Archangel's Shadows: Book 7 (The Guild Hunter, #7)

by Nalini Singh

Return to the sensual and painfully beautiful Guild Hunter world, with a new novel about sacrifice, loyalty and the choices of love that can shatter the heart.

In the wake of a brutal war, the archangel Raphael and his hunter consort Elena are dealing with the treacherously shifting tides of archangelic politics and the people of a battered but not broken city. The last thing their city needs is more death, especially not a death that bears the eerie signature of an insane enemy archangel who cannot - should not - be walking the streets. This hunt must be undertaken with stealth and without alerting their people. It must be handled by those who can become shadows themselves ...

Ash is a gifted tracker and a woman cursed with the ability to sense the secrets of anyone she touches. But there's one man she knows all too well without a single instant of skin contact: Janvier, the dangerously sexy Cajun vampire who has fascinated and infuriated her for years. Now, as they track down a merciless killer, their cat-and-mouse game of flirtation and provocation has turned into a profound one of the heart. And this time, it is Ash's secret, dark and terrible, that threatens to destroy them both.

Nalini Singh, the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling 'alpha author of paranormal romance' (BOOKLIST), returns to her stunning world, as it braces itself for destruction.

• ISBN10: 057511231X
• ISBN13: 9780575112315
• Publish Date: 6 November 2014 (first published 28 October 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Gollancz
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[FranJessca @ A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog]

I love the Guild Hunter series and can’t wait to be caught up with this series soon finally. I need to catch up since the next book comes out at the end of this year (2020). I’m enjoying this series, and I love how Nalini Singh has each book follow along in the story. Not every book has the same main characters, but the first three books in this series have Elena and Raphael as the main characters. 

In the seventh book, though, readers will be ecstatic to find out its finally Janvier and Ashwini’s story. I have wanted their full story since I read their novella, Angel’s Pawn.

These two characters at first had a hate/love relationship, until this book. I fell hard for the sweet-talking tough Cajun Vampire, Janvier. First off, he cares for the kick-butt Guild Hunter, Ashwini, even if she doesn’t want him to care because of what may end up happening to her later on in life. Second off, he’s always there to help with her missions and vice-versa. They are inseparable, and everyone knows it. Finally, Janvier is one sexy Vampire, and he knows it.

Ashwini is one of my favorite Guild Hunters because she’s a gifted tracker and can sense secrets, once she touches someone. Unfortunately, she considers it a curse because of what happened to one of her family members that have that same ability. Readers will get to find out more about Ashwini’s past in this book, and it’s a heartbreaking one story. Be prepared to have tissues on hand. I felt for Ashwini in this book and loved getting to know her as a whole.

In this book, Ashwini is tasked to find a killer who is leaving bodies in the city that just got over a brutal battle. (You’ll need to read the previous book for that battle. It was an awful one.) Raphael’s beloved city is still trying to recover from it, but it’s up to Ashwini and Janvier to uncover who is behind the killings. This is when Ashwini and Janvier’s connection with each other is going to grow more in this book. Janvier’s unconditional love of Ashwini is all over in this book, and I wanted these two to be together. Ashwini kept pushing him away, though, but she has her reasons. 

Nalini Singh does a fantastic job of writing this PNR with a good mixture of suspense, action, and fantasy elements. She has become a favorite author of mine since she has everything in her stories. Her books are addicting, and the characters are unforgettable. I wish this series would become a series on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or another similar streaming service. 

I love how Nalini Singh has the other characters that have an appearance in this book, which include Elena, Raphael, Dimitri, Naasir, Bluebell, etc. are all in this story. This is one of many reasons why I love Nalini’s writing style because she has every one of her characters in the storyline. One character that I’m curious to find out more bout Naasir after getting more of him in this book. There is something about him, and I’m happy to know that the next book in the series is his book.

Overall, this book gets 4.5-stars, and I highly recommend it to readers that love PNR and Urban Fantasy books/series. I do recommend reading these books in order because Nalini has each book connect to the next one in the series. Each book leads up to something bigger to come, and I can’t wait to catch up.

[neddieb]

So far this book is boring! Least favorite couple. Ashwini is annoying.

[Linda]

Very good installment in the Guild Hunter series, I really enjoyed that while the main focus was on Ash and Janvier, other characters were involved and got quite a bit of 'screen-time' as well.

Full review to come soon.

This and all my other reviews are originally posted on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Cocktails and Books]

I’ve been waiting for this book, since Ms. Singh first introduced Ash and Janvier, and she didn’t disappoint. The mystery and intrigue in this story left me very satisfied.

I loved that Ash still has her tough side, but that we finally learn more about her past and see what makes and shapes her today. I definitely grew to appreciate her character and the way Ms. Singh builds a character profile through her description of Ash’s past. Janvier loves Ash, there is no way that doesn’t immediately show through, he loves her through it all, and that makes him a fantastic hero.

Full of action and lots of past characters popping up, this is a great book for fans of the series. I wouldn’t recommend it to new readers, since I feel like all the previous stories has built up to this, or at least I know I enjoyed it more because I was already acquainted with the world.

I recommend it because Ms. Singh brings a world of action and passion to life with this Guild Hunter book, and it’s a great thrill ride.

Reviewed by Sheri for Cocktails and Books

[EBookObsessed]

Another fabulous story by Nalini Singh. The story of Ashwini and Janvier is a perfect addition to the archangel series and blends well with the recovery of the city and the evil that is still lurking in the shadows. I had a review copy of this story, but had an opportunity to receive an audiobook copy as well. Since I had listened to this entire series, I opted to wait until my audiobook was delivered. I was halfway through the story when the work week ended and I knew I couldn't wait until Monday to see what happened next. I picked up where I left off and read the rest Friday night. I just couldn't put it down.

The story starts out showing us that Guild Hunter Ashwini, and Raphael's vampires, Janvier and Naasir are working together as a team in the shadows behind enemy lines causing as much confusion and damage to Lijuan's forces to disrupt their fighting Raphael and his angel fighter.

New York City is still licking its wounds from the battle of two archangels which almost destroyed the city. When bodies start to show up desiccated and mummified, first of animals and then of humans, Raphael fears that maybe the archangel wasn't completely destroyed and is trying to regenerate in the bowels of city. With the city still recovering, he doesn't want news to spread and cause a panic. Working with the Guild to quietly investigate without showing the Tower's interest in the matter, he sends out Janvier to work with Ash to track down the victims and hopefully they can follow a trail back to the killer.

We have met Janvier and Ashwini in prior stories. There was a short story about them which was published in Angels' Flight. I did go back and read this since I had a copy of the anthology, but it is not truly necessary. It just gives us move of a chance to see Ash and Janvier working and flirting together. We are told in both stories how Ash had originally been sent to track down Janvier, not once but three times when Janvier angered an Angel only to be pulled off at the last minute when Janvier makes up with the angel. It wasn't spelled out in the story, but I have a feeling that the mellow and laid back Janvier pissed someone off on purpose so that he could play the cat and mouse game with Ash.

Janvier seems to know everyone. I loved that whenever they went to talk to someone that Janvier knew they always asked, "Is that your hunter?" Janvier has made no secret of how he feels about Ashwini and he even states that he has had no interest in other women since he first saw her staring at him with a crossbow pointed at his heart. Ash has given up any pretext at this point that she isn't as attracted to the vampire as he is to her.

Janvier knows that touching things or worse, touching people, forces Ash to see all the good and bad about a person. Janvier is one of the few who Ashwini can't read but Ash has been hiding something else about herself from Janvier. It is the reason she can't be with him. Ash knows that if she says yes to Janvier and then he finds out what she has been hiding, it would destroy him. Janvier is absolutely loyal and Ash doesn't doubt what he feels for her since she feels for him just as intensely. That's why she is still trying to protect him from becoming too attached to her. She knows that they have reached the point where they have to move forward with a relationship or she has to push him away completely.

Ash also knows that Janvier wants her to become a vampire so they can have eternity together but Ash fears what her gift as well as her secret would do to her mind after a century or so getting close to the angels and vampires who hold so much darkness inside themselves.

Watching Ash and Janvier flirt and try to work out their relationship was interesting enough, but we also had the mystery of what was happening in the city and who was responsible. I liked that we got to see more of Naasir, who got very close with Ash and Janvier during the fighting. He is a very interesting and feral creature. I say creature because there is still a mystery of why he is so feral and odd and I can't help but wonder what Nalini Singh will come up with to explain him.

We don't see as much of the other angels in this story and they are helping more in the background. If I were asked whose story should be told next, I don't think I could make the decision. We have had very interesting glimpses of Illium, Aodhin, Naasir, and I would like to get more on them. I also fear for Elena and Ash's friend Ransom, a Guild Hunter. We hear a lot about his love, the librarian who won the heart of the womanizing Ransom, but we never meet her. I fear that like many other series, she will be ripped away from him by some tragedy, scarring him but leaving him open for a new HEA down the road. If that is not her evil plan, why haven't we met her except in reference? I also can't wait to see what happens with Vivek. The last we saw him Vivek had agreed to be changed into a vampire in hopes that this body would heal his paralysis. We see some indication, but I want to see him walking, fighting and learning to be a Guild Hunter.

I would admit my only complaint here is that when characters know each other so well, we can usually jump right into the hot and heavy. Since Ash is inexperienced, since she can't really touch many people, Janvier decides to take it slow. At first, I thought he meant that time he'd go slow. Turns out there was a lot of high school-type making out and getting on base before we finally get them to have sex.

As far as the audiobook, Justine Eyre does separate voices for most of the major characters since she has done the whole series, including accents, but her Cajun was not that great.

This is a great paranormal romance series. Although you would want to start at the beginning, you could certainly pick this book up with being completely lost.

See more at http://ebookobsessed.com

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

Archangels’ Shadows starts pretty much where the previous book left off. This is a series that must be read in order or you will be lost at part of what is going on in the story. While you don’t have to have read the anthology of Guild Hunter shorts in Angel’s Flight, I highly recommend it. There is a story in it that covers our hero and heroine of this book, so I think it adds to the story. Plus there are a ton of great stories in Angel’s Flight anyway.

Where the last book, the focus was back on Raphael and Elena, this one focuses on Ashwini and Janvier. Ashwini is a member of the Hunter’s Guild and has abilities where she is able to feel most people’s emotion and thoughts through touch. Because of this, she has spent time in a mental hospital as a child because her family didn’t know how to handle her “gifts”. She also has a brother and sister who play a critical role in Ashiwini’s life.

Janvier is a vampire, young when you compare him to most of the other immortal or nearly immortal characters in this series. He’s under 300 years old. He’s a cajun who has taken a liking to Ashwini, who he calls Ashblade. Ash spends a lot of time tracking Janvier for the Guild only for him to make good right before she is ready to take him down.

Janvier and Ash are working together to track a killer. The weird thing is, the dead look like they’ve been mummified, but have only been dead for a short period of time. It is a case where they search one clue after another. Not real fast paced action that we saw in the previous book.

We also get to see a lot of Naasir. He is a vampire who is one of Raphael’s Seven. He isn’t a normal vampire. He has hints of an animal to him, the same way Venom has hints of a snake. Naasir is definitely a predator. He spends a lot of time helping Janvier and Ash. The three have a very close relationship, though there is nothing sexual between Naasir and the other two.

We also have the overall story arc. Elena’s mother-in-law makes a surprise visit. Elena is trying to manage reconstruction to a building for the legion. We get to see Honor and Dimitri, who are great together.

This is a series that has a humor, even if it isn’t a laugh out loud type of funny. You’ll find yourself chuckling frequently. There is action and suspense. There is romance and some pretty hot scenes. The characters and world are very well developed. Nalini Singh is a master at the worlds she creates with loveable characters. She is able to make you fall in love with characters that appear to be cold and emotionless.

Narration
I love Justine Eyre’s narration of this series. She fits the characters perfectly. She is really good at keeping the emotion blank for the angels, but showing the emotion when you have the mortals who actually have emotions.

There are also several different accents that she masters well. I love listening to her do Janvier’s cajun accent. It might not be perfect, but it really worked for him. She also really brought out the feralness of Naasir.

I like to thank Tantor Audio for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.