Brett Michael Orr's Blog

Reading time: 1 minute A flash fiction prompt inspired by the art group created by @artbyapenguin. The prompt was: “Comfort”. For anybody new to my writing style, I use poetic language in traditional prose to create a hybrid of ‘purple’ prose with abstract description. Fallen leaves crunch beneath the heel, each yellowed and burnt by […]

Reading time: 3 minutes A flash fiction prompt inspired by the art group created by @artbyapenguin. The prompt was: Crush – be it Sisyphus getting crushed by a rock for eternity or a sweet high school romance. For anybody new to my writing style, I use poetic language in traditional prose to create a hybrid […]

In a gaming landscape where indie titles are increasingly rivaling their AAA counterparts, there’s something to be said about low-budget games that know their vision and absolutely stick the landing. Marfusha: Sentinel Girls is one such title, ostensibly Papers, Please with anime girls and twin-stick shooting against waves of robotic enemies. It’s short, bleak, and […]

With a bold, unique premise, excellent artwork, and a great mixture of action and ecchi humor, Chained Soldier is off to a roaring start with its debut volume. Nuanced gender dynamics mesh with a controversial plot mechanic that requires some critical thinking to appreciate. Join me today as I review Chained Soldier Vol 1 by Takahiro and Yohei Takemura!

Bittersweet yuri are pretty common these days, but Kodansha's new series, Chasing After Aoi Koshiba, offers an interesting and unexpected twist in the yuri genre. Join me today as I review the first volume of this new shoujo ai series!

Confession time — I love step-sibling romances. The budding feelings, the hidden relationship, the taboo emotions fighting with lust and love — it’s a guilty pleasure of mine. And yet I’ve never read a step-sibling romance where the characters have already broken up.

My praise for My Friend’s Little Sister Has It In For Me ​really can’t be overstated — this is a fantastic first volume, and any rom-com lover should immediately read it.

It seems impossible for me to talk about this series without gushing praise. Three novels down, this series is a MUST-READ for anyone looking for a change of pace in isekai formulas. A reverse-isekai of sorts, this series follows Menou – an executioner tasked with eliminating Otherworlders from Japan, who enter this world with terrifyingly... Read More

What if the government arranged your marriage the moment you turned 16? What if you had already fallen in love and wanted to rebel against your fate? In a premise like a YA dystopian novel, Love & Lies is an ecchi romantic drama about a young boy who wants to pursue his own high-school crush,... Read More

Anyone who knows me or reads my reviews can confidently say I’m a sucker for squishy, fuzzy, adorable romance. The sappier and funnier the setup, the better! This light novel achieves all of that and more…