Crimson Wind by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Max isn't quite human. She has been enslaved for centuries to a powerful witch called Giselle. She is also "Prime", which means the leader of the Shadowblades, an elite band of warriors. CRIMSON WIND picks up where book one, HORNGATE WITCHES leaves off, with Max trying to get Horngate rebuilt after a huge battle. But at the end of that book, Giselle had promised a powerful being known as Scooter, Max. Max hasn't been sleeping well because Scooter keeps entering her mind while she dreams.


Fed up with Scooter's intrusions, she meets him on his own turf. She wants to get her human family safely to Horngate and if he will grant her that time, she will gladly give herself over to him. Scooter gives her one week. But Giselle has had a vision of Max dying on her trip, so she urges Alexander, a member of the Shadowblades, to accompany her.


Alexander and Max have amazing chemistry but refuse to act upon it. Giselle figures this will give them time together to get it out of their system. However, she warns Alexander privately that if Max dies on his watch, not to ever return. Meanwhile, Alexander has his own path to follow. An amulet he has been seeking for years has been found and he is torn about retrieving it or accompanying Max.


CRIMSON WIND is a spectactular addition to the HORNGATE WITCHES series. The chemistry between Max and Alexander is hot and electrifying. Their characters really develop in this installment and more characters are added through-out their journey that I hope will reappear in the next book. With amazing world-building, high energy action, diverse and complex characters and a heroine you can't help but love, CRIMSON WIND is a must-read for any urban fantasy reader.