Hearthomancy Vol. 1: A Men's Fantasy Adventure

Hearthomancy #1

by M.E. Thorne

Monsters, mortgages, and madmen – Being a new homeowner can be murder!

My name is Brent, and I'm the proud, new owner of Rootwood Manor. Sure, it's a rundown mansion in the middle of nowhere... but that makes it the perfect place for my magical lair. Ever since the System came to Earth I've aspired to be a powerful wizard!

Of course, difficulties crop up. I’ve got to learn to master my new magic, pay down my mortgage, and raise money for the manor’s repair. There’s also dealing with my creepy neighbors, escaping murderous ghosts, and preventing a blood ritual that could spell the end of the world.

With my beautiful familiar, a stacked Drow blacksmith, and a cunning Arachne scholar by my side, there's no way monsters, sagging ceilings, or blood rituals are going to get in the way of my dream.

Paying the bills and avoiding the apocalypse can’t be that hard, right?

Genres: Harem, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica

520 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2023

About the author

An up-and-coming author writing sci-fi, fantasy, and exciting adventures.

Reviews

[Will Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was into it right up until they added Great Old One cultists to my cozy home repair/slice of life story.

If it had stuck to home repair, partner bonding, crafting, and home/dungeon quests, I would have been ALL over this. And I was, for the first half. But you can't just have a chill home-owner life story, with roof fixing, a sexy ghost, and buff drow crafter, a mystery needed to be thrown in.

It detracted from what made the story original, to me, so even though not bad and I did finish it, I won't be coming back to this house.

[Marked Twaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good at first glance

The main character guy is a wimp. I thought this would be a strong character taking care of his new lair being a master and lord of his domain but he's very much a simp. This could have been a great store of him building his plantation of becoming a lord and a power to be reckoned with of having you know servants and employees and guards you know building up himself as a old fashion Duke or something you know becoming powerful but no he's just a wimp always wringing his hands because he has to hurt somebody I mean it's just stupid.

[Jeffrey]

This is an interesting book. Brent is a the first Hearthomancer on earth. The system (like in the Dungeon games that people play) has come to earth and brought with it classes, skills, and leveling along with dungeons where adventurers can level. Different from other books that I've read that are similar there wasn't a massive change to the world (no massive die off, no drastic changes in the land). Because of this most older people ignored the change and went on their lives like nothing had changed. The younger people who are more open to change have quickly adapted to the changing world and are leveling up. Brent is a handyman with a subclass of a wizard. He buys the haunted mansion at the end of town. This is to become his wizards lair. The mansion has a troubled past, along with the town having a troubled and mysterious past. Invoking his new class as a Hearthomancer on the Hearth of the old manor he is immediately rewarded with a special familiar. Lorelei a ghost who took the image and most of the memories of the daughter of the man who built the house. She can take physical form. Through a dungeon dive under the local university he meets a Drow elf name Ayara, who is a blacksmith, she invited to come and ply her trade in the manor. Because of all of the interesting history around the manor and some sort of evil entity imprisoned below the manor they seek the help of a arachnid scholar, named Ishikana.
Brent is an interesting character. He doesn't want to be a power in the world. He just wants to restore his manor and increase his skill as a Hearthomancer. With three beautiful exotic women can he over come evil cult members determined to release the dangerous entity under his house and bring it back to its former glory?

[Christine Rains · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world has recently been changed by The Reckoning, and handman Brent chooses Wizard as his secondary class. Many think this is a bad choice, but he gains a rare subclass in Hearthomancy. Every Hearthomancer needs lair, and he buys an old manor with a dark past. It's got some powerful mana, but he needs real money to be able to fix it up. Brent has his faithful familiar, a beautiful blacksmith, and a clever Arachne on his side, and he'll need all the help he can get when Rotwood Manor's past starts to catch up to him.

I was curious to see what a men's fantasy adventure would be like, and I had so much fun with it. I would call it a fantasy adventure harem LitRPG. There's great world building as Brent has experienced the change in the world since the System has arrived in The Reckoning. I was absolutely drawn in with the different classes and skills, especially with Brent's Hearthomancy. Rotwood Manor was like a character itself, and it has so much potential. The plot wrapped around not only the manor's past but the whole town's was enthralling. None of it came as a surprise, but it was an enjoyable read.

[tester · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a dungeon core story really, play on the "mansion" genre that's been popping off the last couple years, just a unique theme I’ve not encountered yet. The mansion is a dungeon core in function, but the interface being a person really changes it up. I was initially worried about the FMC popping into existence seemly just for the mc to have someone, but she doesn’t become a flat character that exists to validate the MC. Manages to maintain a facade of the AI aspects of the character and the chemistry that story aims to build. Doesn't fall into the trap where very little seems to exists outside the "dungeon", it at least make reference to the wider world and characters places in it. But they interact a lot with the town they occupy, lots of other characters outside the mc's 'group'.

This was actually really good for the genre.

[GrumpyOldMan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's kind of rare that we get some new ideas in haremlit, so this book was a refreshing start to a series. The MC was likable. The harem members are interesting, though the hearth spirit is kind of a "of course she is" type, since she's literally bound to him as the property owner.

The antagonists are a bit kooky, so the conclusion was a good thing. And while this fees like it has elements of a dungeon core book, it's only slightly. Which is good, because I don't like core books.

The were only a few typos, and I'm not sure how a town is holding a solar eclipse festival every year or two when it is usually at least 350+ years before a place will see two total eclipses.

I'm excited to read the next installment.

[Raymond Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

M.E. drops another hot one.

The MC of this series is a regular kind of guy, dealing with a world gone mad. If you enjoy good character development as well as a well drawn out story, this is the book for you. Just be ready for some strong ideas that have you scratching your head
And if the author does read these, tell Lorelie (sp) Shatner is still a treasure even if she enjoys uptown Abby more now. If you're not the author, read this and you will understand. Bring on the save the princess trope!!!

[Bert Babb · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting adventure as the MC battles cultists

The MC buys a house on a ley line nexus that has multiple affinities of mana. Now he's got to fix it up, pay the mortgage and level his obscure hearthomancy class. No surprise, the land the house is built on is accursed. Foul deeds have been perpetrated there and the psychic remenants such as phantoms and worst haunt the grounds. Its alot to overcome, but between his clsss, his familiar, his dark elf girlfriend and her mentor, they take on the cultists.

[Parad0x · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a pretty good start to a potentially interesting series. It tends to be fairly action oriented, despite sounding like it should have some slice of life moments. It does at the beginning, but once things get going they don't really stop until the end of the book. While I think the book could have benefited from taking it's time more in certain parts, overall I found it enjoyable and intend to read the next book when it's released.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need more!

I loved this book. I spent way too much of my workday reading this, as I was unable to put it down!!
The characters are well-written, and the story itself is fantastic.

I never really got hooked on this author's previous titles, but now I'm going to take a second look.

Pick this one up! You will not regret it!

[Elias Kyrt · Rating 5 out of 5]

shockingly good read!!!

I was not expecting much from this book when I first downloaded the sample on KU… but it blew me away and sucked me in!! Just the right amount of stats and s$x to make a great read and great plot!!! Really like the world building on this one!!! Can’t wait for a couple more books!!!

[Unholy Nexus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely Different

The relationship with the house was unique…but in the end it almost made perfect sense. I really liked the world building and mechanics of this universe. The different characters were diverse and even the antagonists weren’t as shallow as they appeared though totally insane. Will be interesting to see where this series leads.

[Dannan Tavona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seductive and absorbing

Alternate universe, magic, System, LitRPG light, leveling, harem adult situations

Brent Owens, already a low level wizard and an experienced house contractor, decides to specialize as a hearthomancer, a form of magic around protecting his new home. Excellent editing. Enjoyed.

[Seth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this

This store was/is amazing...I started reading it just on a lark...not even a chapter in and I couldn't stop. Finished it in less than a day..honestly can't wait for second book

[Jim Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a blast

Well written and a lot of fun. A few mistakes with the construction description such as hanging drywall before plumbing and electricity but that's all I can complain about.

Looking forward to saving the Princess.

[Tracy S McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome beginning!!!

A truly great well written adult fantasy adventure story!!!! I can't wait to see where this series will go!!! A very unique magic form tied to a familiar form of radical change to the planet!!!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bad at all

Let's be honest, the Amazon star rating is bs! What you're going to get from this book is some simple fun! There's a nice core concept and I'm interested to see where this series goes.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

More please!

This is so much better than I thought it would be and I already had great hopes for it, can't wait to read more about Brent and how he and his new family will continue to grow in power and size together!

[Brian M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was great!

Ok tell me there is a book 2 coming because this is a great book. The storyline was fun and the ideas behind this book are compelling and suck you in very quickly. Well worth reading this book.

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

The book was a good read and kept me turning the pages. The pacing was nice and consistent. The characters were unique and with their own independent goals and all the gains made felt earned.

[Daniel T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Story

Wow! What an exciting tale filled with action, adventure along with a sprinkle of spice that fits in with the story flow. Brent and his growing harem defend their lair against the DIK cult. Discover a dungeon and more. Read this Series you will enjoy it!

[Jeremy Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice

Read this in one sitting. Loved it. Slice of life with a decent amount of action roled in. Looking forward to the next one.

[Michael Lody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!

So, this is a fun read with some fun action mixed with slice of life. I highly recommend this book!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Enough different from the "I inherit a creepy old house" trope to be interesting. It's set up for another book, so we'll see if it remains interesting.

[Roberto Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pleasant surprise.

A nice slice of life mixed with a bit of mystery culminating in a satisfying, if quick, ending. This has a solid structure and a lot of potential.

[Mike Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting story wirlth plenty of mystery

[Ron · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story starts out as a nice slice-of-life harem mansion story, but somehow morphs into a bad Scooby-do episode with weird cultists and town mumbo-jumbo. I got bored and bailed at 87%

[Robert Dill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Oddly, I enjoyed the more sedate aspects of the book. The home and hearth building. The climax was excellent, just not my cup of tea. I do recommend this book.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's funny that MC's hot chick familiar can't consume food, but she has no problem taking a dick. That's pretty handy.

[Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing 👏 🤩