Mimi's Reviews > Archangel's Blade

There was a good reason for my abandoning this book a couple of years ago: too much pain and suffering, which isn't exactly what I have issue with. It's the way these things are written about that bothers me. You can't slip in sexy times or eye-sexing in between episodes of PTSD, or while on a hunt for a depraved killer, and expect me to take the story seriously. Bad timing is incredibly bad here.

So many issues, but where to begin. I have to emphasize one thing right away though. This book is not representative of the previous three, which were good. They have their own issues, but they're good (for PNR). This one though... There's something about it that's quite disjointed. It was not so much content but the pacing that did it for me. I kept getting pulled out of the story every few pages. It was to either roll my eyes or facepalm because of all the inappropriately timed sexing going on. Like seriously, is that all these characters think about? Even while chasing a bloodthirsty psychopath?

There were things that bothered me about this series as a whole, but the world building and mythology were interesting enough that they overshadowed them. This book, though again, I don't know. It feels to me like Nalini Singh took all the problems of the previous books and ramped them up, but she neglected to bring back the things that made the previous books memorable. So all that's left is pain and misery... and a lot of--angsty?--sex*.

As interesting as the world and mythology and angels are**, I cannot put up with Singh's oversexed writing style anymore. It's just so over the top and takes itself too seriously. It's ridiculous and quite comical how dramatic everything is. Doesn't help that the main characters keep stripping each other with their eyes. *facepalm* These two really know how to ruin a moment... and a whole book.

A big thanks to Milda for reading this book with me because otherwise I would have abandoned it for the second time.


* There isn't really that much literal sex. It just feels like there is because Dmitri and Honor keep thinking about it.

** They really are--so much so that I wish another author had written this series

The more I think about it, the more I think this series could be amazing in Max Gladstone's hands.