It is clear that Armentrout has a talent for creating authentic voice and actions for her characters. This is my first foray into her writing and I had no problem sinking into the story. The world building was excellent; even without reading The Dark Elements series, I had no problem picking up on plot points relevant to this storyline.

The story moves at a comfortable pace and peppered with exciting fight scenes, average teenage angst, and, of course, young romance. Trinity was a fun heroine if a bit over the top like Brandon Sanderson’s Spensa in Skyward. I am hoping that we see a more grown version of Trinity in the next book as most of the early fight scenes I was hoping for her to receive a solid beating just to knock her down a peg. That said, her limited eyesight made her a unique character and it was inspiring to see her acceptance and determination to continue on living her best life. Zayne was an interesting hero but I can’t say I was swooning over him. My highlight had to be Peanut. His nonsense never failed to make me laugh.

Overall, this is a fantastic start to Armentrout's new series. The looming danger/mystery is exciting and who wouldn't love the combination of gargoyles, demon, angels, humans, and those inbetweeners. Armentrout has certainly earned her place on my to-watch list!

** Full Review will be posted on Dream Come Review on June 7th, 2019

When I pick up a book by Jennifer L. Armentrout I know I am going to be entertained with a great story full of interesting characters, especially swoony boys and lots of yummy banter. I know I'll find between the covers an imperfect heroine to relate to— one full of inner strength and tenacity to admire, plus plenty of danger and action scenes where the good guys are battling the bad guys.

The Harbinger Series series opener was a must read for me since I needed to know what happened with a certain gorgeous and protective Warden in the last installment of the Dark Elements series. Would a certain Demon Prince and his familiar, Bambi make an appearance? I was definitely not disappointed and fans should look for cameos but new readers can feel completely comfortable jumping into this new series.

The story is set in the same contemporary fantasy world as her Dark Elements series. Gargoyle shapeshifters, known as Wardens, are sworn to guard humanity against the evils of the underworld, namely unruly demons and their minion sidekicks. This is a classic boy meets girl story, but with plenty of supernaturals thrown in. You can look forward to Gargoyles, Demons, Angels, Witches, and even Ghosts.

Armentrout's signature writing style with plenty of snark and heartfelt moments rounds the story out while supernaturals battle it out. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. Fans of the White Hot Kiss series should not miss this spinoff and new fans can definitely find themselves with a new series to swoon over.

To start off I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book. The thoughts and opinions are definitely my own.

This is the type of YA novel that I draw the line at now. The writing is cheesy and juvenile and the entire thing starts of with a make out scene. There are huge exposition dumps, which makes it very much tell an not show. Trinity is a complete special snowflake, whose half-blind, but still goes out trolling for demons on her own. Trinity also really likes to use the word crap. So to sum up my feelings I will quote the book, "Holy crap on a cracker the size of Texas."

I really enjoyed this. I must confess, I was never a huge fan of the original The Dark Elements series that this series spun-off from and I thought I would feel similarly about this one. However, it definitely surpassed my expectations.

I thought Trinity was a good main character. She frustrated me a little bit with her impulsiveness and argumentativeness, but she was a pretty classic JLA heroine. One thing that really made her stand out is that she’s dealing with a vision disability – Retinitis pigmentosa. It causes tunnel vision and a host of other vision problems and will most likely end in blindness. JLA has been diagnosed with this in real life and I have to imagine including this in a character was a bit cathartic, but also difficult. There are parts here and there when Trinity says something about it that I have seen JLA say on social media, so you know this character is very personal to her and it made her that much more special to read.

I also liked seeing Zayne again. I was Team Zayne in The Dark Elements series, even though I knew it was never going to happen, so I was happy to see him really start to move on a bit. I liked his banter with Trinity and his protectiveness of her. I also thought we got just the right amount of Roth and Layla. They’re around enough to make fans of the original series happy, while also contributing to the plot in a big way, but they don’t take the focus off of Trinity and Zayne.

At over 500 pages, I did think this book was a little too long, though. There is honestly not that much going on and I think it really could’ve been cut down a bit. However, there is lots of character development and I never felt bored or anything, despite the slow moving plot. There were several reveals saved until the end that I thought were pretty obvious much earlier in the book, but there was one big one that I hadn’t seen coming and I liked that it managed to surprise me.

Other than the length, there was only really one other thing I didn’t care for. I expect a little more mature content from a JLA book, but there is one scene that I thought was a little too explicit for YA. I could see that an argument could be made for this being New Adult instead of Young Adult since Trinity is 18 and Zane is a few years older, but everything else reads very much YA, so it still felt a little inappropriate.

Overall, I really enjoyed Storm and Fury. I thought it improved upon the original series it spun off from. I liked the characters and shipped the romance. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the series.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!

This is my first Armentrout book in a while and one that I enjoyed. I had no idea until after I finished the book that it was a spin off, I think a new reader will enjoy this even if they have not read the Dark Elements series. The book was 500 pages but I flew through thanks to some great action scenes and a likeable main character. The romance was okay.

4 Stars Out of 5 Stars.
Full review coming closer to release date.

Storm and Fury is the first installment in author Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Harbinger series. In this universe, gargoyle shapeshifters are sworn to guard humanity from the evils of the underworld. One guardian is about to meet a girl with an explosive secret. Should she fall into the wrong hands, her unique powers could unleash an all-out supernatural war. FYI, this is actually a spin-off from the authors Dark Elements series. So, if you have read that series, well done!

If you're like me who hasn't, I am pretty sure you will be OK without having done so. The story takes place 7 months after the ending of Every Last Breath. In Storm and Fury, readers will meet 18-year old Trinity Marrow, as well as Zayne, who is a returning character from the Dark Elements series. In this world, Wardens don't mix with Humans, but they do stand against demons who try to use human as fodder. For most of the Wardens in the compound where Trinity lives, most consider her to be human and nothing special.

A few of them like Thierry and Matthew, know of her hidden secret as well as who her father is. A secret that if discovered, could lead to an apocalyptic war where nobody wins. Trinity has been training and protected by Gargoyles for as long as she remembers. Trinity also has the ability to see spirits, ghosts, and other forms of beings who have died and either not crossed over, or crossed over and decided they had unfinished business to take care of. Trinity is bound to her Warden Gargoyle, Misha who is like a brother to her.

She has spent the past year mourning the loss of her mother. She blames herself for not being strong enough to prevent it from happening. Trinity is more than capable of recognizing when danger is near, so that mistake weighs heavily on her conscious. She might be a bit reckless, but she could also be considered fearless. What makes Trinity so different from other characters in this series, is the fact suffers from a real life debilitation to her eyes called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) that will eventually lead to complete blindness.

But, that doesn't stop Trinity. I liked Trinity even with her dire situation with her real life affection to her eye sight. She is smart, physically strong, and not all sparkles and sunshine. She isn't perfect, and nobody should believe that any of these characters would be. Not with her past. Not with her hidden parentage. Not with Upper Level Demons wanting to get their hands on her.

The author held a pretty decent mystery as to who Trinity's real father is until the very end of the story. Nope, no spoilers from me! I liked Peanut as well. Always nice to have a snarky ghost around to keep things moving. I warmed up to Zayne by the time the book ended so that's a good sign that I will probably read the second book once it is released. Fans of the previous series will be happy to see Layla as well as Stony, the demon who she fell in love with. There is still something left unsaid between Layla and Zayne, and I dare hope that it is finally over. If you read the previous series, I am sure you will have your own opinions about Layla and what she did to Zayne.

Man, did I love this book! It's been a while since the Dark Elements series was published, and to get to spend more time in this world, yeah, it's just awesome! I loved getting to explore more, learn more! It was just so great!

It was interesting to have Trinity as a narrator, because she's a new character to us, in a world that is familiar, as well as old friends like Zayne. She had a different take on the world, because her secret, her abilities, yeah, it's something we haven't seen before in this world, and I can't wait to explore it further!

There were two main threats to this world. Whomever was doing the killing, and whoever came into her home. Most of the focus was on the later, but the former is going to be important to the future, I just know it!

That ending, I kinda guessed that one twist. It was heartbreaking, and the fall out from it is going to be multilayered, but it's conflict that I can't wait to read about! I can't wait to get back with these characters to face the future threats!

This book was just utterly fantastic and I can't wait for the sequel!

Thank you so much Netgalley for allowing me to get this ARC. I read this book in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down. I loved the story and especially the characters. I will be buying multiple copies of this book when it’s released. I love Jennifer Armentrout. I will always read anything she publishes.

This was an enjoyable read. I’d categorize it as paranormal/ urban fantasy, YA bordering on New Adult (not so much in this book but potentially moving securely into NA in future books). The MC suffers from a degenerative eye disease which leads to blindness and there’s no cure for. I really liked how the author gives the MC this illness but it doesn’t define her, it’s a part of her and she deals with it but she’s still a fun adventurous person who isn’t afraid of anything. I love the love interest, swoon. Looking forward to the next installment in this series.

I’ll be leaving reviews on Goodreads, Amazon and B&N.

Storm and Fury was great! I was sucked I was sucked in from the first page, and I couldn’t put it down! It was gripping and intense. Crazy twists and turns you won’t see coming!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Absolutely loved this! Made a lot of connections with characters, devoured the slow burn romance, and was intrigued by the entire plot. Well written and interesting fantasy concept! I honestly am excited to read book two and can’t wait for it to come out!

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Storm and Fury is the first book in The Harbinger series written by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This young adult (YA) urban fantasy novel is published by Inkyard Press and set to be released on June 11, 2019. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review is spoiler-free.

Storm and Fury is a book that is set in the same world as the Dark Elements series. Even though I have not read that series, I did not feel confused or like I was missing something. The world was very well explained. Now, I’m curious about the other series and will certainly give it a try.

The Story:

Living hidden among Wardens (gargoyles), eighteen-year-old Trinity and her community suddenly face violent attacks by demons. When someone close to her is taken hostage, Trinity must ally with members of another community of Wardens and end the attacks once and for all.

In her journey, Trinity fights all sorts of demons. She also has to face her fears and a disease that threatens to render her completely blind while falling in love with a Warden who, like her, hides explosive secrets.

The Review:

This book is a fun ride. The story is well-written with a unique voice that remains true to a teenager’s. The main character, Trinity, is very interesting and fun to read about. The two main characters, Trinity and Zayne, face impossible situations at a young age and react very differently to them. The interesting part is how their personalities complement each other. The progression of their relationship feels genuine and makes it a pleasant read. I must say that the side characters, especially Peanut, made me laugh out loud. I so want a Peanut in my life.

For the most part, this book is a fast-paced story. There was a moment when the story slowed down, but that’s because the author is setting up the grand finale, and oh boy! The story does pick up. I love the ending, and I can’t wait to read the second installment.

I give this book a four-and-a-half-star rating because of that moment when I wasn’t sure/confused as of where it was going, but the story has an exciting development, well worth reading. What a fun ride! I highly recommend it.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book is about a teenager who is going blind but can communicate with ghosts and spirits. I was enthralled with it once I read the premise. It reminds me of some other popular YA books with a supernatural twist.

The world that the author developed was really fascinating. It's set in the modern day but the ongoing struggle between the demons, wardens, and angels really make it so interesting. The dynamics of the different groups were really captivating.

The characters were written really well. The protagonist's easy humor and devil may care attitude really offset the darkness of the story. She also has some vulnerable moments and I really appreciated how the author wrote her so realistically.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little surprised how much I ended up liking this book. I say that because for the first 40% or so I was pretty meh about it. Then for some reason I would think about putting it down and I just couldn’t, I wanted to know more about the characters, the world and how it all came together. This book isn’t perfect by any stretch but it was entertaining and lately that’s the best I can ask for.

It was fascinating to me the way the author developed the mythology of the world the characters inhabit. The fact that they live in our modern day, but it’s been shaped so differently because of the ongoing struggle between demons, Wardens and angels, is so interesting. I would’ve loved more expansion on that because sometimes it seemed like I was already expected to know how the dynamics of this world worked even though this was book 1, but it all was fascinating none-the-less. Of course, if you have any Christian beliefs like I do you definitely have to remember to be gracious while reading this book because it takes elements from religious faith but completely adds myth and magical elements to it so take everything for the fantasy it is.

The characters had to be my favorite part of this book, though. I think in the end they’re what kept drawing me back in for more. Their rawness and witty realness had them jumping off the pages as people I would love to get to know, and some I felt like I knew already. Trinity, especially, was such a gem of a heroine. Her easy humor and devil-may-care attitude in the face of the life she’s been given are only some of the reasons to love her as a character. Of course, she does fit into the “special snowflake” category where she succeeds at almost everything she does but somehow she never managed to annoy me in the book. I really came to love her tenacity. One of the things I appreciated was how the author chose to write Trinity’s disability as something separate from her extra abilities. In this way, her limitations couldn’t be easily cured or done away with by magic, they were part of the human side of her. It was relatable to see a character grappling with the fears and acceptance of having a disability, as I’ve been through the similar things myself. So I applaud the author for including something so poignant in a way that didn’t come across as pushy or unrealistic.

Towards the beginning of the book I felt like there were more characters and then as the story progressed I think it started to boil down to just being about the dynamic between Trinity and Zayne. While I wish there could’ve been more embellishment about the other characters, and I loved Peanut’s antics for one, I think that focusing mostly on those two was a good choice. It gave me more insight into just them and since they’re the main hero and heroine, and the main romance it was nice to simply have their moments together instead of trying to flesh out too many characters. I do wish, however, that the book would’ve stuck with their slow-burn dynamic. I was enjoying this friends-to-allies build-up that was happening and them BAM they just ramp it up super fast and then just as fast have ice thrown all over it. It kinda gave me whiplash. I loved their banter filled, sweet exchanges and now it’s all sorta awkward. Plus I so saw that ending between them coming from a mile away, and I’m not saying I’m not happy about it, I just wish it would’ve been more dramatic and moving than it ended up being. There was so much build-up to everything they had both been feeling and then when it’s revealed why they were feeling that way it was sort of anti-climactic. But I’m looking forward to the next book resolving all this weirdness in their relationship now, and with the new added dynamic they have I think it’s going to make things even more interesting.

One of my biggest faults with this book was that I felt like at the start it was building towards such a bigger ending but towards the end it all just became rushed. As much as I loved reading about the relationship between Trinity and Zayne, I do feel like the book began to focus more on their romance than on the overall plot so the intrigue sort of got lost. As far as the betrayal of the one character goes, I wasn’t surprised but I wish it hadn’t happened. It was definitely cliched and then in the end it’s just over so there wasn’t much of a struggle. I feel it would’ve made a bigger impact had Trinity struggled more with the thought of killing this person and it had drawn out over the next book. But in the end nothing that character said really impacted because everything wrapped up so quickly.

The second thing that bothered me with this book is that it needs to be known this book is squarely in the New Adult category. Young adults really should not read this in my opinion. It started out with barely any crude language but towards the end that ramped up and then there was this one moment between Trinity and Zayne (anyone who’s read it will know what I’m talking about) that was definitely NC-17. The book had been so tame before that that I was actually very surprised. I mean yeah Trinity was having the hots for Zayne most of the book, but when that hit I was like, wow ok, avert your eyes. Now Trinity is 18 and Zayne is a couple years older than her, but still could we have a little more romance and a little less of that please. So everyone keep that in mind when you read the book.

Overall this was such an enjoyable read. I ended up getting so engrossed in everything that was happening that even the things that bothered me weren’t so big anymore. This book is just one of those that’s so easily entertaining you can’t help but finish it. I’m definitely excited to see what comes next!

ARC provided from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am to be back in this world again.
Warden, Angels and Ghost, YES PLEASE!

I loved the unique plot, the characters are everything you'd expect from a Jennifer L. Armentrout book. Absolutely brilliant. One of my favorite things about Storm and Fire, is Trinity, what she has to live with and overcome, she's INCREDIBLE! Zayne is just as swoony as ever!

This book took my heart, made it full, crushed it, all to make it full again. I absolutely loved every second of it. Truth be told, when I was accepted to review this book I was ecstatic. I am a huge Jennifer L. Armentrout fan. She is very good at making you fall in love with characters, and a creative worldbuilder. This book definitely lived up to the hype for me. It took the world of The Dark Elements series and twisted it on its head without ever losing the integrity of the characters. Because this was a spin-off series I was expecting it to feel more like an afterthought, but it wasn’t. I’m not sure if Armentrout had the idea for this spinoff series when she was writing The Dark Elements but it seems like everything that happened in that series had a reason, and the reasons were revealed in this book. I am so extremely excited to read the next book and I know that I will be looking for some way to get an ARC copy before it is released on its actual publishing date because there is no way I will survive waiting until the actual release date.

The world that had been explained in The Dark Elements is also explained and revealed throughout the progression of this book. Once again Armentrout’s world building is superb. I do not think you would have to read The Dark Elements before reading this series, although it does enhance the enjoyment of the book as beloved characters pop up throughout Storm and Fury. The plot of this book was fascinating. Although I will admit that Armentrout’s writing can get a bit predictable, and rely on tropes, it did not take anything away from my enjoyment of this book. When I read a Jennifer L. Armentrout book I know what I’m getting myself into. I’m not looking for something that’s going to make me ponder issues today, or change my view on life; I’m looking for an escape. Her books are interesting, sexy, and unputdownable. She never fails to bring us characters spilling with sass, the best dialogue a person can ask for, and action-packed moments.

This book brought me a new favorite character in Trinity. Her badassery while at the same time battling Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, made her an extremely admirable and likable character. The fact that Armentrout also talks about her own battle with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the end of her book was eye-opening to the fact that people should be more conscious of not just the blind or the seeing, but the people in between. I also began to like Zayne’s character. Throughout The Dark Elements, I found him to be a bit bland and unlikable. But this book showed me that there is a whole other side to Zayne, and oh boy is it a side that I like.

Overall this book made me swoon an ungodly amount of times. The worldbuilding was interesting, but not in an your face kind of way. I flew through this 512 page book at the speed of light, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment in the series.

I have LOVED Jennifer Armentrout's books in the past. And I was poised to love this one as well. Honestly, it started out great for me. The writing was engaging and drew me into the story right away. I was interested and curious about the world and the characters.

But, in the end, I think it might just be too young for me. Somewhere around 20%, I felt disconnected. I had no patience for Trinity and her selfishness and childishness. And not even the mystery of what was going on within the world Ms. Armentrout built was enough to make me want to keep going with the story. It was a DNF for me at 25%.

I couldn’t get enough of this book! Please write more! This was such a great book to escape to after a long day and so different, interesting, and intriguing. Loved it!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I've never read anything by Jennifer Armentrout prior to Storm and Fury, but I'm definitely convinced this was a grave error on my part and it needs to be corrected.

There were only two things wrong with this book:
1) I couldn't read fast enough and
2) It ended.

I am left desperate for more and eagerly looking forward to whatever comes next for Trin and Zayne and the rest of the community. This book vaguely reminded me of if Angelology by Danielle Trussoni met anything Cassandra Clare or Holly Black.

It was easy to immerse myself into this world, to fall in love with the characters, and to ride the emotional rollercoaster that the author took us on. I loved every second of it.