Harbinger

The Janus Harbinger, Book 1

By: Olan Thorensen

Narrated by: Jonathan Davis

Unconnected lives intersect in a bleak setting. Nothing will ever be the same.

Harbinger (def.): Something that foreshadows or initiates a major change.

Humanity lurches into an uncertain future, dismissive of warning signs. Only the most naïve believe humanity will step back from the brink. Yet in a place that doesn’t exist, a riddle, a puzzle, hope, fear, danger, salvation - all come together.

Zach Marjek has faced death in the far corners of the Earth and survived where others have failed. Now, he's thrust into an unimaginable situation where jaded mercenaries, an Inuit wanderer, a murderous Yupik, a young mother, a video game designer, a retired general, a new president, a Chinese marine, and mathematics prodigies must come together. Their lives and fates intertwine to revolve around a mystery with consequences that could range from disaster to salvation.

As the mystery unravels, a danger unbeknownst to the players lurks and prepares to take what cannot be taken. The future - and life⁠ - hang by the thinnest of threads.

©2020 Olan Thorensen (P)2021 Podium Audio

Great mix of action, gov bureaucracy, and scifi

Reading some of the other reviews, clearly some thought this was going to be another destiny's crucible. It is not. This reads like a well informed modern science fiction novel with geopolitical elements, gov bureaucracy, and great character building. This is not a hero's journey novel (mostly), but it is all the better for it. The writing is good, and the plot is good. I read one review saying it is liberal propaganda about global warning (which I don't even recall being mentioned, and the author was literally SF in Vietnam...).... If your triggered about the littlest thing in a science fiction novel.. stay away I guess. If you like good writing.. read / listen to the book.

Harbinger’s harbinger...

Wow, it was interesting to see the bell curve on the feedback, but like everything in life, there’s no accounting for taste. Seems like a real love-hate relationship. Never fear, Olan, I loved it, oddly for many of the reasons others disliked it so. I so enjoy a good long read/listen, and this book filled that niche nicely - I am listening to it for the second time, and enjoying it just as much as the first, only for different reasons, savoring the discoveries as opposed to making them, if you catch my gist.
- Loved the character building. One really gets to know them.
- good science without getting too deep.
- good philosophical discussions throughout.
- not too much suspension of dis-belief is asked of the reader. While there may be a few weak points (which I won’t dwell on), it all works together for me, and after all, it is fiction...
Can’t wait to hear how Mr. T plans to tie this into the Anyar series - there were a couple hints in there...

All in all, good job, Olan, keep on writing!!! No rest for the wicked, or righteous. For those who didn’t quite get enthused, good luck on your next book, and keep on trying!!
Cheers!

What a great find!

I am a fan of Thorensen's earlier series and Jonathan Davis does great work.

What sets this above other comparable titles is the depth of character development. You care for or dislike characters for more than their story arcs. You can relate to people, or not. A person does something that you like or dislike, but you're also well aware of their motives and context. I like this depth.

The story is a good one and I can see the series continuing into the future. I don't mind this at all - what's the hurry?

There are times with audio titles when you're not sure of who is who and why - this is definitely not the case with Thorensen.

Love Olan’s work!

Another great book! Always has great characters and never want to put This book away!

A good start

I love the premise of the history, has a lot of potential. I expected something different, more aliens and mystery and cool full mind-blowing chapters, instead, I got a deep understanding of the characters, so not that mind blowing but interesting enough to keep listening and enjoy the ride.
Jonathan Davis voice is perfect for the book.

Top notch writing

If you like good character development and thought provoking writing this book is for you. If you crave the modern predictable cookie SciFi so common today this book may not be for you. This book has some action but not a lot. It's a long audio book which I like and story develops a bit slowly and I was fine with how it came along. The reader was quite good. It seems like there may be a second book and I look forward to listening that one also. Overall I highly recommend this book if you like good thought provoking writing.

Great listen

It's a very engaging story along with great characters! I'll be waiting for the next in the series...

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't find it slow like some reviews stated. It was excellent story telling. I'm excited for the next in the series.

A thorough treatment of an exciting discovery.

Olan Thorensen has written a detailed story of an alien object in the arctic region of Canada. The first portion of this novel deals with the backgrounds of the major characters, slowly reveals what has been discovered and the significance of the discovery. In the latter part of the novel, the story is exciting, suspenseful, and difficult to put down. Without spoilers, it becomes clear at the end of the novel that additional books will be forthcoming to deal with this blockbuster discovery.

Another good story from Olan

Though this story has a bit of exciting action; this is speculative science fiction at its best - think Bova, Clark and Pournelle. Its a story of smart people who live regular lives, connecting and crossing paths in a realistic and plausible manner in an exceptional situation. Thorensen has a gentle slightly academic style that may be a bit slow for some people more used to the Hollywood inspire "death a minute" scifi. Though this is definitely a cautionary tale inspired by current global concerns, its a tale for the thinking person. No spoilers, but I think the author is going to take us to some interesting places.

My only critique is the editors need to up their game as the audio version still has quality assurance verbal notes and there is some duplication that should be edited out, e.g. we don't need to know how the Inuit spy was paid...three times...