Review for Nalini Singh's ARCHANGEL's LIGHT

 

Illium – Blue or Bluebell to his friends - is the son of the Archangel Aegaeon and the angelic artist, The Hummingbird. He is one of Archangel Raphael’s elite Seven. At his sire’s behest, Illium travels to China to assist Aodhan. He feels conflicted. Illium mourns the closeness he once shared with Aodhan, but he does not want to stand in the way of his friend’s healing. They investigate the wreckage China’s former archangel leaves behind, but what they discover will shock them down to their core. Can their strained relationship be repaired?

Aodhan -Sparkles to a chosen few- is one of Archangel Raphael’s Seven. He is an accomplished artist, and the Hummingbird’s cherished protégé. Aodhan agrees to act as Archangel Suyin’s temporary second. He believes time apart from Illium will help him move past his trauma. Aodhan hopes they can salvage their deep bond while investigating a ravaged China. However, they find more than what they bargained for. What new horrors did Lijuan leave behind? Can Aodhan convince Illium that he is no longer broken?

Illium has always been my favorite character from this series since his first appearance. I adore his playful and infectious personality. Illium loves everyone in his close sphere equally and unconditionally, well except for Aodhan. That is just the type of angel he has always been. Someone must do something horrendous or evil to make Illium despise or hate them.  What I love the most about Illium is his selflessness. He may not understand the hurt his mother and Aodhan went through, but he never begrudged them the space they needed to heal, even if it hurt him.

Aodhan is another one of my fond favorites. I could not help but empathize with him from the start. I have always had a soft spot for the wounded/tortured types. The author finally reveals Aodhan’s past, and man was it devastating.  What I adore the most about Aodhan is how he always looks after Illium. Even at his lowest, Aodhan made the effort to reach out to his friend when Illium needed him most.

 ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT is book fourteen in Nalini Singh’s wildly popular paranormal series, GUILD HUNTER. I highly recommend reading the prior books to understand the build-up leading to this story. I love how the author balances the chapters. One will be about the present, and then the next gives readers a glimpse into the two’s past. This formula allows us to see the bond between Illium and Adohan start and grow.

This book does not follow the standard m/m romance storytelling, which I adore. The author focuses more on the gritty and raw emotion between two individuals than dirty smut.

I know there will be people unhappy that these two ended up together. Honestly? I would have it no other way. It made sense to me. Illium and Aodhan belong together. I have always felt that way early in the series.

ARCHANGEL’S LIGHT is the most anticipated book in Nalini Singh’s GUILD HUNTER series. Illium has always been the fandoms’ favorite. Generally favored characters from a series, their stories tend to fall flat. That is not the case with this book. The author did not disappoint!