Of Blood and Aether

Harbingers #1

by Harper Hawthorne

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Dark, Dark Romance

576 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 17, 2024

About the author

Harper Hawthorne is an adult fantasy, romance & speculative fiction author in love with telling dark, emotionally evocative, and character-driven tales. Her stories feature neurodivergent experiences, honest explorations of mental health, and queer-normative worlds in her favored realms of fantasy.

Though she was born and raised on the beaches of Los Angeles, CA, she currently resides in the forests of the East Coast with her husband, her collie, and a demonic entity disguised in the form of a very large tuxedo cat.

When not lost in the throes of drafting one to three novels simultaneously, she can be found wandering the woods, hunting for mushrooms, befriending local frogs, practicing witchcraft and screaming into the void.

Reviews

[astarion's bhaal babe (wingspan matters)]

shadow daddy alert

[shaelinslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could rate this book 6 stars, I would. THIS WAS A PERFECT BOOK.

The world building and plot were impeccable, and the characters were lovable, but still had so many layers, and so much depth. This had equal romance, as it did plot. And let me tell ya, the plot is THICK.

The two main characters are both witty, clever, strong, but also deeply flawed. They see themselves in each other, which I find so beautiful, and it made their love story feel like it was coming off the page.

I am dead inside after the criminal ending that I fear I will never recover from. If you’re looking for your next incredible romantasy read, I beg you to pick up this book. I am in mourning that I have to wait for book 2.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Someone explain to me why he's the most perfect person for 550 pages and then turns into the most unforgivable jerk in the last few pages? Why are so many books recently making the MMC completely unlikable in the last few chapters?? It doesn't make me want to pick up the next book knowing that he was an unredeemable asshole.

When I got to like 50-60% of the book I kept thinking - okay, surely we are going to get some plot or action happening now. And nope. The only action or plot is in the epilogue 😫

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of my personal pet peeves is when character meet each other and walk away saying things like: "She was so clever " or "he was so insanely strong" but their interactions didn't include anything that would demonstrate either of those attributes. That happened a lot between the two main leads. Their first meeting ended with Keiran saying, "damn not only is she a fucking baddie with a body but she's also clever???? Fffuuucccckkkk." They talked about literally nothing for 5 pages. Where are you getting this assumption from?

Besides that, the plot has a ridiculous amount of filler, especially in the beginning. It had massive amounts of info dump follow by mundane occurrences like Arken going on walks in the city and Keiran stalking her the very first time he saw her because he liked the way her mouth looked. A lot of what it reminded me of is a character study - something that you would have to do in writing class to develop your main characters. You usually get a prompt like "have them go to a tavern" or "How would they feel/what would they do if they stepped into a cathedral" and from there you would have to writing pages of kind of unimportant stuff to get in your character head. It's good for authors but not so much when put into a massive book like this.

Not for me but I'm glad others enjoyed it.

[Megan Astraus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt like 500 pages of 2 people’s diary entries.

Strongest parts of the book? The prologue and epilogue. Weakest? Pretty much everything else.

-What time period are we in? I’m so confused, is this urban fantasy minus all the “urban” parts?
-Who the hell is this FMC like I literally don’t know her character or personality at all.
-I felt like the entire plot was some maaaad instalust followed up with an obscene amount of non-descriptive monologues (“Arken is so smart” BITCH SHOW ME DON’T TELL ME “Wow Kieran is soooo hot oh yeah I have classes and stuff and I talked to this person once but did I mention how hot Kieran is?” WHY ARE WE HERE IF YOU’RE JUST THIRSTY)
-Kieran is like a secret spy detective police officer thing and it was not vibing for me amid this fantasy magic land.
-ZERO chemistry between the two leads. We’re told there’s chemistry and their inner monologues tell me there’s chemistry but I don’t see or feel it at all.

Honestly the book would have probably been SO much more enjoyable for me had it been written in third person like the prologue and epilogue. It was painful to get through, and once I got to that stupid ass ending with my least favorite trope in the history of tropes, the pain wasn’t worth it.

1.5⭐ 2.5🌶️
• Fantasy romance
• Slowburn
• Dual POV
• Mates/destiny/prophecy
• “Good girl”
• Praise
• Forbidden romance (her being the light conduit)
• Third act breakup

*Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC

[blank ⁺‧₊˚ ཐི⋆♱⋆ཋྀ ˚₊‧⁺ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to need 3 to 5 business days to be able to string together a thought after THAT.

- - -
It’s been 3 weeks and I think I’m finally ready to write a proper review, so here it goes:

Of Blood and Aether opens with a banger, setting us up for a roller coaster of emotions anda fuckton of questions. The world-building is both interesting and intriguing from the very first page and continues to build throughout even the novel's slowest parts, and left me curious to see what journey Harper takes us (and the characters) on next.
But I didn’t read this book for the world, I’ll be honest. I read it for the romance, and it did not disappoint. The slow but steady progression left me on the edge of my seat, consistently howling until 3 AM on work nights, all the way to the explosive climax. I simply could not get enough of the angst and banter between characters. Delectable, I tell you.
The (smaller) side characters were by far the weakest part, but this will be a long series with a lot of room to grow, and in my eyes, Harper has already proven herself. I trust her completely, not only to build on what is already a wonderful foundation but to surpass my every (very) high expectation.
I can’t talk too much about the ending because everything I could say goes into spoiler territory, but I will say that I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment.

[Drew Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

NOOOOOOOO WHERE IS THE SECOND BOOK PLEASE I AM BEGGING

[Gabby Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Welcome to Sophrosyne: the City of the Gods."

This book is an epic fantasy romance that devoured, chewed me up and spat me right out all with a rollercoaster of emotions that has thoroughly ruined me. OF BLOOD AND AETHER book one was such a breath of fresh air to those who read epic fantasy books and are saddened by the small amounts of toe-curling romance or read romance books and don't have enough fantasy lore to suck them in - this book is a fantastic story with all those elements combined.

The story involves the two POVs of Arken Asher and Kieran Vistarii - two broken people who found one another and set every page ablaze whenever they were together. Their relationship and dynamic brought this story to life and I couldn't put the book down whenever they began their little bants at one another. Their friendship and slow-burn interest in being /more/were what kept me on my toes. I'm not usually a fan of slow-burn unless done correctly, and I was so pleased there was a genuine and reasonable reason for them to not get together - but obviously, I was still rooting for them. Their dynamic - unbeknownst to them that they are two Harbingers - was unreal. It offered another element of star-crossed lovers entwined by fate to the next level, and I cannot wait for book two.

Furthermore, with the fantasy lore, I was also hooked. The Gods, the Aether magic, the different elements; fire, water, light, shadow and earth, and my utmost favourite was the School where those who channel the aether attend to learn their different and chosen paths. Also, Harper has such a way of making every single character, no matter big or small, so intricate and vital which is a testament to their good writing - particularly shoutout to Laurel, my sassy lesbian!

And lastly, in regards to the ending of this book after I have written this review, I am going to email Harper about my therapy bills because how dare you...

If you're looking for a jaw-dropping epic fantasy and beautiful steamy romance book this one is for you!

[Lydia Gainous · Rating 1 out of 5]

meh

I didn’t like this at all.

The bisexuality of the MMC and FMC felt forced and weird. I would’ve preferred knowing that both main characters would be bisexual. Not my thing. Tried it anyway and would not have read the book if I had known.

If I wanted to read that kind of stuff I would but I don’t cause I don’t enjoy it (no judgement to people who do, I just really don’t).

It also felt like the author forced all characters to be gay which isn’t how real world works…or if it does that’s not my experience.

Just a big meh for me. Which is a shame could’ve been a good book 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Kilikina]

DNF at Ch. 14

This is just not holding my interest like I want it to. The info dumping/wordy descriptions are too repetitive already, and the conversations between the MC’s is pretty juvenile. Might come back to this at a later time, but we’ll see.

[B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Review*

OF BLOOD AND AETHER is a perfect example of how to do slow burn, how to do it well, and how to shred hearts along the way.

I've been incredibly honored to have not only been able to read an earlier draft of OB&A but to receive an ARC... AND to have Harper Hawthorne make the heartbreak hurt WORSE the second time around.

But devastation aside, OB&A is an incredibly well-written debut perfect for fans of ominous prophecies, shadow daddies, and sapphics living their best lives. It's so absolutely worth the read and I can't wait to get my hands on book two.

[pammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

600 pages of nothing!! the only interesting part is the prologue😭

[🎀CRAY🎀 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL MY NEURODIVERGENT BADDIES NEED TO READ THIS!! AUTISIC FMC REPRESENTATION!!!

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

girl i wanted to like this so bad because the premise / setting / magic system was so intriguing, but this is the actual epitome of telling and not showing. i don't understand why so many fantasy romance books spend so much gd time with the characters inner monologue about their inner feelings and thoughts and questions. PLEASE LET ME THINK FOR MYSELF AND TELL THE STORY. it's boring when the thoughts the author wants me to have are being shoved down my throat, and it takes the fun and experience out of reading. also makes for excessively long books where nothing happens.

however, do i want to read the second? idk probably.

[Mel Lenore · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up for now.

I liked this but I saw so much potential and didn't love. Mainly the relationship and characters felt very surface level to me. I loved the magic and I think the world is so cool, but I did need the plot to kick in a little sooner. I just feel like if threads of their past had been woven in it would have helped with plot and character development. Instead we spend half the book talking about how hot the other one is. They had good banter and I liked the writing, so I think this one has a lot of potential, and I'll be reading the sequel. Full thoughts in my vlog here https://youtu.be/GaGd48PO8x4

[Rhiannon Chillingworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really hard to rate, as the first 80% or so was a solid 4.5 for me, despite the pacing being a little slow in the middle and there being elements of the plot underdeveloped. However, the last 10% sort of killed all my enjoyment of the rest of the book, which is a shame. It is a trope I despise, and one I personally find to be a lazy story telling device to produce unnecessary, manufactured angst.

What is good, no, great about this book is the platonic slow burn of Arken and Keiran's relationship. Watching their relationship develop on the genuine grounds of friendship, whilst fighting the urge to take it further, was very well done. Yes, there could have been a little less of it after a while, as it did eventually get a bit monotonous, but I enjoyed the characters so much I didn't really mind.

Of course, it then all totally goes to shit, ruining the entire thing. For me, what Kieran does completely goes against every single moment between them that the entire (very long book) has been about. Despite his bullshitty reasons, it just cheapens and lessens anything that was between them. I genuinely want Arken to castrate him and tell him to go fuck himself and I really have no interest in them as a couple anymore. The sheer about turn he does did not work, especially as we only get nonsensical reasons for him doing so. As you can probably tell, it completely infuriated me.

I should also warn you that the book is pretty much 90% about Arken and Keiran's friendship and then relationship. The whole studying thing and Arken learning about herself is completely dropped and apart from a few scenes and the references to lectures, it was disappointing to see Arken not pursue what she came there to do. Especially when Kieran turned out to be an unworthy bastard.

There is also reference to a load of kidnappings that Kieran is sort of investigating, although there are few examples of him doing so and it is very underdeveloped, coming across as a bit random. I'm sure the intention is for it to make sense eventually, but it was not woven into the book very well.

I was easily prepared to ignore these issues, as Arken and Kieran were just that captivating, but the last 10% has made it difficult to do so.

Ultimately, there was so much potential here. The writing is good, the world building is interesting and the chemistry and banter is excellent. However, the complete flip of Kieran did not have the effect the author clearly intended it to have, and considering the entire book rides on their relationship - it was not a great idea to cheapen the last 600 odd pages your readers waded through to turn it into a shit fest right at the end.

His actions weren't chivalrous, or showcasing his deep love and devotion. If they were supposed to come across as the actions of a mentally scarred and emotionally traumatised character then more should have been done to reference and show this. Instead, for me, they were the actions of a pathetic, misguided, disrespectful coward who was given something precious and smashed it to pieces out of ignorance.

I might read the second book, only to hope Arken sets his testicles on fire.

[Helmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you The Nerd Fam for the gifted ARC! I genuinely don't know how to review this book. Maybe 3-3.25⭐️ this had so much potential, unique magic system and world building which was done well! The slow burn was burning and the characters really had chemistry and banter which I loved!! The spice was also good (ahem praise kink) when I got there.

This was over 800 pages (on my reader) and I feel like I only got into it after maybe 450 which was hard. There were actually a few interesting plot lines and mysteries that could have been utilised so much more but I feel like they were a bit lost in the relationship and philosophical aspect of this (which I also loved). The ending was intense and I feel that most of the action was in the last 10% and there was a trope I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand at the end but I guess it works as a hook to read the next one.

I really think this could develop to be a very good series and has a lot of potential regarding the world, magic, and plots going on as well as the characters but I have to be in the right mental space to grab it!

Positive was disability representation, lgbtq+, open world view and philosophical thoughts!! And the slow burn and banter! And spice. And I love the vibe and setting of this! College kinda vibes and still taverns etc.! I would have needed the knowledge of the explanations of words that was at the end of the book before I started because I was very confused with the vocabulary XD

[Sam | Haus of Fables]

Of Blood and Aether is a true fantasy romance, where we focus on the romantic relationship dynamic. But what this story does extremely well—and it’s something I don’t usually gravitate towards—is the friends to lovers arc.
We get to genuinely see the two main characters become best friends, it’s really heartwarming in a way and ultimately so fulfilling to see two characters who you can tell should genuinely be together, along with having the angst of wanting them to FINALLY JUST KISS!!!

This is a character driven story where we get to really know them and their found family, and it sets up the series well. The fantasy plot does take a back seat in this first book but you can tell it’s going to take off in the next one (that ending had me gasping and throwing things across the room!)

A few other highlights for me was the queer normative world (just obsessed) and the thoroughly respectful exploration of kink and trust that intimacy entails.

( This was a read for a client of Haus of Fables so there is no offical rating )

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

“600 pages of NOTHING..”
Rating:⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Audio performance : 🎧🎧🎧🎧.5

Series: Harbringers #1
Series Type: Series
Genre: Fantasy
Sub Genre: High Fantasy Romance


Tropes:
- Friends to Lovers
- Magic school
- Slow burn
- He trains her?
- Light degradation
- MMC is a shameless flirt

Other:
- Fantasy Species: Human like with magic and longer lives ?, Human magic users, Humans
- Format: Audible, Kindle Unlimited
- Plot/Character Driven: Character
- Pacing: Fast
- POV: Duel POV
- Narration type: 1st person, Audio - Dual POV narration
- Magic Type: Light magic, Shadow Magic
- Character gender : F/M
- Spicy chapters: 45(m),47(f),55,64
- Narrator names : Lucas Dixon, Nikki Grey
- Comparison titles: Magic school x snooze fest

👨‍👧 Characters
Okay, listen, I want to love these characters, but honestly? I was bored. B.O.R.E.D. They just didn’t grab me, and that’s a HUGE problem when it comes to a story that should be character-driven. I felt like I was waiting for something, anything… to make me care, but it just never came.

🌎 World-Building & Magic
Alright, a magic school setting? Sign me up! But hold on..this world-building felt super limited, like they were trying to squeeze it all into a small box and it just didn’t fit. The magic system? Meh. It’s there, but I was left wanting more. You get little tidbits, but it’s just not enough to feel immersed in the world. It should’ve been so much more exciting than it was, but it ended up falling flat.

♥️ What I Loved
I really wanted to love this book. There’s a great premise hiding in there somewhere, but… I can’t even say I liked it because I was just so dang BORED. It’s like the potential was there, but it was like watching paint dry instead of reading something exciting.

💔 What I Didn’t Like
Okay, here’s the thing, I didn’t hate this book(I think), but good grief, it was just so meh. We spent an ENTIRE YEAR in this book, and I barely saw any character development. There was so much time wasted, and I’m just like—Where’s the good stuff?! The timeline jumps around so much, and all the build-up? COMPLETELY wasted. I was hoping for some epic scenes, some sizzling chemistry between the characters, but it was like flat soda..no fizz, no POP.

The last 30 pages? They were fine, but the ending just felt like it was trying too hard for a shock value moment that didn’t land. And let’s talk about the writing: WAY too much telling, not enough showing. This book could’ve been GREAT, but it missed the mark in execution. There was SO much room to dive deep into the characters, their backstories, their magic… but we got nothing. 600 pages of buildup, and the only thing that stuck with me was their multi day sex fest. And let’s be real, I think the only reason people like this book is because it’s just kinky (questionable) enough to make you feel like you’re reading something “wild.”

Honestly, I thought The Veiled Kingdom had way more plot AND chemistry…

📝 Overall Thoughts
This book had the potential to be so much more! There were moments where I thought it might click, but in the end, it just didn’t. It felt like a missed opportunity, and I’m honestly not recommending it. I won’t be continuing the series.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! What an incredible read. I've been in a fantasy slump for a while now and this took me out of it! Absolutely recommend.

I was immediately hooked just from the prologue. I found the world to be interesting and had great world building. Who doesn't love a good prophecy?

I found the characters to all be enjoyable and had really good banter. I love a good slow burn and this absolutely did it well. There is some spice and topics that can be triggering. There is a warning at the beginning of the book so please check it out.-Ash

Thank you @thenerdfam for the gifted ARC

[makayla ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m so hurt by how fucking demonic this man was at the end. he broke even MY heart. the only reason this book doesn’t get 5 stars is because i’m still so beyond LIVID.

side note: reading the bonus content now feels like a knife to the fucking GUT i’m utterly and completely destroyed.

[Brittaney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't dnf this lightly but I just cannot fathom spending any additional time on this book. I made it to 62% and I was so bored. I cannot stress enough how much I do not need to hear the character's every inner thought on repeat with absolutely no plot movement.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

First I’d like to say, this was a prolific debut and kudos to the author for writing a doozy, especially as an indie author!

That being said, I think this book could have been much more concise and clearer in a lot of aspects. The writing was beautiful at times and I would have gladly taken a shorter book that was more clear in its intent. But the story and characters felt all over the place. The characters would make their intentions known to the reader but then it was never followed up on or touched on again. There were also a lot of needless details or information that was never mentioned again. It felt like a lot of things were being thrown in that didn’t quite get circled back to or explained. I get that we want to leave some mystery for the next books, but the result made the story feel a little discombobulating. I couldn’t tell what I needed to pay attention to vs. just vibe with the story.

The magic system is interesting but difficult to understand and comes off a bit clunky. I also couldn’t really follow wtf was going on politically?? Maybe I’m just dumb (totally plausible) but idk, that felt clunky to me as well.

[inesnjreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

me at 60 % "i don't want this book to end. ever". and i was still thinking exactly that at 99 %.
I NEED THE SECOND BOOK RIGHT NOW

[ᴼᴳᴵᴹᴬᴬᴷᵂᴱ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So so good. The fmc was 22 so that was a bonus. Every time the fmc is over 21 I am immediately impressed. The banter and spice toward the end was delicious. That ending! Ugh I need book 2 PLS 🥺🥺😖

[Dayna | daynas.bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

holy SHIT romantasy readers, add this to your tbr STAT.

i fear i will never recover from this ending and i am in emotional purgatory until book 2 comes out.

arken sweet baby ANGEL i love her. kieran is hot. he’s so hot. he’s like, criminally hot. mans wins the award for “most lowkey obsessed with his girl who isn’t his girl” like OFF THE CHARTS pining.

i’d definitely classify this as a romantasy because although it’s set in a fantasy world with a sick ass prophecy, most of the plot/ pace is driven by the romantic plot line (i’m not complaining in the slightest). i did feel like there were times where i was like…. when’s something going to happen (around 20-50%) but BOY the payoff was crazy.

i’ll be sitting on the edge of my seat until the next book comes out. you can tell shits about to hit the fan and the fantasy elements are going to play a much larger role going forward.

harper hawthorne, hats of to you 🙌🏼

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be updating this with a thorough review tomorrow. Since it's 11:53pm and I just finished it. Harper I need the next book 😅

As promised I have returned to update my review below:

I truly loved and enjoyed this book. Harper built such a magical world and created characters that I connected with and wished that I could be friends with. I have many things in common Arken and every time I'd be like "hey I do that"!

This is a slow burn but it is not at all boring like the typical slow burn novel. The banter between the main characters is on point. If you love nuisance-friends-lovers you will love this. As someone married to her nuisance-to lover(but he's still a dang nuisance) I really loved this dynamic. I love that even when the characters we want together finally get together they don't stop being a nuisance. I really hate when books automatically go into the perfect relationship with no issues. If you're with a brat they aren't automatically "cured" of being a brat in real life. Harper wrote this dynamic so well and kept the characters intact while doing so.

I truly want more of these characters and more of this world. I'm so happy that it doesn't end here and that we will be getting more of Kieran and Arken.

If you find comfort in the shadows, this book was written for you.

If you're essentially a human crow and come home with pockets of rocks and other findings. This book is for you.

If you ever felt like you just don't fit in with everyone else, like you're missing a piece that every other person seems to have been born with. This book is for you.

You should read this book! I can't wait until I can order a physical copy for my trophy shelf.

Sincerely,
A bookwyrm who often gets called a little crow because of all the things I bring home in my pockets.

[Michelle L · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF’d this. Inner Dialogue was very juvenile and too much, plot was kinda of mess. Forced chemistry without actual dialogue with chemistry and the bisexual characters felt forced as well, like hey I know this is popular right now on booktok so let’s make them bi! It will be different….NO.

Also, I hate third act break-ups and this series is apparently going to be a MMF? Or MMFF? Yet, that is not described anywhere and I really really hate that. State what the couple dynamics are going to be so we can wrap our heads around that, especially if some readers are not into characters sharing their hearts/bodies. There’s nothing worse that a author having a character “I will burn the world for her/him” or “he/she is MINE” ohhh but let me share you with others in book 2 or on since it will help carry my weak sorry line 🙄🙄🙄🙄 HATE this, write a strong enough story to carry the characters and their journeys and don’t hide it from your readers to try and create spice to get more readers interest despite a weak plot.

[Kate | FocusOnYourShelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF

May return to later.

the book was just lacking in descriptions and any type of fantasy

[🎀🍓Tiff (honeydukesbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT IN THE HOLY HEL IS THAT ENDING?!?!?!😫 oh my God, the next book… I cannot freaking WAIT. That cliffy was one of the most intense cliffhangers I’ve ever read, and I can’t even find a release date for the next so basically, I’m screwed. LOL. Argh.

But. That all being said, THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. It literally had me hooked from the first chapter. Arken & Kieran’s slow burn romance alone was brilliant, but the characters, the story, the world building, it was all wrapped up in a beauty of a package and I couldn’t put it down!