Crimson Wind

I think Francis somehow invaded my dreams or something and wrote an urban fantasy series just for me. This has everything I look for in UF: Very strong and intelligent female protagonist, equally strong and intelligent male love interest, a peril laden plot, lots of almost dying, the female saving the male as often as the other way around, the male strong and deadly but completely tender and gentle with the female and loyal to her to a point of recklessness, the man wants her even more than she wants him but he waits and doesn't force or push, and of course lots and lots of action, action, action. There are a few erotic scenes but they never get very far. I like the suspense with that although she takes it a little further than I would show more like. I like that we're seeing more of Max's personality and thus why her team is so loyal to her. Her kindness feels a little off but it's good that we see it.

The only thing I don't like in the series that she always ends with a cliffhanger.

Other than that there was only one problem that confused me and if anyone has the answer, please let me know: (big spoiler)

Why are her father and brother aging so much when witches live forever?

Highly recommended if your tastes are anything like mine. show less

I think Francis somehow invaded my dreams or something and wrote an urban fantasy series just for me. This has everything I look for in UF: Very strong and intelligent female protagonist, equally strong and intelligent male love interest, a peril laden plot, lots of almost dying, the female saving the male as often as the other way around, the male strong and deadly but completely tender and gentle with the female and loyal to her to a point of recklessness, the man wants her even more than she wants him but he waits and doesn't force or push, and of course lots and lots of action, action, action. There are a few erotic scenes but they never get very far. I like the suspense with that although she takes it a little further than I would show more like. I like that we're seeing more of Max's personality and thus why her team is so loyal to her. Her kindness feels a little off but it's good that we see it.

The only thing I don't like in the series that she always ends with a cliffhanger.

Other than that there was only one problem that confused me and if anyone has the answer, please let me know: (big spoiler)

Why are her father and brother aging so much when witches live forever?

Highly recommended if your tastes are anything like mine. show less

This review was first posted on http://rubysreads.com.

Okay, first of all, how awesome is the name “Diana Pharaoh Francis”? I mean, it has Pharaoh in it. And it’s not Diana “Pharaoh” Francis. It’s actually part of her name. Although I suppose it could be a pseudonym. If so, it’s a cool one.

Sadly, my experience reading Crimson Wind was not as enjoyable as my fancies surrounding the author’s name. In the spirit of full disclosure, though, I have not read Bitter Night, the first book in the Horngate Witches series. Darn these publishing companies! They’re determined to prevent me from keeping my promise about reading series books in order. Um, joking. I’m grateful for each and every book I receive. Honestly. But, now show more that I’m reviewing books as well as reading them, I have a much harder time reading books out of order. I think I may actually have been converted to the cause instead of just paying lip service. Silver Zombie is the case in point.

Fortunately–or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it–my issues with Crimson Wind were bigger than the fact that I read it out of order. But before I get into that, let me back up a sec and give you some of the plot. Crimson Wind‘s heroine is Max. She’s a kick-butt heroine of the over-the-top variety. Thirty years ago she was betrayed by her friend Giselle. Giselle is (and was) a powerful witch and she believes that Max is the key to the survival of her coven, Horngate. Since Horngate is all Giselle’s concerned about, she felt justified in turning Max into a Shadowblade. And not just any Shadowblade, the Prime Shadowblade. Sadly for Max, the process has involved long hours of tortuous proceedings. It also resulted in an ability to go out in the daytime. She is even susceptible to the reflection of the sun from the moon. She is bound to Horngate and to Giselle by compulsion spells. Furthermore, Max had to leave her family and never see them again and that’s really the crux of Max’s hatred of Giselle.

As the description tells us, in Bitter Night, Max and Giselle reached a kind of truce in order to save Horngate. In the thirty years that Max has served the covenstead, she has come to care for the community. Her desire to save the covenstead–and the people within it–comes from Max herself more than the compulsion spells that Giselle has put on her. Max also cares for all the Shadowblades that serve under her. In fact, she’s willing to sacrifice herself for them. As Crimson Wind begins, Max is anxious about the family she’s left behind. Part of the agreement that she and Giselle made will allow Max to bring her family to Horngate and safety. Max’s journey to bring her family to the covenstead is the novel’s ultimate destination.

I wish I could say that Max makes the trip on her own, but she doesn’t. Alexander, a fellow Shadowblade Prime, goes with her. Alexander was bound to a different covenstead and a different witch, but the binding was dissolved in the first book. Alexander is sent with Max because he would be a threat to her status as Prime at Horngate if he stayed behind without her. I really, really wish he had stayed behind. He was boring. Francis wavers between making Alexander Max’s equal and making Max such an incredible warrior/leader/Prime/Shadowblade that no one can match her. It’s mentioned several times that Alexander is the only Prime that could challenge Max for her position at Horngate. He speaks without contractions because he was born in a time of precise speech. Okay, fine, but it still irritated me. Alexander is also Max’s romantic interest, which is not a relationship I cared to see develop. Personally, I thought the angel Tutresiel was more interesting and showed more promise. The chemistry between Max and the angel was far more interesting, but possibly that was because they spent so little on screen time together.

I’ve been thinking a lot about why the Max/Alexander pairing held so little interest for me. It has some of the elements that make me (slightly) swoony in other romance novels. Alexander is clear that he wants Max and she’s resistant. I usually love it when the hero pursues the heroine with deadly intensity. But I felt like yawning when Alexander did it. Maybe because it was a pale echo. I can’t articulate the difference, so I’ll just reiterate: I give the romance a big “F”. And if you should know anything about me as a reader, it’s that enjoying the romance is central to my enjoyment of a book. If it’s not satisfying, it’s not for me.

That said, Crimson Wind failed for me in other ways. As I mentioned earlier, Max is an over-the-top kick-butt heroine. She can do everything, she’s stronger than everyone, everyone admires her, she’s self-sacrificing, she helps those in need. In short, Max is like a really strong Girl Scout with a foul mouth. Also, she gives everyone stupid nicknames. I never connected to Max. And since she narrates the half of the book that Alexander doesn’t, I confess I was relieved to reach the last page of this book.

There was a moment when, despite the endless, ridiculous detours, Max and Alexander finally reach her family, that I thought things might get interesting. They didn’t. There was a spark of hope and it was snatched from me. I can’t say anything else because that would involve major spoilers. Let’s just say there was a plot twist that had potential. I’m very sorry to say that Diana Pharaoh Francis wasted it. But she still has a cool name. show less

Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/

OMG I LOVED IT you must go buy it now. If you asked my poor neglected children what mommy did all day they would tell you I was reading and ignoring them (dont worry Hubby was home). I could not put this down. I love Max, she is a strong, independent kick ass Heroin. There was not a ton on side characters in book 2, mostly just Max and Alexander. Scooter makes more appearances. The sexual tension between Max and Alexander is at an all time high. The world is at war. Max's Family is in danger and she needs to get to them to bring them back to Horngate. Tons of answers were given in CRIMSON WIND and tons of potential left for future books. I seriously can't wait to read what comes show more next. Don't forget to read book 1 BITTER NIGHT before you pick up CRIMSON WIND. show less

She knows the PNW and named even the small towns correctly. Very cool second book and can't wait for the next one, though that's probably a year out.

Why must this book end?

I thought I had more pages before the end and they turned out to be adds for other books.

I need book three now so I know what's going to happen. Because Crimson Wind ends on a cliff hanger!!

Almost abandoned -- just wasn't loving it at the beginning. Glad I stuck with it!