Romance

Archangel's Light

Archangel's Light

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-10-27 04:18:59
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Nalini Singh
  • ISBN：B08YWLN2C7
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

Nalini Singh returns to the world of the Guild Hunters for the most highly anticipated novel of the beloved series—a love story so epic it’s been half a millennia in the making…

Illium and Aodhan。 Aodhan and Illium。 For centuries they’ve been inseparable: the best of friends， closer than brothers， companions of the heart。 But that was before—before darkness befell Aodhan and shattered him， body， mind， and soul。 Now， at long last， Aodhan is healing， but his new-found strength and independence may come at a devastating cost—his relationship with Illium。

As they serve side by side in China， a territory yet marked by the evil of its former archangel， the secret it holds nightmarish beyond imagining， things come to an explosive decision point。 Illium and Aodhan must either walk away from the relationship that has defined them—or step forward into a future that promises a bond infinitely precious in the life of an immortal…but that demands a terrifying vulnerability from two badly bruised hearts。

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Reviews

Audra ，

Holy hell and awesomeness！！！！ I cannot wait for their story！！！！

Sammy ，

2。5 more hrs！ Until it’s on my kindle

Goshy ，

This book is pure gold。 No-one could complain about the pure love and the heartache that Illium and Aodhan go through。 The whole journey isn't just about two lovers but two people who have known each other so intimately mentally from a very young age; after going through so much pain and heartache， it would make anyone refuse to change their safe space but Illium and Aodhan take a step forward into the unknown and discover the best thing。 This story is literally about facing your fears and letti This book is pure gold。 No-one could complain about the pure love and the heartache that Illium and Aodhan go through。 The whole journey isn't just about two lovers but two people who have known each other so intimately mentally from a very young age; after going through so much pain and heartache， it would make anyone refuse to change their safe space but Illium and Aodhan take a step forward into the unknown and discover the best thing。 This story is literally about facing your fears and letting your loved ones accept the changes。 ❤️😍👌☺️😘😭💕 。。。more

Make ，

ARCHANGEL’s LIGHT is largely a book showing the progress of the angelic world following the pitched battles of the previous several books。 There is a very slow romance that doesn’t develop until the end of the book， so readers looking for a grand love story permeating all of the pages will do better to turn their eyes towards other books in this series。 I personally enjoy having some books that feature more fabulous worldbuilding from Singh’s fertile imagination and action interspersed， so ARCHA ARCHANGEL’s LIGHT is largely a book showing the progress of the angelic world following the pitched battles of the previous several books。 There is a very slow romance that doesn’t develop until the end of the book， so readers looking for a grand love story permeating all of the pages will do better to turn their eyes towards other books in this series。 I personally enjoy having some books that feature more fabulous worldbuilding from Singh’s fertile imagination and action interspersed， so ARCHANGEL’s LIGHT is right up my alley。 Although you certainly won’t find me turning up my nose at the deeply resonant love that slowly reveals itself here。 Singh’s ARCHANGEL’s LIGHT gives us glorious best friends-turned-lovers who battle evil by day and battle their personal demons by night against the fantastical background of angelic world upheaval。See my full review at @FreshFiction: https://freshfiction。com/review。php？i。。。 。。。more

Aiyesha ，

Love to watch two men make themselves miserable。 Truly down for a tragic backstory， though I could've done without the flashbacks。 Absolutely screaming with laughter over the reveal that Aodhan is basically Superman。Final thought， though， and spoilers to come， I guess: for something I've been looking forward to and am on board with 100%， this was also， I must say， the least sexy book I have read by this author， bar none。 Case in point: nobody fucks in this。 The first kiss is at page 355 of 390。 Love to watch two men make themselves miserable。 Truly down for a tragic backstory， though I could've done without the flashbacks。 Absolutely screaming with laughter over the reveal that Aodhan is basically Superman。Final thought， though， and spoilers to come， I guess: for something I've been looking forward to and am on board with 100%， this was also， I must say， the least sexy book I have read by this author， bar none。 Case in point: nobody fucks in this。 The first kiss is at page 355 of 390。 It's absurd。 。。。more

Hotnholy ，

I am dead。 😭

Robin （Bridge Four） ，

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。4。5 heartsWe are now at book 14 of the the Guildhunter series with Archangel's Light and it seems like I've been reading Nalini Singh my entire life now or my reading life of about 9 years。  She consistently delivers good books so I wasn't too concerned going into this one。Illium and Aodhan's story has been coming for This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart Review copy was received from Publisher。 This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review。4。5 heartsWe are now at book 14 of the the Guildhunter series with Archangel's Light and it seems like I've been reading Nalini Singh my entire life now or my reading life of about 9 years。  She consistently delivers good books so I wasn't too concerned going into this one。Illium and Aodhan's story has been coming for awhile， hinted at in many of the previous books。  I really was the most excited to learn of Aodhan's past and what broke him so badly that he needed so much time to heal when we first met him。  He has come a long way from the broken Angel we first met。  Some of my favorite moments in this book were of the Boys when they were young， first becoming friends and getting into trouble， with Raphael there to mentor them into the angels they are now。Aodhan's been in China helping to restore some of the stability after all the horrors that have happened there。  It has been about a year and now Illium has been sent by Raphael to assist and also to remind Aodhan of his life in NY so he might return。  It is time for both Males to sort out their friendship and deal with the pain each has。There is a side plot going on with China and trying to discover a mystery left behind after Lijuan’s destruction。  Let's just say China is creepy。  The majority of the story is spilt between the past， to show how both Illium and Aodhan have some deep scars and how close they were since children， to the present and the Males figuring out who they are to each other today。The romance is really played down in this book and I actually think that is a good thing。  Guildhunter has had all hetero couple until now， I could see the need to handle this delicately for many of the readers of the series who may not have read a M/M relationship or that just isn't their cup-o-tea。  I think this is a solid intro to a M/M love story that many of her readers could enjoy without being overwhelmed。  Since you have to read this story to progress along to others she has kept it lighter。  I think Nalini probably has another steamier story in mind for these two possibly in novella form。  That way her readers that want all the steamy will get what they want and the others who may not be into that can move onto the next full length story without missing any important plot points。Narration: Justine Eyre has been the voice of these books since the beginning and I can't imagine them without her。  She is fantastic in all of them and this is no exception。   I was able to listen at my usual 1。5x speed。Listen to a clip:  HERE  。。。more

Carol ，

Tomorrow can't come soon enough Tomorrow can't come soon enough 。。。more

Sekya ，

Mild spoilers。I enjoyed this book。 I really liked the story， I did。 BUT！ What was that？ I have been waiting for Illium and Aodhan。 I have been so patient for these two characters to have their time。 As great and interesting as this book was in continuing the storyline and plot。。。all we get is a kiss at the very end？ Is there a part two to their story？！ They were barely connected when they were split again。 If an author is going to commit to a gay couple， do not tease or treat them differently th Mild spoilers。I enjoyed this book。 I really liked the story， I did。 BUT！ What was that？ I have been waiting for Illium and Aodhan。 I have been so patient for these two characters to have their time。 As great and interesting as this book was in continuing the storyline and plot。。。all we get is a kiss at the very end？ Is there a part two to their story？！ They were barely connected when they were split again。 If an author is going to commit to a gay couple， do not tease or treat them differently that you have your other character couples。 I really hope their story has a part two because I feel cheated。 The book felt short， almost put together hastily。 I loved the twist Nalini threw out at the end， I hope Suyin gets her own book， and I'd like to revisit Raphael and Elena。 But I NEED a moment between Illium and Aodhan coming together。 No teasing， no hinting。 We'll see what happens。 I did enjoy the book， if a little frustrated with it at the end。 。。。more

Mel ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This was such a good book！*Spoliers ahead*I have loved Illium and Aodhan since they were first introduced。 Bluebell and Sparkles have been so important to the Guild Hunter world and I have wanted to know so much more about their past and their friendship。I had a feeling from early on that Illium and Aodhan would end up together so I really wasn't surprised when their book was announced。 I was curious to see what Nalini would do and how she would tackle writing m/m romance。I gotta say， I am reall This was such a good book！*Spoliers ahead*I have loved Illium and Aodhan since they were first introduced。 Bluebell and Sparkles have been so important to the Guild Hunter world and I have wanted to know so much more about their past and their friendship。I had a feeling from early on that Illium and Aodhan would end up together so I really wasn't surprised when their book was announced。 I was curious to see what Nalini would do and how she would tackle writing m/m romance。I gotta say， I am really happy with what she did。 The bulk of the book doesn't deal with romantic elements （they don't even kiss until the last 80 pages or so） and as you get to see the history between these too， it's obvious not the point of the book。 The book is truly about Aodhan finding his voice， finding his ground， and redefining what he wanted out of his relationship with Illium。 And for Illium it was also about letting go of the past and moving forward as an equal partner with Aodhan。I think overall， it was such a well written book about two people who have loved each other deeply and moving into a different phase of a relationship。 The glimpse of their early childhood friendship just showed how much these two knew each other， how much they loved each other and how it makes sense they would move to a more romantic relationship once Aodhan was ready。Like I mentioned before， the bulk of the book didn't have a lot of romance which made so much sense cuz Sparkles and Bluebell needed to talk， and finally let things out in the open。 The mystery element when they discover Luijan's son， it built on the world （also Luijan is still her ultimate evilness even in death） but also we could have done without IMO。 The only critique is I wish we got to see them in NYC more， get to see how the rest of the 7 and Rafael react to their new relationship。 I miss those glimpses of the 7 together but I'm sure we'll get in coming books。 。。。more

Moukthika ✧*。 ，

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review。Aodhan and Illium's relationship was something that I craved to read more about。 I was filled with equal parts of dread and anticipation to see how the story pans out。 I loved that we see glimpses of their centuries old friendship。 I adored reading about baby Illium and Aodhan。 This story is about healing and acceptance。 It is not focused on the romance but the development of their relationship。 Overall I' Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review。Aodhan and Illium's relationship was something that I craved to read more about。 I was filled with equal parts of dread and anticipation to see how the story pans out。 I loved that we see glimpses of their centuries old friendship。 I adored reading about baby Illium and Aodhan。 This story is about healing and acceptance。 It is not focused on the romance but the development of their relationship。 Overall I'm very satisfied with the way everything turned out。 The readers who are looking forward to read this will not be disappointed。 。。。more

Macwolf01 [Elise] ，

All I will say is that I've waited years for this book 。。。 I bow in awe of Nalini Singh's brilliant storytelling。Loved it All I will say is that I've waited years for this book 。。。 I bow in awe of Nalini Singh's brilliant storytelling。Loved it 。。。more

Iman Zack ，

You should just stick to the series essentially being f/m and not suddenly change that。 Its okay to make another series for lgbtq but to suddenly pair up characters who was introduced as brothers since the very first book to be a couple is just like 。 。 。 。why？ There is no indication that they were intimate/sexually attracted to each other since the beginning。 Its just eew now because its a bit incest-ish now for me。 Thank you for the previous books ill always treasure the memories but most of y You should just stick to the series essentially being f/m and not suddenly change that。 Its okay to make another series for lgbtq but to suddenly pair up characters who was introduced as brothers since the very first book to be a couple is just like 。 。 。 。why？ There is no indication that they were intimate/sexually attracted to each other since the beginning。 Its just eew now because its a bit incest-ish now for me。 Thank you for the previous books ill always treasure the memories but most of your new books are not really that good anymore so BYE。 Lol idk why I'm mad for fictional characters but those fictional character has been with me since 2010 so yeah I'm mad just because。 She's changing her writing to be more diverse and I'll find other authors to suit my reading taste。 。。。more

Bibliofiendlm ，

Rather disappointed in this one。 Still the well developed characters and worldbuilding that is characteristic for the author， but this was a letdown。 Readers of the series have been waiting 14 books for this relationship pairing and the reality did not live up to the anticipation。

Sandy S ，

ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT is the fourteenth full length instalment in Nalini Singh’s contemporary， adult GUILD HUNTER paranormal/fantasy romance series focusing on Archangel’s， angels， vampires， shifters and hunters。 This is angels Illium aka Bluebell， and Aodhan aka Sparkles’ story line。 ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty。 Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but for back story and cohesion， I recommend reading the series ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT is the fourteenth full length instalment in Nalini Singh’s contemporary， adult GUILD HUNTER paranormal/fantasy romance series focusing on Archangel’s， angels， vampires， shifters and hunters。 This is angels Illium aka Bluebell， and Aodhan aka Sparkles’ story line。 ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty。 Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but for back story and cohesion， I recommend reading the series in order as Illium and Aodhan’s story line has been building throughout the series。WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise， there may be triggers for more sensitive readers。Told from several third person perspectives including Illium and Aodhan， using present day and memories from the past ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT follows the life long friendship to lovers relationship between angels Illium aka Bluebell， and Aodhan aka Sparkles。 Illium and Aodhan’s friendship has been damaged by demons from the past。 For close to two years， Illium struggled with his best friend’s disappearance， a disappearance that resulted in the torture and abuse of the friend/man/brother that he loved but with Aodhan’s rescue and return， the resulting pain left Aodhan a changed man-a broken Angel- and in this， Illium battled with their friendship going forward。 Now that Aodhan was helping to rebuild LiJuan’s former stronghold in China， Illium has been tasked by Raphael to aid the reformation wherever he is needed but coming face to face with Aodhan pushed our couple to revisit the past， not only their childhood but the demons that broke the man that he loved。 What ensues is the rebuilding friendship and relationship between Aodhan and Illium， and the potential fall out as LiJuan’s previous control and hold on China continues to reveal the extent of her destruction， and the resulting evil that cannot be ignored。 As Illium and Aodhan continue to unearth the damage， a surprise discovery has everyone on edge， including the most powerful beings in the world。Nalini Singh reveals the background and history between our story line couple: the years spent as childhood best friends-their pain at parental loss both physical and emotional， as well as their connection to Archangel Raphael， the Cadre， and the Seven but Nalini also pulls the reader into the dark， raw and ugly side of a world controlled by Archangels and Angels， as the reader bears witness to the tragic events， abuse and torture of an Angel so coveted for what he is， that the resulting harm has left a damaged and broken man。The relationship between Aodhan and Illium is a best friends to lovers relationship wherein Aodhan struggles with his attraction to a man whom he believes continues to hold a torch for someone else。 As Aodhan battles between head and heart， Illium must come to terms with the potential loss of both the friendship and love of the man he has protected all of his life。 There are no $ex scenes。ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT is a story of betrayal and vengeance， power and control， abuse and torture， recovery and love。 The premise is heart breaking， emotional， and raw; the characters are energetic， broken， struggling but recovering; the romance is impassioned but is damaged by perception and misunderstanding。www。thereadingcafe。com 。。。more

Laura ，

Can't go into detail yet and this is one of those books where anything you say will spoil it so 。。。Me say nothing :） other than I liked it and was satisfied with story。 Nalini did things her own way and she did a superb job。 People are not going to be thrilled。 I do suggest after reading it， give yourself a bit to think about it。 Also Raphael is scary- that's the only thing I'm going to specifically say。 Can't go into detail yet and this is one of those books where anything you say will spoil it so 。。。Me say nothing :） other than I liked it and was satisfied with story。 Nalini did things her own way and she did a superb job。 People are not going to be thrilled。 I do suggest after reading it， give yourself a bit to think about it。 Also Raphael is scary- that's the only thing I'm going to specifically say。 。。。more

Karen ，

This has been one of the most anticipated stories from Nalini Singh for some time and it does not disappoint。 Aodhan and Illium 。 Two of Raphael’s Seven。 The youngest of the Seven。 They grew up together。 Best friends forever。 And then Aodhan went missing。 We finally find out what happened and how it affected both men。 As the story progresses we find that they both grow into the men they are today by the retelling of their history through flashbacks。 Nalini Singh is a wonderful storyteller and on This has been one of the most anticipated stories from Nalini Singh for some time and it does not disappoint。 Aodhan and Illium 。 Two of Raphael’s Seven。 The youngest of the Seven。 They grew up together。 Best friends forever。 And then Aodhan went missing。 We finally find out what happened and how it affected both men。 As the story progresses we find that they both grow into the men they are today by the retelling of their history through flashbacks。 Nalini Singh is a wonderful storyteller and once again has done a wonderful job。Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for an honest review。 。。。more

Franjessca ，

Review Coming Soon

Jen （That's What I'm Talking About） ，

Illium and Aodhan… two of Raphael’s Seven。 Best friends。 Nalini Singh has been mum on the “will they or won’t they” until now。 Opening just after the previous book and about one year after the Cascade-fuel war， Archangel’s Light shares the story of rebuilding China with a hopeful new archangel。 There is much death， mistrust， and devastation left in the wake of Lijuan’s terror。 Aodhan has stepped in as second for newly-ascended Suyin， and with fears he may accept the position permanently， Raphael Illium and Aodhan… two of Raphael’s Seven。 Best friends。 Nalini Singh has been mum on the “will they or won’t they” until now。 Opening just after the previous book and about one year after the Cascade-fuel war， Archangel’s Light shares the story of rebuilding China with a hopeful new archangel。 There is much death， mistrust， and devastation left in the wake of Lijuan’s terror。 Aodhan has stepped in as second for newly-ascended Suyin， and with fears he may accept the position permanently， Raphael sends Illium to assist the rebuilding efforts （and remind Aodhan of home）。The story is shared in “yesterday，” which are sometimes extensive scenes from the past， centering on Illium and Aodhan growing up to include their darkest moments， and “today，” which is the present day narrative。 The looks into the past are from multiple POVs， to include the main characters and Raphael。 I enjoyed learning so much about the two characters， especially Aodhan， whom we don’t see as often as Illium in the series。 I also really liked learning more about China and seeing Suyin begin her reign。 The storytelling is lovely and the details are exquisite; everything I come to expect from Ms。 Singh。With that said， I struggled a bit。 This is Illium and Aodhan， and I expected， wanted， more。 This is Guild Hunter and I expected， wanted， more。 The story shares a LOT of background and meanders as Illium and Aodhan reconnect。 We learn a lot， but we also get just “a lot。” Additionally， I was disappointed with the “bad guy conflict，” in that there really isn’t one。 The pair search for a dangerous killer， and it’s a great piece of the story， but it falls flat mid-book。 The pair help lead Suyin’s people across a dangerous land， but that’s kind of it。 The pair reconnect and work out their personal conflict that has built up over the past few books， and I’m glad， but I felt like something was missing。 SO it’s tough because I did enjoy the story， but at the same time， I was disappointed in the book。 Similar to the previous book， Archangel’s Light feels like a transition story as the world goes from the horrors of war and the Cascade to a period of recovery。 The archangels are keeping to themselves and helping one another。 There doesn’t seem to be a unified “bad guy” causing mischief for the Cadre; everything is territorial。 I miss the intense action， suspense of the war， the thrill of New York and the Guild。Additionally， Illium and Aodhan’s romance is extremely slow burn， which isn’t an issue， but rather， I just didn’t feel connected to their changing/growing relationship。 I loved seeing them reconnect and finally hashing out their problems。 Yet there is an uncertainty between them for pretty much the entire book。 I wanted more of the pair together and looking forward。 They spent a lot of time together， but there were very few butterflies in the belly moments。The Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh is one of my all-time favorites。 With that said， Archangel’s Light， was just okay for me， and it’s the second book in a row that hasn’t wow’d me。 I didn’t dislike it， but I wanted more。 I hope the series finds its footing again and soon！
My Rating: B/B- Review copy provided by the publisherOriginally posted at That's What I'm Talking About 。。。more

Sue （Hollywood News Source） ，

Archangel's Light is a classic Nalini Singh novel; best friends to lovers rife with tension。 Readers could expect overflowing tenderness and pure yearning but make it slow burn; it's a love story that span centuries。 I love the little flashbacks giving us an insight to the two main characters' history。 As the youngest of The Seven， we get an in depth story how Illium and Aodhan were raised。 Also， young Archangel Raphael as a surrogate father of Illium *i'm a simp。*The main plot was Aodhan's beco Archangel's Light is a classic Nalini Singh novel; best friends to lovers rife with tension。 Readers could expect overflowing tenderness and pure yearning but make it slow burn; it's a love story that span centuries。 I love the little flashbacks giving us an insight to the two main characters' history。 As the youngest of The Seven， we get an in depth story how Illium and Aodhan were raised。 Also， young Archangel Raphael as a surrogate father of Illium *i'm a simp。*The main plot was Aodhan's becoming the second command of the new Archangel of China; Illium was sent in Asia to help the new court。 While， there's a bigger plot the essence and heart of the story is Illium and Aodhan's love story。 I love that Archangel's Light is character driven even more than the previous installments。 The build up was done very well supported by anecdotes of the two main character's friendship。 Albeit， slow burn BUT I'm not to complain really。 I think for this pairing and the plot it worked。 There's tender kisses to compensate。 The only negative thing I could find is that: Illium and Aodhan didn't really interacted with The Seven as well as Elena/Raphael。 Although， The Seven made plenty of appearances during the flashback scenes。 Lastly， there's no heat level。 Don't get me wrong， there's a lot of sexual tension to go around but there's no sex scenes。 I think it's a disservice to ardent Nalini Singh readers because we know how rowdy the heat level her books usually get。 This is why I'm campaigning for a sequel for Aodhan and Illium。 We need more tender kisses and hugs as well as feral scenes。Anyway， I have so much love for Archangel's Light; I personally think it's the best standalone from the Guild Hunter series。 I will attempt and write a full review soon。 Adios。 。。。more

Sarah ，

I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads。Spanning nearly 500 years， the intimate bond that ties Illium to his Adi and Aodhan to his Bluebird is both powerful and beautiful。 Inseparable since childhood， deep cracks in their relationship are exposed when Aodhan leaves Illium and the rest of Raphael’s Seven to help Suyin rebuild China。 For me， this story was both wonderful and frustrating。 The sexual tension between Aodhan and Illium has been a slow burn since the start o I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads。Spanning nearly 500 years， the intimate bond that ties Illium to his Adi and Aodhan to his Bluebird is both powerful and beautiful。 Inseparable since childhood， deep cracks in their relationship are exposed when Aodhan leaves Illium and the rest of Raphael’s Seven to help Suyin rebuild China。 For me， this story was both wonderful and frustrating。 The sexual tension between Aodhan and Illium has been a slow burn since the start of the series。 The book alternates between telling the lifelong story of their relationship with their present day work in China。 As always with Nalini Singh’s books， there are exquisite descriptive passages and beautifully charged moments in both the past and present。 While much of Illium’s story has been told in other books， this is the first time Singh gives us Aodhan’s story - and it is definitely worth the wait。What I found frustrating about this book is Singh’s reluctance to fully commit to the story as a gay romance。 Unlike every other couple in all of the books I’ve read by Singh， the author doesn’t give Aodhan and Illium a single sex scene。 We get heated moments and charged scenes but everything stays very PG13。 It feels wrong to not allow these two the sexual intimacy they deserve after 500 years of build up。I finished the book still waiting for Illium and Aodhan’s HEA。 The book ends suddenly without the sense of closure I expect from PNR。 This series has always straddled the line between UF and PNR - but the couples in this series always get a satisfying HEA。 It could be that this is building to a second book for Illium and Aodhan。 I hope this is the case because I feel like they’ve been slightly short changed。 It feels unfair for an author to make me love a couple this hard - only to leave their story so abruptly。 。。。more

Erica Chilson ，

I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads Archangel's Light is the 14th installment in the Guild Hunter series。 Since each book is a continuation of the previous， with threads connecting them all， I would highly suggest against reading as a standalone or skipping installments。 Not only would the reader be confused， but the emotional connection built over the arc of the novels would be lessened。 Let's face it， either you were anticipating Bluebell and Aodhan's book I received a free copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads Archangel's Light is the 14th installment in the Guild Hunter series。 Since each book is a continuation of the previous， with threads connecting them all， I would highly suggest against reading as a standalone or skipping installments。 Not only would the reader be confused， but the emotional connection built over the arc of the novels would be lessened。 Let's face it， either you were anticipating Bluebell and Aodhan's book or you were dreading it。 There is a contingent that didn't feel it proper to have two male protagonists fall in love with one another， either out of squeamishness （to put it nicely） or wrongly felt as if Illium and Aodhan were brothers， even though that wasn't what was put on the angsty pages for 14 installments。 Obviously I was in the anticipatory camp， giddily waiting to see how Nalini Singh would write this epic friends-to-lovers story。 Told in two time frames， the past and the present， Singh manages to pack an eon of relationship building into the novel， giving readers a good understanding of the foundation， the connection， and the angst that has kept Aodhan and Illium apart。 Most important info for both camps， anti or pro Bluebell and Aodhan: Nalini Singh plays it safe to appease both camps。 Very wise decision。 Slow-burn。 Chaste romance。 Intimate touches， just the brush of wing or the side of the hand， while both angels angst inside their own heads。 This should show those who were anti how Love is Love， how it bridges all gaps， how it stands the test of time。 How friendship can turn to a romantic connection with a spark。 How these angels are not human， their lives timeless over millennium， with no gender or orientation， as it is that spark of connection that fuses two beings of light。 With the romance an undercurrent， the angst the men feel a nonstop buzz that sometimes jolts the reader， the bulk majority of the novel is based in the devastation and destruction wrought across China as they rebuild， along with the transition from an evil Archangel to the benovolant acting Archangel。 Aodhan has been invited to join as the new Archangel's second， which would tear him from Raphael's Seven。 Not only were Aodhan and Illium bonded as friends since they were littles， they joined Raphael in the tightest of bonds。 It's a major consideration for Aodhan， not only a feeling of honor to be chosen but a sense of loss should he chose to join her， as he would have to cut his loyalties to Raphael and his fellow Seven。 Our Bluebell is beside himself， assuming Aodhan will take the second position and leave him forever， angsting nonstop。 While Aodhan angsts nonstop。 It's cute and delicious at first， but it gets old fast， like shake the sense into them old。 Until their miscommunication and angsting makes them feel like middle schoolers， not centuries' old angels who have known each other for their entire lives， connected in a way that is unbreakable。 To be honest， I felt their relationship a let down， all the anticipation， the buildup over 14 novels， only to receive a similar voice built on the foundation of miscommunication， which I believe is a cop-out to real drama， and unnecessary angst that left both of them sounding immature。 There was so much there between them， the miscommunication unnecessary， where a hurt-comfort friends-to-lovers slow-burn would have been best。 Thankfully it does seem to be headed in that direction。 I was delighted with the across time snapshots of their lives， the foundation building of their friendship and bond， along with the snippets from others to create a full picture of what both Illium and Aodhan had gone though over their lives， how they both suffered from the absence of one another。 That was beautifully and flawlessly written， bittersweet and heartbreaking with an air of hope。 Aside from the immaturity and pining， there was a major issue I had with the novel， one that I found jarring， tugging me from the story time and time again。 I will call this phenomenon "Hearsay" writing。 Singh adopted a new writing style that I do not remember from past installments。 I can forgive the random info-dumps at the worst time possible， knowing this is her style of writing over the countless books of hers I've read。 Where there will be paragraphs out of nowhere， running down things that were already shown or told within this book， after reading them in real time in the installments before。 I forgive this "pace killer" as I'm used to skimming it。 But this "Hearsay" writing style was jarring， especially combined with the back and forth of the present and the past from numerable major characters。 Hearsay: in the middle of a scene， suddenly， with no modifier to distinguish it from the scene itself， ALL the narrators would suddenly be thinking of a past conversation with someone/anyone， with actual quotes， most of the time having absolutely NOTHING to do with the scene we were currently reading。 No lead-in。 No transition。 I would have to backtrack， try to remember what was occurring， to not be confused once I was dumped back into the scene itself。 There was never a time I wasn't confused when this occurred。 No matter the format， the continuity hit a brick wall。 Not an enjoyable experience for the reader to suddenly SLAM into a wall of confusion。 Perhaps this was to skirt around the "Show not Tell" writing rule all writers are hit with from their editors。 It's something nearly impossible to avoid。 To avoid info-dumps of past conversations with anyone/everyone， where the narrator muses via inner monologue， suddenly the conversation is written out in quotes as a full flashback， not italicized from the main scene to denote the transition， no lead-in as if the conversation was sparked from something happening in the now。 This was a major issue， as in the past， the flashback was italicized。 A flashback within a flashback within a flashback。 A flashback within the present with more flashbacks within the present。 Confused？ Me too。 What made it the most challenging is ALL the narrators did it， making them sound similar in diction。 I could understand one of the narrators， like a signature voice， but ALL， and I don't just mean Illium and Aodhan。 They would be flying， in the middle of a battle， conversing with someone， musing over another event entirely， and suddenly there would be a sentence or two or a page or two of some conversation between characters not in the scene about things that had nothing to do with the scene happening on the page。 Like wait， where did Ellie come from and why did some cutesy convo between her and her Bluebell seem important during a battle？ I found this hearsay writing style not only distracting and confusing but grounds to DNF。 If I wasn't so invested in the characters and plot after 14 novels， I would have abandoned ship， as it was HUNDREDS of these odd conversations out of nowhere。 PLEASE， Ms。 Singh， DO NOT do this again。 At least put these conversations in scenes where it makes sense。Aside from the hearsay and the miscommunication immaturity， I did enjoy the major plot of China， which truly was the focal point of the entirety of the novel。 The aftermath in China， where they scramble to pick up the pieces and make things right。 The connections wrought between all the characters。 The insight to the past and how it bonded the Seven。 The slow-burn romance between our Bluebell and his Illium。 I truly hope to see this as a continuing arc， where it moves on to more， as the series progresses， as we have seen Raphael and Elena evolve。 I'll be waiting with bated breath from more， anticipating the foreshadowing of an angel transitioning to an archangel before his time。 More from the Seven。 More from Raphael and Elena。 Most assuredly more from Illium and Aodhan。 Highly recommend Nalini Singh to fantasy readers， especially urban fantasy （Guild Hunter） and paranormal romance （Psy-Changeling） Pet-peeves or not， Archangel's Light has found a spot at the top of my reread list。 。。。more

Sabrina ，

FINALLY！ We finally get Illium and Aodhan's story and it was amazing。 I was beyond lucky to get my hands on an ARC and have never been so happy to do so。 Illium and Aodhan are probably my favorite characters from this series， despite there being so many others that I truly love。 But there is something about these two that have drawn me the moment they entered the page。 And after much waiting， their time has finally come。 Illium and Aodhan have in a difficult spot the last year。 Their dynamics ha FINALLY！ We finally get Illium and Aodhan's story and it was amazing。 I was beyond lucky to get my hands on an ARC and have never been so happy to do so。 Illium and Aodhan are probably my favorite characters from this series， despite there being so many others that I truly love。 But there is something about these two that have drawn me the moment they entered the page。 And after much waiting， their time has finally come。 Illium and Aodhan have in a difficult spot the last year。 Their dynamics have changed and it is time for them to finally face it。 They are both stubborn and letting their stubbornness get in the way of reason and rational thought。 But enough is enough。 Illium flies to Aodhan to help him with the situation in China。 But neither are prepared for what was left secretly behind。 While they deal with present day， we get flashbacks of their friendship。 Starting all the way to the day they met as babies。 We see them grow together。 We see them at their best and at their worst。 One of my favorite things about this story is the truths that are revealed。 Specifically with Aodhan。 We finally get answers。 We get answers to his past and we see exactly how these moments shaped Illium and Aodhan， and of course Raphel and the rest of the Seven。 The other thing I loved is the progression of Aodhan and Illium's friendship shifting to the possibility of more。 This book covers so much of their lives。 These important bits that again shaped them but also showed how deep their love for one another went。 How despite the horrors， it still existed。 And now they have reached a time， where Aodhan has finally healed and Illium can acknowledge that his friend is growing， they can fully recognize exactly what they are to one another。 Absolutely beautiful。 And it felt like a beginning。 Their love story is just starting。 And I would love to see another book with them as they continue to explore this new thing between them。 I loved their history and growth。 It shines in this book。 Also this present day story line had quite the amount of twists and turns and I wonder how else it will shape the future。 This was definitely a favorite of mine from the series and no surprise because again， they are my favorite characters。 Beautifully done！I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Maria ，

Non-Spoilery-Review:This was a fantastic book and one I would highly recommend to anyone who likes fantasy and romance novels。 And if those are genres you have not read， yet， I actually think this series is a wonderful place to start。 This installment was one of my favorites in the series so far。 Both Illium and Aodhan are such fascinating， complex and wonderfully lovable characters。 Aodhan especially has been my favorite throughout the series and my love for him was only cemented with this book Non-Spoilery-Review:This was a fantastic book and one I would highly recommend to anyone who likes fantasy and romance novels。 And if those are genres you have not read， yet， I actually think this series is a wonderful place to start。 This installment was one of my favorites in the series so far。 Both Illium and Aodhan are such fascinating， complex and wonderfully lovable characters。 Aodhan especially has been my favorite throughout the series and my love for him was only cemented with this book。 Their relationship is so complex and beautiful and rich in history as well and I loved every freaking second of their interactions here， of how much we saw of their past and how deeply we got to explore them as people。 The setting was astonishingly vibrant and fascinating， I think creating beautiful settings for her stories is one of Nalini’s greatest talents。 And the world of the Guild Hunter series is so diverse and so huge by now， the world building is just astonishingly cool。 There is a lot of really good lgbtq+ rep in this one especially， and I say that knowing that many romance series featuring a love story between to male characters are written by female authors for female audiences and read very much like fetishization （which is not really good representation now， is it？）。 This is not what happened here and I think Nalini did an amazing job at portraying more than just hetero-love in a series that is in itself already very diverse and inclusive， without falling into the trap of seeming to tell a story that was not hers to tell or fetishizing a marginalized group。 Which is why I would give this book 10 stars out of 5 if I could。 This was everything I wanted it to be and more。 One of my favorite romances of all time for sure。 I would read an entire series about these two （can we get one， PLEAAAAAASE？） and I will definitely be rereading this book many times。 Of you have not picked up this series， yet， you definitely want to read this series in order， as the overarching plot is really important and fantastic， and it is also important to follow the character development throughout the books。 I know the series is long， but it is wild ride you will not regret going on， I promise。My in depth review will be up closer to the publication date （I have so much to say about this one！）。 My new fav in the series for sure， highly， highly recommended - it was even more wonderful than I expected。ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley。 。。。more

Beth ~ Panda & Boodle ，

In the weeks—yes， weeks—since I read Archangel’s Light， I have thought long and hard about how I wanted to write this review。 More than once， I’ve sat down to put my thoughts into words and come up short。 Because I loved this book—and because it fell a little short for me。 It’s hard for me to reconcile that， being a long-time， OTT Nalini fangirl。 （I’ve mentioned it before， but I have a tattoo that marries the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series。） I had such incredibly high and specific expect In the weeks—yes， weeks—since I read Archangel’s Light， I have thought long and hard about how I wanted to write this review。 More than once， I’ve sat down to put my thoughts into words and come up short。 Because I loved this book—and because it fell a little short for me。 It’s hard for me to reconcile that， being a long-time， OTT Nalini fangirl。 （I’ve mentioned it before， but I have a tattoo that marries the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series。） I had such incredibly high and specific expectations for the long-awaited， much anticipated romance of Illium and Aodhan， and therein lies the problem。 My expectations weren’t too high—they were met and surpassed by the exquisite writing， the always superior world building， the merging of past and present to sketch a fuller picture of not just Bluebell and Sparkle， but also Raphael and the other members of his Seven。 No， rather than too high， my expectations were misguided。 And thus the reason for this review: I hope my experience reading Archangel’s Light will help someone else enjoy it all the more by making sure they understand that this isn’t a traditional M/M romance。 Could it be book one of two （or even more） for these two？ I hope so。 There is so much more story here for my two favorite angels， and when I turned the last page， I couldn’t—read: didn’t want to—believe it was over。 Surely， their story was just beginning？But if there is not more to come specifically for these two—and there is nothing right now that suggests there will be—then look at this book not as a romance， but rather a change to their deep， abiding， centuries-long friendship， one that’s become something more。 As it was， IMHO， always meant to。 Through that lens， Archangel’s Light is a masterpiece。 It’s lyrical， visual， by turns funny and heartbreaking， and sheds light on the most hidden of secrets in the Guild Hunter universe。 It’s a dream read for those of us who have followed this series almost religiously， and one that I couldn’t put down until I had no choice but to—only to be left wishing there was more。 Fingers crossed there will be。 Until then， I’ll re-read this one with fresh eyes and new perspective and know that Sparkle and Bluebell are *sigh* who I always wanted them to be: soulmates。 #Sparklebell 。。。more

Jenny ，

First Nalini Guild Hunter book I will not pre-order and will borrow from the Library。

Sara ，

I am so excited to read this。。。 I have been waiting！ I knew it。。。。the details from the other books always hinted 。

Lilia Visser ，

Wonderfully romantic！

Tina Christopher ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Another incredible addition to the series。 I loved Illium and Aodhan finally finding their way back to each other。 It was interesting to have a male survivor of harassment and abuse， not something you see that often。 I struggled a little with the back and forth between the now and the past， but Nalini Singh wove them together beautifully。 The mystery was strong and captivating。I do wish the book had given us another chapter or three， so we could see the sexy side of their relationship。 There was Another incredible addition to the series。 I loved Illium and Aodhan finally finding their way back to each other。 It was interesting to have a male survivor of harassment and abuse， not something you see that often。 I struggled a little with the back and forth between the now and the past， but Nalini Singh wove them together beautifully。 The mystery was strong and captivating。I do wish the book had given us another chapter or three， so we could see the sexy side of their relationship。 There was a lot of amazing looks and kisses， but I would have liked more steam。 It felt more like the beginning of a romance than the end of a book。 And I would have loved to see the response of the rest of the team， especially Elena。 But I'm hopeful that we'll see more of them in the next book。 Or a short story！ Fingers crossed;）。Thank you to Berkley for the digital ARC。 。。。more

Tori ，

Illium and Aodhan。 Blue and Adi。 Bluebell and Sparkles。 Best friends since they were the littlest of angels in the refuge， But when a single moment of pure evil breaks Aodhan in body and spirit， Illium steps up to protect him from the world while he heals; because that's what best friends do。 But as Aodhan begins to reassert his independence， Blue will have to figure out how to stop walking in front of Adi and start to walk beside him once again。 I've wanted this story for a long time。 And while Illium and Aodhan。 Blue and Adi。 Bluebell and Sparkles。 Best friends since they were the littlest of angels in the refuge， But when a single moment of pure evil breaks Aodhan in body and spirit， Illium steps up to protect him from the world while he heals; because that's what best friends do。 But as Aodhan begins to reassert his independence， Blue will have to figure out how to stop walking in front of Adi and start to walk beside him once again。 I've wanted this story for a long time。 And while I didn't get EXACTLY what I wanted， when I wanted it， I got the confirmation I needed to keep me happy。 Illium has always been one of my favorite characters of this series。 Delightful in his enthusiasm， humor， and capacity to love， his presence only serves to further elevate the storyline。 China and cleaning up after Lijun remains the prime directive of this series at the moment。 Focusing on Aodhan， Illium， and their combined pasts， Singh fleshes out their relationship， showing the possibility of a wonderous future together while further digging out the rot that Lijun left in her wake of destruction。 Looking forward to the next in the series ASAP！ 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Archangel's Light

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Archangel's Light&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Archangel's Light&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0