Book Review: Guild Hunter #4: Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh

Rating:

(Guild Hunter #4)

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…

Book 1: Archangel’s Blood review | Book 2: Archangel’s Kiss review | Book 3: Archangel’s Consort review

***** ***** *****

DECADENT.

Archangel’s Blade is sinful; very, very sinful! This book is, by far, the strongest and the most solid story among the Guild Hunter series. Nalini Singh wrote Dmitri’s character very consistently and i loved that. Even though I was irritated on how (or why) Honor and Dmitri connected, I can’t deny that I really enjoyed the book. How i’ve missed these cruel angels and impossible vampires!

Honor and Dmitri both have painful, horrible pasts. Whereas Honor still finds compassion among the helpless, Dmitri has none. I can imagine Honor’s struggle and determination to survive, as much as Dmitri‘s decision to kill his humanity through cruelty. They are both fighters, literally and emotionally. Though the general atmosphere of the plot is about dark, bloody vengeance, it was balanced by snippets of Ilium‘s (Yey!) and Raphael‘s humor. Venom is getting really interesting! I believe he’s starting to grow on me. Jason is brooding – an air of sentimentality laced with pain – man, he’s gonna be the bomb for the next book. Ms. Nalini Singh, about Bluebell’s story?!! 😉

Archangel’s Blade is a hard but rewarding read. Dmitri’s world is lethal; Honor’s is unforgiving. Reading it makes me think of a phoenix: in order to rise and have a new life, Dmitri and Honor must die and be grinded into dust until there’s none left. I am still not a fan of Dmitri, but i think his story is more compelling and well-written than Rafael’s.

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.: maria :.

“giving up is the ultimate tragedy.”