Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. Good romance - Singh does a great job of creating characters that I want to know more about. I will be recommending this book. Thanks again for letting have a chance to read it.

**My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with a free copy for an honest review**

This book happens along in the same timeline as the previous book Archangels Heart and focuses on Venom and Chloe, Chloe a girl that was saved when Elena and Raphael nearly died in the first book of the series. Now we get to see her survival and transformation into a person that is not broken and starts to accept who she is now.

Chloe has a task to do and when Venom comes from the Sanctuary while Raphael and Elena are away he offers to look after Chloe when he sees how much she is actually struggling and how much they are alike in many ways. He can help her and both of their poison does not work on the other.

When something unexpected comes up as Chloe finds out more about the 'thing' inside her, they both end up on an adventure in another Archangels domain and along the way, find out that there is a fine line between love and hate and that maybe there is someone who compliments them and gets them better than anyone else in the world.

Chloe certainly had an inner strength that she was not aware of and Venom certainly learnt a few lessons from Chloe.

I am really looking forward to the next book in the series. This is one awesome series.

I appreciate having the opportunity to read Archangel's Viper. However I won't be reviewing this one because I wasn't paying close enough attention when I requested this; I'm way behind on this particular series from Singh and I feel like jumping straight into this one wouldn't be fair to the book or my enjoyment of it -- I'd be lost, I'm sure!

Please note: I'm only giving a star rating because NetGalley is making me; I have not even read the book yet!

Holly was brutalized by a psychotic archangel, forced to drink his tainted blood and had to watch her friends die in the most horrific way. She survived, however, and now it’s four years later and Uram’s blood is turning Holly into…something. When angels turn humans the humans turn into vampires. Not so with Holly. She’s part vampire and needs blood but she also needs food to survive. She has strange powers and her bite is poisonous. Holly has been hiding from her friends and mentors all of the changes that have been taking place in her and the powers that are getting stronger and changing all the time. She’s scared of what they all mean. Now that Venom is back, however, she can’t hide any longer as he sees her for who she is.

Venom has been at the Refuge for the past two years and only mentoring Holly via phone calls once a week. Now that he’s back he sees that that hasn’t been enough. She’s learned a lot from Janvier and Ashwini but Venom sees the changes in Holly that others might not have noticed. He sees that she’s a lot like him and he tries to teach her how to deal with those changes. When he heads out with Holly to see who has a bounty on her head he gets to know her even more. Though he tries to ignore the attraction between them and the admiration he has for her he soon realizes that she’s the one he needs in his life – permanently.

Wow. Venom and Holly’s story was SO good! I wasn’t sure how this was all going to play out as Venom has been nothing but stoic in the previous books. I wondered if he could fall in love and what that would look like. I now know and it was beautiful!

I loved the banter between Venom and Holly. Even when they fell in love it didn’t end and that was nice to see. Just because they fell in love didn’t turn them into mushy baby talkers. Lol Of course Singh would never do that with her characters, but I still appreciated it. 😊

The story revolved around Holly and the strange thing that was growing/awakening in her. Not only was she freaking out over that but then something new and different gets added to the mix when Holly meets another of Uram’s survivors. I couldn’t believe how strong Holly was to put up with what was going on inside her. Sure, she was physically strong but her mental strength was incredible. She went through some amazing situations that would break a normal person but she got through them like a champ. I was so impressed by Holly, can you tell?

Venom was awesome. I loved him in this book. He was strong and capable, understanding and compassionate, caring and loving, and sexy as hell. Could you ask for a better hero? I also loved how he let Holly do her thing and didn’t try to control the situations. I want a Venom of my own, oh yes, I do. Lol.

Singh’s writing, storytelling ability and world-building were once again AMAZING. I don’t know how she does it time after time but all of it combined blows my mind…every time. I picked this one up and once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. If you’ve been reading the series you won’t want to miss this one. If you haven’t read the series? You’re seriously missing something wonderful.

Rating: 5 out of 5

This book was one that has stayed with me over the years. I am now just looking back on some of these books and think that this one has to be added to my permanent library.

Ever since first coming across Venom as well as Holly, I was immediately interested in reading about these characters - at that point I also didn't know yet that these characters were destined to be paired together but that was definitely a really good surprise later on, when I found out about this. Venom's book promised to be a good one, because I loved reading about him in the prior books so so much and knowing how talented Nalini is, this couldn't go wrong, right? In the end this book did live up to it's expectations so I'm really happy about that.

I was really excited to find out how Holly was faring after her brutal abduction 4 years ago, knowing that she was physically altered by the one who captured her, Uram. But what she could really do, what she turned into, remained a mystery until now. I finally got all of my answers regarding Holly and damnnnn I was pleasantly surprised! She's become such a kickass character and I love how strong she is. Everything she already endured and had to go through in this book as well, would undo any other person. But Nalini is a genius when it comes to writing fierce-some and strong female characters and Holly has definitely become one of them. And can I just say how cute her relationship to Dimitri is? I love how he acts like a father-figure to her, ugh. So good.

And her developing relationship to Venom?! I LOVED reading about that so much because both of these characters deserved some happiness! Their banter was delicious to read about and I just liked how good these two were for another in general. The road it took them to get 'there' was a tough one but a beautiful one at the same time as well. To get to that point of giving into one another it first got to the point of them bantering constantly and then denying their attraction for one another and purposely denying themselves to give into it while the sexual tension went through the roof < It was frustrating at times, but in a good way you know haha? You know you're reading towards a moment in time when things are going to Explode and you know it's Nalini writing it all so you just know it's going to be good! I think these two are one of my favorite couples in the series so far. They fit together perfectly.

O and I loved reading about Venom! I especially loved reading how Venom 'turned' around from 'don't hit that' to 'I can't hold myself back any longer' because the firework these two created together was spectacular. But reading about his past was also a real eye opener and something I wasn't entirely expecting since there was always so much mystery around this character. There was just no way of knowing what Nalini was going to throw at our feet regarding Venom haha.

Aside from Venom and Holly become romantically involved, the story-line itself is enthralling and gripping and intense, as always when it comes to a Guild Hunter novel. There's danger, adventure and darkness and it's a 'typical' Guild Hunter book, which is everything I'd hoped for beforehand.

So yeah, another awesome book in one of my favorites, it not the Most favorite, series within the paranormal romance genre.

3.5 stars

I've been waiting for this book since the series started. Venom has always been my favorite. I went in to this with some trepidation though cuz I didn't care for Holly in prior books. She was such a drama queen. Now, yes, she had a serious reason to be such a mess but she was exhausting and I really wanted something better for Venom.

I was pleased to see this book had took place at the same time as the previous book (Raphael and Elena are in China during the majority of this) and Holly has grown up and worked through the majority of her issues. Venom has been on assignment and they haven't see each other in two years. I'm glad the author handled it this way, making them a bit more equals, than him trying to fix her.

The story revolves around two plots both of which are things Venom and Holly work together to solve. The majority of the story is those plotlines and I found them both really enjoyable. The romance was very late in the story (70% before even a kiss) and there's little development in this aspect. That was a bit of a let down for me. We get to know some of Venom's back ground but there wasn't the detailed emotional connection that was there in Jason and Nassir's books. I wanted a lot more in this part of the book and it was just meh for me. I liked them as a couple but they really felt like good friends. There was more of an emotional connection between Holly and Dmitri.

So.....not a bad book but not what I was hoping for in Venom's book.

**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Singh is by far the premiere Urban Fantasy author and Archangel Viper is a hot stellar addition to the series. Singh as always had her characters connect on a visceral level that pulled me in right into the story. Thrilled with this book!

Archangel’s Viper (Guild Hunter #10)
Nalini Singh
Published: Sept. 26, 2017 (Berkley)
Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon
Review Source: Copy received from publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Chelsea

Rating (out of 5): 5 stars

When Archangel’s Enigma hit my Kindle a couple years ago, I was convinced it was my new favorite Guild Hunter book. Naasir was so other, and Andi complemented him so well. Look, Nalini Singh just keeps one-upping herself with each new installment in this series. I didn’t know I needed Venom’s book, but here we are, and Archangel’s Viper is my new favorite Guild Hunter novel.

We’ve seen Holly in previous books—including the period where she was trying to get everyone to call her Sorrow. She was one of Uram’s victims and was turned by force. She isn’t fully vampire, though. They aren’t sure what was done to her, but her eyes can glow an acidic green and she’s lethal in other, unique ways. She also still needs food in addition to blood. This works as a nice note in Archangel’s Viper, because hot, lethal, vampire cooking for you is pretty enticing. And, shocker, Venom is absolutely doing whatever it takes to take care of his Hollyberry.

There is a strong enemies to lovers trope here, but not in a “let’s kill each other” out the gate way. There’s so much similarity in the way that Holly and Venom are different from the rest of the vampires that they butt heads. He doesn’t give her the same leeway others do. He challenges her constantly, because he isn’t about to use kid gloves. While this riles her, it eventually falls into someone seeing her for who she actually is, someone trusting her, and understanding that her needs are unique. Plus, the banter between these two is downright hilarious.

It’s that banter, and the sharp verbal jabs they constantly throw at one another that evolves into this heady chemistry that seeps from the pages. Even as they’re feeling the pull toward one another, they’re trying to create space, to stop it. Until you have two snake-like vampires who just want to curl up on a sunstone together. I could read a dozen books of Holly and Venom and never get tired of watching the two of them interact.

The story isn’t just about these two falling in love, though. Like most Guild Hunter tales, we’re solving a crime. In this case, there is a bounty out on Holly and the further we dig into it, the more we learn about her past and her future. Who and what she is. The main plot, Holly’s growth, and the igniting romance between Holly and Venom are woven together with such expertise that each plot balances the other.

If you like the side couple novels in Guild Hunter, be prepared for this to be your new favorite. If you like oodles of chemistry and enemies-to-lovers goodness, this is for you. Understanding the backstory will make this read stronger, but if you’re a newbie to Guild Hunter, I think you could still fall hard and fast for the core romance here. Just know the bigger machinations of the world and the ongoing arc might throw you a bit.

Sexual content: Sex

While I definitely enjoyed my experience reading this book, there are some issues with pacing and character development in the middle that left me wanting just a bit more.

Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh is the tenth book in Guild Hunter series but the first that I have read. That being said, I absolutely adored this book.



Not being a fan of angels and archangel stories, I was skeptical in diving in this book but once I started, I just couldn't stop!



The cover is average but the blurb is intriguing and traditional Nalini Singh writing. It has all the ingredients of a memorable story. A strong plot, fluid and engaging narrative, the right mix of emotional play and scorching chemistry, headstrong characters and a mystery that keeps the reader on edge throughout the book.



While it is part of a series, Archangel's Viper can be read as a standalone but it is always recommended to read books from a series in order.



4.5 super shiny stars to Archangel's Viper and Njkinny recommends this book to all paranormal romance lovers above the age of eighteen.

I look forward to reading the other books in this series and eagerly await the upcoming one.

I received an ARC from the author and the publisher via Netgalley and I am very thankful to them. The above is my honest and unbiased review.

4 stars!!

Full Review On My Blog

Summery

Jumping back into the Guild Hunters complex fascinating world was a real excitement for me. I was really anticipating getting swept up in the story and thats what somewhat happened. The depth, action and emotion was there in all its glory with multi issues needing to be addressed and while these were great, I found my interest still fluctuated towards the middle and end. I thought all the characters were great filled with definition, conflict and ultimate growth.

I really enjoyed the writing style; it was smooth, detailed and flowed really well. I found the scenes interesting though I wish each of the issues were handled with the same intensity and detail. While the story and plot was center stage and the romance complemented I enjoyed how the couple got together, I enjoyed the banter and slow burn. Would I have liked it more if the romance was more prevalent? yeah, but it was still good. Overall I enjoyed reading Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh and look foreword to reading more in the series.

Holly has had a choice made for her that she never wanted. She has fought to regain a semblance of the life she once had. But the evil that made her isn’t done. Will she survive this latest attack?
Archangel’s Viper by Nalini Singh is the latest in her Guild Hunter series. I adored both Holly and Venom. They are different but alike in so many ways. The banter between them is funny and sarcastic. Even though Venom was so much older than Holly, Ms. Singh somehow manages to make them equal. I loved that Venom both understood and respected Holly. He didn’t see her as a victim and Holly blossomed under that knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the give and take within their relationship. They were friends, of a sort, who became something more, when they weren’t even looking. Venom didn’t even know that he was looking for something more permanent. He just knew that he could help Holly, not only handle how she lost her mortality but also the gifts she gained. I loved that he refused to allow her any more time for pity. He knew she was strong and helped her find her strength. I loved that Holly allowed herself to trust Venom. He wasn’t what she expected but when she looked beneath the surface he was what she needed.
I thoroughly enjoyed my return to this world. I love the loyalty and respect Ms. Singh has built within this world and its characters. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Singh will do next.

Nalini Singh writes my two favorite PNR series. Guild Hunter and Psy-Changeling. But this book was just okay for me. I was looking forward to getting to know more about Venom and Holly and I feel like this book didn't do either of them justice. The plot and romance didn't feel as *epic* to me as some of the previous books in this series and I hold Nalini Singh books to a higher standard than most. I still love this series and I'm sure I will read this book again at some point but not my favorite in the series so far.

This story takes a left turn about three quarters of the way through but it was so entertaining that you don't realize it until you are finished.

I saw several thumbs down for the cover of this book, but to me, it was the perfect Venom. He was always presented as very slick and always very dangerous. He was always stylishly dressed with the dark glasses and the slight smug smile giving off the "just try me" vibe.

Venom was made by Neha, the Archangel of India, also known as the queen of snakes and poison. We learn more about Venom, how and why he was changed and how he was subsequently shunned by his family even though he ageed to be made to save them from their own follies.

Holly is the perfect match for Venom although I did do an eye-roll that like venom, her bite was toxic.  Of course the only two characters with a poisonous bite fall in love.

In case you don't recognize the name, Holly spent part of the series know by the name Sorrow. She is the human from the first story who was tortured and feed blood by Uram, the crazed Archangel.   They still don't know Holly's full potential or what she truly is since she eats rather than drinks blood. She's not a full vampire nor has she become an angel.

She has emerged from the depression which engulfed her after Uram changed her and killed her friends and has also tossed off the name Sorrow.  Holly now works for the Tower and has become sort of a ward of Demitri.  She spends time in the poorer and more run down sections of the city and has many contacts among those living in the shadows which includes many broken vamps after their century in the "care" to some of the more brutal and twisted angels.

My biggest issue with this story was that we were working on a plot of kidnapping for 75% of the story, then we are sent off on archangel business.  Then I realized I am more than 90 percent done and WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE KIDNAPPING?  It gets wrapped up but left me feeling WAIT! WHAT HAPPENED HERE??? at the very end. This kind of screwed with my feelings about the story as a whole. We were investigating. Important things were happening. We had to go handle this other thing. That was interesting too. Then we forgot all about what we spent most of the book being concerned about.   There were a few little dangly story bits since we really didn't get back into the whole kidnapping storyline but like I said, it was all interesting enough that you forgot what you were doing to begin with.

It's like after you clicked on 20 different pop ups on Facebook and then realized, "Hey, wait. I came over here to check my bank balance.  Why I am now reading Unknown facts about Llamas?"

This was a good story and you will race through it.  I really like how Venom and Holly compliment each other.  Holly doesn't fade into the background next to such a vibrant personality like Venom.  It was a good pairing, and I like how Holly had reclaimed her life after years of depression.  I just feel a bit weird about the whole change of storyline at the end.

**This review was supposed to post last June. I have no idea why it showed as scheduled but then they sometimes never post.**

I’ve been curious about Holly since she was attacked by Uram in the first book. It’s been two years since the attack. She went to a really dark place for awhile, but she’s finally coming back to herself. It would be a lot easier if she didn’t have so many strange powers inside her. Powers that are still growing and changing. No one understands what she went through with Uram. But Venom, for all that he annoys the crap out of her, understands her in a way no one else does.

For 400 years Venom has been alone..until Holly. She’s still a baby and not meant for him, but he can’t deny it’s..nice..having someone who gets him. When a contract is taken out on Holly’s life, they must work together to solve the mystery of who wants her dead..while also dealing with Holly’s erratic and growing power.

Venom has never been a favorite for me. I didn’t dislike him in previous books, but I didn’t care about him as I’ve grown to care about many of the other members of Raphael’s Seven. I have to admit, I’m totally a fan now. He still isn’t my favorite of the Seven, but I really enjoyed getting to know him.

Venom’s relationship with Holly was complicated and built up slowly over the course of the novel. I can see where this may frustrate some long-time readers of the series, but I personally thought it worked well in the context of the story. It wouldn’t have been believable if they’d just fallen into a permanent relationship with one another, especially since there was such a huge imbalance of power in the beginning.

Some loose threads from early novels are tied up here. Questions about Uram’s relationship with Michaela were answered, and we found out more about Venom and Holly. There was a lot happening here, but it flowed well and I was fully immersed in the action and their journey. Holly’s growth over the course of the novel, as well as her developing friend/relationship with Venom especially worked for me.

Another killer installment in a kickass series.

4.25 out of 5

I'm surprised.
No, scratch that, I'm shocked.
That I didn't love this book.


'It wasn't the safest way to drive, but Holly was very careful not to put anyone else in danger. Only herself. Yes, she needed therapy.'

Archangel's Viper is the 10th book in the NA/Adult paranormal series by Nalini Sigh Guild Hunter.

I read the first book - Angels' Blood - in February 2015 (thanks for keeping track on me, Goodreads!) and fell in love with the characters and that world.

Because if you think paranormal can't surprise you anymore, if you think you've seen in all, if you think there's no way a story about angels and vampires can be any less that cliche... well, just read Guild Hunter and prove it wrong. Because trust me, this series is intense, dark, gritty, filled with monsters, romance, and a fantastically well-developed cast of characters.

I also highly recommend it for any of you out there who read and loved the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.
As I recently read - and absolutely loved - the series myself, I can honestly say that if you're a fan of Guild Hunter or a fan of ACOTAR, there's a very high chance you'll love the other one as well (:

My only warning is that this book does contain explicit scenes of violence, language, and sexual content (to the extent ACOTAR does, I would say). It does not overtake the whole book but it is there.
I won't consider it an erotica book. It is very much paranormal romance fantasy. But this is just my take on the story.

Last year I was lucky enough to receive the 9th book through NetGalley (review here), and this year I was lucky enough again to receive the 10th book in this favorite series of mine.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.
By which I mean, I didn't end up loving it.
Which is why I'm surprised-shocked, since the two characters the story is about are ones I've been dying to read about for a long time now.

What could have been an amazing story of chemistry and romance with kickass vampire battle scenes, quickly turned out to be... not. Not even close.


"It's been said that once you go Venom, you never go back."

The two characters started off as "hating" each other (even while it was pretty obvious they were somewhat attracted to each other). "Hate-to-love" relationships are one of my faves - I just love seeing them go from enemies to friends to something more to love.

In this case, however, it was something more like this: enemies - enemies with benefits -
You get the idea. It was done so rashly and weirdly and unexpectedly I had no idea what to think.

You can't tell me they hate each other and they don't know anything about each other for 60% of the book and only then start to get them physically and romantically involved.
Hello? Where is the progress here? How can I feel for them if I haven't even seen them do something remotely progressive in their "relationship".


'Her mind flashed to that... thing with Vanom last night, when she'd gone full weirdo crazy on him - and he laughed. Because he was nuts, too.'

There was no chemistry - which is insane because you could practically FEEL the chemistry crackling in the air around them every time we saw them in all the other books. But when it comes to their book? We are repeatedly told about how explosive those two are together. I don't want to be told that, I want to feel it.

Romance aside (although this is a romance story more than anything else), the overall plot of the story felt somewhat boring.

I feel bad for butchering this book. I really did desperately want to love it.
And I'm not yet done with the Guild Hunter series. I plan to keep on reading the next books to come. So yes, the last two books weren't all that great. But hey, it happens, especially in a large series like this one.
Looking forward to the next one.

I absolutely loved the plot and storyline of ARCHANGEL'S VIPER. I really enjoyed seeing how the Uram issue played out as we've had those threads dangling for many books now. I have to admit the outcome was a bit of a surprise, not a bad one, but interesting all the same. And Holly? I really love her character, mini claws, vulnerability, and sheer will of determination combined. Uram sure did a number on her and as you can guess the outcome with him fully involved Holly, and I really enjoyed this progression. So plot-wise, this one was stellar.

Now onto the romance. Unfortunately this area was not one of the book's strong suits due to an undeveloped feel in the romance aspects. There's plenty of wit, banter, and overall antagonism between the two that left me laughing more often than not at their antics. And yet, they never really had a sexual tension feel. Venom and Holly could have just as easily been best friends rather than lovers by the end. I just feel like things were written tamer taking Holly's past into consideration, but it just went too tame in my opinion. I just needed something more of a build up to be invested in their romance at the end and unfortunately I just didn't get it.

Romance aside and getting back to the characters, as I said I loved seeing Holly's progression in this book. But the show stealer was Venom, much to my surprise. I have to admit he's never been my favorite of the seven, more of an antagonist to Elena. But we get to see a whole new side of him in this book, and I really loved the added depth to his character. There are reasons he is the way that he is, and it was enjoyable to see his layers get peeled back.

All in all, romance woes aside, ARCHANGEL'S VIPER was a very enjoyable installment in the fabulous Guild Hunter series!

This is yet another rock-solid entry in Singh's Guild Hunter series; at this point it's pretty much safe to say that if you like GH series, you'll like its newest edition.

Holly and Viper tick all the Singh boxes: Holly is seriously damaged, fragile, yet prickly-strong and stubborn. Viper goads her into feeling and reacting, and their relationship seems like it could never work, but of course they're perfect for each other. Singh also manages to weave a plot full of intrigue, gore and suspense. It's pretty much all here, so definitely don't miss this addition to her growing library of kick-ass fantasy fiction. No one world-builds like her, so be prepared to not be ready to leave at the end of the story.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Archangel's Viper is full of strong characters that are well defined and engaging plots weaving together angels, vampires, hunters and humans. It's a fascinating world to read about and the author does an amazing job world building. I'm not sure if it would work well as a stand alone because I've read the other books in the series. So I was looking forward to the romance of the heroine and hero in this one. Theres lots of action and a slowburn love affair and it was a great love story for these two characters. I hope Ms. Singh continues writing more books in the Guild Hunter series.