Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh (UK ediiton)

Title: Archangel’s Viper (Guild Hunter, 10)
Author: Nalini Singh
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Gollancz (28th September 2017)
Blurb:

Enter New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s breathtaking passionate Guild Hunter world with the story of a woman who isn’t a vampire or an angel. . . or human . . .

Once a broken girl known as Sorrow, Holly Chang now prowls the shadowy grey underground of the city for the angels. But it’s not her winged allies who make her a wanted woman – it’s the unknown power coursing through her veins. Brutalised by an insane archangel, she was left with the bloodlust of a vampire, the ability to mesmerise her prety, and a poisonous bite.

Now, someone has put a bounty on her head . . .

Venom is one of the Seven, Archangel Raphael’s private guard, and he’s as infuriating as he is seductive. A centuries-old vampire, his fangs dispense a poison deadlier than Holly’s. But even if Venom can protect Holly from those hunting her, he might not be able to save himself – because the strange, violent power inside Holly is awakening . . .

No one is safe.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
Review:

ARCHANGEL’S VIPER is the tenth addition to Nalini Singh’s brilliant Guild Hunter series. The story follows the story of Holly Chang, a woman who named herself Sorrow and who is neither vampire nor angel nor human but somehow all three thanks to an insane archangel – the combination leaving unknown power coursing through her. Someone places a large bounty on her head, enough to tempt anyone. Venom is assigned to protect her from those who would dare to face Raphael’s wrath, and to help her discover who is behind the ransom and why they want her. At the same time the strange power inside of her is starting to get stronger, and Holly fears what this will mean for her future.

Although I really enjoy the Guild Hunter series I have to confess I was a little nervous about ARCHANGEL’S VIPER. The books within the series that have focused on characters other than Raphael and Elena don’t always work for me. ARCHANGEL’S VIPER was a pleasant surprise. I was hooked from the start, curious to learn more about Holly and Venom. This book was everything I hope for in a book in this series – the romance plot was interesting, and the wider plot arc of the series was played nicely and had me enthralled. Singh had me guessing until the end.

Both Venom and Holly have made appearances in previous books; though as one of Raphael’s Seven Venom’s have been the more frequent. Yet they have both been something of a mystery, and I’m glad that Singh decided to tell their story in this book. I really enjoyed seeing events from both of their point of views, and I thought that ARCHANGEL’S VIPER really added an extra layer to the Guild Hunter series, which I loved. I thought Holly was really awesome, and I really enjoyed her relationships – it was nice to see someone who had such a strong relationship with their parents, and I really enjoyed the banter between her and Venom.

Even though I was pretty sure how things were going to end up, Singh managed to keep me gripped until the final page. There were definitely plenty of surprises along the way, and I enjoyed the different view of some of the more familiar characters from previous books. I really liked the balance between the romantic plot of this book and the overall plot that links all the books in this series together – for me it worked well. If you have read and enjoyed the previous books in the Guild Hunter series then I honestly think that this book will not disappoint you.