Series Title: Guild Hunter
Author: Nalini Singh
Published: 2010-2017
Publisher: Hachette (Gollancz)
Readership: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: ★★★★ (average)
If you follow along with my Youtube channel, you’ll be aware that I’ve been binge-reading the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh for the last 2 weeks. And I’ve LOVED every second of it.
Elena Devereaux is the best Guild Hunter in New York, hunting down vampires who escape their contracts with the angels. Her skill bring her to the attention of Archangel Raphael who needs to her to hunt and track an Archangel gone rogue. Raphael is the Archangel in charge of the United States, and runs his territory with an iron-fist and the assistance of his Seven – an assortment of angels and vampires with unique skill sets.
The series primarily follows the relationship between Elena and Raphael, while members of the Seven also get their own books that continue the main story arc of the series.
I’m kind of disappointed I hadn’t read this earlier – it’s full of angels who are not at all friendly or cherub-like, and there are vampires who are interesting to boot. The world-building and character development happens slowly over the course of the books, and the relationships definitely skew primarily in the male/female direction (although there are a few teeny tiny hints at some same-sex relationships, but I’ll admit that I’m not holding my breath on that front).
Elena is a tough, independent woman who hates relying on anyone and Raphael is not a particularly nice Archangel who’s used to getting his way and when the two clash, it’s great. Being a romance, there’s a whole lot of tension, and while their relationship is ridiculous, it’s entertaining (assuming you can get past the tropes). I honestly just liked this for the different characters and the relationship between angels and vampires, which made for an interesting change of pace.
I will admit that some of my favourite books in the series don’t focus solely on Elena and Raphael; the members of the Seven are all very interesting and had such varied histories and backstories that their individual stories have ended up as the most interesting ones to me.
This is definitely a series I intend to keep reading (book 11 can not come quick enough… and I only finished the book 10 two days ago!).
1) Angel’s Blood (2010) ★★★★ Elena is recruited by the Archangel Raphael to hunt a rogue Archangel with a dangerous appetite.
2) Archangel’s Kiss (2010) ★★★★ Set one year after the events of Angel’s Blood, Elena is recovering to the changes brought about at the end of the first book when she is invited to a ball hosted by the Archangel Lijuan where more dangers lurk beneath the surface.
3) Archangel’s Consort (2011) ★★★★ Elena investigates a vampire attack on a private girls’ school, while the world begins to experience strange weather phenomenon that herald a waking danger.
4) Archangel’s Blade (2011) ★★★ Dmitri, a thousand year old vampire and Raphael’s second, teams up with a Guild Hunter who suffered in captivity at the hands of vampires.
5) Archangel’s Storm (2012) ★★★★ Spymaster, Jason, travels to the Archangel Neha’s court to investigate the death of her consort.
6) Archangel’s Legion (2013) ★★★★ When angels fall from the sky without warning, and vampires begin to die of an unknown disease, it’s up to Elena, Raphael and the Seven to identify the forces behind these events before something even worse comes to New York.
7) Archangel’s Shadows (2014) ★★★★ Vampire Janvier teams up with Guild Hunter Ashwini to hunt a killer stalking New York.
8) Archangel’s Enigma (2015) ★★★★★ Naasir – the youngest and most feral of the Seven – had decided to hunt for his mate… until he is sent on a mission to find the sleeping place of an Ancient Archangel under threat from a familiar enemy.
9) Archangel’s Heart (2016) ★★★★ The Archangel’s are summoned to Luminata to decide on the fate of Lijuan. Elena uncovers information about the family she lost as a young child.
10) Archangel’s Viper (2017) ★★★★ Left forever changed by the events of the first book, Holly Chang now works for the angels by building connections with the local vampire community. When she’s targeted for kidnapping, she’s assigned to work with Venom to uncover who’s behind the plot and what untapped power is coursing through her body.
Extra) Angel’s Flight (2012) ★★★★ A collection of four novellas that tell the stories of Ashwini and Janvier, Galen and Jessamy, Sarah and Deacon, and Noel and Nimra.
Noveltea Corner 