Diana Pharaoh Francis is one of those authors who I enjoy but don't read as much of as I would like. I really enjoyed Path of Fate, the first book in the Path trilogy, and The Cipher, the first book in the Crosspointe series, but I never managed to get past the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed them but never got around to acquiring the next book in the series. Now, she's come out with a third series: the Horngate Witches books. Bitter Night is the first one.

The protagonist of this book is Max, a woman transformed into a weapon by a witch named Giselle. As her Shadowblade Prime - a warrior tied to the shadows - Max must defend Giselle and Horngate, her home territory, even though she only wants revenge. Her revenge has to go on hold, though, when the ancient Guardians start to unleash mass destruction on earth, and expect the witches to help them. Max finds herself in an extremely awkward situation, forced to defend a woman she hates and irresistibly drawn to an enemy. Makes for a great read.

I flew through Bitter Night in one evening. I'd intended to start it before bed and ended up reading it into the wee hours of the morning. Max is a really engaging character and you really root for her. Giselle has a lot of depth - she isn't just an evil witch wanting to enslave people to do her bidding - and this makes their conflict really interesting. Francis has created an interesting world and the mythology of the series is neat. There are shades of the familiar but also a neat social construct. By the end of the novel, you're really immersed in everything and it's fantastic. There are a lot of neat little twists and turns throughout the story, and a lot of questions that arise as a result of the action, which makes me really excited for book #2. I can't wait to find out what awaits Max and company in the next installment.

Originally published at http://ireadgood.wordpress.com ( )

Max a Shadowblade Prime lives for one reason, to kill Giselle the witch that made her a shadowblade. For thirty years Max has fought Giselle every step of the way or as far as her magical compulsions (spells etched into her very bones by soul madding torture) will let her. The Guardians have decided to wipe out humanity and restore magic to the world, they need the witches to be their generals on the front lines, but if this happens they will be little more than puppets, so Giselle needs Max to stop fighting her and help save their home Horngate. Max will find that there is more to live for than her need for revenge.

This was a well written and riveting book, I could not put it down, I hope that there are many more to read. ( )

Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis

A young woman is given extraordinary powers by her friend, a witch. In exchange for these powers she must serve the witch for eternity. Her struggle with her identity and her ethics while immersed in a violence prone culture defines the story. A war among immortals plays second chair to Max’s search for self.

Frankly when I requested this book for review I did it with skepticism. I wasn’t sure it was my cup of java. Once again I am glad I pushed aside my cynical bent and tried someone new. I am now a fan. I truly enjoyed the emotional interplay between the characters. Francis imbues realism into her fantasy world. Max’s self destructive urges are sublimated by her loyalty to those dependent on her strength. Honor and loyalty are sure fire captivators of my literary interest and Francis illustrates them quite graphically. I will do my best to follow up on this review by reviewing the next in the series. There is plenty of action and good solid character development. I heartily enjoyed the book.

I recommend the book. ( )

The first book of the "Horngate Witches" series, Bitter Night is full of bloody, gruesome, and high flying adventure. I can almost say, this isn't for those with weak constitutions. Some of the injuries Shadowblades and Sunspears endure are pretty gruesome and the author is very sadistic.. in a good way! LOL. For the first book right out the gate of this series, I have to say, not bad. Not bad at all. I definitely wouldn't say fantastic or anything but not bad. There were a few nuances with the changing in viewpoints I thought was odd and there was some inconsistency with the shifting of the viewpoint that caused me to backtrack a little bit to reconfirm who's view it was. Sometimes first books in a new series can be slow with attempting to build the characters, the scenery, back stories and so forth, Bitter Night definitely didn't lull. I could easily have read this in half the time it took me if I didn't have to eat, take a shower, feed the kid, shower her, put her on the potty, ya know.. all those responsibilities and believe me, breaking away was hard for me to do.

I really like Max's character. I felt we didn't get enough of the other Sunspears and Shadowblades to decide if I liked them or not. Akemi, Oz and Niko seemed cool. I am on the fence about Alexander, he was borderline weak and kind of grated my nerves. I don't see he and Max in a romantic relationship. I can't wait to find out what's next with the Horngate, the witches, the angels, and the war..

Sooo.. Diana Pharoah Francis, when's book two coming out? :D ( )

Wow It obviously has been awhile since I visited this kind of book. I had forgotten just how much I enjoyed reading them. This book was simply fantastic!! It was fast paced, lots of action, battles, and a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

The main character, Max, was so easy to like. She's tough, independent, bull headed, with an underlying of softness you just want to see emerge from her. She's a Shadowblade of a powerful witch in which she loves/hates. She is at constant battle with her feelings towards Giselle. I really enjoyed that aspect. It gave the book a sense of realism.

I got to say in this book a Shadowblade has to eat to heal, maintain strength, etc. and I don't mean make sure you don't miss meals eating. I'm talking eating whatever you want, whenever you want and tons of it!! I was drooling for all the scrumptious food I was reading about throughout the book. Imagine being able to eat like that!

Okay I got off topic back to the review. In short this book was a great read and I can't wait to read the next in the series to see what happens next. It was that good!

I received this book from Pocketbooks for a blog tour. ( )

Summary: Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom…and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle’s personal magic weapon — a Shadowblade — and she’s lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before….

The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances — including one with a rival witch’s Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him — and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right — if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is….

I have lately had an issue with getting into books, it's a weird and inconvenient problem in the book blogging hobby. I started reading this book after dinner last night and continued reading to about 2am today. It was amazing, it was a bit slow to start and there was a part of the plot that I was a bit lost on but everything else was amazing. The dialogue was witty, funny, and full of a few fun pop-culture references. I love the strength of Max's character and the tension between her and Alexander. I love the angels, witches, faerie folk, creatures, spells, magic, etc. I loved it all. There was so much action going on in this book, it is non-stop the whole way through, no joke, there is like 2 pages in the whole book that something is not going on. It was a complete thrill ride, one I will gladly take again when the next book is released, and I can hardly wait to see whats up with Scooter.

For more information or for purchasing visit Ms.Francis's webpage.

Also posted: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/2... ( )

Review Courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Like my favorite urban fantasy author Patricia Briggs (who just happened to have blurbed for this book), Diana Pharaoh Francis has a background as an established fantasy writer, and that background is certainly evident in Bitter Night.

“Max’s phone rang. It was set to a high-pitched tone that most humans couldn’t hear. But being human hadn’t been Max’s problem since 1979.” –Bitter Night

First up, the good: Diana’s fantasy background was a strength that she fully utilized in created the world of the Horngate Witches. Witches hold amazing power in Bitter Night. Shadowblades and Sunspears are human servants magically enhanced with superhuman abilities and senses. They are not that dissimilar from vampires: they can heal from most wounds, never grow old, and the sun (or moon depending on whether they are Sunspears or Shadowblades) is deadly to them. They even struggle with enlarged appetites (try 40 Big Macs at once).

Max (she adopted the name from the Mel Gibson character in The Road Warrior movies, though I think she is much more like Riggs from Lethal Weapon) is the Prime Shadowblade for the witch Giselle. Enslaved by the witch that made her, compelled to lay down her very life if necessary in order to keep Giselle safe, Max is not the grateful servant she’s expected to be. Rather she is consumed with one thought: Revenge. It is the one hope that keeps her from walking out in to the sunlight that would kill her. When forces greater than even the witches threaten everything that Max has come to care about, she must learn to ally with her enemy and accept the role she must play as savior.

The cover art is what first attracted me to this book. And I love that Max is actually described like the cover depicts her. She even wears the cover outfit during a pivotal scene in the book. In that scene Max is forced into a test of endurance against another witch’s Prime Shadowblade, Alexander (who I think deserved a spot on the cover as a significant number of chapters are written from his point of view).

The not-so good: Diana’s fantasy background is both her strength and her weakness. The fantasy Horngate world is well realized with its own unique mythology (especially her take on Angels), the urban elements, however, are less so. There is very little interaction with the modern (outside) world, and while the characters all have cell phones and drive cars etc., apart from those details, this story could easily have been set a millennium ago with minor changes. I’m not sure if those small additions will be enough for hardcore urban fantasy lovers.

I’ll also admit that it took me until about the midpoint to really get into this book. Max is a hard character and the circumstances of her life have made her very bitter (hence the title). At first, I struggled to see past that aspect of her. I understood her to a degree, I just didn’t especially like her. That changed when she risked her life for Alexander not knowing if he would turn around and kill her later. Her loyalty to the Shadowblades in her command was also a contributing factor. She consistently put their welfare over her own need for revenge. It's hard not to admire that kind of selflessness.

I never really did warm up to Alexander. He didn’t seem strong enough to be a realistic romantic lead for Max (the Angel on the other hand...). Nor did I ever believe the conflicting desire they supposedly felt for each other went beyond plain lust. Overall, I found his chapters to be the weakest in the book.

Bitter Night has its bitter moments, but strong world building and a heroine who proves herself by bravery and resourcefulness, even willingness to suffer in the stead of others make it worth reading. There is no cliffhanger ending, but Diana is far from finished with her Horngate Witches…and neither am I.

Sexual Content: Kissing. ( )

Reading the first chapter or two I had my doubts about this book but about 50 pages in and I was hooked. The cast of characters was wonderful and I can't think of a single one I did not like. Even the villains played their roles brilliantly so you can't help but appreciate the way they were developed. Max is a warrior with a chip on her shoulder that you sometimes wonder if she will cut off her nose to spite her face and yet you cannot help but feel sympathy for her role in life. Eventually though you also begin to see Giselle's point of view and why she did what she did. Does that make you like her more as a person? I don't know but at least you can understand her. Giselle and Max have a complex relationship that I can't wait to see how it develops in the next book. As for Alexander, he is your typical hot and sexy guy that Max feels instant chemistry with. He did not grab me as much as Max or some of the other characters in the book but he was still enjoyable.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book for being book 1 in a series. Usually I find the first book in series somewhat boring as there is a lot of set up and character building going on. So I was gladly surprised by this book. The only draw backs for me were a few times where things were just too unbelievable. For someone who was supposed to be a great warrior I was not impressed at some points with Alexander's warrior prowess, I also found it hard to believe at one point that they would linger and take a shower while in an enemy's stronghold, etc. Things like that bugged me but overall a wonderful book. ( )

Max was bound to a witch, someone she previously trusted as her friend, against her will. Max was forced to become the witch's Shadowblade Prime--the witch's elite protector, bound to shadow and poisoned by sunlight. Understandably, Max bears her burden with a surly attitude and much rebellion; however, little does Max know that her world will be utterly changed when she comes across an injured Hag and another witch's Shadowblade Prime. There's a war coming, in which the Guardians of Earth wish to wipe out the human population. The war will force Max to reassess what's important to her, what's worth protecting, and how much she's willing to sacrifice:

Max tensed. Though she already knew the answer, she had to ask, "If I do? What will you give me in return?"

Giselle shook her head. "You want me to say I will free you. When it's all over. But I don't know if it will ever be over, and I won't lie to you and say it will be. I don't think I can ever let you go."

Max's teeth bared in a snarl. "You ask too fucking much. You always have."

Bitter Night is not just another entry into the huge urban fantasy genre. Though it seems a bit like any other as the story begins, before long it becomes apparent that the scope of Bitter Night has much more in store for the reader. Max, the protagonist, has an incredibly refreshing humanity. The reader comes to discover Max's personality more and more as other characters in the story begin to understand Max. Additionally, Max's character seems more emotionally genuine to me than pretty much any other heroine I've read in fantasy. Really, the characters and their interactions are what make this story so top notch. The whole team is so devoted to Max--and Max, in her own way, is more devoted to them than she realizes. These are the ties strong enough to bind them together against all the threats that stand against them.Really, there are too many things I love about this novel and cannot say for fear of giving away too much. I'll have to leave it at: Bitter Night is a must-read. It's Armageddon wrapped up in fantastic characterization, compelling plot, and constant twists.

Mark your calendars for late October, because Bitter Night is one of those books I recommend without reservation. In the tradition of heroines like Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels, Max is ready to take the stage and fight at the end of the world. ( )