Veena’s review of Archangel’s Prophecy (Guild Hunter, Book 11) by Nalini Singh
Romantic Fantasy published by Berkley 30 Oct 18
Eleven books ago, Elena and Raphael’s love story was forged over New York when Raphael loves true and generates ambrosia to make the first angel in known memory. They have enjoyed many adventures since that moment, but now Elena is regressing and losing all her angelic powers, Golden owls and a prophecy from the archangel Cassandra suggest that Elena will die, and not even an archangel can keep that death at bay – or can he?
Elena is hunter born and survived things that could kill an angel, so a mere prophecy? Determined to fight back and live, despite the prophecy, she goes about her daily life, loving, living it to the max. Her friends and family rally around her as she investigates the most heinous crime and Raphael even generates ambrosia in her most extreme moment.
Yet, nothing seems to be able to stem the tide. Elena continues to get more mortal. Where she had once thought that she would be watching her human friends age and die, while she watched over their kids, it seems that destiny might prove her wrong. When her brother-in-law is attacked, it seems that even her father might be rallying around again.
Determined at least to leave Beth safe by finding who wants Beth’s husband dead, she investigates and follows the clues, even as she watches the prophecy come true. The suspense is gripping as the story unfolds with all the characteristic emotional impact of a Singh story. All of our favorite characters are present, angels, hunters, vampires, as is the arch villainess Lijuan, who, it seems, has evolved such that nothing can put her down.
Once again, we leave Raphael and Elena at the edge of a cliff. Will they recover to fight another day? How will they be changed by this latest episode? I’m just sorry that we’ll have to wait a whole year to see where the author’s imagination will take this story next.
Grade: A
Summary:
Midnight and dawn, Elena’s wings are unique among angelkind—and now they are failing. The first mortal to be turned into an immortal in angelic memory, she’s regressing. Becoming more and more human. Easier to hurt. Easier to kill.
Elena and Raphael must unearth the reason for the regression before Elena falls out of the sky. Yet even as they fight a furious battle for Elena’s very survival, violent forces are gathering across the world. In China, the Archangel Favashi is showing the first signs of madness. In New York, a mysterious sinkhole filled with lava swallows a man whole. In Africa, torrential monsoon rains flood rolling deserts. And in Elena’s mind whispers a haunting voice that isn’t her own.
This time, survival may not be possible…not even for the consort of an archangel.
