The Book Date : Archangel's Blade Nalini Singh

Archangel's Blade
Nalini Singh
Published: Gollancz 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 310
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy
Source: Local library

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...

My thoughts
This is #4 in the Guild Hunter books, and it has as its focus Dmitri (vampire) and Honor (hunter). Both have suffered in the past, both are still bothered by the nightmares that haunt them. They have been cruelly treated, and now they join forces to fight the past.

Dmitri is second in command for the archangel Raphael, and he has featured in previous books. He is able to give off an amazing scent that seeks to allure hunters. He has bothered Elena with it since she partnered Raphael, in this book we the reader are given a small inside look at why Raphael allows it. Dmitri walks a fine line between dark and light, and at any time he could slip into the dark.

Honor has been hurt very badly, however she is not a victim but a survivior, and Dmitri is instrumental in helping her to own that even more. Honor has a positive impact on Dmitri, and they are destined for each other. How fully so is revealed by the end of the book.

I liked being able to know Dmitri's back story, and being given a few more hints about Venom and Ilium. The story itself was fascinating and as they mystery unfurled it kept me reading.

I didn't like the darkness of this book, as it was about Dmitri it was centred more on the vampires, and I am not particularly fond of vampire stories! It is to Nalini Singh's credit that I want to keep reading this series. There was a lot of violence and sadism in this book, and while it fit perfectly into the book, I wondered why I was reading it. The short answer is I guess that I want to learn about this world. Also light overcomes darkness, evil is overcome by love and goodness. I missed Raphael and Elena who were only made brief appearances in this book.