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Crimson Wind (Horngate Witches #2)

by Diana Pharaoh Francis (Goodreads Author)

4.02 of 5 stars 4.02 · rating details · 970 ratings · 112 reviews

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,...more

Paperback, 368 pages

Published December 28th 2010 by Pocket Books

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Mar 02, 2013 Soo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I'm divided on what to rate this book. On one hand, I want to give this one 4 stars. On the other, 3.5 stars for a few elements that throw the story off a bit for me. I figure I can decide what the rating is once I finish my review.

Max is the Prime. She is the leader of the Shadowblades and Sunspears of the Horngate Coven. War is riding the winds, witches are being recruited to fight a battle between Guardians who want to thrust magic back into the world and Humanity. Horngate barely survived t...more I'm divided on what to rate this book. On one hand, I want to give this one 4 stars. On the other, 3.5 stars for a few elements that throw the story off a bit for me. I figure I can decide what the rating is once I finish my review.

Max is the Prime. She is the leader of the Shadowblades and Sunspears of the Horngate Coven. War is riding the winds, witches are being recruited to fight a battle between Guardians who want to thrust magic back into the world and Humanity. Horngate barely survived the fight on its grounds and Max has worked hard to rebuild. She's determined to bring back her family to the coven for safety and to fulfill the promise she's made to Scooter. For what she believes in, Max is willing to fight with everything she has and bleed until her very soul is bare before she gives up anything or anyone she cares for.

(view spoiler)[Main peeve! From the setup of the story in the beginning, I thought the main plot lines were the following:

- Max has to walk the webs with Scooter.
- Max's family will be picked up and brought back to the holding.

Instead, it's mostly about introducing new characters as they travel to save Max's family, moving forward the chemistry between Max and Alexander and saving Max's family.

I'm totally interested in the new characters and love the development between Max & Alexander! However, I felt totally cheated when I got to the end of the book and realized that the plot line with Scooter is the next BOOK! Lame!

The Angels are awesome and I hope they show up more in the series. I liked getting to know the Blade Angel in this book. Figure we'll learn more about both of them in the next one--I hope!

I'm not buying this near invincible healing from everything bit or the fact that the Angels are basically indestructible but they HAVE to serve? What's up with that?

Knowing body mechanics, it's hard for me to read the fight scenes or battles and not roll my eyes. Certain injuries are going to make certain body parts incapable of movement no matter what.

I like the world building as the Wild Magic turns and twists the world into something new. I like the fact that it's not all roses and peaches when Max finally gets to her family. The author doesn't write huge paragraphs to describe the side characters and what's going on but it's enough to give you a solid feel for who they are and what "may" happen. Max's family is going to drive her nuts. But that is what family does best!

The sight is not entirely reliable. I think it's silly that there are so many prophetic seeings that are being thrown around like candy to make important moments happen in the story. It's a bit redundant that way.

It's great to see Max realizing how much she has changed and accepting who she has become. To take in that she has a new family, life and a reason to do whatever she can to keep it all safe. There's a lot of character growth with Max and that is wonderful. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Bitter Night built a fun foundation to delve into and this novel has been a nice ride. I'll be moving onto the next book in the series. I really want to know what Max does in the webs with Scooter.

3.5 Stars it is!(less)

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May 08, 2013 Elspeth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love this series, the first book was so good I almost reread it right after finishing it!

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Sep 28, 2011 Amy or "Ames" rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: hunters-warriors-assassins, magic-users, read-in-2011, next-in-series, urban-fantasy, series-abandoned, did-not-finish, to-donate

Grade: F for Epic Fail!

The flaws in Bitter Night I accepted due to being the first in the series with sequels usually surpassing the first. Crimson Wind doesn’t follow this pattern. No, it goes the other way. It may be unfair to make this judgement after only 74 pages but I don’t think so.

Characters: Max is a tough bitch, an Uber-Alpha. It’s over the top. Alexander is also supposedly Alpha but um, he’s a bit wet and dull. We didn’t need his POV, it only served to add pages where none were requi...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Casey Evans rated it 3 of 5 stars

There are two parts of this, my thoughts on the series and those on this particular book. This is a good series, it could have been a great series. That it's not I put a lot of blame on the editor for. There are a lot of loose ends and a double pile of logical inconsistencies that keep this from being a great series, which is something a good editor should have caught. The author takes some of the blame too, but it is harder to see it when it's your baby. It is somewhat frustrating because the c...more There are two parts of this, my thoughts on the series and those on this particular book. This is a good series, it could have been a great series. That it's not I put a lot of blame on the editor for. There are a lot of loose ends and a double pile of logical inconsistencies that keep this from being a great series, which is something a good editor should have caught. The author takes some of the blame too, but it is harder to see it when it's your baby. It is somewhat frustrating because the characters are strong and very likeable, but things just don't add up in random areas and you're often left going, "HUH? That doesn't make sense."

If it takes a huge amount of food and work at the beginning of the book to keep a nearly dead shadowblade from dying, don't have it so that by the fourth one it seems to take a jug of juice and 20 minutes to cure the same sort of thing. Also, if you're going to claim this place is meant to be a sanctuary, then spend some time making it one. Cover a little of how its run and maybe try to bring some people in. As it is, I never really got a sense of how many people might be there, or even really a good idea of the size. The green houses are mentioned many times, but given no real description or a sense of where they belong in the giant scheme of things past those mentions.

The loose ends are also really bad. Frequently there are plot lines that just... disappear. There'll be a lot of time spent on a sub character and then there's never a mention of them again. THIS is particularly frustrating. If you take the time to name a character and give them some kind of story, at least put them away properly. If you're taking them somewhere, mention where they end up, don't just totally forget them. This is something that happened at least three times.

If there is a potentially best book of the series, I think it's the third one, though it would have been so easy for all of these to be great. It's just a damned shame that someone dropped the ball and didn't catch the weak points.

Book 2: *warning, there may be spoilers!*

In this book the magical apocalypse has begun and Max is off to get her family, while Alexander is having a lot of mental crisis's over the amulet etc. She's got the promise to Scooter hanging over her head and off she goes. The mountain was a nice touch, although I have to say, there again were several really bad logic issues. At this point in Max's life -- one where she states over and over that she avoids attachments -- why is she helping every lost soul out there? A true warrior knows you can't save them all and the mission comes first. But she collects people like crazy.

Also, for a series where witches are supposed to be such not nice people, she sure seems to accept and trust pretty fast Alex's witch buddy. To the point she goes out of the way to keep hold of a mage they say is SO MUCH STRONGER than a witch, who is "owned" by someone even worse -- yet this background bad guy never gets mentioned again and the guy never acts like someone with conflicting issues. Then she actually goes back for him? It didn't make sense. Nor does it when they're attacked and taken to other witches, it just ends up oh, they needed help and ended up ok, we'll keep them without any question. Hrmmm.

One of those loose plot lines were with her refugees, the latent witch and others. They got sent on, time is spent on the biker, but he's not heard about again until a random mention in book 4. The latent witch, she's learning and her hubby is afraid, then they disappear from the series entirely. Why spend so much time giving them back story if you're not going to use it?

Then there's her family. In book one, it's "where did that witch blood come from?" Then in book 2, it's her dad and Giselle knew all along? Uhm, hello, major inconsistency! Also I find it hard to believe that a college age woman wouldn't know anything about her dad being a little witchy. The family also doesn't act anything like the way they're build previously. The sister getting a major case of the ass, maybe, but mom hating anything magic at this point with a witch husband and son? Uhm no. Sorry, wrong turn. There's also the farm creatures. Again, time is spent on them, they're put on top of an RV,never to be mentioned again. Uhg.

The good part was that the end set up the next book perfectly. I really did like that part.(less)

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Dec 19, 2011 Lisarenee rated it 4 of 5 stars

"A war for what? About what?"
"Magic--the very existence of it. Once it was everywhere--like the wind and rain. But then humans came along and started finding ways to kill it. Bit by bit it has disappeared. Many Uncanny and Divine creatures have died off or hidden themselves deep underground or inside magical pocket realms. The way things are going all magic is going to disappear forever. The Guardians have decided that they will not allow this."
"The Guardians? As in mythical gods?" Max asked...more "A war for what? About what?"
"Magic--the very existence of it. Once it was everywhere--like the wind and rain. But then humans came along and started finding ways to kill it. Bit by bit it has disappeared. Many Uncanny and Divine creatures have died off or hidden themselves deep underground or inside magical pocket realms. The way things are going all magic is going to disappear forever. The Guardians have decided that they will not allow this."
"The Guardians? As in mythical gods?" Max asked in disbelief. They were the bogeyman stories of Loch Ness monsters--constantly seen but never existed.
"They are not mythical, and no one is all that sure that they are gods, either."...
"To prevent the destruction of all magic," Giselle continued, ignoring Max's barb, "the Guardians will raise armies. They will unleash a maelstrom of magic so that the earth itself strikes against humanity. They mean to slaughter most of the people and let magic return to the world. (From 'Bitter Night' - Horngate Witches #1; pages 75 - 76)

In 'Bitter Night', Max was warned by a Hag that war was coming, and Giselle confirmed and clarified the vague warning. In 'Crimson Wind', the war comes into full force and the race is on to save Max's real family (with Giselle's blessing). She's going home for the first time in over thirty years. She's both excited to see her family again and nervous as to how they'll handle her return. For years she stayed away from them to protect them from the world she lives in. For she'd never wish this life on anyone, not even herself. But right before setting out on rescue mission, Magpie gives the following ominous prediction to Alexander, "The amulet is coming to you. It will give you your heart's desire. You will be Prime." While Alexander knows what amulet Magpie is referring to, he fears that it means Max won't survive the rescue because he vows to never take the position of Prime from her.

In 'Crimson Wind', the second of the Horngate series, Max and Alexander get closer. Alexander reveals his feelings for Max, and with all that is going on, Max really doesn't have time to analyze her feelings. She knows she's attracted to him, but she has no idea what her future with Scooter, the godlike creature Giselle had "gifted" her to, will hold.

We finally get to meet Max's family. When she disappeared from college over thirty years ago it was thought she'd been the victim of a serial killer. Once she'd been made into a Shadowblade, Giselle threatened to kill her family if she made contact with them. Now that magic is out of the bag, so to speak, Giselle has agreed to allow Max's family sanctuary at Horngate.

With the Magic war going into full force, it appears to be the end of the world as we know it. Lives will be lost as well as saved, just as the Hag predicted. Max will learn things about her family she didn't know and, while attempting to save her family, pick up some additional strays. This seems to be a habit with Max.

Why is the book entitled Crimson Wind? I believe it has to do with this verse, "They'd have to run for the coast and hope they got there before the crimson wind trapped them in the valley." The crimson wind was basically wild magic unleashed by guardians upon the world.

I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. I am enjoying the sexual tension between Alexander and Max. (less)

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Jun 17, 2011 E. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal

Max is still irrevocably tied to the witch Giselle and both are tolerating the presence of Alexander, eve though he is an unbound Prime but the forces at work may put an irreparable strain on the uneasy truce between all of them. A serious threat to her family prompts Max to leave the covenstead and travel to California but the release of the wild magic by the Guardians prompts many unforeseen problems, most of which Max cannot help but become involved in. The relationship between Max and Alexan...more

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Feb 03, 2011 Paradoxical rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

Read this really fast and didn't bother trying to read closely. At best, the series is rather mediocre. I'm not quite sure why I don't like it better, but it seemed clumsy some parts, and in others--well. I don't like the thought of Max and Alexander together. They work fine for me as individuals (well, all right, I have a few issues with them as characters), but as a couple they fall very flat for me. I'd pretty much rather have Max paired up with anyone else if she does have to have a romantic...more

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Feb 03, 2011 William Bentrim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crimson Wind by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Max a ShadowBlade Prime is still searching for self but in this second book she reaches out to her long lost biological family in the midst of a magical cataclysm. In her search she discovers she may already have a family. Magic, bondage, love and violence categorize this fast paced novel.

Frankly when I reviewed Bitter Night, the prequel to this book, I did it with skepticism. I wasn’t sure it was my cup of java. Once again I am glad I pushed aside my cynic...more

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Jan 03, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 4 of 5 stars

Crimson Wind (Horngate Witches) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Paranormal Romance –Dec. 28th, 2010
3 1/2 stars

For fast paced action, drama, angst, and tons of tension, Crimson Wind is your book. The heroine is the gutsy, no nonsense type who is willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Crimson Wind is the 2nd installment of the Horngate Witches series by Diana Pharaoh Francis and can be read by itself but with the vivid cast of characters make it best to be read in order.

Max is a Shadowblade, a...more Crimson Wind (Horngate Witches) by Diana Pharaoh Francis
Paranormal Romance –Dec. 28th, 2010
3 1/2 stars

For fast paced action, drama, angst, and tons of tension, Crimson Wind is your book. The heroine is the gutsy, no nonsense type who is willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good. Crimson Wind is the 2nd installment of the Horngate Witches series by Diana Pharaoh Francis and can be read by itself but with the vivid cast of characters make it best to be read in order.

Max is a Shadowblade, a female human who has been transformed into a warrior and bound by the powerful witch named Giselle to protect her coven and territory. The evil witch Giselle got Max drunk and tricked her into being a Shadowblade forever. As the most elite Shadowblade, Max is the Prime, the one charged with guarding and commanding the rest of the Shadowblades. In the prior book, Max met another Prime name Alexander, and they worked together. Now Alexander has no coven to call his own and is under Max’s command. Max values Alexander’s skills but fights her attraction to him. She feels any relationship is dangerous and lives for duty only. Besides she has a huge problem. The witch, Giselle has promised Max to a powerful being without her consent. Max tries to confront this otherworldly being, but he reveals to her that her human family is in peril. Max rashly promises that once she rescues her family, she will return and let him do whatever he wants with her.

Max is living on borrowed time. Can she find any happiness with Alexander or is the rest of her life doomed to suffering under the control of this powerful being?

This is certainly an exciting story and has all the elements of a noble and suffering heroine. Max is one of the most tortured and self-sacrificing characters I have ever read. I liked that she is tough but the way she treats others who seem to really care for her turned me off. While she is a strong character, she is often very cold and harsh to other characters she interacts with. I especially didn’t like how she treated Alexander who only wanted to aid her. In fact, I felt really bad for him; he is willing to put up with a lot of crap from her and at some point, I wish that he had left her.

While I admired Max’s skills and can-do attitude, it got a little tiring when she is the only one who can do anything right. I would have liked other characters to help out more or taken a bigger part of the action, too.

While, the plot is fantastic, the heroine's relationships with other characters are sometimes uncomfortable to read. A heroine that is tough but also a victim doesn’t mesh well in certain areas. Those who love action packed urban fantasies with an edgy heroine will enjoy this latest installment.

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

(less)

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Jan 02, 2011 Artesia rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy, apocalyptic-fiction, gritty, munchkin-protagonist, unlikable-love-interest, mages

I was disappointed by this book. Having read the first one, which had flaws, but was nevertheless a promising novel, I eagerly awaited the second installment. But author didn't worked on aforementioned flaws, and even added a couple of new ones.

Main story of this book just isn't very interesting. Instead of focusing on catastrophic events which began at the end of the fist book in this series, main focus is on rescue mission. Problem is - author failed to make me empathize with those who heroine...more

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Jan 29, 2012 ♠ Sharon is an emotional book junkie ♠ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Max is still in the thick of things. She hasn't been able to sleep because Scooter wants her and it's affecting everything. She finally decides to confront him only to find out her real family are in danger. Scooter agrees to give her a week. Alexander has also been told some things from both Magpie and Giselle and it's been decided that Alexander will accompany Max to get her family.

So I'm thinking, all right a road trip with just Max and Alexander ~ about time!! But I should've known better....more

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Mar 06, 2013 Kribu rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: witches, urban-fantasy, magic

Not as fascinating, exciting or intriguing as the first book, and I found it a bit of a struggle to get into it, but it got better towards the end (well, either that or I finally got into the groove of things) and was definitely good enough that I'll want to read more about Max and Alexander.

I still like Max, and I understood her inner struggles, but frankly I'm starting to get tired of her love-hate relationship with Giselle. Is it Stockholm syndrome or what? Come on, decide, do you loathe her...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 m...more

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Dec 30, 2010 Becca rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, books-i-own, sci-fi, witches-wizards

This sequel was even better than the first book in the series! We pick up where we left off with Max trying to get Horngate back on track and repaired from the recent fights that nearly destroyed it. Max though has been having trouble sleeping and is plagued by the bargain that Giselle and she struck with the unknown force she nicknames "Scooter". He wants what he was promised, Max, but first Max wants to go get her human family and take them to Horngate so they will be safe. She and Scooter com...more This sequel was even better than the first book in the series! We pick up where we left off with Max trying to get Horngate back on track and repaired from the recent fights that nearly destroyed it. Max though has been having trouble sleeping and is plagued by the bargain that Giselle and she struck with the unknown force she nicknames "Scooter". He wants what he was promised, Max, but first Max wants to go get her human family and take them to Horngate so they will be safe. She and Scooter come to the agreement that he can wait a week for her to get her family but once she gets back she's all his.

Max and Alexander set off to retrieve Max's family. Alexander has not one but two prophecies hanging over his head, one regards his place at Horngate and the other is about Max. I really enjoyed Alexander I thought he stepped up a lot in this book, and he really got to show more of his emotions. Along the way to Max's family they encounter new characters that we will hopefully see in the next book. Max picks up strays where ever she goes, and it was great to see that despite how cold and unfeeling she thinks she can be she has a big heart. This book was all about the trials to finally get to Max's family, at one point you wonder if they are ever going to make it. They encounter wild magic and witness the beginnings of the world changing, more ShadowBlades and Sunspears from different coven's, and we get to meet someone Alexander cares about and calls family. Throughout their journey these two grow closer and are trying to decide whether to act on their feelings or in Max's case not to because of her fate with Scooter hanging over her head.

This book was amazing, we got everything that was alluded to in the first book. Definite character growth for Max and Alexander, though I wish we got to see more of the side characters, the entire book was Alexander and Max on the road and at the end they reached the family. I wished we could have seen more of the side characters because they always bring comedic relief and you can really tell that they care deeply for one another. These was also a big surprise in this book, and a betrayal of sorts. It was something that I definitely didn't see coming and can't wait for it to be explored fully. (less)

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Dec 31, 2012 Stephanie Collins rated it 4 of 5 stars

When we left the last book Giselle and Max have come to an uneasy truce as the destruction the Guardians are unleashing causes more destruction to what Max realizes is her home and family than revenge will ever be worth. Does she trust Giselle… No… but at the same time she starts to understand why Giselle did what she did. She still feels betrayed but the need to protect her home and family means more to her than her need for revenge. I respected her for this but she still has a ways to go befor...more When we left the last book Giselle and Max have come to an uneasy truce as the destruction the Guardians are unleashing causes more destruction to what Max realizes is her home and family than revenge will ever be worth. Does she trust Giselle… No… but at the same time she starts to understand why Giselle did what she did. She still feels betrayed but the need to protect her home and family means more to her than her need for revenge. I respected her for this but she still has a ways to go before she really becomes whole again.

Max has been granted a boon by the being she calls Scooter to go bring her family back to Horngate for protection. She's determined to do this on her own but is forced in to taking Alexander who isn't completely comfortable with his desires for her or his place in this new reality. He's a Prime and finding himself sort of serving under someone other than just a witch does grate on him but mainly not knowing what his place is in this coven is taking a toll. He's also wanting Max to admit she has feelings for him or at least be willing to open the door up to him to try to see what they have between them. He's a good man but at a bit of a loss right now.

Max and Alexander learn a lot about each other on this trip and seeing him be there for her when the worst sort of betrayal hit her was wonderful to see. She needs someone to truly back her up and accept her for her… he does give this to her even though at times it doesn't seem that way. She fights for her family and really realizes what it means to be a family in this book. It isn't always about blood but more about heart and compassion. She grew up quite a bit in this one but still makes rash decisions that can come back to haunt her. I found myself being more and more drawn in to the world and for this I thank the author.

Please note I received my original paperback copies from the publisher but then purchased my Kindle copies as I prefer to read electronically. This in no way influenced my review.(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-list-of-read-books

Favorite Character: ALEXANDER!

Least Favorite Character: Peter and Max's birth family in general (I would like to point out that my dislike of these characters is not because of bad writing or characterization on the author's part. The author wrote all the characters wonderfully thus she made some of them just so loveable to dislike/hate. If that makes sense, haha. I have grown to love Max so much that I wanted to protect her from her family's judgment. The author has made me care about her that...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Ruby rated it 2 of 5 stars

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...more 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 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.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Lisa {Silverlight} {Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Reviews} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

“Once again Max is back and of course danger follows her wherever she goes. I found this book to again be dragging in the beginning, but as Max and Alexander aka "Slick", set out on their journey to save Max's family from the doom of magic, things start to heat up and not just the heat between these two. They face wild creatures of magic, that are literally spued from the Earth. Max is once again a savior and helps those they encounter along the journey. "Slick" is unwavering in his efforts to p...more

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Feb 13, 2011 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is actually the second novel in the Horngate Witches series. I had not read the firs one, Bitter Night. It wasn't necessary to read this one, but I would recommend it. I wasn't lost, but things were referenced that made me extremely curious. So, I know I'll be picking up the first one as soon as I can. I need to see how this all started.

Max has a lot of trust issues and you can easily and quickly see why. She was betrayed in the most horrific way and everything she knew as a human was stri...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Van rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Crimson Wind, is the second installment in the Horngate Witches series. The book picks up four weeks after the events from the previous book, Bitter Night. Max, Giselle, and the other shadowblades and sunspears are rebuilding their coven after being attacked by the guardians. On top on rebuilding the coven, max has become sleep deprive. Every time Max closes her eyes the creature “Scooter”, that lives underneath Horngate keeps trying to take her in her sleep. Scooter keeps on mentioning that Max...more Crimson Wind, is the second installment in the Horngate Witches series. The book picks up four weeks after the events from the previous book, Bitter Night. Max, Giselle, and the other shadowblades and sunspears are rebuilding their coven after being attacked by the guardians. On top on rebuilding the coven, max has become sleep deprive. Every time Max closes her eyes the creature “Scooter”, that lives underneath Horngate keeps trying to take her in her sleep. Scooter keeps on mentioning that Max is his “gift”, which no one knows what that means. Scooter then shows Max a glimpse of her human family in danger, and gives her about a week to retrieve them before he pulls her back to him (he attaches something to her arm, which is like an invisible leash). Max sets out to save her family with Alexander of all people to keep her watch her back and make sure that she comes back alive.

Crimson Wind, is an excellent addition to the series and even better than the first! The book captured my attention right away. The book opens up with Max having another dream, where Scooter is trying to take her away and shortly after that Max goes out to retrieve her family. There’s never a boring moment in the book, it’s jammed packed with nonstop action. The chemistry between Max and Alexander is scorching! I love their interaction as they try to fight their attraction to one another. The secondary characters such as the shadowblades (warriors who can only go out in the night time) and sunspears (warriors who can only go out in the day time) are a joy to read. They have a great sense of humor, are fiercely loyal, and all have their own distinct personalities. If you’re interested in looking for a new urban fantasy with a strong heroine, and an amazing cast of characters look no further. This series will need to be read in order to get the full effect of the great world building and characters. The order of the books are as follows; Bitter Night, Crimson Wind and Shadow City. Many other readers felt like this book had nothing to do with the first book, that it was a filler book but I disagree. The book gives us another perspective into Max’s life besides her being a shadowblade prime (leader of the shadowblades) and we get to meet her family and learn more about her.

I highly recommend this series to all urban fantasy fans. If you haven’t read this series, you’re really missing out! This is a truly great sequel and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book, Shadow City. (less)

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Apr 21, 2013 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horngate-witche

Crimson Wind is the second book in the Horngate Witches series. Max, accompanied by Alexander, travel to California to rescue the family she left behind decades ago.

Warning, spoilers ahead...

What I Liked:

Valery & Holt - I found this pair more intriguing than the main characters in the series. I hope we see this duo again in the future.

Tutresiel - My favorite jerk-angel. A total ass but fun to read.

The "enchanted forest" - A total death world where everything is out to eat you. I want to see...more

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Sep 16, 2012 Kelly Maybedog Hawkins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: what-modern-fantasy, why-favorite-series, why-favorite-authors, why-favorites

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...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Natasha A. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Who do I recommend to?
Magic.
Wild magic.
Amazing and crazy made up creatures.
Need I say more?

Why did I read it?
See above! Either read the blurb again or who I recommend to!

My Rambles:
I'll start off by saying that I wish I had read the first book in this series. I truly think I would have had a more enjoyable experience. I absolutely love Max and her Blades (basically they are her soldiers and she is their leader - the Prime). I would have really liked to have seen them more. I love how they tease...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Reading a Horngate Witches book is a bit like watching a big summer movie. Action! Explosions! Impossibly tough characters doing awesome things! It’s a heck of a ride. Crimson Wind, the second installment in the series, is better than the first and quite enjoyable.

Crimson Wind benefits, in part, from my having read Bitter Night and gotten an idea of what to expect from the series. These really aren’t much like the usual urban fantasies. Some of Diana Pharaoh Francis’s changes to the formula are...more Reading a Horngate Witches book is a bit like watching a big summer movie. Action! Explosions! Impossibly tough characters doing awesome things! It’s a heck of a ride. Crimson Wind, the second installment in the series, is better than the first and quite enjoyable.

Crimson Wind benefits, in part, from my having read Bitter Night and gotten an idea of what to expect from the series. These really aren’t much like the usual urban fantasies. Some of Diana Pharaoh Francis’s changes to the formula are excellent, but they can be jarring if you go in with the wrong expectations. The primary setting is neither a gritty city nor a quaint small town but an isolated mountain stronghold; the supernatural beings are unusual for the genre; Max is abrasive even by urban fantasy standards; and the story is told in third person through the eyes of two narrators. In addition, Crimson Wind proves Francis is not creating a world perennially on the verge of apocalypse but never quite getting there, nor is she creating a post-apocalyptic world. This is a during-the-apocalypse world. I think I gasped aloud when a well-known landmark went kaboom partway through the book. Francis is not afraid to blow up the scenery and change the world right before our eyes.

Familiarity with the series’ unique setting isn’t the only reason I liked this one better, though. The main issues I had with Bitter Night were that I couldn’t connect to Max and didn’t find the romantic subplot convincing. Here, Francis fleshes out Max further, showcasing both of the central facets of her personality — her reflexive anger and her selfless heroism — and making her likable despite her razor-sharp tongue. Her nascent relationship with Alexander feels more fully drawn too, and this time around the physical attraction and the hint of a deeper connection really come through the pages.

The impetus for the plot is that Max learns her mortal family in California is in danger. She takes Alexander with her and travels there, both of them dogged by dire visions and prophecies. Along the way they encounter some of the chaos kicked up by the Guardians and try to save people whenever they can. These adventures are suspenseful and reveal aspects of Max’s personality, and her eventual reunion with her family is deeply emotional for Max and for the reader.

Francis keeps the focus squarely on what Max and Alexander personally witness. On the one hand, I like this. It adds to the immediacy of their mission and helps keep the story personal rather than making it a big-picture story. On the other hand, once in a while I wished Max would turn on the car radio and at least give us a brief hint of what is happening in the rest of the world as the Guardians rise.

Crimson Wind ends on a cliffhanger and will leave readers wanting more and wondering how Max will get herself out of her current pickle. If anyone can do it, it’s Max…(less)

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Jan 03, 2011 Stacy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...

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...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Teri added it

In the beginning you are swept away into a tide pf action, thick plot, and thick sexual tension. The flow of the book is so smooth the pages melt into your hands until the ending leaves you breathless and waiting for more. This was my first introduction into this series by Diana Francis. Here the world building is in great detail as we come upon a world o
f black and white forces that are now proving to have a murk middle ground I was tossed and absorbed into the plot. The characters are amazing...more

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Jul 24, 2011 Ivanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angel, favorites, guardian, magic, kick-ass-heroine, paranormal-romance, demon, urban-fantasy

"The amulet is coming to you, It will give you your heart’s desire. You will be Prime.”

Itu ramalan Magpie buat Alexander, yg membuat Alex parno banget, apalagi kalimat terakhir yg menyatakan klo dia akan jadi Prime yg berarti Prime sebelumnya harus meninggal dulu baru bisa di gantian. Dan itu berarti Max akan meninggal klo dia jadi Prime. Dan itu juga di yakinkan oleh Giselle kalo dia juga melihat Max meninggal.. itu semakin ngebuat Alex ga karuan perasaannya.

Max, yg menyetahui kalo keluarganya...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: urban-fantasy

Crimson Wind is Diana Pharaoh Francis’ book revolving around the character of Max, Shadowblade Prime for the Horngate Witches. If you have not yet read Bitter Night, most of what you need to know about the Shadowblades and Sunspears you’ll pick up quickly enough – but you should definitely start the series in order. This book revolves around a war started in the climax of Bitter Night where a group of near-omnipotent divine beings are attempting to bring magic back to the world in full force. An...more Crimson Wind is Diana Pharaoh Francis’ book revolving around the character of Max, Shadowblade Prime for the Horngate Witches. If you have not yet read Bitter Night, most of what you need to know about the Shadowblades and Sunspears you’ll pick up quickly enough – but you should definitely start the series in order. This book revolves around a war started in the climax of Bitter Night where a group of near-omnipotent divine beings are attempting to bring magic back to the world in full force. An act that would leave most of the humans on the planet dead or at the whim of the magical beings – that includes Max’s family who have thought she had been murdered and was dead for the last thirty years.

Bitter Night showed us how the Shadowblades and Sunspears worked. It explained how the witches would make them and what limitations a standard witch guard had. It also introduced us to Max, Giselle (her witch and former college roommate) and a variety of other magically inclined people that were locked in a dysfunctional set of relationships that would put the day time television of the 90’s to shame. Seriously, if you thought your family reunions were uncomfortable…

This second book takes us along with Max as she lets down the guard she has had up for 30 years and allows herself to see the people she is fiercely loyal to for what they are – her family. The whole ride with her is mixed with battles of nearly impossible odds, prophesies that nobody wants to see come true, the starting of an apocalypse and some amazing world building. Seriously, I may never look at a mountain range the same way again.

A fast read full of excitement, action and sexual tension this is another example of the urban fantasy I love to read. Characters are powerful, but not all powerful and can be knocked for a loop by the simplest of things, like a reunion with a family they thought was lost – or one they didn’t know was there. I hate to start my reviews here setting the bar too high, but I would rank this one within the four and a half to five star range. Worth the money and time so much that I even bought a spare and gave it away as a holiday present.(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 Claudia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy

this series is one of the best series I read till now. the second book is as fast paced as the first one but here the action is more focused on Alexander and Max ... we are introduced to some new characters and we come to know the existing characters a little better.

I love the relationship between Max and Alexander because it is not ... as often in books ... ok they love each other and now everything is fine. they work along the circumstances they are in. but at least now we know what they feel...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Cassiel Knight rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Urban fantasy readers

Recommended to Cassiel by: No one

Oh wow, I really enjoyed this one. The relationship between Max and Alexander is just so swooning for me. He's so alpha yet he's not like the others and doesn't attempt to push Max around. Not that she'd let him but he is so wonderful at letting her be her - standing with her but isn't afraid to let rein her in. He's just so delicious. And those two together.... Sigh

Max is terrific - strong yet despite herself, she's very caring. I love how she takes in strays and none of it ever lessens how str...more

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About Diana Pharaoh Francis

I was raised on a cattle ranch in Northern California (outside a town called Lincoln which is now part of an enormous sprawl). I taught myself to ride a horse at the age of six, as no one had the time to teach me—they were all busy learning how to irrigate, how to cajole an angry bull into another field, how to pull a calf… Afraid of heights, and absolutely sure I was going to die, I managed to sc...more I was raised on a cattle ranch in Northern California (outside a town called Lincoln which is now part of an enormous sprawl). I taught myself to ride a horse at the age of six, as no one had the time to teach me—they were all busy learning how to irrigate, how to cajole an angry bull into another field, how to pull a calf… Afraid of heights, and absolutely sure I was going to die, I managed to scramble up on the back of a very patient and lazy strawberry roan destrier, and plod off into the sunset.

Thereafter, I spent much of my early life on horseback, or so far buried into a book that the rest of the world ceased to exist (much to the annoyance of my family—it took several attempts to get my attention). We all had very specific jobs on the ranch and mine was horses and cattle—out rounding up at dawn. And since I rode bareback, my standing request was to wake me up 5 minutes before everyone else headed for the barn—time enough to dress and eat my Wheaties, and no sleep time wasted on saddling.

After high school, I attended college after college, racking up a BA and MA in creative writing and a Ph.D. in literature and theory. My very patient and supportive husband traipsed across the Midwest and back to Montana for me (though my husband insists that he’s been running and hiding and I just keep finding him), where I now teach at the University of Montana-Western. We also a son Q-ball, who in our humbly unbiased opinions, is the most wonderful son ever produced, and a daughter, Princess Caesar, who is the most wonderful daughter ever produced.

I have a fascination for the Victorians, weather, geology, horses, plants and mythology, I like spicy food, chocolate and cheesecake, and I have an odd sense of humor. (Or so I’ve been told. Often.) Incidentally, the Pharaoh is in fact my real name, and oddly enough, is of British origin.

Some of my current favorite sf/f writers are Ilona Andrews, Carol Berg, C.E. Murphy, Patty Briggs, Lynn Flewelling, Rachel Caine, David Coe, and Anne Bishop.(less)

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Quotes from Crimson Wind

“Just remember, I am not going anywhere,” he said, still watching her lips. “And if you ever try to hide from me, I will not believe you are dead. I will find you. Count on it.” — 6 people liked it

“She'd worry about it later. For now, she had an appointment with a homicidal godlet.” — 2 people liked it

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Crimson Wind (Horngate Witches #2)

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