Review: Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Storm

Book 5 in the Guild Hunter series

Author:  Nalini Singh

Publisher:  Berkley Sensation

Release date:  9/4/12

Author's website:  Link

With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.

Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.

With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.

The character of Jason is known for being a man of few words and in Archangel's Storm we get to know him a little better as well as get a peek into his past.  He's sent into the Archangel Neha's territory to solve the murder of her consort Eris.  Jason is the best at what he does which comes as no surprise to anyone.  Being a spy for Raphael has honed his investigating abilities and his many informants help him with the task of solving the murder.  He's also able to keep an eye on Neha because she's on the verge of going insane and this could be a very bad thing for anyone living in that area.  Being around Neha is like walking on eggshells and no one knows this better than Princess Mahiya.  Eris was her father and living with Neha all her life has made her soft spoken and reserved.  As the secrets of the family are revealed, it's easy to see why Mahiya has such a reserved personality.  Her family is a dysfunctional one and Jason soon finds Mahiya fascinating as he realizes the inner strength she has to endure what she has lived with. 

I found Jason to be patient and understanding because his own past was filled with so much sorrow.  He's distanced himself for a reason and what he experienced could have made even the strongest person fall to their knees.  It took a great deal of strength overcome all the sorrow and grief he has experienced and you can truly feel that as Mahiya's character gets to know him better.  I felt that he was perfect for Mahiya as they both experienced so much sadness in their life.  Because the story has such a melancholy feeling to it, Nalini Singh did a great job balancing it out by having loving, tender moments with some of the other couples in the series.  There are touching scenes with Raphael, Elena, Dmitri and Honor.  Their relationships are still evolving as well and I was happy to get a glimpse into them. 

I'm giving Archangel's Storm a rating of:

 

While I found the story to move a little too slow for my liking at times, I was anxious to uncover the secrets of the characters.  Jason and Mahiya have their place in the series now and while they aren't as exciting as some of the other characters in the series, their story added even more depth to this already amazing series and I was happy to see them find happiness despite all they have gone through. Archangel's Storm is filled with so much heartache, but it also showed that there is hope in finding love even when one thinks it's impossible to find.   I feel that is a reflection of what all of the couples in the series have experienced so far, especially for Jason and Mahiya.  Nalini Singh's writing, as always, is lush and filled with much emotion. She has the ability to paint these breathtaking locations that I can see in my mind as I'm reading. I love nothing more than being taken away and she does that every single time with her books, so it's no surprise that she's become one of my favorite writers.