Angels' Blood, by Nalini Singh
I can't in all honesty call this a good book. It is, however, an incredibly entertaining one, infused with the Page-Turn Spell also notable in early Laurell Hamilton and Janet Evanovich. It's also supremely cracktastic and shamelessly wish-fullfilling, though unfortunately some of Singh's wish-fulfillment is my squick. But so it goes.
In a modern world much like ours except that not very nice angels have divided up and rule the world, and angels create vampires, white-haired and gold-skinned part-Moroccan (other parts unknown) Elena is a not-quite-human vampire hunter. When an angel creates a vampire, the vamp gets immortality but must be the angel's slave for a hundred years. If the vamps cut and run, Elena retrieves them.
But then Elena is hired by the alpha bastard to end all alpha bastards, gorgeously sexy archangel Raphael, to capture an archangel-vampire. Singh calls this creature a bloodborn, but I prefer anpire. Raphael threatens Elena, threatens Elena's best friend's infant daughter, mentally overrides her will, and generally is an overpowered asshole. But Elena, who is so tough herself that she scares most men, feels delightfully feminine in the presence of a man who is stronger than her. BAAAAAAAAAAAAARF.
I detested the equation of abuse and coercion with masculinity, and being weaker than men with femininity. I also detested Raphael. My single favorite moment of Elena-Raphael interaction was when she shot him in the wing.
The multiracial cast of supporting characters is fun, and I would have liked to spend more time with them. I also liked the crazily lush worldbuilding and the all-out idtasticness of it all. The angels' wings and everyone's eye colors and hair colors are described in the sort of detail I would have loved when I was tewlve, and kind of still do in certain moods. Angels exude glittering angel dust, which tastes great and gives you an orgasm when you eat it. It also explodes all over when angels orgasm, I kid you not!
Totally ridiculous and has some of the most politically objectionable gender dynamics I've come across in a while, and yet I would happily read more. What can I say? I'm still laughing at the fact that angels make vampires.
View on Amazon: Angels' Blood
In a modern world much like ours except that not very nice angels have divided up and rule the world, and angels create vampires, white-haired and gold-skinned part-Moroccan (other parts unknown) Elena is a not-quite-human vampire hunter. When an angel creates a vampire, the vamp gets immortality but must be the angel's slave for a hundred years. If the vamps cut and run, Elena retrieves them.
But then Elena is hired by the alpha bastard to end all alpha bastards, gorgeously sexy archangel Raphael, to capture an archangel-vampire. Singh calls this creature a bloodborn, but I prefer anpire. Raphael threatens Elena, threatens Elena's best friend's infant daughter, mentally overrides her will, and generally is an overpowered asshole. But Elena, who is so tough herself that she scares most men, feels delightfully feminine in the presence of a man who is stronger than her. BAAAAAAAAAAAAARF.
I detested the equation of abuse and coercion with masculinity, and being weaker than men with femininity. I also detested Raphael. My single favorite moment of Elena-Raphael interaction was when she shot him in the wing.
The multiracial cast of supporting characters is fun, and I would have liked to spend more time with them. I also liked the crazily lush worldbuilding and the all-out idtasticness of it all. The angels' wings and everyone's eye colors and hair colors are described in the sort of detail I would have loved when I was tewlve, and kind of still do in certain moods. Angels exude glittering angel dust, which tastes great and gives you an orgasm when you eat it. It also explodes all over when angels orgasm, I kid you not!
Totally ridiculous and has some of the most politically objectionable gender dynamics I've come across in a while, and yet I would happily read more. What can I say? I'm still laughing at the fact that angels make vampires.
View on Amazon: Angels' Blood