Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords: Paranormal romance, angels, vampires, short stories
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Angels' Flight is a collection of four novellas by Nalini Singh set in the world of her Guild Hunter series. It looks like the first two stories have been published previously in other anthologies and the third says "first time in print" so it may have been available on her blog or somewhere else. The fourth story, "Angels' Dance" is the only completely new story in the collection. I'd read the first two stories previously but not the second two. I wasn't really bothered by the fact that most of these had been released before, though it is good to know so you know what you're getting. I didn't have any of these stories on their own so I like having them all in one place and I probably would have bought it for Angels's Dance alone since I am a Nalini Singh fangirl and love the Guild Hunter series.
Angels’ Pawn - 3.5 stars
In Angels' Pawn a vampire hunter faces off against two rival factions and the angel manipulating them both, and a vampire whose help is not entirely selfless...Angels’ Pawn is the story of Guild Hunter Ashwini (Ash) and the annoyingly charming vampire Janvier. Ash enlists Janvier’s assistance in finding a kidnapped vamp while playing vampire/angel politics.
I’d read this story before and enjoyed it. Ash is a character that pops up quite a bit in the Guild Hunter world but we don’t know a ton about her. In this one, we get a little glimpse into her past that makes me want to know more. Like more hunters, Ash is extremely tough and capable. She knows how to hold her own against vampire and angels alike. Janvier is somewhat of a mystery. I don’t know his story or where he comes from except that he loves to drive Ash crazy. Ash and Janvier have fantastic chemistry and this is the only story in which the two characters don’t end up together at the end. Even though the ending of this one left me a bit unfulfilled, I still really enjoyed it. There is definitely potential for more with these two and I hope that they get their happily ever after one day.
Angel’s Judgement - 4 stars
In Angels’ Judgment a hunter must track one of her own gone bad, while surviving the deadly tests placed in her way by the archangels themselves. Unexpected backup comes from a stranger who might just be the most lethal threat of all...
In
Angel’s Judgement, hunter Sara Haziz must track down a vampire killer who may be one of her own while trying to survive . Along for the ride is Deacon, aka The Slayer, a dead sexy hunter that is tasked with keeping an eye on Sara and helping her track down this rogue hunter.
Angel’s Judgement is from the Must Love Hellhounds anthology and it’s another one that I’d previously read. I ended up reading it again when I received Angel’s Flight I liked it just as much as I did the first time. Sara is a strong, capable fighter who more than holds her own against the vamps and other creatures of the night. She’s tough but still feminine and vulnerable. Deacon isn’t intimidated by Sara’s position and their chemistry is blistering.I loved that their story played out in an unexpected way and was also surprisingly sweet. Another great read by Nalini Singh.
Angel’s Wolf - 4 stars
In Angel’s Wolf a vampire becomes fascinated with the seductive angel who rules Louisiana. But all is not what it appears to be in her court.
We first met Noel in
Archangel’s Kiss, when a vampire is brutally attacked and left for dead. While his body has recovered, mentally, Noel is not the same. Dmitri sends him to the angel Nimra’s court, to pose as her lover and try to figure out who tried to poison her.
This one actually ended up surprising me. I didn’t know what to expect from Noel and Nimra and their story was not at all what I expected. Singh really has a way with bringing back tortured characters back to life. There’s no easy fix for Noel after what he’s gone through but being in Nimra’s court is helping him heal. And I loved that he was so protective of Nimra, a powerful and deadly angel. Nimra herself surprised me. Yes, at times she lived up to her reputation as being a cold and harsh ruler, but Singh also showed us her softer side. She isn’t cruel or unjust and had much more compassion than her reputation allowed. I liked that she was able to trust Noel with her weaknesses and he with hers, as well as their strengths.
Angels’ Dance - 5 stars
In
Angels’ Dance an angel trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge finds herself under siege by a warrior angel from a martial court.
Angels’ Dance was the story I was most looking forward to and it ended up being my favorite. There were hints of Jessamy and Galen’s relationship in previous books but no real details. We finally get their story in Angels’ Dance. Jessamy, an angel thousands of years old, has been trapped at the Refuge for her entire life. Due to a malformation of one of her wings, she has never been able to fly. Jessamy is very different from most of the angels we’ve met in the Guild Hunter world. She isn’t a fighter or a warrior. Though she is physically weaker than most, it’s her inner strength that sets her apart. She is the perfect counterpoint to the rough and unrefined Galen. I didn’t know much about Galen before reading this and I found myself falling for him. Under his gruff exterior was an extremely caring and kind man. He protectedand loved Jessamy but he never held her back. Oh - and we find out how Illium gets his nickname in this one. :)
Overall:
As a reader of this blog you may already know that I am a huge Nalini Singh fan. Even in short form, these stories are wonderfully well written and I felt like I got more than my money’s worth with this collection.This is a must read for any fan of the Guild Hunter series. Non-readers will still enjoy it but I think you need to read the series to fully appreciate it. If you haven’t read the series yet, do it and thank me later. :)
Visit the author online at www.nalinisingh.com and follow her on Twitter @NaliniSingh
