Milksteak

It takes way to long for the MC to get interesting

Revisado: 01-01-23

One problem that carried over from the first book is the MC's attitude about teaming up with women. It takes nearly the entire book for him to kind of stop crying about having to take on new teammates, even as the other teams are growing as fast as they can. The end conflict was glaringly obvious, not just from the beginning of this book, but from the first. Not just for the reader even, since the MC had his problem spelled out to him multiple times by multiple people that he trusts, and each time he would either get mad, wallow in self-pity, or just be an idiot and not understand plain english.

That said, it is better than the MC being a womanizing douche, but too many authors like David Burke feel the need to make their harem protagonists hate their own situation in order to justify them "deserving" their relationships. Daniel Schinhofen (amazing author) has similar issues with his MC's hesitating because of not wanting to be a reprobate, but they aren't in situations where their lives are being put in immediate danger by not expanding the polyamory.

Going too far to self-flagellate and moan and whine in order to make the MC 'earn' having a harem is also problematic, because the message seems to be that it's suddenly ok for them to have a harem because they are just so damn unhappy to do it, and put it off, and encourage other guys to take more women so that they don't have to. It's cringeworthy, and especially awkward when you have an extreme premise, like in this book, where their lives literally depend on it. There is no "deserving" a harem, it is inherently unequal, and no amount of being a "nice guy" suddenly makes the situation equitable. That's why we need crazy situations like in this series in order for any kind of non-asshole to be in one. But if you find yourself in a life or death situation where yours and everyone's survival depends on you doin' the dirty with more people, and literally every partner you have is begging you to take on more willing partners, and you aren't manipulating anyone, then maybe just bite the bullet and take one for the team. Because letting everyone die so that you can white knight your way to feeling good about yourself is so much more respectful,

In short, while I appreciate the attempt, this intended noble quality that might be annoying but character-forming in other books is just asinine in this contrived setting, and the MC comes across as a dim crybaby who is fully aware that he's making it more likely that the women he's supposedly trying to protect will get mistreated by others and die.

But, uh, I recommend it, it's definitely better than most harem-fare out there. I just wish the MC was less frustrating, especially since it is easily possible to conceive a character that does recognize the problems with, and attempts to the best of his ability to address them with a harem relationship while taking into account the pressures dictated by the plot, and not sacrificing narrative in order to over-establish certain character traits.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 2 personas

Impressive world, developed characters, good story

Revisado: 11-09-22

Very impressed with this book—I'll be honest, I sampled some of David Burke's other books and didn't get very far with them (though I may reconsider that now).

I don't usually expect much from indie authors, and I expect even less from a genre that takes wish-fulfillment and guilty-pleasures without usually trying to make them fit into a good story. I still give them a try of course, and outside of reviews for the books in question, I don't usually like to name and shame titles that are honestly dumpster tier (ignore that I never learn my lesson and still spend credits on them). Suffice it to say, for every book by authors like William Arand, Daniel Schinhofen, Mike Truk, or E William Brown that have the skill and put in the effort to make books that are interesting to read, there are a dozens of books that just aren't good. I mean, how many harem books can you think of that are titled ______ Mage, or Monster Girl ____, or have women throwing themselves at the MC for no reason, or don't bother to make the characters any more than one-dimensional.

Fortunately, Prism Academy far exceeded my expectations, and was a time when a throwaway credit found a gem. That isn't to say there aren't any harem or plot tropes that get used—you'll find enough of them here. But, the story does a good job of entertaining and using them for effect. My biggest complaint is the MC *does* have a hard time not ogling women's chests when he's talking to them (I don't care to follow an MC that's played like a drooling idiot, and too many MCs do that), But, it wasn't overdone to the point where it got in the way of my enjoyment, and despite the MC mostly being a bruiser in this book, he doesn't come across as a meathead idiot.

There's a serviceable reason for why this MC needs to end up in a polyamorous relationship, and the book doesn't shame women for having intimate experience before meeting the MC. I know a lot of readers in the genre get triggered by open relationships, and while I don't mind them, they won't have to worry about that here—the story is such that the MC won't be 'sharing'.

This is probably the best indie superhero themed book I've listened to (unless you count Super Sales), and while it definitely is a power fantasy, I was never bored by the OP MC. I felt like there were references to pop culture and other books, but the never got obtrusive. You'll see similarities to The Dark Prism, and number of post-apocalyptic stories, and I think I caught a reference to All Quiet on the Western Front.

Anyway, this review is kind of rushed, but if you are interested in the genre, this one is top tier. I do adjust my ratings for the genre, so it isn't a five star compared to a full-fledged bestselling novel or series, but it is excellent in the genre. Plus, it is rare to find authors willing to put in the time and resources in this genre to make a book that is a decent length, let alone make one of this length that you'll want to listen all the way through.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Interesting story, characters, and good writing

Revisado: 09-23-22

Joe Kuster has done an excellent job with this book—especially impressive considering the normal quality of writing when you find books with adult content and... unorthodox relationships. The near-future setting is competently written, and I didn't feel like the author just chose a cool setting that he wasn't prepared to build a world in. Ever read a sci-fi book where the author seems to be making up poor technobabble on the fly, or seems to neglect what ramifications a futuristic technology would have on the world? Not so here—and that is a huge relief.

The main few characters are fleshed out and interesting—others that get introduced don't have as much depth, but it still feels like a foundation is laid to make them more interesting as the story progresses.

Narration is excellent.

Give this one a shot. It's better than most in the genre, and deserves your consideration.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Interesting story, with some caveats

Revisado: 08-16-21

Overall, I'd give this book a recommendation if you are a fan of the genre. I think it's actually better than a lot of the typical fare you see, especially the monthly releases that seem so popular, However, there are a number of issues with the story that I found both annoying and distracting, plus issues with the quality of writing, narration, and forced plot developments keep it from being top tier.

First, I want to get out some positives. The worldbuilding in this story is a fair bit better than what you would find in a Vall-type book. While not epic fantasy, and with nothing particularly original, you do get a sense of history, and a world filled with lite politics legends that help it feel fairly well established. Characters are better than cardboard cutouts, but still aren't especially complex. I liked the simple backstory alluded to for the MC, who is given reasons to be unique and powerful in this world, while having pretty consistent limits that keep him from being literally unstoppable beyond his base of operations.

All that said, there is a lot of inconsistency with the plot that gets frustrating. I feel like the author wanted to either tell an anti-hero story, or at least one that dealt in shades of grey, rather than black and white. It is, unfortunately, when the author tries to give the plot nuance that the story comes across as either ham-fisted or melodramatic. I'll go into more detail, but ahead lay spoilers...

*SPOILERS*

One of the first inelegantly told portions of the story is when the first female MC approaches a town. She sees a family being held by a race of insect-humanoids, that drag a young teenage girl in front of her parents, and begin slowly eating her alive, starting with her limbs. The FMC simply watches, and at first I decided that this was just the author's way of changing the tone of the book and making it clear that we're not following heroes. But then after that abrupt change to her morality, the FMC kills a man in the next town for leering and making comments at a young teenage girl. Creep got what he deserved, but it also struck me that the author was being inconsistent with that FMC's sensibilities—the justification for the FMC doing nothing to save the girl from getting brutally mutilated and consumed was that doing anything to help might endanger her mission. Well, killing a creep who made a pass at a girl in a tavern *while she was undercover* is a *lot* more risky than saving a girl miles away from town before her mission had even begun. And she apparently thought a creep at a bar was more disturbing than forcing a young girl to lay down and watch herself be devoured by insect monsters.

There are a lot more moments like that, where the MC and FMC either watch atrocities, or commit them needlessly, and the author gets so fucking sanctimonious about how they are only doing these awful things because they are being forced to, or are giving the humans what they deserve, There's another time when the MC is holding a couple people captive, and murders one of them semi-accidentally after promising to release them. Then he immediately turns around and murders the other woman, even after he explicitly realizes that he can get what he wants without killing her. The author's awkward attempt at justification is that she is revealed to be a slaver shortly thereafter, which somehow makes his decision okay when he didn't know that at the time. Not to mention the fact that, at this point, he's done worse, but only briefly considers the moral ramifications before resuming a self-righteous attitude.

The book also tries to set up the insectoid race (whose queen is conveniently a beautiful woman) as a group of freedom fighters, and that humans are nefariously trying to exterminate them. The fact that they kill and consume humans, including any children they can catch, is always presented as a necessity. And by the end, the MC leads them in the wholesale slaughter of human resistance, all the while trying to make it sound like the bugs are the ones on the backfoot and only trying to live their own lives. The same conflict that started with the bugs raiding the family on the road and eating them alive, while forcing them to watch.

**END SPOILERS**

I'm usually all for shades of grey, but the plot and characters need to be consistent, without awkward exposition by the author to not just justify their actions to the reader/listener. I feel like the author is trying to set up the MC's faction as one that regretfully performs heinous actions in order to further the greater good, but that can only work if they aren't constantly being crueler than required and aren't giving themselves a pass on their own evil deeds. As it stands, this story isn't about good people that are morally compromised by circumstance. It's about genuinely bad people whom the Voice of God says are actually good because reasons.

The individual characters are fleshed out enough to do their jobs in the story. Though, the MC isn't terribly interesting—he's kind of a man-child in that he doesn't have much personality. He starts out as kind of a blank slate and barely develops any personality.

His companions aren't much more interesting. They are prone to melodramatic introspection, which is exacerbated by the narration. Jessica is great, though some of the more impassioned dialogue feels a little hammy. I'd say the same for Daniel, though a bit more pronounced.

Again, if you are into the genre, I'd give this one a chance. It may not be a favorite, but it is better than most of the bevy of titles that have released over the last few years.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

Decent premise, okay narration, weak characters

Revisado: 11-29-20

This is a pretty generic harem title. It isn't great, but if the average Logan Jacobs or Eric Vall book is up your alley, you'll probably like this one. I couldn't quite finish, myself. The plot had some decent strengths—it's gamelit system isn't very crunchy, but is gamey enough to be an enjoyable adaptation of the RTS/Civ building genre with some RPG notes. The vehicle to deliver the average joe to the game world this time is, as the summary mentions, aliens, and the premise is they are being tested to see if they are fit to lead a new human population on a new planet to save the species. The main character is a 'decent' guy. Hardworking, not particularly strong, not particularly smart. He gets a bit preachy about family values, respect in relationships, the value of hard work. Not bad things, but the author just doesn't incorporate them into the character organically. He's less about showing what kind of man the MC is, and more about having the MC monologue about what kind of man he is. There are some unfortunate tropes that Marcus Sloss repeats from other generic harem writers—the MC can't help but gawk at women, he tends to curse a bit much (I'm all for a good "fuck" "shit" or "fucker" here or there, but do it too much and it degrades the prose). Ironically, while he can turn into a slack-jawed drooling Chad at the drop of a hat, but MC is also firmly against having more than two wives, and takes on the second only because of plot-induced necessity. The necessity doesn't go away after the second wife, and I'm sure he'll eventually cave going forward thanks to his (of course) bisexual nymphomaniac wives, but the moralizing about him having too many relationships already just doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the book. Nobody buys these books to read about a wishy-washy protagonist veer from being enthusiastic about his situation to preaching against it. The narration is fine apart from that, though Daniel Wisniewski really nails the Chad-bro voice. Whether you think that is good or not is up to you.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Fun pulp fiction

Revisado: 11-27-20

The OP MC has many the trappings of pulpy wish-fulfillment fiction that you may have come to expect from the explosion of harem lit over the last few years. First-person perspective, simple prose, over-the-top ogling of female characters, a mostly naked women on the book cover, and a somewhat chaddy/douchey main character. So many of these books have been written by the likes of Logan Jacobs, Eric Vall, and others, that the novelty of the genre has worn thin for me, and now I mostly stick to writers like William Arand or Cebelius, because I can only take so many throwaway plots and paper-thin characters before I feel like I'm reading the same book over and over again, seasoned with sophomoric descriptions of breasts and asses. Starting off with that, you may be surprised that I ended up liking this book, for a number of reasons. First, it doesn't bother with trying to set up a half-assed Dark Lord of Evil, it just runs with its Groundhog Day concept and sticks with it. It may be a bit tropey, but it is one of my favorite tropes—it is fun imagining how you could cheese the hell out of infinite do-overs in pretty much any situation. And that is what this book is all about—you have a main character that starts out as an average guy, but is willing to spend the time it takes to appear to everyone else like an unstoppable god, while you know in his personal timeline, he's lived through the few days he's spent in-world thousands upon thousands upon thousands of times, if not tens of thousands or many more. The humor can be a bit juvenile, and like every mediocre harem book out there, you have a protagonist that "can't stop himself" from gawking slack-jawed at any woman he sees, but the book is fun enough that I can look past those tired harem tropes and want to continue listening all the way to the end of the book. Which, by the way, is long enough without too much fluff filler to be respectable within the genre—a decent 12 hours. The fact that I wanted to listen to the end and it wasn't one of the many 7 hour garbage books that flood the genre was a welcome difference from the pure "filler" book I was expecting to start but not complete.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 9 personas

Great narrator, meh story

Revisado: 10-10-20

I mainly picked this book up since I haven't picked up a harem book in a few months, and it felt like a bit of a dry spell for new releases from actually decent authors. If you're familiar with harem lit, you'll know that most releases don't set a high bar for story or prose, which is fine if you know what you're getting into (not everyone can be William Arand, Daniel Schinhofen, or Jan Stryvant). Since Andrea is a popular choice of narrator for many of the better authors, I figured I'd give this one a chance.

All in all, I felt like this book was about average for harem fare, but that means there are a few issues with the storytelling and writing that keep Bastian Knight from being added to my preferred author list. It's just that this is closer in quality to Eric Vall, though the protagonists in those books are usually cockier or more assertive.

So let's get onto my nitpicking. First, there are some issues with the overall storytelling that left me pretty confused. **MINOR SPOILERS** ahead.

When the MC first gains his DM abilities, he's supposedly on a bit of a time crunch. He's just been left for dead by the companions that betrayed him on an alter in the fourth level of the eponymous dungeon. The dungeon crystal he has bonded with pleads with him to catch his erstwhile companions, lest they leave with the crystal that they stole, killing the dungeon crystal he has bonded with. It sounds like a tall order, not just because they are high-ranked adventurers, as the MC points out, but also because they are already on their way out of the dungeon. We don't know how long the MC has been unconscious, but as a reader, it seems like he's already hopelessly far behind even if he pursued them immediately. But, in order to have a better fighting chance against them, the plot drives him to explore the dungeon depths in search of allies. So he starts exploring the depths, level by level. In the opposite direction of the escaping party. There just doesn't seem time for this, especially since the text makes it clear this is a slow process. Then, on top of that, he decides to spend the night and mull over the pros and cons of bonding his first dungeon monster, and doesn't do anything to pick up the pace after that.

The different parts of this plot can make sense on their own; he needs to be stronger to fight the adventurers. Great. But it is a mark of poor writing to completely disregard the parameters you have already set just because you want to focus on something else important. A good storyteller can provide reasons for setting up the scenes they want to tell and pacing they want to set. Maybe come up with a reason for the MC to think the adventurers will need to return. Or maybe time is of the essence, but the dungeon can only be entered or exited on certain days, so the MC has a window to prepare before he needs to catch up to them. Or maybe have the dungeon crystal say that the loss of her crystal won't kill her immediately, and they can track the adventurers outside of the dungeon. Or keep the time crunch and force the MC to work within the time constraints you've already committed to. You do need to suspend a certain measure of disbelief in fantasy, and especially litRPG fantasy, and triple especially harem litRPG fantasy. But flagrantly making your own arbitrary rules and ignoring them will make readers/listeners like me hard pressed to continue paying attention.

The MC himself is a bit too cringeworthy for my tastes. There are some unfortunate harem lit tropes that get repeated here, We have the typical bashful/timid/virgin protagonist, and like way too many harem books out there, the author decided to make him lose all motor function every time he sees a woman. I wish more authors would realize that describing women's bodies just isn't erotic or hot if it sounds like a shut-in's personal fanfiction. Less is often more, and the harem writers actually tend to use short descriptions, rather than paragraphs. The MC's "jaw drops" every time he meets a new woman. He is "shocked to the core" at their beauty. His mind blanks. He gets lost in their beautiful eyes. Each one is the "most beautiful" woman he has ever seen. And with each one, he gets caught staring "uncontrollably" at there various body parts, often several times in a row. There's nothing wrong with writing an inexperienced youth, but good heavens it is taken to an uncomfortable extreme. It's hard to see what any of these dungeon women see in this boy, not because he isn't a 'good' person, or doesn't have the potential to become capable, but because he is written like a child. He is, supposedly, 25, but it feels like entertaining interest with him would be like seducing a person that, mentally, is a minor. He also tends to get angry easily, which is a random commonality I see in bad harem MCs.

Beyond those issues, it gets harder to stick with the story as it progresses. Despite some cringe at the beginning with the MC ogling his elf companion, I liked the setup for revenge. But after that, the pacing slows way down to snail speeds. There are minutes upon minutes of exposition that are clearly there for the listener, but make the (again, supposedly 25 year old) protagonist seem a bit slow. He needs to constantly be reminded of things, and cannot intuit anything, even though he is supposed to have a background in a lot of these litRPG mechanics as an adventurer (the "DM interface" is similar to the adventurer one, for example). Every detail needs to be spelled out for him. This compounds the issue I mentioned earlier about ignoring the presumed time limit.

All in all, there are far worse Harem books out there, and I wouldn't discount Bastian. But I am disappointed that these additional projects that Andrea is picking up aren't on par with the other material she's given to work with—she's an excellent narrator, so if you haven't listened to her other work, I'd highly recommend it.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

An indie title that you'll want to finish

Revisado: 08-19-20

My one-sentence review is that this book is worth it—the story is entertaining, the writing is intelligent, and, if you're anything like me, it will leave you wanting more.


This was my introduction to both the Gamelit/LitRPG and harem genres. Though, to be honest, this first series in Arand's Sovereignverse is relatively light on the 'harem' elements. Depending on who you talk to that is either a good or a bad thing, but what I care about most is the story. For haremlit fans, I'd encourage you to give this one a try because, unlike so many harem books out there, Arand doesn't sacrifice a good story to deliver a power fantasy. For those who generally steer clear of harem stories, I'd encourage you to give it a shot for the same reason. I'll delve a bit deeper into different elements of this book in my review, but this is a book that wholeheartedly earns my five stars.

== Story ==

MINOR SPOILERS

There are a number of elements that make this story work. The first is the protagonist, Runner Norwood is an entertaining character. He can have dumb moments, but is generally smart and never suffers from plot-induced stupidity. In the virtual world, he's broken, but even as he takes advantage of his abilities and quickly becomes OP, he never stops being interesting. He's witty without being grating. It can be surprisingly difficult to find an MC in indie writing, especially harem indie writing, that doesn't get on my nerves, but Arand wrote a character that you want to read more about, even if he isn't especially complex.

The story he finds himself in isn't especially original, at least at first, but this first book—even this first series, sets the foundation for a multitude of settings in his other series—this is there my all-caps MINOR SPOLERS warning comes in. I won't delve into it here, but the Selfless Hero Trilogy, or the Otherlife series, is an interesting way to connect the disparate worlds found in Super Sales for Super Heroes, Wild Wastes, Fostering Faust, and more.

== Narration ==

Jeff Hays does an excellent job here. He gives each character personality, excellent voice differentiation, and he really brings this book to life.

== Conclusion ==

Some people look for haremlit so they can turn off their brains and just enjoy a pulpy, fun book. Arand shows us that we can have fun, interesting stories as well, so much so that I wouldn't be surprised if people looking for harem lit end up enjoying his fade-to-black William Arand books every bit as much as his explicit Randi Darren titles. He is one of the relatively few authors that I give unreserved recommendations for, and I know I will end up enjoying each book he releases.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

A gritty wild west post-apocalypse

Revisado: 05-25-20

This may be a story set in an alternate modern-day (or near future), but you might as well just picture this one as a western. The stereotypical protagonist is a mysterious loner, and true to the trope, the opening scene in the tavern sets the tone for the rest of the book.

Cutter can be a cold bastard, but he isn't a bad guy—he's just had his fill of the world and learned that being alone is often easier than caring about anything. So when two beautiful women come into his life, asking for help, he, of course, wants no part of it. But coin and curiosity get the better of him, and he sets out on a journey to see if there is more to himself and the world he lives in.

That plot is entertaining enough, if not especially original. I don't have as much patience with the gruff loner type protagonists as most, so after a while his broody commitment to no commitments or caring got a bit stale. But his personality doesn't come across as too abrasive. Most of this book is essentially him just breaking down the walls that keep him from caring about the world or the people around him. Some time, of course, is spent advancing the overall journey, but don't expect much to happen in this book—it feels like it is mostly setting the stage for the next two.

Compared to other haremlit books, this one is generally better written. It is not without some frustrations, though. Some might consider the below minor spoilers, so if you don't want to read them, suffice it to say the plot is carried on at a couple points by minor cases of plot armor and plot induced stupidity.

There are a couple interactions between the MC and one of the antagonists that seem a bit contrived. When the man that is out to kill the MC and his companions ambushes them, they both kind of let each other go. At first the bad guy has the drop on them, but doesn't take advantage of it. Then the main group outguns him, and just lets him go. It's kind of explained later that the other antagonist wants them alive so that he can deliver a monologue before he kills them, but it just seems super convenient that pointless vanity saves them, and that isn't the only time.

Then, the MC decides to confront the antagonist in broad daylight, supposedly to learn information, but he only confirms what they already know. Plus, at this point in the book, the MC isn't aware of the partner-antagonist's stupid order to not kill him, so from the MC's perspective, he is walking up to the man that wants to kill him, surrounded by his goons, just for some unnecessary fact checking. It lets the author flesh out the antagonist a little bit more, but the whole exchange felt stupid and clunky.

One of the main plot points is the premonition powers of his Ender companion. Throughout the book she gets premonitions of danger, and is never wrong. Leading up the the ultimate conflict of the book, She gets another one of these premonitions,,, and they do nothing. Predictably, ignoring the premonition puts them in a bad spot.

Then, in the final conflict, there is a *very* telegraphed ambush set up. Why the MC chooses to assume the signs of trouble are harmless is beyond me, but little is more annoying than, as a reader, seeing something obviously telegraphed and remarked upon by the MC, then reading as the supposedly competent MC decides to ignore it.

Anyway, there are a few more issues like those in the story, but some of the annoyance I have is probably just coming from having the perspective of a reader, rather than the characters. These issues didn't keep me from enjoying the book, which is decent overall.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 1 persona

Clever, different, and delightfully shitty

Revisado: 05-21-20

Right off the bat, I want to qualify my recommendation of this book a bit. A lot of haremlit readers don't like books where the protagonist isn't a type-A personality, is often the object of ridicule, or has women that aren't head over heels for him for most of the story. If you wanted a power fantasy that lets you see through the eyes of the alpha male that all women immediately pine and have 'saved' themselves for, there are other options. But I think even those readers would have a hard time not finding things to love about this book, especially since the MC experiences more than a pastry transformation by the end.

And if they didn't give this book a chance, it would be a crying shame—this one really is a fun listen. Obviously the book doesn't take itself too seriously. But in contrast to other books in the genre, it doesn't derive its humor from making the MC into an unrelenting smartass (just a little bit of a smartass from time to time) or by throwing ham-fisted pop culture references at the reader/listener (just one or two here and there). The situational humor here is much better than that, relying on circumstance and characters to drive humor, rather than soulless one-liners. If I were to try to find similar humor in other books, I'd say it lands somewhere in the directions of Everybody Loves Large Chests or The (sort of) Dark Mage.

Before I continue with my review of the book, I want to call out Bradley Ford and Sierra Kline. They both did an excellent job with the narration, and they are both clearly very talented. Zero complaints here. Back to the book.

The MC is a bit of a goober, and there isn't a ton of world-building to establish his background in detail, but you know enough to know the character. For most of his life so far, he has been ignored because of his power. He starts as socially awkward, but more because of his environment growing up, less because of natural social tendencies.

As the story progresses he grows at a comfortable pace. His clumsy social interactions are initially a turn-off to the ladies in their group of misfits, but he quickly becomes a curiosity to them, for both his superpower and his similarly themed physical attribute. He is far from strong and capable at first, but they become more comfortable with him the more willing he is to open up, the more he improves himself, and the more willing he is to be considerate of them. The budding relationships work better both because he lets them progress more on their terms, and the story doesn't make his efforts to be better for them become emasculating. While there are more than a few laughs at his expense, especially after his first intimate encounter, he's allowed to both be embarrassed and take it in stride. He is, after all, a beginner in theses social circumstances, and even as he sometimes gets made fun of, he also earns their respect.

The adult scenes are surprisingly well done as well, being varied, and actually paint a picture of the characters involved, not just the actions they're involved in. I tend to find a lot of erotic content to be boring filler, so this is a nice change of pace.

The MC's power isn't just useless, at least at first, it is messy. The book doesn't shy away from the indignity of reforming back into a human after having been eaten as a churro. But there are aspects to it he has never considered. This works well within the story. He doesn't just gain a new power or figure out his power at a plot-convenient time, but figures out more about it when he's actually in a position to use it more frequently. Finding out more about his power, of course, leads to a change in his purpose and circumstance, and is the impetus for the major plot direction in this book. There is a larger plot involving advanced AI, government, and terrorists, and that larger plot is just fine. But it's the close-up development of Churro and his team that takes center stage here,

Honestly, the best part of this book is that I generally always wanted to keep listening. Most haremlit books have become a bit generic and stale to me. They are either too predictable, the characters are too one dimensional, or simply aren't that well written. This book was clever enough, funny enough, and the plot was novel enough to keep me listening. I hope we see much, much more from Ashus Evinco.

Has calificado esta reseña.

Reportaste esta reseña

esto le resultó útil a 8 personas