A review by ambersedai
Harbinger of Justice by Andrew Watson

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I want to thank Andrew Watson for sending me an eARC in an exchange for an honest, unbiased review. 

Harbinger of Justice, the first book of The Shadowbinders Trilogy is nothing short of amazing. The story is set in Yontar, in the desert. We follow the story of Nya, who cares for her sick mother. Nya gets arrested, and her mother may die unless Nya joins a secret project that promises her freedom, if she survives. We also follow Rai, a mercenary, who has a dark shadow. Rai is on a quest to figure out the nature of the creature living in his shadow. Along the way, Rai collides with old friends and new enemies, stumbling into an ancient mystery that could mean the end of the world. All the while, a darkness stirs and rebellion threatens, helmed by a man who promises justice will reign. 

I enjoyed this story so much. There are multiple point-of-views, which is my favorite to get to know what each character’s personalities are like, what they’re thinking, what drives them. The world building was incredible, descriptions of the desert made me feel fully immersed into the story. The dark shadow magic was really cool, it still left mystery to learn more about it in book two. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but it still kept me interested. Made-up desert creatures, Egyptian mythology, bandits, dark shadow magic, endearing morally grey characters that aren’t without empathy even through the traumas they faced, and an animal companion, what’s not to love ? The ending was awesome, love a good cliff hanger. Harbinger of Justice really has opened my eyes to desert fantasy books. The only desert setting I’ve read in fantasy before is the Aiel Waste in The Wheel of Time series, but it wasn’t the sole setting of the book. Desert settings seem to be underrated in my opinion. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to book two to learn more about the lore and characters.