When I started this series I was seriously impressed with all the so obviously different personalities Nalini Singh equipped her characters with. No one was just an accessory, they all had a purpose and they all displayed distinguishing features. After Illium I was the most intrigued by Venom, the sangfroid, snarky member of Raphael's Seven. Needless to say I was over the moon when I saw his book popping up and although it wasn't a surprise who the author paired him up with I was happy it was Holly.

Heads up right away: if you expect a mushy romance this is not what you get. This installment is very story driven and while there is great chemistry between Venom and Holly the romance aspect comes pretty late in the story. It didn't bother me though - it was a natural development for them. The snarky banter and quips from the beginning turned gradually into a good-natured ribbing.


Individually Venom and Holly couldn't be more different, at least at a distant glance. He has a coolness about him that keeps people at arm's length. The only real connection and friendship he has with his brothers-in-arms, Raphael's Seven. Venom knows that he is one of a kind but he has come to appreciate it and uses his otherness to his own advantage - not hard since it comes with a set of kickass abilities. He is aware of Holly struggling with her alterity.

***To the world, Venom was a vampire. And there were millions of vampires. But he was the only one with the eyes of a viper and the deeper, less visible changes that shoved him far outside that well-defined box. Like Naasir, he was and had always been alone among millions. Until Holly.***


What surprised me about him was his benign nature (in all his badass-ness) and an unexpected gentleness with Holly. He loves her wildness, her intelligence and sweetness and he never lies to her. He is standing with her, backing her up when it is Holly against the world. Venom has a playful side about him that I found utterly charming. I loved he nicknames "Kitty" and "Hollyberry" he gave her. But Venom, too, has a past that shaped him.

***He felt his lips kick up. When she wasn’t awake and snapping at him, she was pretty cute. Though he had to admit he liked the snappy, snarky side of her.***


He understands Holly like no one else but it goes both ways - Holly recognizes Venom's otherness and realizing that she isn't the only freak helps her overcome her rage and feeling of loneliness. She is a complicated creature - we saw her in the beginning of the series as this broken doll, broken by Uram who Made her against her will but left her a being not quite vampire but not quite mortal or angel either. She felt a little bit emo back then so I loved to see that she took charge of her life. She has come a long way from "Sorrow" back to Holly.

Venom laughed, delighted with her— though he’d never allow her to guess that. Holly had always challenged him in a way that ignited his instincts, and she did it with a cutting intelligence that spoke to his own.


Holly has become a force to be reckoned with, inspires loyalty and benevolence in people.
Her struggles with what she has become are painful and I felt nothing but compassion and admiration for her courage. Add to that a sharp tongue, intelligence and kindness and she makes for a wonderfully strong heroine.


For those who have been wondering - yes, we get to see a little bit of Illium and Dmitri, whose interaction with Holly and his fatherly love for her made my heart soar.

***Cupping her face in his hands, Dmitri spoke in a voice midnight with age. “Hate me if you want, Holly, but remember this: you’re one of the Tower’s now. You’re one of mine now. That might mean chains, but it also means you have hundreds of vampires and angels at your back.”

“Let’s go, my little weirdling. I’m Ash and Janvier’s teacher for the next hour. You can watch.”***

The car race between Dmitri and Venom was an exhilarating moment in the book which we get a lot of btw. You will find a lot of heart-stopping action and exciting scenes.
It wouldn't be a Guild Hunter story if we didn't get to catch up a bit with Raphael - he doesn't steal Venom's and Holly's thunder which I appreciated.


Overall this was a very satisfying installment - I had one little niggle I wanted to mention that in the grand scheme of things didn't diminish my enjoyment of this story at all: the show-down is a little too long. Holly's inner "dialogue" was a little exhausting but as I said, it is really only a small complaint.


Ms. Singh's writing is excellent. She knows how to pull you right into the story and make you commiserate with the characters and fall in love with them. They are complex and multi-layered and always, always likable. That she mixes different cultures into her stories only adds to the fascination. This book in the series belongs to my favorites - while the romance isn't as prominent it still has a lot to love about it. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

On that note, I notice a pattern in these books. The ones featuring Raphael and Elena drive the overarching plot forward, the ones featuring his Seven focus on the couple they are about. Yet, I wouldn't recommend reading them as standalones. They have a lot of names and little details and while Nalini Singh explains and elaborates on them very well they would still be way confusing.

***“I love you,” he said, his eyes locked with hers. “From the tips of my hair to the tips of my toes. From yesterday to tomorrow and every tomorrow we will ever see. From this moment to the mystery beyond death. Every part of you, slow or fast, small or big, strong or weak. I love you, Holly.”***


Archangel's Viper is the ninth installment of the Guild Hunter series which must be read in order.

"They let you drive now?" he said in a wondering tone of voice calibrated to get under her skin. "I leave for a couple of years and miss kitty's first steps. Did anyone take photos for the baby album I sent you?"

"It's full of pretty pictures." Holly bared her teeth at him in a caricature of a smile. "Honor is a little concerned about how I keep drawing you with your head cut off," she said in a deliberately thoughtful tone, "but an artist must follow her instincts."

FINAL DECISION: Awesome, I loved this book in a way I never expected. Feeling fresh and young and yes, even a little weird, this book's tone matched the strange, unique, and fun that make up Holly and Venom.

THE STORY: Four years ago, Holly Chang's world was fundamentally altered when she and her friends were kidnapped by a blood mad archangel. Her friends were all murdered; Holly survived but ended up changed when the archangel put "something" of himself into Holly. She gained some qualities of vampires but she is neither fully vampire nor human. In the years since her abduction, Holly has been under the observation by various members of Raphael's Seven.  Now the one who irks Holly the most, Venom, has returned to annoy her some more. Venom is a unique vampire who also possesses viper qualities and eyes. While Venom and Holly have much in common as to their abilities, they seem to rub one another the wrong way -- until someone puts a bounty on Holly to kidnap her and the "otherness" inside her seems to be asserting itself. Venom and Holly must work together to discover what actually happened to Holly four years ago.

OPINION: The problem with loving a series is that sometimes a new book doesn't live up to the hype and excitement. Having just completed a re-read of the Guild Hunter series, I had a worry in my stomach that I was too excited about Venom and Holly's story (which has its origins in the very first book). I'm so happy to report that this book exceeded all of my excited anticipation. It was so different in its voice and tone and the characters lived up to the strange and mysterious origins. Their funky, weird and quirky natures bored into my heart (ha, ha) and they are definitely one of my favorite couples in the series.

Can I admit something? I often tend to take glances at the end of books as I get distracted during the story. (It's a way of urging myself forward). This book I read cover to cover without even being tempted to read the ending. If you have similar tendencies or like to read spoilers, I urge you to let this book flow out in front of you instead. The story and relationship builds in such a wonderful fashion that I think that knowing the secrets in the ending will diminish the first-time reader experience.

Story feels young and fresh in a manner that I didn't expect. One of my all time favorite books is FIRE AND ICE by Anne Stuart. This book has a similar feel in the characters and pacing (although there is really little similarity). The characters are younger than others in the series.

Although Venom is over 350 years old, he is the youngest of the Seven and the one character who has been the most mysterious in the series. This book peels back his layers and gives us his backstory.  He's got a secret (not a deep dark one but an interesting one) that makes him adorable and perfect for Holly. Sexy and raw in a way that no one else in the Seven is, he has a different personality than I expected once his "gameface" is off.

Holly (who for a time called herself Sorrow) is quirky and funny and incredibly strong. We haven't seen her progression for a while, and it was especially satisfying to see how she has grown and struggled and managed to reinvent herself after the horror of her "Making". (I'll also confess to having a total love for Dmitri and Honor and just adored seeing them with Holly). Holly makes this book for me. Her needling of Venom as the two find the rhythm of a relationship between them. Her strength in facing the reality of what her "making" might actually mean. And her determination to keep true to herself and her humanity put me on her side from the start. Of all the characters in this series, she was the only one from the present day who was 100 percent human and normal until she was forcibly dragged into the immortal world.

The funniest part for me is that I expected the quips and arguments and the humor, but I didn't expect how heartwarming I would find their relationship. The observation that these two will grow together hit me with so many warm fuzzies. Their story is one of acceptance and appreciation and love for a person "because" of who they are rather than "despite".

The story is more focused on Holly and Venom than in normal in this series (in many ways this book and ARCHANGEL'S HEART are part of the same story) and as a result, I was simply gutted as the book reached its conclusion as no part of this series has since the very first book.  The romance between these two is uniquely their own. The two seem to find joy in annoying one another, testing one another. There is a similarity to the relationship between Ash and Janvier, but this is no repeat of that romance. Venom and Holly have an acidic sweetness that matches their natures.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book overlaps with the events in ARCHANGEL'S HEART.

CONNECTED BOOKS:  ARCHANGEL'S VIPER is the tenth book in the Guild Hunter series.

STAR RATING:  I give this book 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a review or to write a positive review.  All opinions contained herein are my own.

Will be posted on September 26th.

The Guild Hunter series is one of my favorites of all the dozens that I read but the problem is that I want every one of them to be exceptional, amazing and near perfect 5 Star novels, sadly that is not reality.

This novel is more cerebral in nature, it is a very complex relationship that careens throughout most of the novel. The nice thing is that when you have a writer with the amount of talent that Nalini Singh has even passages that would be dull in another authors hands are still interesting and hold my attention.

The relationship between Venom and Holly is filled with snark and a bit of dislike on her part of a goodly part of the book, obviously it becomes more of a romance later in the book but it took much longer than I would have expected and was almost to the point of being irritating.

The lack of almost any action other than Holly trying not to lose herself to the thing Uram made her into, made this a bit of an oddity in this action oriented series. If you are looking for bodies piling up in battles, this book will not fulfill those desires, it is possibly the most "quiet" book in the series but still the story held my interest and was satisfying at the end.

Bottom line: While this was another great book in the series it falls slightly under the bar I use for 5 Stars in this series and I admit a slight bias against any of the books that do not have a large dose of Raphael and Elena. This book is 90+% just Venom and Holly but the lack of action and the almost total absence of Raphael and Elena makes me give it a 4 Star rating this time around. Anyone who thinks this means this was not a great book needs a class on reading comprehension.

“For a woman with unicorn hair, you’re very bloodthirsty. I approve.”

It doesn’t matter how many times I read a book by Nalini Singh; I am forever amazed and awed by the intricacy with which she builds her fictional worlds.

So delicate and detailed that, in fact, they don’t feel fictional at all.

Never mind the fact that they’re riddled with psychic beings and changelings or, in the case of Archangel’s Viper and the Guild Hunter series, with angels and vampires—these books are rife with such raw emotion as to level a reader.

Needless to say, Venom and Holly’s story leveled me. That, and more. This story has been building since book one, Angels’ Blood (Archangel’s Viper is number ten), and every moment, every nugget of information, every glimpse of these two damaged souls over the course of nine subsequent book was paid off. In triplicate. With an intensity that Blew. My. Mind.

And damn near ruptured my heart. I cried—big, fat, achy tears—and, even now, I can’t decide if I want to smile or sob over some of the more tense, weighted moments.

Smile. I’ll go with smile. Because only Nalini Singh can give me a series that hides information in the smallest, unlikeliest of places… and then use that to add ever more texture and detail to a world that never fails to surprise, amaze and awe me.

Always in his arms, she’d be home.
As he would be in hers.

~ FIVE Kitty STARS ~

Nalini Singh has so many books you would think it would be hard to pick a series but nope, not for me. She is my ultimate favorite author, tops my list of authors I’d kill to meet, and this series right here is my favorite of all of hers. The Guild Hunter series has a grittiness and urbanness to it that I wouldn’t normally say that I like but like with most things Nalini just does it so, so well that I fell in love with her characters and this world. The same goes for the Psy/Changeling world but the Guild Hunters are just the best for me!

This is Venom and Sorrow’s story – who now goes by her original name of Holly. We’d gotten glimpses of Holly in previous books so I was excited to see her full story finally. Since Uram made her no one knows what to expect with her power or abilities, least of all Holly herself. She’s terrified as slowly her powers are changing and she doesn’t want to become close to anyone as she doesn’t want to hurt them. Venom, who is part of Raphael’s Seven, is someone everyone avoids just like they avoid Holly because they don’t know what either of them are. Most people are intimidated by both of them, but together they create an interesting dynamic as neither one are daunted by the other.

Someone has a bounty out on Holly’s head and Venom is teamed up with her to discover what is going on. Throughout their investigation their relationship evolves into more than just taunting and barbs and to deeper feelings that neither one knew was there previously. However, at the same time Holly’s powers are growing quicker and expanding into something no one can predict.

“From the tips of my hair to the tips of my toes, from yesterday to tomorrow and every tomorrow we will ever see…”
Once again, Singh delivers with growing and expanding her Guild Hunter world with this book. We get so much about Venom’s past which lets us know him more intimately and his character. At the same time we also get to know Holly’s present and what is making her *her* right now. The combination of the two delivers a great romance while at the same time we gt a mystery trying to figure out who has a bounty on her head, what powers Holly has from Uram, an incredible paranormal world replete with angels, vampires, and much more.

The interactions between the Seven gives the lightness and humor that I need to balance out any heaviness. That banter always cracks me up. We also get glimpses of Ilium and I so want his story soon and I’m crossing my fingers that Nalini will deliver with an m/m romance!! 5 stars to another wonderful book in this series. I already can’t wait for the next.

We met Holly when she was rescued from the brutal torture she endured at the hands and fangs of an insane Archangel. Poisoned and on the radar of all Raphel’s seven, Holly has been dealing with the violent nature that has been infected on her by the attack. One of the seven, Venom, in particular, has taken a very special interest in Holly. There is something about her darkness that calls to his, something that can’t be denied.

Let me start by saying that the Guild Hunter series is an example of exceptional storytelling with a heartfelt plot, heated romantic entanglements, and riveting action. Amid such marvelous fictional escapes, Archangel’s Viper was just okay in comparison. No matter how much I wanted to connect with Holly’s and Venom’s story, I just didn’t.

Would I recommend reading this book, absolutely! My expectations for this series and author have set the bar high and if compared to all other reads, this series still is one of my favorites of all time.

I received this ARC copy of Archangel's Viper from Berkley Publishing Group. This is my honest and voluntary review. Archangel's Viper is set for publication September 26, 2017.

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Written by: Nalini Singh
Series: A Guild Hunter Novel
Sequence in Series: Book 10
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
ISBN-10: 0451488245
ISBN-13: 978-0451488244
Genre: Romantic fantasy | Urban Fantasy

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/arch...
Amazon: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/arch...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.amazon.com/Archangels-Vip...

Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com


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I liked this couple a lot, even if I forgot who was Holly in the beginning I have to admit! Viper has never been one of mv favorite between the seven, but I appreciate him more after this book. No more information about the Cadre in this novel, so the overplot remains stucked this time, maybe the next book is coming out in less than one year (one can always hope)...

Questa coppia era ben assortita, anche se io non ricordavo affatto chi fosse Holly all'inizio, devo ammetterlo! Viper non é mai stato uno dei miei preferiti tra i Sette, ma dopo questo libro mi piace un po' di piú. Per il resto la trama globale non é andata avanti e quindi nessuna notizia dal Cadre, ma magari significa che il prossimo libro arriva prima del solito anno, voglio dire, si puó sempre sperare no?

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Holly, a series’ fringe character who was brutally terrorized by the archangel Uram back in the beginning of the series, was left for nearly dead and Made into something not quite right. She now serves Raphael’s Tower under the close supervision of Dmitri and the Seven. However, after a kidnapping attempt, the gang discovers there is a bounty on Holly. With Viper back in town, it’s up to him to keep her safe. Figuring out who is after Holly and what she’s becoming are the focus of Archangel’s Viper.

The story takes place concurrent in time to the previous book, Archangel’s Heart, while Raphael and Elena are far from Manhattan. Dmitri is left in charge, and with the support of Illium and Viper, they keep the territory safe while their sire is away. This allows room for Holly to explore her otherness and the changes happening under her skin without fear that Raphael will end it prematurely.

With so much of the book’s plotlines focused on Holly, Archangel’s Viper isn’t really Viper’s story. This one belongs to her. Nearly broken after her capture by Uram, she’s evolving into something other, and Viper is the one person who can relate. During the story they bond - deepening a friendship born out of respect and understanding. They also explore their sexual chemistry, but this is secondary to Holly’s coming-of-age tale. I enjoyed watching Viper and Holly piece together what has happened to and what is becoming of Holly. However, I was a little bit frustrated with the kidnapping storyline, because it dropped off, taking a backseat to her evolution, shortly after it began.

While I still classify Archangel’s Viper a paranormal romance, the romance piece is very slow-burning and not the primary focus of the book. Yet, it doesn’t matter to me because I enjoyed the interactions between Viper and Holly, regardless of how mild or flirty. These are two characters we know little about, so watching them develop before my eyes and learn so much more about both was entertaining.

All in all, Archangel’s Viper is another exciting, engrossing story in one of my favorite series. Ms. Singh gets an A+ for her world-building and character development, with each book in the Guild Hunter series adding so much to the overall picture. I look forward to each installment and cannot wait to see what she cooks up next!

My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot

Archangel’s Viper is the tenth installment in the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh. Boy, its hard to believe that we’ve already reached the tenth book in the series. Unlike the previous installments, Archangel’s Viper actually takes place at the same time as the previous installment, Archangel’s Heart. So basically we get to see what was going on in New York while Raphael, Elena and Aodhan were in Morocco. Although, we do get to see Raphael for awhile near the end but no Elena or Aodhan. Our two main characters in this installment are none other than Venom and Holly Chang! Personally, this is one pairing that I’ve been waiting for since the first time we saw Venom and Holly together in the same place back in Archangel’s Blade. You have to admit it, that first scene with the two of them was practically foreshadowing their relationship.

When we last saw Holly, she decided to go by the name Sorrow after being the only surviving victim of Uram’s murder spree in New York. Due to the attack, Holly/Sorrow was not only left in a horrible mental state but also led to her becoming something that is neither a vampire nor a human but something else. As a result, Raphael was forced to have Holly/Sorrow be under guard and watch in order to see if its safe to allow her to live or dangerous which means that they would have to kill her. In Archangel’s Viper, Holly has recovered to a point where she has decided to drop the name Sorrow and return to being Holly Chang. With the help and support she received, Holly decides that she’s going to live her life to the fullest despite what Uram did to her. Now Holly works for the Tower after being trained by a team in the Tower. In fact its because of a favor from her boss Janvier that Holly’s asked to pick up Venom who is returning to New York. It doesn’t take long for Holly and Venom to begin teasing the other. However, its soon put to a stop when they are attacked on their way back. The reason for the attack is Holly because apparently someone has put out a contract on her. So now Holly and Venom are forced to team up and find the one who put out the contract. Sadly, what started as a search for the contractor soon leads to something much worse.

Overall, Archangel’s Viper was another wonderful installment with plenty of adventures for our pair along with twists and romance that they have to face. Not to mention Nalini Singh once again did an amazing job bring in multiple plots that at first seem to be separate plots but we soon discover that they all lead to one single plot. Also, it was great to finally learn more about Venom! Not including Naasir, Venom was always the mysterious one from the Seven. All we knew about him was he was Made by the Archangel Neha and gained snake like abilities like his eyes that are not only like a snake but can entrance humans and has powerful poison from his fangs. However, we finally get to learn his origins and I have to say that it was an unexpected tale. Its thanks to Holly that we get to see see another side of Venom that even Raphael and the other Seven have never seen before since his joining. Seriously, fans will be surprised by many things in Archangel’s Viper so I hope you all enjoy it once you get your hands on it!


*I received Archangel’s Viper from Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley in return for an honest review.*

Archangel's Viper is book 10 in the Guild Hunters series and its the story I didn't know I needed! You meet Holly in book 1 when she is the victim of a deranged archangel. I never imagined her getting her own story years later. Venom has been around since book 1 as well. One of Raphael's 7, he is the deadliest vampire on the planet and loves toying with his 'kitty', Holly.

Venom has always been a bit of a villain who seems barely under control. Yet, as a reader, you are still so intrigued by him! Add to his natural air of mystery the continuing discovery of Holly and her talents and the book really keeps you on your toes. Who would want to kidnap Holly and why? Do they know something they shouldn't or do they know something even Holly doesn't know?

Archangel's Viper weaves the story of Holly and what she is or might be with the burgeoning romance between Venom and Holly. While they are different at first blush, they have far more in common than anyone imagined. Venom gets Holly in a way no one else can and allows her to be 'herself' (whoever that might end up being). In return, Venom becomes lighter and freer in Holly's presence. There is a scene where Venom, Dimitri, and Illium are racing and they all seem so carefree and young! Its a side to the 3 very stoic men you don't get to see often. And through all that, you have the danger of what Holly might become, who might want to possess her, and where it might lead them all. Singh blends the levity with the danger, the lust with the adventure, and all your favorite characters from the guild hunter world. Singh is the only author I have ever read who can accomplish combining so many emotions and events into a story with so many characters and never let the reader feel that they are drowning in it all.

I feel like its been a long time since I have been in the guild hunter world and found I had to look up a few things/people to refresh my memories. Nothing major, but certainly evidence that this isn't a stand alone!

Justine Eyre has one of my favorite voices. She is flawless!! While this series can be a difficult one to listen to because there are so many people to keep up with, Eyre's voice keeps you engaged. She really is performing the story.
Link live on 9/21/17

In the Guild Hunter series, readers have gotten to know Holly since Elena first rescued her from a brutal attack by the insane archangel Uram. Holly barely survived, and the attack changed her irrevocably not only in an emotional sense, but physically as well. Those changes have not stopped, Holly lives in constant fear of becoming a monster with no hope of redemption. Venom, the youngest in the Archangel Raphael’s private guard known as the Seven, survived his own monstrous transformation centuries ago. With his snakey eyes and poisonous fangs, Venom has always been one of a kind—as is Holly, for no one knows exactly what she is. Not entirely human, not exactly vampire, Holly, once known as Sorrow, is certainly very deadly. Venom and Holly have an adversarial relationship, though neither of them would admit it, they enjoy the physical and verbal sparring. Holly’s job for the Tower, under the direction of Ashwini, Janvier and, of course, Dmitri, involves working in the shadows and underbelly of the city where the higher-ups would not be welcome. When someone decides Holly is a prize to be had, she and Venom are forced to work as a team in the seamy places of New York to track down the ones who are foolish or arrogant enough to hunt anyone under the Tower’s protection.
Holly fights with every fiber of her colorful and eclectic being to hold back the dark and terrifying remnant of Uram, which somehow wants to take her over; and now, something or someone powerful is calling her to another archangel’s territory in a way that’s much too intense to be ignored. Possibly adding to the upsurge in Holly’s own abilities is the catastrophic effect known as the Cascade which has been amping up some angelic powers. This unpredictable force may not only apply to the top tier angels and archangels.

Even though she’s a strange hybrid with an unknown future, the most important thing to Holly is her humanity. Venom, with his cold reptilian inner being and poisonous abilities, thought he lost his ability to feel compassion or love centuries ago. But when this small spitfire of a girl refuses to give in to the horrors that nearly destroyed her, it awakens something inside him that he thought impossible and forever lost.

Fans of Ms. Singh will be well pleased with this fine addition to the series. It has everything wonderful we have come to expect: action, adventure, humor, and romance as well as being a very clever tale that will keep you guessing about exactly what is going on and how it will all play out until the very end. This story has just the right balance between the difficult and often dangerous world Holly and Venom inhabit and a love story that alleviates the violence and aggression. Their story has been building for quite some time so having it come to fruition is very satisfying. I absolutely, totally enjoyed all aspects of this book and while that may sound like hyperbole, the praise is much deserved.

When I first finished Archangel's Heart, I was sure - or maybe overly hopeful - about which book was going to be next. About whose book would be next. I was wrong. But I'm not mad about it. Archangel's Viper was a surprise of the best kind.

It takes place, mostly, during the same time period as Archangel's Heart. That still leaves lots of room for the next book to be about that couple that I hope for. I expected to spend a good majority of this book looking for those other characters. What I didn't expect, despite the fact that I've long rooted for Venom and Holly/Sorrow, is to fall completely into their story. It was - as they are for each other - perfect.

Venom has spent the last several years, since Holly was rescued from Uram's bloodlust, training her, keeping an eye on her. In other words, basically being an annoyance - at least in Holly's eyes. He, in turn, looked on her as young, untried, and always in a professional way. So, I think it's a bit of surprise to both of them when he comes back from his time away - in a place we, of course, know, but Holly can't - to find out that she's changed. Grown, matured, and isn't quite as off-limits as he might have once expected. Holly begins to realizes that Venom might be the only one that will ever truly understand her. She also starts to feel the attraction that she was in no place to experience before.

Because of the nature of their previous relationship, and learning each other anew, their relationship builds slowly. With trust and friendship/respect at the front of it. I loved this. Every moment they spent testing and getting to know one another added to the foundation of what I knew would be a life-long journey. It drew me into their story in a way I wasn't expecting.

It was the plot that kept me rapt with attention though. From that first, baffling, introduction chapter to the very end, I was scouring the pages, desperate to know what was happening to Holly. I needed to know that she was going to be alright. I think, by now, we all know that Nalini Singh tends to put her characters through a bit of a trial-by-fire. Holly would survive, I knew, but it wouldn't be easy. And it wasn't.

This story ties up a few lingering, dangling threads from the past several books. And ties everything back to Holly's beginning - the time she first encountered a blood-born archangel in Angels' Blood. It was incredibly intriguing, fraught with peril, and just enough humor between Venom and Holly to keep me smiling.

The happenings here aren't as world-changing as perhaps some of the other books, but that doesn't make them any less critical. Each of these characters has become ones I care about, and so even their smallest struggles as something that I root for them to conquer. As I traveled through this book with Venom and Holly, I learned more about each of them. I treasured each little moment I was able to experience beside them. Even the painful ones, because it allowed me to know them even more intimately, and savor their happiness exponentially more.

Like most of Nalini Singh's books, I adored this one. And as always, I finished simply wanting more.

I held out as long as I could, but I finally had to give in and read this one! Venom is probably my favorite of Raphael's Seven so when I heard that Nalini Singh had finally decided to write Venom's book, to say I was excited it putting it mildly.

Of course, there's always the trepidation of whether or not it will live up to expectations and I have to say, for me, YES it absolutely does.

The pairing of Holly (aka Sorrow) and Venom seems like such a natural choice honestly, although it wasn't one that I immediately figured on. Not until maybe a few books ago in the series where we learned that Venom had been working with Sorrow to hone the skills she developed since being attacked and changed by the archangel Uram.

In Archangel's Viper we see Holly still dealing with the aftermath of her attack and what it did to her mentally / emotionally, but moreso here in what it's doing to her physically. She's recently made the decision that she wants to live. That no matter what life has thrown at her at this point, she wants to try to move forward. This is a far cry from what we previously glimpsed of Holly the last time she popped up in the series (I wish I knew which book that was off the top of my head, alas, I don't). Now, however, we see that, besides changing Holly into a vampire, she's now starting to exhibit strange qualities which are most akin to Venom's abilities (although still unique unto Holly). When it seems like someone has put a bounty on Holly's head in order to acquire her uniqueness, she and Venom start a search for the mysterious person. This search, however, only leads us into an even bigger mystery that stems from that fateful day four years ago when an archangel went mad.

For his part, Venom has always been the cool and collected member of the Seven. He's at ease with the group that he has chosen to call his family, but that doesn't mean he's always felt like part of the group. His Making certainly set him apart from the vampire community, and he sees a lot of what he went through in his younger years when he sees what Holly is going through now. He sees someone who might be able to understand him. I loved the "new" we got to see in Venom's character. I loved that we get to delve into his past. I feel like there's always been this cloaking of mysteriousness around him (and around all the Seven honestly until they get their own books), and learning about his past was interesting and did a lot to make me love his character even more.

I loved Venom and Holly together from the first page to the last. Their relationship didn't start out as this hidden lust. It starts out kind of antagonistic (although I wouldn't really classify this as an enemies to lovers story). They love to push each other's buttons. The repartee they exchange throughout is fantastic. Holly definitely doesn't let Venom get the better of her often. I loved seeing how their feelings for each other slowly developed throughout the story. I didn't feel theirs was a scorching hot romance, instead it builds upon this base understanding of each other. I thought it was great, seeing the realization as each of them - at separate times - figures out that they care more for the other than simple friendship.

I really enjoyed that Archangel's Viper dealt with quite a few topics that have been kind of hanging out unanswered in this series since the first book. I feel like this story was a long time coming with all the pieces falling into place. The mystery of what is happening to Holly is intriguing and I thought satisfying in its conclusion.

I don't think I've ever been disappointed in anything that Nalini Singh has written and we can now add Archangel's Viper this list as well. A fitting story for my favorite of the Seven.

Holly and Venom's story is one I've been looking forward to for a long time. Their chemistry is spot on and sizzling hot. The mystery this story presents is nearly as compelling as the relationship between Holly and Venom. Archangel's Viper isn't one to miss in the Guild Hunter series.

Holly Chang knows what it's like to be a victim. In a battle amongst angels Holly was found, the sole survivor of a massacre by the insane archangel Uram. Now, she fights the changes in herself and the power Uram forced on her when he made her drink from his vein. With the help of the vampire Venom Holly faces the changes in herself and the dangers of being the last known heir to a piece of Uram's power. Archangel's Viper is a great addition to the Guildhunter's series. I love that reader's get to see two characters who are isolated by their unique gifts and who have been broken by circumstance come together for a chance at happiness.

Nalini Singh has a gift to make me hooked with her books. It's been years now since I began this serie and the effect on me is still the same.
However, this book is a little bit different from the others. Less sex, less intimate feelings, more action. Here, we are with two wild animals which try to become accustomed.
We know Holly since book 1 and when I read this book was about her and Venom, I was excited and moved by how Holly grown and changed. She and Venom need to investigate on a strange pull that Holly has and it leads nowhere good...
I wasn't disappointed by how little romance there was, on the contrary, it didn't bothered me because it matched with Holly and Venom personality and sometimes, there is too much sex/romance/kiss and not enough action/story. So for this reason, book 10 is now one of my favorite !

Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh is the 10th book in her wonder Guild Hunter series. I say this quite often; Nalini Singh is one of the best authors around, and the fact I love both her Psy/Changeling and Guild Hunter series proves how good she is. Nalini writes fantastic stories in different worlds that flow so seamlessly, and each book just grabs hold of you at the start and never lets go till the very end.

We met both Venom and Holly, our heroes in this book, early in this series when he saved her from sure death. Holly had been tortured by an insane Archangel, Uram; and she had witness the horrifying deaths of her friends. Though she is considered human, Holly was left with abilities she gained from Uram’s vampire blood coursing in her body. Her acid green eyes; ability to mesmerize others; has a poisonous bite (which Venom also has, but he is immune to Holly’s bite); and does require blood, which she minimizes as much as she can.
Venom, is one of Rapheal’s Seven, and very dangerous, but loyal to the Seven, as well as being different from the others. After being away for two years, her return and Holly was sent to pick him up. Venom not only was the one who saved Holly, but he also is the one who tries to teach her to control the violent impulses she has. However, they have never gotten along, both always antagonizing each other. Venom enjoys pushing Holly, and she just hates him. Holly has changed since she was first rescued, and Honor (Dimitri’s mate), has worked with her on her emotional stability, as well as Janvier and Ash training her how to fight as a warrior. She is tough, smart, and fights off an inner voice that wants to control her. When Venom and Holly drive to the tower, someone attacks them trying to kidnap Holly. It seems that someone has a bounty on her head. Dimitri and Venom begin to worry what is it about Holly’s blood that warrants a 5 million dollar bounty?

When Venom and Holly start working closely together to find out who is trying to kidnap her, they begin to see each other in a different light. They were the same in many ways, allowing them to be their normal self in front of each other, and in a short time their relationship will escalate in an unexpected romance. Venom sees that Holly is fighting something deep inside her, and she will tell him the truth about an otherness she feels. Besides the mystery of who is trying to kidnap her, the main focus of this story is finding out what/who is trying to control Holly.

What follows is an addictive and captivating story with Venom and Holly following the trail that is pulling her into the lands of another Archangel. Venom and Holly surprised me how much I fell in love with this fantastic couple, and they sizzled together. The last half of the book was such a thriller, with many twists and turns right to the very end. I can’t tell too much more, as I do not want to ruin this for you, but I loved Archangel’s Viper, as well as a couple that totally won me over.

Nalini Singh once again gives us a wonderful addition to this fantastic series. She is an author whose flawless skilled writing simply has me in awe. I have never failed to love every single one of her books in both series. If you have not read the Guild Hunter series, what are you waiting for?

It seems like with this book Holly is starting to accept herself more, settling into her new life, resigned to the new changes.

It was fun to see Venom and Holly snip at each other. It started out slightly angry, at least on Holly's end, but quickly turned to flirting, the names becoming endearments. I was glad to see that Venom stepped up and helped Holly when it seemed like trouble had found her, not once, but twice. The first issue seemed more clear cut, pettiness within their world. The second issue was more of a problem. I was stunned when we finally got to the root of it, it was quite frankly gross. I couldn't believe that anyone would do this, to keep this horrible thing alive. So great that Raphael was there to witness, to help Holly in the small ways that he could. But the best part was that Holly was able to finally face Uram, to yell at him, to beat him this time around. This was a great thing, because now with Venom at her side she can finally find peace in her life and now love.

Archangel's Viper is the eighth book in the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh. This exciting book continues to build the guild hunter mythology. It brings to light new faces along with a deeper insight into the implications of the madness of the deceased archangel Uram. While many of our favorite characters from the series return, the focus is on illuminating a new mythos and relationships. We were introduced to Venom and Sorrow/ Holly Chang in the first book itself and now we delve deeper into their journey with Archangel's Viper

This book reintroduces Sorrow as Holly Chang, the single sane surviving victim of Uram—a Blood born-crazed archangel who went on macabre killing spree in New York. She is neither a vampire nor a human but something more, something unique. Uram's taint has left a taint within her that calls to the darkness and it is up to her to decipher its true meaning and implications.

Venom is the youngest of the archangel Raphael's seven. a highly powerful vampire who has distinctive snake like abilities. He was made by the archangel Neha, the queen of poisons and is as unique as Naasir or Holly. He possesses the ability to entrance humans like a cobra does its prey and the gift of deadly poison—secretes poison from his fangs, can paralyze with his bite

Together, Venom and Holly work together to rid the world of the last trace of Uram and save Holly from his taint and try to find a way to break its hold on her. This book does justice to its name and is truly spellbinding. Nalini Singh creates characters with such depth that you just can't help rooting for them.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC