Bitter Night

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 show more 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. show less

I turned the last page of BITTER NIGHT impatient for the next book to come out...despite the fact that I had a number of issues with it. Topping the list would be the fact that the heroine, Max, actually dies three times in the book - her body is destroyed, her soul reduced to shreds - and yet she somehow keeps on ticking. I'm not even going to count the number of times she almost dies, from blood loss or grave wounds, but it's a lot. The woman is apparently indestructible.

Actually, Max would be a raging Mary Sue if it weren't for the fact that there are plenty of other, even more powerful characters peopling the novel. If Max's physical endurance is remarkable...well, she's just the #1 slave. The witches are much, much more powerful show more than she is. The angels are much, much more powerful than the witches. And the angels are just slaves to someone even higher up on the totem pole.

Max begins the book as a loner whose only purpose in life is revenge. She ends it as a woman who is dedicated to a cause, strongly connected to the people around her. In the early chapters of the book, Francis executes this transformation a little awkwardly. Max isn't that revenge-driven loner anymore...but she's not yet something else, either. It seemed like Max was having a hard time accepting that she'd changed. But sometimes, as a reader, I felt like Francis just wasn't certain enough about her characterization, and was trying to have it both ways. In any case, once Max accepts her new priorities, she continues to develop realistically and becomes a very interesting person.

In the first chapters of BITTER NIGHT, Max finds herself in possession of a hailstone - an item that will grant her a wish, any wish at all. Her first impulse is to wish for her own freedom - but as she realizes that there is some pretty major trouble on the horizon, Max begins to think about how she could use it to benefit all the people she cares about. I thought her final solution was brilliant. It was this twist at the end (no spoilers, don't worry) that convinced me that BITTER NIGHT is an excellent, solid series-starter despite my qualms.

There's much more to be said. I really enjoyed Max's conflicted relationship with the witch she's bonded to, Giselle, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the cliche-ridden relationship she has with the book's co-narrator, Alexander. He's 100 years old but looks 23, sophisticated, jaded, dangerous. You know the drill.

There was one particular exchange which, to me, summed up what is good about BITTER NIGHT. One of the characters says to Max, "You might do better luring me with honey rather than salt." Max replies, "Salt is the meal." show less

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 show more 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 show less

On the surface, there was a lot wrong here. For example, there were a lot of little things that irritated me, like a character being able to see the expression of a person he or she wasn't facing or being able to tell not just eye color but exact shade and tone in the dark from afar. There were also a number of ridiculous cliches such as a character seeing another for the first time while hidden from sight and knowing that the man was the perfect match for her, the one who would understand her, was strong enough to equal her in combat, etc. Another was that a character's team was fiercely loyal despite that character's personality being angry and angst ridden and her taking huge risks with her own life.

But none of that really mattered show more because this was a breathtakingly fast-paced story with interesting, likable, and individual characters, a fairly different sort of UF world (where there are violent and terrible angels but no demons) that's not totally black and white. The enormous powers of the superhuman characters are offset by terrible weaknesses.

The plot is world-affecting and cataclysmic but only a foreshadowing of what is to come so there is much room to build. I didn't feel like I was rereading the same old UF novel I read last week.

There are complex relationships (although a hint of a possible love triangle or at least third wheel complication--argh!) and the heroine really is kick ass. She's a little reckless like usual but not so bad and but is actually very competent. She's stronger and more capable than the love interest and he is intrigued by it and is attracted to her partially because of it. He in turn is her reality check, her anchor as well as her savior in many ways.

I did think there were parts where he should have been stronger or faster than he was. And I think there was a huge plot device that should never have happened in the first place. I mean, the situation the character's found themselves in could have been remedied far more easily the usual way (far worse situations were handled directly in other parts of the book) than the more convoluted and dangerous way it was. I understand the need to get the two into that eventual situation but another believable entry point would have been much better.

I think the intense feelings all the characters had for one another happened too fast. I wasn't caught up to where the author wanted me to be yet. But when I did get there, I was in line all the way: lots of intense, codependent emotional scenes; live those.

The fact is that I simply loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I found myself rereading passages right after I read them. When I was done I wanted to pick up the sequel immediately. I finished it two days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. It's pulled me emotionally.

This us a solid first book and up my alley. So, even though a lot of the nitpicky type stuff usually has me rating books quite a bit lower, I enjoyed this book so much, it's a solid four. Here's hoping the next one is better edited and just great all the way around. show less

On the surface, there was a lot wrong here. For example, there were a lot of little things that irritated me, like a character being able to see the expression of a person he or she wasn't facing or being able to tell not just eye color but exact shade and tone in the dark from afar. There were also a number of ridiculous cliches such as a character seeing another for the first time while hidden from sight and knowing that the man was the perfect match for her, the one who would understand her, was strong enough to equal her in combat, etc. Another was that a character's team was fiercely loyal despite that character's personality being angry and angst ridden and her taking huge risks with her own life.

But none of that really mattered show more because this was a breathtakingly fast-paced story with interesting, likable, and individual characters, a fairly different sort of UF world (where there are violent and terrible angels but no demons) that's not totally black and white. The enormous powers of the superhuman characters are offset by terrible weaknesses.

The plot is world-affecting and cataclysmic but only a foreshadowing of what is to come so there is much room to build. I didn't feel like I was rereading the same old UF novel I read last week.

There are complex relationships (although a hint of a possible love triangle or at least third wheel complication--argh!) and the heroine really is kick ass. She's a little reckless like usual but not so bad and but is actually very competent. She's stronger and more capable than the love interest and he is intrigued by it and is attracted to her partially because of it. He in turn is her reality check, her anchor as well as her savior in many ways.

I did think there were parts where he should have been stronger or faster than he was. And I think there was a huge plot device that should never have happened in the first place. I mean, the situation the character's found themselves in could have been remedied far more easily the usual way (far worse situations were handled directly in other parts of the book) than the more convoluted and dangerous way it was. I understand the need to get the two into that eventual situation but another believable entry point would have been much better.

I think the intense feelings all the characters had for one another happened too fast. I wasn't caught up to where the author wanted me to be yet. But when I did get there, I was in line all the way: lots of intense, codependent emotional scenes; live those.

The fact is that I simply loved this book. I couldn't put it down. I found myself rereading passages right after I read them. When I was done I wanted to pick up the sequel immediately. I finished it two days ago and I can't stop thinking about it. It's pulled me emotionally.

This us a solid first book and up my alley. So, even though a lot of the nitpicky type stuff usually has me rating books quite a bit lower, I enjoyed this book so much, it's a solid four. Here's hoping the next one is better edited and just great all the way around. show less

I've read the reviews for this book and I have to agree with the good and the bad there. Max is a fresh character. She's not quite an anti-hero, because she's definitely on the side of good, but she's got some interesting attributes in that direction. That said, she's a little brusque for most I'm sure. Her powers are interesting, but not too Mary Sue like - she's not the best, although that healing from everything is a bit much at times. I like that she and love interest don't wind up in bed when they should be off fighting - THAT's refreshing! At the same time, the soul mates thing gets old, but the relationship of trust is built on and really good. Looking forward to more of this.

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 show more 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. show less