Crimson Wind (Horngate Witches #2) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Urban Fantasy
December 28, 2010
Paperback
Pocket

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I swear I will fucking kill her this time.”

Bound to a witch who lied, betrayed, and tortured her into becoming the ultimate weapon, Max lives for the day she can finally exact revenge. But revenge will have to wait. Horngate and the world is under the threat of annihilation. The Guardians who control all the magic are tired of humans destroying the world and have decided to wipe the world clean and let magic reestablish itself. Any witches who do not join their cause are considered their enemy. Max will do anything to save Horngate and her family; including honoring a bargain Giselle made offering up Max to a supernatural being in exchange for his help. But first, Max has to find her family and bring them back to Horngate. Giselle sends Alexander with her. As Max and Alexander fight for their lives on the way to Max’s family, Max will learn some things about her past that will test her loyalties and question her future.

First off, let me say that I highly recommend reading Bitter Nights first. These books are not comfortable as a stand alone.

Crimson Wind takes place four weeks after Bitter Nights ended. Max and Giselle have agreed to an uneasy truce in order to rebuild and save Horngate. Alex has still not been asked to join Horngate but he has been given two premonitions that will change things at Horngate. As Max readies to leave Horngate to bring her family back she has to promise Scooter she will join him when she returns. He in return gives her a gift that all but guarantees she will. Giselle commands Alexander to go with her, warning him that his life is forfeit if Max does not return alive.

I’m on the fence with this book. I adore the world that Ms. Francis has created. Dynamically constructed characters combined with a dark and violent storyline captivated me in Bitter Nights.

Ms. Francis has a smooth writing style that fleshes out her characters in a physical manner. You can feel the emotions rising from the pages to engulf you. Realistic dialogue further enhances this.

In Crimson Wind Ms. Francis does a 180 and devotes almost the entire book on explaining and setting up a potential relationship between Max and Alex. We do not get much interaction of the Blades or Giselle. We also don’t much arc advancement. I felt as though Ms. Francis jumps the line and gives us a PNR storyline. It created a choppy storyline that dragged at times. It left me with many unanswered questions from Bitter Nights.

In here we divulge more into Max’s and Alex’s psyches and we hear both POV’s creating a better understanding to what they are felling about each other and themselves. Max is a fierce, loyal, courageous woman with a vulnerable streak. Her steel tempered by betrayal and hate-Giselle’s betrayal hurt her far more then she lets on. Max will sacrifice herself over and over to protect those she feels are in need. Friend or foe-it doesn’t matter.

Alex is the male version of Max, but not as vulnerable. He willingly to became a Shadowblade so the fine edge of martyrdom isn’t apparent in him as it is in Max. Alex wants Max with a consuming passion but also wants the loyalty she inspires from her blades. He needs to be part of something and so far Max and Giselle are blocking him.

Once Max and Alex get to Max’s family Max receives some information from her family that shocks her and further deepens the anger and betrayal she feels. We are only given a short time bonding with them and then we have to fight our way back to Horngate. I wish less time had been spent on the road trip and more time spent with Max’s family after they arrived back at Horngate. I really wanted to see how Max’s family deals Giselle.

The ending is a shocking climatic cliffhanger that had my jaw hitting the floor. I honestly slamming down the book and fumed. lol All in all Ms. Francis gives us an action packed and emotionally turbulent story that showcases what a clever and talented writer she is. But I can’t help but feel that this particular storyline would have been better served as perhaps the 3rd or 4th book in the series.

Rating: C

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