Book Review: Angels' Blood and Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

This book came out a while back and at the time I didn't want to read it because I was annoyed that the author was taking time away from her other series. Also I was annoyed as well because the cover of the first book has this woman with crazy white hair on it, and at the time I was in one of my extreme blond hating phases. But then a few days ago I gave in and read the books.

Blood starts off with the story of how Elena (birth name Elieanora, which is just crazy) gets stuck working for the Archangel of New York. Elena is a Guild Hunter, some one who finds vampires that try to skip out on their contracts with their angel masters and brings them back to their masters. In this world there are these extremely powerful angels that live in tandem with the vampires they create, and the humans they rule over.

Seeing as I read the second book first because the library is mean. The first book has a way more intriguing plot. There is a crazy murdering Archangel on the lose and they want to use Elena to find him. They are following the trail of blood trying to stop him before he get enough power to start over throwing other archangels.  Raphael, the Archangel of North America is dealing with a lot of tough issues including the fact that his attraction to Elena makes him more compassionate.

There are some funny side moments with friends and family of Elena. But the book follows a well paced plot. The romance is a little stiff. I don't really know if it comes through a whole lot. Mostly I got sex appeal out of this. Raphael is a little too over bearing, but not in stalking way like is now commonly assumed, but in the "I rule an entire continent and have lived for centuries, I will break you like a twig if you so much as sneeze wrong" kind of way. The end battle was pretty epic.

The second book follows a similar pattern except the end. I just didn't feel the conflict as much in the second book. At the end of the first book Elena is pretty much dying when Raphael kisses her giving her a infusion of ambrosia, something that only happens when an Archangel truly falls in love. Which as a fun little side effect not only heals Elena's broken back but turns her into and angel.

In the second book its all angel politics and they don't like Elena because she is Raphael's weakness. Also another Archangel invites them to a ball with the purpose of measuring Elena, which is code for try to kill her. So everyone want to kill Elena, and then the end just bottoms out all of a sudden. Yeah a body guard gets a bit beat up but they take out the angel that wanted to kill Elena for the purpose of Raphael being hurt rather quickly. And then the big bad scary archangel dies off screen because Elena flies out of there after they realize it is coming to a fight.

It was really annoying frankly because the entire book was building up to the fact that the Chinese archangel was a bit on the crazy side and could make zombies. She was going to be hard to deal with, problems were to be expected. Then just about nothing happens. I was bored at the finale. Yes I realize that seven archangels versus one would make the fight go faster than just two duking it out like in the first book. But this was kind of a let down.

Also the second book strongly deals with the fact that Elena's family was pretty much butchered by a vampire when she was a child. The reason the vampire targeted her family is that Elena is hunter-born, which means she can smell vampires and is stronger than most humans. So yeah, when she was like eight or so her two older sisters were brutally murdered in front of her and then the vampire forced some of their blood down her throat just to mess with her. Her mother who survived the mess later killed herself.

A great deal of the book was just her having never ending nightmares. I get that it was important to the series but it weighted the book down. Yes there is a third book so hopefully the story will pick back up. Also the romance in the second book was also sorta creepy as well. Now Raphael was pretty much like "you are mine, obey me" and when she didn't he just made people follow her. I don't really know if I believe this romance as a true love kind of thing.

Book Review: Dark Seduction by Brenda Joyce

I have serious issues with this book. Massive major issues. I am not even half way through and I don't think I will finish it. First lets start with the plot or what can laughingly be called the plot. This book is in that same series as before about the Highlanders that can time travel. At the beginning we meet Claire who own a books store in modern day New York and is kind of kick ass. Her mother was murdered and so was her cousin and she takes her safety very serious. She owns fire arms and several tasers, I tell you this so stuff later will confuse you the way it does me.

So a creepy lady shows up breaks down her door and knocks her out because she is searching for a page from a book. When Claire wakes up there is a massive Highlander that comes to look for the page too. But rather than freak out like she did with the lady she just sorta lets him in. Keep in mind we know that she has two family members that were clearly killed by men. Yeah so come on in scary guy. Then when shit hits the fan she  puts on a mini skirt, which I think is bull because we all know you put pants on if there is any chance of danger because they are harder to get off and keep you covered.

Well they go back in time and we get to the part that really super pisses me off. Claire is now more bipolar than my mother at this point in time in the book. One second she demands to be taken seriously and then the next she meekly accepts that he must be right because he is hot. Here is how the scenes have been going so far.

Claire: I need to learn to fight to defend my self and hunt for my mother's murder. (forget about the cousin apparently.)
Malcom: Nay you are my woman and I will protect you so shut up. (lots of broken english to show the readers that he has an accent which makes me want to punch the author)
Claire: You are right I am a coward. (No really she says this several times right after having long speeches about how in the modern day women are equal to men in many respects.)

(CORRESPONDING FACE GOES WITH CORRESPONDING EMOTION!)

What super pisses me off is that Claire never brings up the best argument for her side. That he cannot be with her every moment of every day and its a good idea if she have some knowledge of how to use a weapon. Especially because twice in the book so far Malcolm has been busying either fighting or taking a nap when some one has attacked Claire. Yet they both seem to forget this fact and spend hours fighting about how she is under his protection and he wont let anything happen to her. Well you did asshole, she was nearly strangled two chapters ago while you took a snooze so shut your face!!!!

I was also just reading a scene where Malcolm and his half brother are having a conversation. Claire says something. Malcolm gives her a glare and suddenly she thinks "women have no place to speak here. I will wait till later." I shit you not. She just accepts that. Yeah that makes sense. A women that was raised toady would totally be cool being dismissed by the guy she is "falling in love with" because he thinks she has no place to speak.

As the author from Reasoning with Vampires would say; we are entering some serious psychological fuckery here kids.

I have another book from this series sitting in my room and I am scared to pick it up because the female lead is kick as in another book. She carried weapons and all sorts of stuff. She gave a guy a round house kick. If she crumples because of one really good fucking I am going to find Brenda Joyce and smack her into next Sunday.