What do you think?
Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 16:22:24
5 copies available
U.S. only
Harbinger
Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 16:22:24
5 copies available
U.S. only
Arden Icaros was never supposed to matter. From the poorest of five noble bloodlines, she prefers life on the family farm with dirt under her nails over the fine dresses at court. She just needs to get through one boring ceremony, inherit her earth magic, and return home.
Instead, she's handed a dagger and with it, an impossible choice.
Now Arden is branded an omen of war, half the nobility wants her dead, and assassins are tracking her every move.
Her only chance of survival lies with the most feared man in Antares.
They call him Bishop. No one remembers the name he had before he dedicated his life to his order. Empowered to execute first and question later, Bishop is ruthless, terrifying, and utterly loyal to the kingdom that wants Arden dead.
He should kill her.
Instead, he offers her sanctuary.
But the longer Arden stays under Bishop's protection, the more dangerous he becomes. Because Bishop has secrets powerful enough to topple kingdoms...and a need for Arden that could ruin them both.
Instead, she's handed a dagger and with it, an impossible choice.
Now Arden is branded an omen of war, half the nobility wants her dead, and assassins are tracking her every move.
Her only chance of survival lies with the most feared man in Antares.
They call him Bishop. No one remembers the name he had before he dedicated his life to his order. Empowered to execute first and question later, Bishop is ruthless, terrifying, and utterly loyal to the kingdom that wants Arden dead.
He should kill her.
Instead, he offers her sanctuary.
But the longer Arden stays under Bishop's protection, the more dangerous he becomes. Because Bishop has secrets powerful enough to topple kingdoms...and a need for Arden that could ruin them both.
496 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 22, 2026
About the author
Geneva Lee
91 books5,579 followersGeneva Lee is the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the Birthright Cycle, the Royals Saga, and the Iconsverse, amongst other works. A recovering academic, Geneva traded studying books for writing them and never looked back. She currently lives in Kansas City with her high-school sweetheart, three children, two cats, and a rescued goldendoodle named Honey.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
September 18, 2026
4.5⭐️ this was so good!! The high stakes, intriguing world building and characters in this kept me hooked. The last portion of this book was such a wild ride and I need the next book yesterday 😭
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
★ ★ ★ ★ | 3.75 stars
this book was pretty good! arden was such a strong fmc, and i really enjoyed watching her character develop throughout the story. she was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. bishop was also too good. the way he protected arden had me in tears. he was such a caring character, and i loved seeing their relationship develop.
the plot twists were honestly crazy. there were so many moments where i thought i knew what was going to happen, only for the story to completely throw me off. and that epilogue was insane.
the one thing i didn’t enjoy too much was the writing. it felt soooo choppy in some places, which made a few scenes harder to get into. since this is an arc i’m hoping the writing gets polished up before it publishes.
overall, i really enjoyed this book! it had a strong fmc, a lovable mmc, plenty of twists, and an ending that definitely caught my attention. it wasn’t anything super memorable for me, but i had a good time reading it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys this kind of story.
thank u to net galley, red tower/entangled, and the author for the arc!!
this book was pretty good! arden was such a strong fmc, and i really enjoyed watching her character develop throughout the story. she was definitely one of my favorite parts of the book. bishop was also too good. the way he protected arden had me in tears. he was such a caring character, and i loved seeing their relationship develop.
the plot twists were honestly crazy. there were so many moments where i thought i knew what was going to happen, only for the story to completely throw me off. and that epilogue was insane.
the one thing i didn’t enjoy too much was the writing. it felt soooo choppy in some places, which made a few scenes harder to get into. since this is an arc i’m hoping the writing gets polished up before it publishes.
overall, i really enjoyed this book! it had a strong fmc, a lovable mmc, plenty of twists, and an ending that definitely caught my attention. it wasn’t anything super memorable for me, but i had a good time reading it and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys this kind of story.
thank u to net galley, red tower/entangled, and the author for the arc!!
July 29, 2026
This may be one of my top reads of the year. Everything about Harbinger pulled me in, and I couldn’t get enough. The world-building, the character development, the pacing, every piece of it just came together so well.
Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist would catch me completely off guard and pull me even deeper into the story. I was hooked from beginning to end.
Watching Arden and Bishop’s relationship develop was one of my favorite parts. Seeing them slowly work through their fears and past trauma together had me kicking my feet like a schoolgirl. Their chemistry felt earned, and I loved every moment of their journey.
Arden is such a strong FMC from the very beginning, but she still experiences meaningful growth throughout the story. It made her feel incredibly compelling and easy to root for.
This was an incredible read, and I already can’t wait to see what comes next.
Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist would catch me completely off guard and pull me even deeper into the story. I was hooked from beginning to end.
Watching Arden and Bishop’s relationship develop was one of my favorite parts. Seeing them slowly work through their fears and past trauma together had me kicking my feet like a schoolgirl. Their chemistry felt earned, and I loved every moment of their journey.
Arden is such a strong FMC from the very beginning, but she still experiences meaningful growth throughout the story. It made her feel incredibly compelling and easy to root for.
This was an incredible read, and I already can’t wait to see what comes next.
September 17, 2026
09/11/2026-09/17/2026
ARDEN AND BISHOP 🐦⬛💛
I had soooo much fun reading Harbringer by Geneva Lee it was an absolute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read! (And it’s out this Tuesday too 😏)
Thank you so much to Genevas street team for making sure all of us got gifted physical arcs from Red Tower which was super cool! 🥹
I was able to partake in the Entangled insiders read-a-long (I hopped in a little late!) AND am currently participating in Geneva’s read-a-long questions! Both read-a-long questions have made this book 100x more fun and have added so much depth to what I’ve taken away!
This book truly is the enemies to lovers slowburn that NEVER stopped giving! Bishop was THE morally grey shadow daddy who carried mega “Touch her and D!e” energy and it kept me gasping, kicking my feet AND giggling 🖤
ARDEN AND BISHOP 🐦⬛💛
I had soooo much fun reading Harbringer by Geneva Lee it was an absolute ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read! (And it’s out this Tuesday too 😏)
Thank you so much to Genevas street team for making sure all of us got gifted physical arcs from Red Tower which was super cool! 🥹
I was able to partake in the Entangled insiders read-a-long (I hopped in a little late!) AND am currently participating in Geneva’s read-a-long questions! Both read-a-long questions have made this book 100x more fun and have added so much depth to what I’ve taken away!
This book truly is the enemies to lovers slowburn that NEVER stopped giving! Bishop was THE morally grey shadow daddy who carried mega “Touch her and D!e” energy and it kept me gasping, kicking my feet AND giggling 🖤
August 17, 2026
Geneva does it again!!!! I was sucked into this story! The slow burn was so worth the wait. because the yearning was top notch!! Bishop immediately stepping in to help her was everything. I love how he is know as a cruel man but has another side to him. I reallly ate this story up!! So much mystery and twist I didn’t even see coming. Arden and Bishops banter had me literally giggling. All I know is I’m sad to have to wait for the next book!!!! What a way to start a series! So grateful I got the opportunity to read this early!!!
September 21, 2026
This book wrecked me in the best way. I lost sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about what was going to happen next and then at the end … got my heart ripped out … 10/10 would do it again. This is top tier book boyfriend material here !!! Bishop is soo swoon worthy while making you want to tear your hair out (or clothes off ) for being so respectful. Arden is the sass I always want in my life and would often make me giggle at the outrageous things she says while she speaks her mind. The world building / lore isn’t heavy and it’s the kind you find organically as you read and is really fun and kept me super invested. Loved the found family aspect in this with Kieran / Arden and the Order for Bishop. Also why is it sooooo sexy that his name is his title and it’s just like, yup, that’s Bishop !!! I am dying to see how everything plays out in book two !!!
July 15, 2026
If you’re looking for your next romantasy obsession, this is it. I’m calling it now!!!!! The biggest book of the year!!!
This book gave me all the epic fantasy vibes of Game of Thrones without all the parts that made me want to look away. The world-building is rich, the politics are intriguing, and I couldn’t put it down.
At the heart of it all is a leading heroine who completely stole my heart she’s powerful in a way that feels real, kind-hearted without being naive, and constantly trying to do what’s best for her people and her family. Even when she struggles to trust the stars or the path laid out for her, she keeps going, and that inner conflict made her feel so human and compelling.
If you’re an ACOTAR fan and have been searching for your next book boyfriend… just wait. Picture a hero who looks like Geralt from The Witcher, has the quiet, brooding charm of Mr. Darcy, and carries the unwavering morals and honor of Jon Snow. It’s an absolutely irresistible combination.
Geneva Lee has created a story that pulls you in from the first page and refuses to let go. I was completely invested, and now I’m counting down the days until I can hold my finished copy in my hands.
This book gave me all the epic fantasy vibes of Game of Thrones without all the parts that made me want to look away. The world-building is rich, the politics are intriguing, and I couldn’t put it down.
At the heart of it all is a leading heroine who completely stole my heart she’s powerful in a way that feels real, kind-hearted without being naive, and constantly trying to do what’s best for her people and her family. Even when she struggles to trust the stars or the path laid out for her, she keeps going, and that inner conflict made her feel so human and compelling.
If you’re an ACOTAR fan and have been searching for your next book boyfriend… just wait. Picture a hero who looks like Geralt from The Witcher, has the quiet, brooding charm of Mr. Darcy, and carries the unwavering morals and honor of Jon Snow. It’s an absolutely irresistible combination.
Geneva Lee has created a story that pulls you in from the first page and refuses to let go. I was completely invested, and now I’m counting down the days until I can hold my finished copy in my hands.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Embarrassingly enough I almost forgot that I’d signed up for this book, and honestly, what a tragedy that would have been because Arden and Bishop completely got me.
I loved their relationship. The slow evolution, the growing trust, the little moments between all the danger and secrets. I went from giggling to melting to genuinely crying. IYKYK.
I also really enjoyed the lore and world-building. There is so much going on beneath the surface, and by the time I reached the end, I was nowhere near ready to leave this world.
And then it ended with, just wait, yes, a devastating cliffhanger!
I wanted more Arden, more Bishop with a scent of leather and smoke, and especially more Hero. The groundwork is there, the players are on the board, and now I’m sitting here trying to figure out exactly how everything is going to unfold.
The whole story gave me major „There can be only one.“-vibes. And apparently, I need to know how we can get around that.
Bring on the sequel!
I loved their relationship. The slow evolution, the growing trust, the little moments between all the danger and secrets. I went from giggling to melting to genuinely crying. IYKYK.
I also really enjoyed the lore and world-building. There is so much going on beneath the surface, and by the time I reached the end, I was nowhere near ready to leave this world.
And then it ended with, just wait, yes, a devastating cliffhanger!
I wanted more Arden, more Bishop with a scent of leather and smoke, and especially more Hero. The groundwork is there, the players are on the board, and now I’m sitting here trying to figure out exactly how everything is going to unfold.
The whole story gave me major „There can be only one.“-vibes. And apparently, I need to know how we can get around that.
Bring on the sequel!
September 1, 2026
4.5⭐️
This book was a fun one!! I loved how well done this was with the world building & character development!
I absolutely loved these characters!! The tension, the yearning, and the absolute slow burn! Mixed with the mystery & twists. Just kept me so on my toes! I loved Bishop! The soft side & way he showed up for Arden. The banter between these two was so good. I was loving them and giggling! I loved watching them both work through their trauma & overcoming it all.
If you’re looking for a Romantasy with lovable characters, a strong plot, and story that just sucks you in and has you obsessed, this is for you!!
Thank you entangled for this early copy!!
This book was a fun one!! I loved how well done this was with the world building & character development!
I absolutely loved these characters!! The tension, the yearning, and the absolute slow burn! Mixed with the mystery & twists. Just kept me so on my toes! I loved Bishop! The soft side & way he showed up for Arden. The banter between these two was so good. I was loving them and giggling! I loved watching them both work through their trauma & overcoming it all.
If you’re looking for a Romantasy with lovable characters, a strong plot, and story that just sucks you in and has you obsessed, this is for you!!
Thank you entangled for this early copy!!
August 27, 2026
TROPES: Touch Her and Die, Slow Burn, Magical Powers, Morally Grey MMC, Reluctant Allies to Lovers, Shadow Daddy
Thank you to the publisher and the author for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I got this one as a surprise PR Mailing from Red Tower, having not heard about it before but upon reading the synopsis, jumped right into it IMMEDIATELY…. I felt like this could have been the next big book on Booktok…. If it didn’t fall so flat 😣 This book started off SO STRONG with the premise. I was immediately hooked and was intrigued to know more about everything. However, as we progressed into the story I felt the pacing of the plot way too slow. At least 100 pages were filler… if not more. I also felt like I left the book still confused on the magic system and certain elements surrounding that. There were multiple plot holes that may end up being explored and explained in the next book, but in this one it just felt like poor writing and execution of everything going on.
Bishop, our newest addition to the Shadow Daddy book boyfriend list, was my favorite part of the story and is the reason I kept reading, even when I found the story/plot lacking. I thought he was perfectly broody and the little jealous moments thrown in made me giggle and kick my feet HARD. However, I thought some of the secrets he was keeping from Arden, or his tactic of making her “earn” the answers, to be ridiculous at times. I thought some of the information he withheld was justifiable, but other times it just felt like it was done to push the plot along.
I think this is a solid fantasy romance read, but overall not extremely memorable or one I would say to read ASAP….
Star Rating: 3.25 🌟
Spice Rating: 2 🥵🔥
For more bookish content and review, please consider giving my bookstagram a follow (link below and in my bio):
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
Thank you to the publisher and the author for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I got this one as a surprise PR Mailing from Red Tower, having not heard about it before but upon reading the synopsis, jumped right into it IMMEDIATELY…. I felt like this could have been the next big book on Booktok…. If it didn’t fall so flat 😣 This book started off SO STRONG with the premise. I was immediately hooked and was intrigued to know more about everything. However, as we progressed into the story I felt the pacing of the plot way too slow. At least 100 pages were filler… if not more. I also felt like I left the book still confused on the magic system and certain elements surrounding that. There were multiple plot holes that may end up being explored and explained in the next book, but in this one it just felt like poor writing and execution of everything going on.
Bishop, our newest addition to the Shadow Daddy book boyfriend list, was my favorite part of the story and is the reason I kept reading, even when I found the story/plot lacking. I thought he was perfectly broody and the little jealous moments thrown in made me giggle and kick my feet HARD. However, I thought some of the secrets he was keeping from Arden, or his tactic of making her “earn” the answers, to be ridiculous at times. I thought some of the information he withheld was justifiable, but other times it just felt like it was done to push the plot along.
I think this is a solid fantasy romance read, but overall not extremely memorable or one I would say to read ASAP….
Star Rating: 3.25 🌟
Spice Rating: 2 🥵🔥
For more bookish content and review, please consider giving my bookstagram a follow (link below and in my bio):
https://www.instagram.com/lovinmyshelf
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Harbinger by Geneva Lee
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level - 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Absolutely a 5 star read for me! Amazing! Incredible! Devoured in 3 days! Reading this book felt like reading something brand new. It gave me everything I want from a 5 star read: laughing, crying, swooning, and being completely caught up on the story! The twists and turns were so good and kept surprising me.
Geneva Lee wrote the FMC, Arden perfectly! I felt so connected to her. I love that she loves food, the detail that she stress eats made her so easily relatable. This and other seemingly small details made her feel like an actual person while still being a bad ass heroine! I started to think of her as a friend instead of a fantasy character. It made all the emotions so much intense making the book that much better.
The MMC is broody, chivalrous, swoon worthy, and wonderful! He had all the good qualities one could want in a romantasy MMC, while also feeling new and unique. His chivalry and protectiveness of the FMC really stuck out to me. The two main characters relationship was blended together so well into the story and plot. I often said to myself while reading, "This is so romantic I could cry!"
This book was amazing and absolutely gets 5 stars from me. Feeling like I was reading a brand new story while loving the main characters, the plot and honestly, everything about this book... This may be my top read or the year. Geneva Lee thank you for this amazing book!
Thank you so much Entangled Publishing and Red Tower Books for sending me this arc.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level - 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Absolutely a 5 star read for me! Amazing! Incredible! Devoured in 3 days! Reading this book felt like reading something brand new. It gave me everything I want from a 5 star read: laughing, crying, swooning, and being completely caught up on the story! The twists and turns were so good and kept surprising me.
Geneva Lee wrote the FMC, Arden perfectly! I felt so connected to her. I love that she loves food, the detail that she stress eats made her so easily relatable. This and other seemingly small details made her feel like an actual person while still being a bad ass heroine! I started to think of her as a friend instead of a fantasy character. It made all the emotions so much intense making the book that much better.
The MMC is broody, chivalrous, swoon worthy, and wonderful! He had all the good qualities one could want in a romantasy MMC, while also feeling new and unique. His chivalry and protectiveness of the FMC really stuck out to me. The two main characters relationship was blended together so well into the story and plot. I often said to myself while reading, "This is so romantic I could cry!"
This book was amazing and absolutely gets 5 stars from me. Feeling like I was reading a brand new story while loving the main characters, the plot and honestly, everything about this book... This may be my top read or the year. Geneva Lee thank you for this amazing book!
Thank you so much Entangled Publishing and Red Tower Books for sending me this arc.
August 15, 2026
I loved this. Genuinely one of my favorite kind of fantasy romance books, slow burn, single POV for book 1, so I had no idea what the MMC was thinking or even what he was doing, it added more mystery to the story that way. I love a protective MMC, and the magical creatures were so sweet. It has a cliffhanger ending, but it was SO GOOD. The epilogues were diabolical in the most perfect way. This is going to be the next big fantasy romance book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to entangled publishing, Netgalley and Geneva Lee for the advanced eARC.
This was a hard dnf for me unfortunately. I was so thrilled to receive an eARC, based on the description I thought for sure Harbinger would be exactly my cup of tea considering I loved books with similar vibes published by entangled.
However, unlike those similar books, Harbinger was a pretty quick flop for me. The world building that was initially intriguing quickly grew confusing to the point where I could no longer suspend disbelief among the dozens of plot-holes. Not only did it barely make any sense but the fact that I had to read three chapters just to learn the FMCs name and premise of the plot was irritating. Add that to the wildly popular insta-lust with a “shadow daddy” booktok trope and I ultimately stopped being interested at all by the time I hit the fourth chapter.
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️
Harbinger follows Arden, the 25yo daughter of a prominent family who visits the capital of their country for her Petition during the quincentennial year after some war. While I respect Geneva Lee’s attempt to treat readers as capable of critical thought I won’t lie her attempt at setting up a believable, logical, magic system starts and ends within the first chapter. Arden explains that the Patron family’s have magic and go through a ritual (aka Petition) when they turn 25 which is when their magic may or may not manifest— and if it *does* manifest it may take years to fully develop and master.
First plot hole: why the hell is a magic-dependent society (let alone a family who’s magic supplies the kingdom with crops -everyone presumably needs to eat-) waiting until TWENTY-FIVE to manifest potential magic? If it takes years to fully develop and master it’s completely logical to assume that some people go their entire lives magicless or unable to wield to their full potential. So you have a society built on the backs of a very select group of lucky individuals who are both blessed and talented. This could have been a way more intense internal character motivation than it was portrayed to be. Because for all intents and purposes Arden goes into her petition, doesn’t kill some bird, goes back to the palace and has breakfast the next day. Her internal dialogue didn’t emphasize the risk of failure or explain the fallacy of a society choosing to rely on the magical-few who succeed.
second plot hole: how is a family who (according to Arden) supplies the entire country with food not also consequently one of the richest and most profitable families? Why is it that in the second chapter we immediately see them portrayed as poor enough to be forced to let go of all their household staff with the exception of one guard (who happens to have feelings for her sister and is definitely *not* going to at some point turn into a Love Interest or antagonist? Lol) Arden comes from a Patron line and is, along with her three siblings, a direct descendent of someone extremely important to their entire country. HOW ARE THEY POOR? Where did the money go? We’re talking 500 years of family influence over one of the most basic human necessities—FOOD—and they’re broke?? Gtfo. Either the country is starving and everyone hates them (another good motivator) or their parents swindled them into poverty (a better motivator than their parents both dying) OR their family was cursed and we need to know more.
third plot hole: bishops are supposed to be elite magical soldiers that take years to train and are super rare and lethal. Then how tf could the bishop (instant heart throb and probably-self-proclaimed-shadow daddy) be anything short of an elderly man? Keep in mind their magic doesn’t manifest until after 25 and after that it takes years to fully develop, train and master. So he’s either a magical super nerd or has a dozen secrets up his sleeve. Knowing the vibes so far I’m assuming it’s the latter.
To be fair I only hit 10% during my read. So this may be a completely unfair review and some of these plot holes may eventually be discussed or patched up through exposition later on within the story. What I’m saying is I don’t care enough about Arden (the FMC equivalent of a limp handshake), The Bishop (Xaden Riorson in a different font), or any of the other side characters briefly introduced within the first four chapters to continue reading. This is the quintessential booktok Romantasy being mass marketed by its load-bearing “Shadow Daddy” and “Enemies 2 Lovers Snark” tropes… hard pass.
This was a hard dnf for me unfortunately. I was so thrilled to receive an eARC, based on the description I thought for sure Harbinger would be exactly my cup of tea considering I loved books with similar vibes published by entangled.
However, unlike those similar books, Harbinger was a pretty quick flop for me. The world building that was initially intriguing quickly grew confusing to the point where I could no longer suspend disbelief among the dozens of plot-holes. Not only did it barely make any sense but the fact that I had to read three chapters just to learn the FMCs name and premise of the plot was irritating. Add that to the wildly popular insta-lust with a “shadow daddy” booktok trope and I ultimately stopped being interested at all by the time I hit the fourth chapter.
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️
Harbinger follows Arden, the 25yo daughter of a prominent family who visits the capital of their country for her Petition during the quincentennial year after some war. While I respect Geneva Lee’s attempt to treat readers as capable of critical thought I won’t lie her attempt at setting up a believable, logical, magic system starts and ends within the first chapter. Arden explains that the Patron family’s have magic and go through a ritual (aka Petition) when they turn 25 which is when their magic may or may not manifest— and if it *does* manifest it may take years to fully develop and master.
First plot hole: why the hell is a magic-dependent society (let alone a family who’s magic supplies the kingdom with crops -everyone presumably needs to eat-) waiting until TWENTY-FIVE to manifest potential magic? If it takes years to fully develop and master it’s completely logical to assume that some people go their entire lives magicless or unable to wield to their full potential. So you have a society built on the backs of a very select group of lucky individuals who are both blessed and talented. This could have been a way more intense internal character motivation than it was portrayed to be. Because for all intents and purposes Arden goes into her petition, doesn’t kill some bird, goes back to the palace and has breakfast the next day. Her internal dialogue didn’t emphasize the risk of failure or explain the fallacy of a society choosing to rely on the magical-few who succeed.
second plot hole: how is a family who (according to Arden) supplies the entire country with food not also consequently one of the richest and most profitable families? Why is it that in the second chapter we immediately see them portrayed as poor enough to be forced to let go of all their household staff with the exception of one guard (who happens to have feelings for her sister and is definitely *not* going to at some point turn into a Love Interest or antagonist? Lol) Arden comes from a Patron line and is, along with her three siblings, a direct descendent of someone extremely important to their entire country. HOW ARE THEY POOR? Where did the money go? We’re talking 500 years of family influence over one of the most basic human necessities—FOOD—and they’re broke?? Gtfo. Either the country is starving and everyone hates them (another good motivator) or their parents swindled them into poverty (a better motivator than their parents both dying) OR their family was cursed and we need to know more.
third plot hole: bishops are supposed to be elite magical soldiers that take years to train and are super rare and lethal. Then how tf could the bishop (instant heart throb and probably-self-proclaimed-shadow daddy) be anything short of an elderly man? Keep in mind their magic doesn’t manifest until after 25 and after that it takes years to fully develop, train and master. So he’s either a magical super nerd or has a dozen secrets up his sleeve. Knowing the vibes so far I’m assuming it’s the latter.
To be fair I only hit 10% during my read. So this may be a completely unfair review and some of these plot holes may eventually be discussed or patched up through exposition later on within the story. What I’m saying is I don’t care enough about Arden (the FMC equivalent of a limp handshake), The Bishop (Xaden Riorson in a different font), or any of the other side characters briefly introduced within the first four chapters to continue reading. This is the quintessential booktok Romantasy being mass marketed by its load-bearing “Shadow Daddy” and “Enemies 2 Lovers Snark” tropes… hard pass.
August 28, 2026
Wolves will bite.
And when backed against the wall, with a sudden fate that signifies doom on the horizon, that is exactly what Arden does.
After all, it’s not everyday you are in the presence of a Harbinger. The stuff of stories and legends.
I didn’t go to bed until the crack of dawn reading this and I could not put it down. Danger, politics, mystery, tragedy and looming omens. Add in the most delicious brewing romance and extremely tense attraction paired with the best banter and yearning for days, and you’ll understand why my eyes were glued to the page.
Arden bites back in ways that have proven time and again that she has always been fierce and strong. She does not back down, and she does not give up easily. The tenacity and resolve she shows continuously throughout her journey was so admirable considering the cards she’d been dealt. I found myself cheering for her, hoping for her, in ways that made me cling to her decisions and anticipate what’s next.
Okay but Bishop Marius?! 😫😮💨 Lethal, dangerous, protective and so much more, there is quite literally no way you’re not falling for this man. There’s just something about a man doing his ultimate best to not give into something that he so desperately wants, (cue knuckles whitening while holding onto something in a death grip instead of reaching for her) Did I mention the yearning? SO much yearning, SO much ache. Watching whatever it was between them develop into something more?! Swoon.
The found family was the icing on the cake. There are so many characters written into these pages that I have come to deeply care for. Lenora and her bread, Vessica who does actually care, Taliesin who hides behind jokes, Kieran with his devotion, Breccan and his books, Hadrian with his research, Shea w/ her camaraderie, and a horned wolf that you just need to meet for yourself. All pieces of a puzzle that were always meant to fit together.
Beautiful world building, very original and unique magic system, and an ending that literally had my jaw on the floor. That plot twist? I definitely did not see that coming! Left with so many questions, and I absolutely cannot wait for book two!!
( Thank you so much to Red Tower and Entangled for the physical galley )
And when backed against the wall, with a sudden fate that signifies doom on the horizon, that is exactly what Arden does.
After all, it’s not everyday you are in the presence of a Harbinger. The stuff of stories and legends.
I didn’t go to bed until the crack of dawn reading this and I could not put it down. Danger, politics, mystery, tragedy and looming omens. Add in the most delicious brewing romance and extremely tense attraction paired with the best banter and yearning for days, and you’ll understand why my eyes were glued to the page.
Arden bites back in ways that have proven time and again that she has always been fierce and strong. She does not back down, and she does not give up easily. The tenacity and resolve she shows continuously throughout her journey was so admirable considering the cards she’d been dealt. I found myself cheering for her, hoping for her, in ways that made me cling to her decisions and anticipate what’s next.
Okay but Bishop Marius?! 😫😮💨 Lethal, dangerous, protective and so much more, there is quite literally no way you’re not falling for this man. There’s just something about a man doing his ultimate best to not give into something that he so desperately wants, (cue knuckles whitening while holding onto something in a death grip instead of reaching for her) Did I mention the yearning? SO much yearning, SO much ache. Watching whatever it was between them develop into something more?! Swoon.
The found family was the icing on the cake. There are so many characters written into these pages that I have come to deeply care for. Lenora and her bread, Vessica who does actually care, Taliesin who hides behind jokes, Kieran with his devotion, Breccan and his books, Hadrian with his research, Shea w/ her camaraderie, and a horned wolf that you just need to meet for yourself. All pieces of a puzzle that were always meant to fit together.
Beautiful world building, very original and unique magic system, and an ending that literally had my jaw on the floor. That plot twist? I definitely did not see that coming! Left with so many questions, and I absolutely cannot wait for book two!!
( Thank you so much to Red Tower and Entangled for the physical galley )
September 11, 2026
4.5 ⭐ rounded up
Harbinger was such a great start to this series and it's a book that you absolutely need to trust the process for as it sets up the story perfectly for the next book. Romantasy has been very hit or miss for me this year but I enjoyed this book so much. It was full of so many twists and revelations and an ending that left me desperate for more, it's so good and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next.
This is very much a true epic Romantasy and I was hooked from the very start, the world is atmospheric, intriguing and the celestial magic system was so fascinating. I absolutely loved the FMC Arden and her inner monologues, she was so sassy but also so fierce and determined and as for Bishop the brooding MMC he was perfect...the yearning, the tension and especially the banter, I will always be weak for a man who falls first and hard and he certainly did.
The slow burn romance between him and Arden was full of so much chemistry and tension.. and there's a certain scene that lives rent free in my head it was so good and portrayed the push pull between them both so well
If you're looking for an addictive romantasy then this is the perfect.
Thank you so much to sirenbookclub for the gorgeous PR box and proof to read and thank you also to librofm for the Audio listening copy. I did an immersive read and it absolutely enhanced the reading experience for me, I highly recommend!
Harbinger was such a great start to this series and it's a book that you absolutely need to trust the process for as it sets up the story perfectly for the next book. Romantasy has been very hit or miss for me this year but I enjoyed this book so much. It was full of so many twists and revelations and an ending that left me desperate for more, it's so good and I cannot wait to see where the story goes next.
This is very much a true epic Romantasy and I was hooked from the very start, the world is atmospheric, intriguing and the celestial magic system was so fascinating. I absolutely loved the FMC Arden and her inner monologues, she was so sassy but also so fierce and determined and as for Bishop the brooding MMC he was perfect...the yearning, the tension and especially the banter, I will always be weak for a man who falls first and hard and he certainly did.
The slow burn romance between him and Arden was full of so much chemistry and tension.. and there's a certain scene that lives rent free in my head it was so good and portrayed the push pull between them both so well
If you're looking for an addictive romantasy then this is the perfect.
Thank you so much to sirenbookclub for the gorgeous PR box and proof to read and thank you also to librofm for the Audio listening copy. I did an immersive read and it absolutely enhanced the reading experience for me, I highly recommend!
September 13, 2026
Review of proof copy received from the Publisher and ALC received from Libro.fm
Thank you to Siren Book Club for the proof for review and also Libro.fm for coming through with the ALC!!
Synopsis:
In a kingdom where stars give out power Arden has just been branded an omen of war - the “harbinger” and half of the nobility wants her dead.
Her only chance of survival lies with the most feared man in Antares and they call him Bishop..
He should kill her. Instead, he offers her sanctuary.
Bishop however has secrets powerful enough to topple kingdoms...and a need for Arden that could ruin them both..
Now onto the review..
First of all god damn what the hell??? Is my initial reaction upon finishing this.. 🤯
This is one of those “let her cook” books laying the ground work for the next one! I am wondering what pawns Geneva has set up for the next book now and if I have missed the clues because what the hell were the last few chapters?? I demand answers!
This is an epic romantasy and I was hooked from the beginning! I have to say the audiobook made this even more unputdownable.
The stakes are so high in this and the slow burn romance between Arden and Bishop is absolutely delicious!!
This you will enjoy if you loved Shield of Sparrows and MMCs like “The Butcher” - just saying 🤭
I absolutely cannot wait for the next book now!!
Tropes include:
🐦⬛ Forbidden love
🪶 Forced proximity
🐦⬛ Slow burn
🪶 Morally grey MMC
Thank you to Siren Book Club for the proof for review and also Libro.fm for coming through with the ALC!!
Synopsis:
In a kingdom where stars give out power Arden has just been branded an omen of war - the “harbinger” and half of the nobility wants her dead.
Her only chance of survival lies with the most feared man in Antares and they call him Bishop..
He should kill her. Instead, he offers her sanctuary.
Bishop however has secrets powerful enough to topple kingdoms...and a need for Arden that could ruin them both..
Now onto the review..
First of all god damn what the hell??? Is my initial reaction upon finishing this.. 🤯
This is one of those “let her cook” books laying the ground work for the next one! I am wondering what pawns Geneva has set up for the next book now and if I have missed the clues because what the hell were the last few chapters?? I demand answers!
This is an epic romantasy and I was hooked from the beginning! I have to say the audiobook made this even more unputdownable.
The stakes are so high in this and the slow burn romance between Arden and Bishop is absolutely delicious!!
This you will enjoy if you loved Shield of Sparrows and MMCs like “The Butcher” - just saying 🤭
I absolutely cannot wait for the next book now!!
Tropes include:
🐦⬛ Forbidden love
🪶 Forced proximity
🐦⬛ Slow burn
🪶 Morally grey MMC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*Thank you to Geneva Lee, NetGalley, and Entangled Publishing for gifting me this early copy of Harbinger to read*
This book completely caught me by surprise.. I ended up loving it so much more than I expected to!!
It follows Arden, the main character, as the ceremony that was supposed to grant her the power that is her birthright goes completely to hell. She’s branded as an omen and half the people want her dead. I loved the way that the author wrote her character. She’s funny, likable, snarky and everything I adore seeing in female characters.
Bishop… the man that he is?! I found myself giggling and kicking my feet whenever he was on the page. He’s VERY morally grey.. The yearning, the slow burn, the banter, the forced proximity, everything was SO well done..
There’s a star based magic system in this so I knew I was going to eat it up and it didn’t disappoint me a single bit.
The found family in this was so sweet! I found myself rooting for not just the main characters but the side characters too!
The plot twists?! They had my jaw on the floor! I was so flabbergasted… I need a couple of business days to process them..
This gives ACOTAR x Highlander vibes, with court politics, a dangerous alliance and a hero who falls first…
Pleaseee read this! It was so good! I CANNOT WAIT for book 2!
4.5⭐️
This book completely caught me by surprise.. I ended up loving it so much more than I expected to!!
It follows Arden, the main character, as the ceremony that was supposed to grant her the power that is her birthright goes completely to hell. She’s branded as an omen and half the people want her dead. I loved the way that the author wrote her character. She’s funny, likable, snarky and everything I adore seeing in female characters.
Bishop… the man that he is?! I found myself giggling and kicking my feet whenever he was on the page. He’s VERY morally grey.. The yearning, the slow burn, the banter, the forced proximity, everything was SO well done..
There’s a star based magic system in this so I knew I was going to eat it up and it didn’t disappoint me a single bit.
The found family in this was so sweet! I found myself rooting for not just the main characters but the side characters too!
The plot twists?! They had my jaw on the floor! I was so flabbergasted… I need a couple of business days to process them..
This gives ACOTAR x Highlander vibes, with court politics, a dangerous alliance and a hero who falls first…
Pleaseee read this! It was so good! I CANNOT WAIT for book 2!
4.5⭐️
September 11, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!!
I really enjoyed the world building in this book! I found the different houses which aligned with different stars that provided the world with unique attributes. I wish they would have expanded on the other houses more but I’m hopeful for that in future books!
Arden and Bishop were a great pair, they worked really well together despite some initial miscommunications. I loved how cozy his home felt for her, Arden needed that after being literally branded as an omen.
That ending!! I did not see that coming at all and I am very excited about the next book!
July 27, 2026
This book was everything. Romantasy? Check. Magical world? Check. Battle and world building? Check. Attractive characters? Check. Would recommend and read again!!!!!
I can absolutely tell that this book series will absolutely be a staple in the fantasy genre. Seriously. I am so hoping for a book two, I mean there has to be… right??? Anywho, make sure to check this out when it’s published on 9/22/26.
I truly enjoyed this book SO very much. Thank you to entangled and red tower for sending me this!!!!
I can absolutely tell that this book series will absolutely be a staple in the fantasy genre. Seriously. I am so hoping for a book two, I mean there has to be… right??? Anywho, make sure to check this out when it’s published on 9/22/26.
I truly enjoyed this book SO very much. Thank you to entangled and red tower for sending me this!!!!
August 27, 2026
Now this is a fantasy that kept me thoroughly invested. I was thinking about the story when I wasn’t able to have the book open. I loved the main character as well as the setting. This was a very fast read for me, and I’d recommend it to fans of the genre!
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted arc
September 11, 2026
review to come ✨ but initial thoughts are what a fun time!!! that ending and girl your brother is a lazy jack ass
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Harbinger ⚔️🐦⬛ ✨review✨ thank you so much @redtowerbooks @kayepublicity for the free copy!
Harbinger
by Geneva Lee
out tomorrow 9/22/26!
Arden Icaros was never supposed to matter. From the poorest of five noble bloodlines, she prefers life on the family farm with dirt under her nails over the fine dresses at court. She just needs to get through one boring ceremony, inherit her earth magic, and return home.
Instead, she's handed a dagger and with it, an impossible choice.
Now Arden is branded an omen of war, half the nobility wants her dead, and assassins are tracking her every move.
Her only chance of survival lies with the most feared man in Antares.
They call him Bishop. No one remembers the name he had before he dedicated his life to his order. Empowered to execute first and question later, Bishop is ruthless, terrifying, and utterly loyal to the kingdom that wants Arden dead.
He should kill her.
Instead, he offers her sanctuary.
But the longer Arden stays under Bishop's protection, the more dangerous he becomes. Because Bishop has secrets powerful enough to topple kingdoms...and a need for Arden that could ruin them both.
✨ My thoughts:
“Because if any soul can defy the Stars, it’s hers.”
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I think I just found my newest obsession. This book was everything I needed right now. I literally tabbed this bad boy up! I loved Arden as our FMC. She is relentless, persistent, and a force. She’s the kind of heroine who doesn’t back down, even when the odds are stacked against her. And then there’s Bishop. Mysterious, Protective, and has a complicated past and enough secrets to keep even me desperate for more. And those blue eyes might actually be the death of me. The tension between these two was PALPABLE, and that slow burn had my whole body on fire. I loved watching their relationship unfold, every little moment building the anticipation until I was practically screaming at the pages. But as much as Arden and Bishop had my heart bursting, it was the friendships and family relationships that really got me in my feelings. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to read this one early because I already know I’m going to be thinking about these characters for a long time. Romantasy readers, get ready for your newest obsession because you are NOT going to want to miss this one!
“Life is always sending us signs. We decide if they’re good or bad ones.”
“Power hates what it can’t control.”
What to expect 👇🏽
✨Star Magic
❤️🔥 Slow-burn
🐦⬛ Hidden Powers
⚔️ Reluctant chosen one
💫 Star crossed lovers
🫂 Found family
Happy reading 📖✨⚔️🐦⬛
Harbinger
by Geneva Lee
out tomorrow 9/22/26!
Arden Icaros was never supposed to matter. From the poorest of five noble bloodlines, she prefers life on the family farm with dirt under her nails over the fine dresses at court. She just needs to get through one boring ceremony, inherit her earth magic, and return home.
Instead, she's handed a dagger and with it, an impossible choice.
Now Arden is branded an omen of war, half the nobility wants her dead, and assassins are tracking her every move.
Her only chance of survival lies with the most feared man in Antares.
They call him Bishop. No one remembers the name he had before he dedicated his life to his order. Empowered to execute first and question later, Bishop is ruthless, terrifying, and utterly loyal to the kingdom that wants Arden dead.
He should kill her.
Instead, he offers her sanctuary.
But the longer Arden stays under Bishop's protection, the more dangerous he becomes. Because Bishop has secrets powerful enough to topple kingdoms...and a need for Arden that could ruin them both.
✨ My thoughts:
“Because if any soul can defy the Stars, it’s hers.”
OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I think I just found my newest obsession. This book was everything I needed right now. I literally tabbed this bad boy up! I loved Arden as our FMC. She is relentless, persistent, and a force. She’s the kind of heroine who doesn’t back down, even when the odds are stacked against her. And then there’s Bishop. Mysterious, Protective, and has a complicated past and enough secrets to keep even me desperate for more. And those blue eyes might actually be the death of me. The tension between these two was PALPABLE, and that slow burn had my whole body on fire. I loved watching their relationship unfold, every little moment building the anticipation until I was practically screaming at the pages. But as much as Arden and Bishop had my heart bursting, it was the friendships and family relationships that really got me in my feelings. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to read this one early because I already know I’m going to be thinking about these characters for a long time. Romantasy readers, get ready for your newest obsession because you are NOT going to want to miss this one!
“Life is always sending us signs. We decide if they’re good or bad ones.”
“Power hates what it can’t control.”
What to expect 👇🏽
✨Star Magic
❤️🔥 Slow-burn
🐦⬛ Hidden Powers
⚔️ Reluctant chosen one
💫 Star crossed lovers
🫂 Found family
Happy reading 📖✨⚔️🐦⬛
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
WOW that ending. GIVE ME MORE!!
I feel like I absolutely breezed through Harbinger?? The best word I can use to describe it is bingeable. It was addictive and easy to read, and I was genuinely just enjoying myself the whole way through.
I really loved the idea of the magic system. Anything star or celestial related when it comes to powers immediately gets my attention, and there's definitely a lot more I want to know about how everything works. I feel like we've only scratched the surface of both the magic and the wider world, so I'm hoping we get to explore a LOT more as the series continues. At the same time, I'm glad we weren't completely info-dumped in book one.
Arden is a very likeable FMC. She's strong-willed, sarky at times and quite the reluctant hero. I really enjoyed seeing her character development and the trials she had to go through. She makes mistakes, she struggles and she doesn't suddenly pick up every new skill within five minutes just because someone taught her. It made her very easy to root for, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where her story goes.
Bishop Marius - WOO! Protective, loyal, lethal, tortured… yeah, obviously I loved him.
I especially loved his relationship with Arden. Their banter and dialogue were so much fun, but I also loved the quieter moments and the way Bishop continually shows up for her. Underneath everything, he's one big softie with a heart of gold.
“I lived a lifetime in pain before meeting you.”
The side characters were another highlight for me and brought in a lot of humour, cuteness and that found-family feeling I will apparently never get tired of.
Overall, this was just a really fun read. I think there's still a lot of world-building and magic left to explore, but this felt like a very bingeable introduction to the series and I'm definitely interested to see how much bigger everything gets from here.
Especially after THAT epilogue???
“Didn't you hear? I'm the fucking Harbinger.”
4.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Sirens for sending me a copy and giving me the chance to read Harbinger early!
I feel like I absolutely breezed through Harbinger?? The best word I can use to describe it is bingeable. It was addictive and easy to read, and I was genuinely just enjoying myself the whole way through.
I really loved the idea of the magic system. Anything star or celestial related when it comes to powers immediately gets my attention, and there's definitely a lot more I want to know about how everything works. I feel like we've only scratched the surface of both the magic and the wider world, so I'm hoping we get to explore a LOT more as the series continues. At the same time, I'm glad we weren't completely info-dumped in book one.
Arden is a very likeable FMC. She's strong-willed, sarky at times and quite the reluctant hero. I really enjoyed seeing her character development and the trials she had to go through. She makes mistakes, she struggles and she doesn't suddenly pick up every new skill within five minutes just because someone taught her. It made her very easy to root for, and I'm really looking forward to seeing where her story goes.
Bishop Marius - WOO! Protective, loyal, lethal, tortured… yeah, obviously I loved him.
I especially loved his relationship with Arden. Their banter and dialogue were so much fun, but I also loved the quieter moments and the way Bishop continually shows up for her. Underneath everything, he's one big softie with a heart of gold.
“I lived a lifetime in pain before meeting you.”
The side characters were another highlight for me and brought in a lot of humour, cuteness and that found-family feeling I will apparently never get tired of.
Overall, this was just a really fun read. I think there's still a lot of world-building and magic left to explore, but this felt like a very bingeable introduction to the series and I'm definitely interested to see how much bigger everything gets from here.
Especially after THAT epilogue???
“Didn't you hear? I'm the fucking Harbinger.”
4.5⭐️
Thank you so much to Sirens for sending me a copy and giving me the chance to read Harbinger early!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an ARC of *Harbinger* in exchange for an honest review.
I have pretty mixed feelings about this book, because there are things here I genuinely liked, but there were also several choices that kept pulling me out of the story.
The fantasy side was probably the most interesting part for me. I liked the idea of the noble families, the Orders, the magic system, the politics behind who controls what kind of magic, and the way Wintour itself reflects the social hierarchy. There are some genuinely good worldbuilding details here.
At the same time, the world never completely came together for me 😥
My problem is not that fantasy has to resemble a specific historical period, because obviously it doesn’t. It is more that the book gives me what felt like a very aristocratic, ritualistic setting with a king, noble bloodlines, arranged marriages, ancient traditions, sacred ceremonies and powerful magical families, while the characters often speak and think in an extremely modern way.
There is a lot of modern slang and casual phrasing, but what bothered me even more was the amount of profanity. And I am not saying that because I have a problem with swearing in books. I don’t. I just think profanity works best when it actually adds something to the emotion or tone of a scene.
“Fucking” alone appears 67 times in a 496-page book.
When a word that is supposed to add force is used that often, it stops feeling forceful at all. Combined with the modern slang and casual dialogue, it repeatedly pulled me out of a world.
I understand that this is intentional and that Antares is its own world rather than some fantasy version of medieval Europe. It just never felt completely cohesive to me.
Arden herself is another mixed point.
I actually like her. I like that she is stubborn, practical in some ways, and protective of the people she loves. Her friendship with Kieren was probably one of the relationships I enjoyed the most because it feels natural and already lived-in.
What I did not enjoy was how hard the book sometimes pushes her snark.
There are scenes where it works perfectly fine, especially when she is joking with people she knows. But there are other moments where it feels like the banter matters more than whether her reaction makes sense in the situation.
The biggest example for me was the scene with Bishop after he kills the man attacking her. Arden barely knows him, she has every reason to be cautious around him, and somehow the scene still gets to: “And then maybe you can spank me?” 🤨
And immediately after that she is wondering why she cannot keep her head around him.
That is basically where my issue with the romance starts.
I understand why people call Arden and Bishop a slow burn. Their actual relationship does take time to develop, and they do slowly learn more about each other. But the attraction itself is made obvious so early that I never completely got that slow-burn feeling.
I already know who the romantic leads are ❗ I do not need the book to remind me almost immediately that Arden is physically affected by Bishop or that there is sexual tension between them.
I would have preferred more time where he was simply this dangerous, mysterious man she did not understand yet. Let me believe the distrust first. Let me get invested in them separately. Then start building the attraction.
Instead, there were several moments where I felt like the book was rushing to establish chemistry long before I needed it.
Overall, the pacing was also uneven for me. The premise is interesting from the beginning, but it took me a while to really settle into the story.
The magic is interesting. The political structure is interesting. The history behind the Orders is interesting. Even the hints about the sixth Order and everything that seems to be buried in Antares’ past made me want answers.
I just often found myself more interested in those things than in being reminded that Arden and Bishop were attracted to each other.
I have pretty mixed feelings about this book, because there are things here I genuinely liked, but there were also several choices that kept pulling me out of the story.
The fantasy side was probably the most interesting part for me. I liked the idea of the noble families, the Orders, the magic system, the politics behind who controls what kind of magic, and the way Wintour itself reflects the social hierarchy. There are some genuinely good worldbuilding details here.
At the same time, the world never completely came together for me 😥
My problem is not that fantasy has to resemble a specific historical period, because obviously it doesn’t. It is more that the book gives me what felt like a very aristocratic, ritualistic setting with a king, noble bloodlines, arranged marriages, ancient traditions, sacred ceremonies and powerful magical families, while the characters often speak and think in an extremely modern way.
There is a lot of modern slang and casual phrasing, but what bothered me even more was the amount of profanity. And I am not saying that because I have a problem with swearing in books. I don’t. I just think profanity works best when it actually adds something to the emotion or tone of a scene.
“Fucking” alone appears 67 times in a 496-page book.
When a word that is supposed to add force is used that often, it stops feeling forceful at all. Combined with the modern slang and casual dialogue, it repeatedly pulled me out of a world.
I understand that this is intentional and that Antares is its own world rather than some fantasy version of medieval Europe. It just never felt completely cohesive to me.
Arden herself is another mixed point.
I actually like her. I like that she is stubborn, practical in some ways, and protective of the people she loves. Her friendship with Kieren was probably one of the relationships I enjoyed the most because it feels natural and already lived-in.
What I did not enjoy was how hard the book sometimes pushes her snark.
There are scenes where it works perfectly fine, especially when she is joking with people she knows. But there are other moments where it feels like the banter matters more than whether her reaction makes sense in the situation.
The biggest example for me was the scene with Bishop after he kills the man attacking her. Arden barely knows him, she has every reason to be cautious around him, and somehow the scene still gets to: “And then maybe you can spank me?” 🤨
And immediately after that she is wondering why she cannot keep her head around him.
That is basically where my issue with the romance starts.
I understand why people call Arden and Bishop a slow burn. Their actual relationship does take time to develop, and they do slowly learn more about each other. But the attraction itself is made obvious so early that I never completely got that slow-burn feeling.
I already know who the romantic leads are ❗ I do not need the book to remind me almost immediately that Arden is physically affected by Bishop or that there is sexual tension between them.
I would have preferred more time where he was simply this dangerous, mysterious man she did not understand yet. Let me believe the distrust first. Let me get invested in them separately. Then start building the attraction.
Instead, there were several moments where I felt like the book was rushing to establish chemistry long before I needed it.
Overall, the pacing was also uneven for me. The premise is interesting from the beginning, but it took me a while to really settle into the story.
The magic is interesting. The political structure is interesting. The history behind the Orders is interesting. Even the hints about the sixth Order and everything that seems to be buried in Antares’ past made me want answers.
I just often found myself more interested in those things than in being reminded that Arden and Bishop were attracted to each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2026
My face after finishing 🐦⬛Harbinger🐦⬛: 🤯
This book CONSUMED me, it was so good. I seriously have no words for the incredible story Geneva wrote here. I'm telling you now- go preorder this book before you get FOMO.
Now, I will say, this is a pretty slow-paced book. There wasn't a whole lot of action scenes, but I appreciated the slightly slower pace this time around. What captured my attention was the "will they or won't they" cat-and-mouse game between Arden and Bishop. I didn't care too much about fights and such because I was too enamored with their relationship🤣 God, BISHOP! Gotta love a man in uniform😍 He gives The Witcher vibes- and boyyyyyy when his restraint snaps, sparks fly😏 Arden is a bad*ss for dealing with his mood swings. She is also one because her entire life gets upended because of the Stars (they are SO rude for that, tbh) and while *everyone* is trying to kill her (through no fault of her own, I might add), instead of just accepting her fate, she chooses to...mess things up a little bit. And I am SO excited to see where she goes next with this😈 BUT THE CLIFFHANGER?! OH MY GOD. I legit looked up at my imaginary camera like "Are y'all seeing this?!" I did *not* see that plot twist coming. I'm terrified (excited) for Book 2 because I must know what happens with [redacted].
The writing style was my favorite part though. If you are a fan of the way Jasmine Mas writes internal dialogue, you will LOVE how Geneva writes Arden's sarcastic internal quips!! I was dying with laughter the entire time I was reading!
A HUGE thank you to Red Tower & Entangled for my ARC!! Now I will be not-so-patiently waiting for Book #2🙂↕️
This book CONSUMED me, it was so good. I seriously have no words for the incredible story Geneva wrote here. I'm telling you now- go preorder this book before you get FOMO.
Now, I will say, this is a pretty slow-paced book. There wasn't a whole lot of action scenes, but I appreciated the slightly slower pace this time around. What captured my attention was the "will they or won't they" cat-and-mouse game between Arden and Bishop. I didn't care too much about fights and such because I was too enamored with their relationship🤣 God, BISHOP! Gotta love a man in uniform😍 He gives The Witcher vibes- and boyyyyyy when his restraint snaps, sparks fly😏 Arden is a bad*ss for dealing with his mood swings. She is also one because her entire life gets upended because of the Stars (they are SO rude for that, tbh) and while *everyone* is trying to kill her (through no fault of her own, I might add), instead of just accepting her fate, she chooses to...mess things up a little bit. And I am SO excited to see where she goes next with this😈 BUT THE CLIFFHANGER?! OH MY GOD. I legit looked up at my imaginary camera like "Are y'all seeing this?!" I did *not* see that plot twist coming. I'm terrified (excited) for Book 2 because I must know what happens with [redacted].
The writing style was my favorite part though. If you are a fan of the way Jasmine Mas writes internal dialogue, you will LOVE how Geneva writes Arden's sarcastic internal quips!! I was dying with laughter the entire time I was reading!
A HUGE thank you to Red Tower & Entangled for my ARC!! Now I will be not-so-patiently waiting for Book #2🙂↕️
Review of advance copy
3.5 stars. Thanks so much to BookSirens and Red Tower Books for providing me with an advance copy of this book so I could share my thoughts.
Overall, the plot to this book was interesting, there was a LOT going on (especially at the beginning and very end), and the settings were fun to exist in. I especially liked how realistic the beginning Arden’s journey to learning sword-fighting was—she didn’t just become an expert overnight, but rather had an incredibly difficult trudge just to be able to swing it without falling over.
What stopped this from being a 5-star read for me, though, was the pacing. To me, it felt like the plot couldn’t quite decide whether it was sprinting or crawling, and from roughly the 60-80% mark I started to feel deeply frustrated with Arden’s never-ending internal monologue about her feelings toward Bishop, and the endless descriptions and explanations, and the extremely slow pace. I usually like slow-burn romance, but the burn was too slow for me in this instance. I also feel like this book could have been significantly shorter, maybe even 100 pages less.
What stopped the book from being even a 4-star read for me was the way that Arden’s powers were addressed WAY too late in the book for them to even feel valid anymore. While the writing was good, it also focused on so many details that didn’t really matter (like the dresses at the Twelvenight celebration, for example), while focusing very little on rather enormous details (like Arden’s powers). By the time I got to 89%, I had a real sense of, “STILL nothing about this yet?”, and it got harder and harder to want to continue.
My other minor gripe was that even I (a notoriously potty-mouthed sailor) found the use of profanity to be overly gratuitous, and felt that it didn’t fit the setting particularly well.
If those concerns were addressed, this has the makings to be a great beginning to a very interesting series. In its current form, I don’t think I would continue with the next book, especially with the cliffhanger.
Full review on my blog: https://www.ace-reviews.com/arc-revie...
Overall, the plot to this book was interesting, there was a LOT going on (especially at the beginning and very end), and the settings were fun to exist in. I especially liked how realistic the beginning Arden’s journey to learning sword-fighting was—she didn’t just become an expert overnight, but rather had an incredibly difficult trudge just to be able to swing it without falling over.
What stopped this from being a 5-star read for me, though, was the pacing. To me, it felt like the plot couldn’t quite decide whether it was sprinting or crawling, and from roughly the 60-80% mark I started to feel deeply frustrated with Arden’s never-ending internal monologue about her feelings toward Bishop, and the endless descriptions and explanations, and the extremely slow pace. I usually like slow-burn romance, but the burn was too slow for me in this instance. I also feel like this book could have been significantly shorter, maybe even 100 pages less.
What stopped the book from being even a 4-star read for me was the way that Arden’s powers were addressed WAY too late in the book for them to even feel valid anymore. While the writing was good, it also focused on so many details that didn’t really matter (like the dresses at the Twelvenight celebration, for example), while focusing very little on rather enormous details (like Arden’s powers). By the time I got to 89%, I had a real sense of, “STILL nothing about this yet?”, and it got harder and harder to want to continue.
My other minor gripe was that even I (a notoriously potty-mouthed sailor) found the use of profanity to be overly gratuitous, and felt that it didn’t fit the setting particularly well.
If those concerns were addressed, this has the makings to be a great beginning to a very interesting series. In its current form, I don’t think I would continue with the next book, especially with the cliffhanger.
Full review on my blog: https://www.ace-reviews.com/arc-revie...
July 30, 2026
The most BINGEABLE and absolutely unputadownable read of 2026 so far.
🐦⬛ = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+♾️
Let’s just say I wasn’t prepared for my kindling. Look, I know 2026 is a stacked year for new romantasy book releases but this just skyrocketed to the top of my list. I may even dare to say that this book will complete with ACOTAR 6, Threshing Day, The Sweetest Fiend, & Rites of the Starling for my favorite new release of the year.
Why should Harbinger move to the top of your endlessly long and overflowing TBR too? Let me try to convince you.
This book had one of the best chapter one hooks that I’ve read since Fourth Wing. It catapulted me straight into a world that was somehow gripping but also enchanting. But the hook didn’t stop there. This book was full throttle to the very bittersweet end. Every trope I love found its way into this book, but yet somehow there were enough twists and turns to make this book feel fresh and unique.
Competing houses with political intrigue ✔️
Found family ✔️
He falls first ✔️
YEARNING AND BANTER ✔️✔️✔️
If you aren’t convinced yet, enter, Bishop, your new book boyfriend OBSESSION. He gives Slade Ravinger energy aka another tortured soul with worship her or die energy. If you know, you know.
The magic system and creatures (for lack of a better expression of what I will only define as an “s being”) are genuinely unique. I love that this didn’t feel like just another fae or vampire read. It will make more sense once you read the story, which you absolutely will do once you finish reading this.
Anyways, this is very much now an extremely long love letter to a book that captured heart. I cannot WAIT for book two. That cliffhanger has me in the worst fit of impatience. Until then, thank you Geneva Lee & Entangled for the opportunity to read the eARC. 🖤
🐦⬛ = ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+♾️
Let’s just say I wasn’t prepared for my kindling. Look, I know 2026 is a stacked year for new romantasy book releases but this just skyrocketed to the top of my list. I may even dare to say that this book will complete with ACOTAR 6, Threshing Day, The Sweetest Fiend, & Rites of the Starling for my favorite new release of the year.
Why should Harbinger move to the top of your endlessly long and overflowing TBR too? Let me try to convince you.
This book had one of the best chapter one hooks that I’ve read since Fourth Wing. It catapulted me straight into a world that was somehow gripping but also enchanting. But the hook didn’t stop there. This book was full throttle to the very bittersweet end. Every trope I love found its way into this book, but yet somehow there were enough twists and turns to make this book feel fresh and unique.
Competing houses with political intrigue ✔️
Found family ✔️
He falls first ✔️
YEARNING AND BANTER ✔️✔️✔️
If you aren’t convinced yet, enter, Bishop, your new book boyfriend OBSESSION. He gives Slade Ravinger energy aka another tortured soul with worship her or die energy. If you know, you know.
The magic system and creatures (for lack of a better expression of what I will only define as an “s being”) are genuinely unique. I love that this didn’t feel like just another fae or vampire read. It will make more sense once you read the story, which you absolutely will do once you finish reading this.
Anyways, this is very much now an extremely long love letter to a book that captured heart. I cannot WAIT for book two. That cliffhanger has me in the worst fit of impatience. Until then, thank you Geneva Lee & Entangled for the opportunity to read the eARC. 🖤
September 13, 2026
Thank you Redtower for the early copy!
I mean this in the kindest way, what the actual f*ck?! You mean to tell me I have to wait until I don’t even know when for the sequel?! I mean the first book isn’t even officially out yet 😭 This is the only downside of ARC’s for me ahaha gotta wait even longer for the sequel!
This was one of those books that I actually didn’t guess the plot twists correctly which doesn’t happen often lol but was amazing to experience! The last couple of chapters were roughhh and I couldn’t put the book down.
Now Bishop?! I just knew I was going to love him and I wasn’t disappointed at all. He was morally grey-ish for sure, brooding, FULL of secrets that I was just itching to know but also really kind and protective of our FMC, Arden. Arden felt pretty familiar to me, she was FMC who needed training and Bishop was more than happy to oblige aha and she was definitely giving “chosen one” vibes.
Overall, I loved this story and the unique Star-based magic as much as i thought I would and I’m desperate for the sequel already lol.
I mean this in the kindest way, what the actual f*ck?! You mean to tell me I have to wait until I don’t even know when for the sequel?! I mean the first book isn’t even officially out yet 😭 This is the only downside of ARC’s for me ahaha gotta wait even longer for the sequel!
This was one of those books that I actually didn’t guess the plot twists correctly which doesn’t happen often lol but was amazing to experience! The last couple of chapters were roughhh and I couldn’t put the book down.
Now Bishop?! I just knew I was going to love him and I wasn’t disappointed at all. He was morally grey-ish for sure, brooding, FULL of secrets that I was just itching to know but also really kind and protective of our FMC, Arden. Arden felt pretty familiar to me, she was FMC who needed training and Bishop was more than happy to oblige aha and she was definitely giving “chosen one” vibes.
Overall, I loved this story and the unique Star-based magic as much as i thought I would and I’m desperate for the sequel already lol.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Harbinger kicks off with a premise that hooks immediately, Arden Icaros, from the poorest of five noble bloodlines, handed a dagger during what should've been a routine ceremony and branded an omen of war for it. Everything spirals from there, and I won't go further than that to avoid spoiling it.
What I can say is that the twists and turns kept coming, enough that I found myself losing track of time and just turning pages deep into the night. Bishop is the kind of morally gray that somehow still reads as a green flag underneath it all, and the tension between him and Arden had me internally screaming for most of the book. The friendships and found family that build around Arden are just as much a part of this book's emotional core, and they will absolutely fulfill you and wreck you at the same time.
The twists I didn't see coming were genuinely well done.
Thank you Red Tower Books for the e-arc!
Desperate for book two immediately.
What I can say is that the twists and turns kept coming, enough that I found myself losing track of time and just turning pages deep into the night. Bishop is the kind of morally gray that somehow still reads as a green flag underneath it all, and the tension between him and Arden had me internally screaming for most of the book. The friendships and found family that build around Arden are just as much a part of this book's emotional core, and they will absolutely fulfill you and wreck you at the same time.
The twists I didn't see coming were genuinely well done.
Thank you Red Tower Books for the e-arc!
Desperate for book two immediately.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews