Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Archangel's Blade Review . . .

Title:  Archangel's Blade
Series:  Guild Hunter #4
Author:  Nalini Singh
Published:  May 8, 2011 by Berkley Publishing

My Rating:  5 Fang*Tastic Stars

First Thoughts:  There's nothing like peeling back the layers to discover what haunts a tortured BadBoy like Dmitri . . . learning what turned him into the seemingly heartless, brutal man he is now.  There's also nothing quite like watching a woman bring him to his knees.

Synopsis:

The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

My Review:  

Archangel's Blade gives readers an up-close and personal look into the life of Dmitri - vampire leader of the Seven and Raphael's right-hand man.  Cold, brutal, vicious in delving out punishment, Dmitri shows no emotion and no mercy . . . until he meets Honor, a "ghost" of the Guild Hunter she once was - now in hiding as she recovers from a brutal kidnapping & attack that lasted for over two months.  In an effort to draw her out of her shell, Sarah assigns Honor to a case working with Dmitri, a bad*ss vampire, and the sparks fly. Inexplicably drawn to the deadly vampire, Honor slowly returns to her former life as a Guild Hunter, rising out of the pit of terror and nightmares she's been living in since her attack to claim revenge on those responsible.  Voices whispering through her head haunt her with visions of something beyond the here and now with Dmitri.  They are magnetically drawn together by an undeniable sexual attraction, but is there something more?

Dmitri is attracted to Honor in a way he hasn't felt for centuries.  She stirs emotions in him that he buried one dark, mournful day long ago.  Is it possible this cold-hearted vampire actually has a heart & soul?  As Dmitri's past story unfolds, a vulnerability and soft spot is revealed as the reader learns what turned this once mortal into a vicious, vengeful vampire.  Singh does a masterful job of evoking empathy for Dmitri - a character who seemingly deserves none.

As Dmitri and Honor work the case, they slowly open up to the possibilities happening between them.  They waltz around one another as both let their guard down, daring to take a closer look at the emotional explosion igniting between them.  I loved that Honor is no wilting violet as she stands her ground with Dmitri while working to overcome her fear and reclaim her life.  Dmitri proves himself to be a worthy Hero as he unravels the case and keeps his vow to help Honor investigate and dole out vengeance to those who hurt her.

Archangel's Blade is an intense, explosive, and yet romantic addition to this series. Revealing Dmitri's heartbreaking backstory allows the reader to know the man he was before and to see the life he lost and believes he will never have again.  I fell in love with this bad alpha vampire while reading this book.  This is Dmitri and Honor's story . . . A Page Burner!  A Must Read!

My Rating:  5 Fang*Tastic 's . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx
Sandra

No comments: