Kiwi paranormal romance author Nalini Singh brings us the sixteenth in her long-running urban fantasy Guild Hunter series: ARCHANGEL’S LINEAGE. The last book, Archangel's Resurrection, was frankly exhausting to read for me. It was the culmination of a huge battle for world domination between a truly evil archangel and the rest of the cadre of archangels who raged against her. I felt like I needed a scorecard to keep track of the vast ensemble of characters, and the tension was constantly ratcheted up so overly high that I never felt like I could catch my breath. I’m delighted to say that this latest ARCHANGEL’S LINEAGE, is more down-to-earth and readable. 

There was one point in this book where I thought that Singh was going to try to top her previous world-encompassing battle from the last novel. Indeed, there is a massive power issue that nearly wipes out all of the creatures on the planet- angels, vampires, and humans alike. So ARCHANGEL’S LINEAGE does have over-the-top stakes raised once again for the archangels and their consorts. Despite this, though, there is not a frenetic pace to the tale, making it a more manageable disaster. 

The prime couple of this whole series are Raphael, the archangel of New York, and his consort Elena, who was a prior Guild Hunter and is a masterful fighter in her own right. Interspersed with the current threat to Angelkind, Elena is also juggling problems in her family of origin. Her father has a heart attack, and Elena is torn between helping the angels save the planet and spending time with her nearly-estranged father and the rest of her family keeping vigil in the ICU. These family dynamics allow a great contrast between the smaller sphere of Elena’s home life versus the larger sphere of archangel ruling parties. 

Long-term fans of this series will probably enjoy more time with Elena and Raphael, who are a swoony power couple. Newcomers should not jump in with this book but would be best served to enjoy this series in order. I feel the early books in the series were much stronger in both character development and story arc, but Singh’s ARCHANGEL’S LINEAGE is a relatable book, with both fantastical action and interpersonal bonds that are given their chance to shine.