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Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, #1)

Nalini Singh

Start date: January 1, 2024

Finish date: January 31, 2024

Discussion: Challenges: What's the Rush

Why we're reading this: Part of our group series (re)read: Guild Hunter …more
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Challenges: What's the Rush

* 2025 Series Read: K.N. Banet's "Jacky Leon"
By Steph , Serious series addict · 103 posts · 33 views

last updated Sep 26, 2025 08:29PM

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* YEAR-LONG CHALLENGES
By Steph , Serious series addict · 1 post · 389 views

last updated Aug 17, 2010 11:14PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 12, 2010 Shannon rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampires, 2010, novels, paranormal-romance, angels, owned, color-orange, bought-2010

*3.75 Stars*

This was a unique take on vampires and hunters with the addition of angels as rulers, caretakers, lords, and lovers. I've always kind of had a thing for angels and I love that they're sexual beings in this series. It's one of the few things that makes me upset about Richelle Mead's Succubus series because one of the most charismatic and sexy characters has to remain celibate or he'll become a demon. Religion is absent in Angels' Blood and I was exceedingly grateful for that. There is *3.75 Stars*

This was a unique take on vampires and hunters with the addition of angels as rulers, caretakers, lords, and lovers. I've always kind of had a thing for angels and I love that they're sexual beings in this series. It's one of the few things that makes me upset about Richelle Mead's Succubus series because one of the most charismatic and sexy characters has to remain celibate or he'll become a demon. Religion is absent in Angels' Blood and I was exceedingly grateful for that. There is no battle waging between heaven and hell, and there are angels of all races and nationalities.

Elena Deveraux is a Guild Hunter, she goes after vampires that have gone astray and violated their contracts that they signed in blood with the angels that Made them. Elena gets hired by the most powerful angel in the United States, the archangel Raphael. She's supposedly the best when it comes to tracking vampires and he wants her to help him find someone. Along the way Elena constantly courts death, sometimes battling foes, and sometimes baiting Raphael.

I think some other reviewers have some things up pretty well; Singh can write a great story but her characters lack depth. I've only read this one book by her so I don't have anything to compare this too, but it seems from reading other reviews that this is the general consensus. I liked Elena and I liked Raphael but I wasn't pulled into the story and their lives as much as I feel I should have. In fact, I found myself pulled toward the lesser characters as they seemed to have more personality. Also, some of the sex scenes were a bit underdeveloped - it seems that Singh has a better grasp of flirtation and sexual tension than the actual act. Some of the things that Raphael said he wanted to do to her were sexier than what he actually did. When they finally do have sex it's sort of anti-climatic, ironically.

I loved the world and the concepts that Singh has come up with though, it's all very unique and something I haven't seen done before. This sort of reminds me of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, in that there are a lot of different beings running about, more than in normal paranormal romance; there's action, gruesome bits, good supporting characters, and great banter and sexy scenes between the hero and heroine. I just wish that the two of them had been developed a bit more, they're both basically one-dimensional, but this didn't really make me dislike them, I was just a little disappointed that Singh didn't take her characters a step further.

I'll definitely read the next book and give her other series a try. I like her ideas and I think I've found a new author to latch onto! ...more

26 likes · Like · see review

Aug 05, 2011 Lisa Kay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: buddy-read-w-sans, reviewed-by-me, genre-romance-paranormal, take-flight, m-library-sj-e-book, genre-urban-fantasy, authors-n, authors-s, series-g

Artist: Ni Anluain. Inspired by Nalini Singh's character Archangel Raphael

★★★★✩ I read Angels' Pawn first, thinking it a prequel, when really it is just a companion novella to Angels' Blood. For me, this was a disadvantage; while I loved Elena in this story, Raphael was not a very likeable character in that one, IMHO, and I wondered not how, but if Ms. Singh was going to be able to covert me to a Raphael fan. She did, but the going was rough.

I liked the story and was glad I finished it. In all honesty, I kind of lost interest there at about 75% of the way through and might not have finished it – or maybe just skimmed it – had this not been a “buddy read”. There was a bit of rehashing and the frustration of knowing my questions were not going to be answered this go round. (view spoiler) so I was interested to see how that happened and at the same time dreading a “cliffhanger” ending.

Sometimes I felt I was being led in one direction in the story, only to have it turn in another. And, in an unfair way, not in a neat, surprising-turn-of-events sort of way. (view spoiler)

There could have been fewer characters and more development of those pertinent to the story. Loved Illium, the angel with blue wings. I actually enjoyed the companion novella, Angels' Pawn much, much more. I thought Angels' Blood was 4 stars for a little over half way, then it dropped to 3 ½ stars there for a while; however, it redeemed itself in the end, so I’ll stick with the original rating and hesitantly give it ★★★★✩.

...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Sarah Dizon rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobook, library, romance, read-in-2011, read-in-2015, 5-stars, paranormal-romance, read-more-than-once

Re-read 9.18.15 (audio) Changed the rating to 5 stars!
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I've heard great things about Nalini Singh as a writer, and this is the first book of hers I've read. It was a little hard to get into but after the first 30 pages or so I didn't want to put it down. I took a small break and then I finished the rest of the book in one sitting.

I liked Elena's strong-willed, stubbornness, and courage. She doesn't take any crap from anyone, even if she ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 03, 2010 Lisarenee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal

This book redefines where vampires come from.
In a world of supernaturals Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter. She tracks, captures, and returns vampires to their angel masters. Only about a thousand people per year are chosen to be transformed. That is a small slice of those who volunteer for the change. In exchange for the transformation the newly changed vamps are required to serve the angel who Made them (their Master) for a certain length of time. When they attempt to renege on that agreemen ...more

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Aug 25, 2010 Lily E rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, urban-fantasy

BEST BOOK I've read so far this year. Probably in the last few years as well. It has just the right combination of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, the right mix of light and darkess, and a special blend of emotion that grips the reader. Plus, it's about angels. (31st Aug 2010)

Re-read the following year and yes, it's still AMAZING! ...more

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Apr 08, 2010 Jenny rated it it was amazing

Shelves: urban-fantasy, series, vampires, angels, immortals, aphla-males, kick-ass-heroines, bounty-hunter, murder, audible-book

When I first started this I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I have to say that I was very surprised. Elena is strong and doesn't put up with anything that they try on her. At time I think that she is a bit to stubborn but that is also a good thing considering what and who she is dealing with. I loved Raphael the fact that he doesn't really understand what the attraction he is feeling is or the fact that he does things and then regrets them makes seem more real at least to me it did. I have ...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Midu Hadi rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviewed, fantasy, romance, serial-killers-and-other-murderers, 212books, angels, series-completion-in-progress, guild-hunter-series, read-in-january, read-in-2012

An archangel has gone insane. And Elena, a Guild Hunter, will attempt to stop him. Enter Raphael, the archangel of NY.

Thoughts on the Series
A formulaic series with HEAs. It can get violent and dark though, but it can also get repetitive. I'd suggest spacing out the books--and there are a lot of them--for days when you need a certain happy ending.

Book 2 review here ...more

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Dec 16, 2009 Purple rated it it was amazing

Shelves: girlpower, romance, favorites, angels, uf, series

First book I read this year that I just couldn't put down. I finished it less than 24 hours. It's fast-paced, very imaginative, no boring page. I will definitely watch out for the next installment. ...more

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