Full review to be published online in late September.

ARCHANGEL'S VIPER is the story of Venom, another one of Raphael's 'Seven'; the trusted and loyal group of guards and advisors who have been with him from his early days. The reader met both Venom and Holly early on in the series, but bit s whole lot is known about either. Needless to say, you can imagine the excitement when the reader finds that they were actually going to be a couple in this one. Venom protects Holly from the danger stalking her, and Holly is just beginning to awaken to her powers.

There was a lot of fun banter and interaction between Venom and Holly; but there was little romance or a general sense of romantic connection for a vast majority of the book. When finally happens, it sadly feels too sudden, like it was there because it was time to wrap the book up.

ARCHANGEL'S VIPER is the tenth book in Nalini Singh's always enjoyable and highly popular "Guild Hunter" series. The book moves along well, especially as far as the overarching plot in relation to Uram; and the writing is excellent as always. Just don't expect too much in the way of a true love story. Highly recommended for the fans of the series.

4.5 Hearts, SJ, Romance Junkies

In Nalini Singh's tenth book in her thrilling Guild Hunter series, ARCHANGEL'S VIPER, readers finally get Venom's story. The vampire has been a steady presence in her previous books, an oddity even among his kind, but his history has never been explored. And Holly Chang, a human turned into something else after being attacked by a crazed archangel, has finally come into her own. We learn what has happened to her since the incident that altered her life, and how she and Venom will come together to deal with the danger threatening her.

Though the characters in this novel have been introduced in previous books, and this is a wonderful continuation of the series, Singh also did a terrific job of making it a stand-alone title. I will say the experience is richer if you start from the beginning, with ANGEL'S BLOOD.

Holly Chang called herself Sorrow after the life-changing ordeal she went through years ago, when she was brutally attacked by an archangel in bloodlust, one who turned her into something not vampire, but something else. But no one is quite sure just what that is. Holly has begun evolving into something monstrous, and she's afraid of the repercussions if she tells anyone. But there's something ugly and vicious inside her wanting to be free.

Venom is a vampire with snakelike qualities. He was changed by Neha, the queen of serpents and poisons, and she's never made another being like him, no matter how hard she's tried. Venom's more snakelike than vampiric, with slit eyes and an ability to move with serpentine quickness. But that otherness inside him complements the otherness inside Holly. He understands her as others cannot, and he feels more than annoyance when dealing with her. His responsibility to oversee her care, to protect her, slowly turns into an affection that deepens to love.

But someone's put a bounty on Holly's head. And with the danger facing her from kidnappers as well as a threat they'd thought long gone, they might not have a future to look forward to at all.

The journey Holly and Venom take is a wonderful one. They gradually turn from combatants to sniping comrades to lovers, and the pace they take to get there flows naturally. Strength, compassion, humor, and the ability to overcome deep pain are characteristics both protagonists share. It makes them characters to root for, who feel real, despite the obvious paranormal nature of them both.

Fast, thrilling, and sexy, ARCHANGEL'S VIPER is an exciting addition to the GUILD HUNTER series and a book not to be missed. A must for paranormal romance fans.

It isn't a secret how much I adore Elena Deveraux. She is one of the main reasons why I keep coming back for more. Her strong, independent and fearless female character is one of the biggest draws for me. That, paired with the perfect Archangel, I couldn't possibly ask for more.

Unfortunately, however, she isn't in this book and Raphael barely makes an appearance. Did this prevent me from enjoying this book? NOT at all. If anything, it was great to be introduced to someone new. Holly. Originally named Sorrow but perhaps we should now call her JOY.

If you don't remember her... Holly was the one known survivor from Uram's attack way back in Book 1: Archangel's Blood. That seemed so long ago right? But for me, she was unforgettable. As the series went on, I thought about her. Always wanting to know more.

I expected a member of the Cadre delivering a swift execution considering the unstable threat she could potentially become. But nope, she wasn't even close. With the help of the seven Holly is successfully honing her new-found abilities. Sounds familiar right? She is going through exactly what Elena went through and this is why I appreciated her just as much.

She is a survivor - adapting and transforming into something completely new. The negative thing about it is she is a rarity - one that someone is obsessively wanting to exploit. This is completely unacceptable since she is under the Tower's protection.

Venom steps right in to offer his much-needed guidance and protection. And at first, I couldn't predict where this was going. I thought Viper was way out of Holly's league but oh how Nalini Singh proved me wrong! It took them awhile but that slow burn was well worth it.

A downside (perhaps for some) is that the romance part might have been lacking compared to the other books but Nalini made up for it with those "OMG, did that just happen?" moments. Ten books plus later and this author still continues to surprise me. Nalini's creativity literally has no bounds!

Are you intrigued yet? Satisfy your curiosity with this amazing series. One click each one of these books and you will experience such remarkable and masterful storytelling.

I had really high hopes for Venom and Holly.

We met both of these characters very early on in the series and I just knew both of their individual books would be epic.

Needless to say, you can imagine my excitement when I saw that they were actually going to be a couple in this one...

Well.

I don't know if it's a result of too high expectations or - ahem - the fact that a lot of the story felt like an Alien/Body Snatchers horror hybrid mystery...

...but something was just lacking a bit here for me.

And I think that missing piece was the ROMANCE.

There was a lot of fun banter and interaction between Venom and Holly, but there was very little romance - and I don't just mean sex here, I mean just a general sense of romantic connection, sexual tension, just plain INTEREST in each other - for a vast majority of the book.

And when it did finally happen, it felt too late and sudden in the story for me, sadly.

Regardless, I enjoyed this book well enough as far as the overarching plot in relation to Uram, and Holly and I think fans of the series will enjoy it also...so long as they don't expect too much in the love connection department.

I am a Nalini super fan. She's been an auto buy for me, no matter the series, no matter the genre for years. Id been looking forward to Viper's book forever! Holly did not disappoint, however the steam in this book was barely registering. It felt more urban fiction than paranormal romance and that did disappoint me a bit.

Plot, writing- superb. I'd give it a B+!

Another Fantastic installment to the Guild Hunters series. Another of the Seven got his happily ever after. Loved Holly and Venom's relationship. The journey from adversarial to loving was fun to read. And it's always great to learn the backstory of a character you've "known" for so many books. Can't wait to see what happens next!