The Harbinger

The Harbinger #1

by Candace Wondrak

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Slow Burn

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2018

About the author

Hey guys! I'm a writer, an office worker, a wife, a mother to two dogs and two cats, and half of a strange pair of young adults who flip the houses they're living in with the goal of having no mortgage (so that I can eventually focus on my writing career!). Needless to say, I'm busy.

Still, I somehow find time to write, to read, and to enjoy life. Wish there were more hours in the day, really!

If you're active on Goodreads and have similar interests, friend me. I don't bite. Or if you'd rather follow my reviews, you can do that, too.

Happy reading!

Link to newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dppf_v

Reviews

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know what's the worst thing about ARC? That if you happen to really like the book you have to wait forever for the next book and you can't really whine about when the next one is coming when this one isn't even published yet. And here I am in precisely that situation.

On another hand... Guess what? I read a fantastic book! I loved the worldbuilding and the... how should I put it... let's say role reversion. Or maybe gender switch. I don't know. Still I loved the idea that the usually male hero is a woman much to everyone's surprise. Because let's face it this has so much potential. And everyone will expect Faith to act a certain way because she is this fated hero and her being a girl means she'll most definitely not follow the script. Oh the delicious mayhem I foresee.

Usually I have trouble adjusting to YA as I find it difficult to relate to teens. It was difficult when I was actually a teen and it's even harder now but Faith won me over in no time. She is sarcastic troublemaker, so at least I can relate to one of her main characteristics ;) Anyway, I couldn't get enough of her snarky attitude, especially when she was around Sunnytoes. The bickering between those two... *happy sigh* It was just what I needed after being stuck into a terrible new instalment of an otherwise great series. But I digress. The initial part of the courtship game aka the constant back and forth of sarcastic remarks and barely veiled insults is my favourite part of a couple's journey. Maybe it's because I suck at flirting of any kind or rather don't recognize it even if it hits me over the head. But observing the dance from a safe distance when I actually know what's happening is quite enjoyable. Not to mention hilarious!

So to wrap things up - I enjoyed this immensely, I'm aware it's not perfect but it managed to suck me in and keep me engaged despite the heavy competition of all the other books I'm currently reading. And now I'm eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

ARC received from the author in exchange of an honest review. This in no way affects my opinion.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an amazing new Fantasy. I'm the first to admit that I'm not a fan of books that get tied down with more sex than story but that is 100% not the case with The Harbinger. Fun, sassy and simply riveting, this was one of the best new author's and series I checked out this year! I did not want this novel to end! I wanted more of Wondrak's Second World, I wanted more of the quirky characters and the what ifs that I know will be coming and I just can't wait to have them all answered. This book stuck with me long after I closed this storytelling and caused a bit of a book hangover, making me wonder what to read next.

I received this ARC copy of The Harbinger from Candace Wondrak. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Harbinger is set for publication Nov 5, 2018.

My Rating: 5 stars
Written by: Candace Wondrak
Print Length: 175 pages
Publication Date: November 5, 2018
Genre: Romantic Fantasy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-Reve...

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Faith Blackwell, a teen who thinks rules are something to dodge, bend or break. Daring, feisty and all teen, unaware that even she has limitations, providing she doesn’t get caught, of course. But as a student with her heart set on joining the Division, the ultimate in law enforcement between the realms, Faith’s one true goal is to follow in her emotionally absent mother’s footsteps, sort of.

An academy trip to the Second will bring more than lessons on other races and just maybe Faith shouldn’t be having so much fun taunting the Elf, Weylon Lightfoot, with the dour countenance and the stick up his tush. How could she not nickname him Sunnytoes?

But on one of her wayward “adventures” she never expected to discover a burning hatred for a statue or what that would mean for her future, for her fate. Legends say there will come a Harbinger who will battle evil, over and over again throughout time, a man, of course…until now…

Meet Faith Blackwell, the Harbinger, the girl who never wanted to be a hero, the girl who never kissed a boy, the girl who will discover more than one male who will haunt her heart!

THE HARBINGER by Candace Wondrak is a charmingly witty tale of the girl who just wanted to have fun, be part of the Division and take adventure and life by the horns, full throttle! Attitude in spades, clever banter and some delightful friction between characters, Candace Wondrak’s tale is one of those fun reads that makes one really want to know these characters in person!

Fast, fun, flirty and delightful reading that has set up what looks to be a series to get up close and personal with! Will it maintain that young adult feel or will it “grow up” along with its characters? I’m sticking around to find out!

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Candace Wondrak!

Publication Date: November 5, 2018
Publisher: Candace Wondrak
Genre: Fantasy | Coming of Age
Print Length: 175 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Candace Wondrak]

Okay, since reviews are starting to trickle in, I thought I'd write up a little something explaining the book for those who are wondering.

As it says at the end of the blurb, this is a SLOW burn reverse harem. Also, this is very much an introduction into the world of the Second. There are more characters present in book 2 (which I plan on releasing shortly after book 1 goes live), and book 2 is when the heating level goes up a few notches.

There are multiple love interests; however, given how things progress in the book, it is a while until Faith meets the others. Book 2 will feature these characters more heavily.

The Harbinger could be considered YA (And really, this first book is not a reverse harem technically). BUT. Book 2 will be NA and IS a reverse harem, but Amazon wants the titles in series to match, which is why I had to label it a Reverse Harem Fantasy. Trust me, there are multiple lovers on the way, folks. Just slowly. If that's not your cup of tea, then you probably won't enjoy this book.

It also has some snark, and her first love interest (ahem, ahem, harem member) is very resistant towards his feelings for a human. Her second (which you don't meet until later) is the cocky, flirty type. You guys know the trope. (But I love him all the same.) Her third is the quiet but dangerous one.

Now I can say that her harem is not completed with this trio. There will be others who join the fray (and eventually the bed).

This ain't a quick a rodeo where they jump into the sack the moment they lay eyes on each other. It's a slow burn by the very definition, and the books never turn out to be just sex, sex, sex (I've drafted up to book 3 at this point in time).

Just a little heads up for ya'll.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 1 out of 5]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review - thank you!

I feel bad for DNFing this but I couldn't really take it any more.

The writing is oddly stilted, with some grammatical mistakes - notably, the omission of the pluperfect tense, which is sadly common with indie authors and sometimes even traditionally published ones. 3rd person really didn't help the writing flow at all.

Faith was sometimes funny but mostly annoying, and there was no sexual tension to speak of. I've given it 2 stars because probably other people will be able to focus on the humour and get past the writing style, but this one wasn't for me.

[Blog] - [Bookstagram]

[Marguerite (M) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

Color me surprised.

The book didn't start so well; Faith was a spoiled little prick that I wanted to slap endlessly. But she actually turned to be a not so annoying character, even a tiny bit endearing. I hope she will keep growing in the following books.

real review to come with the next books

[★Me Myshelf and I★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading some rave reviews Candace was kind enough to send me an ARC :D

This was my first book by Candace so I had no idea what to expect but I pretty much devoured this is one sitting


Some Harems I enjoy for the Heroine and some I enjoy for the Harem. This is the later. Unfortunately Faith was tres annoying, a teenage MC who thinks she is all that and a bag of spuds but actually when shit hits the fan she realises how inept she really is.
Her snark and high opinion of herself did grate but as I said it was the Harem and the potential Harem which makes me want to pick up the next one.

School trip gone wrong Faith discovers she's the Harbringer a fated human destined to battle with an evil Dread King and restore harmony to the land of the elves and various other supernatural beings. Faith (being only 18 and not yet started her training to become part of the supernatural police force) is ill equipped to fight anyone. Looked down on because of her lowly human status Faith must overcome bias because of her gender and race.

No-one looks down on her more than her trainer Light. He's a bit of a stuck up elf and they have a great love-hate sexual tension between them. Its not a long novel at 175 pages so the other potential harem members are only briefly introduced at the end. But I'm loving the potential



The best part of this was the author has decided to take the refreshing stance and actually told us the tropes this novel falls into! "the Chosen One" "the secret keeping trope" ..the guys being quite/flirty/dangerous. Most if not ALL RH fall into these kinds of patterns, it can't be helped and for the most part it doesn't bother me. I even enjoy some of them. But its very unusual for an author to point them out and I loved that.



If you're looking for a slow burn RH, based in a "Middle earth" type setting and a great potential you can't go too far wrong here (if you can get over the snarly teenager that is)

I said 'potential' wayyy to many times here didn't I??
Potential.Potential.Potential Its got it ;D

[LadyBugJaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an Arc from the author in exchange for a review. However, this in no way affects my opinion of it.

So, in this book, we have two worlds; Earth as we know it and The Second where the supernatural beings reside. The story evolves around a curious girl, Faith, who has a problem following the rules. She's goes to an Academy where they train humans to protect earth from supernaturals who dare to cross or smuggle goods form and to earth. The academy is having a field trip for fifth year student to The Second. While faith is there, we are introduced to the world and some of its many creatures as well as couple of the fellows that are going to be in Faith's harem? and yep I want some of em too. Maybe all.

Moving on, Faith's faced with some trouble; half of her class is gone and she, or Sunnytoes aka Light, discovers that she's the harbinger.

My impression: I WANT THE NEXT BOOK, LIKE, RIGHT NOW!!
This is a very entertaining book. I absolutely loved it. Why? The slow burn romance. The book focuses on introducing the characters and building their relationships instead of our usual insta-love. I loved her interaction with Light, and the fact that the author gave them and us time to get used to everything is an extra point.
The other three candidates are introduced in the very end of the story, however, I hope the author is going to give them each as much time needed in the second book. Oh, and the fact that each of em is from a different specie makes them even more interesting.

The book left me really hanging tho. I wanted more. I felt that everything just happened in two days and only much could happen. But again, the first book was an intro to everything so...
But I want more! I want more of the guys. I want more action. I want more of the actual plot.
This is why I rather not read unfinished book series. sigh

Another thing that gave me a pause is that she, or they, are in their fifth year in the academy and they only have basic combat. They train only those in sixth and seventh year. Why? Not to mention that they are totally ignorant of the history and culture of the Second.

The book is fun. Some of the characters are fun. Many funny incidents are there too. I had a fun time reading it.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 elves 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.

I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and enjoyed reading it more than I thought. So I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.

[Iretsia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My last few books left me wanting more, so I was pleasantly surprised when I immediately enjoyed this book. At first, the MC/narration reminded me of Willa from the Curse of the Gods series (book 1: Trickery), mainly because of the incident with the robot cat exploding in her crush’s face. That was the only real Willa moment, but I continued to enjoy Faith, the MC, for the most part. At the beginning of the book, she’s childish and irresponsible; she’s totally unprepared for her chosen career, makes no effort to better prepare herself, and yet continuously tries to begin her career ahead of schedule. It’s frustrating but perhaps realistic for an eighteen year old with authority/mommy issues, but the MC definitely grows up and mellows out as the book goes on. Although I like the narration (third person) in the first chapter, the author seemed inconsistent in deciding how close to make that narration. The narration initially seemed distant and somewhat omniscient, but it became much closer after that. I didn’t have a problem with either narration style, though the first one entertained me more; I just didn’t like the slight inconsistency.

Even if I had still had any reservations about this book after reading about the robo-cat incident, one of the first scenes with Faith’s bisexual grandma, Christine, would have sealed the deal. Faith’s family has a terrible history with men, so Christine has decided that women are the safer bet. She often attempts to sway Faith to her way of thinking, decrying penises and touting the merits of loving women. Seriously, often. Here are some highlights:
• “Men are the worst. Stay away from the lot of them. If you can, swing the other way.”
• “Those penises always looked like miniature aliens to me.”
• “You know, since I bailed you out without your mother knowing, I think the least you can do is give women a romantic chance.”
• “Please child, be wary when it comes to those with penises.”

Side note, one of the funniest moments to me was when Faith claimed to have fallen into a pond, and a guard calls her out on her hair being dry: “Faith forced a smile. ‘You mean you don’t know that Human hair dries instantly?’” That is the epitome of the “Oh, Haven’t You Heard” meme, and I cracked up at seeing it in a book.

Anyway, I really liked the progression of Faith’s relationship with Light (aka Sunnytoes). It isn’t quite enemies to lovers, but it was definitely antagonism at first sight that developed into the dreaded feelings. Overcoming prejudice is a recurring theme in this book (in seriously almost every relationship so far, even the ones that haven’t even really begun yet), so that has been an interesting dynamic. I’m worried it’s being repeated a bit too much, but that prejudice seems more realistic than books in which the humans immediately fall for other species (or vice versa) with instant lust and no hesitation. Anyway, I love Faith and Light together so much and the book spent so much time with just the two of them that I was actually a bit bummed when I remembered this was RH. Either Light is going to get shoved aside so that the others can develop their relationship with Faith, or Light’s relationship with her is going to keep developing with her, the other guys will never catch up, and Light will always have the strongest relationship with Faith. I’m not happy with either situation, so I hope the author knows what she’s doing.

Another side note, this author gives a shout out to my beloved Sarah J. Maas, but I’m not entirely sure I should be happy about it: Faith complains about the guys referring to sex as mating and says, “This isn’t a Maas book.” Does that mean it would be a bad thing if it were? Look, we could only dream of being lucky enough to live in a Maas book, lol. I have a hard time believing you can just name drop other authors with negative intent, so this was probably innocent. Regardless of the intent, I smiled when I saw her name.

Anyway, I had a few issues with this book:
• First, one of the plot points that seems as if it will be fairly important going forward is the idea of the Harbinger and the Dread King ending their infinite war by hooking up, which is apparently possible for the first time now that the Harbinger is a woman. For a book that talks about women like women so much, it sure glosses over the idea of men liking men. It seems like a fairly big plot hole, tbh.
• Minor note, the author used a word incorrectly a few times. When trying to use the past tense of “lie,” meaning “to recline,” the author used “lied” (meaning “to have told a lie”) instead of “lay.” It was confusing and distracting, but it only happened twice that I noticed.
• Perhaps most important, the last chapter wasn’t as strong as it could have been. We’re introduced to a new character who seems to be a puppet master of sorts, and the author tries very hard to make her mysterious by never using names. However, because no names were used, the pronouns “he” and “she” could have referred to multiple people in a few places, which was confusing and made the chapter somewhat ineffective.
• Finally, I thought Faith’s “rules” in the opening blurb in the description were somewhat misleading: “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.” 1) No one actually breaks her trust in this book, and she has very few interactions with anyone other than the Elven; 2) Faith pretty much believed the people who told her she was the Harbinger, and nothing bad happened because she didn’t believe. It seemed like this stuff was added to the blurb to heighten the tension, but I don’t think it reflects what actually happens in the book.

Even so, I can’t wait to read the next book!

MY PROGRESS UPDATES

5.0% "Omg I'm loving this. The MC reminds me a bit of Willa from CotG, and her bisexual grandma repeating "penis" and touting the merits of loving women has me dying."

57.0% "I'm still loving this, but we've only met one love interest so far, and I love him, so I don't really want this to be an RH book anymore."

[Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faith Blackwell is a great character! I enjoyed her very much and she made me smile. The world building for me was very good. I enjoyed the story line and it kept me wanting more. I thought the idea for this book was exciting and new. I also think the other races this author created were just genius. I enjoyed so much in this book! *This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.*

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an alright read. I thought the story was good, but not as interesting as I thought. The story did make me feel bored. The characters were okay. I didn’t dislike them or love them. They were just alright. I will try to continue the series, but I probably won’t anytime soon. Overall, an okay read.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

I am a BIG fan of playful banter between characters, and Faith is full of spunk. Keep up the word play, embarrassing comments, bickering. All is good.

I did feel like this was more of an introduction book, with a few of her future love interests? not even being introduced until the last few chapters of the book - not what I was expecting. That being said, it makes sense the beginning of the book was kind of slow, so much explaining/understanding of Faith's character and the Second, which takes time. And the ending went so quick because I really start getting into the characters and storyline. I was getting a "fellowship of the ring" feel, with a different member of every race ending up with the harbinger's quest.. time will tell, I assume that will take place in the beginning of the next book.

Faith's second guessing of whether or not she has feelings for people will probably get a little on my nerve, I like when people know what they want - like Jag, but I am still very interested in where this story will go.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review in three words: I want more!

At first, I was a little confused with the plot but since it was a Reverse harem fantasy, I thought I would enjoy reading it. As I hoped, I ended up really liking The Harbinger especially once we met Jag (the flirty Malus).

In this book, we follow Faith, a human girl who wishes to join the Division. She lives with her grandmother since her mother is the Director of the Academy and is more focused on her job than raising her daughter. I loved her grandmother, she was so sweet and funny.

Faith is the kind of girl who gets in trouble more often than not. And because of that, she ends up having to follow Light, an elf who hates humans, for a week to learn what the hunter has to teach her and three boys of her class. Except nothing really goes as planned and Faith gets more involved in this world (called the Second) than she expected.

I thought the plot was interesting and as for the characters and the romance, I'm excited to see where the story goes. However, this book feels like an introduction to a longer story so it's probably why we only meet Jag (and Camden) near the end. I didn't expect that but I can't wait to see how their relationship(s) develop even though they only just met.

I have no idea when the next book is coming out so if you do, please let me know as I would love to read the next one.


Thank you to the author, publisher & Netgalley for letting me read and review this book in advance.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER: Some spoilers (I couldn't resist)---- so if you care about that, please skip!

This was a fun, engaging first installment to The Harbinger reverse harem series. It drew me in during the first paragraph and held me from there. It begins with the main character, Faith on an unsanctioned "hunt" for criminals. She is enrolled in the Academy of the Infantry Division to become an field Agent. However, she is only on the end of her fifth year and have two whole more years to go before she becomes a full agent and is allowed in the field. Faith Blackwell is the daughter of the Director of the Infantry Division and because of lack of attention from her mother and her eighteen year old immaturity, often acts out. She is portrayed as a rebellious, arrogant, snarky girl and although some might find those traits obnoxious in a main character, I really enjoyed them. She seemed to act appropriately for an eighteen year old girl and I liked that.

The story line picks up quickly when Faith and her classmates take a field trip to the Second; an alternate dimension where other races, such as Elves and Dracon, are from. The story goes from urban setting to high fantasy in an instance when the students pass through the Gateway into the beautiful and whimsical Second. It also is when Faith finds out that she is the Harbinger and destined to fight a battle against a large malevolent demon-like villain. This battle between Harbinger and Dracyrus has occurred many times over eons. Each time with the Harbinger being a new destined human but always a MALE. This is the first time the hero has been a female... So Faith begins her adventure.

This being a reverse harem story, I expected the romantic partners to be coming in droves and practically be jumping the main character's bones from act one. However, I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of build up with the first emotional attachment between Faith and Weylon Lightfoot, an elf that despises humans usually. I did find it a little off-putting how vehemently he hates humans and thought they were ugly and stinky in the beginning to how relatively quickly (a couple days) changes his mind about Faith and ends up wanting her. I do enjoy the snarky banter and awkwardness from them however. It seemed like it was just going to be a regular romance until towards the end of the novel, when a few male characters are added into the narrative as her potential lovers for book two. So just to be clear for those who care, there is NO hanky-panky in this book BUT its building you up for hopefully some VERY sexy play time in the next book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book WAY more than I originally thought I would. It was a quick, easy read that flowed pretty well. It does change POV a couple times, which I liked mostly except once or so when I was confused with whom was speaking. I liked the storyline and felt like the main character was pretty believable and likeable from my perspective. The love interests are intriguing and I really liked the SLOW-BURN and build up. SEXUAL TENSION ANYONE? Yes, please. I am anxious to get the next book now to see what kind of sexy situations she gets into with her lithe elf, rugged "panther man", and cautious "vampire". <3

[Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting new series from Ms. Wondrak. She creates a whole new world called The Second where you can meet other races (the Elven, the Malus, the Ulen and the Dracon) and where different rules apply. I can see some similarities with common mythology but nevertheless they are different species with supernatural powers and most of them are way too beautiful to be trusted. At least that is what Faith claims.

Faith is a young student at the Academy on the Earth, where she is learning to become a hunter for people making illegal portals to the other Wolds or smuggling something through it. She is a young rebel, sometimes a bit annoying and making some immature decisions. Her attitude may come out a bit arrogant, but she is just a snarky teenager and that shows in her behaviour with braking the rules all the time. I like how she is acting her age and is not all mature and perfect and making adult decisions which make her more realistic. I liked Her interaction with Light and others which was funny and sarcastic.



Moving forward with the story, while going into the Second she is dragged into the prophecy of the next Harbinger. Half of her class is missing, and she suddenly develops intense hate toward someone she never met. Or did she? Even though she doesn’t trust allusions, she is soon forced to realize and admit to herself that she bit off more than she can chew.

The first book in the series is introduction to the plot still building and the characters still developing, so there are still many open ends. The story kept my attention even though it was slow and despite some predictable twists. There is also a hint of romance to come, but nothing steamy yet in this book. I loved the promise of reverse harem and multiple partners from different species.



It is a quick and funny read I liked. I am wondering where the author will lead the plot even though I have my suspicions.
I recommend this book to the reader who like reverse harem fantasy with a sarcastic teenager.


https://bookaddict.net/2018/09/18/the...

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique world-building and complex characters reel you right into The Harbinger.

YA is not a genre I read often but stepping out of my comfort zone lead me to a good story.

Faith Blackwell, an eighteen-year-old ‘cadet’ is a reckless rule-breaker, anxious to graduate and began her own career as an agent for the Division, the agency who polices the “otherworldly” issues involving earth and other realms from the Second—a world on the other side of a magical portal.

The regular field trip fifth-year cadets make to the Second to learn about and from the Elves—earth’s closest ‘friend’—will forever change Faith’s life, awakening her to a destiny… and a past dormant inside her.

Faith is a strong, flawed character. Sometimes she’s a brilliant young woman on the cusp of adulthood and others, she’s an annoying, rude, immature teenager.

I didn’t like the annoying, rude teenager because she tried too hard. Her efforts to be a lone wolf—for lack of a better name—felt forced, and lead to one bad decision after another.

The reflective, young woman inside Faith was much more honest and endearing and to me, had a better understanding of herself and her life.

It’s the annoying teenager who goes through the portal to the Second, but the young woman who returns, confused, but resolved to her destiny. She just has no idea how to get back to it.

Faith gets help with that from Light—Weylon Lightfoot—an Elven hunter, Faith’s tutor in the Second… and the man she’s drawn too. Light, hater of all things human, doesn’t understand his attraction to Faith—because she’s a smelly human—but believes she has a destiny to fulfill to save the Second, and he needs her with him.

The scenes where Faith and Light are both bewildered by their feelings for each other are the best. Their honesty rings true and adds the right touch of romance. But too soon, they fall back into their antagonistic, defensive snark and the moment is gone. For now.

Jag joins the story when he helps Light get Faith back to the Second. Jag is more than interested in Faith, and she’s a bit too interested in him for my liking. She’s had this slow-build going with Light, but not so much with Jag.

Strong writing and good editing help The Harbinger to flow with only one lapse—where Faith’s grandmother, Christine, is “Catherine” for a few paragraphs—taking me out of the story. I recommend this fantasy and read it quickly—book 2 is on the way!

Enjoy!

[Kim Lo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: https://klling.wordpress.com/2018/11/...

The Harbinger has its own set of story with its own heroine and back story. Being the first book, there is a lot of setup for both bringing in the characters and setting the stage for everything we need to know. As slow-burn as it claims to be, there is still a decent amount of fantasy to create a good bit of intrigue especially with all the different fantasy races to discover and a good contrast of characters that were introduced. It sets up a lot of potential for the following books, while still being a competent first book.

My main deal here is that the dialogue here sometimes didn’t really work as well for me. I’m fairly selective about fantasy and writing style so its something I’m a little more nitpicky about. Most of the writing style is pretty good, but its mostly the actual dialogue. However, I did like how the chapters would, albeit in third person, still change the angle of which character’s point of view we are reading from. Aside from that, putting the romance aside, which I’m not sure that I’m completely on board with, my favorite parts are the mysterious bits that are written exceptionally well when we start getting introduced to the Dread King. We’re keeping this spoiler free so nothing more than that.

Overall, The Harbinger is a really good fantasy book with a lot of creativity and its first book sets up a lot of intrigue especially in bringing in this new world and their clans while giving the characters, especially the heroine’s quest and her depth to make me look forward to what else this series has to offer.

[Michelle Shemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Harbinger
Candace Wondrak

This was amazing. I absolutely loved the worldbuilding and characters. Faith was amazing. I loved her snark. Granted to some to some she may come across as annoying but you have to read more into her. This is a slow burn reverse harem so we will get to know Faith's love little by little which is nice. It means we get more in depth with the characters, and the worlds at which she is saving. Looking forward to the next book in the series!!!

[Crazy Bashleexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting plot and characters. Loving the ideology and the beginnings of such a great story. I’m intrigued by the world and all it’s characters. I’m enjoying the MC and the start of her finding the men to be in her life. Really enjoyed and looking forward to the next book...

[Renia]

DNF. The heroine is very immature and she pisses me off.

[Coco.V]

🎁 Books 1-3 in the The Harbinger Series (4 book series) are FREE on Amazon today (12/26/2020)! 🎁

[Stephanie Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

I enjoyed this book, particularly the banter between Faith and Light. I look forward to book 2 in the series.

[Brenna Becker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given this book to read for an honest review by the author and I must say that I very much enjoyed the read. It took me a little bit to get into the book and to understand the world that it was set in which is the reason for the 4 star review, but I found the story fascinating and am excited to see how the Faith will grow as a person and character in the next book. The relationship between Faith and "Sunnytoes" made me laugh and was perfect for those comical moments that tend to make a book even more memorable. I'm excited for the next book and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for romance, plot, and a dash of comedy.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a good teen and young adult romance read. The characters are good. The story is fun, sassy, and simply riveting read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[RogueThreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love the world. I am looking forward to watching the characters grow.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've followed Candace on Twitter for some time, but this is the first time I've actually read any of her books. Because of this I decided to go in blind and not look at what others have thought of the book before reading it myself. And while some might think this foolish, I'm rather glad I did because while numerous other reviewers enjoyed The Harbinger, sadly I did not.

The world that Candace has created is an interesting one. It is one where the mythical creatures of fairy tales are real to an extent. Creatures such as the fae, shapeshifters, etc. They all inhabit this fictional world even though they do not always live side by side peacefully.

Unfortunately, my issue comes with the actual characters themselves.

The main character, Faith, I found quite hard to like. She is brash to the point of recklessness, a trait that gets her in trouble both before the book begins as well as during it. She does not think her actions through, does not care for consequences, and certainly doesn't seem to care if what she does causes anyone around her to be hurt. She also claims that she does not want to be a hero, yet she is working towards being just that. Graduates of the Academy and members of the Division are protectors, heroes in a sense. If Faith does not want to be a hero, as she claims, then what is she even doing there?

Another person I had issue with was another main character; Weylon Lightfoot, an elf Faith meets during her school trip to the Second. From his introduction he claims to not like humans, and yet it doesn't take long for him to get rather close to Faith. I found myself questioning his actions on more than one occasion, something he himself doesn't seem to do.

Two other male characters are introduced at the very end of the book, and it is my understanding that they too will be drawn to Faith. That in the end, she will have to contend not only with her status as a Chosen One, but also with the small harem she gathers.

As fascinating as the world is that Candace has created for The Harbinger series, I unfortunately do not see myself reading the rest of it. For me, the characters were hard to relate to and I was rolling my eyes in exasperation on more than one occasion. That does not mean I don't recommend this one to my readers - my opinion is only one among many. I do advise my readers to at the very least try this particular book. Perhaps they will enjoy it more than me.

[Jessica Bronder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many years ago, the last Harbinger opened a gateway between Earth and the Second. The Second is an alternate world populated by all things paranormal/fantasy. Since then Earth has had to adjust to the comings and goings of these creatures/races and had to create a police force to handle smuggling and illegal portals.

Enter Faith Blackwell. All she wants to do is graduate from the Academy and follow in her mother’s footsteps but cracking down on smugglers. But on a field trip to the Second she gets separated from her class, learns she is in way over her head, and that she is the new Harbinger, a human that will defeat the evil in the Second.

Faith is loud, obnoxious, and has this thing about breaking rules. I loved her! But of course her trouble has stuck her with an elf that clearly hates her. The banter between the two of them is hilarious, she truly is a girl after my own heart. But when she learns her fate she realizes this is serious and how much trouble she is in. But she is still willing to fight and do what needs to be done. It just helps that she has this sexy elf that is trying to fight feelings for her.

This is a great story with an amazing cast of characters, beautiful world, and a great story. I love how there is an attraction and tension without the insta love but so much potential for the whole Harbinger aspect along with a bunch of good looking men.

This is the first book of Candace Wondrak’s that I have read but it won’t be my last. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second book in this series and read her other works.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5 stars

To start off, I'd like to say that I really loved A Mark Unwilling by this same author. I was actually told by the author that The Harbinger "is a totally different monster" compared to A Mark Unwilling. I was actually very interested in the premise of this book, but am sad to say that I was a bit disappointed. While the book went through very quickly and easy to follow, I felt that it just lacked the charm that I was expecting to see. It just fell flat to me in both the world setting, characters, the romance etc. I believe that more improvements could be made, but it just didn't catch my attention. I didn't feel swept away by the story most of the time. It just felt very plain. While some aspects I liked, such as the main characters wittiness and the way she holds herself up and a few other minor characters, this just didn't meet my expectations. I also understand that the harem aspect won't come into play more until next installment, but I can't see myself coming back right away to see how it turns out. It was just plain to me and I'm so sad I didn't like it more than I did.

These opinions are completely my own and are in no way influenced by anything outside myself. ARC received for free by the publisher through NetGalley.

[Erika Robles · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a real long time to read this, like 3 tries. For some reason I just didn't gel with Faith and the whole world building and her clearly being a halfling from an affair her mom had in the Second, if that's not in the other books, well it's pretty obvious her connections with the Second run deeper than just being the Harbinger. Her grandma's fun, but the whole secrecy between the women in the family got on my nerves, maybe if she were in the know she'd be better prepared for things that came at her. There's protecting and then there's protecting in detriment of safety which I believe is the case. I'm not sure I'll keep reading the series. Faith is a good enough character after a bit, her interactions with Light are what got me reading til the end tbh, and while I know this is a #whychoose slowburn book, I don't feel like it should be. I gather the prophecy has something about the war ending once enemies fall in love yadda yadda, and that would be cool, but the set up actually makes you hate that direction in this book. Not something for me, but maybe other might enjoy. It was a solid writing work though, too bad the plot didn't grip me.

This is an honest voluntary review of an ARC copy