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The Pride #3
Blood and Sand
War has come to the streets of Chicago…
Sam Cunningham didn’t set out to work for a gangster, but his job as Mickey Sullivan’s hexmaster seems safe enough…until a gang war puts a target on both of their backs.
Cheetah-shifter Alistair Gatti is desperate to keep his family’s speakeasy up and running. But with a brutal assassin killing off the city’s bootleggers, his options are growing slimmer with every passing day.
Their one chance to remain safe and keep The Pride afloat lies in the form of an ancient hex looted from an Egyptian tomb. If Sam wants to escape Sullivan’s grasp, he needs to recreate the hex and get it to work.
But in a gang war fought by magic as well as guns, the odds are in no one’s favor, and the streets of Chicago will soon run red with blood.
Sam Cunningham didn’t set out to work for a gangster, but his job as Mickey Sullivan’s hexmaster seems safe enough…until a gang war puts a target on both of their backs.
Cheetah-shifter Alistair Gatti is desperate to keep his family’s speakeasy up and running. But with a brutal assassin killing off the city’s bootleggers, his options are growing slimmer with every passing day.
Their one chance to remain safe and keep The Pride afloat lies in the form of an ancient hex looted from an Egyptian tomb. If Sam wants to escape Sullivan’s grasp, he needs to recreate the hex and get it to work.
But in a gang war fought by magic as well as guns, the odds are in no one’s favor, and the streets of Chicago will soon run red with blood.
242 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 13, 2026
About the author
Jordan L. Hawk
85 books2,652 followersJordan L. Hawk is a trans author from North Carolina. Childhood tales of mountain ghosts and mysterious creatures gave him a life-long love of things that go bump in the night. When he isn’t writing, he brews his own beer and tries to keep the cats from destroying the house. His best-selling Whyborne & Griffin series (beginning with Widdershins) can be found in print, ebook, and audiobook.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
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March 16, 2026A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Blood and Sand is the third book in Jordan L. Hawk’s The Pride series. It’s been over a year since the last book, and about five years since the first one came out, but I found I was easily able to jump back into this world and these engaging characters. The story picks up in the aftermath of the events in Lion’s Tail, with Sam now in charge of the hexworks in Mickey’s operation. It is exciting and challenging work for Sam and he enjoys his job, but it has brought him ever deeper into Mickey’s organization, something that makes Alistair quite wary. He knows the risks if they get drawn into Mickey’s world, especially as Mickey is trying to bring in Alistair and his family as well.
I am not sure if this book ends the series, but it at least ties up all the major storylines and gives us a nice resolution on pretty much all fronts. I really liked how things all come together and where the men end up, both in their relationship and among their found family. This series is really entertaining and I have enjoyed following along with Sam and Alistair’s adventures.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Blood and Sand is the third book in Jordan L. Hawk’s The Pride series. It’s been over a year since the last book, and about five years since the first one came out, but I found I was easily able to jump back into this world and these engaging characters. The story picks up in the aftermath of the events in Lion’s Tail, with Sam now in charge of the hexworks in Mickey’s operation. It is exciting and challenging work for Sam and he enjoys his job, but it has brought him ever deeper into Mickey’s organization, something that makes Alistair quite wary. He knows the risks if they get drawn into Mickey’s world, especially as Mickey is trying to bring in Alistair and his family as well.
I am not sure if this book ends the series, but it at least ties up all the major storylines and gives us a nice resolution on pretty much all fronts. I really liked how things all come together and where the men end up, both in their relationship and among their found family. This series is really entertaining and I have enjoyed following along with Sam and Alistair’s adventures.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
March 22, 2026
Mr Hawk you’ve done it again. Nice quick read and a good finale to the series that I didn’t even know was coming.
March 22, 2026
I think Sam is one of my least favorite characters in recent memory. His extreme "Choirboy"-ness along with his self-loathing victimhood set my teeth on edge rather than endear him to me.
April 29, 2026
Prior to Sam coming to Chicago to stay with his now departed cousin, it would have been unthinkable for him to become a hexmaker much less a hexmaster for the mob boss, Mickey Sullivan. Yet three books in to the series and Sam has proved his loyalty to Sullivan, and without compromising too much of what makes him the likable character he is. Still, though, Sam’s romantic partner and familiar, Alistair Gotti, is very distrustful of Sam’s job and he often acts overprotective.
Meanwhile, bootleggers and gangsters are being killed in Chicago at an alarming rate. It’s not escaping the notice of Sullivan’s crew, but Alistair, his found family, and their speakeasy, The Pride, are really being affected. Sam is trying to prove himself at work, especially since his old mentor betrayed the gangster, and in the middle of all the hullaballoo, his sister shows up saying that Sam needs to return to the rural little hometown and the family who has used him and misplaced the blame of his brother and mother’s death on him. The discovery of an ancient hex has Sam hoping he can fix everything for everyone he cares about.
God, did I really want Sam to be right. The Egyptian hex is dangerous, but it might bring back the dead that are haunting Sam, and his boss, as well as save the Pride, or so Sam thinks. And with the promises Sam makes, he gets himself in even deeper waters. Alistair, is afraid for his witch and for what Sullivan might do with the hex once it is created. I understood his concern, but Sam was so earnest that I really hoped he would be right. I won’t go into too much detail that would spoil the story, but it is safe to say that things don’t turn out exactly as planned.
Through this creepy and adventurous experiment, Sam has to learn not to blame himself for things he had no control over, and to stop letting his family’s treatment of him stop him from being confident and happy in his newfound abilities or with his romantic relationship. Alistair and his family have to learn that their bonds can’t be broken even if their club isn’t the success they hoped it would be. There is a lot to say for letting go of the past and making the best of a fresh start!
It does seem like it might be the end of this series at the last scene of this book, and if so I was definitely satisfied with the ending and happy with the conclusion. I enjoyed seeing Sam and Alistair grow and embrace the feelings they have for each other as well as the new lives they have chosen throughout the series. I loved the narration by Greg Tremblay, as he is a favorite of mine., and I can’t wait to see what worlds the author will continue to write or create new in the next book.
Meanwhile, bootleggers and gangsters are being killed in Chicago at an alarming rate. It’s not escaping the notice of Sullivan’s crew, but Alistair, his found family, and their speakeasy, The Pride, are really being affected. Sam is trying to prove himself at work, especially since his old mentor betrayed the gangster, and in the middle of all the hullaballoo, his sister shows up saying that Sam needs to return to the rural little hometown and the family who has used him and misplaced the blame of his brother and mother’s death on him. The discovery of an ancient hex has Sam hoping he can fix everything for everyone he cares about.
God, did I really want Sam to be right. The Egyptian hex is dangerous, but it might bring back the dead that are haunting Sam, and his boss, as well as save the Pride, or so Sam thinks. And with the promises Sam makes, he gets himself in even deeper waters. Alistair, is afraid for his witch and for what Sullivan might do with the hex once it is created. I understood his concern, but Sam was so earnest that I really hoped he would be right. I won’t go into too much detail that would spoil the story, but it is safe to say that things don’t turn out exactly as planned.
Through this creepy and adventurous experiment, Sam has to learn not to blame himself for things he had no control over, and to stop letting his family’s treatment of him stop him from being confident and happy in his newfound abilities or with his romantic relationship. Alistair and his family have to learn that their bonds can’t be broken even if their club isn’t the success they hoped it would be. There is a lot to say for letting go of the past and making the best of a fresh start!
It does seem like it might be the end of this series at the last scene of this book, and if so I was definitely satisfied with the ending and happy with the conclusion. I enjoyed seeing Sam and Alistair grow and embrace the feelings they have for each other as well as the new lives they have chosen throughout the series. I loved the narration by Greg Tremblay, as he is a favorite of mine., and I can’t wait to see what worlds the author will continue to write or create new in the next book.
April 29, 2026
Blood and Sand (The Pride 3)
By Jordan L. Hawk, 2026
Five stars
The long-awaited third part of The Pride trilogy, Blood & Sand takes us back to Chicago of the 1920s, but in the context of Jordan L. Hawk’s Hexworld—a world where magic not only exists, but has become part of the fabric of everyday life. This is the Chicago of Prohibition, with speakeasies and gangsters, all fueled by magic. Those that write the hexes that run life are often paired with their familiars—which in this world means animal shifters who bond with their magical humans. The hexworkers draw power from their familiars.
We come into the story with a murder that looks like the beginning of a gang war over control of the illicit liquor supply from Canada into Chicago. Alistair Gatti, who runs The Pride with his siblings, is pair-bonded with Sam Cunningham, a brilliant hex-maker who escaped from a cruel fundamentalist family and found a new life in Chicago. Alistair is a cheetah shifter, and his siblings are also big cats.
The looming turf war is a problem for the Gattis, since Sam works for Mickey Sullivan, the most powerful of all the liquor kings in the city. The orphaned Gattis have put all they have into their nightclub, and also created a chosen family in which they find love and safety. All they’ve worked for is at risk.
Hawk gives us a narrative full of the slang of 1920s Chicago, layering the realities of Prohibition America with her distinctive fantasy world of hard-working witches and their familiars. Alistair and Sam are the central characters, the people we get to know best, but Sam’s mobster boss becomes a vivid character in this passion play about love, loss, and the quest for power.
By Jordan L. Hawk, 2026
Five stars
The long-awaited third part of The Pride trilogy, Blood & Sand takes us back to Chicago of the 1920s, but in the context of Jordan L. Hawk’s Hexworld—a world where magic not only exists, but has become part of the fabric of everyday life. This is the Chicago of Prohibition, with speakeasies and gangsters, all fueled by magic. Those that write the hexes that run life are often paired with their familiars—which in this world means animal shifters who bond with their magical humans. The hexworkers draw power from their familiars.
We come into the story with a murder that looks like the beginning of a gang war over control of the illicit liquor supply from Canada into Chicago. Alistair Gatti, who runs The Pride with his siblings, is pair-bonded with Sam Cunningham, a brilliant hex-maker who escaped from a cruel fundamentalist family and found a new life in Chicago. Alistair is a cheetah shifter, and his siblings are also big cats.
The looming turf war is a problem for the Gattis, since Sam works for Mickey Sullivan, the most powerful of all the liquor kings in the city. The orphaned Gattis have put all they have into their nightclub, and also created a chosen family in which they find love and safety. All they’ve worked for is at risk.
Hawk gives us a narrative full of the slang of 1920s Chicago, layering the realities of Prohibition America with her distinctive fantasy world of hard-working witches and their familiars. Alistair and Sam are the central characters, the people we get to know best, but Sam’s mobster boss becomes a vivid character in this passion play about love, loss, and the quest for power.
March 15, 2026
This book seems to be the final in The Pride trilogy and absolutely has to be read in order. I have really enjoyed the journey with Sam - witch and sweet, self-deprecating man out of his depth - and Alistair - his cheetah-shifter familiar and a protective man who survived WWI. This series has strong characters and a lot of period detail, despite the paranormal/urban fantasy genre.
Alistair and his fellow shifter found-family are still running their speakeasy in Chicago, but violence is making it hard to find suppliers for the illegal booze they sell. They really don't want to be pulled into the high-powered gangster empire of Sam's boss, Sullivan, but when yet another independent supplier is mysteriously murdered, they are running out of options.
At the same time, Sullivan has purchased the contents of an Egyptian burial with some very intriguing spell hexes included. Sam, as his hex-master, is charged with trying to puzzle them out. He's becoming convinced he might have found a way to undo all the harm he feels responsible for in the recent past.
Alistair and Sam are a bit at odds for most of this story, their worries and passions running on separate tracks, with Sam hiding a lot from Alistair. The arrival of Sam's obnoxious sister doesn't help matters. The tension and conflict then spiral into a dramatic action climax, and a satisfying HEA.
This is a fun series for lovers of historical paranormal.
Alistair and his fellow shifter found-family are still running their speakeasy in Chicago, but violence is making it hard to find suppliers for the illegal booze they sell. They really don't want to be pulled into the high-powered gangster empire of Sam's boss, Sullivan, but when yet another independent supplier is mysteriously murdered, they are running out of options.
At the same time, Sullivan has purchased the contents of an Egyptian burial with some very intriguing spell hexes included. Sam, as his hex-master, is charged with trying to puzzle them out. He's becoming convinced he might have found a way to undo all the harm he feels responsible for in the recent past.
Alistair and Sam are a bit at odds for most of this story, their worries and passions running on separate tracks, with Sam hiding a lot from Alistair. The arrival of Sam's obnoxious sister doesn't help matters. The tension and conflict then spiral into a dramatic action climax, and a satisfying HEA.
This is a fun series for lovers of historical paranormal.
May 4, 2026
This series had some definite potential and the writing is great, as it always is from Jordan Hawk.
However, Sam's propensity to be a doormat, where his family is concerned, really grated on my nerves. He never once stands up for himself and practically nods his head in agreement every time they blame him for their own bad choices and losses. He was a child when his brother, who was older than him, died, but somehow that's Sam's fault and Sam is the one that should have died. It's Sam's fault his mother died and again, it should have been Sam. They actually said these things to him and he took it. Every. Single. Time. And they do not appreciate anything he continues to do for them. Three books of that was too much. He grew and flourished in so many other ways, but 100% reverted to Doormat Sam anytime his family came along to abuse him.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book and the series as a whole. And if it weren't for Sam's continued doormat personality I would have rated this higher.
However, Sam's propensity to be a doormat, where his family is concerned, really grated on my nerves. He never once stands up for himself and practically nods his head in agreement every time they blame him for their own bad choices and losses. He was a child when his brother, who was older than him, died, but somehow that's Sam's fault and Sam is the one that should have died. It's Sam's fault his mother died and again, it should have been Sam. They actually said these things to him and he took it. Every. Single. Time. And they do not appreciate anything he continues to do for them. Three books of that was too much. He grew and flourished in so many other ways, but 100% reverted to Doormat Sam anytime his family came along to abuse him.
Other than that, I enjoyed this book and the series as a whole. And if it weren't for Sam's continued doormat personality I would have rated this higher.
April 15, 2026
This review is based on the audio book format.
I’ve followed Jordan Hawk’s The Pride series with true enjoyment. Each book brings both a charming vernacular from Prohibition times, like brilliant mage Sam called wisehead by his bodyguard, and a ruthless Chicago mob boss forcing shifter members of The Pride speakeasy to choose sides. I particularly enjoyed Hawk’s world of hex creation and copy. Anyone who could afford a hex, like keeping your clothes clean, bought a hex. This latest book made Egyptian artifacts promising to bring the dead back to life and gang warfare the final crossroads the Pride family had to choose in order to survive.
Excellent narration by a talented voice actor. I apologize for not noting his name 😔. Kudos to Jordan Hawk for choosing a human voice actor rather than an AI virtual voice.
I’ve followed Jordan Hawk’s The Pride series with true enjoyment. Each book brings both a charming vernacular from Prohibition times, like brilliant mage Sam called wisehead by his bodyguard, and a ruthless Chicago mob boss forcing shifter members of The Pride speakeasy to choose sides. I particularly enjoyed Hawk’s world of hex creation and copy. Anyone who could afford a hex, like keeping your clothes clean, bought a hex. This latest book made Egyptian artifacts promising to bring the dead back to life and gang warfare the final crossroads the Pride family had to choose in order to survive.
Excellent narration by a talented voice actor. I apologize for not noting his name 😔. Kudos to Jordan Hawk for choosing a human voice actor rather than an AI virtual voice.
Review of advance copy
I've read Patreon ARC. ...Not in a single sitting this time, but only because I did have to sleep. It was a very enjoyable read. As always I'm impressed by the fact that Hawk doesn't have a single dead minute in his plot. Every scene, even "downtime scenes" serves the main plot. It's what makes reading so easy and addictive.
As for the plot, the gang war over Chicago reaches its culmination and conclusion on this final (?) entry in the series and Sam and Alistair are right at the heart of it. I wouldn't say any more, only it definitely wasn't predictable (well, except the "no free lunch" theorem). Choirboy FTW.
As for the plot, the gang war over Chicago reaches its culmination and conclusion on this final (?) entry in the series and Sam and Alistair are right at the heart of it. I wouldn't say any more, only it definitely wasn't predictable (well, except the "no free lunch" theorem). Choirboy FTW.
March 30, 2026
This trilogy never lived up to Hawk's original Hexworld series (including Hexbreaker and Hexhunter), but it culminates in a rousing climax reminiscent of Widdershins. A satisfying epilogue offers Sam, Alistair and friends new opportunities beyond Chicago bootlegging.
March 17, 2026
The Pride are back and they seem to be caught in a liquor war between 2 big enemies. Sullivan and Fabriano.
Sam now works for Sullivan as his head hex maker and is pulled in when Sullivan 'finds' some Egyptian antiquities including a large gold artifact which has lots of symbols, some known and some unknown, its up to Sam to sort it out.
An intriguing mystery. Wasn't sure about the ending of the book and whether this is the end for this gang.
Sam now works for Sullivan as his head hex maker and is pulled in when Sullivan 'finds' some Egyptian antiquities including a large gold artifact which has lots of symbols, some known and some unknown, its up to Sam to sort it out.
An intriguing mystery. Wasn't sure about the ending of the book and whether this is the end for this gang.
March 19, 2026
A good story but I struggled some with this one. I still really loved the witch/familiar aspect. I just got tired of Sam's negativity and how he still helped his wretched mean ungrateful family. I don't know why Alistair put up with him. The part with Sullivan's son was so sad. Glad they are okay in the end.
March 20, 2026
This book was a "hold onto your hat" type of book. The action was almost nonstop, with what Sam had to deal with on his job and what Alistair and the Pride had to navigate with the beer wars. Sam's horrible, horrible family were still there, making Sam feel like he had to shoulder so much responsibility. And the ending was intense. I was glad to see where the two of ended up.
April 17, 2026
yikes, this book was depressing. There wasn't a single positive thing in it. I read books to escape reality and feel good. I don't want to see the couple constantly fighting. If they are, they shouldn't be together. On top we have family issues and a "war"...
March 23, 2026
Great fun!
Interesting and different take on the Roaring 20's and gangsters all with a lot of.magic thrown in. Loved the series and Sam and Alistair. Highly recommend!
Interesting and different take on the Roaring 20's and gangsters all with a lot of.magic thrown in. Loved the series and Sam and Alistair. Highly recommend!
March 31, 2026
A satisfying close to the Prohibition Chicago story.
April 24, 2026
Enjoyable story that is well written with likeable characters and good world building. The narration is very good as well.
April 26, 2026
This book was almost perfect a 4.75 out of 5. The story lines, the characters, the historical context, all fantastic. I hope there is more stories to be told for these characters.
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