Review : Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Title : Bitter Night
Author : Diana Pharaoh Francis
Publisher : Pocket Books
Genre : Fantasy
ISBN : 978-1416598145
Series : Horngate Witches #1
Release Date : October 27, 2009
Rating : 4/5 Very Good

Description from Goodreads :

SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...

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....


Review

Max hasn't always been hell-bent on getting revenge for the freedom that was stolen from her. There was a time in her life when she was just another normal girl trying to make her mark on the world. All of that changed when a witch named Giselle transformed her into her own personal Shadowblade. Now Max is equipped with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance, making her the perfect weapon. Max has no choice, no matter how hard she fights against it, but on her honor she isn't going to make things easy for Giselle.

When the ancient Guardians of the earth decide it's time to destroy the mortal world, they turn to the witches for help. Each coven leader is expected to make the choice of life or death for their coven. Denying the request of the Guardians means certain death, while accepting signs the death certificate of the human race. While Max clearly hates being a Shadowblade, she can't think of what life would be like if she lost Horngate too. In order to protect her home, she must turn to her enemies, a rival witch's Shadowblade, and the witch who turned her into the warrior that she is.

Bitter Night is the first book in a new series called the Horngate Witches. In the beginning I was confused as to why Max was so eager for revenge, but reading further on in the book gave me the full picture. While her character is an awesome warrior, and clearly has no problem getting a date if she so dares, she's not perfect. She definitely has anger issues, and she knows how to hold a grudge. In my honest opinion, I think this has only made her stronger in the long run, despite the not always great outcome.

I'm only hoping that the series will continue to be just as action packed as this first installment. I'm also looking forward to seeing if the romantic interests in this book will continue in the next, and what conflicts they will create.


Where did I get this book? :

I received my copy of Bitter Night by Diana Pharaoh Francis from my best friend Derrick for Christmas. Needless to say, he knows me quite well, and I love him for it.

Amazon Affiliates :

Clicking on the title or cover links of this book will redirect you to Amazon.com. If while you are there you choose to purchase Bitter Night or any other products, I will receive a small percentage of the profits.