Review: Monster Girls Unlocked

Title: Monster Girls Unlocked: A Mature Harem Fantasy Adventure

 

Author: Justin Trublood

Rating: 4/5

Comments:  So this looked like your typical "story in a virtual game world" book where it's "Chad in Monstergirl Vaginaland" so I didn't expect much when I picked it up.  If I had predicted a rating from the title, blurb, and my innate cynicism, I would have probably said 2.5-3.5 with a high probability of DNF.

I was pleasantly surprised to say the least to find a book that does not merely have "real world" set dressing, but the bulk of the story is in the real world!  I prefer stories where a quick respawn won't solve all your issues.

While this isn't a Chad in Monstervaginaland, the protagonist does have a number of frollick buddies, and there are some definite and clear kinks letting their freak flag fly, so that may skew your rating either way.  Oddly enough there aren't really any more extreme examples of the monstergirls than half-orc and goblin.  Kind of figured he'd go farther with that theme given the title, but apparently not in book 1.

If you share his fetishes, I could see someone going 4.5 or 5 on this book, if you don't well it could be a quick DNF.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit, definite fetish content

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Review: Wyrmshard: A LitRPG Adventure (Savage Dominion Book 2)

Title: Wyrmshard: A LitRPG Adventure (Savage Dominion Book 2)

Author: Luke Chmilenko, G.D Penman

Rating: 2.5/5

Comments: Ok, so I almost didn't write this, but I feel like I have to give the bad with the good.  I really liked book 1, and I thought the characterizations were good, I thought the characters played a smart game.  I don't know what happened with book 2.  I got to about 40% into it, and it just wasn't any fun.  I could see the "twist" at the end coming (independently verified by a 3rd party) and if there's one thing that will put me off a story it's the protagonists being willfully stupid.  If your average 11 year old can see that you're screwing up, there's no excuse for it unless the protagonist is stupid.  Our heroes in this book are not stupid, so why are they acting like it? 

Anyway this was a big DNF for me, and I hope this isn't a trend for books from this group.  I've seen some early chapters of Iron Prince and those are everything I would have hoped for.

So RIP Maulkin, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually, but I doubt I'll read it.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Cat Core 1 and 2

Title: Cat Core: A LitRPG Dungeon Core Adventure 

            Cat Core, Book 2, Lich's Bargain (A Dungeon Core, LitRPG Adventure) 

Author: Dean Henegar

Rating: 4/5

Comments:  I picked up book 1 of this series on a bit of a lark, and then it sat in my queue for months before I gave it a real go.  I was amazed how much I enjoyed it.  The pacing is good, the characters believable and fun.  Even has some genuine emotional impact in spots.  And this coming from someone who doesn't like the whole concept of a dungeon core.  When I finished it I grabbed book 2 and it went just as fast.  I'm looking forward to book 3.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Warhawk’s Amnesty

Title: Warhawk’s Amnesty: A Space Opera Harem Adventure (The Amnesty's Adventures Book 1)

Author: Ajax Lygan

Rating: 3.5/5

Comments:  I wanted to like this book, I really did, but the best I can muster is  "I don't hate it."  There are a lot of things in this book that I found improbable, implausible, or just flat out wrong.  If you like space opera it's probably worth a look, but at least by my standards it's just ok.  

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Battlemaster's Gambit

Title: Battlemaster's Gambit: A LitRPG Monstergirl Harem Adventure (Tournion Book 1)

Author: Nathan Pierce

Rating: 4/5

Comments: I honestly didn't expect much of this book, as it looked a lot like the lowest common denominator dreck that I have to filter through, but I heard some positive buzz about it on Discord and decided to risk it.   I'm rather glad I did, as it was a decent, if not terribly original, story.  Some very good characters in it too.  If you're looking for a book in this genre, you can do worse, much worse.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Town Under

Title: Town Under: A Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG (The System Apocalypse: Australia Book 1)

Author: Tao Wong, K. T. Hanna

Rating: 3.5/5

Comments:  My rating is less about this book specifically, it's a reasonably well written book, and more about the genre premise.  I have concluded, after several forays into the system apocalypse that I hate the whole genre.  I thought maybe it was just the ones I had read, but no I think I just hate the whole genre.  So if you like the genre, I will say this one is pretty decent, in that I finished it and admit to that fact.   Call this a 4.5 out of 5, but a -1 penalty for the genre.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Reaper

Title: Reaper (Cradle Book 10)

Author: Will Wight    

Rating: 5/5

Comments:  It's book 10 of Cradle, if you have made it this far it's well worth the read.  Some big revelations in this one.  Great book, and looking forward to the next.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Dungeoneers: Mazerynth

Title: Dungeoneers: Mazerynth (The Dungeoneers Book 4)

Author: Jeffery Russell

Rating: 4.25/5

Comments: Dungeoneers is something that I pick up when I need something light-hearted and funny. The Dungeoneers are a company of professional dungeon clearers who take a methodical and scientific approach to dealing with dungeons.  Hilarity ensues.  I highly recommend them if you want something light.  

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: River of Fate: The Jade Scripture

Title: River of Fate: The Jade Scripture (Book 1)

Author: David North

Rating: 2.8/5

Comments:  This story is painfully slow.  I would estimate at least half the book is solitary mental monologue aka navel gazing.  Then you throw in a bunch of info dumps (I skipped 5 pages of description of the difference between charged and uncharged artifacts.  No exaggeration, I counted.).  Honestly if he would cut out all of that, it's not a bad story but it moves so freaking slow that even the occasional POV jumps did not appreciably slow it more than it already was.

Really can't recommend this one unless you like "traditional" cultivation stories where most of the action is in the protagonists head and the only real challenge he faces is getting his brain in order.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Biomedical Self Engineering: Book 3

Title: Biomedical Self Engineering: Book 3

Author: Jon Svenson

Rating: 4/5

Comments:  This is straight up slice of life.  By and large I enjoyed it, but the epilogue kind of annoyed me because it set up a cliffhanger which seems almost gratuitous.  Not sure where he's going with this, but I kind of think the next book will be the last one, one way or another.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: Fight Town: Dedication

Title: Fight Town: Dedication  (Fight Town book 2)

Author: Hondo Jinx

Rating: 5/5

Comments:

Well I really enjoyed book 1, and book 2 did not disappoint.  This story is all about hard work, perseverance, and loyalty.  Oh and there's boxing.  I don't know boxing, but Hondo obviously does, and he makes it accessible and interesting.  He brings the fights alive in your mind.  Even better he really draws you into the moment.  I may have gotten a little emotional when Freddie has to dig deep for round 4 and gets some very unexpected encouragement.  You'll know the moment when you get there.  I've been in a bit of a reading funk, but this story grabbed me and wouldn't let me go.  Well done Hondo, this might be your best story yet.

Bedroom Activities: FTB (mostly)

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Review: Dungeon Walkers 2

Title: Dungeon Walkers 2

Author: Daniel Schinhofen

Rating: 5/5

Comments:  Ok, so Dungeon Walkers is DJS's slice of life dungeon delving  gamelit series and it proceeds at a deliberate sauntering pace.  This is deliberate as his intent is to spend more time getting to know the characters.  Stern, our hero, is a Hero with a capital H.  He rescues kittens, helps the elderly across the street, and has never turned down a quest when it might help someone.  If he can't do it himself, he will pay someone else to do it.

Since it's slice of life there isn't an over-arching story arc, that may or may not be an issue for you.  If it is, call the rating 4/5

Pick up the book, and enjoy the stroll with some nice people.

Bedroom Activities: FTB

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Review: War God for Hire - Book 3

Title:  War God for Hire- Mercenary: A Reincarnation, Cultivation, Litrpg Adventure 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0968SB587/

Author: David Burke

Rating: 4.3/5

Comments:  I let this one sit in my TBR pile at around 15% complete for a bit because the start of it did not really grab me.  Then I got in a snit with another book and picked it up out of spite.  All in all it's pretty good.  The author manages to keep the protagonist challenged and growing despite being a deity, which is obviously a bit of a tall order.  He could lay off the White Knight'ing, a bit but it's not too excessive.  I like that he has people around who are not sharing his bed, too many books with multiple Sally Loveinterests fail because of that.

So better than I anticipated, and I expect I'll pick up book 4.

Bedroom Activities: Both

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Review: Knight's Ransom

Title: Knight's Ransom (The First Argentines Book 1)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087G1PVJR/

 

Author: Jeff Wheeler

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments:

Straight up low-magic tale of Chivalry.  Knights, maidens, Kings, Queens, war, intrigue, loyalty, and betrayal are all there and well done.  I really liked it and went straight into book 2.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: Aspect book 1

Title: The Aspect: Journey to the Firegrove

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08L3RLNSD/

Author: Ajax Lygan

Rating: 3.5/5

Comments:

I think this is his first book, and if so, it's 4/5 with the "New author" qualifier.  It has some structure, editing, and pacing issues which make parts of it a real slog.

Beyond that there's a bit of "Why do we care about this person" which never really gets answered.  It's kind of a "We care about him because he's got a big MAIN CHARACTER sign floating over him" and not for any other real reason.

Anyway it's not terrible, has some entertaining bits, and may have potential, but if I'm honest it won't be near the top of my TBR pile.

Bedroom Activities: Explcit-ish?  No major sexy fun times, but lots of near misses.

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Review: Velise

Title: Velise: Would You Love A Monster Girl?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H3Z8LCB

Author:  Cebelius

Rating: 4.5/5

Comments:

This is a romance novel hidden inside a gritty cop novel.  The romance bit isn't my usual fare, but I don't mind stepping outside my usual reading habits to try something new.  All in all it was a really good story and well told.  It's just a one on one romance so it's a break from Cebelius' usual story, but he pulls it off.  Well done on that Cebelius.  I had some minor quibbles on things, so it's not up there with TAP in my favorites, but I don't regret reading it.

Bedroom Activities: Explicit

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Review: Grog III

Title: Grog III (The Ebon Blades Book 3)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GP3X5BP/

 

Author:RW Krpoun

Rating:4.5/5

Comments: 

Just as funny, exciting, and poignant as the others, and I enjoyed it greatly.  Knocked a half a point off because there didn't seem to be a over-arching goal for this one, it was just "Life happens", which is entertaining in this case, but it needed something to tie it all together and make it mean something.

Bedroom Activities: None

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Review: He Who Fights with Monsters 3

Title:  He Who Fights with Monsters 3: A LitRPG Adventure

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09443F69P/

Author: Shirtaloon

Rating:4.9/5

Comments:

While book 3 retains some of the issues the previous two books had, e.g. serial format and pov jumps, the story really seems to be rolling.  I'm very curious to see what happens in book 4.  We definitely saw some significant character development among the core cast in this book which is great to see.

Well worth the read.

Bedroom Activities: None

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