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The Heartstone Saga #1
Empath Rising
Empath Rising is the first book in a series that tells the tale of a lonely orphan who rescues a Minotaur girl only to have her fall madly in love with him.
WARNING: This is a work of erotic fantasy, there is nudity, swearing, a bit of violence, and plenty of naughty sex between man (and woman) and monster girl/girls.
If that isn’t your cup of tea please give this book a pass!
Otherwise please enjoy!
WARNING: This is a work of erotic fantasy, there is nudity, swearing, a bit of violence, and plenty of naughty sex between man (and woman) and monster girl/girls.
If that isn’t your cup of tea please give this book a pass!
Otherwise please enjoy!
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 29, 2017
201 people are currently reading
677 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 7, 2017
Good erotica
Awesome how the book is, it reminded me of the Eden chronicles series but with less annoying girls... I hope the MC become less of a pussy too in the next book.
Awesome how the book is, it reminded me of the Eden chronicles series but with less annoying girls... I hope the MC become less of a pussy too in the next book.
January 15, 2018
So, this was actually worth grinding out. I was originally annoyed with the MC and put this book down a few times, but after a certain point, the MC actually starts to develop a backbone and come out of his shell. This is like, if you read Manga and the main protagonist of the story has all of these different girls trying woo him and all he does is cry pretty much the whole story? This ain't it. It has all of those elements EXCEPT for the guy who runs away from everyone. He grows a backbone (kinda) and starts to figure out how to pull his weight. The thing I like most about him is the fact that he understands that he's weak and he also understands that he needs the help of the people around him. He's reluctant at first, but as time goes on, he starts to open up a little bit. He also starts getting over some the emotional baggage that he has. Doesn't throw it away, but learns how to shift it to it's a bit more manageable. There is growth from the main character as well as some of the supporting characters. The one thing that is cheating is the fact that all of the characters somehow all know each other....well, almost all of them which is a pretty cheat way of getting around one of the major hurdles that pop's up in the book. Overall, once you get past the rough opening, it is a pretty good book sans typo's and all.
Once again, this book has a lot of sex in it. It is in fact, pretty much a guy's power fantasy. If you're into harem sex mixed with cosplay and a solid story line. This pretty much is it.
Once again, this book has a lot of sex in it. It is in fact, pretty much a guy's power fantasy. If you're into harem sex mixed with cosplay and a solid story line. This pretty much is it.
July 29, 2025
Smut With Some Plot Attached
I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this one all that much. The plot felt fairly secondary to the smut, and the grammar and punctuation were both poor, if serviceable. The grand plot did start to take form in the final chapter and the epilogue, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not interested at what might await the protagonist in the next book, but I just don't have the willpower to sit through another seven graphic orgies.
I don't mind some raunchy writing in a book but this one just felt like way too much for me. I'm used to a spicy scene that follows a blossoming romance with the result being both arousing and cathartic. I was only about 6% of the way in here before some between two side characters eclipsed the plot progression. I reckon around 40% of the word count is sex, and fairly extreme. The line was toed about as close as possible before it became flat out too. Not to shame anyone, but it just isn't really my thing.
I did add an extra star because, despite everything, the book made me laugh out loud more than any other I've ever read.
2.5 out of 5, rounded up to 3.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this one all that much. The plot felt fairly secondary to the smut, and the grammar and punctuation were both poor, if serviceable. The grand plot did start to take form in the final chapter and the epilogue, and I'd be lying if I said I'm not interested at what might await the protagonist in the next book, but I just don't have the willpower to sit through another seven graphic orgies.
I don't mind some raunchy writing in a book but this one just felt like way too much for me. I'm used to a spicy scene that follows a blossoming romance with the result being both arousing and cathartic. I was only about 6% of the way in here before some between two side characters eclipsed the plot progression. I reckon around 40% of the word count is sex, and fairly extreme. The line was toed about as close as possible before it became flat out too. Not to shame anyone, but it just isn't really my thing.
I did add an extra star because, despite everything, the book made me laugh out loud more than any other I've ever read.
2.5 out of 5, rounded up to 3.
July 17, 2019
Rating 4.0 stars
This was a true monster girl harem fantasy. It wasn't cliche or generic though. The author wrote complex characters with strong emotions. He also spent some real time into getting into the mindset of a monster girl and contemplating their different mannerisms.
Monster girls and humans have lived together for a while. There was a war between them a long time ago that nearly destroyed the world. The survivors of that conflict learned how to get along together, but man has a short memory. Monster girls can be controlled using their heart stones. There are 3 types of control based on the bond. One type will allow the human that hold the stone tell a monster what to do, but only simple things. The next allows the holder to tell them to do almost anything which they have to do as long as it isn't against their conscience (can't make a monster girl murder someone if that is against the fiber of what she believes, but could order her into a situation against her will, where she might have to defend herself). The last bond allows the holder to make the user do anything at all, because that is the love bond. That is where the monster girls gives her heart and soul completely to the human who holds her heart stone. Because of the previous war between the species and the fact humans have a short memory, there is a group that enforces the law of proper treatment of monster girls. Unfortunately, there aren't enough of them and they can't be everywhere at once.
The story follows our main protagonist Nameless ( Yep, that is what he is called). He was an orphan. He was small, not very strong and didn't do that well in school. He aged out of the orphanage a few years ago and he gets by (barely) by doing odd jobs around the town. He has been picked on his entire life and has never been strong enough to fight back, which makes what he did even more impressive.
When someone abuses a monster girl for enough time, their heart stone begins to dim. Over time if it becomes black they have a transformation and turn into something of an abomination. They hurt and kill and have no hope with life, only feeling dark emotions.
There was a lot of emotion in the writing, the sex was well written and the different variety of monster girls along with their different animal personalities was much more in depth than most other stories I have read. I will be continuing on with the series.
This was a true monster girl harem fantasy. It wasn't cliche or generic though. The author wrote complex characters with strong emotions. He also spent some real time into getting into the mindset of a monster girl and contemplating their different mannerisms.
Monster girls and humans have lived together for a while. There was a war between them a long time ago that nearly destroyed the world. The survivors of that conflict learned how to get along together, but man has a short memory. Monster girls can be controlled using their heart stones. There are 3 types of control based on the bond. One type will allow the human that hold the stone tell a monster what to do, but only simple things. The next allows the holder to tell them to do almost anything which they have to do as long as it isn't against their conscience (can't make a monster girl murder someone if that is against the fiber of what she believes, but could order her into a situation against her will, where she might have to defend herself). The last bond allows the holder to make the user do anything at all, because that is the love bond. That is where the monster girls gives her heart and soul completely to the human who holds her heart stone. Because of the previous war between the species and the fact humans have a short memory, there is a group that enforces the law of proper treatment of monster girls. Unfortunately, there aren't enough of them and they can't be everywhere at once.
The story follows our main protagonist Nameless ( Yep, that is what he is called). He was an orphan. He was small, not very strong and didn't do that well in school. He aged out of the orphanage a few years ago and he gets by (barely) by doing odd jobs around the town. He has been picked on his entire life and has never been strong enough to fight back, which makes what he did even more impressive.
When someone abuses a monster girl for enough time, their heart stone begins to dim. Over time if it becomes black they have a transformation and turn into something of an abomination. They hurt and kill and have no hope with life, only feeling dark emotions.
There was a lot of emotion in the writing, the sex was well written and the different variety of monster girls along with their different animal personalities was much more in depth than most other stories I have read. I will be continuing on with the series.
February 9, 2017
Surprisingly good in the genre
I do not expect much as I have not run into any real page turners of late, but this book surprised me. Almost free of gramtical errors and solid premise throughout the story. New magic system of bonding was interesting and there is a ton of things that I still want to know. I will definitely snap up any sequels. Just wish it was on the kindle unlimited purchase option.
I do not expect much as I have not run into any real page turners of late, but this book surprised me. Almost free of gramtical errors and solid premise throughout the story. New magic system of bonding was interesting and there is a ton of things that I still want to know. I will definitely snap up any sequels. Just wish it was on the kindle unlimited purchase option.
May 16, 2021
Порно историйка за някакви (вероятно заети от анимето или някакви японски такива само те си падат по подобни откачени неща) "животински момичета", т.е. момиче-котка с опашка и уши и нокти ама иначе човек нали и т.н. Главния герой е абсолютен сульо.
August 17, 2017
Warning.. Harem book. Adults only :)
This book greatly surprised me. At first i was..Oh no..Not another feminism inspired "stupid male/men are all stupid" point of view book. No while there was a touch of that the author actually pulls it off unlike 99% of authors who use this outline in their books. The sex bits were tastefully done, and not over the top repetitions of the same acts over and over again. Nor was the book nothing but sex sex sex. The story held my attention and left me wanting to find out whats going to happen next.
I hope the cat can type fast...Because i can't wait for book 2! (<<<
This book greatly surprised me. At first i was..Oh no..Not another feminism inspired "stupid male/men are all stupid" point of view book. No while there was a touch of that the author actually pulls it off unlike 99% of authors who use this outline in their books. The sex bits were tastefully done, and not over the top repetitions of the same acts over and over again. Nor was the book nothing but sex sex sex. The story held my attention and left me wanting to find out whats going to happen next.
I hope the cat can type fast...Because i can't wait for book 2! (<<<
January 27, 2018
The one called Nameless
The story is good, for me there wasn’t enough of it. The backstory about the main character, Nameless, and his supporting cast are good. I wish there was more focus in that direction. I’m not against adult situations and descriptive sex, there’s a lot in this story. If adult situations are going to be a major part of the story it should fit and be realistic, or at least fit for the most part. I found the sex to be too juvenile and over the top, I ended up skipping pages that just didn’t work. I think the storyline has potential but it did work for me.
The story is good, for me there wasn’t enough of it. The backstory about the main character, Nameless, and his supporting cast are good. I wish there was more focus in that direction. I’m not against adult situations and descriptive sex, there’s a lot in this story. If adult situations are going to be a major part of the story it should fit and be realistic, or at least fit for the most part. I found the sex to be too juvenile and over the top, I ended up skipping pages that just didn’t work. I think the storyline has potential but it did work for me.
March 3, 2018
Decent book, Good writing. My biggest problem was the MC and it set the book back some stars. This book also suffers from the problem with most harem stories where the women star out devoted to there master and then suddenly they take over the relationship and he becomes the secondary character and thats done more so in this book since the MC is already a week protag.
March 23, 2017
Glad it is a full length novel
I loved the story and couldn't put it down. Just waiting on book two. I hope it is out soon.
I loved the story and couldn't put it down. Just waiting on book two. I hope it is out soon.
April 4, 2021
Empath Rising, the first book of Archibald Bradford’s Heartstone Saga, is set in a world where humans coexist with monster girls, beings with magical, animalistic and/or monstrous traits. Monster girls may bond with humans by entrusting them with their heartstone, a physical manifestation of their souls. Monster girls must take care to give their heartstones to someone they truly trust. If they find themselves neglected and abused, their heartstones will blacken and they'll turn to powerful, hate-filled versions of themselves known as Tenebrae. Tenebrae are to be put out of their misery by the Aegis, which serves as the police force for magical girls. However, a Tenebrae may be saved if a person who has the power to purify heartstones reaches them — an Empath. Empath Rising tells the story of Nameless (yes, that really is his name), a mild-mannered, weak young man who has issues connecting to others (particularly women) due to the chronic bullying he suffered while living in an orphanage. Despite his meekness, he stands up for what's right when he witnesses a traveler abusing his Minotaur monster girl, Milly, which leads her to give him her heartstone. Soon, Nameless discovers that he has the powers of an Empath, and may be more important than he could have ever imagined...
One of Empath Rising's best features is its setting. You can tell just from my synopsis that some genuine care was put into this world. It might not be the most fleshed out and it's not the most realistic by a longshot, but an erotica doesn't typically have an entire setting to its name. Sexual works such as this can usually get by with little more than an excuse plot, a flimsy backdrop to all the sex the protagonists get into. But no, Mr. Bradford went above and beyond to create an actual, unique world that I wouldn't mind exploring, and I commend him for it. Sure, it’s not hard to tell this world was designed with an erotica in mind — the act of a human and monster girl bonding via heartstone is nigh-completely sexual in nature — but the world doesn't completely revolve around sex. If you're still not convinced that the author wanted readers engrossed in his world, what if I told you that the novel begins with a bonafide prologue giving a broad history of the world? I was surprised to find that, at times, I read Empath Rising as a normal novel and not as smut. It's a shame that the official synopsis is so laughably barebones, as the world just might be the novel's biggest draw.
The various races of monster girls are interesting enough. So far, they're very human-like with a few traits to make them distinct — Minotaurs have horns and hooved feet at the end of bovine-furred legs and produce delicious milk with healing properties, catgirls have claws and rough tongues, Flutterbys have wings, etc. I enjoyed seeing new races and learning how they functioned.
But what about the thing that most of you are here for? What about the sex? I'm pleased to say that I enjoyed it.
For my more thoughtful answer, I'll say that I never found it jarring. It never seemed out of place. While it's (very) plentiful, at the same time, Bradford isn't afraid to take a breather and step away from the sex for a moment. This ensured that sex never felt annoying or contrived.
For my more instinctual, crude answer, I'll say that I found the book genuinely arousing. Many different positions, body types, and kinks are explored, so you'll most likely find something for you. I won't disgust you with my particular kinks, but just take my word for it. Thanks to some genuinely great, detailed descriptions, this book can actually be pretty hot…
...and surprisingly, pretty tender too. The book isn't afraid to take things slow, making it more impactful when characters finally do have sex. I really enjoyed Nameless' first time going all the way with Milly. This buildup, this emotion, this using sex as a form of love is exactly what I'm looking for in my erotica. It's the type of thing that an erotic novel is made for — it generally can't be done in more shortform works.
I also liked how awkward Nameless can be; it's a bit rare to see a man actually depicted as sex-inexperienced and refreshing to see — it makes the story feel just a smidge more real and relateable. As I mentioned before, there's an eye to detail — for example, Nameless runs into problems due to his short height compared to Milly.
And this story can actually be pretty funny, at times. I specify "at times," because, as I'll get into, the story has a lot of misses in terms of comedy, but it's important to acknowledge that it does get things right at times and make me laugh. For one, I enjoyed the gag of people not realizing "Nameless" is Nameless' actual name (my favorite joke in the story is when Nameless recovers from amnesia and says "No wonder I couldn't remember my fucking name; I don't have one!").
The jokes are a good segue to my gripes with the book, because there are a lot of them and when they don't land, it's either because of their style (which is a more benign critique) or content (which really grinds my gears at times).
If I had to describe the style, at best, it seems vaguely anime-like. It reads like what I'd write years ago, trying to emulate shows that I liked. This is ultimately fine, I suppose, and whether you like it or not boils down to preference, but personally, I found it kind of juvenile and many things fall flat. You realize how silly certain things are they are when you read them as opposed to seeing them in a visual medium. There's a section where multiple people scream "what" simultaneously. In an anime or cartoon, you could make audiences laugh by having the characters' eyes bulge as the screen shakes and a funny sound plays. Here, without the distraction, readers like me have a more realistic reaction — "people rarely speak in complete unison,” I might say. Or I’ll ask, “why are they screaming?" There's also an instance of a character whistling "innocently" while someone glares at them. Things like this are extremely trite. I know it's supposed to be funny, but it just comes across like he's writing to a younger audience, which is weird considering eighteen is the youngest he can technically write to.
As a side note, I want to talk about the grammar and spelling. There's a plethora of spelling and grammatical mistakes. So much that we'd be here all day if I attempted to list them. I couldn't find a publisher, so I have to assume that this was independently published. The pro of independent publishing is that it can tap into niche markets. There's not a lot of mainstream appeal to a high-fantasy monster girl harem erotica, so if not for independent publishing, we probably wouldn't be reading Empath Rising. On the other hand, independent publishing has a reputation for lacking quality control and Empath Rising is Exhibit A in that regard. While grammatical and spelling mistakes aren't the end of the world, they're numerous enough to take me out of the story and add to the amateurish feel of the novel.
Then there's the jokes that make me bristle from a content level. For one, the constant jabs at Nameless being a "pussy" got very grating very quickly. On a basic level, it's just plain mean and made characters come across as bullies. On a character level, it seems to say that, as a man, it's undesirable to be anything other than hypermasculine and überconfident, thus taking a trait I found refreshing and telling me it's wrong to feel that way. And on a world-building level, it's really weird that a world where women are so powerful sees "pussy" used as an insult by women.
Some of the jokes are just plain offensive — near the end, there's a duo of women who unfoundly accuse Nameless of being a rapist and attempt to murder him for it. Suffice to say, no smiles were given when this violent, false rape accusation was played for laughs.
Sometimes the content makes me scratch my head. During my read, I constantly questioned the mental state of the monster girls. They often come across as either vaguely childlike or vaguely pet-like. Both, of course made me a bit squeamish. It's fine to be roleplay petplay or ageplay, but given that this is a fleshed-out world, I naturally had to think of the implications of their mental states as it pertains to relationships. At first I thought this could have just been specific to certain characters — Milly herself is described as being a bit [ditzy] while when we first meet Ophelia, she's independent and smart enough to run her own orphanage. But Ophelia seems largely the exception rather than the rule. Milly, Erica, Jezebel, Kala, and Jan all largely act in the way I described. I just find it creepy rather than sexy.
Speaking of finding things creepy rather than sexy, I wasn't at all a fan of Nameless' bondmates calling him "master." If I'm being charitable, I doubt this was Bradford's intent, but I personally find it hard to divorce use of "master" to slavery. I'm aware that "master" could also be used in butler/maid situations, but then why couldn't you use "lord" or something? Either way, both point to a hypersubmissivity that I'm personally not a fan of. It got so bad that I had to stop reading the book for a good few days. Granted, that's less the book's fault. Bradford couldn't predict that there would be a moron reading this simultaneously with fucking KindredKindred. Kindred's own depiction of master-slave rape made it very hard to read this. Again, while part of this is my fault, the connection would have remained even if the uncomfortable feeling was simply whispering at me instead of full-on yelling at me.
Another uncomfortable aspect of the story is Ophelia's relationship with Nameless. Incest as a kink is already a hard sell for most people, doubly so if it's parental in nature. The odd thing is that you'd expect Bradford to be able to circumvent this given Ophelia's role in Nameless' life, or lack thereof. She isn't his biological mother, she isn't his step-mother, nor is she his adopted mother. She was the orphanage matron and he indicates that she didn't give him a lot of attention. Despite this, Bradford still manages to make it weird through the most sexual aspect of this world — heartstone bonding. It's revealed that Ophelia secretly gifted her heartstone to Nameless when he was a young child. Recall that the act of bonding via heartstone is extremely sexual in nature. Bonding to a child is illegal and thus, the Aegis interrogate Ophelia after learning this. I want to stress that I thought this part was really well done as it addresses something that's creepy. That said, it's determined that she didn't harm Nameless and is free to be with him, as he's an adult. It's still quite weird because the guy is fresh into adulthood and the entire thing has very groomy vibes that, again didn't need to be there. "You have been my greatest love for almost two decades. I have yearned for you, dreamt of you, and pined after you for so long," Ophelia says. If that's your thing, more power to you, but that's a yikes for me. Even if she didn’t commit any acts while he was a child, the feeling was there.
While the novel still "got the job done," as far as arousal, I must admit that I didn't like the decrease in intimacy as the novel progressed and Nameless' harem grew. We never really quite have the slow-burn sex of Nameless and Milly again, and, as a result, the book feels less tender. Oh, sure, Ophelia might say she wants to take things slow, but her and Nameless are then screwing like rabbits a chapter later. As members are added to the harem, it starts feeling like the goal is less to have a genuine connection with these ladies and more to "catch 'em all." It starts to feel a bit dehumanizing, especially since I imagine the appeal is partly to have different varieties or "races" of monster girls. And I'm aware that Empath Rising tries its best to mitigate this. The only reason that the harem can grow in the first place is by having Nameless essentially meld his soul with the girls', thus the connection I so crave is baked into the plot. But it still doesn't quite feel as satisfying with Milly even if, on paper, Bradford is doing putting the work in. I suppose he's coming to the right answer, but I got a bit lost because he's not showing the equation he used.
And I question if I'm taking this all a bit too seriously. Some of these gripes are things that I can ignore when I get into the erotic scenes. Unfortunately, however, the Empath Rising's greatest strength is simultaneously one of its greatest weaknesses. As I said before, despite being erotica, it's easy to slip into reading this as a "normal" book. A lot of thought went into this world, this story, thus inviting a higher level of scrutiny than if it were mindless smut. You can't have your cake and eat it too — if your work is interested in telling a genuine story in a genuine, unique world, then what flies in most porn might not fly in most stories. Therefore, my critique is justified.
There's a pretty decent sequel hook, setting up the next book to be a full-blown adventure. That said, I'm not sure if I'll read more. Empath Rising is ultimately fine. Not quite terrible but it's hard to call it out and out "good" let alone great. It has pretty strong fundamentals, but it's not really the type of work that works well when you do even just a little digging, which I unfortunately do a lot, as a reviewer. I might come back to it, but, as far as erotica goes, there are some other books I've got my eye on and I'd like to check those out to see if they're any better before circling back to The Heartstone Saga.
One of Empath Rising's best features is its setting. You can tell just from my synopsis that some genuine care was put into this world. It might not be the most fleshed out and it's not the most realistic by a longshot, but an erotica doesn't typically have an entire setting to its name. Sexual works such as this can usually get by with little more than an excuse plot, a flimsy backdrop to all the sex the protagonists get into. But no, Mr. Bradford went above and beyond to create an actual, unique world that I wouldn't mind exploring, and I commend him for it. Sure, it’s not hard to tell this world was designed with an erotica in mind — the act of a human and monster girl bonding via heartstone is nigh-completely sexual in nature — but the world doesn't completely revolve around sex. If you're still not convinced that the author wanted readers engrossed in his world, what if I told you that the novel begins with a bonafide prologue giving a broad history of the world? I was surprised to find that, at times, I read Empath Rising as a normal novel and not as smut. It's a shame that the official synopsis is so laughably barebones, as the world just might be the novel's biggest draw.
The various races of monster girls are interesting enough. So far, they're very human-like with a few traits to make them distinct — Minotaurs have horns and hooved feet at the end of bovine-furred legs and produce delicious milk with healing properties, catgirls have claws and rough tongues, Flutterbys have wings, etc. I enjoyed seeing new races and learning how they functioned.
But what about the thing that most of you are here for? What about the sex? I'm pleased to say that I enjoyed it.
For my more thoughtful answer, I'll say that I never found it jarring. It never seemed out of place. While it's (very) plentiful, at the same time, Bradford isn't afraid to take a breather and step away from the sex for a moment. This ensured that sex never felt annoying or contrived.
For my more instinctual, crude answer, I'll say that I found the book genuinely arousing. Many different positions, body types, and kinks are explored, so you'll most likely find something for you. I won't disgust you with my particular kinks, but just take my word for it. Thanks to some genuinely great, detailed descriptions, this book can actually be pretty hot…
...and surprisingly, pretty tender too. The book isn't afraid to take things slow, making it more impactful when characters finally do have sex. I really enjoyed Nameless' first time going all the way with Milly. This buildup, this emotion, this using sex as a form of love is exactly what I'm looking for in my erotica. It's the type of thing that an erotic novel is made for — it generally can't be done in more shortform works.
I also liked how awkward Nameless can be; it's a bit rare to see a man actually depicted as sex-inexperienced and refreshing to see — it makes the story feel just a smidge more real and relateable. As I mentioned before, there's an eye to detail — for example, Nameless runs into problems due to his short height compared to Milly.
And this story can actually be pretty funny, at times. I specify "at times," because, as I'll get into, the story has a lot of misses in terms of comedy, but it's important to acknowledge that it does get things right at times and make me laugh. For one, I enjoyed the gag of people not realizing "Nameless" is Nameless' actual name (my favorite joke in the story is when Nameless recovers from amnesia and says "No wonder I couldn't remember my fucking name; I don't have one!").
The jokes are a good segue to my gripes with the book, because there are a lot of them and when they don't land, it's either because of their style (which is a more benign critique) or content (which really grinds my gears at times).
If I had to describe the style, at best, it seems vaguely anime-like. It reads like what I'd write years ago, trying to emulate shows that I liked. This is ultimately fine, I suppose, and whether you like it or not boils down to preference, but personally, I found it kind of juvenile and many things fall flat. You realize how silly certain things are they are when you read them as opposed to seeing them in a visual medium. There's a section where multiple people scream "what" simultaneously. In an anime or cartoon, you could make audiences laugh by having the characters' eyes bulge as the screen shakes and a funny sound plays. Here, without the distraction, readers like me have a more realistic reaction — "people rarely speak in complete unison,” I might say. Or I’ll ask, “why are they screaming?" There's also an instance of a character whistling "innocently" while someone glares at them. Things like this are extremely trite. I know it's supposed to be funny, but it just comes across like he's writing to a younger audience, which is weird considering eighteen is the youngest he can technically write to.
As a side note, I want to talk about the grammar and spelling. There's a plethora of spelling and grammatical mistakes. So much that we'd be here all day if I attempted to list them. I couldn't find a publisher, so I have to assume that this was independently published. The pro of independent publishing is that it can tap into niche markets. There's not a lot of mainstream appeal to a high-fantasy monster girl harem erotica, so if not for independent publishing, we probably wouldn't be reading Empath Rising. On the other hand, independent publishing has a reputation for lacking quality control and Empath Rising is Exhibit A in that regard. While grammatical and spelling mistakes aren't the end of the world, they're numerous enough to take me out of the story and add to the amateurish feel of the novel.
Then there's the jokes that make me bristle from a content level. For one, the constant jabs at Nameless being a "pussy" got very grating very quickly. On a basic level, it's just plain mean and made characters come across as bullies. On a character level, it seems to say that, as a man, it's undesirable to be anything other than hypermasculine and überconfident, thus taking a trait I found refreshing and telling me it's wrong to feel that way. And on a world-building level, it's really weird that a world where women are so powerful sees "pussy" used as an insult by women.
Some of the jokes are just plain offensive — near the end, there's a duo of women who unfoundly accuse Nameless of being a rapist and attempt to murder him for it. Suffice to say, no smiles were given when this violent, false rape accusation was played for laughs.
Sometimes the content makes me scratch my head. During my read, I constantly questioned the mental state of the monster girls. They often come across as either vaguely childlike or vaguely pet-like. Both, of course made me a bit squeamish. It's fine to be roleplay petplay or ageplay, but given that this is a fleshed-out world, I naturally had to think of the implications of their mental states as it pertains to relationships. At first I thought this could have just been specific to certain characters — Milly herself is described as being a bit [ditzy] while when we first meet Ophelia, she's independent and smart enough to run her own orphanage. But Ophelia seems largely the exception rather than the rule. Milly, Erica, Jezebel, Kala, and Jan all largely act in the way I described. I just find it creepy rather than sexy.
Speaking of finding things creepy rather than sexy, I wasn't at all a fan of Nameless' bondmates calling him "master." If I'm being charitable, I doubt this was Bradford's intent, but I personally find it hard to divorce use of "master" to slavery. I'm aware that "master" could also be used in butler/maid situations, but then why couldn't you use "lord" or something? Either way, both point to a hypersubmissivity that I'm personally not a fan of. It got so bad that I had to stop reading the book for a good few days. Granted, that's less the book's fault. Bradford couldn't predict that there would be a moron reading this simultaneously with fucking KindredKindred. Kindred's own depiction of master-slave rape made it very hard to read this. Again, while part of this is my fault, the connection would have remained even if the uncomfortable feeling was simply whispering at me instead of full-on yelling at me.
Another uncomfortable aspect of the story is Ophelia's relationship with Nameless. Incest as a kink is already a hard sell for most people, doubly so if it's parental in nature. The odd thing is that you'd expect Bradford to be able to circumvent this given Ophelia's role in Nameless' life, or lack thereof. She isn't his biological mother, she isn't his step-mother, nor is she his adopted mother. She was the orphanage matron and he indicates that she didn't give him a lot of attention. Despite this, Bradford still manages to make it weird through the most sexual aspect of this world — heartstone bonding. It's revealed that Ophelia secretly gifted her heartstone to Nameless when he was a young child. Recall that the act of bonding via heartstone is extremely sexual in nature. Bonding to a child is illegal and thus, the Aegis interrogate Ophelia after learning this. I want to stress that I thought this part was really well done as it addresses something that's creepy. That said, it's determined that she didn't harm Nameless and is free to be with him, as he's an adult. It's still quite weird because the guy is fresh into adulthood and the entire thing has very groomy vibes that, again didn't need to be there. "You have been my greatest love for almost two decades. I have yearned for you, dreamt of you, and pined after you for so long," Ophelia says. If that's your thing, more power to you, but that's a yikes for me. Even if she didn’t commit any acts while he was a child, the feeling was there.
While the novel still "got the job done," as far as arousal, I must admit that I didn't like the decrease in intimacy as the novel progressed and Nameless' harem grew. We never really quite have the slow-burn sex of Nameless and Milly again, and, as a result, the book feels less tender. Oh, sure, Ophelia might say she wants to take things slow, but her and Nameless are then screwing like rabbits a chapter later. As members are added to the harem, it starts feeling like the goal is less to have a genuine connection with these ladies and more to "catch 'em all." It starts to feel a bit dehumanizing, especially since I imagine the appeal is partly to have different varieties or "races" of monster girls. And I'm aware that Empath Rising tries its best to mitigate this. The only reason that the harem can grow in the first place is by having Nameless essentially meld his soul with the girls', thus the connection I so crave is baked into the plot. But it still doesn't quite feel as satisfying with Milly even if, on paper, Bradford is doing putting the work in. I suppose he's coming to the right answer, but I got a bit lost because he's not showing the equation he used.
And I question if I'm taking this all a bit too seriously. Some of these gripes are things that I can ignore when I get into the erotic scenes. Unfortunately, however, the Empath Rising's greatest strength is simultaneously one of its greatest weaknesses. As I said before, despite being erotica, it's easy to slip into reading this as a "normal" book. A lot of thought went into this world, this story, thus inviting a higher level of scrutiny than if it were mindless smut. You can't have your cake and eat it too — if your work is interested in telling a genuine story in a genuine, unique world, then what flies in most porn might not fly in most stories. Therefore, my critique is justified.
There's a pretty decent sequel hook, setting up the next book to be a full-blown adventure. That said, I'm not sure if I'll read more. Empath Rising is ultimately fine. Not quite terrible but it's hard to call it out and out "good" let alone great. It has pretty strong fundamentals, but it's not really the type of work that works well when you do even just a little digging, which I unfortunately do a lot, as a reviewer. I might come back to it, but, as far as erotica goes, there are some other books I've got my eye on and I'd like to check those out to see if they're any better before circling back to The Heartstone Saga.
December 21, 2018
The erotic fantasy novel I want to curl up with a cup of hot chocolate under a comforter with
This is the sweetest, sexiest, and erotically HOTTEST Harem/Male Erotic book on the top 100 list that I've ever read, and I've cleared most of the top 50.
This spicy sweet story got me in the feels, both head, heart, and pants.
The narrative is a little slower and kinder. More character driven than plot. Wile there is mild violence, there is a refreshing lack of gore. There are elements of epic fantasy but the main story is told in vignettes of unfolding mutual exploration. Wile this book does fall head first into the common Harem-lit trap of adding too many "wives" way too soon, It manages to keep much of the feeling of intimacy even when the bed is over full.
If you seek steely eyed bad asses who remorselessly kill one thousand zombies with a single thrust of the knife, you will not find that here.
If you ask why can't we dedicate a page or two giving an oiled foot rub to a topples goddess, This is your book.
Private message for Archibald Bradford, Don't read this:
hey you sexy space cat ,better late than never...
You took the time to develop these characters in the first dozen chapters. you really had the pot simmering. I love Milly. She just got her man. Is there any single reason WHY THE HELL you couldn't have left that poor boy half a week to learn how to take care of Milly like she deserved?
the addition of Erica seemed rushed, But worse Nameless barely touches Milly again for the rest of the book. What the hell cat? It was so sweet an unique. not another billy bad ass story with guns, guns, guns. And then you caved in and crammed in 4 more volvas without taking the time to care for any one of them after that. You made a MC with a heart, not a kill count. You made his first girl a cow not a cougar. I wish you had given them some time to snuggle in and bond. Maybe a long lingering few chapters about how he learned how to milk Milly like an expert after many delightful misadventures with lots of blushing and sexy results. sex without emotion is about as fulfilling as using the space litter- how about fewer lovers and more fulfilling sex. You know who with (Milly, if you don't) God I loved this book. thanks my feline american friend.
This is the sweetest, sexiest, and erotically HOTTEST Harem/Male Erotic book on the top 100 list that I've ever read, and I've cleared most of the top 50.
This spicy sweet story got me in the feels, both head, heart, and pants.
The narrative is a little slower and kinder. More character driven than plot. Wile there is mild violence, there is a refreshing lack of gore. There are elements of epic fantasy but the main story is told in vignettes of unfolding mutual exploration. Wile this book does fall head first into the common Harem-lit trap of adding too many "wives" way too soon, It manages to keep much of the feeling of intimacy even when the bed is over full.
If you seek steely eyed bad asses who remorselessly kill one thousand zombies with a single thrust of the knife, you will not find that here.
If you ask why can't we dedicate a page or two giving an oiled foot rub to a topples goddess, This is your book.
Private message for Archibald Bradford, Don't read this:
hey you sexy space cat ,better late than never...
You took the time to develop these characters in the first dozen chapters. you really had the pot simmering. I love Milly. She just got her man. Is there any single reason WHY THE HELL you couldn't have left that poor boy half a week to learn how to take care of Milly like she deserved?
the addition of Erica seemed rushed, But worse Nameless barely touches Milly again for the rest of the book. What the hell cat? It was so sweet an unique. not another billy bad ass story with guns, guns, guns. And then you caved in and crammed in 4 more volvas without taking the time to care for any one of them after that. You made a MC with a heart, not a kill count. You made his first girl a cow not a cougar. I wish you had given them some time to snuggle in and bond. Maybe a long lingering few chapters about how he learned how to milk Milly like an expert after many delightful misadventures with lots of blushing and sexy results. sex without emotion is about as fulfilling as using the space litter- how about fewer lovers and more fulfilling sex. You know who with (Milly, if you don't) God I loved this book. thanks my feline american friend.
August 30, 2017
Fantastic. Sexy. Sensitive. And with story throughout! And on top of that this was not the typical romance read of one or both of the leads being stupid and in angst until the end when all is well ... :)
A very big breath of fresh air and I was thrilled! It has been so hard to find sexy reads that actually have a story - and this story was actually full of humor - steamy hot - sweet, but also with exciting action. Just when I thought "can we cut with this standard kink" a twist in perspective made those moments some of the most enduring! With that all of the sexy stuff becomes part of a bigger story, and the sex becomes steamy erotica stuff and I loved it!
Thanks Archibald!
A very big breath of fresh air and I was thrilled! It has been so hard to find sexy reads that actually have a story - and this story was actually full of humor - steamy hot - sweet, but also with exciting action. Just when I thought "can we cut with this standard kink" a twist in perspective made those moments some of the most enduring! With that all of the sexy stuff becomes part of a bigger story, and the sex becomes steamy erotica stuff and I loved it!
Thanks Archibald!
April 10, 2018
A well written book, and well read😁
I was a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Like I said well written, I like the smutiness in it, but the fact that it has a plot is huge. It's extremely hard ( pun not intended lol) to find good books of fantasy and science fiction that have sex in them. Hero's and heroines tearing up the bad guys and the sheets? That's what I'm talking about. So to wrap it up, great job , keep up the good smutty writing lol.
I was a bit surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Like I said well written, I like the smutiness in it, but the fact that it has a plot is huge. It's extremely hard ( pun not intended lol) to find good books of fantasy and science fiction that have sex in them. Hero's and heroines tearing up the bad guys and the sheets? That's what I'm talking about. So to wrap it up, great job , keep up the good smutty writing lol.
March 10, 2018
Wow
I loved your book I enjoyed the visual you structured. The background was good and the sex scenes were easy to follow and see clearly. I would like just a little less sex and more character time to get to know more about them and other monster girls.you are a pleasure to reed and are on an interesting arc looking forward to book two.good night from Kentucky😈
I loved your book I enjoyed the visual you structured. The background was good and the sex scenes were easy to follow and see clearly. I would like just a little less sex and more character time to get to know more about them and other monster girls.you are a pleasure to reed and are on an interesting arc looking forward to book two.good night from Kentucky😈
November 30, 2017
The dedication was write the author was awesome
I liked this book, it was a bit too..Lewd...for my tastes at some points but the rest had this wholesome, slice of life romantic fuzziness that I love but rarely find in the proper proportions.
I liked this book, it was a bit too..Lewd...for my tastes at some points but the rest had this wholesome, slice of life romantic fuzziness that I love but rarely find in the proper proportions.
March 7, 2018
The Heartstone Saga
Why I gave it 5 out 5 Stars I enjoy it greatly this story and who do not love monster girls.
Also shows the dark side of man soul who can corrupt the monster girl heartstone I can't wait for book 3.
Why I gave it 5 out 5 Stars I enjoy it greatly this story and who do not love monster girls.
Also shows the dark side of man soul who can corrupt the monster girl heartstone I can't wait for book 3.
March 15, 2018
I liked it but i wish that it was dialed down a bit on the sex scenes and focused more on the plot as a opener for the series.
October 20, 2019
Full disclosure, I've never really read smut before, but as I am writing something myself that is sexually charged I wanted to do "research" with how people go about writing this sort of stuff. I read a wide range of genres; fantasy, scifi, non-fiction, Japanese light novels, etc. As such I wanted to at least read smut with a good story, so this was a risky buy. Its always nice when gambling on purchases pay off however and this book delivered more than I was expecting.
The specific niche of the monster girl genre has always been of great enjoyment to me. Monster Musume, Dragon Maid, Interview with Monster Girls, and of course the myriad of well drawn doujinshi on websites that are not brought up in polite conversation so it is with pleasant surprise that I can say that this book succeeds in its chosen genres. I could tell the author enjoyed these things as well and you can feel the enthusiasm in the writing. There is an understanding here in the naughty bits which shows the potential of what can sexually be done with monster girls, but more than that I was just impressed with the extra mile this book went.
I wouldn't take what I say too seriously, as said my cherry got popped in regards to erotica with this title so for all I know there is a plethora of smut out there with excellent stories. That said, as a first time experience, this one defied my expectations. I just thought it was going to be 400 pages of non-stop screwing but surprisingly, there was world-building, character development, and even a bit of action and humor (There was this one part in the book where the main character was trying to make a serious speech but at the end he trails off seamlessly into a hilarious reaction. I chuckled longer than I should have) . I think I almost got spoiled cause there was a time in the middle of the story where I thought that the author was piling on a little too much sex and I had to remind myself what genre I was reading.
My personal gripes are few. There are few grammar errors that took me out of it for a few seconds, but nothing so egregious that it ruined the story. I did think a little bit of the dialogue was a tad...errr...juvenile? Yes you may all now proceed to laugh, look at me trying to apply realistic dialogue where the main character gets to have group sex with girls spliced with creatures from my D&D bestiary book every night. Yet, there is a point here. The book was at its strongest when people acted like people, when the dialogue felt somewhat grounded. It was a bit of a tone divide when some of the pillow talk got a little bit too enthusiastic and the girls started to be more robotic sex fiends rather than intensely horny woman. There were moments like that that broke the illusion, it went too hard in the dialogue in some places and it felt like the characters were going from 3 dimensional to 2 dimensional, but thankfully, this only happened sporadically.
Overall, this was a surprise. I've read Light Novels that are worse than this in prose and just sheer entertainment value. The world was easy to understand and interesting. The characters (mainly the girls) were erotic, empathetic, and layered with just enough complexity to make them work without transforming into caricatures. Without being cardboard cutouts. This was just some good, escapist power fantasy that did more than what I gather most people expect. I enjoyed the story, got aroused when the time called for it, and just generally had a great deal of fun. Thanks for being my first.
(Picked up the sequel. Look forward to reading it soon. Also, your pseudonym and your persona is that of your cat. A cat named Archibald. That is hilarious. Good show.)
The specific niche of the monster girl genre has always been of great enjoyment to me. Monster Musume, Dragon Maid, Interview with Monster Girls, and of course the myriad of well drawn doujinshi on websites that are not brought up in polite conversation so it is with pleasant surprise that I can say that this book succeeds in its chosen genres. I could tell the author enjoyed these things as well and you can feel the enthusiasm in the writing. There is an understanding here in the naughty bits which shows the potential of what can sexually be done with monster girls, but more than that I was just impressed with the extra mile this book went.
I wouldn't take what I say too seriously, as said my cherry got popped in regards to erotica with this title so for all I know there is a plethora of smut out there with excellent stories. That said, as a first time experience, this one defied my expectations. I just thought it was going to be 400 pages of non-stop screwing but surprisingly, there was world-building, character development, and even a bit of action and humor (There was this one part in the book where the main character was trying to make a serious speech but at the end he trails off seamlessly into a hilarious reaction. I chuckled longer than I should have) . I think I almost got spoiled cause there was a time in the middle of the story where I thought that the author was piling on a little too much sex and I had to remind myself what genre I was reading.
My personal gripes are few. There are few grammar errors that took me out of it for a few seconds, but nothing so egregious that it ruined the story. I did think a little bit of the dialogue was a tad...errr...juvenile? Yes you may all now proceed to laugh, look at me trying to apply realistic dialogue where the main character gets to have group sex with girls spliced with creatures from my D&D bestiary book every night. Yet, there is a point here. The book was at its strongest when people acted like people, when the dialogue felt somewhat grounded. It was a bit of a tone divide when some of the pillow talk got a little bit too enthusiastic and the girls started to be more robotic sex fiends rather than intensely horny woman. There were moments like that that broke the illusion, it went too hard in the dialogue in some places and it felt like the characters were going from 3 dimensional to 2 dimensional, but thankfully, this only happened sporadically.
Overall, this was a surprise. I've read Light Novels that are worse than this in prose and just sheer entertainment value. The world was easy to understand and interesting. The characters (mainly the girls) were erotic, empathetic, and layered with just enough complexity to make them work without transforming into caricatures. Without being cardboard cutouts. This was just some good, escapist power fantasy that did more than what I gather most people expect. I enjoyed the story, got aroused when the time called for it, and just generally had a great deal of fun. Thanks for being my first.
(Picked up the sequel. Look forward to reading it soon. Also, your pseudonym and your persona is that of your cat. A cat named Archibald. That is hilarious. Good show.)
May 11, 2022
I managed to finish this book, but it was a struggle.
The concept of the Heartstones is an interesting one and makes for a decent story (just don't apply too much real-world logic or it will make zero sense)
The main sticking points I have for this story are around the completely unlikeable main character. A beta-type male (which itself is fine as long as there is growth.... spoiler.. no growth) who manages to acquire the "love" and "admiration" of a group of monster girls who basically walk all over him, and tell him to wait in the living room while they have 'bedroom' time without him (though I might be remembering this wrong, he might have volunteered to sleep on the couch so they could have some sexy times without his interference) and are generally are the worst kind of bullies to him (basically they take every opportunity they can to further emasculate him while pretending to respect him)
I managed to force my way to the end, but I won't be continuing with this series.
The concept of the Heartstones is an interesting one and makes for a decent story (just don't apply too much real-world logic or it will make zero sense)
The main sticking points I have for this story are around the completely unlikeable main character. A beta-type male (which itself is fine as long as there is growth.... spoiler.. no growth) who manages to acquire the "love" and "admiration" of a group of monster girls who basically walk all over him, and tell him to wait in the living room while they have 'bedroom' time without him (though I might be remembering this wrong, he might have volunteered to sleep on the couch so they could have some sexy times without his interference) and are generally are the worst kind of bullies to him (basically they take every opportunity they can to further emasculate him while pretending to respect him)
I managed to force my way to the end, but I won't be continuing with this series.
December 26, 2017
A fun read
I will admit that I was expecting something a little different from this book, but I think that the way it was written was wonderful. I encourage lovers of monster girl and demi humans to read this book. I look forward to the next installment from this time travelling author
I will admit that I was expecting something a little different from this book, but I think that the way it was written was wonderful. I encourage lovers of monster girl and demi humans to read this book. I look forward to the next installment from this time travelling author
February 28, 2021
What I liked-
Monster girls actually being monster girls with their own race specific concerns.
Emotional depth in the relationships with a wholesome, nurturing vibe.
What I didn’t-
MC being too passive. Things were often decided one-sidedly by his women.
The sexual relationship between the harem members is a bit too pushed, to the point some felt like they were compelled to it just coz they loved the MC and wanted to be with him.
Imo anyone who has mutual feelings with the MC and is willing to compromise/share him should have the right to be in his harem. Ofcourse the other existing women should consent to it as well.
In this case though, the woman not only has to get their consent but also get along (often sexually) with the harem first. Her relationship with the MC and his opinions were secondary.
It’s great for a harem to get along but the way it was executed here felt forced, almost preachy.
The priorities felt off, like putting the cart before the horse.
Afterall, it’s his harem and he should atleast have the final say.
Btw my reasoning is in the context of a harem and in my eyes, it does differ greatly by its very nature from the ideal dynamics of a monogamous one. And by that, I’m not implying a harem should always revolve around one person either. I just feel each member should have the right to not get along with each other and maintain a relationship of simple consent and tolerance.
Getting along should be the ideal not compulsory. The same as every married person doesn’t necessarily having to be very close with their in-laws, or a person with their friend’s friends.
Overall- 7.6/10 Among the better written monster girl romances and harems.
Monster girls actually being monster girls with their own race specific concerns.
Emotional depth in the relationships with a wholesome, nurturing vibe.
What I didn’t-
MC being too passive. Things were often decided one-sidedly by his women.
The sexual relationship between the harem members is a bit too pushed, to the point some felt like they were compelled to it just coz they loved the MC and wanted to be with him.
Imo anyone who has mutual feelings with the MC and is willing to compromise/share him should have the right to be in his harem. Ofcourse the other existing women should consent to it as well.
In this case though, the woman not only has to get their consent but also get along (often sexually) with the harem first. Her relationship with the MC and his opinions were secondary.
It’s great for a harem to get along but the way it was executed here felt forced, almost preachy.
The priorities felt off, like putting the cart before the horse.
Afterall, it’s his harem and he should atleast have the final say.
Btw my reasoning is in the context of a harem and in my eyes, it does differ greatly by its very nature from the ideal dynamics of a monogamous one. And by that, I’m not implying a harem should always revolve around one person either. I just feel each member should have the right to not get along with each other and maintain a relationship of simple consent and tolerance.
Getting along should be the ideal not compulsory. The same as every married person doesn’t necessarily having to be very close with their in-laws, or a person with their friend’s friends.
Overall- 7.6/10 Among the better written monster girl romances and harems.
April 19, 2019
Good
The story was pleasantly good. Only a few things I have an issue about that really bothered me and knocked it down a few stars.
First, very graphic sex, I’m not into facials or anal licking at all. Just not my thing and it was a bit distracting. The sex was fine but the story would’ve been just as if not better, without it.
Second, the name/title “Master” has a negative understanding in our current culture and shouldn’t really be in this book. It isn’t needed. To love someone utterly, you don’t need to be a slave to them. That’s what defines the history of our culture. Anything else could’ve been used to define a bonding much better then “Master”. They were essentially sex slaves. I know, based on the writing, the characters didn’t feel that way, but our culture will see it the negative way.
I will read the next book. But I will be skipping the sex scenes it’s just a bit much for my tastes. I prefer tenderness, no sexual violence or degradation. At least, not what I consider degradation.
The story was pleasantly good. Only a few things I have an issue about that really bothered me and knocked it down a few stars.
First, very graphic sex, I’m not into facials or anal licking at all. Just not my thing and it was a bit distracting. The sex was fine but the story would’ve been just as if not better, without it.
Second, the name/title “Master” has a negative understanding in our current culture and shouldn’t really be in this book. It isn’t needed. To love someone utterly, you don’t need to be a slave to them. That’s what defines the history of our culture. Anything else could’ve been used to define a bonding much better then “Master”. They were essentially sex slaves. I know, based on the writing, the characters didn’t feel that way, but our culture will see it the negative way.
I will read the next book. But I will be skipping the sex scenes it’s just a bit much for my tastes. I prefer tenderness, no sexual violence or degradation. At least, not what I consider degradation.
January 24, 2022
Heartwarming and smutty in the best way.
I decided to give this one a go after I read a recommendation on the Harem Fantasy Novels subreddit that this series contained fantasy/monster girls/Kind MC. Believe it or not, it was the last one that drew me in.
So many harem books have MCs that, for all intents and purposes, are complete assholes and I just wanted to read a story where this wasn’t the case. Well, The Lieutenant delivered!
Nameless is far from your average Harem protagonist. He is weak, he’s not trained in combat, he’s a complete pushover and he is a genuinely good and considerate man. He does go through quite a lot of character development as the story progresses and learns to stand up for himself and others and it happens in quite a believable fashion.
It’s just a good, enjoyable and utterly heartwarming read! :)
Oh, and the smut in the book is also great!
I decided to give this one a go after I read a recommendation on the Harem Fantasy Novels subreddit that this series contained fantasy/monster girls/Kind MC. Believe it or not, it was the last one that drew me in.
So many harem books have MCs that, for all intents and purposes, are complete assholes and I just wanted to read a story where this wasn’t the case. Well, The Lieutenant delivered!
Nameless is far from your average Harem protagonist. He is weak, he’s not trained in combat, he’s a complete pushover and he is a genuinely good and considerate man. He does go through quite a lot of character development as the story progresses and learns to stand up for himself and others and it happens in quite a believable fashion.
It’s just a good, enjoyable and utterly heartwarming read! :)
Oh, and the smut in the book is also great!
September 14, 2020
A fantastic start to an entertaining series, the first book in The Heartstone Saga does a great job introducing you to the world and the people that live in it. A story about a young man named Nameless (yes, that's his name. Yes, it's explained, and yes, the explanation makes sense) and the various monster girls that come into his life due to him being that rarest of humans: an empath.
The story is engaging and moves at a good pace, not too slow but not at a rush either. Nameless is an interesting main character, a young man who isn't very impressive physically but has a mental and emotional fortitude that most people don't.
I'll say this up front, this book does not shy away from its depictions of adult situations, be they of violence, cruelty, or sexual. If that isn't the kind of thing you like, stay clear. If you don't mind them, then I highly recommend this series.
The story is engaging and moves at a good pace, not too slow but not at a rush either. Nameless is an interesting main character, a young man who isn't very impressive physically but has a mental and emotional fortitude that most people don't.
I'll say this up front, this book does not shy away from its depictions of adult situations, be they of violence, cruelty, or sexual. If that isn't the kind of thing you like, stay clear. If you don't mind them, then I highly recommend this series.
March 23, 2020
What a gem
Man going in to the book I really wasn't expecting much, why lie right? But 3 chapters in and I just couldn't put it down. I of course like the the steamy stuff but man the way the world comes to life is just amazing, the characters developing as the story progresses is just great to see along whith their interactions and bonding moments makes for a great story that has 3D character. Also the world with its rustic 17 hundreds feal with "lots tec" is just awsome. The name for the monter girls was clever and over all I had a great time reading, easily a 5/5 due to its great world, character depth and interaction and story. (Along with the steamy moments)
Man going in to the book I really wasn't expecting much, why lie right? But 3 chapters in and I just couldn't put it down. I of course like the the steamy stuff but man the way the world comes to life is just amazing, the characters developing as the story progresses is just great to see along whith their interactions and bonding moments makes for a great story that has 3D character. Also the world with its rustic 17 hundreds feal with "lots tec" is just awsome. The name for the monter girls was clever and over all I had a great time reading, easily a 5/5 due to its great world, character depth and interaction and story. (Along with the steamy moments)
July 25, 2023
11/10, would recommend
Loved it. The story is very focused o the characters, their interactions, and the personalities. Versus other kinds of books that focus more on fighting, world building, and accumulation of power. Don’t get me wrong, this book has those elements too (well, I wouldn’t say the main character accumulates power so much as he builds meaningful connections). Oh, and the smut is top notch. The author does not disappoint. The smut has a very pleasant monster girl element to it. Well, on to book 2.
Loved it. The story is very focused o the characters, their interactions, and the personalities. Versus other kinds of books that focus more on fighting, world building, and accumulation of power. Don’t get me wrong, this book has those elements too (well, I wouldn’t say the main character accumulates power so much as he builds meaningful connections). Oh, and the smut is top notch. The author does not disappoint. The smut has a very pleasant monster girl element to it. Well, on to book 2.
August 29, 2019
I saw this recommended on a FB page I follow, so decided to give the series a shot. This is definitely an "adult" book, so I can't complain too much about that as I was warned, but I feel that there is far more sex than is justified by the story. When I'm flipping past page after page of group sex to get to some story progression that's a sign that there's too much of the former.
Still, that story is interesting and the book is well executed from a technical perspective despite a few minor typos. Not on KU so don't pick this up if the amount of sex I've described really puts you off.
Still, that story is interesting and the book is well executed from a technical perspective despite a few minor typos. Not on KU so don't pick this up if the amount of sex I've described really puts you off.
June 16, 2021
Best storytelling I have experienced in years
I have no words that can express how much I love this story. The connection that I feel with the characters is indescribable. I laughed, I cried, I felt whole spectrum of emotions and fell in love with this story. I highly recommend this book. It just pulled me out of a really funky depression and for that I am truly greatful.
I have no words that can express how much I love this story. The connection that I feel with the characters is indescribable. I laughed, I cried, I felt whole spectrum of emotions and fell in love with this story. I highly recommend this book. It just pulled me out of a really funky depression and for that I am truly greatful.
February 23, 2019
Awesome story!
I just absolutely love this book! The romance and the characters are just so great that I can’t get enough of them! I really that this series will be written to completion! Look forward to the next volume! Keep up the awesome work!
I just absolutely love this book! The romance and the characters are just so great that I can’t get enough of them! I really that this series will be written to completion! Look forward to the next volume! Keep up the awesome work!
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