Review: Cupcake Girls

Title: Cupcake Girls: Part 5 of The Vixen War Bride Series

https://smile.amazon.com/Cupcake-Girls-Part-Vixen-Bride-ebook/dp/B0BRVQMFML/

Author: Thomas Doscher

Rating: 5/5

Comments: So yeah, this book was an emotional roller coaster.  I laughed, I felt revulsion, anger, sadness, and may have come close to shedding a tear.

I had to read this in bites, because I had feared that I knew where things were going with it, and in some instances I was right.  It was the reading equivalent of watching a movie through your fingers because you just know something bad is going to happen.  And it does.  There's also a lot of good things that happen, and some surprises that we didn't see coming.

It was excellent.  I'm so glad I bought it.  I know some other people have been promoting it on their platforms and it's well deserved.  I didn't even mind the POV switches.

I look forward to the conclusion in book 6.  

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Heart of the Son

Title: Heart of the Son (The Seven-Fold World Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Son-Seven-Fold-World-Book-ebook/dp/B0BRZMF56P

Author: Erik Roman

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments: Another book one by another author with a new penname.

This is a great start to the story, and the world building is first-rate.  There's a lot of mysteries thrown out, some solved, some not.  If I had one issue with it, there is a little bit of navel gazing which gets tiresome.  It's necessary to show the growth of the character, but dang he's annoying at the start.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Antecedent's Legacy

Title: Antecedents' Legacy

https://smile.amazon.com/Antecedents-Legacy-Daniel-Schinhofen-ebook/dp/B0BRVP55TS/

Author: Daniel Schinhofen

Rating: 4/5

Comments:

It's a DJS story, with Mechs.  First off, it's a good book.  DJS has a gift for making his characters relatable, and have some heft to them.

That being said, if I had started reading it and didn't know it was a DJS book, I would have figured it out before the half-way point.  There's a lot of structural similarities between this book and his other book 1's.  This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your view.  Based on it having over 1500 ratings on Amazon so far, I would say his fan base has established it's a good thing.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: All the Skills

Title: All the Skills: A Deck Building LitRPG: All the Skills, Book 1 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BM51RQR8/

Author: Honour Rae

Rating: 5/5

Comments: This is one of those rare books for me that just grabbed me and kidney punched me until I finished it.  As a book one from an author with no other books out, that's exceptionally rare.  I strongly suspect this is a new pseudonym for an established author, and I certainly hope to see more from them.

The magic system is a new take for me, so that's entertaining.  There is a lot of emotion packed into the story and it's amazing how well it all ties together.

For this update this is easily in the top 3.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Monster Girls Unlocked 2

Title: Monster Girls Unlocked: End Game (Bawdlin Virtual World Book 2) 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BTCCKCPH/

Author: Justin Trublood

Rating: 4/5

Comments: As with the other Trublood books I have read, this is not a serious story, it's meant to entertain and fly that freak flag so to speak.  It does accomplish both of those goals.  Book one was a bit of a surprise in that it was a decent story, and really I think the second is just as good.  His magical carry-over between the digital world and meat space isn't explained nor even justified, but it's there, and it doesn't break the story, much.  Anyway, if you liked book 1, book 2 is worth it.  If you didn't, well I would advise you to keep walking.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: An Outcast in Another World 4

Title: An Outcast in Another World 4: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Book 4 - Ascendant Insanity)

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BPT7V53L/

Author: KamikazePotato

Rating: 4.7/5

Comments:  Not really much to say, if you have made it this far in the series, there's no reason to stop.  Rob has some antics that you just won't believe.  Lots of fun, and some trauma, plus a bonus short story at the end.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Mark of the Fool 2

Title: Mark of the Fool 2: A Progression Fantasy Epic

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BFCD4LM5/

 Author: J.M. Clarke

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments:

I read a fair number of "progression" or "cultivation" books, but honestly I am not sure why "progression" is a genre, since generally you want your protagonist to progress from his starting point to some better version of him or her self, otherwise, why are we reading about them?  Anyway, one of the pitfalls of this type of book is "How fast do they grow?"  Too fast and it seems to be too easy, and it's boring.  Too slow and too hard, and it is tedious.  Mark of the Fool hit the sweet spot and hit it hard.  Book 2 is also right in the zone.

Tons of fun, and some really good characters to care about.  Read it!

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Welcome to Midgard

Title:Welcome to Midgard (Contender Saga Book 1)

 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRGDW9MR/

Author: Dave Willmarth

Rating: 4.25/5

Comments: I have a bit of a mixed track record with Mr. Willmarth, so I picked this up with some caution.  In premise it's your basic Isekai type story, but he manages to make the action and characters interesting enough that it works.  I'll read the next one, and hopefully it continues to be good.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: A Girl From Nowhere

Title: A Girl From Nowhere (The Firewall Trilogy Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZJ2Y771/

Author: James Maxwell

Rating: 3.9/5

Comments: This is a new author, new series for me and generally it was pretty good. It didn't grab me and refuse to let me put it down, but I blew through it pretty fast.  

The story is set in a wasteland where water is scarce and there is a wall of "fire" that borders the wasteland.  We don't learn much about the why or how of the wall during the first book, but that may change in book 2.  The characters are good, but I didn't quite connect with them.  Probably a "me" issue.

I'm not searching for a release date of book 2, but if I happen across it I'll read it.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: He Who Fights with Monsters 8

Title: He Who Fights with Monsters 8: A LitRPG Adventure

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BBWK3T9T/

Author: Shirtaloon

Rating: 4.375/5

Comments: Some have called this an "emo" book, but I don't find it excessively so.  It deals a lot with the psychological toll that all of his adventures have extracted from Jason, and his start on the road to recovery.  I think that the psychology angle of books is regularly neglected; because, really who wants to read about the icky bits when there is derring-do to be done.  But in this case it helps humanize someone who is becoming increasingly inhuman and unrelatable.  While all that is happening, he cracks jokes, has cook-outs, and is generally very Jason-ey.  A good ride, but all the cool characters makes things drag because Shirtaloon wants to give them all some screen time.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Unbound book 5

Title: Threshold: A LitRPG Adventure (Unbound Book 5)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BG15B4ZZ/

Author: Nicoli Gonnella 

Rating:  4/5

Comments:  One of the hazards of reading a lot and blogging a little is you forget the details of the oldest book in the queue.  Fortunately I have my Discord where I make comments as I read stuff.  Unbound was generally up to the quality of the previous books in the series, and it unveiled a lot of stuff, but it had a side plot that didn't do much other than slow things down for little benefit.  It also left a lot of things hanging at the end of the book.  Not epically loose like the infamous Brambles and Thorns, but more of a Han is frozen in carbonite and we don't know what happens to him way.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Upcoming works! Author roundup

I decided that I should do a poll of my author contacts and find out what they're working on and then I can put it up here and hopefully it will be useful.  So without further ado, this is what I have found:

• Rick Scott: recently resurfacing after an extended absence Rick is working on Crystal Shards 5, which is mostly complete on Royal Road
• Cebelius:  Would You Love a Monster Girl 4:  Selene
• Thomas Doscher:  Vixen War Bride 5 rough draft is finished, and the prologue is available on Facebook.  Can't wait for this one to drop
• Daniel J. Schinhofen: Antecedent's Legacy 1; this is a new series for release in January of 2023.  He will then be wrapping Dungeon Walkers with book 4.
• William D. Arand:  Save State Hero 1 should be releasing in January 2023 to keep DJS's book company (or vice versa)
• Larry Corriea:  His Black Sword book 4 will release in April, title is Tower of Silence
• Joe Kuster: Real life has prevented Joe from writing in the quantity and quality that he wants, but the rough draft is pretty much done on Lost in Transit.  He's estimating over 300K words, so it's going to be a tome.  Hopefully out Q1 or Q2 in 2023.
• Erik Roman:  New author contact, he's got his first book ready to drop in January.  Title is Heart of the Son (not a typo).
• David North:  Guardian of Aster's Fall 5 is being worked on, with a release in March.  He has River of Fate audiobook coming out soon, it's been submitted to the not so tender mercies of Audible.
• Johnathan Smidt:  Working on Dungeon Core Online: Remasterd 4, and D.E.D Exorcists book 1 (I know nothing about these, I'm going to have to check him out)
• D.I. Freed:  Jade Phoenix 2 will be out in mid-January
• A.I. Loves: The queen of smut, has a number of projects. 
• Horror Clown: IT parody/homage with smut
• Writing tutorial commission 
• She is putting Becoming Monsters up on Scribblehub
• She has a new story on Scribblehub called Portal Pussy
• She has done a lot of online writing over the last year, so if you like her go check in with her on her Discord.

Review: Legend

Title: Legend (Drenai Saga Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Drenai-Saga-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00513F9S4/

Author: David Gemmell

Rating: 5/5+

Comments: This was a nostalgia pickup, because I read it decades ago and loved it.  These things are always a risk because you don't know how they'll hold up.  I was relieved and gratified to find that not only did it hold up, I found new things to love about it.  POV switching, antagonist POV, and all, I loved it.  I wish Gemmell was still around and writing, but he has passed on.  Unreserved recommendation.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Magi Guard

Title: Magi Guard (Aether's Revival 6)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BN6LCQW4

Author: Daniel Schinhofen

Rating: 4/5

Comments:  This, as I have said before, is my favorite series by Schinhofen.  This one was another change of pace where Greg spends a lot less time with his wives, and is showing the correct way to be a stand-up guy.  Really looking forward to the next one because training and play time are over, they're putting him to the test.  Notably this book did not add any new love interests, nor did it have any explicit scenes.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Azarinth Healer

Title: Azarinth Healer 1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLRD8YPD

Author: Rhaegar

Rating:3.9/5

Comments: This was published after being a Royal Road serial, and as is typical in these situations, it kind of shows.  There's a lot of action.  Loads of action. So much face wrecking it's amazing.  That being said there doesn't seem to be a lot of point to the conflict except that the protagonist gets off on it.  It is nice however, to have a protagonist that actually has a conscience and tries to help people.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Battlemage Farmer 3

Title: Battlemage Farmer 3: Cultivation

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B8FYRJWL

Author: Seth Ring

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments: It's book 3 of the series, and a lot of the teasers that have been dropped in the previous two books are being blown up.  The ending of this book genuinely surprised me, which exceptionally difficult to accomplish.  Only a few niggling things like POV switches kept it from a full 5/5

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Dragon Justice 1-4

Title: Dragon's Justice 1-4

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09FS8XBDR?

Author: Bruce Sentar

Rating:4.5-3.75/5

Comments: I have had contentious relationship with Mr. Bruce.  I've liked parts of his series, but there have been other parts that just annoy the crap out of me.  This series is actually by and large good.  The power curve gets a bit crazy, especially in book 4.  As the power curve goes crazy I find the protagonist less and less relatable. I have book 5 in my list, but I have some other things to read first.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Mage Errant series 1-3

Title: Mage Errant series 1-3; Into the Labyrinth, Jewel of the Endless Erg, and A Traitor in Skyhold

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PHPLHX5 

Author: John Bierce

Rating: 3.5-4/5

Comments: Book 1 sat in my TBR pile for over a year before I picked it up.  It was surprisingly decent, so I rolled right into 2 and 3.  Those weren't as good as 1, but they were ok.  I will probably go on with the series at some point, but it's not demanding my time.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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