Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter Book 3)

I just realized what I like about Elena. One thing that sometimes frustrates me with other stories is that the authors put too much emphasis on their female leads as being “bad-ass” that they often create arguments for the sake of it. Sometimes, they are too demanding that instead if “fighting for independence”, they do it by lessening the man’s worth or by being irrational.I love Elena and Raphael as Elena knows what she can give in for love. Raphael is also looking for a balance between giving Elena freedom, and protecting her as it is the logical since he is older and stronger.I do not feel like Elena is any less for finding a compromise with Raphael and Raphael’s strength isn‘t stepped on just to make Elena stand out more.

Raphael and Elena will always be two of my favorite characters. This installments picks up right where their story left off at the end of the previous book. Elena is still considered a weak, newly made angel, but she isn’t letting that stop her from fighting for those she loves. With the threat of Raphael’s mother waking on the horizon the pair has no idea if she will be mad or sane.This book is flawlessly written with enough mystery and intrigue that there are still so many unanswered questions at the end, that you can’t wait to get a hold of the next installment. The story smoothly transitions from each characters point view in such an amazing way. Plus all the supporting characters are ridiculously lovable!I highly recommend this book and this entire series!

The 3rd book in the Guild Hunter series could best be labeled the “Mummy and Daddy” installment as both of our leads are dealing with issues both past and present involving their dysfunctional parental figures. Archangel’s Consort opens up with Raphael and Elena having left the refuge and returned home to New York City; but their homecoming is anything but peaceful. Weird weather patterns are occurring around the world: tsunamis, floods, earthquakes, volcanoes erupting, unseasonable lethal ice storms and archangels becoming violent and erratic in their behavior. It all portends the awakening of an Ancient. Possibly the rebirth of an archangel. Possibly the awakening of Caliane Raphael’s over one hundred thousand year old mother.In addition to the wacky weather; Elena has to deal with more family drama that dredges up shallowly buried past trauma. Her half sister’s are being targeted by a rogue vampire as a means to get to Raphael through Elena; and then it turns out that her 10 year old half sister Evelyn just may be hunter-born – which opens up some intriguing revelations which drive home the fact that Jeffrey Deveraux is an even bigger jerk than heretofore realized.So we have Raphael dealing with the love hate he holds for a mother who was loving and nurturing and doted upon him; and who in her madness broke him and left him to suffer in a field, with shattered bones and a crushed and broken body in blinding agony; and we have Elena dealing with the love hate she feels for a loving mother who abandoned her in death and a father who abandoned her in life.And here is where I break into a minor SPOILERY rant. As it turns out, Caliane the insane, murdering and atrocity committing archangel – was actually a better parent than Elena’s father. Caliane may have left Raphael broken into bits and pieces; but she explains it was her madness whispering she should kill him and she fought against it – for her son. She knew he was immortal and that he would heal. Jeffrey Deveraux on the other hand knew all along that the hunter-born gene came from his bloodline. I dearly wanted Elena to call him on the carpet and tell him “You KNEW I could scent vampires; and when I told you Slater Patelis the monster was coming (for us), you wouldn’t listen and said no one in this family has ever been a common hunter, and told me to stop telling tall tales. You took no steps to protect us, you’re the reason my mother and sisters are dead. So who’s the abomination now? Boo-ya.” This would be followed up with the classic “you’re dead to me” spit, spit. End of SPOILERY rant.Add to all this, more archangel politics and Lijuan sticking her nose in everything and it’s a pretty decent ride. 4 ½ stars. I really enjoy the world building, the intrigue, all the side characters; and I like Elena and Raphael – I really do. I just still don’t feel the chemistry and every time they sneak off for some nookie (which they seem to do an awful lot) it’s “Oh God, here they go AGAIN. Can we please get back to the story”???

Archangel's Consort picks up after Archangel's Kiss left off. Elena, the Guild Hunter turned Angel, and Raphael, the powerful Archangel, are back in Manhattan. She wants to begin her Guild Hunter duties again, and is training hard to make that happen. Elena is facing everyone's shock of her being an Angel, and adapting to how different her life has become. And she is dealing with family conflicts as a surprising discovery is revealed. Meanwhile, the world is thrown into turmoil--earthquakes, tsunamis and unusual vampire attacks--as an ancient Archangel awakes. But who is it? Several of the ancients disappeared and are thought to have gone into Sleep--one of which was Caliane, Raphael's mother who was insane the last time he saw her. Raphael and his Seven search for the resting place of the ancient, knowing that it will result in an epic showdown.Like the other books in the series, Archangel's Consort had some great twists and turns, keeping me on the edge of my seat (especially towards the end!) I couldn't put this book down. It's a great mix of intrigue, suspense, action, and romance. The character development is top notch. In this latest installment, it was great to see many of my favorite characters from the earlier books. I loved seeing more of the Seven, especially Aodhan and Illian. They are such interesting characters and I hope they will have larger roles in upcoming books.Elena as a character is very intriguing. While she's a tough, kick a$$ heroine, she is also loyal, caring, hard working, and honest. She's a strong woman who went through a traumatic experience as a child and who has a difficult relationship with her father as a result of that experience. No 'mary sue' character, she struggles as she adapts to her new body. She also is challenged with her relationship with Raphael, who is so much older and stronger. She seeks to find equal ground between them. One of the strongest beings on the planet and a member of the Cadre of Ten, Raphael is used to getting what he wants. He is not only powerful, he is cruel at times. But Elena makes Raphael more human in his love for her.Only area for improvement for me was some parts seemed a little repetitive/draggy. That could have been improved with a good editor. But they weren't a big part of the book. All in all, I love this series. Definite keepers!If you've read Singh's Psy Changeling books, her Guild Hunter series is darker but just as well written. If you like Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward or the Demonica series by Larissa Ione, you'll enjoy this series. Raphael is the ultimate alpha and the dark plotlines, intriguing characters, and disturbing enemies will pull you in.Also I wanted to complement the artist on the wonderful cover. Very beautifully done!Other books in the series: Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter)  - book one Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, Book 2)  - book twoArchangel's Consort - book threeArchangel's Blade - book four (Dmitri's story; Singh's blog reports a release date of September 2011)There are also two novellas: Angels' Judgement in  Must Love Hellhounds  & Angels' Pawn: A Companion Novella to Angels' Blood . The novellas are not necessary to the main storylines of the books, but they are entertaining reads.If you are on the hunt for more books like this, check out this list of 40 other PNR/UF series I enjoyed:http://www.amazon.com/Paranormal-action-romance-must-reads/lm/R214ESW3HL12HM/ref=tag_lag_rb_munk_lmfull

This is the third in this series and is best read after the first two. Elena has recovered from the process of becoming and angel and now she and Raphael, the archangel, have returned to New York. Raphael is very protective towards Elena because she is weak in comparison with other angels and that presents a risk to him too in the very competitive world of the archangels. Elena is trying to assert herself and not be overwhelmed by her role as consort. She still has her gift of being able to hunt vampires and angels but everything else is dependent on Raphael. As they come to terms with their relationship in the context of New York it becomes apparent that there is a problem with the angels who are beginning to fall victim to a bloodlust. As the book progresses it is revealed that this is related to something from Raphael's past.I like this series and this book is a good addition to it. It tells a necessary story of adjustment between two people newly come together and Elena's testing of her new abilities. The plot was all right but the book felt a bit like a mid-series book which exists to move the overall story arc along and not necessarily to be a satisfying story in its own right. It is still better than the average urban fantasy and there is lots of good stuff here but I felt a bit unsatisfied - I would have liked more plot or a feeling that things have moved on a bit more by the end.Elena is an excellent heroine being passionate and clever and asserting her independence without being silly about it. I find Raphael more of a problem because he is just so overpowering although I like the way that Elena handles him. The seven angels that form Raphael's friendship group and are his warriors each have their own characteristic but I confess that I often got them mixed up - this is not a long book and there are seven of them so they don't each have a lot of plot time. I would like it if book maybe concentrated more on just one or two of them.If you are reading this series this one won't put you off reading more but it isn't as good as the first two.

It is time for Vampire Hunter Elena to return to New York and let the world see the changes she has gone through but as nothing ever goes smoothly for the couple they soon find themselves caught up in the hunt of their lives. As more and more vampires are taken over by bloodlust they quickly realise that all is not what it seems, a powerful enemy is rising, a face from Raphael's past that he hoped never to see again and one who is determined to get Elena out of the way. Even working together this enemy may be too strong for them, their only hope is to defeat them before they regain their full power but that would mean breaking one of the most ancient angelic laws.I'm a huge fan of this series and I really enjoyed this instalment of Elena and Raphael's adventures. Elena is still coming to grips with her immortality and the new abilities she gained when she became an angel. Although she is stronger and heals faster than she ever did as a human she is still weak compared to other angels and even the older vampires who protect Raphael. She is determined to train as hard as possible though because she doesn't want to be seen as Raphael's weakness but anyone who knows how much he cares for her automatically sees her as a target. It isn't easy for her to adjust to her new life, she is still learning the rules and learning what her body is now capable of but she is just as brave and determined as she ever was. She may be weaker than her enemies but she refuses to back down and wants to stand by Raphael. The two of them will always be stronger together than they are separately and I love that although they are both uncertain when it comes to relationships and find it difficult to trust they work together to overcome their issues.We learn a lot more about both of their pasts in this book and discover a lot about their families that make us question things we thought we already knew. Elena has always had a very poor relationship with her father (I can't stand the man!) but although they are a long way from a close father / daughter relationship we do see a glimmer of hope that he isn't all bad. One new thing that Elena has to contend with though is the mother-in-law from hell, seriously if you think your MIL is bad she's got nothing on Caliane! Of course Elena isn't going to put up with crap from anyone and there are some really amusing moments where she stands up for both herself and Raphael. We already knew that Raphael didn't have the best relationship with his mother but what we find out about his past is heartbreaking and goes a long way to explaining why he is so closed off to the people around him. He is lucky to have his Seven to rely on but it is Elena who has really started to bring him out of himself. Raphael has changed so much from when we first met him, he is still dangerous and he still scares the crap out of me sometimes but he can also be so unbelievably sweet and protective over Elena. Their relationship has come on leaps and bounds since they first met but they still have their ups and downs, they have to work hard and find ways to compromise so that they can both be happy but they are both willing to put the effort in.Archangel's Consort is just as sexy as the first two books in the series, there is no missing the fireworks when Raphael and Elena are in the same room, but there is also a deeper connection between them now that wasn't there in the beginning. We are also getting to learn more about Raphael's Seven and I can't wait to spend more time with each of them. Illium is a particular favourite of mine and I really hope he gets a book of his own at some point but even Dimitri and Venom are growing on me now that I know them better. Alongside the hot sex and great character development Nalini Singh has created a fast moving plot that had me gripping the pages. I didn't want the story to end and I'm just relieved that I already have the next book waiting for me to read it. This remains one of my favourite paranormal series and I don't see that changing any time soon.

When a vampire attacks a girls' school in a fit of viscious madness, it is only the first in a string of violent events. Vampire after vampire is consumed by rampant bloodlust and Raphael is struggling to control them when he himself begins to show signs of uncontrollable rage. But when a massive storm threatens the New York the pattern behind the events becomes clear. An ancient is awakening and she seeks to reclaim her son. Caliane has returned...This is the third book in the Guild Hunter series (after  Angels' Blood  and  Archangel's Kiss ) and is probably my favourite in the series so far. The storyline is densely plotted and packed with twists and turns, and the threat of an Ancient awakening is threaded through the book adding a vein of tension that enhances the plot. The suspense woven into the storylines is one of the things that I love most about this series, and this installment takes it to the next level.After watching Elena's growth after the past few books, I was looking forward to seeing what was next for her and this takes things back to her family. It allows us to understand more about how her family functions and what role she was in. There is also a few surprises hidden in Elena's past and the flashbacks give her character even more depth. Her romance with Raphael is still going strong although at times I felt it drew attention away from the action.The presence of Raphael's mother Caliane also means that flashbacks are again used to help develop their relationship by giving a window into their past. The flashbacks are always in italics and fit well within the story. Raphael is also dealing with the echoes of Lijuan's ascension and the changes that has made to the balance of power between the Cadre of ruling Archangels.Once again the supporting characters shine through, particularly Dmitri who has been running things in New York while Elena recovered from her transformation. His book is up next and I'm eager to find out more about him. Bluebell also returns and there are some truly heartwrenching scenes with him that really made me feel for him.All in all this was a great read and I'm really looking forward to  Archangel's Blade .Plot: 9/10Characters: 10/10Ending: 10/10Enjoyment: 10/10Cover: 10/10Overall: 49/50 Angels' BloodArchangel's KissArchangel's Blade

I'm tending to agree with a couple of other reviews I've read - and to be clear I still thoroughly enjoyed this book - but it's not quite up to par with Angel's Blood and Archangel's Kiss. Although I like Elena and Rapheal as a couple and think Singh has done some great things with both characters which brings new challenges and depths to their relationship, there really was too much sex in the 2/3 of the book (and no, I can't quite believe I said that either!). I think what I mean is that whilst in the previous books the sex is 'gilding' to the relationship story (and very hot gilding at that) in this book it sometimes feels as though the sex is a substitute for relationship story.After a great opening which does raise the hairs on the back of your neck, the waking of Caliane is dealt with very superficially and I would like to have more focus on this. It was nice however to see more of Aodhan and Illium and learn something about their backgrounds.Overall a good, but not great, book. I did enjoy the last 50 pages or so and am looking forward to the next installment where I hope Singh is back on tip-top form.

Just finished Archangel's Consort, third in the Guild Hunter series, which I hope will not be a trilogy! Probably would agree with remarks about the Elena's issues becoming a bit over emphasized in this book. They were more relevant in the first two and whilst I enjoy the way Nalini Singh writes her sex scenes between Elena and Raphael, there were too many in book three. Raphael's love for Elena could have been illustrated in  Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter Novel) a variety of ways rather than the emphasis on nookie! However, that said this series is fantastic, quite gory sometimes but the horror is needed to understand the responses. I love the main characters Raphael is truly a masculine dream and Elena not the usual boring, analytical, wimp. So refreshing to see unequal partnerships made equal by personality and strength of character. Also thrilled to read books on kindle that are properly edited, grammatically correct and with a beautiful use of a varied vocabulary. Sex scenes yes but do not give them higher priority than thrilling storyline. Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunter Novel)