Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Review: Crimson Wind by Diana Pharaoh Francis

 

Crimson Wind is the second book in the Horngate Witches series by Diana Pharaoh Francis and an Urban Fantasy from Pocket Books.

Book Blurb:

There are Good guys.  There are Bad guys.  And then there’s 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 Shadowblade - a deadly warrior compelled to fight for Giselle.  But there’s more at stake now than Max’s 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 what’s left of Horngate, their coven’s home. 

Max would do anything for Horngate - even 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 is - and where her loyalties lie...

My thoughts:

Max and her coven are still rebuilding from the battle waged a month ago over Horngate - at that time Max needed the help of a creature made of Divine magic - a creature that can take the shape of a man - but is not nearly human.  Max calls him Scooter.

Now Scooter wants to collect on the debt owed him by Giselle for his help - and he wants Max.

The Guardians have decided that humanity no longer deserves to be at the top of the food chain on Earth - so they have unleashed wild magic from thirty or so portals around the world.  Wild magic does not have a set form - which means that it can take on any form it chooses - light and airy or dark and scary.  Either choice will have humans running for cover.

Max is concerned about the mortal family she left behind thirty years ago.  She wants to get them and bring them to Horngate where they can be protected - but the journey is anything but smooth.

When Max finally gets to her family she realizes that she is not the only one who has kept secrets all these years.  Her family has secrets of their own - and Giselle, well she just put another nail in her coffin as far as Max is concerned. 

I love this series. 

Max has a one track mind - do what needs to be done, no matter who or what is standing in her way.  She is tough and no nonsense - but has a wicked sense of humor.

Crimson Wind is action packed, full of interesting characters and unexpected twists and turns - a wild ride.

I give Crimson Wind 5 out of 5 stars.

2 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

Love this series....oh dang, now I have to march on over to good reads and put this book on my interesting list :)

Michelle Greathouse said...

B,

I love it too. :)

What would we do without GoodReads? It helps keep us organized. LOL

M