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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
Une très bonne surprise,
http://nyxshadow.unblog.fr/2011/04/10/chasseuse-de-vampires-t1-le-sang-des-anges-nalini-singh/
http://nyxshadow.unblog.fr/2011/04/10/chasseuse-de-vampires-t1-le-sang-des-anges-nalini-singh/
I was hooked. There were thematic similarities with Slave to Sensation and the end was a bit rushed, but overall a great read.
Reread June 2014: enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
Reread June 2014: enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Unfortunately, while the cast of this book is diverse, this book is full of racist/fetishizing language. A lot using food to describe skin color as well as flagrant use of the word “exotic.” There was also groundwork for some racist character archetypes, though I’m assuming you’d have to keep reading this series to see if those come to their typical end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Murder
***2021 Audio re-read***
Still holds up great. Liked going back and seeing the beginnings of Raph/Elena.
**********************
In this new world created by Nalini Singh, there are three types of beings: Humans, Vampires and Angels. Elena Deveraux is a human who is also a vampire hunter. She is hunter born, meaning she natural has extra-sensory abilities that allow her to hunt and find vampires. She works for a firm known only as The Guild which contracts to find wayward vamps.
Vampires in this world are created by Angels. The why and how is explained in the course of the story as a closely guarded secret. But the process involves people who want to become vampires applying (like a job) and going through a battery of tests to see if they fit the physical and mental requirements necessary for immortality. If they are successful applicants then they are 'turned'.
But with immortality comes a price. They are the servants, virtual slaves, of the Angel who made them. And not all the Angels are angelic. Some are benevolent but others are cruel and capricious. Hence some vampires try to escape their servitude. That is when the Guild Hunters are called in and hired by the Angels to return the fleeing vamp. They are paid handsomely for their work as it is a very hazardous job.
Elena is hired by the Archangel Raphael for a very special job. She is reluctant to take the job because Raphael is an Archangel with a reputation for swift and terrible justice. If she fails in the job she knows that her reward will be death. Things get even worse when she realizes that the retrieval this time isn't just a rogue vamp, but an Archangel turned feral -- the whys and hows of this is also explained in the course of the story and is likewise a closely guarded secret.
So Elena has to track down an evil Archangel, while simultaneously navigating a tense relationship with Raphael.
I was very reluctant to get this book. Even though I am a stone cold proponent of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series the early descriptions of this book just did not make it sound at all interesting to me (I hate vampire hunter books).
But I read a review that led me to believe this might not be the boring vamp hunter retread I thought it would be and so I got the book. And I am so happy I did.
Singh does here what she did with her Psy-Changeling series. She takes familiar paranormal tropes and makes something different, fresh and utterly fascinating with them. Here is yet another twist on how Vampires get made -- They apply for the job and undergo a review and interview process like any other job. And they sign an ironclad contract. On the surface it seems ridiculously ordinary, yet underneath -- given what we learn about the Angels -- it is kinda sinister. In the process she also makes them lose a lot of the glamour that comes with vampire lore in many of the paranormal books. They are not the top of the food chain. And in a lot of ways they are less powerful and more pitiable than humans.
No, the top dog spot and true glamour is saved for the Angels and the Archangels. From the loving descriptions of their unearthly beauty and the various skin and wing colors and the awed reactions of both humans and vampires we know that the Angels are where it's at in this book. And yet she does not leave them flawless. They are also an extremely dysfunctional group who wield almost too much power. Singh excels at showing the cracks and strains and effects that holding such power creates.
The best parts of this story are the relationships. Elena's relationships with her Guildmates and her family are complex and nuanced. Raphael's relationship with the other Archangels, his Vampire Dmitri and his elite bodyguard force known as The Seven is likewise well drawn.
And then there is the relationship between Elena and Raphael. This is a true paranormal romance novel. So even though there are the awful scenes of evil and depravity and just plain yukkiness -- the central plot of this book is the romance of Elena and Raphael. It is an uneasy and at times uncomfortable courtship. They are two extremely strong willed individuals who fight for supremacy. And the pull and tug of their romance is both interesting and -- in the middle of the book -- a little dragged out. But overall, I think it is the strongest element of this story.
The weakest element, imo, is the actual hunt of the villain. I didn't find Uram particularly interesting or his story in anyway compelling. I think she made him too evil. It would have been nice if we'd gotten a little more backstory on him so we could actually see the horror of his downward spiral. As it was, it was just all evil all the time.
The ending rocks so hard I had to read it twice and it made me desperate for the next book in the series.
Highly recommend.
Still holds up great. Liked going back and seeing the beginnings of Raph/Elena.
**********************
In this new world created by Nalini Singh, there are three types of beings: Humans, Vampires and Angels. Elena Deveraux is a human who is also a vampire hunter. She is hunter born, meaning she natural has extra-sensory abilities that allow her to hunt and find vampires. She works for a firm known only as The Guild which contracts to find wayward vamps.
Vampires in this world are created by Angels. The why and how is explained in the course of the story as a closely guarded secret. But the process involves people who want to become vampires applying (like a job) and going through a battery of tests to see if they fit the physical and mental requirements necessary for immortality. If they are successful applicants then they are 'turned'.
But with immortality comes a price. They are the servants, virtual slaves, of the Angel who made them. And not all the Angels are angelic. Some are benevolent but others are cruel and capricious. Hence some vampires try to escape their servitude. That is when the Guild Hunters are called in and hired by the Angels to return the fleeing vamp. They are paid handsomely for their work as it is a very hazardous job.
Elena is hired by the Archangel Raphael for a very special job. She is reluctant to take the job because Raphael is an Archangel with a reputation for swift and terrible justice. If she fails in the job she knows that her reward will be death. Things get even worse when she realizes that the retrieval this time isn't just a rogue vamp, but an Archangel turned feral -- the whys and hows of this is also explained in the course of the story and is likewise a closely guarded secret.
So Elena has to track down an evil Archangel, while simultaneously navigating a tense relationship with Raphael.
I was very reluctant to get this book. Even though I am a stone cold proponent of Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series the early descriptions of this book just did not make it sound at all interesting to me (I hate vampire hunter books).
But I read a review that led me to believe this might not be the boring vamp hunter retread I thought it would be and so I got the book. And I am so happy I did.
Singh does here what she did with her Psy-Changeling series. She takes familiar paranormal tropes and makes something different, fresh and utterly fascinating with them. Here is yet another twist on how Vampires get made -- They apply for the job and undergo a review and interview process like any other job. And they sign an ironclad contract. On the surface it seems ridiculously ordinary, yet underneath -- given what we learn about the Angels -- it is kinda sinister. In the process she also makes them lose a lot of the glamour that comes with vampire lore in many of the paranormal books. They are not the top of the food chain. And in a lot of ways they are less powerful and more pitiable than humans.
No, the top dog spot and true glamour is saved for the Angels and the Archangels. From the loving descriptions of their unearthly beauty and the various skin and wing colors and the awed reactions of both humans and vampires we know that the Angels are where it's at in this book. And yet she does not leave them flawless. They are also an extremely dysfunctional group who wield almost too much power. Singh excels at showing the cracks and strains and effects that holding such power creates.
The best parts of this story are the relationships. Elena's relationships with her Guildmates and her family are complex and nuanced. Raphael's relationship with the other Archangels, his Vampire Dmitri and his elite bodyguard force known as The Seven is likewise well drawn.
And then there is the relationship between Elena and Raphael. This is a true paranormal romance novel. So even though there are the awful scenes of evil and depravity and just plain yukkiness -- the central plot of this book is the romance of Elena and Raphael. It is an uneasy and at times uncomfortable courtship. They are two extremely strong willed individuals who fight for supremacy. And the pull and tug of their romance is both interesting and -- in the middle of the book -- a little dragged out. But overall, I think it is the strongest element of this story.
The weakest element, imo, is the actual hunt of the villain. I didn't find Uram particularly interesting or his story in anyway compelling. I think she made him too evil. It would have been nice if we'd gotten a little more backstory on him so we could actually see the horror of his downward spiral. As it was, it was just all evil all the time.
The ending rocks so hard I had to read it twice and it made me desperate for the next book in the series.
Highly recommend.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a fun series start. Although it has a lot of spicy fantasy tropes, they are fun and the author keeps it feeling fresh. The Angel/vampire mythology was interesting and The series introduced a lot of good characters that should provide variety as the series progresses. The only issue for me that Elena’s character felt inconsistent. She is portrayed as strong but seems to compromise what she states as closely held beliefs. Hopefully her character gains more consistency and depth as her character progresses.
There was definitely something to like about the characters. But for me, this read confirmed that I should steer clear of urban/paranormal fantasy. Just can't stand something about it.
Me gusto mucho!! Me encanta leer sobre ángeles y el mundo que crea la autora le pareció bastante original. Me gusto mucho Rafael
What? I bought a stack of these from Half Price Books. I had a gift card. I read one or two more books in this series, and it got a touch too romancey for me (also, a later book had one of my unforgivable plot devices: woman seriously traumatized by sexual violence has the faith in humanity lovingly banged back into her.)
This book was surprisingly engaging though and the world Singh creates is immersive. The series takes place in an alternate universe where angels and vampires (who are indentured servants to angels) coexist with humans. The heroine, Elena, works as a Guild Hunter. She can track rogue vampires by their smell. I thought Elena was pretty cool and badass, but super smeller is a kind of legitimately lame superpower (ok, it turns out she had above average strength as well, but this is mentioned briefly as an aside much later.) She is hired by Raphael, the Archangel of New York (who is also hawt), to track a supernatural serial killer. It's kiiind of romancey, but it's got lots of action and decent banter and some humor. I found this enjoyable and diversionary.
I'm not an expert on paranormal romance (although I've read more than a few books about shagging vampires and werewolves and now angels I suppose), but I think Nalini Singh is really one of the better authors in the genre. I'd rank her thusly:
Laurell K. Hamilton (do NOT read after book #8 or so, unless graphic threesomes/foursomes/menage a dodecahedrons are your jam.)
Kim Harrison
Nalini Singh
Charlaine Harris
This book was surprisingly engaging though and the world Singh creates is immersive. The series takes place in an alternate universe where angels and vampires (who are indentured servants to angels) coexist with humans. The heroine, Elena, works as a Guild Hunter. She can track rogue vampires by their smell. I thought Elena was pretty cool and badass, but super smeller is a kind of legitimately lame superpower (ok, it turns out she had above average strength as well, but this is mentioned briefly as an aside much later.) She is hired by Raphael, the Archangel of New York (who is also hawt), to track a supernatural serial killer. It's kiiind of romancey, but it's got lots of action and decent banter and some humor. I found this enjoyable and diversionary.
I'm not an expert on paranormal romance (although I've read more than a few books about shagging vampires and werewolves and now angels I suppose), but I think Nalini Singh is really one of the better authors in the genre. I'd rank her thusly:
Laurell K. Hamilton (do NOT read after book #8 or so, unless graphic threesomes/foursomes/menage a dodecahedrons are your jam.)
Kim Harrison
Nalini Singh
Charlaine Harris
I enjoy the unique take of Angle and Vampire relationships, the main characters (I absolutely loved Elena and Raphael) of the book are very likeable, I like how the author took time and develop the characters as well. The book is well written, I enjoy reading this book very much!