Archangel's Enigma (Guild Hunter Book 8)

Nalini Singh is another one of those authors that I have been reading and in love with for much longer than I have been blogging. Archangel's Shadows seemed to be one of the more polarizing books in this series, but considering we are now on book 8 for this series, it would be surprising if there hadn't been at least one controversial book. I really enjoyed Shadows and it left me absolutely intrigued about the next hero. And for those who haven't gotten into this series, this is not a stand alone, the series really must be read in order to understand what is going on.And Nalini Singh had left me positively salivating over her teasers regarding Naasir. So I started it as soon as I had a minute and read during my lunch break, and then bitterly regretted not picking a time when I wouldn't have to stop. I can't stress this enough, do not pick this up until you have the time to truly sit and read this. I think this might be the best book in the series so far, and I don't say that lightly.Naasir was a terribly enticing "tiger creature", just a perfect blend of animal innocence and playfulness with enough self-aware sexy man to make him just right, and terribly attractive. Fun and straightforward, but cunning where it counted. I liked him even better than I expected, and learning his secrets was a great enjoyment. Andromeda, frankly at the start I wasn't sure I would like her at all, let alone for Naasir, even with the sparring teaser she just seemed too buttoned up and too mired in her troubles. But she turned out to be perfect.As for the story itself, we learned quite a bit more about the cascade, Lijuan and Charisemnon need to die now more than ever, and there were some timely appearances by the rest of the series favorites, but mostly this was Naasir and Andromeda's story. And Naasir's back story was wonderful and heartbreaking all at the same time. Elena is never going to guess it, not in a million years.As for Andromeda, this is the second book in a row where the Big Secret was used to great effect, and had me almost ripping my hair out and screaming "JUST TELL HIM ALREADY!". But it really was an untenable situation, so I couldn't really blame Andromeda. And I have to admit, between her vow of celibacy and each of their secrets, it kept the tension through the roof.I am going to stop now because anything else is going to devolve into rabid fan girl screaming. I completely recommend this series, and this book in particular.Also, count me in for team Bluebell+Sparkle. I ship that so hard it hurts. I am figuring the next book will be another Raphael and Elena book. Then we have Illium, Aodhan, and Venom to see to.

I’ve read the entire series up to #12 and this one is by far one of the tops. I re-read this quite often. It’s sooooo different from everything else. Naasir is wickedly different from everything else, fantastical and paranormal at the same time.The author did an amazing job on showing the point of views and thoughts of a feral creature turned into a person/vampire on the hunt. Naasir is unique and fascinating, his opinions are at times hilarious yet intelligent and insightful. Yes, he’s dangerous and scary, but also playful and straightforward. He knows exactly what he wants and he’s on the hunt for it.Andromeda is intelligent, strong willed, and also quite straightforward. Not only that, but for a damsel in (slight) distress she makes the best of things, enjoys herself as much as she can with what she has. Quite a healthy head on her shoulders. I enjoyed her interactions with Naasir and find myself delighted by her reactions to him. Many people find him completely bizarre but she just rolls with it. My kinda girl.Their adventure takes them all over and finds them in many different situations, from busting out of enemy territory together to finding Alexander, to providing physical and emotional support to each other. This is a really good story.

That's the one problem with this series when compared to other series by other authors - all of Singh's novels rate a 5. But then, while I really enjoyed each of the novels in this series - I do have my favorites and this is one is now of them. I guess I'll just have to rate this a 7.(Note - I don't do book reports. I just state why I really, really love this series.)The Wonderful:There's a continuation of the world building,character developments and plot from one novel to the next in the series without any gaps or "Huh" moments. Everything flows.This novel focuses on Naasir - a character that has played a backup part in the past novels. For several novels, Nalini Singh has slowly been developing this character and the mystery surrounding him - giving the reader a glimpse of his unique outlook on life and his childlike/animalistic perspective on honesty, loyalty and what a family means to him. I am in awe of the writing skills of Nalini Singh - she must think 10 steps ahead in order to so slowly introduce the characteristics and mannerism of her heroes/heroines long before the novel that features them. By the time this novel was finally published - I really, really wanted, needed this novel to satisfy my craving about Naasir. In fact, I made sure that September 1st was cleared of all obligations, that I had snack and drinks at hand, got up early so that has soon as the book could be downloaded that I was ready for it. Then I read it without stopping except to let my cat in or out a few times. (Luckily that wasn't often since she was content to just lay next to me being petted with one hand or we might have started hissing at each other.)Singh is always consistent in her work. All the novels are consistently good, consistently well edited, characters are consistently well developed, the plot and world building are consistently being developed. Singh doesn't just write words - she creates mental pictures of the characters, actions and the world that all of this takes place in. I know that when I pay out my money that I am getting a bargain - something that I will enjoy and can come back to time and time again. (Yes, I do reread books, especially in a series that I love. I would have to put a lot of time aside for a reading marathon for this series.)All the characters in this series are all so unique and so well developed that they come to life. None of the characters are perfect people - even the heroes or heroines which makes them so much more believable. They experience both physical and emotional pain, make mistakes, and have mannerisms that are distinctive for that particular character. The skill involved in giving Naasir almost a childlike attribute but also invoking a sense of Alpha male with a cunning, wild and heroic characteristics without seeming to be a contradiction and making him unbelievable truly highlights the imaginative, creative skills of the writer.The heroine, Andromeda, is a strong woman - not in strength so much as in spirit, intelligence and cunning.Why someone might not like this series:- First, this series MUST be read in order. The characters and world development, the plot, the actions all flow from one novel to the next. The characters introduced, their interactions, their relationships - everything that happens in past novels is needed to fully understand and enjoy the current novel. None of the novels are stand alones.- If you are not into paranormal - just don't understand it - just don't get it - PLEASE do not try this series and leave a 1* review with "I really don't like paranormal books" or my personal favorite "I did not know that this book was about paranormal beings." THIS IS A SERIES ABOUT PARANORMAL CREATURES INCLUDING VAMPIRES - AN IMAGINATIVE WORLD - IT'S NOT ABOUT ANGELS AND RELIGION!- If you like to read about a "sweet, young thing" waiting for her "knight in shining armor" to rescue her - this series is not for you. The females are fighters, each in their own way, and are not about to sit around and wait for someone to rescue them.- The males are definitely not the "Mr. Mom" type. They are not perfect - they do act like a**es at times - and you will find while reading that you just really want the female to smack them down. They are Alpha males and carry baggage but the heroes are loyal, protective and while not exactly tame - can at times act civilized - maybe.- There is graphic violence. These novels take place in a violent world with power struggles. This is not a "nice" novel. It's intense with really bad villains doing really bad things. The violence is not to just "shock" but is a part of the plot and world development where good must be even "badder" than the evil.- There is also explicit sex but again it's not just for "shock" value or because the author wanted to hop on the "Shades of Grey" bandstand. It's not every page and it's not gratuitous. In most cases, It's part of the development of the relationship between the characters. In other cases - it's used to convey the mannerism or character flaw in a protagonist.- If you looking for something quick, easy and everything is just peaches and cream - just skip away from this series.

It isn't great. Naasir's story is one I have been waiting for since we first met him, partly because I was curious to know what he was ( and I had my suspicions) but also because he appeared to be a complex and entertaining character. And he is....but, there is something about him in this story that feels a little off key. His childlike naivety is sometimes a little at odds with his predatory nature. I understand why he is that way, and to explain more would be a spoiler, but given his age and his experiences, there were occasions when it just jarred a little. Andromeda is another strong female lead a la all the women in this series.It was also great to revisit Elena, Raphael, Dimitri etc. I'd recommend reading it as part of the series but I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the others.

Naasir has to be my favorite character he's so lovely and so different from anyone else in these books. A few times I thought I guessed what he was but nope I got it wrong 😦 i would never of guessed right 😲. I loved reading his story and seeing how his mind works especially while trying to find his mate. The main storylines were fantastic as always with lots of twists and turns with plenty off action. The relationship between our two main characters was sweet I found myself always smiling at The nice little things they done or said for each other.The ending was heart stopping 🙊 and now I can't wait to read book 9 😬 although I will miss naasir I'll definitely becoming back to re read his Story at some point. I'm so excited to see where this series goes next.

Oh, Naasir. He’s been the most mysterious of the Seven since his first appearance, and although it’s been a long wait, my word it was definitely worth it. I love Naasir, the strange tiger creature vampire man that he is. He is sexy and enticing, yes, strong and powerful too, but I love him because of his love for his family and his wish to find a mate that will understand and play with him. He’s so honest with his emotions, so easily baffled by human interactions, and so intelligent and strong and sensual and all around awesome. I loved everything about him, particularly his focus on regaining the Grimoire. And we finally get to find out what he actually is. At last.Andromeda on first glance is everything that Naasir isn’t. She’s a scholar with secrets who has dedicated her life to the pursuit of knowledge and has taken a vow of celibacy. She has also done everything possible to cut herself off from her family. All of which she has excellent reasons for and barely scratch the surface of who she is. Strong, determined, smart and honourable, she is everything that Naasir needs, seeing him and loving him in all his skins. She’s playful and sensual with him and the two of them together make the best and most unexpectedly balanced of teams.I loved their romance, I loved the way they work together to protect Alexander and I love the way they understand each other. They’re perfect.But that’s not all this book is about, because the Guild Hunter world is vast and complicated and tangled in myriad threads of power and betrayal. Lijuan is up to her old tricks and things in New York are slowly rebuilding after the last book. We also get a glimpse of each of the Seven, including a rare Jessamy and Galen sighting. And Illium! Oh, my word, Illium! (And I can’t say any more than that.)For me this eighth installment of the GH series was every bit as good and absorbing as what’s gone before. The plot threads remain tightly interwoven, with some questions being answered and many more being posed. Trouble continues to brew and almost as soon as one challenge is surmounted, the next rises up to stir everything up again. I love this series and the way it seamlessly switches from tracking Elena and Raphael’s story to individual romances between secondary characters. This was another winner and I cannot wait to dive into Archangel’s Heart.

Ms Singh sure knows how to whet the reader's appetite. She gave us enough snippets of Naasir's personality in her previous book to pique our interest.Naasir is determined to find his elusive mate, after watching members of his "family" and some of his friends with their mates. Unfortunately he has to put this on hold when he is assigned with an important and dangerous mission.Andromeda is a Scholar who thrives on researching the history of the Angel world. She is to accompany Naasir on this mission because of her knowledge.As the story unfolds, Naasir's true nature slowly unravels and he is truly an enigma. He becomes very protective of Andromeda and even imagine her to be his mate but she has secrets. They develop a strong bond and have a lot of respect for each other but a relationship between them looks rather remote.Like all the others in this series, this book has it all and with the Cascade looming, the future looks bleak. The battle between good and evil is as brutal as ever.I like Naasir's determination and the confidence in his own abilities without being overbearing. His blunt honesty and his sense of humour are very endearing. Who can resist him?After reading each of the books in the series, the same thought always comes to mind. Surely it can't get any better, but it does. I can't wait to see what Ms Singh has in store for us in the next book.I absolutely loved Naasir's and Andromeda's story.

A fabulous and involving story. Great characterizations of new players both female and male, while building our knowledge of the long-standing ones. Have re-read and will do so again.The only thing that lets this world down is the ongoing intimation of how old the 'Ancients' or even the older archangels are; but here they are living in a world we would all recognize EXCEPT for super-beings who can fly and have telepathy etc, and have had all along, but have added nothing whatsoever to human history except 'singing cities into oblivion' etc. However, of course, there is no evidence of 'civilization' that led to our current world (with motorcycles, jets and guns, but no hover cars etc!) existing much more than 5000 years ago. So what were those (incredibly uncreative) old angels doing? Watching stone-age peoples bang the rocks together (and then hunt and gather)?It is important, especially since Ms Singh has chosen a parallel time-world plus a near future setting for her psy-changeling series, so she is aware of the overall settings for her worlds.All that aside, she is a master story-teller and I definitely look forward to the next instalments in her character-driven worlds.

A couple of years ago if anyone had ever asked me if I would like reading novels about Angels I would have laughed. However, I do like this series. I first got interested in Nalini Singhs' Psy-Changeling world and read Angels Blood while waiting for the next one of those. So I got hooked on another well rounded fantasy world with great characters, personally the wings just mean that I have to work a bit harder to suspend reality!A couple of years down the line and I have read the whole series and pounce on the new ones as they are released. This is Naasirs' story and we finally find out how special he is. Its a good fantasy love story packed with alpha males and equally alpha females. The overall story arc is taken forward as is usual with this author and we get enough time with our favourite characters to keep everyone happy.Overall a very entertaining read.

Absolutely loved it!Brilliantly written as always, loved Naasir, he's strong, loyal, sweet, lovable, tough and super hot! I loved getting his backstory, loved his interaction with the other seven and their mates. Andromeda was his perfect match, strong enough to go up against him and strong enough to love him in all his many skins.The story itself is really moving along, lots developing within the Cadre and the Cascade is really starting to cause some problems. Am slightly scared for Ilium but I'm hoping that the author won't break our hearts with him. The next book can't come quick enough!

Just loved this story of Naasir and Andromeda, he is such a complex but lovable character and so very different from the Archangels, angels and vampires in this series. It was intriguing to see exactly what Naasir is and how he came to be. When we went to that horrific place of his past I couldn't help but shed tears for those who did not make it. A wonderful and romantic story.

I have just stayed awake to finish this book as I could not put it down. This book tells the story of Naasir and Andromeda . The underlying storyline is strong and continues on from the previous book. A strength of the story is that familiar characters appear throughout and the pace is fast and packed with action. I will wait eagerly for the next in the series and I am sure I will not be disappointed. The book was well worth the price.

Another brilliant instalment of this series, Naasir is such a character sweet, funny a lit bit dangerours, you can't help but love him and Andromeda suited him so well, and it didn't only just focus on them but on the main plot running throughout the series which I really love, each book can stand on its own, but the continuing story keeps moving along, I have read it twice since I got it. I know this series will end one day and I will be very sad when it does because its is simply brilliant.

This is yet another amazing book in this series, i was missing this one in my collection and i could not be happier to finally have it. I can not wait for the 10th book. Nalini Singh is an amazing writer and I am so happy I found her book. I reccomend this book to anybody who enjoys this genre to pick up any of her books and I guarantee you will be hooked.

I loved this book. As much as I adore Raphael, I also find each of his Seven interesting, so I enjoyed getting to know Naasir a little better. I liked how different he is and his somewhat simplistic views on life.This book was really enjoyable.

It all seemed rather quick to me, the falling in love. In fact not quite sure what drew them together. The author drops little tidbits about Nassir all through the book which I must admit did annoy me but worse than that was the number of times Nassir kept snapping his teeth. However that said it was worth it for the ending with my favourite characters. It actually sent a shiver down my spine. Looking forward to the next instalment.

Oh my, yet again, Nalini has capture my imagination and heart with Naasir and Andromeda. The tale continues with all the main characters in play. I was a late comer to her great books finding the first just over a year ago, but am up to date with both the Guild Hunters and the Phy-Changeling and eagerly awaiting the next great adventure. Thank you Nalini for making my reading more interesting.

Now we know for certain what Naasir is really made of. Another good read in this fantastic series. Nalini Singh never seems to write a bad book and they always leave the reader begging for more. How long must be wait for the next one? I highly recommend this book,it deserves more than 5stars and I am extremely disappointed I have finished it.