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lynseyisreading's review against another edition
5.0
Five action-packed stars!
The Horngate Witches series is set in a post magical apocalyptic America and features badass sword-wielding, not quite human, warriors, mildly sociopathic witches, not very angelic angels, and all manner of other weird mythological creatures and beasties. With a splash of romance enough to make me grin like a weirdo, worldbuilding that knocks my socks off, and action by the bucket load, you can see why this series is right up their with my other Urban Fantasy favourites like Kate Daniels, The Hollows, Mercedes Thompson and all those other great female-led UF series. If you haven't started this series yet and you are a fan of any of the above, add this to your TBR today! You will not be sorry.
The warriors in this series—Shadowblades and Sunspears—act as guardians for the witches and are, in fact, the main focus of books, despite the slightly misleading series name. They're woven with spells that make them nearly indestructible, as well as faster, stronger, more resistant to extreme temperatures, etc. But the downside to all that is eternal servitude to the witch who turned them. Which wouldn't be so much of a problem unless, say for instance, that witch used to be your best friend and did it to you without your permission.
Yeah. That.
Our main character is Max (that's a girl, btw), but at this point in the series, it's fair to say that Alexander is just as much of a main character as it's told in alternating third person POVs between them. Max and Alexander not only have to fight all manner of nasty things in this book as part of their role as leaders of the Shadowblades, but they're also fighting some more personal demons, as well as their increasingly complicated feelings for each other.
Following on from the giant waves of magic that erupted a couple of books back, and then Max's trials in Shadow City, she and her fellow Blades are reunited once again and decide it's time they get out from behind the safety and insulation of Horngate's wards to check out the aftermath and find out what's happening with the humans still out there in the towns and cities. Which is nothing good, as it turns out. Food is in critical demand, people are reverting back to their baser natures, and where there's chaos and panic, there's always some douchecanoe wannabe dictator ready to lead them all up the creek without a paddle. Which loosely sums up the premise of this book, in a very crude and ineloquent way.
I thought the use of the split POVs proved really useful once again; allowing us to see the action from all sides at once. The awkwardness that's developed between Alexander and Max was showcased brilliantly, too. Max, being Max, isn't handling the new dynamic with Alexander very well. She's been acting like Jekyll and Hyde with him and he is both perplexed and annoyed by it. I fully expected Max to make some mistakes at the whole "relationship" thing, and she certainly didn't disappoint! I thought that entire situation was really well-written, and with a few unpredictable twists thrown in for good measure.
Overall, I thought the story was engaging, well-paced, amusing, emotional, exhilarating, intense...I mean, I could just go on and on. It was just superb urban fantasy.
So what are you waiting for, hmm? Go grab yourself a copy right now!
Happy reading:)
5 Stars! ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Horngate Witches series is set in a post magical apocalyptic America and features badass sword-wielding, not quite human, warriors, mildly sociopathic witches, not very angelic angels, and all manner of other weird mythological creatures and beasties. With a splash of romance enough to make me grin like a weirdo, worldbuilding that knocks my socks off, and action by the bucket load, you can see why this series is right up their with my other Urban Fantasy favourites like Kate Daniels, The Hollows, Mercedes Thompson and all those other great female-led UF series. If you haven't started this series yet and you are a fan of any of the above, add this to your TBR today! You will not be sorry.
The warriors in this series—Shadowblades and Sunspears—act as guardians for the witches and are, in fact, the main focus of books, despite the slightly misleading series name. They're woven with spells that make them nearly indestructible, as well as faster, stronger, more resistant to extreme temperatures, etc. But the downside to all that is eternal servitude to the witch who turned them. Which wouldn't be so much of a problem unless, say for instance, that witch used to be your best friend and did it to you without your permission.
Yeah. That.
Our main character is Max (that's a girl, btw), but at this point in the series, it's fair to say that Alexander is just as much of a main character as it's told in alternating third person POVs between them. Max and Alexander not only have to fight all manner of nasty things in this book as part of their role as leaders of the Shadowblades, but they're also fighting some more personal demons, as well as their increasingly complicated feelings for each other.
Following on from the giant waves of magic that erupted a couple of books back, and then Max's trials in Shadow City, she and her fellow Blades are reunited once again and decide it's time they get out from behind the safety and insulation of Horngate's wards to check out the aftermath and find out what's happening with the humans still out there in the towns and cities. Which is nothing good, as it turns out. Food is in critical demand, people are reverting back to their baser natures, and where there's chaos and panic, there's always some douchecanoe wannabe dictator ready to lead them all up the creek without a paddle. Which loosely sums up the premise of this book, in a very crude and ineloquent way.
I thought the use of the split POVs proved really useful once again; allowing us to see the action from all sides at once. The awkwardness that's developed between Alexander and Max was showcased brilliantly, too. Max, being Max, isn't handling the new dynamic with Alexander very well. She's been acting like Jekyll and Hyde with him and he is both perplexed and annoyed by it. I fully expected Max to make some mistakes at the whole "relationship" thing, and she certainly didn't disappoint! I thought that entire situation was really well-written, and with a few unpredictable twists thrown in for good measure.
Overall, I thought the story was engaging, well-paced, amusing, emotional, exhilarating, intense...I mean, I could just go on and on. It was just superb urban fantasy.
So what are you waiting for, hmm? Go grab yourself a copy right now!
Happy reading:)
5 Stars! ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
ssung's review against another edition
2.0
I feel that the end of this series got a bit overtaken with a relationship hot mess and much significant glances exchanged and angsting and hand-wringing with no actual sit-down-let's hash-this-out-like-adults-discussion. there is a time and place for snarky quips unless you're trying to paint a picture of a slightly tone-deaf asshole heroine.
Aside from that, I'm sort of frankly amazed that you can carry a whole series with two angels in the plot without getting to know anything about them. I spent most of the time skipping Alexander's angst (and angst over his lack of angst) - there was quite a lot of it in this particular book with a mildly disappointing conclusion to it (it wasn't magic?) - to see what was up with the angels.
Aside from that, I'm sort of frankly amazed that you can carry a whole series with two angels in the plot without getting to know anything about them. I spent most of the time skipping Alexander's angst (and angst over his lack of angst) - there was quite a lot of it in this particular book with a mildly disappointing conclusion to it (it wasn't magic?) - to see what was up with the angels.
chllybrd's review against another edition
4.0
BLOOD WINTER is the fourth book in the Horngate Witches series. This is a series you will want to start at the beginning with.
Max the female heroine has come a long way from the hate filled distant Shadowblade we first met in BITER NIGHT. Max has stepped up to the plate for the members of her team and for the Horngate community and continues to put them first even though she might not make it out of a situation. As for Max and Alexander's relationship. As in previous books there is a lot of up's and down's between the two. Max has a really hard time expressing her feelings and coming to terms with what they are together. Alexander definitely hurts her in BLOOD WINTER and I wasn't totally happy with the ending of their distance. It seemed a little to easy but I wont dwell on it because I love them together. We don't see the Sunspears in book 4 but the Shadowblade's are very prominent from beginning to end and I love their loyalty to each other. Max and Giselle's relationship has grown a ton since book 1. They have a mutual goal but I do love that they still bicker and have their disagreements. Max's family really annoyed me with their continued entitled selfishness. As always I enjoyed the new installment to the Horngate Witches series.
BLOOD WINTER was well paced with plenty of action and danger. We are introduced to some new characters and situations caused by the release of magic. We lose some more people but with the situations going on I'm sure that their will be more in future books if we are lucky enough to get them. Another reviewer mentioned that she read an interview where the author said BLOOD WINTER was the last of the series. I have not seen it and hope she is wrong. Although I like where most of the characters are in the end of Book 4 I by no means want it to be the end and there is so much we still don't know and answers still needing to be revealed. I need more!!!
Max the female heroine has come a long way from the hate filled distant Shadowblade we first met in BITER NIGHT. Max has stepped up to the plate for the members of her team and for the Horngate community and continues to put them first even though she might not make it out of a situation. As for Max and Alexander's relationship. As in previous books there is a lot of up's and down's between the two. Max has a really hard time expressing her feelings and coming to terms with what they are together. Alexander definitely hurts her in BLOOD WINTER and I wasn't totally happy with the ending of their distance. It seemed a little to easy but I wont dwell on it because I love them together. We don't see the Sunspears in book 4 but the Shadowblade's are very prominent from beginning to end and I love their loyalty to each other. Max and Giselle's relationship has grown a ton since book 1. They have a mutual goal but I do love that they still bicker and have their disagreements. Max's family really annoyed me with their continued entitled selfishness. As always I enjoyed the new installment to the Horngate Witches series.
BLOOD WINTER was well paced with plenty of action and danger. We are introduced to some new characters and situations caused by the release of magic. We lose some more people but with the situations going on I'm sure that their will be more in future books if we are lucky enough to get them. Another reviewer mentioned that she read an interview where the author said BLOOD WINTER was the last of the series. I have not seen it and hope she is wrong. Although I like where most of the characters are in the end of Book 4 I by no means want it to be the end and there is so much we still don't know and answers still needing to be revealed. I need more!!!
berls's review against another edition
5.0
My Initial Reaction…
I continue to devour this series, my only disappointment being that there this was the last book in the series.The story is far from over IMHO and I won’t lie, I’m VERY upset that it’s over! In all seriousness, I think this may be the main reason I can’t give Blood Winter 5 stars – it’s not a satisfactory ending to a series, as much as I loved every minute of it.
The Story…
In Blood Winter Max, Alexander, Kyle, Tory, and Carrie are preparing to go into town to see how the townsfolk have been dealing with the Change when disaster strikes. An unknown witch has gathered followers around him, making himself into the next Jesus – but his self-proclaimed work as “the right arm of God” is to wipe out the evil among them, namely Witches and those who consort with them. He brings his mission to Horngate’s doorstep – passing through their wards with four “witches” nailed up to burn. Of course Max and her crew resolve that something must be done about the unspeakable horrors he’s perpetrating against the helpless, but the more they work to defeat him the more powerful they realize he is and the more hopeless the situation seems. The Angel’s are still out and the Grimms (and Spike) take off, leaving the Coven ill equipped to fight without losing more of their family. Not to mention their still reeling from the loss of Niko. All the stress threatens to tear Max, Alexander, Tyler, Thor, Giselle, and the entire coven apart.
Like the rest of the series, Blood Winter was non-stop action, complete with painful descriptions of every horrible blow Max, Alexander and the rest of the crew took. For me, Blood Winter surpassed the others in the added element of mystery. Who was this preacher-dude and what hope did they have to defeat him? There were so many twists and I really never knew what was going to happen next, keeping me perpetually on my toes. Diana does an amazing job of capturing the feelings of despair that Max and really everyone were feeling and I definitely had a few teary eye moments. And watching this haphazard family come together at such a depressed moment to fight was arm-tingly, goosebumpy at times. Did I mention I loved this book?
Concluding Sentiments…
A really wonderful read. Diana Pharaoh Francis continues to weave incredibly unique fantasy with heart-wrenching and painful detail. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for deals on any other books she’s written for sure!
*This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.*
I continue to devour this series, my only disappointment being that there this was the last book in the series.The story is far from over IMHO and I won’t lie, I’m VERY upset that it’s over! In all seriousness, I think this may be the main reason I can’t give Blood Winter 5 stars – it’s not a satisfactory ending to a series, as much as I loved every minute of it.
The Story…
In Blood Winter Max, Alexander, Kyle, Tory, and Carrie are preparing to go into town to see how the townsfolk have been dealing with the Change when disaster strikes. An unknown witch has gathered followers around him, making himself into the next Jesus – but his self-proclaimed work as “the right arm of God” is to wipe out the evil among them, namely Witches and those who consort with them. He brings his mission to Horngate’s doorstep – passing through their wards with four “witches” nailed up to burn. Of course Max and her crew resolve that something must be done about the unspeakable horrors he’s perpetrating against the helpless, but the more they work to defeat him the more powerful they realize he is and the more hopeless the situation seems. The Angel’s are still out and the Grimms (and Spike) take off, leaving the Coven ill equipped to fight without losing more of their family. Not to mention their still reeling from the loss of Niko. All the stress threatens to tear Max, Alexander, Tyler, Thor, Giselle, and the entire coven apart.
Like the rest of the series, Blood Winter was non-stop action, complete with painful descriptions of every horrible blow Max, Alexander and the rest of the crew took. For me, Blood Winter surpassed the others in the added element of mystery. Who was this preacher-dude and what hope did they have to defeat him? There were so many twists and I really never knew what was going to happen next, keeping me perpetually on my toes. Diana does an amazing job of capturing the feelings of despair that Max and really everyone were feeling and I definitely had a few teary eye moments. And watching this haphazard family come together at such a depressed moment to fight was arm-tingly, goosebumpy at times. Did I mention I loved this book?
Concluding Sentiments…
A really wonderful read. Diana Pharaoh Francis continues to weave incredibly unique fantasy with heart-wrenching and painful detail. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for deals on any other books she’s written for sure!
*This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.*
alexiachantel's review against another edition
3.0
The end of the Horngate Witches series, Blood Winter is a nice ending to this urban fantasy series.
You still get your action, you still get your characters you have come to care for, and you still get Max and Alexander tip toeing around their attraction. Well Max is still hesitant, Alexander repeatedly puts himself out on the line..waiting and waiting. Yes there are some twists, but perhaps a little too late?
A satisfying ending overall. If you read the whole series you can see Francis grow as a writer. It will be interesting to see what her next projects will be, what worlds and mythical creatures she breaths life into.
You still get your action, you still get your characters you have come to care for, and you still get Max and Alexander tip toeing around their attraction. Well Max is still hesitant, Alexander repeatedly puts himself out on the line..waiting and waiting. Yes there are some twists, but perhaps a little too late?
A satisfying ending overall. If you read the whole series you can see Francis grow as a writer. It will be interesting to see what her next projects will be, what worlds and mythical creatures she breaths life into.
nyxshadow's review against another edition
4.0
http://www.nyx-shadow.com/2016/05/le-cercle-des-sorcieres-t4-un-hiver-de.html
The last book and a good one. The author writes about all characters than Max take care, even the second book's people.
The story is curious because Horngate and the readers don't know anything about Sterling before. We understand how people can "survive" in this new world and how some devious people manipulate a crow.
I think the description is a little optimistic. Max can make moves only at the end so talk about a trap is anticipated.
I really dislike Max' family. All members are egocentric and real pain-in-the-ass. I mean her brother or her niece are real asshole and Max save them all the time. It's disgusting by the time. But it's maybe her karma. Because between Alexander and Max it's not a beautiful love story.
I think it's an easy trick, but Max realised then she can act like a bitch and have her lover at the same time.
I'm pretty happy to learn more about angels, but I'm frustrated: it's the end of the series and I want more! More Max, more angels, more Scooter and his dimension, more Giselle and Horngate... It's a rich and beautiful world whom can be a great place for more adventures. Maybe one day?
The last book and a good one. The author writes about all characters than Max take care, even the second book's people.
The story is curious because Horngate and the readers don't know anything about Sterling before. We understand how people can "survive" in this new world and how some devious people manipulate a crow.
I think the description is a little optimistic. Max can make moves only at the end so talk about a trap is anticipated.
I really dislike Max' family. All members are egocentric and real pain-in-the-ass. I mean her brother or her niece are real asshole and Max save them all the time. It's disgusting by the time. But it's maybe her karma. Because between Alexander and Max it's not a beautiful love story.
I think it's an easy trick, but Max realised then she can act like a bitch and have her lover at the same time.
I'm pretty happy to learn more about angels, but I'm frustrated: it's the end of the series and I want more! More Max, more angels, more Scooter and his dimension, more Giselle and Horngate... It's a rich and beautiful world whom can be a great place for more adventures. Maybe one day?
cmira2027's review against another edition
3.0
I seem to be in the minority here, but I did not enjoy this book as much as the other/ in this series. This appears to be the last of the Horngate books and it did end well but I felt there was something missing here,I found myself skimming through the pages to get to the end. That said, overall I enjoyed this series and look forward to what the author has next to offer.
vailynst's review
3.0
A cloying red dust clings to skin and is found scattered everywhere within the covenstead and seems to be the connecting evidence as new horrors arise. The Grims and Spike follow a magical event and leaves Horngate behind. A fanatic has formed a riotous following and is spreading mayhem to those who fail to follow his faith. Max and Alexander are emotionally crippled by their love and pain of loss. There's no down time to take in everything that's happened. There's no rest to shut out the world, grieve, laugh, cry and breathe again to keep going forward. It's a fight against insurmountable odds and the key is the love & faith those of Horngate covenstead have for each other and their sanctuary.
Whew... The story is devastating. I had to push myself to read this book. I wasn't ready for the story to turn into what it did. I've read my share of horror stories and thrillers. I don't think I've responded to them quite the way I did to Blood Winter. In the first three books of the series, I would have described the books as dark, gritty, flippantly sarcastic, quietly rewarding and adventurous. None of which prepares me for this book.
Quite hopeless. Bleak. Disturbing. Awful.
The visceral, ghost rape of Max by Shoftiel--I'm not sure if that was necessary. Was it? It's not the first time I read of a character being raped in a story but this one punched me in the gut. It was quick and merciless. Then there is hardly a reaction from it by Max. That doesn't happen.
If the point of this story is to pull a reader into a dark, foaming sadness and lethargic helplessness, then it succeeded. However, the transitions between the pit of despair and what goes for normalcy in the novels is non-existent.
I wasn't surprised that a powerful Angel is behind the destruction. Yet, I'm VASTLY unsatisfied with the way Max defeats him. The answer conveniently plops into her hands?
Out of no where, Max comes back and knocks Sterling in the head and ends his magical warfare. COME ON!!! So much happens that the fix is totally unbelievable! Maybe it would be different if the storyline went back to Max and tells the reader how she ends up knocking Sterling out.
Max deals with a heavy burden of loss. She takes every death as a personal debt that weighs on her heart and soul. A good chunk of the novel talks about how awful she feels about the losses of Niko and Simon, etc. Then she gets raped and there's barely a reaction to that before she goes on and does what she needs to do? Argh!
I admit, the last few chapters made me feel better. The overall tone lightened and the narrative felt like what I've come to expect from this series. It was good for it to feel the way it should. At least, I'm not walking away feeling totally horrified. This is not an easy book to read. It doesn't make it bad. Yet it does make it very different and inconsistent with the other books in the series.
I'm glad that Max and Alexander remain together and are stronger for the emotional fights they fight with themselves and one another. I'm glad they all have the same smartass, intelligent humor. That's my favorite kind, after all.
I hope [a:Diana Pharaoh Francis|8646|Diana Pharaoh Francis|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1269618083p2/8646.jpg] finds another way to finish the series. I'm left with too many unanswered questions and I do want to know what happens to all the characters I've gotten to know. I don't want this book to be the last. That would be a shame.
Whew... The story is devastating. I had to push myself to read this book. I wasn't ready for the story to turn into what it did. I've read my share of horror stories and thrillers. I don't think I've responded to them quite the way I did to Blood Winter. In the first three books of the series, I would have described the books as dark, gritty, flippantly sarcastic, quietly rewarding and adventurous. None of which prepares me for this book.
Spoiler
The change was too much. It's not like there weren't brutal, horrific things happening in the story before. But it does not COMPARE to what happens in this one. I cringed inside when I read about children being staked to wooden crosses and being tortured. It sucked. It's heartbreaking. It doesn't stop there. It just grows more dark, injuries that defy healing, emotional trauma, and vaguely described monsters that reign terror & destruction.Quite hopeless. Bleak. Disturbing. Awful.
The visceral, ghost rape of Max by Shoftiel--I'm not sure if that was necessary. Was it? It's not the first time I read of a character being raped in a story but this one punched me in the gut. It was quick and merciless. Then there is hardly a reaction from it by Max. That doesn't happen.
If the point of this story is to pull a reader into a dark, foaming sadness and lethargic helplessness, then it succeeded. However, the transitions between the pit of despair and what goes for normalcy in the novels is non-existent.
I wasn't surprised that a powerful Angel is behind the destruction. Yet, I'm VASTLY unsatisfied with the way Max defeats him. The answer conveniently plops into her hands?
Out of no where, Max comes back and knocks Sterling in the head and ends his magical warfare. COME ON!!! So much happens that the fix is totally unbelievable! Maybe it would be different if the storyline went back to Max and tells the reader how she ends up knocking Sterling out.
Max deals with a heavy burden of loss. She takes every death as a personal debt that weighs on her heart and soul. A good chunk of the novel talks about how awful she feels about the losses of Niko and Simon, etc. Then she gets raped and there's barely a reaction to that before she goes on and does what she needs to do? Argh!
I admit, the last few chapters made me feel better. The overall tone lightened and the narrative felt like what I've come to expect from this series. It was good for it to feel the way it should. At least, I'm not walking away feeling totally horrified. This is not an easy book to read. It doesn't make it bad. Yet it does make it very different and inconsistent with the other books in the series.
I'm glad that Max and Alexander remain together and are stronger for the emotional fights they fight with themselves and one another. I'm glad they all have the same smartass, intelligent humor. That's my favorite kind, after all.
I hope [a:Diana Pharaoh Francis|8646|Diana Pharaoh Francis|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1269618083p2/8646.jpg] finds another way to finish the series. I'm left with too many unanswered questions and I do want to know what happens to all the characters I've gotten to know. I don't want this book to be the last. That would be a shame.
vailynst's review against another edition
3.0
A cloying red dust clings to skin and is found scattered everywhere within the covenstead and seems to be the connecting evidence as new horrors arise. The Grims and Spike follow a magical event and leaves Horngate behind. A fanatic has formed a riotous following and is spreading mayhem to those who fail to follow his faith. Max and Alexander are emotionally crippled by their love and pain of loss. There's no down time to take in everything that's happened. There's no rest to shut out the world, grieve, laugh, cry and breathe again to keep going forward. It's a fight against insurmountable odds and the key is the love & faith those of Horngate covenstead have for each other and their sanctuary.
Whew... The story is devastating. I had to push myself to read this book. I wasn't ready for the story to turn into what it did. I've read my share of horror stories and thrillers. I don't think I've responded to them quite the way I did to Blood Winter. In the first three books of the series, I would have described the books as dark, gritty, flippantly sarcastic, quietly rewarding and adventurous. None of which prepares me for this book.
The change was too much. It's not like there weren't brutal, horrific things happening in the story before. But it does not COMPARE to what happens in this one. I cringed inside when I read about children being staked to wooden crosses and being tortured. It sucked. It's heartbreaking. It doesn't stop there. It just grows more dark, injuries that defy healing, emotional trauma, and vaguely described monsters that reign terror & destruction.
Quite hopeless. Bleak. Disturbing. Awful.
The visceral, ghost rape of Max by Shoftiel--I'm not sure if that was necessary. Was it? It's not the first time I read of a character being raped in a story but this one punched me in the gut. It was quick and merciless. Then there is hardly a reaction from it by Max. That doesn't happen.
If the point of this story is to pull a reader into a dark, foaming sadness and lethargic helplessness, then it succeeded. However, the transitions between the pit of despair and what goes for normalcy in the novels is non-existent.
I wasn't surprised that a powerful Angel is behind the destruction. Yet, I'm VASTLY unsatisfied with the way Max defeats him. The answer conveniently plops into her hands?
Out of no where, Max comes back and knocks Sterling in the head and ends his magical warfare. COME ON!!! So much happens that the fix is totally unbelievable! Maybe it would be different if the storyline went back to Max and tells the reader how she ends up knocking Sterling out.
Max deals with a heavy burden of loss. She takes every death as a personal debt that weighs on her heart and soul. A good chunk of the novel talks about how awful she feels about the losses of Niko and Simon, etc. Then she gets raped and there's barely a reaction to that before she goes on and does what she needs to do? Argh!
I admit, the last few chapters made me feel better. The overall tone lightened and the narrative felt like what I've come to expect from this series. It was good for it to feel the way it should. At least, I'm not walking away feeling totally horrified. This is not an easy book to read. It doesn't make it bad. Yet it does make it very different and inconsistent with the other books in the series.
I'm glad that Max and Alexander remain together and are stronger for the emotional fights they fight with themselves and one another. I'm glad they all have the same smartass, intelligent humor. That's my favorite kind, after all.
I hope [a:Diana Pharaoh Francis|8646|Diana Pharaoh Francis|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1269618083p2/8646.jpg] finds another way to finish the series. I'm left with too many unanswered questions and I do want to know what happens to all the characters I've gotten to know. I don't want this book to be the last. That would be a shame.
Whew... The story is devastating. I had to push myself to read this book. I wasn't ready for the story to turn into what it did. I've read my share of horror stories and thrillers. I don't think I've responded to them quite the way I did to Blood Winter. In the first three books of the series, I would have described the books as dark, gritty, flippantly sarcastic, quietly rewarding and adventurous. None of which prepares me for this book.
Quite hopeless. Bleak. Disturbing. Awful.
The visceral, ghost rape of Max by Shoftiel--I'm not sure if that was necessary. Was it? It's not the first time I read of a character being raped in a story but this one punched me in the gut. It was quick and merciless. Then there is hardly a reaction from it by Max. That doesn't happen.
If the point of this story is to pull a reader into a dark, foaming sadness and lethargic helplessness, then it succeeded. However, the transitions between the pit of despair and what goes for normalcy in the novels is non-existent.
I wasn't surprised that a powerful Angel is behind the destruction. Yet, I'm VASTLY unsatisfied with the way Max defeats him. The answer conveniently plops into her hands?
Out of no where, Max comes back and knocks Sterling in the head and ends his magical warfare. COME ON!!! So much happens that the fix is totally unbelievable! Maybe it would be different if the storyline went back to Max and tells the reader how she ends up knocking Sterling out.
Max deals with a heavy burden of loss. She takes every death as a personal debt that weighs on her heart and soul. A good chunk of the novel talks about how awful she feels about the losses of Niko and Simon, etc. Then she gets raped and there's barely a reaction to that before she goes on and does what she needs to do? Argh!
I admit, the last few chapters made me feel better. The overall tone lightened and the narrative felt like what I've come to expect from this series. It was good for it to feel the way it should. At least, I'm not walking away feeling totally horrified. This is not an easy book to read. It doesn't make it bad. Yet it does make it very different and inconsistent with the other books in the series.
I'm glad that Max and Alexander remain together and are stronger for the emotional fights they fight with themselves and one another. I'm glad they all have the same smartass, intelligent humor. That's my favorite kind, after all.
I hope [a:Diana Pharaoh Francis|8646|Diana Pharaoh Francis|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1269618083p2/8646.jpg] finds another way to finish the series. I'm left with too many unanswered questions and I do want to know what happens to all the characters I've gotten to know. I don't want this book to be the last. That would be a shame.
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