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Mr. Hartley
Mr. Hartley:
Zack needs to find work, fast.
That's not a new thing, since jobs are hard to come by in these tough economic times. So, deciding to try something new, he takes a shortcut through a tree, to an interspatial nexus across town. It isn't the sort of thing that most people do, but this time it works out pretty well, and he finds employment. At a secret embassy, masquerading as a rather humble candle shop.
Mr. Hartley isn't just an ordinary store clerk, however, and very soon strange things become apparent to him that few would notice. Like the vampires running the place across the way, or the attractive giantess that keeps watching him more than a little bit too closely.
As things become more clear secrets are uncovered, and Zack's old, fairly safe, life goes away without warning.
Now, thrown into the thick of a world that he'd always been told didn't exist, he must survive and face the worst thing imaginable.
His own memories.
The first three books of the series are being released on September 17th, 2014.
* These books contain sex, violence and adult themes. Not recommended for children under 14 years old, or people with delicate sensibilities.
Book One: Mr. Hartley
Book Two: Between
Book Three: On the Line
Zack needs to find work, fast.
That's not a new thing, since jobs are hard to come by in these tough economic times. So, deciding to try something new, he takes a shortcut through a tree, to an interspatial nexus across town. It isn't the sort of thing that most people do, but this time it works out pretty well, and he finds employment. At a secret embassy, masquerading as a rather humble candle shop.
Mr. Hartley isn't just an ordinary store clerk, however, and very soon strange things become apparent to him that few would notice. Like the vampires running the place across the way, or the attractive giantess that keeps watching him more than a little bit too closely.
As things become more clear secrets are uncovered, and Zack's old, fairly safe, life goes away without warning.
Now, thrown into the thick of a world that he'd always been told didn't exist, he must survive and face the worst thing imaginable.
His own memories.
The first three books of the series are being released on September 17th, 2014.
* These books contain sex, violence and adult themes. Not recommended for children under 14 years old, or people with delicate sensibilities.
Book One: Mr. Hartley
Book Two: Between
Book Three: On the Line
647 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2014
70 people are currently reading
227 people want to read
About the author
P.S. Power
188 books294 followersP.S. Power works in fiction, mainly focusing on Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror genres, with brief forays into other things just to keep life interesting. He averages 1 to 2 books monthly and has several series going. He lives in an isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere, as a recluse, yet still manages to find time to talk to people online, in a positive and delightful manner. Not one of those creepy hermit types though, you understand. It's more of an isolated farm style thing. Or ranch really. He's also interested in three dimensional photography, and long moonlit walks on the beach, sometimes with vampires. When he can find time he also does writing and voice work for scripted online programs. Anyway, feel free to drop him a line.
Or visit his forum:
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF/index.php
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF
A place to get together and discuss the books, and other topics.
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en
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:01:08 -0500
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF/blog.p...
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF/blog.p...
Hello Everyone!
In chatting with Dale over the past few weeks, it was decided that he was interested in blogging to you, his readers. The blog he had within the main site was not going to be a viable solution and there were thoughts of just creating a Forum where only he could post and everyone else could reply. This MOD is a nice meeting of the two for what will hopefully be a highly successful blog!
Hoping this first (and only) post by me will kick off a nice method of interaction with Dale's readers!
Brent / Argy / ArgyrosfeniX
p.s. - Also going to try and get the feed that comes with this to feed into Amazon and Goodreads. Good luck to one and all!!
]]>
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 01:41:58 -0500
Or visit his forum:
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF/index.php
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF
A place to get together and discuss the books, and other topics.
]]>
en
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 19:01:08 -0500
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF/blog.p...
http://pspowerbooks.com/phpBBF/blog.p...
Hello Everyone!
In chatting with Dale over the past few weeks, it was decided that he was interested in blogging to you, his readers. The blog he had within the main site was not going to be a viable solution and there were thoughts of just creating a Forum where only he could post and everyone else could reply. This MOD is a nice meeting of the two for what will hopefully be a highly successful blog!
Hoping this first (and only) post by me will kick off a nice method of interaction with Dale's readers!
Brent / Argy / ArgyrosfeniX
p.s. - Also going to try and get the feed that comes with this to feed into Amazon and Goodreads. Good luck to one and all!!
]]>
Tue, 28 Jul 2015 01:41:58 -0500
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
July 5, 2018
Just as a warning, this is NOT REALLY A HAREM. I've seen that leveled as criticism and it's fair in so far as that some people don't like it. This however is not a harem. The women (or men) in a harem don't go around sleeping with everyone, including the MCs best friend and do so more often than him.
It's basically a story about cuckolding, because every "good guy" lets himself be cuckolded. Not just with one wife but with a whole bunch of them. Most of whom bang his "cool" best friend on the regular, often times more so than him while he is out to safe the world and earn money that is distributed between them.
The story started out okay enough, with an MC who was somewhat of a pushover and then rapidly went into full cuckolding fetish territory. Why cuckolding is so insanely popular on Good Reads I'll never understand.
It's basically a story about cuckolding, because every "good guy" lets himself be cuckolded. Not just with one wife but with a whole bunch of them. Most of whom bang his "cool" best friend on the regular, often times more so than him while he is out to safe the world and earn money that is distributed between them.
The story started out okay enough, with an MC who was somewhat of a pushover and then rapidly went into full cuckolding fetish territory. Why cuckolding is so insanely popular on Good Reads I'll never understand.
December 13, 2014
A good, if somewhat taxing read
NOT A Story for YA readers!
A good, and unique story.
Could have used far fewer supporting characters (hard to keep track, sometimes).
A wonderful take on sexuality, though the main character's overcoming childhood sexual trauma was a little heavy on the dues ex. And the sex subplot, though handled quite tastefully, seemed to detract from this really enjoyable yarn.
NOT A Story for YA readers!
A good, and unique story.
Could have used far fewer supporting characters (hard to keep track, sometimes).
A wonderful take on sexuality, though the main character's overcoming childhood sexual trauma was a little heavy on the dues ex. And the sex subplot, though handled quite tastefully, seemed to detract from this really enjoyable yarn.
April 12, 2016
Harem anime in urban fantasy form.
October 10, 2024
Good read, had to struggle at first to understand what the character of Zach was all about but once we descover it, turns out to be a good tale to follow, heavely charged with subplots at play, and a variety of issues for the character to work on. A lot of room for the MC to grow. A little long for what I am used to but a good read none the less.
October 18, 2014
This book kind of caught of sneaked up on me while browsing through Amazon. The blurb and the relatively cheap price made it hard to refuse.
The book focuses on Zack Hartley, a recluse, who has a special power that sets him apart from everyone else, in that he can travel through special gateways that allow him to go from point A to B in a matter of seconds. The story follows Zack as he develops his powers and in doing so causes a ripple effect throughout the supernatural world.
The book does start of slow and I was confused for the first few chapters at what Zack's special powers were. Initially I wasn't actually wowed over his talent but as the story progressed, his powers became more defined and the 'ohhhh now I see it' moment arrived halfway through.
Besides the main character there is a plethora of characters but the author introduced them in such a way that it didn't feel like I was drowning in names. Characterisation focused squarely on Zack and kind of ignored the rest. Which resulted in that I didn't really connect with the others.
The story does start of slow and the author details literally every step Zack makes from what he's eating to the chores he's doing. It only really picks up near the middle when more about his powers are revealed.
This book is definitely intended for adults. There is a lot of sexual description in it and some violence. Normally I'm fine with sex in books but this book had too much, and when I say too much I mean to the point where I honestly couldn't go a chapter without someone doing it.
Now, you're probably reading this post so far thinking I dislike the book, but that definitely isn't the case. I enjoyed the story -once it picked up - and I was intrigued to see how Zack would develop from an anti-social geek to a charismatic leader.
Conclusion
This book is probably more catered towards young male adults and while I did enjoy the story I did feel that the overly sexual references spoilt it somewhat.
The book focuses on Zack Hartley, a recluse, who has a special power that sets him apart from everyone else, in that he can travel through special gateways that allow him to go from point A to B in a matter of seconds. The story follows Zack as he develops his powers and in doing so causes a ripple effect throughout the supernatural world.
The book does start of slow and I was confused for the first few chapters at what Zack's special powers were. Initially I wasn't actually wowed over his talent but as the story progressed, his powers became more defined and the 'ohhhh now I see it' moment arrived halfway through.
Besides the main character there is a plethora of characters but the author introduced them in such a way that it didn't feel like I was drowning in names. Characterisation focused squarely on Zack and kind of ignored the rest. Which resulted in that I didn't really connect with the others.
The story does start of slow and the author details literally every step Zack makes from what he's eating to the chores he's doing. It only really picks up near the middle when more about his powers are revealed.
This book is definitely intended for adults. There is a lot of sexual description in it and some violence. Normally I'm fine with sex in books but this book had too much, and when I say too much I mean to the point where I honestly couldn't go a chapter without someone doing it.
Now, you're probably reading this post so far thinking I dislike the book, but that definitely isn't the case. I enjoyed the story -once it picked up - and I was intrigued to see how Zack would develop from an anti-social geek to a charismatic leader.
Conclusion
This book is probably more catered towards young male adults and while I did enjoy the story I did feel that the overly sexual references spoilt it somewhat.
October 17, 2014
Gender issues, characters flat, overemphasisc on sexual themes imho
But I really LIKED it at first...but soon the main character turned out to be another clueless boy-wonder with incredible powers who blithely, improvably and effortlessly solves everyones problems while being oh so cute and huggable! My initial enjoyment fizzled out when our innocent boy wonder devolved to become the sexual focus for virtually every female character in the book. Too graphic imho for YA, too simplistic for older readers. Our hero does manage to help cure the sick, feed the poor and save the world as we know it while keeping six or seven or...I lost track... wives safe, sound and happy. Did I mention his innocent cuteness? I skimmed through the last third of this to its implausible conclusion...more books in this series but I'll pass...
But I really LIKED it at first...but soon the main character turned out to be another clueless boy-wonder with incredible powers who blithely, improvably and effortlessly solves everyones problems while being oh so cute and huggable! My initial enjoyment fizzled out when our innocent boy wonder devolved to become the sexual focus for virtually every female character in the book. Too graphic imho for YA, too simplistic for older readers. Our hero does manage to help cure the sick, feed the poor and save the world as we know it while keeping six or seven or...I lost track... wives safe, sound and happy. Did I mention his innocent cuteness? I skimmed through the last third of this to its implausible conclusion...more books in this series but I'll pass...
April 2, 2018
Books 1 and 2 are great, easily 5 stars! imo, well worth reading! This series was shaping up to be a fantastic read. As is, I have been struggling to finish book 4 and may abandon it...
Why?
The the author lost the plot,
- 3rd book is a totally different protagonist, with new characters and plot.
- Plot *reboots ish* in book 4..
- Waaaay to much literal cuckoldry for my taste and I'm pretty easy going about books with that stuff.
Why?
The the author lost the plot,
- 3rd book is a totally different protagonist, with new characters and plot.
- Plot *reboots ish* in book 4..
- Waaaay to much literal cuckoldry for my taste and I'm pretty easy going about books with that stuff.
January 9, 2016
The pacing isn't great. There's more in this story than most books. We are given a lot of time with Zachary to get to know him, love him, feel his pain and joys. In the end that is what makes this book, and probably the series, worth 5 stars.
September 4, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. It had elements that seemed so very interesting. The problem, however, is this... Every single character in this story acts like an alien from another dimension whose behavior could not possibly be understood by humans, because it is so weird and different from what we consider normal. That's not good when your story isn't about said aliens...
Let me try to explain this better... No one in this book reacts to anything in the way they should. Everyone seems to be extremely distracted or somehow confused or just generally losing the plot in every interaction to the point that it makes you feel like you must have missed something, but when you go back and read it again it becomes clear that you didn't miss anything, the characters actually just ignored the normal flow of conversation or the relevant important details of what is going on around them.
I'll give you an example of the sort of conversation that takes place in this book. I'm going to make this one up so that I won't give away any actual parts of the story. A typical conversation in this story goes something like this:
"Hello. I see that you're a secret monster. How are you today?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I don't really care about how you knew I was a monster and I'm going to ignore that obvious question entirely while I tell you about the man I just murdered."
"That's ok. You don't have to ask about it, and I'm not going to ask about why you murdered someone or even show any interest in that very unusual activity that should concern me. Would you like a soda?"
"No thank you. Have you heard about the magic portals?"
"Nope, I haven't heard about them at all, and I definitely won't be asking you for more information about them even though they're probably something I should care about."
"Cool! I'm glad we got that out of the way, because I brought it up but I'm not going to show any interest in it either! Want to come bake cookies with me and my monster friends."
"Sure! I love cookies, and baking! I won't ask anything about your monster friends, though, because that's what a normal person would do. I'll just focus on cookies or something."
"Great! That sounds very normal and cool. Let's go, person I just met and haven't really bothered to learn anything about, but somehow trust."
As you can see... this is an extremely awkward conversation, and if you read this story, then you're going to be in for a lot of them. You're going to find yourself screaming at the book, "Why don't you care about that thing! Ask about the thing!" At least that's what I did... Eventually I just couldn't take it anymore and I dropped the book halfway through. I figured that even if the ending turned out to be that all of this was a weird dream and that people acted like robots because it wasn't real, then that would still mean I had just read a book where everyone acted like a robot despite not being a robot, and I just wasn't going to enjoy that either way.
Let me try to explain this better... No one in this book reacts to anything in the way they should. Everyone seems to be extremely distracted or somehow confused or just generally losing the plot in every interaction to the point that it makes you feel like you must have missed something, but when you go back and read it again it becomes clear that you didn't miss anything, the characters actually just ignored the normal flow of conversation or the relevant important details of what is going on around them.
I'll give you an example of the sort of conversation that takes place in this book. I'm going to make this one up so that I won't give away any actual parts of the story. A typical conversation in this story goes something like this:
"Hello. I see that you're a secret monster. How are you today?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I don't really care about how you knew I was a monster and I'm going to ignore that obvious question entirely while I tell you about the man I just murdered."
"That's ok. You don't have to ask about it, and I'm not going to ask about why you murdered someone or even show any interest in that very unusual activity that should concern me. Would you like a soda?"
"No thank you. Have you heard about the magic portals?"
"Nope, I haven't heard about them at all, and I definitely won't be asking you for more information about them even though they're probably something I should care about."
"Cool! I'm glad we got that out of the way, because I brought it up but I'm not going to show any interest in it either! Want to come bake cookies with me and my monster friends."
"Sure! I love cookies, and baking! I won't ask anything about your monster friends, though, because that's what a normal person would do. I'll just focus on cookies or something."
"Great! That sounds very normal and cool. Let's go, person I just met and haven't really bothered to learn anything about, but somehow trust."
As you can see... this is an extremely awkward conversation, and if you read this story, then you're going to be in for a lot of them. You're going to find yourself screaming at the book, "Why don't you care about that thing! Ask about the thing!" At least that's what I did... Eventually I just couldn't take it anymore and I dropped the book halfway through. I figured that even if the ending turned out to be that all of this was a weird dream and that people acted like robots because it wasn't real, then that would still mean I had just read a book where everyone acted like a robot despite not being a robot, and I just wasn't going to enjoy that either way.
July 18, 2019
When I first read this book I thought that it was enjoyable but the more that I think about it there were an awful amount of problems with it.
For one thing it's fat. Now when I say fat I don't mean that it's gross or has a lot of obese characters running around. What I mean is that it has a lot of unnecessary filler that the author has used to increase the word count. The book is over 500 pages long when it could have been 200 with a tight story, interesting characters, and a decent amount of romance but the author somehow got the idea that more is better.
It's heart breaking for an author when they write several chapters of what they believe is interesting stuff but it's necessary. Another problem that I have is that there are too many characters and love interests. Yes it is a harem book but it strained the limit.
I also found this book a bit difficult to understand a bit. Are these other dimensions or is this the real world and all these monsters just go undetected?
I do find it humorous that the author pokes fun of other books for their authors letting out their thoughts and sexual frustrations when this book is saturated with Power's funk.
This is a harem, slice of life, semi erotica book.
Warning it does contain sex and has some elements in it that might shock some people. The author really should have put some warning in the description.
For one thing it's fat. Now when I say fat I don't mean that it's gross or has a lot of obese characters running around. What I mean is that it has a lot of unnecessary filler that the author has used to increase the word count. The book is over 500 pages long when it could have been 200 with a tight story, interesting characters, and a decent amount of romance but the author somehow got the idea that more is better.
It's heart breaking for an author when they write several chapters of what they believe is interesting stuff but it's necessary. Another problem that I have is that there are too many characters and love interests. Yes it is a harem book but it strained the limit.
I also found this book a bit difficult to understand a bit. Are these other dimensions or is this the real world and all these monsters just go undetected?
I do find it humorous that the author pokes fun of other books for their authors letting out their thoughts and sexual frustrations when this book is saturated with Power's funk.
This is a harem, slice of life, semi erotica book.
Warning it does contain sex and has some elements in it that might shock some people. The author really should have put some warning in the description.
September 20, 2018
Overall worth trying.
A few things I disliked particularly gender swapping as a form of punishment. Second time I've read that sort of thing in a P.S. Power book, and I don't think I'll ever be on board with it.
Seems like a bad idea to take someone with a weak or distorted psychological makeup and then swap their gender in hopes that they'll learn respect, etc. Seems like it's obviously going to lead to more harm for them mentally.. But I guess it beats books where they'd castrate people?
Anyways, not sure of how I feel about the protagonist's past trauma. I don't see this kind of back story enough to compare, but I don't think it hurts anything, but sometimes it feels weak. I wish it would get more detailed about some accounts or not mention them casually at all. Feels unnatural at times.
Still, I enjoyed the book.
A few things I disliked particularly gender swapping as a form of punishment. Second time I've read that sort of thing in a P.S. Power book, and I don't think I'll ever be on board with it.
Seems like a bad idea to take someone with a weak or distorted psychological makeup and then swap their gender in hopes that they'll learn respect, etc. Seems like it's obviously going to lead to more harm for them mentally.. But I guess it beats books where they'd castrate people?
Anyways, not sure of how I feel about the protagonist's past trauma. I don't see this kind of back story enough to compare, but I don't think it hurts anything, but sometimes it feels weak. I wish it would get more detailed about some accounts or not mention them casually at all. Feels unnatural at times.
Still, I enjoyed the book.
April 24, 2023
A very interesting book.
I have read this book a number of times, but I've never left a review before. I don't know why. Normally I just don't think anyone would be interested in anything I have to say. I have actually purchased the entire series, but I've never gotten past about half way through the second book. This is not due to P. S. Power's writing abilities, as they are excellent, but more due to my own comfort level with some of the topics covered. I don't think this should dissuade other readers however as this is a personal failure of my own. It really is a very good read. The characters are well developed and the story while slow to begin with picks up very quickly. This book has a tendency to really draw out some strong emotions.
I have read this book a number of times, but I've never left a review before. I don't know why. Normally I just don't think anyone would be interested in anything I have to say. I have actually purchased the entire series, but I've never gotten past about half way through the second book. This is not due to P. S. Power's writing abilities, as they are excellent, but more due to my own comfort level with some of the topics covered. I don't think this should dissuade other readers however as this is a personal failure of my own. It really is a very good read. The characters are well developed and the story while slow to begin with picks up very quickly. This book has a tendency to really draw out some strong emotions.
May 10, 2018
Unique story but really needs a trigger warning
Not predictable, but really an excessive amount of consent violations and disregard for consent issues by a lot of characters. Though sadly most of those parts are not unrealistic, but because it is pretty straightforward about that could make it more triggering for some people.... but apart from that is quite well written and has lots of tie ins with mythology from many cultures, this author does manage link myths quite ingeniously. I first read the later Avery Rome books which I loved enough to start with this to see more of the authors work.
Not predictable, but really an excessive amount of consent violations and disregard for consent issues by a lot of characters. Though sadly most of those parts are not unrealistic, but because it is pretty straightforward about that could make it more triggering for some people.... but apart from that is quite well written and has lots of tie ins with mythology from many cultures, this author does manage link myths quite ingeniously. I first read the later Avery Rome books which I loved enough to start with this to see more of the authors work.
October 31, 2018
While it started ok, it became quite unfocused at some point. While I was not fan of relationship dynamics in this novel, I though story overall was quite interesting. But then it became pretty much all about that strange realtionship stuff, and the freaking sex training was last straw. I mean really? I like erotic stuff in novel but it just seemed bit stupid to put so much focus on that.
Maybe the strangest thing was how his friend was included in his stuff/conversations like he was freaking married to him.
Just too weird for me, and when story started focusing to what I though was quite unimportant stuff I couldn't read it anymore.
Maybe the strangest thing was how his friend was included in his stuff/conversations like he was freaking married to him.
Just too weird for me, and when story started focusing to what I though was quite unimportant stuff I couldn't read it anymore.
December 25, 2021
Great read
Great read for any genre. Few grammar errors, mostly misspelled names. Good p!it lines with a great cast of characters. Plenty of growth for the main hero and a bit of background. Definitely for older teen or adults because there were adult themes and some harem themes. Overall, a great read.😍
Great read for any genre. Few grammar errors, mostly misspelled names. Good p!it lines with a great cast of characters. Plenty of growth for the main hero and a bit of background. Definitely for older teen or adults because there were adult themes and some harem themes. Overall, a great read.😍
November 17, 2021
Wow! Not sure why I never heard of this one.
The writing and characters are excellent. Great editing. It’s not really explicit, but it is not really FTB. I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. The end was good, and I am excited to see what happens next.
The writing and characters are excellent. Great editing. It’s not really explicit, but it is not really FTB. I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. The end was good, and I am excited to see what happens next.
July 3, 2019
I've placed this in my favorites list. P S Power is a great writer and this is one of his best.
October 22, 2022
needs editing
You could cut 100 pages out of the middle of this book and improve it a great deal. It works from an interesting promise but it’s a little too self indulgent.
You could cut 100 pages out of the middle of this book and improve it a great deal. It works from an interesting promise but it’s a little too self indulgent.
July 19, 2018
Liked it. Then at like 90 % the MC becomes a woman. Stopped there
December 5, 2016
**2.5**
Zach is a young man gifted or cursed with an ability to see beyond the veil. His talents include being able to communicate with everyone's inner muse (bypassing actual speech), traveling via shortcuts in metaphysical space and being able to tell if someone is human. This has interfered with relationships, driving and long term job retention.
Fortunately, he stumbles onto a job opening at Candles and More, located in the most depressing mall on the planet. Zach is pleased to discover that he is the most normal person there...and quickly ascertains that all is not as it seems. The stores are managed by a variety of different non-humans and the stores are merely a front for inter-cultural relations.
If you are a geeky guy looking for a wish fulfillment story--or you are seeking to understand emotional drivers for that population, this may be the book for you. I am neither and found the plodding pace and protagonist to be exhausting. Got halfway through and just couldn't find motivation to finish it.
Let's start with the protagonist. Zach has no personality and passively responds to everything. I get that his traumatic childhood taught him to ignore, deny and repress...but this does not make for an engaging character. He sort of puts his foot down when the mall ladies all decide to marry him, but the protestations were feeble at best.
On to the wish fulfillment aspect. Zach is a physically unimpressive guy who has some talents that are incredibly lucrative at his new place of employment. Since he is so incompetent at self-care, the mall ladies (all vibrant and beautiful) take him under their wing, arrange a polyamorous arrangement and take care of his every need...in essence, becoming surrogate mother/wives.
The funniest parts?
1. No one is ever jealous. Every little thing Zach does is kind and wondrous to these affection starved ladies.
2. Zach miraculously fixes his PTSD from childhood trauma after a three day marathon with his succubus wife and her companions. The implication that a person could overcome this type of trauma through application of logic and willpower is just insulting.
3. Zach doesn't mind that these ladies have essentially hijacked his life. He's like a Labrador retriever...happiest when fed, petted and given tasks to perform.
Bottom line? It wasn't a bad book...just not my cup of tea.
Zach is a young man gifted or cursed with an ability to see beyond the veil. His talents include being able to communicate with everyone's inner muse (bypassing actual speech), traveling via shortcuts in metaphysical space and being able to tell if someone is human. This has interfered with relationships, driving and long term job retention.
Fortunately, he stumbles onto a job opening at Candles and More, located in the most depressing mall on the planet. Zach is pleased to discover that he is the most normal person there...and quickly ascertains that all is not as it seems. The stores are managed by a variety of different non-humans and the stores are merely a front for inter-cultural relations.
If you are a geeky guy looking for a wish fulfillment story--or you are seeking to understand emotional drivers for that population, this may be the book for you. I am neither and found the plodding pace and protagonist to be exhausting. Got halfway through and just couldn't find motivation to finish it.
Let's start with the protagonist. Zach has no personality and passively responds to everything. I get that his traumatic childhood taught him to ignore, deny and repress...but this does not make for an engaging character. He sort of puts his foot down when the mall ladies all decide to marry him, but the protestations were feeble at best.
On to the wish fulfillment aspect. Zach is a physically unimpressive guy who has some talents that are incredibly lucrative at his new place of employment. Since he is so incompetent at self-care, the mall ladies (all vibrant and beautiful) take him under their wing, arrange a polyamorous arrangement and take care of his every need...in essence, becoming surrogate mother/wives.
The funniest parts?
1. No one is ever jealous. Every little thing Zach does is kind and wondrous to these affection starved ladies.
2. Zach miraculously fixes his PTSD from childhood trauma after a three day marathon with his succubus wife and her companions. The implication that a person could overcome this type of trauma through application of logic and willpower is just insulting.
3. Zach doesn't mind that these ladies have essentially hijacked his life. He's like a Labrador retriever...happiest when fed, petted and given tasks to perform.
Bottom line? It wasn't a bad book...just not my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2014
The first half of this book was fun, but not fully satisfying. It was the adventures of a nice guy being nice. Fun to read, for sure, and surprisingly engaging, but ultimately it lacked punch. When the punch showed up and the stakes started getting a little more serious, the book took a turn toward Stranger in a Strange Land, and I started to like it a lot less. Things got pretty sexy and a little weird, and of course the infinitely powerful protagonist bit got a little played out by the end.
August 15, 2016
I really wanted to leave ke this story - it was an interesting world but all the laborious details and chapters that read like "diary" entries made it hard to read. Unusually I can finish a book in just a few days but this one just drug on like a bad movie ... Had to work hard to finish it. don't think I will be trying the rest of the series.
December 3, 2014
Give me those hours back
I wanted to like this book. I tried. I kept thinking it would get better. Halfway through, I gave up. There is nothing believable or likeable about any of the characters. The protagonist is so passive and nice I wanted to scream. Everyone is. Page after page of being thoughtful, understanding and courteous. Nothing happens.
I wanted to like this book. I tried. I kept thinking it would get better. Halfway through, I gave up. There is nothing believable or likeable about any of the characters. The protagonist is so passive and nice I wanted to scream. Everyone is. Page after page of being thoughtful, understanding and courteous. Nothing happens.
March 26, 2015
Rewritten version of the Other Spaces series
This series says nowhere what it really it. Names and details slightly changed. Really, the Other Spaces series which is intertwined with Eve's and Keely's books....
It would have been great to know these were the same books just under a different name. If they weren't unlimited I'd be furious to have paid for them.
This series says nowhere what it really it. Names and details slightly changed. Really, the Other Spaces series which is intertwined with Eve's and Keely's books....
It would have been great to know these were the same books just under a different name. If they weren't unlimited I'd be furious to have paid for them.
October 3, 2014
absorbing....Mr Hartley seems human but can do things no other human can do....travel through time and space...via the void...where he apparently spent a millennia or more when he escaped from pedophiles
October 12, 2014
Something different for a change
very well written with subtlety,subtext and plot twists. the cast of characters is a bit hard to keep up with due to the number but it all works together for an incredible story. I can't wait to read the next!
very well written with subtlety,subtext and plot twists. the cast of characters is a bit hard to keep up with due to the number but it all works together for an incredible story. I can't wait to read the next!
February 4, 2015
I really wanted to like this book... but it fought me at every step.
The book contains a great idea that deserves to a good story to explore it.
The story begins well, but then loses focus, and then becomes completely lost. And suddenly, the book ends.
The book contains a great idea that deserves to a good story to explore it.
The story begins well, but then loses focus, and then becomes completely lost. And suddenly, the book ends.
October 6, 2014
I honestly did not think that Mr. Power could impress me anymore than he did with The Young Ancient's series but I am happy to admit that I was wrong!
October 30, 2014
I completely agree with Dennis Fahey's review.
November 5, 2014
Started out pretty great. But then turned into a sexual orgy.
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