Known for her Crosspointe Chronicles and Path of Fate epic high fantasy series, Diana Pharoah Francis brings her talents to a world based on our own; with a few dark twists. In this second of the Horngate Witches series, heroine Max must grow beyond her narrow role as leader of Giselle's Shadowblades and revisit a painful past.
Set soon after the conflicts in Bitter Night, CRIMSON WIND begins with Max fighting desperately against the dreams sent by a dark demigod to whom she has been promised. Before keeping that witch-made vow, she must bring order to the gutted force needed to defend Horngate and carve out time to bring those she left behind decades ago to safety.
The battle fought to save Horngate was successful, but the Guardians (rulers of the magical realms) are moving forward with their goal of eradicating humanity and bringing the chaos of magic back to Earth to run wild again. One of their next sallies will encompass the area of California where Max grew up. Fir 30 years her family has believed her to be dead, now Max must return to save their lives and bring them to Horngate. Her arch-rival Alexander (and the only man who makes her blood boil in all the right ways) will be accompanying her on her mission. As they go out into the world once more, they encounter battles no one could foresee and a painful secret that could cost Max more than she thought she had left to lose.
Francis has a talent for bringing you into the thoughts and feelings of her characters almost immediately. Max is a fascinating heroine with her unswerving allegiance to the woman who destroyed her life and betrayed her trust. Although I have not read the first book in the Horngate Witches series, I had no trouble at all climbing aboard for the ride and caring deeply about the events from the first page onward. I am eager to backtrack and read Bitter Wind and even more eager to read the next one to come.
THERE ARE GOOD GUYS. THERE ARE BAD GUYS. AND THEN THEREβS
MAX.
Max knows what trusting the wrong person can cost you. Her
former friend Giselle, a powerful witch, enslaved Max years
ago, turning her into a Shadowbladeβa deadly warrior
compelled to fight for Giselle. But thereβs more at stake
now than Maxβs thirst for revenge. The Guardians, overseers
of the magical world, have declared war on humanity and on
any witches not standing with them. Max and Giselle have
come to an uneasy truce in order to protect whatβs left of
Horngate, their covenβs home. Max would do anything for
Horngateβeven give herself over to a mysterious
otherworldly creature in the nearby mountains in exchange
for his help. But first, she intends to save the mortal
family she left behind. And Alexander, the Shadowblade
warrior who could be her closest ally or her deadliest
enemy, is going with her.
On a road trip into the unknown, Max and Alexander face
wild magic, desperate enemies, and battles that bruise both
body and soul. But the greatest challenge will come from
unexpected revelations that test everything Max believes
about who she isβand where her loyalties lie. . . .
Max knows what trusting the wrong person can cost you. Her
former friend Giselle, a powerful witch, enslaved Max
years ago, turning her into a Shadowbladeβa deadly warrior
compelled to fight for Giselle. But thereβs more at stake
now than Maxβs thirst for revenge. The Guardians,
overseers of the magical world, have declared war on
humanity and on any witches not standing with them. Max
and Giselle have come to an uneasy truce in order to
protect whatβs left of Horngate, their covenβs home. Max
would do anything for Horngateβeven give herself over to a
mysterious otherworldly creature in the nearby mountains
in exchange for his help. But first, she intends to save
the mortal family she left behind. And Alexander, the
Shadowblade warrior who could be her closest ally or her
deadliest enemy, is going with her.
On a road trip into the unknown, Max and Alexander face
wild magic, desperate enemies, and battles that bruise
both body and soul. But the greatest challenge will come
from unexpected revelations that test everything Max
believes about who she isβand where her loyalties
lie. . . .
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