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Wild Wastes #2
Eastern Expansion
[Spoiler for the faint hearted at the bottom of the blurb. Please read all the way through.]
Before world war two could reach its conclusion, the world suffered what could only be defined as a cataclysm.
Now, Yosemite city stands as the gateway between two worlds. The empire of humanity to the west, and the wild wastes to the east.
Standing at the helm for Yosemite is Vince, a Ranger turned city state ruler. Supporting him in his endeavors is his inner circle.
Vince has begun to maneuver through the intricacies of ruling. At the same time he must balance his expanding foundation and fend off external threats.
Thankfully, every single citizen of Yosemite is united to the cause. To make their home, permanent. To dig out their place in the world and make a stand.
Things are starting to spiral out of control. Almost as quickly as he can put it all back together something else falls apart.
And with Yosemite rapidly rising into prominence, Vince finds that it really means just putting a bulls-eye on your back.
Warning: This novel contains adult themes and moral ambiguities. The main character is written as a real person in an apocalypse, and will not make choices that line up with society and cultural norms.
This story contains a harem and is an Adult Fantasy novel.
Before world war two could reach its conclusion, the world suffered what could only be defined as a cataclysm.
Now, Yosemite city stands as the gateway between two worlds. The empire of humanity to the west, and the wild wastes to the east.
Standing at the helm for Yosemite is Vince, a Ranger turned city state ruler. Supporting him in his endeavors is his inner circle.
Vince has begun to maneuver through the intricacies of ruling. At the same time he must balance his expanding foundation and fend off external threats.
Thankfully, every single citizen of Yosemite is united to the cause. To make their home, permanent. To dig out their place in the world and make a stand.
Things are starting to spiral out of control. Almost as quickly as he can put it all back together something else falls apart.
And with Yosemite rapidly rising into prominence, Vince finds that it really means just putting a bulls-eye on your back.
Warning: This novel contains adult themes and moral ambiguities. The main character is written as a real person in an apocalypse, and will not make choices that line up with society and cultural norms.
This story contains a harem and is an Adult Fantasy novel.
Audible Audio
First published August 18, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 17, 2018
Actually a 2 or 3 on the like scale.
KIndle Unlimited - Thank you.
This one might have killed the series for me. But I decided not to tank the rating because I don't like where the author took the story.
Heintz's plausible deniability shield pretty much bites the dust when Gerard steps up at the battle of Vegas. Vince and Gerard step up and put their lives on the line and Heintz sits in his office and lets defenders die. So much for lethal dragon power. And then Heintz cloaks his thoughts while scanning Vince's. Here we go, entitled nobility facilitated and endorsed by Vince.
And speaking about entitled nobility creep... The Queen thing pretty much settles it. Vince negotiates a solution to the Verix war where the High Elf nobility is the defacto ruling class of all Yosemite? Can't believe Vince let the "queen" dissolve Berenga's Fes status and relegate his wives to concubines. What a crap thing to do his children.
Not interested in watching good intentions and good people get crushed by entitled elitist bullies, even if they're stupid enough to volunteer. Just not my idea of a fun way to spend my time.
UPDATE: Book 3 pretty much makes up for the things that bothered me in Book 2. So don't give up on the series. Plus, if you're following "Super Sales..." You need to read Book 3 or things might be hard to follow there. 😎
KIndle Unlimited - Thank you.
This one might have killed the series for me. But I decided not to tank the rating because I don't like where the author took the story.
Heintz's plausible deniability shield pretty much bites the dust when Gerard steps up at the battle of Vegas. Vince and Gerard step up and put their lives on the line and Heintz sits in his office and lets defenders die. So much for lethal dragon power. And then Heintz cloaks his thoughts while scanning Vince's. Here we go, entitled nobility facilitated and endorsed by Vince.
And speaking about entitled nobility creep... The Queen thing pretty much settles it. Vince negotiates a solution to the Verix war where the High Elf nobility is the defacto ruling class of all Yosemite? Can't believe Vince let the "queen" dissolve Berenga's Fes status and relegate his wives to concubines. What a crap thing to do his children.
Not interested in watching good intentions and good people get crushed by entitled elitist bullies, even if they're stupid enough to volunteer. Just not my idea of a fun way to spend my time.
UPDATE: Book 3 pretty much makes up for the things that bothered me in Book 2. So don't give up on the series. Plus, if you're following "Super Sales..." You need to read Book 3 or things might be hard to follow there. 😎
October 15, 2017
A lot of power fantasy in these books and a lot of unintentional silliness. There are a lot of story threads that seem to have died in favor of the over sex sub story lines with multiple women that seem to kind of fade together. The MC collects women like a stamp collection and the sex scenes are overdone. All these women just seem to get a long fine and dandy, I am waiting for one of them to stab the MC in the back, but I guess his sexual prowess keep them all in line *eye roll*. Though, there might be trouble in harem land though if the ending is any indication. Anyways, just when you think the depravity can't get worse, it does. I laughed out when the book explaining how the MC feeds his bounded cursed one with literally money shots.
With the emphasis on collecting women, other potentially significant story threads just wither away. One example is the school and the aged centaur that the MC makes a big deal of initially never ever mentions again. I guess if the characters aren't female, they get the barest mention at all. The author can also be sparse in topics that he doesn't find interesting meaning sex and violence. For example the details of the city are relatively sparse in the first novels and by the second, the nit and gritty details of the city are nonexistent. We get passages about new refugees and such, but we get only vague details or description of how the city function leaving a vague mental picture of what is exactly happening.
Sigh..I do feel bit hypocritical with the complaints b/c I bought the two novels and read them. I need to stop telling myself not to buy successive books in a series until I finish the first one to make sure I don't complain.
With the emphasis on collecting women, other potentially significant story threads just wither away. One example is the school and the aged centaur that the MC makes a big deal of initially never ever mentions again. I guess if the characters aren't female, they get the barest mention at all. The author can also be sparse in topics that he doesn't find interesting meaning sex and violence. For example the details of the city are relatively sparse in the first novels and by the second, the nit and gritty details of the city are nonexistent. We get passages about new refugees and such, but we get only vague details or description of how the city function leaving a vague mental picture of what is exactly happening.
Sigh..I do feel bit hypocritical with the complaints b/c I bought the two novels and read them. I need to stop telling myself not to buy successive books in a series until I finish the first one to make sure I don't complain.
September 23, 2018
Excellent sequel!
Woohoo! That was awesome, sexy, a good plot and good action. Vince collected more female heroines with excellent mindset. But Elysia was the MVP in the book, Vince has become a king and had problems transitioning into his role. There are some grammar mistakes, the editor didn't correct in the end of the book but they are negligible.
It was a good story and I can't wait for the next one!
Woohoo! That was awesome, sexy, a good plot and good action. Vince collected more female heroines with excellent mindset. But Elysia was the MVP in the book, Vince has become a king and had problems transitioning into his role. There are some grammar mistakes, the editor didn't correct in the end of the book but they are negligible.
It was a good story and I can't wait for the next one!
October 19, 2017
I shot down Book 1 quite a bit. It's not good enough for an erotica. It's not good enough for an adventuring book. It was everything yet nothing. It was good but not good enough.
It was literally just a guy going around the world picking up girls and f*cking them and building a family, more or less.
Here, in Book 2, there's more. It's a bigger family with even more girls. There's also a bit of city building that tied the whole book together. We can see the issues a city may have, such as food shortages, an increase in population, nasty neighbours, etc. You still get all the erotica. I think it's slightly better, but I can't remember Book 1's to compare. Book 2 is at the part where there's like 10 wives and a few dozen or more of concubines.
There are so many problems where Randi Darren just totally ignored. He threw out so many details, like the school or how people are or anything. Everything is tossed to his wives to deal with and he just goes on random adventures or campaigns.
It's in a post-apocalyptic world and I get it. But siege weapons aren't that hard to design and create, not for us modern people. And that's the same for fantasy creatures too. But there's absolutely no siege weapons in this world.
As far as I can listen to (the audiobook), the soldiers don't even bother with throwing down stones when enemies are crawling up their walls. You only have mages/wizards shoot a few volleys of magic and then the same for the archers/bowmen and that's it. Then you just sit there and wait to slice enemies off the wall. How about just a molotov or a variant? Those aren't great but throwing it down hundreds of men would do something. At the very least, it'll distract or make it harder. Of course, there are other and better alternatives but that's for the author to decide. And there was a powerful dragon who just sat out and did nothing despite it being his city that needed defending.
Then there's the second battle. That was awful. The same siege weapons problem is still there. But for some odd reason, the author just summed it up as "the enemies are smart, so there's nothing we can do but trade numbers". Say what?!
Hear me out here. This is the solution they came up with. So, an archer's arrow can't reach the walls without being in the danger zone. And that's the same for a mage's fireball or any similar spells. So, they decided to supercharge a mage to fire out a super powerful long distance spell instead. They picked lightning for the destructiveness but not water or stones because those are less destructive. So, what happened to fireballs? Anyways, so they decided on a super powerful long distance spell as a "siege weapon" instead of a catapult or a trebuchet or something similar. Fyi, a catapult, trebuchet or whatnot is the upgraded version of an arrow.
Yeah, super smart. Gather a few dozen mages to send off 1 bolt of lightning to destroy one wall instead of building a few dozens of catapults and destroying all the walls.
The ending was the most bullsh*t part. Considering that Book 1 was basically just like adventuring and meeting new girls and then sleeping with them, I thought it would be a series where the protagonist just did what he wanted. Things might not go as he wanted, but he would do what he wanted and not get pushed over that easily, at least not by his enemies and politics. Spoiler Alert:
The ending is very dissatisfying. Though, that ending does arises more issues, aka plot/sub plots, for the future.
It was literally just a guy going around the world picking up girls and f*cking them and building a family, more or less.
Here, in Book 2, there's more. It's a bigger family with even more girls. There's also a bit of city building that tied the whole book together. We can see the issues a city may have, such as food shortages, an increase in population, nasty neighbours, etc. You still get all the erotica. I think it's slightly better, but I can't remember Book 1's to compare. Book 2 is at the part where there's like 10 wives and a few dozen or more of concubines.
There are so many problems where Randi Darren just totally ignored. He threw out so many details, like the school or how people are or anything. Everything is tossed to his wives to deal with and he just goes on random adventures or campaigns.
It's in a post-apocalyptic world and I get it. But siege weapons aren't that hard to design and create, not for us modern people. And that's the same for fantasy creatures too. But there's absolutely no siege weapons in this world.
As far as I can listen to (the audiobook), the soldiers don't even bother with throwing down stones when enemies are crawling up their walls. You only have mages/wizards shoot a few volleys of magic and then the same for the archers/bowmen and that's it. Then you just sit there and wait to slice enemies off the wall. How about just a molotov or a variant? Those aren't great but throwing it down hundreds of men would do something. At the very least, it'll distract or make it harder. Of course, there are other and better alternatives but that's for the author to decide. And there was a powerful dragon who just sat out and did nothing despite it being his city that needed defending.
Then there's the second battle. That was awful. The same siege weapons problem is still there. But for some odd reason, the author just summed it up as "the enemies are smart, so there's nothing we can do but trade numbers". Say what?!
Hear me out here. This is the solution they came up with. So, an archer's arrow can't reach the walls without being in the danger zone. And that's the same for a mage's fireball or any similar spells. So, they decided to supercharge a mage to fire out a super powerful long distance spell instead. They picked lightning for the destructiveness but not water or stones because those are less destructive. So, what happened to fireballs? Anyways, so they decided on a super powerful long distance spell as a "siege weapon" instead of a catapult or a trebuchet or something similar. Fyi, a catapult, trebuchet or whatnot is the upgraded version of an arrow.
Yeah, super smart. Gather a few dozen mages to send off 1 bolt of lightning to destroy one wall instead of building a few dozens of catapults and destroying all the walls.
The ending was the most bullsh*t part. Considering that Book 1 was basically just like adventuring and meeting new girls and then sleeping with them, I thought it would be a series where the protagonist just did what he wanted. Things might not go as he wanted, but he would do what he wanted and not get pushed over that easily, at least not by his enemies and politics. Spoiler Alert:
The ending is very dissatisfying. Though, that ending does arises more issues, aka plot/sub plots, for the future.
September 27, 2018
Rating 3.25 stars
This book started off a few months after the end of the last book. Vince is now the head of a town that continues to grow. He spends most of the book looking for allies and trying to deal with the enemies he has all around him. Just like in the first book, every powerful person seems to be a female that he either makes a concubine or wife. By the end of the book I surprised to realize that with all the women he has in his life, not a single one is human. He has orc, dryad (multiple), elfes (dark, wood, and high), and ant warrior. There are also a few that I am missing. The story is pretty good but not great. It always seems like Vince is either way to powerful and unstoppable, or he is completely overwhelmed and about to die. There were more hints about Vince's parents but that left for questions than answers. I am not sure I am going to read the next book. Based on reviews I have read the next book is almost like a crossover series with Super Sales on Super Heroes, which I did not think was that good. Maybe I'll come back to it in the future though.
This book started off a few months after the end of the last book. Vince is now the head of a town that continues to grow. He spends most of the book looking for allies and trying to deal with the enemies he has all around him. Just like in the first book, every powerful person seems to be a female that he either makes a concubine or wife. By the end of the book I surprised to realize that with all the women he has in his life, not a single one is human. He has orc, dryad (multiple), elfes (dark, wood, and high), and ant warrior. There are also a few that I am missing. The story is pretty good but not great. It always seems like Vince is either way to powerful and unstoppable, or he is completely overwhelmed and about to die. There were more hints about Vince's parents but that left for questions than answers. I am not sure I am going to read the next book. Based on reviews I have read the next book is almost like a crossover series with Super Sales on Super Heroes, which I did not think was that good. Maybe I'll come back to it in the future though.
November 20, 2017
This one fell short of the first one, but did introduce some new and interesting characters though the protagonist didn't really spend any time with them in this book. He also neglected his love interests from the first book. The main characters that he interacts with here are the most Vanilla of the group. Dryads and elves. Pointy ears and glowing eyes, other then that they might as well be chicks he picked up at a nightclub.
The story however was still good but for me the long sex scenes with the characters that were basically interchangeable kind of made it tough to get through. I actually found myself wanting to skip some of the sexy parts because they brought nothing to the story and were monotonous.
I feel like the author really wanted to write a story but felt obligated to throw in sex and got lazy with it. I am still however a fan of this series and am looking forward to more.
Story: 5/5 Meaningless sex: 3/5
The story however was still good but for me the long sex scenes with the characters that were basically interchangeable kind of made it tough to get through. I actually found myself wanting to skip some of the sexy parts because they brought nothing to the story and were monotonous.
I feel like the author really wanted to write a story but felt obligated to throw in sex and got lazy with it. I am still however a fan of this series and am looking forward to more.
Story: 5/5 Meaningless sex: 3/5
January 12, 2020
With Yosemite City’s first victory under his belt, Vince must look to the survivability of his city and citizens. To the east is the city of Varric, a potential trading partner. Being in the wastelands, the trade route must be clear of enemies. Vince acquires a familiar of sorts for himself. The care and feeding of said familiar are quite unusual. Of course, Vince also acquires additional Dryads for the Grove and he must make a decision on the concubine Elves. The Mothers and the babies bring a whole new emotion to the story. The babies increase the power of the Dryads and the Grove which increases the power within Vince. The man is a powerhouse as it is. What will he wind up becoming? A foul wind blows from the west. Vince may be able to negotiate or bully his way east but the Western Empire looks to be another story altogether. Even fledgling empires must expand. Enemy conquest for the Yosemite Empire is in the future.
August 31, 2017
"Annnnd..... Action!"
First the good news: this long-awaited (for me, anyway) second book was well worth the wait, was an awesome read, and if you liked the first book, you should buy this book now. I mean, like right now.
Now for the spoilers and things I wish were different. You have been warned.
Like I said: good book, enjoyed muchly. Worth buying. But... One of the cool things about the first book was the slow pacing. We got to learn about Vince, the world, and each girl slowly. Each additional main character had their own time to shine, reveal personality, and show interesting individual traits and motivations. I felt much like someone in the room with them all, able to study them, and see different angles. Overall I felt that the first book was about the characters and their relationships with each other. Even the action scenes had personal results.
The second book is paced far far faster, and has much more action in it. It feels more movie-like, where, although you enjoy it, you see only the one side facing you, and very quickly at that. I felt that many opportunities for character and relationship development that likely would have been in the first book were edited here in order to progress the story. Straight examples: Vince meets / rescues Fes's family but we never meet them. What? Fes's main backstory and reason for being alone on book one is solved utterly and we have no scenes with anyone except for two with Grandpa and 3-4 sentences of dialogue? Would Fes's mother, father, etc. be interested in meeting Vince and vice-versa? There could have been half a chapter there. Same goes for Meliae's mother: great opportunity fora down-home chat about childhood, interests, or even a little drama regarding interest in Vince and/or his plans. Also the Raging Life Monster scene seemed incomplete: w didn't know of any anger over sues in book one, but... ok. However some exposition afterwards by Vince or characters to round it out would have been helpful. Don't get me wrong: it was an awesome scene, but it stood out like a kangaroo in the Congo, with about as much back story as to why it was there. Another good omitted detail scene would have been the first time Vince fed Red. That could have been sexy, interesting, and also hilarious. Wouldn't he have had reservations about it? A little trepidation maybe? I think most men "feeding" a feral undead for the first time would have been cautious. I'm even curious about how they physically placed themselves. Again, a great potential scene had the pacing been slower. Another scene that stood out as very odd was the chase scene after Vince met the king. Ok he knew the king had played him, but the reason Sam & company thought as she did was never clearly explained. Also all the time that we could have seen Sam change her mind about Vince and Yosemite was omitted: suddenly she wanted to prove herself, but we never saw the basis for that, as it was glossed over. Many scenes with the first wives and babies could have been included too, to re-affirm their feelings and exactly how Vince feels about being a dad. Perhaps some fun baby time would have nice, showing their individual personalities and Vince acting a fluid magnet or diaper changer. The Groom Lake scene also was very kangaroo-like because there didn't appear to be any reason for it. Even a sentence or three about Vince remembering his parents talking about the location would have helped there. Lastly, Vince's relationships with Ramona, Leila, and later Yaris were handled far too quickly. They should have had the same screen time Fes, Petra, and Meliae had in book one. They're all interesting characters and deserve it.
Again, the story was good, but It felt rushed. Maybe it would have been better as two books, with slower pacing and more depth in each, even if both were a tad smaller in size. Then we could have seen more, understood more, been invested more, and felt more. I can guarantee the author that I would have bought them all, just like I'll buy the next one, so don't be afraid to slow it all down a bit and enjoy the characters, including all the jokes and dialog you put into book one.
From my point of view that mean more great books more often and more money for the author, which is a big win. Keep going! Surely a post-war exposition breather for a new king to learn more about everything while doing all the interacting among many (!) pregnant women has the potential for hilarity to ensue. And lots of other things to happen too.
First the good news: this long-awaited (for me, anyway) second book was well worth the wait, was an awesome read, and if you liked the first book, you should buy this book now. I mean, like right now.
Now for the spoilers and things I wish were different. You have been warned.
Like I said: good book, enjoyed muchly. Worth buying. But... One of the cool things about the first book was the slow pacing. We got to learn about Vince, the world, and each girl slowly. Each additional main character had their own time to shine, reveal personality, and show interesting individual traits and motivations. I felt much like someone in the room with them all, able to study them, and see different angles. Overall I felt that the first book was about the characters and their relationships with each other. Even the action scenes had personal results.
The second book is paced far far faster, and has much more action in it. It feels more movie-like, where, although you enjoy it, you see only the one side facing you, and very quickly at that. I felt that many opportunities for character and relationship development that likely would have been in the first book were edited here in order to progress the story. Straight examples: Vince meets / rescues Fes's family but we never meet them. What? Fes's main backstory and reason for being alone on book one is solved utterly and we have no scenes with anyone except for two with Grandpa and 3-4 sentences of dialogue? Would Fes's mother, father, etc. be interested in meeting Vince and vice-versa? There could have been half a chapter there. Same goes for Meliae's mother: great opportunity fora down-home chat about childhood, interests, or even a little drama regarding interest in Vince and/or his plans. Also the Raging Life Monster scene seemed incomplete: w didn't know of any anger over sues in book one, but... ok. However some exposition afterwards by Vince or characters to round it out would have been helpful. Don't get me wrong: it was an awesome scene, but it stood out like a kangaroo in the Congo, with about as much back story as to why it was there. Another good omitted detail scene would have been the first time Vince fed Red. That could have been sexy, interesting, and also hilarious. Wouldn't he have had reservations about it? A little trepidation maybe? I think most men "feeding" a feral undead for the first time would have been cautious. I'm even curious about how they physically placed themselves. Again, a great potential scene had the pacing been slower. Another scene that stood out as very odd was the chase scene after Vince met the king. Ok he knew the king had played him, but the reason Sam & company thought as she did was never clearly explained. Also all the time that we could have seen Sam change her mind about Vince and Yosemite was omitted: suddenly she wanted to prove herself, but we never saw the basis for that, as it was glossed over. Many scenes with the first wives and babies could have been included too, to re-affirm their feelings and exactly how Vince feels about being a dad. Perhaps some fun baby time would have nice, showing their individual personalities and Vince acting a fluid magnet or diaper changer. The Groom Lake scene also was very kangaroo-like because there didn't appear to be any reason for it. Even a sentence or three about Vince remembering his parents talking about the location would have helped there. Lastly, Vince's relationships with Ramona, Leila, and later Yaris were handled far too quickly. They should have had the same screen time Fes, Petra, and Meliae had in book one. They're all interesting characters and deserve it.
Again, the story was good, but It felt rushed. Maybe it would have been better as two books, with slower pacing and more depth in each, even if both were a tad smaller in size. Then we could have seen more, understood more, been invested more, and felt more. I can guarantee the author that I would have bought them all, just like I'll buy the next one, so don't be afraid to slow it all down a bit and enjoy the characters, including all the jokes and dialog you put into book one.
From my point of view that mean more great books more often and more money for the author, which is a big win. Keep going! Surely a post-war exposition breather for a new king to learn more about everything while doing all the interacting among many (!) pregnant women has the potential for hilarity to ensue. And lots of other things to happen too.
September 10, 2018
3.5 Stars, Pretty much the same as the first book. I do like these type of books but they are not for everyone.
October 14, 2018
Book Type: Audible Book
Length: 12h 32m
If you read my review for the first book review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., it shouldn't surprise you that we are on a downward spiral. Not worth the time.
The book continued its decline. There were really no positives in the book. The writing of the women and the "shipping" between characters declined. Mostly in an attempt to distance him from his current women and to add additional women.
The cons from the first big are still there, but even more evident. The relationships are stale, the plot line veers from Vince being all powerful to not being able to stand up to a strong wind. There was no real world building here, just Vince thinking he could threaten everyone and they should follow him.
It is a shame, the world is interesting, even the portals he finds, but just not enough to keep it going. The relationship scenes are very much written by rote, and not worth the time.
Overall, this is where I jump off the series. I am fairly certain I won't pick up more of his books either. I don't think he has bad ideas necessarily, just doesn't go anywhere with them, and gets more and more plot bloat as we go.
Length: 12h 32m
If you read my review for the first book review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..., it shouldn't surprise you that we are on a downward spiral. Not worth the time.
The book continued its decline. There were really no positives in the book. The writing of the women and the "shipping" between characters declined. Mostly in an attempt to distance him from his current women and to add additional women.
The cons from the first big are still there, but even more evident. The relationships are stale, the plot line veers from Vince being all powerful to not being able to stand up to a strong wind. There was no real world building here, just Vince thinking he could threaten everyone and they should follow him.
It is a shame, the world is interesting, even the portals he finds, but just not enough to keep it going. The relationship scenes are very much written by rote, and not worth the time.
Overall, this is where I jump off the series. I am fairly certain I won't pick up more of his books either. I don't think he has bad ideas necessarily, just doesn't go anywhere with them, and gets more and more plot bloat as we go.
April 3, 2019
The main characters harem continues to grow by leaps and bounds however unlike the first book there is some actual story advancement in this one. It finally has a short maybe 2 minute tie in into Super Sales on Super Heroes, I'm guessing the third book will feel rushed and will be where the story really takes off and picks up. There is still a lot of sex but not as much as the first book or maybe it just seems that way because the book was longer and the last bit of the audiobook had a lot of content that wasn't sex. The ending of the book is kind of a disappointment as the main character begins to compromise on his own views. The author finally introduces one memorable character though she is only slightly more interesting than the others however the author hints at there being more to her, hopefully the next book goes into her background some. The narrator Andrea Parsneau continues to do alright although her continued attempt at accents she isn't very good at is starting to become a drain. Overall it's readable and a little better than the first one.
January 1, 2019
This isn't necessarily a review, but more of my general thoughts and brain dump on this book.
This is were the seemingly endless stream of sexy fantasy women really started to wear at me. Lost was the interesting relationships with interesting characters from the first book replaced by the parade of sex scenes with a variety of D&D races. the only saving grace for me were the additions of Ramona the Dragonewt and Layla the Gnome... though admittedly that is my personal bias showing. Nether really got the kind of screen time that Fes and Petra got but I really liked their characters and their interactions with Vince. The story still held onto it's fast paced fantasy adventure format and is an enjoyable popcorn entertainment way, so I was still interested as the story kept moving. I just wish that the author would stop just throwing D&D fetish material at us and just focus on a few key female characters for us to get invested in along side Vince. Plus, I never thought that I would get sick of Dryads but Darren/Arand found a way.
This is were the seemingly endless stream of sexy fantasy women really started to wear at me. Lost was the interesting relationships with interesting characters from the first book replaced by the parade of sex scenes with a variety of D&D races. the only saving grace for me were the additions of Ramona the Dragonewt and Layla the Gnome... though admittedly that is my personal bias showing. Nether really got the kind of screen time that Fes and Petra got but I really liked their characters and their interactions with Vince. The story still held onto it's fast paced fantasy adventure format and is an enjoyable popcorn entertainment way, so I was still interested as the story kept moving. I just wish that the author would stop just throwing D&D fetish material at us and just focus on a few key female characters for us to get invested in along side Vince. Plus, I never thought that I would get sick of Dryads but Darren/Arand found a way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2019
This book builds upon the strong foundation of the first with mixed results.
The MC was always a little bit of a Gary Stu but the writing was so good it was forgivable. Now the powerful, hyper capable warrior, sex machine, noble leader, master strategist and liberator has been turned up to 100. There is little tension anymore. There are TOO MANY WOMEN IN this harem literally over a dozen with speaking roles, i can't keep track anymore. I really enjoyed the smaller number in the first book.
It's still written well, battle scenes are all appropriately epic, but it's just hard to care much. The MC doens't have any character development, he just fucks, fights and recruits like a sandbox nation builder video game. Which is fine in theory but not for a full length novel.
The MC was always a little bit of a Gary Stu but the writing was so good it was forgivable. Now the powerful, hyper capable warrior, sex machine, noble leader, master strategist and liberator has been turned up to 100. There is little tension anymore. There are TOO MANY WOMEN IN this harem literally over a dozen with speaking roles, i can't keep track anymore. I really enjoyed the smaller number in the first book.
It's still written well, battle scenes are all appropriately epic, but it's just hard to care much. The MC doens't have any character development, he just fucks, fights and recruits like a sandbox nation builder video game. Which is fine in theory but not for a full length novel.
October 7, 2019
More of the same as the first book, which is a good thing. The female characters continue to be fleshed out and gain depth, but Vince stays very static throughout. Which didn't really bother me, as the female leads are what really make the story worth reading.
More world building, more hints and mysteries being teased out, but again the overall arc is wrapped up nicely, and the pacing is well done. There are just a lot of wide open story possibilities that make me look forward to reading more stories set in this world.
More world building, more hints and mysteries being teased out, but again the overall arc is wrapped up nicely, and the pacing is well done. There are just a lot of wide open story possibilities that make me look forward to reading more stories set in this world.
August 20, 2017
the sultan blushed
I really enjoyed the first one, but in this sequel the harem smothers the story too much. He end up with, I can't even count how many wives, more than 7, and it got repetitive.
still, the monster girls were unique for the most part, and the writing solid.
I really enjoyed the first one, but in this sequel the harem smothers the story too much. He end up with, I can't even count how many wives, more than 7, and it got repetitive.
still, the monster girls were unique for the most part, and the writing solid.
November 19, 2017
Pretty good stuff
Judging by his writing this author has either gotten a lot of bjs or given a lot of bjs. My guess is the latter. The series is pretty good. The idea is unique and that keeps the interest going. That and the bjs.
Judging by his writing this author has either gotten a lot of bjs or given a lot of bjs. My guess is the latter. The series is pretty good. The idea is unique and that keeps the interest going. That and the bjs.
October 10, 2024
Good continuation to book one, the Kingdom is growing well, altough sincerely Vincent doesn't feel like the rigth type to play King, heck he himself admits he is not one to play such a roles. Either way it is interesting what is it been build, wondering how humans will fit in there.
August 22, 2017
Good story
I honestly skip over the sex scenes. The rest of the story is a fun read and pretty well thought out.
I can recommend this book,he warned lots of sex.
I honestly skip over the sex scenes. The rest of the story is a fun read and pretty well thought out.
I can recommend this book,he warned lots of sex.
May 3, 2018
Slightly worse than then the 1st book but otherwise pretty much the same thoughts as the review of the first.
December 27, 2017
Ehhhhhhhh
Stilll alright about the same as the last one. The character bloat is starting to get a bit much though.
Stilll alright about the same as the last one. The character bloat is starting to get a bit much though.
September 26, 2022
I wanted to really like this book but after awhile I just wanted it to end. I rather enjoyed the first book but this left me cold. I had to hurry to finish it.
January 29, 2025
Ah, Eastern Expansion— the second book in the Wild Wastes series by Randi Darren. What a journey. If you’re into predictable plotlines, characters that range from flat to flatter, and a mishmash of fantasy clichés, you’re in for a treat.
"How do you make a bland story even more underwhelming?" — Eastern Expansion
Plot: If the plot of this book were a highway, it’d be one straight, boring road with no curves. Our “hero” continues his merry (and by merry, I mean utterly monotonous) journey through the wilderness, collecting women and powers like he's playing some kind of RPG on easy mode. The Eastern world is supposed to feel expansive and mysterious, but it comes off as an afterthought—more of a background filler than an actual place.
Characters: Let’s talk about the protagonist. Oh wait, why bother? He’s barely more than a cardboard cutout of the “OP (Overpowered) main character” trope. You know the type: invincible, irresistible, and oh-so-boring. His harem of interchangeable women? Well, they have as much personality as the wallpaper in a dentist's waiting room. There’s a mage, a warrior, a healer... You’ve seen them all before, and they’re just as forgettable here. I wish I could describe them better, but honestly, they barely make a mark on the story or, well, on anything.
World-building: Ah yes, the world-building. Or should I say the complete lack of it? Darren manages to introduce a new part of the world but spends more time describing irrelevant details than fleshing out the culture, history, or even geography of the Eastern realms. It’s like walking into a supposedly fancy restaurant, only to find they serve microwaved meals.
But the writing... The prose here is crisp, like a soggy piece of bread left out in the rain for too long. Randi Darren's attempts at witty banter fall flat, and any tension is immediately deflated by the all-too-convenient solutions that drop into our hero’s lap.
In short, if you’re looking for a book that asks, “How many clichés can we fit into one story without making anything truly memorable?”, then Eastern Expansion might just be your next read. But if you're hoping for complex characters, innovative world-building, or, you know, anything that isn't predictable, this book will probably leave you wishing for more... or less. Much, much less.
Final thoughts:
Predictable plot? Check.
Underdeveloped characters? Double check.
World-building that’s about as deep as a kiddie pool? Triple check.
Save yourself the trouble and skip this one, unless you’re in dire need of a book that’s easy to mock.
May 15, 2020
Five Stars
This novel is a great read, though killing off characters we like would aid raising tension immensely. That is Vance’s problem, people are rarely dying unless it is generic red shirts and only in exposition. The various subplots are nice, & love the Alvhen Princess. Hopefully more happens with her, maybe they go north to visit the Alvhen there and look for his parents.
As said, the author is great at rising tension & release, but his novels are a bit lacking in using the fundamental humanoid skeleton of the [Hero’s Journey]. It is only a structure that virtually assures success if the author follows the turning points correctly. Such as a leg or arm only bends in one way.
The Hero’s Journey is something all characters should have, if they have a name. It starts with the character pushing a mistaken belief that eventually causes the story. Such as Vince thinking he gets a say in how many he has of wives. 😅 At the end, the character figures out a better attitude/belief that leads into the climax, where they get what they need... Not necessarily what they ’want’.
The lack of the Hero’s Journey, makes the novel a little mind’numbing, until a reader gets to the half way point. At that point Vince starts acting instead of responding. Hopefully the author figures out how to focus on the former.
For sharing Gravity, grateful am I. May the Goddess be asked to alighten a path towards love, joy, & happiness along the self’determined life’cycle chosen by the Higher’Self of yours, pray do I.
This novel is a great read, though killing off characters we like would aid raising tension immensely. That is Vance’s problem, people are rarely dying unless it is generic red shirts and only in exposition. The various subplots are nice, & love the Alvhen Princess. Hopefully more happens with her, maybe they go north to visit the Alvhen there and look for his parents.
As said, the author is great at rising tension & release, but his novels are a bit lacking in using the fundamental humanoid skeleton of the [Hero’s Journey]. It is only a structure that virtually assures success if the author follows the turning points correctly. Such as a leg or arm only bends in one way.
The Hero’s Journey is something all characters should have, if they have a name. It starts with the character pushing a mistaken belief that eventually causes the story. Such as Vince thinking he gets a say in how many he has of wives. 😅 At the end, the character figures out a better attitude/belief that leads into the climax, where they get what they need... Not necessarily what they ’want’.
The lack of the Hero’s Journey, makes the novel a little mind’numbing, until a reader gets to the half way point. At that point Vince starts acting instead of responding. Hopefully the author figures out how to focus on the former.
For sharing Gravity, grateful am I. May the Goddess be asked to alighten a path towards love, joy, & happiness along the self’determined life’cycle chosen by the Higher’Self of yours, pray do I.
March 29, 2020
ANOTHER, EXCELLENT, READ ;)
There is a genre, unnamed as yet, but a genre formed with many examples and written in many styles and (sub)genres.
Soap opera for men ;)
It is triumphalist, full of sex, violence, and unlikely successful outcomes lol. It is certainly cotton candy for the male soul.
It is a triumphant circuit of a newly built kingdom built of ego, sex, accomplishment, and a certain delightfully unrealistic MacGyverism. It is GLORIOUS LOLOL..!!!!
It pretends fairness, leaves no debts unpaid, progresses relentlessly from win to win, developing a main character who is proud and humble, equal parts hero and anti-hero, accepting of all the success and worshipful sex because it was all EARNED, fair and square, no quarter asked or given.
It is a story of power, such that mercy can be afforded. A story of wealth, such that loyalty and service can be rewarded with wealth, loyalty, and service returned with interest and joy in the giving. A story of fairness, justice, of making a lasting mark that leaves the world a different, better place.
It is a story about lasting creation, such that sex, violence, and destruction are natural, necessary, and inevitable conditions met constructing logic inherent to an inexorable Domination of process by an Adamantine Alpha determining benevolent outcomes, and the Sweet Smell of the Victory that rises like Sunday Morning from the Rational vanquishing the Irrational.
Sweets to the Sweet, so Sayeth the Victor.
There is a genre, unnamed as yet, but a genre formed with many examples and written in many styles and (sub)genres.
Soap opera for men ;)
It is triumphalist, full of sex, violence, and unlikely successful outcomes lol. It is certainly cotton candy for the male soul.
It is a triumphant circuit of a newly built kingdom built of ego, sex, accomplishment, and a certain delightfully unrealistic MacGyverism. It is GLORIOUS LOLOL..!!!!
It pretends fairness, leaves no debts unpaid, progresses relentlessly from win to win, developing a main character who is proud and humble, equal parts hero and anti-hero, accepting of all the success and worshipful sex because it was all EARNED, fair and square, no quarter asked or given.
It is a story of power, such that mercy can be afforded. A story of wealth, such that loyalty and service can be rewarded with wealth, loyalty, and service returned with interest and joy in the giving. A story of fairness, justice, of making a lasting mark that leaves the world a different, better place.
It is a story about lasting creation, such that sex, violence, and destruction are natural, necessary, and inevitable conditions met constructing logic inherent to an inexorable Domination of process by an Adamantine Alpha determining benevolent outcomes, and the Sweet Smell of the Victory that rises like Sunday Morning from the Rational vanquishing the Irrational.
Sweets to the Sweet, so Sayeth the Victor.
March 26, 2019
Book 2 is down and I'm still loving it almost as much as the first.
It still has all the same well fleshed out characters, interesting plot lines, and explicit bits, this time with a ton more world building. I do appreciate that the author puts a lot of emphasis on this, avoiding the usual "main character wins and everything works out" style of other books, and instead puts the cast through several trials in order to fix what's broken.
One complaint I have about the book is that with the constant addition of new characters, everything begins to get watered down. The elves especially are guilty of this with very little distinguishing each one to the point that I began thinking of them all as one person. That's not to say that everyone is like this since there are several unique characters added as well with my own favourite being Red, despite how they handled "feedings".
One of the most exciting points in the book was the actual crossover with another book that has been my previous favourite in the genre. I was so excited to see this event from this book's perspective and found myself smiling like an idiot the whole time. This crossover was the entire reason I picked up this series and I'm happy I did!
In the end, despite it's flaws, it's still one of the best in the genre and I'm happy to continue this series!
It still has all the same well fleshed out characters, interesting plot lines, and explicit bits, this time with a ton more world building. I do appreciate that the author puts a lot of emphasis on this, avoiding the usual "main character wins and everything works out" style of other books, and instead puts the cast through several trials in order to fix what's broken.
One complaint I have about the book is that with the constant addition of new characters, everything begins to get watered down. The elves especially are guilty of this with very little distinguishing each one to the point that I began thinking of them all as one person. That's not to say that everyone is like this since there are several unique characters added as well with my own favourite being Red, despite how they handled "feedings".
One of the most exciting points in the book was the actual crossover with another book that has been my previous favourite in the genre. I was so excited to see this event from this book's perspective and found myself smiling like an idiot the whole time. This crossover was the entire reason I picked up this series and I'm happy I did!
In the end, despite it's flaws, it's still one of the best in the genre and I'm happy to continue this series!
June 19, 2019
This is 4th-5th book I've read by this author and I usually thoroughly enjoy them, for some reason this one didn't do much for me.
It just felt too formulaic, every time Vince would go out he'd find a new companion, previous characters felt kinda ignored in this one, and don't get me started on randomly finding a particular lab and its contents.
That being said the writing is top notch as usual and the story itself is still interesting. If you enjoyed the first book then its still worth buying to continue the series.
Overall it sounds like I'm being really negative about the book, but I enjoy the idea of harem books more than the actual product, because most authors just fail at it. Randi Darren I've started to expect to be above the bar, so personally I hope this is a one off and I can sit down and enjoy the rest of the series.
It just felt too formulaic, every time Vince would go out he'd find a new companion, previous characters felt kinda ignored in this one, and don't get me started on randomly finding a particular lab and its contents.
That being said the writing is top notch as usual and the story itself is still interesting. If you enjoyed the first book then its still worth buying to continue the series.
Overall it sounds like I'm being really negative about the book, but I enjoy the idea of harem books more than the actual product, because most authors just fail at it. Randi Darren I've started to expect to be above the bar, so personally I hope this is a one off and I can sit down and enjoy the rest of the series.
December 28, 2017
I have a bunch of other books to read, but this and a few others were on my mind since I finished them... So I'll put the other books on hold for a while.
Book was immensely entertaining.
I know these books are somewhat silly, but they are entertaining. I couldn't put down this novel for long periods of time. I even stayed up late reading into the wee hours of the morning.
I hope the third book comes soon, but I only see despair and strife in the future.
4/5 Stars
Book was immensely entertaining.
I know these books are somewhat silly, but they are entertaining. I couldn't put down this novel for long periods of time. I even stayed up late reading into the wee hours of the morning.
I hope the third book comes soon, but I only see despair and strife in the future.
4/5 Stars
November 7, 2017
Sex Power! Building a Kingdom With Magic And ...
Vince powers up his Dryads with magic and is in return is powered up by their grove. Enemies from all directions from all directions want a piece of him and Yosemite City. What's a King to do? Go in all directions to make friends, negotiate, conquer, and the time old method of uniting enemy kingdoms. This series is one of my favorites. I like the humor, action, politics, magic, military science and complex well written characters. I reread the first book and will reread this book as well. Will his new Queen end up being an overall asset or liability? I look forward to another book.
Vince powers up his Dryads with magic and is in return is powered up by their grove. Enemies from all directions from all directions want a piece of him and Yosemite City. What's a King to do? Go in all directions to make friends, negotiate, conquer, and the time old method of uniting enemy kingdoms. This series is one of my favorites. I like the humor, action, politics, magic, military science and complex well written characters. I reread the first book and will reread this book as well. Will his new Queen end up being an overall asset or liability? I look forward to another book.
March 28, 2019
Another amazing entry
Randi Darren is fantastic at world building and getting you in touch with the characters (usually). The characters you're supposed to know, you know, but there are plenty that are little more than names.
I enjoyed the story because it's more than "MC smash all enemies!" There's a lot of conflict with the character internally as well as externally. Makes for an interesting read.
One of my favorite things is the universe that Randi and William D Arand have set up and are connecting. Two amazing authors working in a shared universe? So exited to read all the stories and how they'll meet in the middle!
Randi Darren is fantastic at world building and getting you in touch with the characters (usually). The characters you're supposed to know, you know, but there are plenty that are little more than names.
I enjoyed the story because it's more than "MC smash all enemies!" There's a lot of conflict with the character internally as well as externally. Makes for an interesting read.
One of my favorite things is the universe that Randi and William D Arand have set up and are connecting. Two amazing authors working in a shared universe? So exited to read all the stories and how they'll meet in the middle!
December 14, 2019
I am really impressed with the creativity of every harem lit author [body is direct continuation of this]
and I am confident that I am not alone this statement I follow with, though this genre I stumbled upon and have grown it into a hobby on itself with no lull in my reading, I have to give this praise to author as I think there is greater things achievable for some. Their stories so creative that the adult content in them is irrelevant and I place said creative works along the same lines of admiration and literary respect as I do with the works of Tolkien. Individual messages to these authors I have already started writing, they deserve as much.
and I am confident that I am not alone this statement I follow with, though this genre I stumbled upon and have grown it into a hobby on itself with no lull in my reading, I have to give this praise to author as I think there is greater things achievable for some. Their stories so creative that the adult content in them is irrelevant and I place said creative works along the same lines of admiration and literary respect as I do with the works of Tolkien. Individual messages to these authors I have already started writing, they deserve as much.
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