Angels' Blood

by Nalini Singh

Book Overview

FIRST IN THE GUILD HUNTER SERIES Nalini Singh introduces readers to a world of beauty and bloodlust, where angels hold sway over vampires. Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad. The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other--and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn't...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425226921
• ISBN13: 9780425226926
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Nalini rocks

When I read a book I want to get out of real life and get taken away to fantasy land! Nalini does this in all of her books! Never disappoints. 👍👍💜💙💚

Great Condition

I love this series. Its the first book I read by Nalini Singh and she had me ordering the next one before I was even finished. Amazing characters. I have a girl crush on Elena now.

A great surprise

Didnt know if i was going to like it but o LOVED it!

Another start to a great series

Nalini Singh is definitely one of my favourite authors after reading the Psy/Changeling series and then Angel's Blood. I read Angel's Blood in one night-yes...that's no sleep with kids to deal with the next day. The only bad thing is the wait is so long for the next book.

The Angel's Have Spoken

And they say this book is five star worthy. Elena Deveraux is a vampire hunter. She works as a hunter for the Guild, a company that goes after rouge vampires, hunts them down, and sends them back to their sire's--the immortal Angel's. Elena's hunter skills are good. She uses her heightened senses to track vampires and is highly effective at her job, so effective that her aptitude puts her under The Archangel of New York's radar. The beautifully cruel archangel, Raphael, needs Elena's talent as a hunter to track down a rouge. He enlists her (more like commands her) to find a very dangerous rouge that is terrorizing Raphael's New York territory. Elena thinks the job will be a piece of cake. She has tracked down many vampire rouges before with little problem. She soon finds out that the mad-man that she's after is terrifyingly different from any other before him. And he has the power to destroy the world. Elena, with the help of the extremely seductive Raphael, sets out to find the rouge and stop him before his madness brings the world to destruction. Along the way, secrets that change life as Elena knows it are revealed and a bond, frowned upon by Elena herself, is forged between she and Raphael. Unlike most recent Urban Fantasy, Angels' Blood is not told from the first person female perspective. It is told in third person and the point of view, while mainly Elena's, also extends to Raphael, and there are short passages where the reader gets a glimpse into the rouge's mind. The world that Angels' Blood takes place in is something like an alternate earth. Everything is as we know it, the difference being that angel's rule the world and they have the ability to make vampires. So there are three species of people: angel's, vampires and humans. Like Ms. Singh's Psy/Changeling series, this one is filled with fully realized, multicultural characters. Also like her paranormal romance series, this one is great on the world building, which is always a plus when reading Urban Fantasy. Angels' Blood is equally plot and character driven. Neither point is overshadowed by the other. I will admit that it took me a few chapters in before I began to warm to Elena. For me, her character was a little off putting in the beginning, but when I finally began to understand Elena, I grew to connect with the character. Raphael, on the other hand, I liked from the jump. Angel's are known to be cruel and harsh to a fault, and Raphael fit that mold. But there was more to him than that, as was shown through his relationship with Elena. The supporting characters were fleshed out and I'm not sure if there are plans to feature any of them in the future, but I'm sure that a few of them would make really great leads in their own books. The story does not skimp on the gore and is not for the squeamish. It delves into the gritty, displaying the killer's work in grotesque detail. I'm not a fan of gore for the sake of gore, and luckily, there is none of that here. The description

I have a problem I can live with :)

Nalini Singh is one of my favorite authors. I'm already addicted to her Psy-Changeling series, where she has managed to create a thoroughly original and engaging world, that develops more and more in each book. When I learnt that she was going to write a new urban fantasy series, I couldn't help but think "Oh, no, Nalini will have less time to write the books I like!". All the same, I'm very curious, so I couldn't help buying and reading "Angels'Blood", the first novel in the Guild Hunter series. Now, I have a problem: a new addiction that joins my previously existing ones to chocolate and Nalini's Psy-Changeling series. I simply loved "Angels'Blood", its characters, and the new world it introduces. The main character is Elena Deveraux, a plucky guild hunter that tracks down vampires that break their contracts with angels, the immortal beings that create them in exchange for a period of servitude. Elena is the best at her job, and due to that she attracts what might end up being the mortal attention of Raphael, probably the most dangerous and beautiful archangel in existence. Raphael demands Elena to do the unthinkable: track a rogue archangel. Elena cannot say no to that request (or rather order), that will involve working closely with Raphael, and bring unexpected developments. On the whole, I can say that "Angels' Blood" is the beginning of a series totally different from the Psy-Changeling series, but, strangely enough, just as good. Highly recommended :) Belen Alcat

Wow! - What a great Intro to Singh's Incredible new Guild Hunter Urban Fantasy World of Angels, Vamp

Darker than her Psy-Changeling series and more urban fantasy suspense than romance. Singh's new Guild hunter universe is fabulous with its combination of angels, vampires and human hunters. And even though it is not super romantic, the relationship between the leads in Angel's Blood is still compelling. As the best hunter of the Guild, Elena comes to archangel Raphael's notice when her talents are required for a special hunt. This time the target is not a vampire trying to opt-out of the hundred years of servitude that is the angels' price for immortality, instead the quarry is far more dangerous - the supremely deadly archangel, Uram, gone rogue. Elena knows that even should she survive the hunt and deliver her blood thirsty prey, she will likely loose her life for her inability to swallow her pride and act the nice little mortal in order to treat the powerful archangel Raphael and his immortal vampire cadre with the submissive deference that they expect - she will not crawl, no matter the price. But it just that combination in of suicidal bravery along with an innocence and forthrightness that captures Raphael's interest and Raphael soon begins his own hunt with his seductive pursuit of Elena. Despite his arrogance and cruelty, Raphael's beauty and power is attractive. And even knowing the danger of becoming one of Raphael's toys, Elena may find it hard to deny her overwhelming desire for the magnificent winged immortal. Angel's Blood definitely lives up to - and surpasses - its prerelease buzz. I loved this one, even with some dark horrific moments showing the handiwork of the violently insane rogue `blood angel'. The Guild Hunter world is fascinating with its twist on the vampire mythos and the presence of angels on Earth. I really liked Singh's take on angels as dangerous ancient powerful inhuman beings and I loved that she doesn't make the mistake of turning Raphael fluffy and cherubic by the end of the story - she just gives him enough of a touch of humanity to make his transition work in the context of his relationship with Elena. Add to this flying scenes, Singh's evocative descriptions of the angels' beautiful wings, and the nod to changes in the angels' environments to accommodate a winged being and Angel's Blood captures the top spot on my list of angel paranormals. But even with all the other great things going on in Angel's Blood, it is Singh's amazing cast of characters who really make me excited about this new series. Raphael and Elena are terrific and there are so many standouts in the supporting cast: deadly vampires Dmitri and Venom, Illium the gorgeous flirtatious blue-winged angel with a weakness for mortals, angel spymaster Jason, and Elena's fellow hunters Sara and Ransom, not to mention hunter Ashwini and cajun vamp Janvier from Angels' Pawn: A Companion Novella to Angels- Blood who are not on stage here. If you'd like another little taste of the Guild Hunter world do check out Ashwini and Janvier in the com

Addicting and mesmerizing!

A vampire hunter, Elena Deveraux is one of the best of the best. Masters hire her services to capture their wayward charges and Elena never fails at returning the minions to their sires. When she is notified that she is to be present at Archangel Tower the next morning to get her latest assignment, Elena's heart does a flip. No one else but Raphael would be so blatant in his instructions and because he is the often feared but also revered archangel in charge of Elena's area, she has no choice but to comply. The assignment Raphael has for Elena is simplistic in the directions but pretty much impossible to complete. She isn't supposed to hunt a rogue vampire, she is to find and capture a rogue archangel. Elena knows she is being set up for failure and with passive aggressive intentions she tests Raphael. He is not amused and lets her know in no uncertain terms what will happen should this assignment fall through. Through it all however, Elena begins to notice things about this beautiful and powerful angel. Things like how he looks at her and how he touches her. Things that make him almost...human... I loved ANGEL'S BLOOD! Usually I am not a fan of urban fantasy and while hesitant to read ANGEL'S BLOOD at first, I had faith in Nalini Singh's ability as a writer. And in ANGEL'S BLOOD, Ms. Singh's ability shined like a beacon. Raphael and Elena's relationship is forbidden. He knows it. She knows it. But like Romeo and Juliet, they couldn't stop their hearts from beating just a bit faster whenever the other was near. Unlike Romeo and Juliet, however, Raphael and Elena found a way to make it work. I can't say anything more or I will give away the plot of ANGEL'S BLOOD. Just know that you will become immediately addicted to this brand new world and will ache once you finish reading. Hurry and get your copy today - ANGEL'S BLOOD is just that magnificent. ***Natalie S.***