It’s the greatest joy of my life when after reading the first book of the new-to-me author, I discover that he has written many other books and Fantasy series!
Jeff Wheeler’s writing will have anyone hooked after a few sentences, and the Dickensian world of his latest Sci-Fi / Fantasy series Harbinger, instantly made it to one of my favorite story settings of 2018.
Theirs is a world of opposites. The privileged live in sky manors held aloft by a secretive magic known only as the Mysteries. Below, the earthbound poor are forced into factory work to maintain the engine of commerce. Only the wealthy can afford to learn the Mysteries, and they use their knowledge to further lock their hold on society.
Cettie Pratt is a waif doomed to the world below, until an admiral attempts to adopt her. But in her new home in the clouds, not everyone treats her as one of the family. Sera Fitzempress is a princess born into power. She yearns to meet the orphan girl she has heard so much about, but her father deems the girl unworthy of his daughter’s curiosity.
Neither girl feels that she belongs. Each seeks to break free of imposed rules. Now, as Cettie dreams of living above and as Sera is drawn to the world below, they will follow the paths of their own choosing.
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Disclaimer: *Thank you NetGalley and 47 North for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the company or its affiliates in any way.*
In this Fantasy series, 2 girls live in 2 distinct worlds.
«they were all the same – they made the children they took in work, and they punished them.»
Cettie Pratt is an orphan from the world below, Fells – world of smelters, glass makers, linen weavers, factories that made sugar and hacked animals, everything that was necessary to provide to the sky manners. Only a lucky few got to work in the floating manors for the wealthiest people of this world. The rest had to manage in any way possible to survive. And that was what Cettie had always dreamt about.
Cettie and her friend Joses were the kids whose deeds had been passed from family to family, from guardian to guardian, with the last being Miss Charlotte, «but they were all the same – they made the children they took in work, and they punished them. » The food, the clothes, everything the children needed they learned to obtain themselves.
In the Fells you had to learn quickly how to take care of yourself.
And it wasn’t just the people who you had to deal with, there were also ghosts, and Cettie was the only one who could see them.
Seraphin Fitzempress was the only child in the whole empire who never dreamt of becoming a princess. But it so happened that she was a princess, whether she wanted it or not. Lonely in her big manor, with only her governess as companion, Sera daydreamt about being a commoner. About leaving the manor, meeting new people and experiencing everything her tutors tried to teach her about. But the City below was forbidden.
It seems like these two girls, living on the complete opposite spectrum of the empire were never bound to meet. However, the fate decided differently and their paths would cross at some point.
The 1st book in this magical series, «Storm Glass» marks the beginning of political games, magic school, Mysteries and friendships to be revealed in the following installments.
My rating:
★★★★☆
Books 2 and 3 – «Mirror Gate» and «Iron Garland» are already out, and the 4th book – «Prism Cloud» came out on March 5th 2019! So now would the perfect time to start reading this series.
And if you will need more of Jeff Wheeler’s writing, make sure to check out his other fantasy series: «Kingfountain», «Legends of Muirwood», «Whispers of Mirrowen» and so on. The complete list of his work and reading guide can be found on the website!
Have you read any of Jeff Wheeler Books? Did you like them? Let me know in the comments down below!
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WhimsyPages 
I have not heard of this before, but it sounds amazing!
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It was so fun. Like something in between middle grade and YA, very whimsycal and interesting 🙂
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