Archangel’s Heart (Guild Hunter #9) by Nalini Singh
Published: November 1, 2016
Spoilers For EXTREME DAYZZZ
Rating: 
Summary by Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into a dangerous and exhilarating world where a deadly, beautiful archangel and his once-mortal consort are caught in a fury of twisted darkness…
One of the most vicious archangels in the world has disappeared. No one knows if Lijuan is dead or has chosen to Sleep the long sleep of an immortal. But with her lands falling into chaos under a rising tide of vampiric bloodlust, a mysterious and ancient order of angels known as the Luminata calls the entire Cadre together to discuss the fate of her territory.
Accompanying her archangelic lover Raphael to the Luminata compound, guild hunter-turned-angel Elena senses that all is not as it seems. Secrets echo from within the stone walls of the compound, and the deeper Elena goes, the uglier the darkness. But neither Raphael nor Elena is ready for the brutal truths hidden within—truths that will change everything Elena thinks she knows about who she is…
Nothing will ever be the same again.
Another masterpiece by Singh and another gorgeous cover! Ms. Singh only grows with each book. Also, I am pretty sure, after reading this book, that this book was a built up for the next book–which should be EPIC!!
Beginning with a MYSTERY:
The prologue immediately holds our interest! We learn that Elena’s mother Marguerite is actually an orphan, her mother leaving her with a Nun and apparently dies in a bus crash. The mystery of Elena’s grandmother resides throughout the whole novel and does happen to delightedly surprise me.
Two Years Later…
The novel takes place two years after the Cascade caused such a worldwide havoc, Alexander rising from his Sleep, and Lijuan’s disappearance. We learn from Raphael that the Luminata are calling all the Cadre together and they are the extreme-type of monks in the angelic world that are sort of neutral ground for them. The Luminata have a certain power in the angelic world which the Cadre must command as they discuss Lijuan and squabble over her lands.
Elena and Rapheal=Bae Goals:
Though it seems like years since Elena has become an angel, she is still rightly adjusting because she is technically a “baby angel.” I like how realistic it is (despite you know, the whole vampire, angel, everything thing…), as in it takes Elena while to adjust then her being a full-fledged angel overnight. Elena is still connected to her mortality, which makes her relatable to us and her struggles.
Because it is Elena, the past is deeply rooted through her perspective. Honestly, it gets rather tiresome but her past comes with her and the horrors and laughs along with it. Luckily, we get more of the good memories as we learn more about her mother and the special times Elena shared with Marguerite. Marguerite reveals how her and Elena’s father romantically met and how she knew that her mother did not abandon her. Also, Raphael reveals how Elena has a vampire in her bloodline, which gives her more incentive to check out Morocco when they go to visit the Luminata.
Elena and Rapheal’s relationship has grown so much, especially compared when you read the earlier books. I have to give Elena props because Rapheal is hot but extremely scary. I cannot imagine being with a man over thousand years older me and having the ability to kill me within the blink of an eye. But there there is a trust between them, which is a beautiful, natural thing that I have learned to love over the course of the series. Their love is not forced and it proves that they are necessary for each other, despite her youth and his age. It is so cute how affectionate they are with each other and how much Raphael laughs now. Elena trusts him completely and I cannot wait to watch their love grow more.
Aodhan-Illium–???
In this book, we thankfully get to learn more about Aodhan’s history–which I have been dying to know! We get bits and pieces as usual as we try to piece together his past. We learn that after the incident, Aodhan secluded himself and Illium relentless tried to bring back his friend out. The relationship between the two angels is strong and loving and I have heard people hoping that they form a relationship. I can see how it could happen but I think Aodhan needs A LOT more time to recover before anything like that happens. I would rather see Sorrow and Venom get a book first before them tbh.
Ze PLOT and ze MYSTERY solved:
Immediately, when everyone settles with the Luminata, they feel creeped out and unsure. We later learn there is a sure reason why…
The Luminata is a brotherhood–all males who search for luminance (spelled it wrong) through enlightenment. They give up materialistic things and remain chaste–sounds like a breeding ground for sin (cough cough). The brotherhood hoard a huge collection of art and information and the head guy, Gian is a stage-five clinger. His total obsession with Elena is obvious and creepy, which sets us to be curious about the source of his obsession.
We later learn that there is a connection with Elena’s grandmother and the Luminata…dun..dun..dun…
Elena learns about her grandmother from a neighboring village who is afraid of angels. We learn that Elena’s grandmother Majda from the village and married a vampire. She was eventually taken by Gian, who kept and tormented her and her vampire husband since. The mystery was delightfully surprising but depressing but I am gad that they disproved the truth. This means that Elena has more family and I am happy for, especially since she has lost so much.
ADIOS LUMINATA:
Justice is served! The Cadre obviously do not approve of how the Luminata have ben running there creepy actions and take control of the brotherhood. Aka YA$$$$$$$ much deserved. Also, Rapheal and the rest of the Cadre set off to China to figure out what is the dealie-o with Lijuan, which is setting up for some epic battle I am hoping. I am biased because I love Singh but another round of five-stars! I cannot wait for more books!
Mecca-Amirah Jackson 