Review: The Harbinger by Candace Wondrak

THE HARBINGER

A Reverse Harem Fantasy

by Candace Wondrak

YA Fantasy / Romance

175 pages

COMING...

NOVEMBER 5th, 2018!!!

The rules of the Second, a list by Faith Blackwell. 

One: technology doesn’t work. The Second doesn’t need electricity when it has magic. Two: don’t trust anyone. The Second’s races—the Elven, the Malus, the Ulen and the Dracon—are way too pretty to trust. Three: when someone tells you you’re the new Harbinger, believe them. Bad things happen if you don’t. 

Back in the sixties, the last Harbinger permanently opened the gateways between Earth and the Second. Humanity grew accordingly. Faith is in her fifth year at the Academy, with her sight set on joining the Division, the branch of government that enforces what most law enforcement can’t, like smuggling goods between worlds. Following her mother’s footsteps has always been the plan. 

Of course, she doesn’t want to follow them to a T. Her mother had awful luck with men, as did her grandma. Faith wouldn’t mind finding out what’s so special about a man that it has her quirky grandma swearing at them constantly. A field trip to the Second is just what she needs. 

Being the first female Harbinger in the Second’s history and having to face down the realm’s most dangerous Dracon, also known as the ridiculously-named Dread King? Not what she needs. 

Faith isn’t a hero. That sort of responsibility is not what she wants. The perks that come with it—like a sexy but infuriating Elf, a flirty Malus, and a quiet and pensive Ulen—well, maybe for them she’ll make an exception to her grandma’s no-man rule. 

Maybe she’ll have them all. 

The Harbinger is the first in a slow-burn, reverse harem fantasy series. Expect eventual hot and steamy scenes, coupled with the Chosen One trope, and a heroine who will reluctantly try to save a world that isn’t hers. 

MY TIDBITS

Set in a high fantasy world, this is a fast-paced story with much more than just romance.

Faith is a bit of a trouble-maker. As a pretty successful student at the Academy, she's on the right track to achieving her dreams of joining the Division one day and helping to keep smugglers at bay. But she's not exactly patient and oversteps the rules more often than she should, especially since her mother holds a very high position at the Academy. A field trip to another world, the Second, is supposed to help broaden her and her classmates understanding of the other realm, but instead, she finds herself caught up in a battle and possibly a war.

This is advertised as a slow burning reverse harem, and it is exactly that. Faith does have a potential love interest in this first book, but the relationship remains in a solid 'potential' area, keeping the romance at a very slow burner pace. I appreciated that. Faith isn't in this for romance. She isn't even really interested in becoming a hero or anything like that either. She has her goals already set and that is as a smuggler-snatcher. So when she suddenly finds herself and her friends victim to an attach and abduction, which ends with her being dibbed as the Harbinger, a type of re-generating savior to the elfs and other creatures of the Second, she's got enough on her hands to contend with.

Faith has an irritating personality, and that did turn me off on her quite a bit. She's snarky, arrogant, stupid and simply loud-mouthed. And she doesn't have the talent or extreme abilities to have the right to act better than anybody else. She's not at home in her own skin, and acts out. And this makes her hard to like. But she grew on my a little as the book progressed. At the end, she still isn't exactly wonderful as far as characters go, but there is a tiny bit of improvement. If this carries through the entire series, the character arc will be worth it.

Friends of epic fantasy are going to feel more at home than fans of paranormal or more urban fantasy tales. The world of the elves is rich and holds the high fantasy feel—something I loved. It snuggled a little strangely with Faith and her attitude, but in general, it makes for an intriguing mix...one high fantasy friends will appreciate.

And back to the romance—this first love interest, which is centered on in the first book, is definitely a building relationship and has absolutely none of the love-at-first-sight. There is a lot of trust to be built. And thanks to Faith's over-bearing personality, the 'sparky' scenes hit with awkwardness. It's not clear why the elf is drawn to her a little bit (because it isn't coming across as a tidal wave either). Yet, this odd romance fits the story and characters' quirky attributes better than a smoother romance would.

As to the harem, the last chapters finally give glimpses at the men it might include and hints at a direction the adventure could be going. But there are so many possibilities open and huge paths to be traveled before a real harem is underway, that it's hard to say exactly what adventures still await Faith. In any case, I'm curious to see what happens next and wonder if the next book will have me rooting for Faith more or not.

Review: Fire and Bone by Rachel A. Marks

FIRE AND BONE

Otherborn, Book One

by Rachel A. Marks

Skyscape

YA Urban Fantasy

407 pages

In Hollywood’s underworld of demigods, druids, and ancient bonds, one girl has a dangerous future.

Sage is eighteen, down on her luck, and struggling to survive on the streets of Los Angeles. Everything changes the night she’s invited to a party — one that turns out to be a trap.

Thrust into a magical world hidden within the City of Angels, Sage discovers that she’s the daughter of a Celtic goddess, with powers that are only in their infancy. Now that she is of age, she’s asked to pledge her service to one of the five deities, all keen on winning her favor by any means possible. She has to admit that she’s tempted — especially when this new life comes with spells, Hollywood glam, and a bodyguard with secrets of his own. Not to mention a prince whose proposal could boost her rank in the Otherworld.

As loyalties shift, and as the two men vie for her attention, Sage tries to figure out who to trust in a realm she doesn’t understand. One thing's for sure: the trap she’s in has bigger claws than she thought. And it’s going to take a lot more than magic for this Celtic demigoddess to make it out alive.

 MY TIDBITS

The tagline 'Gossip Girl meets Percy Jackson' lives up to its claim, but with a heavy mix of the TV series, Lost Girl, throw in.

Sage's life is a mess and has been as long as she can remember. Against her better judgement, she's lured to a party with the promise of food and a shower, but instead, finds herself captured by a strange people, who claim to have supernatural powers. But more, they insist she too is not human. She's dragged away to a mansion and starting a dangerous fire, begins to believe that these people might be right. Not only must she learn to control her powers, but is faced with the choice to pledge loyalty to one of five factions of paranormal beings. But she doesn't know who to trust, especially since two very different men are determined to win her over in the process.

Sage is not the usual type of paranormal heroine. She packs a sharp tongue, tons of mistrust and isn't about to let anyone push her around. And she carries baggage from her past. Tons of it, but it's not there to gather sympathy and pity. Rather, this harshness has molded her personality making her easier to understand despite her sharp edges. Of course, Sage has heart, and it's exactly this desire not to hurt others which keeps her from running away from everything.

The story is fast paced. Not only does she head from one action or dangerous situation into the next, but layers of secrets are constantly being brought to the surface. She is a special snowflake with a huge roll in destiny, but this weaves well with the other characters and story to keep it growing to cliche.

The side characters in this story add wonderful richness to the world. The tale isn't only told from Sage's point of view but allows several other characters to gain their own depth. It's hard to tell who to trust and who to cheer for as each has their own agenda in mind. Each has their own personality, some of which add a wonderfully playful level of snark and superficial girliness to counter the more serious, dark side.

As for the romance, Sage is not one to jump into anything. She does drool quick but has strong walls in the background. Trust needs to be won from both sides. Although this is sold as two guys loving one girl, it's not as clear cut as that. There's a lot going on in the background, all of which unfolds with time as Sage uncovers more and more secrets from her past. It's complex and not even what Sage thinks. It will be interesting to see where it all steers in the future books in the series.

And I do plan on reading more. What, at times, seemed like a normal urban fantasy, shifts into high gear by the end of the book and promises so much in the books to come. Fans of urban fantasy with fee, gods, shades, and so much more are sure to enjoy this read.

Review: The Lost Savior by Siobhan Davis

THE LOST SAVIOR

Alinthia Book 1

by Siobhan Davis

Upper YA Science Fiction/Reverse Harem

344 pages

They came from another world to protect her. Now it’s her destiny to save them … 

Tori King is a normal senior in high school. Head over heels in love with her childhood sweetheart, she is busy making plans for college when a chance encounter with an alien bounty hunter turns her world upside down. Now, she’s experiencing terrifying changes and developing supernatural abilities that leave her questioning her entire existence.

Then the arrival of four hot new guys at school has everyone talking—especially when they become fixated on Tori, following her wherever she goes. She can’t shake them off, and as they grow closer, she finds herself drawn to all four of them in ways she cannot explain.

When they finally reveal their true identity, and why they’re here for her, she discovers everything she thought she knew about herself is a lie.

Because there is nothing normal about Tori King.

And she’s about to discover exactly how underrated normal is.

This mind-bending alien reverse harem series is only suitable for readers aged seventeen and older due to language and mature content.

 

MY TIDBITS

Reverse harems seem to be the thing this year, and I was very curious to see how this author was going to handle it—especially after reading the blurb. I was not disappointed.

Tori is an average teenager, whose life is running well. She's got friends, a nice family, a great boyfriend and good grades. When she accidentally bumps into a creepy guy at the mall, things race toward craziness. Not only does she feel horribly ill, but as her friends drive her home, the guy drops out of the sky into the middle of the road and attacks. With superpowers. Tori should be scared out of her wits, but instead, a voice brings calm and suddenly, she's wielding powers, which should be impossible. As if this isn't strange enough, four hot guys appear at her school and are so fixated on her, that it's more than weird. Her whole world is about to be flipped upside down, and she wishes it wouldn't, especially since it means that everything she knows might be destroyed.

Tori has bite. She's not a lost teen but stands with both feet in life and is sure she knows what she wants. Pretty much. She's a refreshing character in so far that she does not carry in baggage. Her decisions aren't always great, she sometimes misses the obvious, but then, she is only a teen and manages everything thrown at her fairly well. In other words, she got sharp edges but no more than a normal person, and definitely is a character to root for.

As is with common with this author, the story never borders on boring. Every page brings something new as Tori fights her way to discover the truth and everything else thrown at her. There are intense fight scenes, which hold all the needed detail to keep tension and excitement high. And the emotional development and hurdles leave nothing to be desired. This is a well-rounded read for fans of fast-paced tension with enough character depth to hold the whole way through. Through the science fiction elements in, and it's a treat.

The reverse harem aspect is much better done than I expected. Considering Tori starts out with a long-term boyfriend, who she is very emotionally attached to, this seemed like a strange starting point for a reverse harem. But it worked. Tori's situation unfolds at the right pace to make the transition click. She doesn't come across as an air-headed slut but is drawn into a situation where her reactions are mostly understandable. It's hard not to feel sorry for her 'guy', but the reasoning is steered so she really doesn't have much choice. Her feelings are genuine enough to make her sympathetic.

The four guys are cliche—Mr. Outgoing, Mr. Shy/Intelligent, Mr. Hard/Fighter, and Mr. Cold (to hide true feelings). But they work with the sheer delight this genre holds. Each one holds their charms, and every reader will find their own favorite. It's a bit of instant love, which the author, however, does ground with solid reasons and background information—so kudos on that point. That every alien seems to want to have his way with Tori, even the evil ones, does send things a little over the top, and there are a few scenes and attitudes which pushes this above the PG 13 level and a little beyond that. But it doesn't go to the extreme and remains in the realm for more mature Young Adult audiences.

This was an exciting read with tons of science fiction elements, which keep the reverse harem from taking complete reign and lay the basis for a lot of adventure to come. I'll definitely be picking up book two, and look forward to seeing where all of this is going and what battles the universe holds for Tori. Because it appears that fate has quite a bit in store.