In this second installment of the Guild Hunter series, Archangel's Kiss picks up where Angels' Blood left off. Guild Hunter Elena wakes up after a year of healing from her injuries from fighting with, and killing, Archangel Uram. She discovers that she's no longer human but an angel, Made by her lover, Archangel Raphael. A curiosity among many angels and vampires, despised by the rest, Elena comes to realize that she's the first Made angel in many years and if some have their way, her existence will be very short lived.

Soon after she wakes from a coma, she and Raphael are invited to a ball. But this ball is anything but ordinary. It's being held by fellow Archangel Lijuan, an ancient, dark angel who's recently learned the power of raising humans from the dead. For what purpose is anyone's guess although most theorize it's for purely nefarious purposes. Even though Elena is Hunter-born, she's still pretty weak from the transition and must train extensively to be prepared for, and survive, whatever hellish surprise Lijuan has in store for her.

After having read both Angels' Blood and Archangel's Kiss, it's quite evident that Guild Hunter is, and is going to be, a fabulous series. The book was incredibly difficult to put down; everyday activities suffered. Joining the plethora of novels already in the paranormal realm, it easily leaves its mark as a series with a fresh voice and ingenuity.

The characters have wonderfully emotional depth and development, not only Raphael and Elena but the secondary characters as well. A favorite character is Ilium, another angel, as is Dmitri, a vampire. Vampires in this series are beings only Made by angels, thereby setting aside many popular vampire myths, another fresh approach to an ever popular subject.

Elena is a woman with a past. Surviving tragedy as a young girl, she has to live with the nightmares and the guilt that comes from them but meets her challenges head-on with fierce determination. These experiences make her incredibly likeable. The repartee between Elena and Raphael is at times sensual and at others, laugh out loud funny. Swoon-worthy Raphael is an archangel used to getting his way. Always. But he's never met a Hunter-born like Elena, who doesn't prefer the path of obedience. As he comes to love her, very human emotions like tenderness and communication surge to the forefront, but don't expect him to be so with anyone or anything else. He's über Alpha, fierce and sometimes brutal with those he sees as threats.

More intense and much more enjoyable than the Psy Changeling series, Nalini Singh hit one out of the ballpark with the action packed, darkly sensual Guild Hunter books. It comes highly recommended.

Reviewed by: Bella