Archangel’s Resurrection by Nalini Singh
Guild Hunter #15
PNR/Fantasy Romance
October 25, 2022, by Berkley
ARC
Review by Angela
If I’m being completely honest I had mixed feelings about this book when the blurb was released. On the one hand, I wasn’t thrilled that readers wouldn’t be getting an update on the Bluebell/Sparkle romance. I DO think we will see them again in another book devoted to their developing relationship, but I really wanted it now. On the other hand, I was just a little bit thrilled to find out more about Alexander. Regardless, I gobbled this book up as soon as it hit my Kindle.
This is a very different story than many of the other books in this series. Starting with Alexander as a boy and working its way up to the present-day terrorizing of the world by Lijuan. This is also very much a self-contained, centuries-long love story between two Archangels: Alexander, Archangel of Persia, and Zanaya, Queen of the Nile. The cast of characters readers have grown to know and love do make appearances, but only in the context of how they relate to the main couple in this romance… Alexander and Zanaya.
I was kind of startled at first by how far back in time this author goes to tell this love story. I mean tens of thousands of years, back to when Alexander was born to two loving but scholarly parents who loved and supported him but didn’t necessarily understand his more military-minded side. Through the years until he sets his sights on one strong-willed, intelligent soldier moving her way up to general. Then through the events of the world, all the while this couple fights, makes up, and then fights again, at times deciding to go their separate ways. Always loving each other and always coming back together despite the years between them. Two archangels trying to maintain their territories and power, but still giving bits and pieces of themselves to each other. Two soulmates over time who love each other, but don’t always believe they can be together.
I will say it was quite interesting to see how the world unfolded through these characters’ eyes. Past events that are alluded to in other books, how other characters came to be, and what brought the world to the current events unfolding during Lijuan’s reign of terror.
While not my favorite of this series, I did enjoy my time spent in this world and appreciate this millennia-old love story between two powerful archangels.
Fingers crossed that the next book will move back to my beloved Bluebell and Sparkle.
Final grade-B-
Elle says
Although I agree with most of your assessment of this book, I find readers/reviewers who get stuck on what they want (all Bluebell&Sparkle) verse what the author writes a sweeping world full of Archangel’s, angels, vampires,and Guild Hunters frustrating. Nalini Singh excels at worldbuilding and character development, which has us falling in love with the love story in each, but we would never have gotten the Bluebell&Sparkles amazing love story without all Nalini’s storytelling. The Seven & their loves may pop in after their book but aren’t normally the focus of the next books.