Review: ARCHANGEL'S CONSORT

Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh
Book 3 of the Guild Hunter series
Read by Justine Eyre
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: paperback & audiobook

About Archangel's Consort:

Nalini Singh steps back into the shadows of her heartbreakingly original world where angels rule, vampires serve, and the innocent can pay the greatest price of all ...Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil ...A vampire has attacked a girls' school - the assault one of sheer, vicious madness - and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders. The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear. An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed ...

Source: Info in the About Archangel's Consort was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7307503-archangel-s-consort on 24/02/2013.

Review:

I've already said most of what I can say about this book with my reviews with the first two books of this series. So what else/more can be said about this book other than that it will feed more of your Guild Hunter series addiction? In this book we see more familial dynamics interaction. The irritating dynamics of Elena's dysfuntional family plus Raphael's mother entering the scene. This book is all about family and it was interesting to see how Ms. Singh woved that into the central theme of the book plus all the various sub plots and tie it all up into a nice bow at the end. Masterfully woven tale! Combine that with a compelling story telling quality and you got a very enjoyable reading time! Although this book started off rather slow for me it was worth trudging through the first few chapters for the wonderful read that I got in the end.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = [paperback = 4] / [audiobook = 2.5]
Pace = (paperback) 4.5 / (audiobook: 10 hrs and 22 mins listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Guild Hunter series:

Review: ARCHANGEL'S KISS

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh
Book 2 of the Guild Hunter series
Read by Justine Eyre
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: paperback & audiobook

About Archangel's Kiss:

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of angelic rulers, vampiric servants, and the woman thrust into their darkly seductive world...

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel, Raphael, is used to being in control—especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority.

They've barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel, Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena.

Source: Info in the About Archangel's Kiss was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6582637-archangel-s-kiss on 21/02/2013.

Review:

This being Book 2 in the series I have gotten more used to Justine Eyre's reading. And I already liked her style with Book 1 to begin with, but, I still thought that her voice quality was not as pleasing as Alyssa Bresnahan's, however, now I think it is not as bad as I thought it was. Plus, her reading style sounds really professional!

Nalini Singh brought into this book the same compelling story telling quality that she has shown in Book 1. The same masterful weaving of plot and wonderful world that I am compelled to read on with this series! So be warned, this is an addictive series!!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = [paperback = 4] / [audiobook = 2.5]
Plot = 4.5
Pace = (paperback) 4.5 / (audiobook: 9 hrs and 46 mins listening time)
Narrator = 4

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Guild Hunter series:

Review: ANGEL'S BLOOD

Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh
Book 1 of the Guild Hunter series
Read by Justine Eyre
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: paperback & audiobook

About Angel's Blood:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best - but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option — even if the task is impossible. Because 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 does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break.

Source: Info in the About Angel's Blood was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3819326-angels-blood on 19/02/2013.

Review:

I'm an old Nalini Singh fan with her Psy-Changeling series but it took me a long time to pick this book up. Oh, I bought it. But the first two books of this series sat in my TBR shelf for like forever until the audible Android app allowed users to listen to UK, US and German purchases. And another factor which contributed to my resistance in picking up this book is that I am not really sold out on the angels world. But I should not have doubted Ms. Singh's story telling ability outside of the Psy-Changeling series because she has brought into this book the same story telling quality that I have come to know and admire in the Psy-Changeling series. And Ms. Singh has pulled off presenting an alternate world where angels actually live in the mortal world and are the rulling body from the dawn of civilization up to the modern world of present time. At first I thought this book was going to be another religious mytho rip off, but it turns out that Ms. Singh went off tangent in a different direction and made it her own. And that of course earned this book a lot of kudos! I was listening to the audiobook for the first three quarters of the book but by chapter 29 I had to stop listening and continue reading the paperback because I just have to savour the story. Can't be going through the book too fast! That shows to prove just how wonderful the story is and I would definitely be reading the next book in this series!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 5
Ending = 4
World building = 4.5
Cover art = [paperback = 4] / [audiobook = 2.5]
Pace = (paperback) 4.5 / (audiobook: 10.5 hours listening time)
Plot = 4.5
Narration = 4

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Guild Hunter series: