a reminder of past sins and the reason Eris was imprisoned for over three centuries. Yet, Mahiya is unbroken, even after decades of torment and hatred from her powerful Archangel aunt. We learn early on that instead of falling victim to Neha’s mistreatment, Mahiya remains determined to find love and live free.

The pace and feel of Archangel’s Storm is different than the previous books in the Guild Hunter series. However, it is reflective of the main character, Jason. He's a shadow with force - a waiting storm. Instead of focusing most of the attention on our hero and heroine falling in love, the primary storyline that drives this book is the mystery of who killed Eris (and a few others) and what motives are behind the seemingly unrelated deaths.

The romance in this story is very subdued. The first hints of any sexual attraction between Mahiya and Jason didn’t even occur until after the 40% mark (according to my Kindle). But it’s okay. The mystery of who is killing off angels is completely captivating. Meanwhile, Jason and Mahiya play a carefully calculated game of chess, wondering who will break first--who will gain the advantage. Neither are cruel, but both have the skills to be. That’s what I love about the pair - they haven’t given into the darkness that surrounds them.

As I stated, the romance in this book was secondary to the murder mystery and subsequent battle. That may put off some, but I felt the romance infused the story with such subtlety that I unconsciously perceived it much of the time. The slower pace of the story resonated with the characters, and I was completely drawn into the plot. Archangel’s Storm did not blaze off the pages, but its quiet influence touched my inner being. ...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Diana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

We have all wondered about Jason and his darkness and shadows, and it was good to finally see his past. That being said, there was some things that made this 4 stars instead of 5.

First, while each book can be read alone, there is a story arc through them all involving the other angels/archangels. This book felt more like a gateway novel than a story in its own right. I know readers need the background information to help understand somthing big is happening, I just wished that this story had mo ...more

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Feb 21, 2011 Darcy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: pnr, vampires, 2012, angels

I really liked learning more about Jason with this book. When reading the flashbacks I couldn't believe what he went through, made me wonder why he wasn't more broken. As bad as things were, it seemed worse when you realize just who did those bad things, I don't know why, but I would have felt better had it been a stranger.

Mahiya didn't have a much better up bringing, used as a pawn, treated like dirt, and let known just where her place was. Because of their past it was easy to see how they coul ...more

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Aug 02, 2012 Melanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, 3-stars, 4-5-star-narration

I've really enjoyed this series. I have wanted to learn more about Jason and we do learn a lot about him in this book. His past is heartbreaking and I teared up when his entire past is reveled. I'm not a huge fan of Mahiya's. I just didn't really get into her character. I also enjoyed the short amount of time we get to spend with Venom. He is another character I would like to learn a lot more about. I am grateful that the next book goes back to Raphael and Elena. I miss the city and the wider ar ...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Lupdilup rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.1/2 stars.
I can't remember ever having any kind of difficulty reading or listening to one Nalini's books, but I have to say; this was really slow, I had to make an effort to connect with the story and characters, although, it does pick up, it didn't quite make it.
It's not bad, but it's not her best. If you are a fan of the series this still is a very important part of the story, a lot events get setup, and in the the end, I'm glad I listen to it, and I'm looking forward to a much better exper ...more

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