Bitter Night review

Bitter Night was written by the author, Diana Pharaoh Francis. The novel was published three years ago in 2009.  Bitter Night is the first novel in the Horngate Witches series. The series is in the supernatural genre.

Bitter Night is a unique, dark and thrilling novel. The novel had drama, betrayal, friendship, adventure, astounding loyalty and the tinniest bit of romance.  The main character, Max, has an amazing sense of loyalty and friendship. She will do anything for those she considers her friends or family.  It has drama and adventure because of the fighting action and Max fighting to save her makeshift family.  Max had been betrayed several years before the start of the novel by Giselle, a witch, who she thought was her friend. I can not fully understand why Giselle would betray Max so completely. Giselle magically transformed Max to be not only stronger and faster but also a slave.  Giselle wants to save Horngate, her home, which she said she could not save without Max. The little bit of romance comes from the second main character called, Alexander, and Max.  Max saves Alexander from death and tries to help Max on her mission to save Horngate, which is where her friends were at.

Max, the main character, is incredibly bitter about Giselle’s betrayal.  Giselle not only made her a slave, but subjected her to torture, whenever Max did not bend to Giselle’s control.  Max is considered a very powerful being. Max is almost Zen like and is also learned to become detached, when she is afraid of getting hurt. She also attempts to separate herself from people so that she does not get betrayal again, like with Giselle.

The second main character is Alexander, which is Max’s future love interest. Alexander is very comfortable with these extraordinary abilities, that are magically enhanced, and he likes the society he found himself in. Max, on the other hand, hates her life and how she has ended up. She is almost suicidal in her actions and will not hesitate to place herself in dangerous situations. This might be because that she wants to be free of Giselle, but she might also want to stay alive just to kill Giselle as well. Alexander is more stable. He is more concerned with keeping his life and completing what he needs to do.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes drama, friendship, romance, and the supernatural. Bitter Night is chilling and dark. The novel is incredibly good and I love the depth of the characters. Bitter Night is a must read.