Review: Archangel’s Shadows

Archangel’s Shadows by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter (#7)
Rating: ★★★★★

In the wake of a brutal war, the archangel Raphael and his hunter consort, Elena, are dealing with the treacherously shifting tides of archangelic politics and the people of a battered but not broken city. The last thing their city needs is more death, especially a death that bears the eerie signature of an insane enemy archangel who cannot— should not—be walking the streets.

 

This hunt must be undertaken with stealth and without alerting their people. It must be handled by those who can become shadows themselves…

 

Ash is a gifted tracker and a woman cursed with the ability to sense the secrets of anyone she touches. But there’s one man she knows all too well without a single instant of skin contact: Janvier, the dangerously sexy Cajun vampire who has fascinated and infuriated her for years. Now, as they track down a merciless killer, their cat-and-mouse game of flirtation and provocation has turned into a profound one of the heart. And this time, it is Ash’s secret, dark and terrible, that threatens to destroy them both.

Book 0.6: Angels’ Pawn
Book 1: Angels’ Blood
Book 2: Archangel’s Kiss
Book 3: Archangel’s Consort
Book 4: Archangel’s Blade
Book 5: Archangel’s Storm
Book 6: Archangel’s Legion
Book 7: Archangel’s Shadows
Book 8: Archangel’s Enigma
Book 9: Archangel’s Heart

I can’t believe that I didn’t write an actual review of this book at any point in the last couple years since it’s come out. Noticing that is actually one of the reasons that I started on this re-read of the entire series. And it’s been so worth it. This is the first time I’ve re-read in a few years and I’m enjoying the series like it’s brand new – mostly because since Archangel’s Storm, it feels that way to me. I’ve re-read these later books once at most, and they’re still not fully settled in my memory. This is probably the closest I’ll ever get to reading them for the first time again.

Ash and Janvier have been a favorite since their novella (Angels’ Pawn) was first released in a tease of the series prior to Elena and Raphael’s first book. I loved her “gifts” and his charm. They seemed the perfect pair and I’ve spent several years watching them play with each other, tease and chase each other, and (I hoped) work towards their HEA. Finally, finally, my patience (okay, so I wasn’t so patient) paid off.

I thought I had a pretty good handle on the gifts that Ashwini hid from the majority of the world. A type of psychometry, more to do with people than objects though, and a bit of precognition. But I never considered the darker side. I knew that her touching others could leave her reeling in their memories, but there’s a very real consequence and worry in Ash’s life related to all of this. I sometimes hate the ‘we can’t be together because of…’ trope, but I loved how it was handled here. Ash took the time and care to be sure that Janvier knew why she hesitated, why she didn’t let their relationship go past a certain point before he understood.

When she did tell him, when he understood the terrible truth, I love how they decided to take life and live it. Full throttle. No holding back, no reservations. Their romance was incredibly poignant and sweet – and sexy – to me. I love their banter, their play. It brought light to a very (possibly) dark story.

Being that this book is just after the major war that happened in Legion, things are starting to settle back into normality – except for a pervasive threat that comes out of the aftermath. Ash and Janvier are more than up to the task of tracking down this threat and taking care of it, though. And I did find the mystery plot interesting, but – for me – the best part of this book was the relationships, intertwining, heart-breaking, and full of love.

If Archangel’s Legion is where I first become truly curious about Naasir, this is the book where I became enamoured of him. Despite being hundreds of years old, a vampire, sexual, predatory, and dangerous, there’s such a sense of innocence about him. He’s …. not tainted. I found myself enchanted by his thought processes, and my heart broke a little with the bits and pieces of his history that we did get. I can’t wait to dive into his book next, again.

Archangel’s Shadows was an amazing book. A bit quieter, action-wise, than the last, but no less potent. It might just be my fan-girl speaking, but I think these just keep getting better and better.