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Division Zero #5
Harbinger
Lieutenant Kirsten Wren has encountered Harbingers before—shadowy entities that claim ghosts with dark souls—but they don’t usually follow her home.
At long last, life is somewhere approaching happy. Her adopted son has put his past behind him and she’s even finally trusted herself enough to start a romantic relationship. Best of all, no corporations or demonic creatures have tried to kill her in a whole month.
Dead gang members start turning up, victims of murders with ritualistic overtones. Division 1 files them away as low priority due to their policy of letting the street trash clean itself up. However, when additional killings occur with obvious supernatural causes, Kirsten officially takes jurisdiction.
In the midst of her investigation, a Harbinger attaches itself to her. The chilling ramifications of that become clear once she discovers the area’s most feared gang has developed a working relationship with the Abyss. If she doesn’t act fast, all of West City will become a hellscape.
At long last, life is somewhere approaching happy. Her adopted son has put his past behind him and she’s even finally trusted herself enough to start a romantic relationship. Best of all, no corporations or demonic creatures have tried to kill her in a whole month.
Dead gang members start turning up, victims of murders with ritualistic overtones. Division 1 files them away as low priority due to their policy of letting the street trash clean itself up. However, when additional killings occur with obvious supernatural causes, Kirsten officially takes jurisdiction.
In the midst of her investigation, a Harbinger attaches itself to her. The chilling ramifications of that become clear once she discovers the area’s most feared gang has developed a working relationship with the Abyss. If she doesn’t act fast, all of West City will become a hellscape.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 18, 2018
10 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Matthew S. Cox
194 books266 followersBorn in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
Hobbies and Interests:
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
He is also fond of cats.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 6, 2022
Oh what to say about this one.
It's been awhile since I've read the Division Zero series (at least the first 4) but picking up Harbinger it feels as if no time has passed at all!
Kirsten Wren is finally at a point in her life where she believes she is happy. She believes she's finally moved on from her past (her mother and Konstantin), her son Evan is thriving, the relationship between her and Sam has seemed to get to a comfortable, and her job...well it's still a lot for Kirsten as one of the few astral sensitives in the west.
Kirsten's newest case however seems to stir up emotions in Kirsten when she learns of a psionic teen using his powers against police. But not everything is so cut and dry. Dead gang members have been filed by Division 1 as low priority and yet they seem to connect to a few of Kirsten's dead and the boys reasoning for going after the police.
I really liked this book. One of my favorite things was seeing Kirsten come into her own as a "momma bear" protecting her young. She willingly goes to the Beneath again to help her son and his friends when an assassin ghost managed to trap them there. We also see Kirsten's weak (although I wouldn't really call it a weak spot) when it comes to cases involving kids and how much more she will dedicate herself to help the psionic kids avoid any kind of childhood she had.
It's been awhile since I've read the Division Zero series (at least the first 4) but picking up Harbinger it feels as if no time has passed at all!
Kirsten Wren is finally at a point in her life where she believes she is happy. She believes she's finally moved on from her past (her mother and Konstantin), her son Evan is thriving, the relationship between her and Sam has seemed to get to a comfortable, and her job...well it's still a lot for Kirsten as one of the few astral sensitives in the west.
Kirsten's newest case however seems to stir up emotions in Kirsten when she learns of a psionic teen using his powers against police. But not everything is so cut and dry. Dead gang members have been filed by Division 1 as low priority and yet they seem to connect to a few of Kirsten's dead and the boys reasoning for going after the police.
I really liked this book. One of my favorite things was seeing Kirsten come into her own as a "momma bear" protecting her young. She willingly goes to the Beneath again to help her son and his friends when an assassin ghost managed to trap them there. We also see Kirsten's weak (although I wouldn't really call it a weak spot) when it comes to cases involving kids and how much more she will dedicate herself to help the psionic kids avoid any kind of childhood she had.
April 25, 2022
This isn't the first time that Lieutenant Kristen Wren has encountered Harbingers but they usually don't follow her home . Things at home are going great her adopted son is finally adjusting to his new life . Now with dead gang members are ending up dying all over town and there are ritualistic in meaning . Kristen take overs the investigation and with the help of her ghost partner Dorian she is working hard to get the bad guys even if it means taking down one of the most feared gangs in the district .
There are so many characters in this books . Kristen is such a wonderful woman .. She is feisty and hardworking and also a psychic who can see the dead . She is in the best relationship and her son Evan is sweet and sometimes he comes off immature but not really being immature . He wants to be friends with everyone and loves taking care of those friends .There are so many characters that come and go through out the book and keep Kristen on her toes . All the characters are very well written and complex.
This is one of those books that combines science fiction with a dash of drama and mystery . The author has a great grasp of the genre and paints a very vivid landscape for these characters to live and work in . The characters are well written and complex and you will love them . I truly enjoyed this book and loved the characters and the story is complex . If you want a good read for an evening check it out . It is part of a series but you can read it as a stand alone. So check it out .
There are so many characters in this books . Kristen is such a wonderful woman .. She is feisty and hardworking and also a psychic who can see the dead . She is in the best relationship and her son Evan is sweet and sometimes he comes off immature but not really being immature . He wants to be friends with everyone and loves taking care of those friends .There are so many characters that come and go through out the book and keep Kristen on her toes . All the characters are very well written and complex.
This is one of those books that combines science fiction with a dash of drama and mystery . The author has a great grasp of the genre and paints a very vivid landscape for these characters to live and work in . The characters are well written and complex and you will love them . I truly enjoyed this book and loved the characters and the story is complex . If you want a good read for an evening check it out . It is part of a series but you can read it as a stand alone. So check it out .
December 10, 2018
Phenomenal as always
The division zero series, and it’s spin offs, Are perhaps my favorite and most anticipated books on Amazon. And as usual this one does not disappoint. The story has just enough depth not to bog Down the enjoyment. The blend of cyberpunk and the supernatural feels a bit more fitting than say Shadowrun. As always I await more. I really do wish someone wood put together a fact Wiki for the world and/or release a fact book for some type of tabletop role-playing game for the setting.
The division zero series, and it’s spin offs, Are perhaps my favorite and most anticipated books on Amazon. And as usual this one does not disappoint. The story has just enough depth not to bog Down the enjoyment. The blend of cyberpunk and the supernatural feels a bit more fitting than say Shadowrun. As always I await more. I really do wish someone wood put together a fact Wiki for the world and/or release a fact book for some type of tabletop role-playing game for the setting.
May 1, 2022
Harbringer
I really enjoyed this one! I loved the mystery and trying to solve the cases and I really liked the concepts. Harbingers were pretty neat and the creativity of this series is fantastic!
I really enjoyed this one! I loved the mystery and trying to solve the cases and I really liked the concepts. Harbingers were pretty neat and the creativity of this series is fantastic!
December 8, 2018
I'm glad we're not done yet
With all his other projects, it takes a while to circle around again. But i am glad we can keep going back to Div 0. I'm pretty sure the bad lands prophet was mentioned too, I hope she gets more stories as well
With all his other projects, it takes a while to circle around again. But i am glad we can keep going back to Div 0. I'm pretty sure the bad lands prophet was mentioned too, I hope she gets more stories as well
June 19, 2020
Combining gritty technological thrills with complex supernatural investigations, Cox provides another novel filled with both cyberpunk action and metaphysical complexity.
This novel is the fifth in Cox’s Division Zero series. It also refers to events in The Awakened series. High risk of post-cognitive contamination beyond this point.
Lieutenant Kirsten Wren feels like she’s finally in a good place: her adoptive son seems to have left his traumatic past completely behind, she’s in a stable relationship, and no corporations, demons, or other soulless entities have tried to murder her for over a month. However, when an act of kindness leads her to potential evidence of working abyssal magic, and a young woman turns up raped with no memory and signs of possession, Kirsten realises the city might be facing two powerful evils at the same time; a fear strengthened when a Harbinger, a being that exists to drag the most corrupt to hell, starts following her.
While Cox handles the portrayal of sexual violence and its impacts respectfully, neither engaging in graphic details nor allowing the narration to slip into victim blaming, one of the major plots of this book does revolve around rape. Areas of this might might therefore not be comfortable reading for some.
As with the previous books in the series, Cox interweaves cyberpunk police action, psychic horror, and metaphysical speculation; and does it without any one detracting from the others. This is a world where technology both solves and creates the majority of issues, the supernatural rarely provides overt evidence to the mundane majority, and even those who know ghosts are real don’t fully understand the spirit realms; thus, Cox skilfully avoids both the mysterious disappearance of belief in the mystical and the irrelevance of technology that exist at either end of the technology vs magic spectrum.
Rather than risk this balance with either escalation or plateauing of supernatural power, Cox draws on the rarity: while Kristen might be almost certain something magical or ghostly is involved, she doesn’t have the ability to simply know the location of every spiritual being in the city; thus, much of both major plots revolve around seeking trace evidence and looking for patterns.
With areas of the city being dangerous for a single officer, psychic or not, Cox also provides an engaging series of armoured cops vs gangs and criminals skirmishes.
In parallel with Kristen’s psychic police narratives, the book also follows Evan, her son, to a greater extent than before. This provides a second, rather different, set of challenges from being psychic and possible ways to solve them.
Cox leavens the horror of violation with the ironic humour one might expect of police officers and scenes of genuine happiness in Kirsten and Evan’s home life. This both grants the reader respite from the darkness and highlights what is at stake if the threats are not stopped.
Kirsten remains a complex and sympathetic protagonist. Her experiences and victories have granted her more stability but not erased her self-doubts completely, producing a highly plausible image of adulthood.
Evan, as with all of Cox’s child characters, is immature without being simplistic; his reactions make complete sense within his very limited experience of life. As with Kristen, he is no longer trapped by the problems of his early childhood but is not free of their impact on him.
The supporting cast are nuanced, with even nameless thugs who appear in a single scene feeling like more than a stereotypical mook to act as a speed bump or brief moral dilemma for the hero.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking science-fiction that has both dramatic action and emotional complexity.
I received a free copy from the author with no request for a review.
This novel is the fifth in Cox’s Division Zero series. It also refers to events in The Awakened series. High risk of post-cognitive contamination beyond this point.
Lieutenant Kirsten Wren feels like she’s finally in a good place: her adoptive son seems to have left his traumatic past completely behind, she’s in a stable relationship, and no corporations, demons, or other soulless entities have tried to murder her for over a month. However, when an act of kindness leads her to potential evidence of working abyssal magic, and a young woman turns up raped with no memory and signs of possession, Kirsten realises the city might be facing two powerful evils at the same time; a fear strengthened when a Harbinger, a being that exists to drag the most corrupt to hell, starts following her.
While Cox handles the portrayal of sexual violence and its impacts respectfully, neither engaging in graphic details nor allowing the narration to slip into victim blaming, one of the major plots of this book does revolve around rape. Areas of this might might therefore not be comfortable reading for some.
As with the previous books in the series, Cox interweaves cyberpunk police action, psychic horror, and metaphysical speculation; and does it without any one detracting from the others. This is a world where technology both solves and creates the majority of issues, the supernatural rarely provides overt evidence to the mundane majority, and even those who know ghosts are real don’t fully understand the spirit realms; thus, Cox skilfully avoids both the mysterious disappearance of belief in the mystical and the irrelevance of technology that exist at either end of the technology vs magic spectrum.
Rather than risk this balance with either escalation or plateauing of supernatural power, Cox draws on the rarity: while Kristen might be almost certain something magical or ghostly is involved, she doesn’t have the ability to simply know the location of every spiritual being in the city; thus, much of both major plots revolve around seeking trace evidence and looking for patterns.
With areas of the city being dangerous for a single officer, psychic or not, Cox also provides an engaging series of armoured cops vs gangs and criminals skirmishes.
In parallel with Kristen’s psychic police narratives, the book also follows Evan, her son, to a greater extent than before. This provides a second, rather different, set of challenges from being psychic and possible ways to solve them.
Cox leavens the horror of violation with the ironic humour one might expect of police officers and scenes of genuine happiness in Kirsten and Evan’s home life. This both grants the reader respite from the darkness and highlights what is at stake if the threats are not stopped.
Kirsten remains a complex and sympathetic protagonist. Her experiences and victories have granted her more stability but not erased her self-doubts completely, producing a highly plausible image of adulthood.
Evan, as with all of Cox’s child characters, is immature without being simplistic; his reactions make complete sense within his very limited experience of life. As with Kristen, he is no longer trapped by the problems of his early childhood but is not free of their impact on him.
The supporting cast are nuanced, with even nameless thugs who appear in a single scene feeling like more than a stereotypical mook to act as a speed bump or brief moral dilemma for the hero.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking science-fiction that has both dramatic action and emotional complexity.
I received a free copy from the author with no request for a review.
April 14, 2021
Loved it
One thing about Matthew’s characters is that you get to know them, and they start to feel like friends. I like hanging out with Kristen and Dorian, and the rest. I enjoy the banter and the occasionally deep conversations and of course the humor and the horror. Kristen has a tough job in a world that is utterly fascinating! And she’s good at it....
One thing about Matthew’s characters is that you get to know them, and they start to feel like friends. I like hanging out with Kristen and Dorian, and the rest. I enjoy the banter and the occasionally deep conversations and of course the humor and the horror. Kristen has a tough job in a world that is utterly fascinating! And she’s good at it....
November 24, 2019
Say Hello To My Not So Little Friend
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded, or faint of heart!•••
There are many series that intertwine to make up the world of This book and all must be read in order to avoid spoilers. I will update this review when I figure that order out. I can't wait to read more!
Kirsten has had a nice boring day for her *patrol shift*. The shift is meant to help her understand what Division 1 does but it seems like she was given super light duty because they were afraid she would get hurt. Being small is a super pain in the rump when you are a cop! Finally a call comes through and they may actually see action! Sadly they find a suggestive kid holding two cops hostage because he wants someone to solve his brother's murder. He is like 10. Kirsten talks down the situation and arrests the kid even though she doesn't really want to. She has no choice considering its attempted murder of a police officer. Can she help him get a lighter sentence? Can she figure out who killed his brother and why? Will the cops agree to drop the charges? Will she be allowed to investigate the case? How is she going to keep her promise to this despondent little boy?
•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded, or faint of heart!•••
There are many series that intertwine to make up the world of This book and all must be read in order to avoid spoilers. I will update this review when I figure that order out. I can't wait to read more!
Kirsten has had a nice boring day for her *patrol shift*. The shift is meant to help her understand what Division 1 does but it seems like she was given super light duty because they were afraid she would get hurt. Being small is a super pain in the rump when you are a cop! Finally a call comes through and they may actually see action! Sadly they find a suggestive kid holding two cops hostage because he wants someone to solve his brother's murder. He is like 10. Kirsten talks down the situation and arrests the kid even though she doesn't really want to. She has no choice considering its attempted murder of a police officer. Can she help him get a lighter sentence? Can she figure out who killed his brother and why? Will the cops agree to drop the charges? Will she be allowed to investigate the case? How is she going to keep her promise to this despondent little boy?
April 26, 2022
“Kristen continue to be strong, feisty and I’d say lethal in her own unique way. Her son is cute and their bond as mother and son was beautiful. The adventure continues as the mystery too.”
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews