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fibbi's review
5.0
I greatly enjoyed this book as a continuation following The Fallen.
This book widens the overall story in the world and let me bond more with individual (and new) characters. I love their quirks and abilities.
I enjoy Chavali as a character and watching her experience completely new things in the world. The authors created an interesting belief system that is not too complicated to follow and is a mystery yet to unfold. Though it's still a familiar world story it's still unique enough to be interesting and have surprises.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys interesting characters, sarcasm, a new take on spirits, second chances, and secret societies.
This book widens the overall story in the world and let me bond more with individual (and new) characters. I love their quirks and abilities.
I enjoy Chavali as a character and watching her experience completely new things in the world. The authors created an interesting belief system that is not too complicated to follow and is a mystery yet to unfold. Though it's still a familiar world story it's still unique enough to be interesting and have surprises.
I would recommend this book to someone who enjoys interesting characters, sarcasm, a new take on spirits, second chances, and secret societies.
jpv0's review
4.0
[b:Harbinger|23448889|Harbinger (The Greatest Sin #2)|Lee French|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414289983s/23448889.jpg|43011603] is a bit of a tonal shift from the [b:The Fallen|20639269|The Fallen (The Greatest Sin #1)|Lee French|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1390778530s/20639269.jpg|39921898]. Where The Fallen had a split feel between Chavali's life with her clan and then after her death as one of the Fallen, Harbinger is almost entirely concerned with a single mission she's sent on on behalf of her former masters.
We still have hints of Chivali's former life. How she uses her powers; occasional sad memories of all she's lost. But for the most part, she seems to be fitting into her role as something like a spy, running missions for the masters of the Fallen. It works, although I was hoping for a bit more even about the clan she'd lost, perhaps rebuilding it, and why it happened to them in the first place. We get a few answers, but really more questions than ever.
Worldbuildwise, Harbiner takes what we knew and expands on it, with a few more variants on magic (straight up mages, drowned zombies--more-or-less, and a hyper intelligent horse). Once again, we had the barest comments on Elves, without it really mattering to the world at all. If it's not going to matter to your world that there are Elves and Dwarves, then why are they there? Make something new and different (like mages and mind readers and watery undead, plenty of that to go around!).
On top of that, I'm becoming increasingly curious what exactly is the backstory with Chivali's feather and what it actually does/means. It's weird and cool... and I want to explore that part of the world.
Overall, it's a neat world and solid enough writing to keep me thoroughly intrigued. I want to see what happens next!
We still have hints of Chivali's former life. How she uses her powers; occasional sad memories of all she's lost. But for the most part, she seems to be fitting into her role as something like a spy, running missions for the masters of the Fallen. It works, although I was hoping for a bit more even about the clan she'd lost, perhaps rebuilding it, and why it happened to them in the first place. We get a few answers, but really more questions than ever.
Worldbuildwise, Harbiner takes what we knew and expands on it, with a few more variants on magic (straight up mages, drowned zombies--more-or-less, and a hyper intelligent horse). Once again, we had the barest comments on Elves, without it really mattering to the world at all. If it's not going to matter to your world that there are Elves and Dwarves, then why are they there? Make something new and different (like mages and mind readers and watery undead, plenty of that to go around!).
On top of that, I'm becoming increasingly curious what exactly is the backstory with Chivali's feather and what it actually does/means. It's weird and cool... and I want to explore that part of the world.
“What’s with the feather?”
Frankly, it surprised her that it took him this long to say something about the pink feather grafted into her forehead and surrounded by a floral tattoo. People frequently stared at it while speaking to her, and given more than a few minutes of exposure, nearly everyone said something about it, either as a question or a comment. He lasted a few hours.
“I am eccentric.”
Overall, it's a neat world and solid enough writing to keep me thoroughly intrigued. I want to see what happens next!
readwithmoniqua's review
3.0
At first, I didn't think I was going to like this book at all. The description sounded great, but when I started reading, I have to admit, I wanted to stop. It was slow for a while, but things started to get interesting and started to heat up. Chavali's mission was to find out what happened to Elise and bring her body back, if possible. Little did she know all the things that were about to go down. She got more than she bargained for, and then some.
I was really hoping that Chavali would take a liking to Harris or Colby, but no such luck. I think the name 'Chastity' that Portia gave her to use while they were undercover, suits her well. Granted she can take a hint when a man fancies her, but that the fact that she's genuinely not interested, is the reason the name suited her.
The story behind Elise and everything else in that town, was just too much and the ending with have you like "WTF?" I was not expecting that or anything else that happened in the story. Robin is one twisted character to have his own sister killed by her daughter under his control. I'm interested to see how things will pan out, if there is a third installment.
I am about to go back and read the first novel in the series to get more of a back story on Chavali and Colby.
I was really hoping that Chavali would take a liking to Harris or Colby, but no such luck. I think the name 'Chastity' that Portia gave her to use while they were undercover, suits her well. Granted she can take a hint when a man fancies her, but that the fact that she's genuinely not interested, is the reason the name suited her.
The story behind Elise and everything else in that town, was just too much and the ending with have you like "WTF?" I was not expecting that or anything else that happened in the story. Robin is one twisted character to have his own sister killed by her daughter under his control. I'm interested to see how things will pan out, if there is a third installment.
I am about to go back and read the first novel in the series to get more of a back story on Chavali and Colby.
errantdreams's review
5.0
I think my favorite part of this entire book has to be the four spies–working for four different politicians/nobles–who try to follow our heroes around. Being that there are four of them, and maybe they aren’t the best spies ever, of course they get noticed. And Chavali and her friends end up gradually pulling the spies into the thick of things. As for the politicians themselves, it seems like almost all of them are up to something. Then there’s a mysterious island, and an old prophecy, and an equally mysterious assailant who can mess with people’s minds.
I think the only semi-sorta negatives I can think of are that Chavali smirks and sneers too much, and once she notes a color in one of her dreams (blood red stones) followed shortly thereafter by noting that even in her dreams she doesn’t see colors.
I still love the worldbuilding in this series. All people are born with a memory in their minds of the Creator banishing them due to a great sin. However, absolutely everyone seems to disagree about what this sin is. It makes for some fascinating arguments, especially between Chavali (her clan believed the greatest sin was stagnation) and Colby (who believes that the greatest sin is lying). I’m looking forward to learning more about the various Orders, such as the Order of Spilled Blood, the Order of the Strong Mind, and so forth. I’m particularly looking forward to learning more about Chavali’s enemy, the one who caused her entire clan to be murdered.
As usual the characters are wonderful. Portia is another strong female character, in different ways than Chavali. Harris is entertaining and useful, starting out as an enemy and allowing himself to become an ally. Colby is a little simpler than the other characters, but I think we’ll continue to see more of him in future books.
I enjoyed this volume every bit as much as the first, and look forward to reading more!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/review-harbinger-erik-kort-lee-french/
I think the only semi-sorta negatives I can think of are that Chavali smirks and sneers too much, and once she notes a color in one of her dreams (blood red stones) followed shortly thereafter by noting that even in her dreams she doesn’t see colors.
I still love the worldbuilding in this series. All people are born with a memory in their minds of the Creator banishing them due to a great sin. However, absolutely everyone seems to disagree about what this sin is. It makes for some fascinating arguments, especially between Chavali (her clan believed the greatest sin was stagnation) and Colby (who believes that the greatest sin is lying). I’m looking forward to learning more about the various Orders, such as the Order of Spilled Blood, the Order of the Strong Mind, and so forth. I’m particularly looking forward to learning more about Chavali’s enemy, the one who caused her entire clan to be murdered.
As usual the characters are wonderful. Portia is another strong female character, in different ways than Chavali. Harris is entertaining and useful, starting out as an enemy and allowing himself to become an ally. Colby is a little simpler than the other characters, but I think we’ll continue to see more of him in future books.
I enjoyed this volume every bit as much as the first, and look forward to reading more!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/01/review-harbinger-erik-kort-lee-french/
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