Archangel's Consort

2026 Re Read Thoughts:

I had such a great time with this. There is a lot more happening in the plot of the series in this book than the first two books with Raphael and Elena. But I still enjoyed it about the same as I did the first time around. I had forgotten how much I don't care for Dmitri though ....he treats Elena awful. So I am not truly excited for his book or maybe I will skip it I don't know in this read a long. We shall see. I loved the ending though and seeing Caliane awake for a period of time and a battle with Lijuan and we also see how she has been manipulating so much and it hasn't been because of Caliane waking. You definitely see her cunning and how manipulative she is and why it took so long to truly take her down. But show more wow is Elena sometimes frustrating in these early books. She is so naive at times to the dangers but wants to go out anyway with no protection ....but I know she gets better over the books in this regard but still it can be annoying as the reader. lol

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance My Review



Archangel's Consort is the third installment, in this series. This book continues with Raphael and Elena's story. It continues off shortly after the second book. Both Raphael and Elena are having to deal with quite a bit all at once. Raphael's mother, the oldest and one of the most dangerous of their kind is starting to wake up with dangerous consequences. Elena is still dealing with nightmares of her childhood and having to face her past, and still training and making an effort to gain as much strength and agility as she can before they face Raphael's mother, because they both realize she will wake up and when she does who knows what her plans will be for them.
A lot of women have trouble with their mothers-in-law.”
Raphael’s look was priceless. “My mother is an insane archangel.

What was quite interesting about this one, was how we see more elements of this world come into play, a bit of focus on their relationship but not as strongly as the second book. We see both Raphael and Elena individually battle their own demons. What was most vital about this book was how at the end of the day, for Raphael and Elena all that mattered was that they stood together. This has been their moto ever since they fell in love with each other. They both know they with Elena still weak and considered a "babe" of their kind, their chances of survival isn't super high. But we learn some remarkable insights into their bond to each other, insights neither of them or the readers realize until the end when their relationship is tested in a very brutal way, but at the same time we see how powerful and healing their love can be for each other.
“For the first time in forever, he was stunned to silence. Not by her words, but by the tenderness in her hands, the worry in her eyes. He was an archangel. He’d been wounded far, far worse and shrugged it off. But then, there had been no woman with sun kissed by the sunset and eyes of storm gray to tear into him for daring to get himself hurt.”

Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. What has been remarkable about this series, was seeing how Raphael and Elena have been dealing with conflicts and challenges both separately and collectively.
Even as she spoke, silver blue flashed on her other side and then Illium was standing beside her, his wing touching Elena's in an intimacy that made Raphael raise an eyebrow. Illium's lips curved in a wicked smile that did little to hide the intensity of his emotions. I would not watch you die again, Sire. His veins stood out against his skin as he gripped the wrist of one hand with the other.

Raphael met those eyes of gold that had stood beside him for centuries. If I had done so, I would have gone knowing you would keep my heart safe.

Illium's gaze went to Elena. Always

We see more of the supporting characters and a reunion of Elena and her best friend Sara with her husband and their little girl---it almost made me cry. Because even though they have been in contact, they haven't physically seen each other and you see how much Elena cares for this family when her own have practically abandoned her, but this family is the one that she created and built and you see how much it matters to her. Loved every moment and delicious detail of this book. I am curious to see where the series goes from here. show less

This was another great entry into the Archangel series. The romance was strong as Elena and Raphael are learning to forge a relationship that will last for a vast period of time. Given that they are both very strong people, the relationship includes quite a number of battles. He wants to protect her; she was to be seen as an independent equal.

Trouble is brewing too. Vampires are doing unexpected things. Lijuan is still making trouble. Other cadre members are behaving in uncharacteristic ways. Even the weather is becoming violent and unpredictable. The signs are that Raphael's mother might be awakening. The main question is whether or not her long sleep has restored her sanity. Raphael has grown stronger in the almost 1000 years that show more she has been asleep. But is he strong enough to kill his mother and, even if he is, can he?

This conflict is paralleled by Elena's own family issues. Her mother committed suicide after Elena's older sisters were brutalized and murdered by a monster. Elena father has disinherited her. There only contact is when he decides to try to hurt her again. But Elena finds out that one of her young half-sisters is also a hunter. She needs to deal with her father to do what is best for her young sister.

This was a taut, emotional story. It was fascinating watching the relationship between Elena and Raphael grow and strengthen. This was a very good paranormal romance. I recommend it but also recommend that readers begin with the first book in the series rather than this one. Readers need the back-story to fully appreciate this episode. show less

The world is rumbling – the weather is raging, the Earth moving and vampires are suddenly losing control of their bloodlust in droves. All of these dire portents mean one thing – an ancient Archangel is emerging from Sleep

A being of immense power, it could never do anything but radically alter the balance of the Cadre of Ten. But there is one Archangel above all they fear – Caliane, impossibly ancient, incredibly powerful – and Raphael’s mother.

As the portents rage, Elena continues to adapt to live as an angel, now in town among her friends and family – the latter of which is very complicated and incredibly painful as old wounds have yet to heal

Well, it happened. After two books of saying how well this series was balancing show more the romance and the plot and generally praising how we can have a lot of sexual tension, sexual obsession and sex scenes and relationship drama without it eclipsing everything else, we have this book – which sadly fails to do that

Partly it’s because Raphael and Elena spend a lot more time having sex than they did in previous books. Also I think there’s a missed opportunity in examining how the mechanics of sex would differ when you have a 20 foot wing span – and I’m not being snarky there. This series is very good at covering the mechanics of being an angel and things like them needing nice, wide open plan houses because small rooms and low ceilings are a pain in the arse for angels with large wings. Even covering things like how a vertical take off is actually really really hard to do or how wings in combat can be a liability.

And partly it’s because there are major issues in this world setting I think have been unaddressed and therefore needed more focus than the repeated sex scenes. Like last book the city of Beijing was destroyed. Beijing – one of the oldest, largest cities in the world and the capital of one of the major powers of the world – beyond a little moping about it there was surprisingly little aftermath. It was used as a way to gasp at how powerful Archangels are, but not as something that should have shaken the entire planet. This also links into the various atrocities and horrors that re happening in this book – again they’re used to make people busy and to give a sense of how major the events are but without any real long term cost or effect of any of it. Either we get close, personal grief from Elena over something that has hit close to her family or her own traumatic past or we get nothing. Earthquakes, destruction, devastation – I can understand angelkind being indifferent because that’s there thing – but these things should have a very real societal and economic effect, not just personal trauma.

Equally, Lijuan is still alive and around after the dramatic events of the last book… what’s happening with that? Is everyone just kind of going to pretend the show down didn’t happen? Is it like one of those office parties where everyone got really drunk and did silly things so the next day at the office everyone’s just going to pretend it didn’t happen?

But mainly I think it’s because there isn’t much in the way of solid plot to this book – leaving the main characters not only avoiding a lot of side issues to spend more time in bed, but also having little or no involvement in the actual plot. Something big and ominous is coming. There are signs and portents. Everything’s ominous… and the only real think Elena and Raphael do about it is send out minions to go looking and generally get on with their normal lives, occasionally talking time out to clear up some mess.

So most of the book is spent on sex and romance, Elena’s personal issues and trauma and Elena training. None of these are bad (though, again, a lot of sex). The romance includes a lot of scenes of Elena making sure she has her own space, of making sure every time he claims her she is clear that she’s claiming him as well and this is an equal partnership. There’s a lot of her refusing to obey, be subservient or be neatly tucked away safety – all of these are great things. Elena’s trauma is excellently presented, it doesn’t go away when it’s convenient, we can see how it affects her, how it has stayed with her and how she is still dealing with it. It is treated very respectfully and with a lot of realism that I really respect. I also love her interactions with her father, especially her both championing her sister and developing a strong respect for her step-mother (and reassessing her own opinion of the woman). Even the training is really good because it explores angel physiology and also has Elena working at something rather than being effortlessly perfect at it like so many protagonists

All of this is good – but it’s begging for a central plot line that just isn’t there beyond constant ominous rumblings – at times it feels like they’re ignoring it. It’s like we have all these beautiful paintings in a house and everyone’s ignoring the fact that there’s no walls. In turn it meant after enjoying all these side elements, the main plot started – and then we were at the end of the book – because it didn’t substantively start until so late in.

I hasten to say again that all these elements are very very good – they’re all well done and they all needed to be there. But it still felt like lots of embellishment without a lot of structure and that, perhaps, if we were going to spend so much time focusing on these “side” issues, it may have been better to have a book entirely devoted to them without the ominous looming distraction of this plot line. As it stands, the characters feel like they are ignoring something vital and/or that the main plot is an actual distraction from what really matters in this book.

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Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series is one that I truly wish I had not discovered until the entire thing was complete and there was no hope of more new books being added, ever! I WANT MORE, NOW!!! Archangel’s Consort is the third installment of this on-going series and after finishing it in record time, I have discovered that my natural lack of patience has become even more pronounced. The major plot line in Archangel’s Consort is Singh’s version of Mommy Dearest. Reports of foul weather and acts of extreme aggression among members of the Cadre lead Raphael and Elena to believe that an ancient is waking. Turns out, that ancient is Raphael’s ridiculously old and viciously cruel mother, Caliane. Major plot line number two: show more Raphael and Elena have returned to New York from the Refuge and are immediately bombarded with reports of vampires breaking their contracts and committing heinous crimes. As archangel of New York, Raphael must contain and control this situation before it gets out of hand. With the help of his consort and the usual cast of minor characters, Raphael begins to restore order to his territory.
Generally speaking a reader keeps returning to a series because of the main characters. That is not the case with this book or this series. Raphael and Elena are certainly intriguing figures and Singh has continued to develop those characters but the real beauty of the book lies in the cast of minor characters. There is not a single minor and/or supporting character in Archangel’s Consort that I do not want to know more about, NOW!! Singh cleverly ensnares us (and ensures we will come back for more) by dumping chunks of information about these characters on us. Not tidbits, not small nuggets of information but huge honking chunks of information! However, and this is where Singh’s evil genius comes into play, she never tells us the whole story about any of the supporting cast. Now my lack of patience makes more sense, right? Here’s what I want to know: why is Illium (aka Bluebell) so nervous about the presence of his mother; will Elena’s half-sister really be allowed to develop her burgeoning hunter skills; what happened to Dmitri to make him so fiercely loyal to Raphael; why doesn’t Aodhan liked to be touched and why is his move to New York such a big deal; and finally, why is Venom so creepy yet disturbingly likeable?
The way Singh presents information to the reader is remarkably clever and opens up so many possibilities for future novels. Archangel’s Consort clearly establishes one thing: Singh is in no way close to being done with these characters. She has developed so many characters and potential plot lines that the Guild Hunter series could realistically continue for years and years to come. Thank goodness for that because I am apparently going to continue to be sweetly addicted to this series and this author.
Side note: According to the author’s home page, next up in the Guild Hunter series is Archangel’s Blade. show less

Redonk Nutshell: A powerful and threatening ancient Archangel is awakening, casting chaos and disarray across the world and testing the balance between an Archangel and his consort

Book three in the Guild Hunters series picks up after the destruction of another Archangel's home in book two. Newly made angel, Elena, and her lover, Archangel Raphael, come back to Manhattan and begin to settle into their home. Elena is more adjusted to her physical form, and she and Raphael have begun to shift into more emotional territory. Like moving in together. And meeting each other's parents.

Which brings us to the main conflict - Raphael's mother. The ancient and unfathomably powerful Archangel is showing signs of waking from her Sleep. The Cadre of show more Ten is nervous - Caliane was a NUTJOB before she disappeared, wrecking havoc amongst her people, including her son. Raphael is torn between his initial urge to welcome his mother and his more rational and detached duty to put her down before she becomes an unstoppable problem. Then, of course, there's Elena, whom most of Raphael's fellows view as a weakness. And Elena, in typical Elena-style, works her hardest to prove them otherwise.

When vampires and angels across the globe being behaving erratically, The Guild calls in their hunter-turned-angel to figure out what's going on, and before long Elena and Raphael realize the bizarre occurrences happening around them are linked to his mother's likely revival.

Book Three is probably one of the strongest in the series. We get a stronger Elena, a softer yet still terrifying Raphael, and, most importantly MORE ILLIUM. HA! I've tendered a soft spot for Blue Bell, the blue winged angel who views Elena's "mortal heart," as not a weakness but a strength. He's witty yet broody, and he and Elena hit it off well. We get to see another side of Raphael as well.

If I'm being honest, Raphael is the kind of hero that initially didn't catch my interest but gradually grew on me. I'd say probably about halfway into book two it struck me how incredibly AWESOME he is, and not just in the slang type of way, but Biblical as well. It was almost like an epiphany - oh, damn, he's scary, really scary, yet sexy as hell. I get it now! Elena grew on me more as well. And the relationship between Elena and Raphael really blooms here in Archangel's Consort.

The Guild Hunter series has become a favorite of mine. Great characters, both main and supporting, and a really intriguing world structure. Nalini Singh has proved herself to be a talented writer, able to carry a broad story line amid a complex and dark world.

Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh, 324 pgs, 2/10/11

Rating: B
Romance: 4/5 Raunch: 3.5/5 show less

Archangel's Consort
4.5 Stars

Elena and Raphael return to New York only to discover that disaster looms on the horizon. A sleeping angel is on the verge of waking and causing untold chaos in the world. Moreover, some unknown and malevolent force is driving vampires to bloodlust and the human population is easy prey. Are these two occurrences connected and will Raphael and Elena survive the consequences?

Another incredible installment.

I'm always amazed anew at Singh's fantastic world building skills. No detail is too small or too insignificant and every element comes together to form a captivating backdrop to Elena and Raphael's breathtaking romance.

Elena is still struggling with her angelic abilities and although new information is show more provided on the origins of her guild hunter skills, something tells me that there is still a long way to go before Singh gives us all of the particulars.

Elena and Raphael’s relationship is exceedingly entertaining. Their love for one another is obvious in the little things they do for each other, but they are still working out the kinks of being a couple and have yet to become a truly complimentary pair.

The mystery of the archangel’s rising and the vampire attacks is interesting although the twist is rather predictable (Lijuan’s attempts to set Calliane up where completely transparent). Nevertheless, the climax is exciting and there were moments that had me truly worried about the outcome.

Dmitri’s book is next and I am looking forward to seeing things from his perspective. show less

World building was great, we're back in New York and while it takes the masses (and Elena herself) a lot of getting used to being back, this is her home. Their home...
As the book continues and we go to different locations, all scenes and environments were well described and clear, letting you, as the reader, focus fully on the actual story.

Character development was super. Elena and Raphael have grown and changed a lot over the last few books. Boundaries were set, tested and respected from both sides. When reading the story you feel the relationship between the two setting and evolving. Elena has to face her fears once more in this book, but now Raphael is evermore at her side throughout it all.
The support cast were well fleshed out and show more have a say in how the story continues, they each feel very different and real (or well... as far as that is possible :D).

Pacing and flow were great! While there was a decent amount of action, it wasn't all about kicking ass, but more about the hunt and search for assassins and Raphael's mother, well.. and keeping people safe (of course).

The book itself was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There is sex described in this book (if that is important to you).

All in all a really nice continuation of the series, some new and unexpected revelations that just make you want to read the next installment asap! :D show less