Archangel's Sun by Nalini Singh

A horrifying secret rises in the aftermath of an archangelic war in New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s deadly and beautiful Guild Hunter world...

The Archangel of Death and the Archangel of Disease may be gone but their legacy of evil lives on—especially in Africa, where the shambling, rotting creatures called the reborn have gained a glimmer of vicious intelligence.

It is up to Titus, archangel of this vast continent, to stop the reborn from spreading across the world. Titus can’t do it alone, but of the surviving powerful angels and archangels, large numbers are wounded, while the rest are fighting a surge of murderous vampires.

There is no one left…but the Hummingbird. Old, powerful, her mind long a broken kaleidoscope. Now, she must stand at Titus’s side against a tide of death upon a discovery more chilling than any other. For the Archangel of Disease has left them one last terrible gift…

Don’t miss our reviews of other books in the Guild Hunter series!
For book ten, Archangel's Viper, click HERE.
For book eleven, Archangel's Prophecy, click HERE.
For book twelve, Archangel's War, click HERE.

 

 

Book 13
Buy Links

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Berkley (Penguin Random House)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is the book that comes after the epic battle in Archangel’s War. The focus is on Titus, Archangel of Africa, and Sharine, who is sent to help him as he battles to secure and rebuild his continent.

I was certain that Archangel’s War was the end of this series, but this book about rebuilding the world destroyed by the war makes sense. With the focus on one couple, this book almost reverts back to the paranormal romance stories early in the series. However, with Titus still battling the reborn and the Cadre cooperating to rebuild their world, this feels a little too bloody and too epic in scope to read as anything other than Urban Fantasy. Some of the battles in this story are a little more cerebral than those in Archangel’s War and the pace isn’t quite as frantic, but this is still an exciting addition to the series.

My favourite surprise in this book is Sharine. Throughout the series, we’ve come to know her as Illium’s mother, as a successful artist, and as a woman with fragile mental health. I love that she is so much more in this book and I love that the author gives her a chance for rebirth and growth. Titus is also wonderful. The move away from New York to Africa brings new depth and texture to the whole series. Sharine is the perfect link between Raphael’s New York and Titus’ Africa – and through her perspective, readers gain fresh insights into Raphael, Illium, and Aodhan. Titus is also a wonderful surprise for readers who have only known him as a warrior. The connection between Sharine and Titus builds carefully and tentatively with fabulous sexual tension. This isn’t however, one of the steamier books in the series. The focus of this book is more on the rebuilding of Titus’ territory and Sharine’s personal development than it is on the romance between Titus and Sharine.

I really loved this story. I fell hard for both Sharine and Titus and I loved the shift to Africa. I’m excited for more books that explore the worlds of the Cadre members and I’m excited to see the series focus shift after the Archangels rebuild their world.


Erica – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 Stars

Archangel’s Sun is the thirteenth installment of the Guild Hunter series. Can it be read as a standalone or out of series order? No. While all the books are connected, the past few have been within the same arc, acting as a continuation. It would be difficult and confusing to read Archangel Sun without reading the books before it.

First things first, fingers crossed the mother is the leadup to the son’s novel. Aren’t we all anticipating Bluebell’s novel? The Hummingbird is Illium’s mother, Rafael’s mother figure, and Aodhin’s mentor. Sharine is the perfect viewpoint to show all three of their lives and what is happening around them, the angst of two stubborn males who will listen to their “mother,” allowing the reader to have a bird’s eye view as Sharine learns how to use technology.

Set to the backdrop of devastation, the Hummingbird and Titus band together to help their people, changing along with the landscape.

Adored by all, seen as an artifact meant to be put upon a shelf in a museum. After lifetimes of unimaginable loss and pain, Sharine finds the strength to cast off the Hummingbird label. No longer a wounded little bird, she is putting the facets of her personality back together. The most prevalent is the maternal instinct. The most painful is a fear of abandonment, after her first love and mentor died in their bed beside her, her parents went to Sleep when she was still a child herself, only to never wake again, and for the father of her son to go to Sleep within their bed beside her, sickly toying with her emotions while abandoning their child.

Titus is strong and imposing, a powerful archangel who is clearing out the scourge but not taking time to tend to the people of his land. As a fellow member of the cadre, Rafael suggests the Hummingbird fly to Africa as a symbol of hope, leaving Titus to think yet another person will drag him down in responsibility.

But Sharine is no longer just the Hummingbird, her gifts realized almost as strong as her mothering desire, but equally as important when it comes to both clearing the scourge and soothing the people.

My favorite part of the novel was the slow-burn romance between Sharine and Titus. Most importantly how they brought out the best parts of one another, sassed and challenged each other, but did so in a respectful manner of adults befitting their advanced ages and positions. Their growth was amazing to witness as a reader. Both warm and fuzzy yet inspiring as well.

I won’t touch on the mystery of the reborn and what Sharine and Titus discover, simply because it is both complex and a major part of the novel itself.

The women were an inspiration and focal point, strong and capable and admired for their abilities. Many shown were the mothers to major characters, some within Rafael’s Seven. I appreciated this, appreciated how everyone worked together instead of seeing one another as competition or shown as the villain. Appreciated how their varying strengths were showcased as being just as important as other strengths. They all revealed that femininity isn’t a weakness.

Where I struggled, which is why I couldn’t give Archangel Sun a perfect rating, the story meandered. I don’t mean mentions of the past, which I adored. A ton of name-dropping, with events listed from past novels, which is why I said it was important to be up to date with the series to avoid confusion. However, this slowed the pacing down, dragging what was a quick-paced novel into redundancy, where I had to fight myself with skimming large portions of a few chapters, where it seemed to either be the inane events from A to B or an info-dump that wasn’t necessary “right there,” which either made it confusing or slowed the pacing down.

All in all, Archangel Sun was an excellent addition to the series, giving the reader a new perspective via characters who hadn’t previously had a voice, from a new location set in the universe. I am highly anticipating the next and next and next installments. I absolutely recommend to fans of the series and the author, as I’m positive the novel will hit all the right notes for most returning readers.

 

 

New York Times bestselling author NALINI SINGH is passionate about writing. Though she’s traveled as far afield as the deserts of China, the Highlands of Scotland, and the frozen landscapes of Antarctica, it is the journey of the imagination that fascinates her most. She’s beyond delighted to be able to follow her dream as a writer. Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand. You can contact her directly through her website. While visiting the site, Nalini invites you to join her newsletter for up-to-date news about both the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series, as well as fun exclusive extras, including free short stories set in her worlds.

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Archangel's Sun (Guild Hunter #13) by Nalini Singh to read and review.