Review--Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh returns to her world of angelic rulers, vampiric servants, and the woman thrust into their darkly seductive world…

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority...

They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…

Nalini Singh's Archangel's Kiss was a tremendous followup to Angels' Blood. Now Elena is an angel, a newbie since she just woke from her year long coma to make the transition complete, but she's in for a rude awakening, because life as an angel isn't as easy as you would think it is. 

Just as Elena and Raphael are trying to make things work in their relationship--one that is both new to them--a child goes missing. Elena uses her hunter skills in order to find him, but a missing child is only the start of the problems. Not only is Elena trying to learn Angel 101, but a not so nice archangel, Lijuan is throwing a ball in Elena's honor but it reeks of a setup.

The romance between Elena and Raphael continues to be very deep and intense. It's not overly graphic either, which is what I like about it too. But still, the intensity the two have for one another is great. Raphael has a lot of restraint for he knows that Elena is not at her best after having awakened after a year long sleep. But don't worry, he doesn't wait too long to show Elena how much he loves her.

The pacing was once again great as well. And I so can't wait to read the next in the series. I like the change in third person p.o.v., from Elena to Raphael. I like getting inside that guy's head, knowing what he's thinking and all. I know it's more common now, but I still find it amazing at how well writers can write in the opposite sex's p.o.v. I don't think I could be able to do that well at all!

Overall rating 4.5/5 stars