With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.
Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.
With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.
Review
Like many I agree that having inserted chapters of the other Cadre members was a little awkward, but we have to remember that all these things are playing out while the main story-line is going on. With that being said, I really liked this story.
We start with Jason being called to Neha's palace to help her hunt for the angel, vampire or being responsible for mercilessly killing her consort Eris. Jason knows that returning to Neha would put him back in her service, something Jason is unwilling to do. Thus Neha offers him the alternative of becoming blood bonded to her "daughter" Mahiya. Jason agrees, but the bonding must be done on his terms. Neha agrees and with that our story takes flight.
Upon completion of the blood bond ceremony, Jason gets straight to work. Having Mahiya lead him around the palace to various rooms in which Neha spends her time mourning her loss. when Jason gets to look at the brutal gore of Eris's murder he takes note of the way in which the body is "displayed" and parts are missing. Mahiya is more observant than Jason had thought, but he can read behind her well hidden facade to see she is hiding something. He makes a point of asking about things to which he knows she has knowledge of, but her curt answers only enthrall him more. He WANTS to crack her shell and see the woman under the mask. Mahiya is afraid if things get out Neha will punish her, and she's not willing to let her get her claws on her ever again.
Mahiya is taken aback by our black Jason at first, but once she sees that his knowledge and being able to keep in the shadows serves him well she wonders what else lies in the shadows. She escorts him throughout the fort ad palace and she too finds out much about her fellow ladies-in-waiting, the other higher court vampires and angels alike. Jason comes to find out about Neha's treatment of Mahia and she is surprised at his care of not prodding into her life, but wanting to keep her safe and let her be free.
As the clues start to become more complex and it is becoming apparent that their killer is amongst them, many suspects stories don't line up. Their own agendas have them trying to make others look like they have motives. Jason uncovers more thanks to help from several friends in the Cadre - Vemon and Aodhan stop in and shed some light on what is truly going on. What they uncover is far more involved than a simple murder as more angels wind up dead in brutal fashion. Jason soon uncovers that their target is one they had believed to be dead, but was merely buying time to plan revenge.
when the killer is found it leads to much conflict for our heroine, but time is a bitter bitch when things get ugly and with her deepest desire finally attained she is left questioning where and to whom she truly belongs with. The ending was one I did not see coming, but was shocked at what happened. The very last 3 paragraphs had me crying with the tenderness and significance of it.
Nalini Singh has done it yet again in the 5th book in the Guild Hunter series. I loved how the love was only simmering throughout the story and seeing how Jason and Mahiya were with each other made it very intimate in their actions to show they cared. I felt for Jason as we saw through his eyes the major event in his fledgling days which shaped his cold, unfeeling life. I also felt for Mahiya as we learn of the lies told by her "family" to keep her feeling like a servant, and the events which made her act as she has, cold and calculating, and not a truly valued angel. It was raw, tender and emotionally packed in every sense. Nalini lured me in and then kept me wanting more. A solid full 5 stars for Archangel's Storm.
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