Of Blood and Aether

Harbingers, Book 1

By: Harper Hawthorne

Narrated by: Nikki Grey, Lucas Dixon

A rare conduit of Light drawn to the Shadows. A spymaster who can't seem to stay away.

For as long as she can remember, Arken Asher has been searching for answers—driven by an insatiable hunger, a need to understand the meaning behind her dangerous arcane secrets. She's finally taken that leap into the unknown, leaving her simple life behind to attend the Arcane Studium, a prestigious college of magickal arts & sciences nestled in the heart of Sophrosyne, the City of the Gods.

As the Scouting & Reconnaissance Captain of the Elder Guard, Kieran Vistarii deals in Shadows, blood, and subterfuge. Scarred by his past but dedicated to safeguarding Sophrosyne's future, Kieran's self-imposed isolation is easily masked by charm and cocksure energy. Strange disappearances have kept his cadre busy as of late, and yet the captain finds himself sidetracked, distracted by the inexplicable allure of a certain golden-eyed Conduit and her curious mind.

They both know better than to get involved, but the Fates have other plans. The dark threads of prophecy were woven long ago, and the ties that bind just might be what it takes to mend these broken, star-crossed souls… or what forges a deadly bond that could damn them all.

Of Blood and Aether is the first book in the Harbingers series, a captivating and character-driven dark romantasy saga. Rife with sizzling tension, gut-wrenching angst, addictive banter, and ever-growing stakes, the Harbingers series is perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns & Roses, Fourth Wing, and From Blood & Ash.

©2023 Harper Hawthorne (P)2024 Podium Audio

Plot, Cliffhanger

Devastated I already finished this and have to wait for the next!!! Such a good listen

I was surprised!

This book had so much more depth than I was expecting. Yes it’s relationship forward but the world was well built and the pacing excellent and I’m super on the hook for book 2.

Amazing slow burn!

It’s the first time I’ve read this author - consider me a fan! I just wish that book two was already out!

Narration and performance was lacking!

Female voice was hard to listen to and really get into. Male kept mispronouncing words and sounding like he was just now reading as performing rather than preparing then performing. Story line was somewhat boring and it could be because of the performance. Took 3x as long to get through this than it should have.

Could have been better

As far as the narration goes I would rate it 2.75. It could have easily been so much better if the narrators just voiced their own characters throughout the whole book. It’s so hard to listen to the female narrator voice the male parts and then listen to the male voice the female parts. Very frustrating and hard to get past. What is even the point of having 2 narrators?

I would give the book itself a 3.75. I’m all for the lgbtq+ rep but for whatever reason parts of it felt forced.. Several times both mc’s are said to be bi but at no point is it relevant to the plot nor does it add to the story at all It was repeated multiple times and to me again it felt forced and like it was added after the fact. Other characters were shown to be and that felt natural. Idk

All that said yes I will continue the series

Amazing story

This is easily one of my all time favorite reads! The slow burn, the secrets, the friends to lovers, and the banter work so well in this story.

Phenomenal!

I soooo enjoyed this book! The budding romance between our FMC & MMC was beautifully executed, with just the right amount of magic, world building, and intrigue for a first in a series. I generally don’t like to begin unfinished series because if I like it, I am so incredibly impatient waiting for the next book to come out… certainly going to be dying for book two now until it releases. Also really enjoyed the narration, though I do wish they would have the characters do their OWN dialogue within the other characters POV chapters, but thats a pet peeve of mine across all books and not just this one.

Surprisingly my favorite audiobook of the year!

Was pleasantly surprised by how good the story itself was but the audio characters need their own flowers. They did amazing and really made listening to the story an experience. 5/5 across the board! Can’t wait for the next book!

Amazing!

Okay um hello?! Why is this book not everywhere?!! The world building, character arcs, detail to side characters and soooo many secrets! There was tension, angst, magic, SPICE, secrets on top of secrets, banter, betrayal!!!! I really thought that was the brother at the end there with the gin and can’t believe it was really Kieran! I’m already following Harper closely for any word on book 2. I can’t wait for it!

This has become my favorite listen of 2024

Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne is a captivating fantasy with rich world-building, compelling characters, and a heartfelt slow-burn romance. The blend of magic, action, and emotional depth makes it a truly unforgettable read.