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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!
ETA: The angel dust comes from the wings. Though it's not clear whether or not it comes exclusively from the wings. Normally I'm not big on cum descriptions (or on the word "cum") but in this one and very special case, I was very disappointed at the lack of one. I also, again very uncharacteristically, was sad at the lack of detailed description og Raphael's genitalia (except for his wings, which seemed to be some sort of secondary sex characteristic.)
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.
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!
ETA: The angel dust comes from the wings. Though it's not clear whether or not it comes exclusively from the wings. Normally I'm not big on cum descriptions (or on the word "cum") but in this one and very special case, I was very disappointed at the lack of one. I also, again very uncharacteristically, was sad at the lack of detailed description og Raphael's genitalia (except for his wings, which seemed to be some sort of secondary sex characteristic.)
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.
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ME TOO!
Also, that whole episode with him going cold makes no sense, and you can totally tell Singh puts it in specifically so that he can go threaten Elena and not be blamed for it.
I think the Psy-Changeling series has better gender politics because the focus is on the Changelings (usually the heroes) being more emotional than the heroines. But the Angel Blood series has such cracktastic worldbuilding! And angel dust! And jewel-toned wings and matching eyes or something!
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I am going to keep an angel in the basement with a vibrator and a bucket of whatever angels eat.
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While the whole overbearing man who makes the strong heroine feel like a natural woman thing really sets me off, I do admit that it sounds like it might be for the lulz that angels create vampires. I think that's a pretty unique premise.
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My favorite part was when she shot him! When Venom and Dmitri get their own inevitable books, I hope their heroines shoot them, too!
(I do think, though, that, the barftastic "he makes me feel feminine!" stuff aside, Elena was tougher than your average UF heroine, and less caught up in wanting to have sex with the Sexy Other. If only because she was trying to get him to stop invading her head.)
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