A Book Obsession..: Archangel's Kiss

Archangel's Kiss

, by Kt Clapsadl

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Guild Hunter #2

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find that she has become an angel-and that her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, likes having her under his control. But almost immediately, Raphael must ready Elena for a flight to Beijing, to attend a ball thrown by the archangel Lijuan. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan's power lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena...

After almost dying, Elena was shocked to wake up a year later finding that she is now an Angel. Yet despite her new immortal status, the playing field has not been evened up between her and Raphael. If anything, his desire to control her is even stronger now that she is so weak. Of course she cannot stay that way for long as the most powerful known Archangel, Lijuan is throwing a ball in Elena's honor. Of course this will be no happy meet and greet as the Ancient loves to play deadly games, and now that her attention is fixated on Elena, that can only spell disaster.

So you would think after the willingness to sacrifice everything for Elena would have changed Raphael's attitude towards her. But no, he is still the arrogant control freak that has a real problem with ordering her around. He is a walking contradiction in that he wants a warrior woman, yet whenever she stands up for herself, he tries to shut that down immediately. Luckily she can more than hold her own against him, and does an incredible job of "managing" him. As time went on, he bit by bit was accepting her independence, but I have a feeling it will always be a battle of wills between them to some extent. It sure keeps their relationship interesting, and whew! does that conflict ever heat things up in the bedroom. They are probably one of the most steamy couples I have ever read about as the heat practically jumps off the page.

It really astonishes me that Elena is such a target from so many different sides, even potentially the ones that are fiercely loyal to Raphael himself. Raphael is supposed to be this supreme ruler whose actions and desires are never to be questioned, yet everyone keeps doing just that when it comes to Elena. I understand his Seven's point of view in that they see her as a threat to him, a weakness. While that may be true, she also gives him a strength the other archangels can never hope to have. She will always be his lifeline against the madness that claims so many, and his people should be grateful for that. As far as everyone else, I think the animosity must stem from jealousy or greed. She is the only made angel in the known memory, so that would make her a priceless thing to covet. I guess another way to look at it is that immortal beings do not like change, and Elena definitely brings that. Even so, the constant targeting seems excessive, and I can't help but admire the strength she has to keep training so hard to protect herself.

After the shocking ending of the first book, the rather anticlimactic ending of Archangel's Kiss surprised me. Everything was building up to the final showdown for the entire book, and I just don't think the result fit with the threat. Perhaps things turned out they way they did to open up things for future trouble, but I cannot help being a little disappointed in the way things were resolved. However, putting that aside, the book was still quite enjoyable, and as steamy as ever. I look forward to seeing what is in store next as Elena continues to grow into her immortality, as well as the changes in Raphael. Things should be interesting to say the least.

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