ARCHANGEL'S HEART is book nine in the Guild Hunter series by the fantastic Nalini Singh, one of my very favorite authors. This is a paranormal romance series that I think has morphed slightly into paranormal/fantasy. The main couple in the series is the Archangel of New York, Raphael, and his consort Elena who was once a Guild Hunter tasked with tracking down rogue vampires but is now a new Immortal gifted with wings. Most of the books feature a new romance involving one of Raphael's Cadre or allies, but a few have been solely plot driven without the formation of a new couple. ARCHANGEL'S HEART is one of those plot- driven books. There is still romance though, because boy howdy, the love and devotion between Elena and Raphael is strong and yet continues to deepen every day.

I adore Elena and Raphael together. Both independent and smart individuals, they are navigating how to allow the capable (yet still vulnerable to old Immortals) Elena to be her deadly and autonomous self in the dangerous world of angels and vampires. Raphael has ruled as a supremely powerful leader in his territory for a millennium. His love for Elena allows him to, sometimes a little begrudgingly, *grin*, agree that Elena will be the one to walk in front of him into danger wielding her knives to protect them both. I think, if I had to pick one book boyfriend, I might pick Singh's Raphael over Karen Marie Moning's Jericho Barrons for myself. Raphael is deadly and sumptuous. The thought of all that focus and power aimed at me in love makes my spine tingle!

The world is approaching a Cascade, a time when angels and archangels gain unexpected and sometimes deadly powers as a massive battle to death between angelkind looms. To add to this already incredible pressure, one of the most deadly and evil archangels in the world is now missing. It's not clear if Lijuan is dead, or is she has chosen to go into Sleep, withdrawing from the world in stasis for a time. Without Lijuan to keep them controlled, the vampires in her territory are going into bloodlust and slaughtering thousands of humans. Raphael and the other ruling Archangels have been called to a Cadre council to decide how Lijuan's territory will be divided up. The enmity between Lijuan and Raphael has been building with each successive book, and the tension leaves me on tenterhooks the whole time I'm reading. Lijuan makes such a deliciously creepy arch nemesis.

As I adore Elena and Raphael, their angels, and the Guild Hunter world, I am thrilled to have this book with or without a separate romance between new lovers. Nalini does her usual superlative job at world building, and the stresses and thrills interspersed with beauty, love and friendship hit all the right notes. Singh has created a masterful symphony of angelic war and immortal love in ARCHANGEL'S HEART.