ARCHANGEL 'S CONSORT - Nalini Singh
A Guild Hunter Novel
Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 978-0-425-24013-7
February 2011
Paranormal Romance

Manhattan , New York

Returning to Manhattan is bittersweet for Elena Deveraux.  Instead of coming back as the well-known hunter of the guild, she is returning to people who had believed her dead as an angel and consort to Raphael, Archangel of New York.  She's barely had time to settle in when Raphael calls her to a boarding school where a rogue vampire attack happened.  It's the school that her young half-sisters attend, and it appears that one of the vampires may have mistaken one of his victims for Elena's sister Evelyn.  Yet, there is something odd about the attack; the vampire wasn't in a bloodlust when he savaged his victims.  Worse, it appears that this incident isn't an isolated one, and it may be connected to an Ancient's awakening.  Recent disturbances with weather patterns and the earth itself have led the Cadre to believe that one of the Ancients who chose to Sleep is now waking up, and they also think that the Ancient is Caliane, Raphael's mother.

A thousand years ago, Caliane went mad, tried to kill Raphael, and then chose to Sleep.  It is forbidden and punishable by immediate and complete death to the Archangel who murders an Archangel in Sleep, so she has been left alone.  Yet, things are getting worse, not just in Manhattan , but around the world and for other Archangels.  As Elena, Raphael and the others try to contain the vampires and figure out what to do about Caliane, Elena has her own family problems to deal with.  After the death of her sisters and mother, the relationship between Elena and her father grew strained.  Ten years ago, he kicked her out of the family home, calling her an abomination because of being hunter-born, and disowned her.  For some reason, he calls Elena in for a family meeting and then reveals a shattering truth.

Elena's return to her home town is not quite what she is hoping for in ARCHANGEL 'S CONSORT.  The past year and a half have not been easy for her, but she's finding her footing as an angel.  She and Raphael are also working through their relationship; he's a millennia-old archangel unused to answering to anyone and being obeyed without question; she's an independent hunter, accustomed to being alone.  The relationship between them is a strong one, but, as they are both stubborn, they definitely have their moments.  Both are also dealing with family problems in this story.  Elena and Raphael each suffered being abandoned by their parents and now are faced with the return of the parent who hurt them irrevocably.  Yet, while Elena's father has the power to hurt her spirit, Raphael's mother has the power to crush the world.

Many of the Seven (Raphael's elite group of loyal vampires or angels) make appearances in the tale, some of them still learning to trust Elena while simultaneously believing that she weakens Raphael.  Elena's return to New York also means a chance for fans of the series to see the Guild members and Elena's colleagues who were largely absent from the last story.  A captivating tale that showcases the love between Elena and Raphael along with the evil they battle, ARCHANGEL 'S CONSORT is a book that I highly recommend.

Jennifer Bishop