Max was enslaved by a witch and turned into a supernatural
warrior, but she always does her job. This becomes more
complicated when wild magic turns their homeland, Horngate,
by making fairy tales real and leaving danger lurking around
every corner. With winter coming, resources are harder to
find, but the people look to Benjamin Sterling, leader of
the Earth's Last Stand cult, to help. Only his power isn't
pure. There is darkness behind him. Sterling greedily eyes
Horngate, and Max knowingly walks straight into his trap. It
leaves her risking everything, including her love,
Alexander, in order to save their world.
Action and tension are steady and emotions are high in the
fourth and last installment in the Horngate Witches
series.
The Shadowblades are a unique take on witches, and Ms.
Francis' writing displays the intensity and creativity
needed to pull off this breath-taking series. Her ability to
riff on religious themes without them being overly
pretentious is an ambitious move, but one she completes with
no problem. She successfully blends the religious tones with
her fictional world in a smooth and effortless way. This
series is elaborate but not complicated, and the characters
are real and relatable. Read BLOOD WINTER, and the entire
series, to discover a new, fresh, fantastically created
world and you'll also get an amalgamation of action along
with a bit of romance.
Set in apocalyptic America and featuring a magically enslaved heroine who is “a riveting mixture of guts, compassion, and furious anger as she struggles with a world coming apart at the seams” (Romantic Times), the fourth in a dynamic dark urban fantasy series unlike anything you’ve ever read before. Winter is coming to Montana and Shadowblade warrior Max is expecting trouble. People are hoarding everything. They are banding together, many flocking to the congregation of Sterling Savage, a fire-and- brimstone preacher. A charismatic cult leader who claims to be the Hand of God, he’s determined to create a human utopia and destroy all magic, starting with witches. Unbeknownst to him, the “divine” voice he’s been hearing isn’t God but a demon that feeds on hate, death, and destruction. Savage is the perfect puppet for the demon’s ambitions. Max and her people at Horngate are all that stand in its way, and they are woefully unprepared. Conducting terrible, bloody ceremonies to boost his own power and that of the demon riding him, Savage starts a war between his congregants and two other powerful gangs in the city, fighting for food, fuel, clothing and territory. When he manages to capture Max’s niece, brother, and several teenagers from Horngate, Max tries to free them but finds that Savage has twisted their minds. They worship him—even her brother, who is a witch and whom Savage intends to burn at the stake. Going undercover in the cult compound, Max swiftly realizes just how seductive Savage is. His charisma is reinforced with magic. His followers adore him and will do anything for him. Anything. But courage, loyalty, and friendship are powerful forces—and Max doesn’t like to lose.