Reviewed by Nikyta
Title: Archangel’s War
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #12
Hero/Heroine: Elena & Raphael
Genre: M/F Urban Fantasy
Length: 478 pages
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: September 24, 2019
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads
Blurb: Return to New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly passionate Guild Hunter world, where human-turned-angel Elena Deveraux, consort to Archangel Raphael, faces a new challenge that threatens the balance of the world.
Wings of silver. Wings of blue. Mortal heart. Broken dreams. Shatter. Shatter. Shatter. A sundering. A grave. I see the end. I see. . . .
The world is in chaos as the power surge of the Cascade rises to a devastating crescendo. In furiously resisting its attempts to turn Elena into a vessel for Raphael’s power, Elena and her archangel are irrevocably changed. . .far beyond the prophecy of a cursed Ancient.
At the same time, violent and eerie events around the world threaten to wipe out entire populations. And in the Archangel Lijuan’s former territory, an unnatural fog weaves through the land, leaving only a bone-chilling silence in its wake. Soon it becomes clear that even the archangels are not immune to this deadly evil. This time, even the combined power of the Cadre may not be enough. . . .
This war could end them all.
Review:
Okay, WOW! I don’t even know what to say about this one because I’m kind of in shock with how it ended (which now seems to be a trend LOL). I wasn’t sure what to expect after reading the last book, Archangel’s Prophecy, because I had a hard time with that one and wasn’t a fan of how it ended BUT after starting this one, I was amazed at what Elena had developed into and why she had to go through losing her wings. I mean now her wings are definitely one of a kind and I adored the power she now holds. It was interesting seeing the affects to both Raphael and Elena from being in the chrysalis and the new power they hold. It was intriguing to see them hesitate to understand what had changed within them but also seeing them trying to really understand their new abilities. One thing I really love about this series, though, is how fiercely loyal Raphael is. Not just to Elena but also to his friends, to his people and to the Legion. He will literally lay his life down for them and I really loved seeing how that strengthens him. Add to that, it was interesting to see all the Archangels come together to fight Lijuan but what made my jaw drop was how some of the really selfish ones realized they couldn’t just ignore what Lijuan had become. I loved seeing them all work together and the intensity and suspense in seeing all their powerful abilities in action at once and all geared towards a common goal.
While I really enjoyed this one and it definitely had me on the edge of my seat, I struggled to get into it at first. It was very slow for the first half of the story because there was so much tension on when things would happen. And then when the fighting started, it really picked up and I was so intrigued by everything that I zoomed through it but then the fighting went on too long, which I know is ridiculous to say because it’s a WAR but after a while, it became too repetitive and dragged slightly again. I feel like we needed to see all that fighting, especially as it had been brewing for multiple books, but I wished it could have been a little more condensed. Add to that, I still don’t understand why Lijuan is so dead-set on Raphael. I still don’t get why she would fly over other Archangels’ territories just to get to Raphael. I don’t think we ever truly got an answer to why she was so obsessed with Raphael. I would understand if she was coming at Raphael from the West but she attacks Raphael from the East, which means she flies over all of Europe to get to Raphael and I don’t understand why.
All in all, this was a really great addition to the series. I absolutely adore Raphael and Elena and what they’ve been going through. I enjoy seeing them work together to conquer so much and their love still shines through. It was a little slow in the beginning but things soon picked up and we finally get that fierce battle we’ve been anticipating for so long. Things have definitely changed after this one and while this book feels like ‘the end,’ I noticed that there’s at least three more books to follow and I can’t wait to see them. I have to say, we BETTER get Sparkle and Bluebell’s story (AS A COUPLE) because Ms. Singh has been teasing us for years on them and I want them now!! They can’t end up with anyone else but each other or I’ll be so disappointed! Anywayyyyy, definitely give this a go if you’ve been reading the Guild Hunter series. And if you haven’t read this series at all, what are you waiting for?? Start it!!
Overall Impression: I really liked it!
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for a fair and honest review.*
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