This was another heart-warming and heart-wrenching romance by Nalini Singh. This one stars Jason who is one of Raphael's seven and who is his spymaster. When Archangel Neha's consort is murdered, Jason goes to her court to try to find out who killed him. There he gets to know Mahiya who is the daughter of Neha's sister and her consort. That makes Mahiya a constant reminder of Neha's consort's infidelity and her betrayal by her sister. Mahiya has learned to keep a smooth face and a low key presence as she struggles to find a way to escape Neha's court. Mahiya has grown up believing that Neha killed her sister after Mahiya's birth.Together Mahiya and Jason try to solve the murder of the consort and the subsequent murders of others in Neha's court while gradually getting to know each other. Jason quickly comes to like Mahiya's hidden strength and intelligence and her optimism even in the face of her troubles. Mahiya also comes to love Jason because he treats her with respect and courtesy. Jason's troubled past - which we see in a variety of flashbacks - has convinced him that he is lacking something that would allow him to connect with other people. He doesn't feel that he will ever be able to love or even understand love. But Mahiya isn't giving up on him. She is determined to love him whether or not he is ever able to love her back. This story also adds to the story arc by featuring some of the strange new powers that some angels and archangels are developing. Neha has developed some very frightening new powers. It also talks about a cascade of power that may cause widespread devastation. This story was a wonderful romance between two strong but damaged characters. I was rooting for them to find a happy ending since the very beginning of the book. I really liked getting to know more about Jason in this story too.This is a must-read episode for all fans of the Guild Hunters series and would also work for those who are new to the series. The intriguing hints about other characters and romances will encourage readers to seek out the other books in the series too.
