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Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum #1
The Five Trials
My name's Noah Kilmartin. I'm from Ruddock, Ohio, and I'm absolutely, 100% unqualified to save the universe from the slavering demonic hordes of the super evil bitch queen Lilith.
Too bad nobody asked my opinion.
All I've got to do is pass five lethal trials that'll prove I'm the universe's last chance at salvation. To do so I'll have to lean hard on those three years of Okinawan jiu-jutsu classes I took in highschool, learn to wield my new magic sword, and oh yeah - select five women to flesh out my team, bonding with each one for arcane purposes and desperately trying to stay alive in the process.
Piece of cake. Right?
Warning and minor spoilers: "The Five Trials" is an 18+ book intended for mature readers. It contains graphic sex, medieval violence, and nudity. People curse, piss their pants, hack off heads, get a little dizzy, tortured, seduce each other, try to seduce each other, and scared witless by horrors from the darkest dimensions. Most importantly, you'll meet gorgeous, powerful women, some capable for hurling lightning, others of swinging battle-axes, and one that's Noah's unrequited crush from highschool. All of them are willing to enter unconventional, polyamorous, harem relationships if it means saving the universe, and luckily for Noah, this time it actually does.
Read at your own risk.
Too bad nobody asked my opinion.
All I've got to do is pass five lethal trials that'll prove I'm the universe's last chance at salvation. To do so I'll have to lean hard on those three years of Okinawan jiu-jutsu classes I took in highschool, learn to wield my new magic sword, and oh yeah - select five women to flesh out my team, bonding with each one for arcane purposes and desperately trying to stay alive in the process.
Piece of cake. Right?
Warning and minor spoilers: "The Five Trials" is an 18+ book intended for mature readers. It contains graphic sex, medieval violence, and nudity. People curse, piss their pants, hack off heads, get a little dizzy, tortured, seduce each other, try to seduce each other, and scared witless by horrors from the darkest dimensions. Most importantly, you'll meet gorgeous, powerful women, some capable for hurling lightning, others of swinging battle-axes, and one that's Noah's unrequited crush from highschool. All of them are willing to enter unconventional, polyamorous, harem relationships if it means saving the universe, and luckily for Noah, this time it actually does.
Read at your own risk.
392 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2018
784 people are currently reading
566 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
February 12, 2020
First I need to give a mea culpa. I was warned. I read other reviews that told me how bad this was. But (as has happened before) I read the synopsis and thought, "okay surely it won't be that bad".
It is that bad. The reader isn't too bad I mean he's got the words to read. But the book. The main character is so far beyond annoying that had this been a physical print book I'd have hurled it out the nearest window. I'd have taken the advice attributed to either Dorothy Parker or Sid Ziff, "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."
The main character is the saddest dweebyist excuse for a protagonist it has ever been my displeasure to "meet". Not only that but he never changes or grows, he never even learns to fake it. He is in short pathetic, and I don't mean good or sympathetic pathetic. I mean "Oh good grief how dense can you be I can't take it any more" pathetic.
The book has a lot of gratuitous sex. I don't look for that, but it's not a deal breaker. At worst I can FF through it (or skim over it in a print book) if it gets to all consuming. Here it's possibly the only reason anyone might stay with the book. This idiot is very aware (in his own mind) no girl would ever want him ( and he says it, out loud, to the girls/women all the time), but he's in love with the girl he's known all his life. Still this doesn't keep him from lusting over every female in the book. ALSO EVERY female we meet here is incomparably beautiful...
Look, my recommendation?
Yeah skip this one...really learn from my mistake. I got this from Audible...and returned it to Audible.
It is that bad. The reader isn't too bad I mean he's got the words to read. But the book. The main character is so far beyond annoying that had this been a physical print book I'd have hurled it out the nearest window. I'd have taken the advice attributed to either Dorothy Parker or Sid Ziff, "This is not a novel to be tossed aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force."
The main character is the saddest dweebyist excuse for a protagonist it has ever been my displeasure to "meet". Not only that but he never changes or grows, he never even learns to fake it. He is in short pathetic, and I don't mean good or sympathetic pathetic. I mean "Oh good grief how dense can you be I can't take it any more" pathetic.
The book has a lot of gratuitous sex. I don't look for that, but it's not a deal breaker. At worst I can FF through it (or skim over it in a print book) if it gets to all consuming. Here it's possibly the only reason anyone might stay with the book. This idiot is very aware (in his own mind) no girl would ever want him ( and he says it, out loud, to the girls/women all the time), but he's in love with the girl he's known all his life. Still this doesn't keep him from lusting over every female in the book. ALSO EVERY female we meet here is incomparably beautiful...
Look, my recommendation?
Yeah skip this one...really learn from my mistake. I got this from Audible...and returned it to Audible.
December 9, 2018
The book itself is well written, the syntax, grammar etc are all very good from what I've seen. The story is a bit cliche but not bad. The reason I'm only giving it three stars and was considering two are twofold.
1. The MC. I know many people are convinced pathethic has to be part of sympathethic. I personally disagree. He starts out even lower on the totem pole than a great many other MCs in that regard. And while that allows for more growth it often made me loathe him.
Edit after going for a walk I felt this needs elaborating. The MC can basically be summed up with "Screamed in Fear", "Shrieked in Fear", "Wailed like a little girl" and "pissed himself". That's pretty much his fighting style in the book and it constantly undermines any progress he seemingly made.
He went through combat, finaly found his resolution and backbone and goes forth to face the horrors having grown stronger! Nope, he's back to screaming and wailing while soiling himself. It feels like one step forward, two steps back and it got to the point where during the second trial I genuinely thought that if he's the guy the universe depends up on to save it, maybe it doesn't deserve saving.
I guess the intention here is two fold. First showing a regular person thrown into "horrific" situations. Except even for that, it feels overdone. If this was how a "regular" person would act he would not have law enforcement, an army or even harnessed the fire because everyone would've been too busy shrieking in fear. It does not make him look like a "regular bloke" or relatable. It made me disgusted with him and alienated me.
The other side might be to show just "how horrific" and "terrifying" the enemies they face and the situations they go through are. Which is undermined by him being the only person to react this way. He is the only one screaming in fear all day and soiling himself, nobody else does. None of the women ever show any kind of fear, concern or react in a similar way. So it doesn't show the situation as a whole as bad, it shows him as pathethic.
It made him feel like a designated hero, rather than one where it made sense. Who ended up in the position solely because "fate said so" and not because he's the best guy for the job.
2. The female characters. Oh well. It's not that they're well written it's just that the coupling is one of the ones I personally loathe the most. Extremely inexperienced doormat MC with extremely assertive and experienced (often older) female characters who "show him the ropes".
It's frankly speaking from a realistic perspective one of the worst possible couplings one can have. It's also even more wish fulfillment than a harem of nubile virgins. I could launch into a lot of explaining why there's a huge pile of problems involved here and how the dynamics grate on me.
In the end I've decided that me overthinking things, personal bias and having a tendency to try and "unravel" stories played into my initial ranking. For people who like this pairing, likely because they're very similar to the MC and wish for some experienced older lady to sweep in and rescue them this book might be a 4 or 5 stars. So a two stars felt petty. It's... okay?
1. The MC. I know many people are convinced pathethic has to be part of sympathethic. I personally disagree. He starts out even lower on the totem pole than a great many other MCs in that regard. And while that allows for more growth it often made me loathe him.
Edit after going for a walk I felt this needs elaborating. The MC can basically be summed up with "Screamed in Fear", "Shrieked in Fear", "Wailed like a little girl" and "pissed himself". That's pretty much his fighting style in the book and it constantly undermines any progress he seemingly made.
He went through combat, finaly found his resolution and backbone and goes forth to face the horrors having grown stronger! Nope, he's back to screaming and wailing while soiling himself. It feels like one step forward, two steps back and it got to the point where during the second trial I genuinely thought that if he's the guy the universe depends up on to save it, maybe it doesn't deserve saving.
I guess the intention here is two fold. First showing a regular person thrown into "horrific" situations. Except even for that, it feels overdone. If this was how a "regular" person would act he would not have law enforcement, an army or even harnessed the fire because everyone would've been too busy shrieking in fear. It does not make him look like a "regular bloke" or relatable. It made me disgusted with him and alienated me.
The other side might be to show just "how horrific" and "terrifying" the enemies they face and the situations they go through are. Which is undermined by him being the only person to react this way. He is the only one screaming in fear all day and soiling himself, nobody else does. None of the women ever show any kind of fear, concern or react in a similar way. So it doesn't show the situation as a whole as bad, it shows him as pathethic.
It made him feel like a designated hero, rather than one where it made sense. Who ended up in the position solely because "fate said so" and not because he's the best guy for the job.
2. The female characters. Oh well. It's not that they're well written it's just that the coupling is one of the ones I personally loathe the most. Extremely inexperienced doormat MC with extremely assertive and experienced (often older) female characters who "show him the ropes".
It's frankly speaking from a realistic perspective one of the worst possible couplings one can have. It's also even more wish fulfillment than a harem of nubile virgins. I could launch into a lot of explaining why there's a huge pile of problems involved here and how the dynamics grate on me.
In the end I've decided that me overthinking things, personal bias and having a tendency to try and "unravel" stories played into my initial ranking. For people who like this pairing, likely because they're very similar to the MC and wish for some experienced older lady to sweep in and rescue them this book might be a 4 or 5 stars. So a two stars felt petty. It's... okay?
October 27, 2018
Rating 2.0 stars
This book aggravated a lot of my pet-peeves, not all of them but a lot. For most of the book I was thinking I might give it 3 stars. There was a part in the middle in which the main character was being tortured that I actually thought about putting the book down. Actually, since I started writing this review and thinking about the content, I went back and lowered the rating even more (initially I had it rated at 2.5 stars).
The story starts with the main character Noah, telling his best friend Emma that he loves her right before she gets on a bus to New York. He of course is completely in the friend-zone and she tells him she loves him but not in that way. Then something otherworldly happens and he saves Alex's life and they both are sent to another world where Noah is told he is the chosen one and has to save the universe. In order to do that, he has to pick 5 other people to be his companions in order to share their strength and complete the Quest. This is of course done by having sex with each of the them, in fact the more time they have sex the stronger the bond.
So lets break down each part of this book and start with the magic system. I had no clue what was going on, or how it worked. There was something called the tree of life. There also was a bad girl Lilith who was evil and trying to corrupt the universe. That is a pretty simple starting point but the names used and how magic worked made no sense to me and thats about all I can remember as far as names. Just look at the title (Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum), WTF does that even mean? I never saw it anywhere else in the book.
Now the story. It could have been okay. Noah was the chosen one picked by the universe to undergo the trials and then save the universe, but it seemed more like a random choice than him actually having the right stuff in order to complete the mission. He apparently did take 3 years of martial arts up until about 2 years ago when he quit, but thats about it. I hoped this would have helped him throughout the story, but there was only one time in which I can definitively say that he used those skills to win a fight. His main weapon was a sword, and he had absolutely no training with a sword. The pacing of the story was too fast as well. After he picked each companion, they had to pass a trial. After each trial he had 12 hours before the next trial. So in that 12 hours period of time he had to meet all the candidates to be a companion, decide on which one was the best choice, and by the way also try to figure out what was going on in the first place. Don't forget, he would also have to have sex with them in order to complete the bond. Then of course eat, bath, sleep, and maybe train to get better at fighting? All of that was true except for any training, which did not happen at all. It also turns out that Noah is the last savior that can try to complete the quest. 9 others have tried and they all failed, so now if he fails, the universe will end. I don't really mind the David vs Goliath stories or if the odds are stacked against the main character, but I do hate it when it is David vs Goliath and his 5000 friends! All the other "saviors" spent their whole lives preparing for their role and went into each trial with complete support and the knowledge of what they were doing. There comes a point in every story where the odds are just so impossible that the story becomes ridiculous.
Then there was the sex. The sex itself was written pretty well, but the relationship between the characters were completely lacking. Noah was the kind, shy guy who wanted the girls to like him. All the women though were very business like. They were going to have sex with him whether they liked him or not, and in one case one of the women seemed to actually hate him. Surprisingly, I felt more emotion written in the scene between Noah and the woman that hated him than with the other companions.
Overall, it tripped to many of my pet-peeves for me to recommend this book to anyone or read the next book.
This book aggravated a lot of my pet-peeves, not all of them but a lot. For most of the book I was thinking I might give it 3 stars. There was a part in the middle in which the main character was being tortured that I actually thought about putting the book down. Actually, since I started writing this review and thinking about the content, I went back and lowered the rating even more (initially I had it rated at 2.5 stars).
The story starts with the main character Noah, telling his best friend Emma that he loves her right before she gets on a bus to New York. He of course is completely in the friend-zone and she tells him she loves him but not in that way. Then something otherworldly happens and he saves Alex's life and they both are sent to another world where Noah is told he is the chosen one and has to save the universe. In order to do that, he has to pick 5 other people to be his companions in order to share their strength and complete the Quest. This is of course done by having sex with each of the them, in fact the more time they have sex the stronger the bond.
So lets break down each part of this book and start with the magic system. I had no clue what was going on, or how it worked. There was something called the tree of life. There also was a bad girl Lilith who was evil and trying to corrupt the universe. That is a pretty simple starting point but the names used and how magic worked made no sense to me and thats about all I can remember as far as names. Just look at the title (Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum), WTF does that even mean? I never saw it anywhere else in the book.
Now the story. It could have been okay. Noah was the chosen one picked by the universe to undergo the trials and then save the universe, but it seemed more like a random choice than him actually having the right stuff in order to complete the mission. He apparently did take 3 years of martial arts up until about 2 years ago when he quit, but thats about it. I hoped this would have helped him throughout the story, but there was only one time in which I can definitively say that he used those skills to win a fight. His main weapon was a sword, and he had absolutely no training with a sword. The pacing of the story was too fast as well. After he picked each companion, they had to pass a trial. After each trial he had 12 hours before the next trial. So in that 12 hours period of time he had to meet all the candidates to be a companion, decide on which one was the best choice, and by the way also try to figure out what was going on in the first place. Don't forget, he would also have to have sex with them in order to complete the bond. Then of course eat, bath, sleep, and maybe train to get better at fighting? All of that was true except for any training, which did not happen at all. It also turns out that Noah is the last savior that can try to complete the quest. 9 others have tried and they all failed, so now if he fails, the universe will end. I don't really mind the David vs Goliath stories or if the odds are stacked against the main character, but I do hate it when it is David vs Goliath and his 5000 friends! All the other "saviors" spent their whole lives preparing for their role and went into each trial with complete support and the knowledge of what they were doing. There comes a point in every story where the odds are just so impossible that the story becomes ridiculous.
Then there was the sex. The sex itself was written pretty well, but the relationship between the characters were completely lacking. Noah was the kind, shy guy who wanted the girls to like him. All the women though were very business like. They were going to have sex with him whether they liked him or not, and in one case one of the women seemed to actually hate him. Surprisingly, I felt more emotion written in the scene between Noah and the woman that hated him than with the other companions.
Overall, it tripped to many of my pet-peeves for me to recommend this book to anyone or read the next book.
September 17, 2019
Sexual fantasy
I bailed at 6%. The main character is getting sexed up by a gorgeous female. I'm sure that it's the start of another harem. Truk's books are soft porn for a subset of fantasy readers.
I don't think that's necessarily bad but I'm not sure the writer realizes that there's more to fantasy writing. Apparently that's his gimmick, so if you're not in the mood for a sex romp through a typically odd fantasy world, you probably want to give this a pass.
I bailed at 6%. The main character is getting sexed up by a gorgeous female. I'm sure that it's the start of another harem. Truk's books are soft porn for a subset of fantasy readers.
I don't think that's necessarily bad but I'm not sure the writer realizes that there's more to fantasy writing. Apparently that's his gimmick, so if you're not in the mood for a sex romp through a typically odd fantasy world, you probably want to give this a pass.
November 3, 2018
would have rated this negative stars if there was that option.
November 11, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book, overall I enjoyed it, and some parts definitely had me glued to the book where I was excited for the next chapter. Overall I'd say its rough diamond, a lot of potential but a whole load of flaws as well.
I've never been so conflicted about a main character, starts off very annoying and generic, becomes a little more interesting an inoffensive and then just ends up as a generic hyper-capable hero who is very unrelatable apart from still being afraid of things sometimes.
I think the 'hey I'm just a regular guy from Unremarkable Town USA' thing isn't enough on its own to make a young male relatable, neither is the undying love for the girl who friendzoned you. He became his most interesting when he found himself navigating and trying to understand the strong and more complex personalities of the companions.
The companions are the best part of the book by far, Imogen and Valeria in particular kept the book alive during some of it's lulling pacing issues. They were intelligent and interesting with amazing dialogue and made everything around them more interesting. Luckily the book gives you plenty of them to observe. The other 2 Nevah and Brielle were less interesting Nevah having a potentially interesting story that sort of retires into 'mysterious super badass' and Brielle just being a 'hot bitchy princess'.
Emma is ridiculously dull, a generic 'power of friendship' walking collection of YA love interest tropes there to be a driving force of 'true love' for Noah when he's already potentially falling in love with 2 more interesting characters. Everything about their relationship just felt odd. The fact that he's having regular sex with other women and its barely explored in terms of how they see each other beyond some stuttering and blushing.
Trials were cool, nice and varied, fight scenes were a joy to read, though towards the end it got slightly repetitive, and a lot of new characters introduced late removed a lot of the stakes when they were in combat. Overall some of the better action I've seen in a book.
Speaking of action, sex was all very well done. Could have done with more varied positions and foreplay but thats nitpicking.
Overall the plot was interesting but messy, the savior of the universe and LitRPG elements were very heavy and sometimes inoffensive but often irritating and drew away from the much more exciting character development. The 'dark turn' in the book where the torture started was fascinating but drew out a little too long and there didn't seem to be many psychological after effects which made the aftertaste a little unrealistic. Still, it was a potent plot device and kept me hooked.
I'm fairly interested to see where the book goes in the sequel but I fear that a lot of my issues with the characters and universe probably wont improve a lot without drastic changing which also would be bad.
Overall, I recommend for a read if you like Sex/Harem Magic & Fantasy stories with some intelligence and good dialogue.
3.2/5 Stars
+ Interesting and well written companions (supporting characters)
+ Excellent fight scenes
+ Good use of mature themes including sex
+ Good dialogue
- Subpar Main Character
- Messy overabundance of exposition-heavy magic and lore
- Pacing is all over the place
- A lot of generic tropes
I've never been so conflicted about a main character, starts off very annoying and generic, becomes a little more interesting an inoffensive and then just ends up as a generic hyper-capable hero who is very unrelatable apart from still being afraid of things sometimes.
I think the 'hey I'm just a regular guy from Unremarkable Town USA' thing isn't enough on its own to make a young male relatable, neither is the undying love for the girl who friendzoned you. He became his most interesting when he found himself navigating and trying to understand the strong and more complex personalities of the companions.
The companions are the best part of the book by far, Imogen and Valeria in particular kept the book alive during some of it's lulling pacing issues. They were intelligent and interesting with amazing dialogue and made everything around them more interesting. Luckily the book gives you plenty of them to observe. The other 2 Nevah and Brielle were less interesting Nevah having a potentially interesting story that sort of retires into 'mysterious super badass' and Brielle just being a 'hot bitchy princess'.
Emma is ridiculously dull, a generic 'power of friendship' walking collection of YA love interest tropes there to be a driving force of 'true love' for Noah when he's already potentially falling in love with 2 more interesting characters. Everything about their relationship just felt odd. The fact that he's having regular sex with other women and its barely explored in terms of how they see each other beyond some stuttering and blushing.
Trials were cool, nice and varied, fight scenes were a joy to read, though towards the end it got slightly repetitive, and a lot of new characters introduced late removed a lot of the stakes when they were in combat. Overall some of the better action I've seen in a book.
Speaking of action, sex was all very well done. Could have done with more varied positions and foreplay but thats nitpicking.
Overall the plot was interesting but messy, the savior of the universe and LitRPG elements were very heavy and sometimes inoffensive but often irritating and drew away from the much more exciting character development. The 'dark turn' in the book where the torture started was fascinating but drew out a little too long and there didn't seem to be many psychological after effects which made the aftertaste a little unrealistic. Still, it was a potent plot device and kept me hooked.
I'm fairly interested to see where the book goes in the sequel but I fear that a lot of my issues with the characters and universe probably wont improve a lot without drastic changing which also would be bad.
Overall, I recommend for a read if you like Sex/Harem Magic & Fantasy stories with some intelligence and good dialogue.
3.2/5 Stars
+ Interesting and well written companions (supporting characters)
+ Excellent fight scenes
+ Good use of mature themes including sex
+ Good dialogue
- Subpar Main Character
- Messy overabundance of exposition-heavy magic and lore
- Pacing is all over the place
- A lot of generic tropes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2020
Wow
All the action. All the characters. All of it well plotted and heading in a very entertaining direction. Lots of violence, and the sexy time are so vivid it makes me recall my own sordid past. Awesome read, can't wait for the next.
All the action. All the characters. All of it well plotted and heading in a very entertaining direction. Lots of violence, and the sexy time are so vivid it makes me recall my own sordid past. Awesome read, can't wait for the next.
September 12, 2019
Can't wait to read the next thrilling instalment when's it out ????
As good as the first time i read it, going to start the second now ; )
As good as the first time i read it, going to start the second now ; )
July 7, 2019
It's books like this where the 5-star rating system simply isn't good enough. This book wasn't what I'd normally consider 4-star material, but it was also far too gripping to be worthy of a 3 which is about average on a 5-star system. Basically, I'm saying that this book ended up being a lot of fun, but there were certainly some problems that I wanted to point out.
As always when reviewing books like this, I feel that I need to point out that the sexual side of the book and the harem theme is clearly not for everyone. It's not remotely realistic and you either need to be okay with that going in or don't bother reading the book. Personally, I see it as a fun over exaggeration for adults, pure escapism, but if you don't feel the same way, this book isn't for you.
Now onto the rest of the book... let's start with what's good.
First of all, it's well written. The story is paced well, it doesn't feel rushed or overly meandering, there are genuinely surprising moments and the underlying story is solid. On top of this, and probably more important in my mind, is that the characters felt like real people within the confines of this novel. By that, I mean that though I don't think they could exist within our world, within the world we have been presented with here, I have no problem believing they could exist and therefore I found it easy to grow attached to them and get invested in their story.
So it's an action-packed novel with lots of humour and decent characters. Now onto the bad (there's not that much, I promise).
The first thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the protagonist at the start of the book. He was just that little bit too pathetic without enough redeeming qualities to make you root for him. It took a long time for me to eventually warm to this character, and that was a shame.
The one character I never warmed to was Emma, the primary love interest (if that term can be used in a harem novel). She's a bit too sweet, a bit too beautiful, a bit too much all the time. That's not to say she's a Mary Sue, because she isn't, but through the protagonist's eyes she could do no wrong and it was an attitude she seemed to share. I never once bought their relationship through the whole story. In fact, some of the scenes they had together included dialogue that was so cringeworthy I kind of felt a little sick. To make matters worse, this storyline kept taking the opposite path to that which I wanted it to take and I just wasn't sold on it by the end. Enough said on that.
Finally, there was the ending. This is one of those books that revel in the size of the gap between the power levels of the hero and the bad guy. The odds against success are staggeringly overwhelming and as always in this sort of scenario, the author needs to work really hard to sell me on the fact that the protagonist will pull through. There's only so many times David can kill Goliath before people start rolling their eyes and calling shenanigans. Once could be luck, twice is pushing it, but when it becomes the norm it becomes hard to swallow. This book teetered right on the edge of that line for me at the end and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall though this was a book I read in only a couple of sittings and it was a lot of fun. There's a good story here waiting to be told and some characters I am interested in seeing again, so it's 4-stars rounded up from 3.5 and high hopes for the next novel.
As always when reviewing books like this, I feel that I need to point out that the sexual side of the book and the harem theme is clearly not for everyone. It's not remotely realistic and you either need to be okay with that going in or don't bother reading the book. Personally, I see it as a fun over exaggeration for adults, pure escapism, but if you don't feel the same way, this book isn't for you.
Now onto the rest of the book... let's start with what's good.
First of all, it's well written. The story is paced well, it doesn't feel rushed or overly meandering, there are genuinely surprising moments and the underlying story is solid. On top of this, and probably more important in my mind, is that the characters felt like real people within the confines of this novel. By that, I mean that though I don't think they could exist within our world, within the world we have been presented with here, I have no problem believing they could exist and therefore I found it easy to grow attached to them and get invested in their story.
So it's an action-packed novel with lots of humour and decent characters. Now onto the bad (there's not that much, I promise).
The first thing that rubbed me the wrong way was the protagonist at the start of the book. He was just that little bit too pathetic without enough redeeming qualities to make you root for him. It took a long time for me to eventually warm to this character, and that was a shame.
The one character I never warmed to was Emma, the primary love interest (if that term can be used in a harem novel). She's a bit too sweet, a bit too beautiful, a bit too much all the time. That's not to say she's a Mary Sue, because she isn't, but through the protagonist's eyes she could do no wrong and it was an attitude she seemed to share. I never once bought their relationship through the whole story. In fact, some of the scenes they had together included dialogue that was so cringeworthy I kind of felt a little sick. To make matters worse, this storyline kept taking the opposite path to that which I wanted it to take and I just wasn't sold on it by the end. Enough said on that.
Finally, there was the ending. This is one of those books that revel in the size of the gap between the power levels of the hero and the bad guy. The odds against success are staggeringly overwhelming and as always in this sort of scenario, the author needs to work really hard to sell me on the fact that the protagonist will pull through. There's only so many times David can kill Goliath before people start rolling their eyes and calling shenanigans. Once could be luck, twice is pushing it, but when it becomes the norm it becomes hard to swallow. This book teetered right on the edge of that line for me at the end and it left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall though this was a book I read in only a couple of sittings and it was a lot of fun. There's a good story here waiting to be told and some characters I am interested in seeing again, so it's 4-stars rounded up from 3.5 and high hopes for the next novel.
July 22, 2018
A Great First
Well I suppose the old saying is true, there's a first time for everything. With this book marking the first in a new series for Mike Truk, it also marks the first review i have left on a Amazon. And what a first it was. Following the standard trope in which a hero is summoned to another world, it quickly brakes a lot of the old stereotypes, and moves in a different direction. Beginning with the standard weak hero, the character develops quickly when pushed too far and avoids the usual trip fall of the hero being too stupid or pathetic to still be alive. The supporting characters are also strong, with diverse personalities and there own character development. All in all it was a great book, that I highly recommend to those that love fantasy stories about an unlikely hero, forced into impossible odds and overcoming them, and possibly finding love along the way (strong harem aspects). I can't wait for the next book in the series and will be waiting with baited breath for the next instalment in what looks to be an outstanding series.
Well I suppose the old saying is true, there's a first time for everything. With this book marking the first in a new series for Mike Truk, it also marks the first review i have left on a Amazon. And what a first it was. Following the standard trope in which a hero is summoned to another world, it quickly brakes a lot of the old stereotypes, and moves in a different direction. Beginning with the standard weak hero, the character develops quickly when pushed too far and avoids the usual trip fall of the hero being too stupid or pathetic to still be alive. The supporting characters are also strong, with diverse personalities and there own character development. All in all it was a great book, that I highly recommend to those that love fantasy stories about an unlikely hero, forced into impossible odds and overcoming them, and possibly finding love along the way (strong harem aspects). I can't wait for the next book in the series and will be waiting with baited breath for the next instalment in what looks to be an outstanding series.
July 6, 2018
Wow!
Great story Mike! Hope you get the next one out soon! I would be an alpha reader if you would allow it.
Great story Mike! Hope you get the next one out soon! I would be an alpha reader if you would allow it.
December 2, 2018
did not Finnish. I've read better fan fic
I quit this book because the writing was just so damn bad.
I can suck it up if: the premise is novel and interesting, or I'm instantly won over by the characters.
If the author shows insight into the human condition or general knowledge that can't be gained by simply watching television I'll give that book more of a chance. there are people out there with a wealth of life experience who didn't get the best education. a book written by Mr. world smart not book smart can be a rewarding experience.
None of these exemptions were present in the first 3 chapters of the 5 trials. I might pick it back up and try again later.
I quit this book because the writing was just so damn bad.
I can suck it up if: the premise is novel and interesting, or I'm instantly won over by the characters.
If the author shows insight into the human condition or general knowledge that can't be gained by simply watching television I'll give that book more of a chance. there are people out there with a wealth of life experience who didn't get the best education. a book written by Mr. world smart not book smart can be a rewarding experience.
None of these exemptions were present in the first 3 chapters of the 5 trials. I might pick it back up and try again later.
March 10, 2019
Awesome book one of the best series I've had the pleasure of reading in a while.
While loving a woman who is one of the most interesting and beautiful he was thrust int9 a different universe and found out that he was the savior of the universe . They go through a different universe and found out that he was the savior of people with power's that he also finds in himself. He flights to save everyone and himself.
While loving a woman who is one of the most interesting and beautiful he was thrust int9 a different universe and found out that he was the savior of the universe . They go through a different universe and found out that he was the savior of people with power's that he also finds in himself. He flights to save everyone and himself.
July 10, 2018
Good start to a series
The book was pretty decently balanced on how it progressed. Thought author spent way to much time on the torture part. Other than that was a very enjoyable read.
The book was pretty decently balanced on how it progressed. Thought author spent way to much time on the torture part. Other than that was a very enjoyable read.
May 25, 2020
3.5 to 4 Stars, I do like these type of books but they are not for everyone. I look forward to the next book in this series.
Added New
Keep reading if the liked this one, the second books was not as good but the 3rd was great...
Added New
Keep reading if the liked this one, the second books was not as good but the 3rd was great...
July 20, 2021
I don't get it.
Authors tend to write the loser trope when it comes to isekais. The nobody that no one looks twice at has to do the impossible and save the world. Because the loser protagonist trope became the norm, almost every single book, show, movie and anime must follow it. Look, I know this may sound stupid, especially because isekai books are my guilty pleasure, but I dislike it when, I pick up an isekai book, and the protagonist is a pathetic loser. It's uninteresting and leads to a boring and aggravating read.
The loser MC trope mostly works in YA stories. This is due to that demographic being around late teens and early adulthood. In that age range most people are going to be unsure about themselves. Mostly everyone is at their most vulnerable, because they are coming out of school and starting a new. So it is understandable that most people would like to read a story where the protagonist has the same challenges that we all face on a daily basis. With that being said, that same approach doesn't work when you write an adult, fantasy series with excessive violence, sex and darker themes. Adult fantasy stories tend to be more mature hence the protagonist should be written to match. HaremLit books tend to lean more on the adult side. That doesn't mean it's dark fantasy or whatever, is just the overly sexual nature and excessive violence that these books have suggest to me that it's an adult book. So I approach these books with the mind set that this is a story for an adult so I tend to take the story and characters a lot more serious.
In GameLit books, this is one of the most prevalent trope that I see. I know, I just said that I disliked the loser guy trope but, that doesn't mean I absolutely hate it. I think when done good, it can be a way more enjoyable story as we get to see the journey of the nobody essentially becoming a god. This also can be true for books in the HaremLit genre. An example of this type of trope that is done well in this genre is, the American Dragon Series by Aaron Crash. It is not the best book ever written, but the way the author handled the main protagonist was done really well. We have the loser guy that everyone looks down on, and makes fun of, but at no point do we believe that Steven is a loser.
Steven is never shown to be pathetic and I think this is the reason why I tend to hate loser MCs. Authors feel like if they give us a pathetic MC character that we would gravitate to them more. Maybe? Like I said, that might be true in YA stories but for adult stories, it tends to suck. Having to follow a spineless MC who constantly pisses his pants when anything remotely dangerous or scary comes tend to suck out any enjoyment from the story. Also when you have that MC unable to think like and adult and handle anything with any sort of dignity, you instantly lose respect from me.
If I pick up an adult story, (it doesn't matter if it's a erotica book or harem lit, or just a regular fantasy) I expect these characters to be a bit mature in their mannerism. Who wants to read a story where at the first sight of danger the MC pisses himself? Maybe there are people who like that, but for me it makes me disinterested. I don't mind being afraid but the moment you cross that line into cowardice, it is just a turn off. Just because you write a loser character, doesn't mean he has to be pathetic. Writing a pathetic imbecile who is incompetent and weak is not fun to read. Remember this is a story for adults. Writing this type of character for an adult demographic is the single worst thing to do. Let me ask this question who out there liked Noah?
Plus the duality of the this MC is throwing me off. 95% of the time he is a coward who shits himself if he has to face something dangerous or make tough decisions, then 5% of the time he is like an alpha male who does what he wants, when he wants to. If you're writing someone like this, it has to be approach with a bit more finesse or else it would come off as you looking like an idiot. Instantly flipping from one extreme to the other was weird, confusing and stupid.
Then let's talk about the main character. He sucks. No redeeming characteristic, nothing to make him likeable just a FUCKING CUCK. Who is this story for? This is a fucking serious question. To elaborate on my question I need to talk about his character.
Let's talk about what a fucking helpless idiot this character is. Every time this dude is put in a situation with him having to make some tough decisions, or make an action to determine something, he always has to complain about I didn't ask for this. We get it! But why I say he is such an idiot is how he approaches everything. He approaches everything with such fear and unwillingness, I can't help but hate his character. Everything that happens, he complains about him not wanting to be their and then shits himself. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET INVESTED WHEN THE MAIN CHARACTER IS SO UNLIKEABLE?
Look I was born into a hellish life. For most of my life (until I reached 17) I suffered a lot. We barely had food on the table, we were homeless and then lived out of a fucking small garage for 5 years of my life. All the while I had to deal with some seriously fucked up shit, yet at no point did I complain. What good does it do? What does complaining get you, does it solve anything? What good does it do to be frustrated at your life, when the current moment your are in, if you didn't act, you would have lose someone close to you. I know how it feels like to constantly be in situations where you didn't ask to be in the world, but I never complained to anyone, never had a panic attack. You want to know why? I had no one but myself, and if I faltered even for a second, the people I cared for would not be alive. And I had to go through those things as a child and teen.
Look I am not saying I am perfect in anyway. There have been many times that things went wrong and it was my fault. I am no saint, but the premise I am trying to get at is if you are writing a hero, having him constantly complaining and faltering isn't how to set him up. You can have him be scared and whatever but at least give him a backbone. A hero isn't necessarily the strongest person, but the person who stands tall in the face of adversity.
So mister author I ask you this question. Who are you writing this book for? Noah's plight of something constantly not going his way and having to deal with situations should appeal to me right? No, because every time Noah has to deal with something, he faltered and whines and complains like a baby. I am just as awkward as the main character but I never made myself into a pathetic idiot. Trying to setup Noah as some sort of hero is a joke. He is no hero. He isn't even a character worth rooting for. So I iterate, Who is this book for? Who wants to follow the story of a pathetic pussy? Why do authors thing just because he is the protagonist, that writing a weak will, meek, poor excuse for a man that it would mean that we'll root for them. FUCK THIS.
REFUNDED.
P.S
I have no idea why I went on a tirade here. Maybe it's because this is like the 5th adult harem series I picked up and it reads like a middle schooler story that has sex and excessive violence to warrant a mature rating. I don't get why authors insist on writing mature content in the format of a middle schooler book. Hell YA/Middle schooler books handle themes like in this book way better. Rick Riordan anyone. If you want to write a mature story, then write something for adults. Writing as if you believe only horny 16 year old are buying your book is retarded. What adults wants to read about a protagonist constantly complaining, being a coward and fumbling is way to a harem. So again who is this book for?
Authors tend to write the loser trope when it comes to isekais. The nobody that no one looks twice at has to do the impossible and save the world. Because the loser protagonist trope became the norm, almost every single book, show, movie and anime must follow it. Look, I know this may sound stupid, especially because isekai books are my guilty pleasure, but I dislike it when, I pick up an isekai book, and the protagonist is a pathetic loser. It's uninteresting and leads to a boring and aggravating read.
The loser MC trope mostly works in YA stories. This is due to that demographic being around late teens and early adulthood. In that age range most people are going to be unsure about themselves. Mostly everyone is at their most vulnerable, because they are coming out of school and starting a new. So it is understandable that most people would like to read a story where the protagonist has the same challenges that we all face on a daily basis. With that being said, that same approach doesn't work when you write an adult, fantasy series with excessive violence, sex and darker themes. Adult fantasy stories tend to be more mature hence the protagonist should be written to match. HaremLit books tend to lean more on the adult side. That doesn't mean it's dark fantasy or whatever, is just the overly sexual nature and excessive violence that these books have suggest to me that it's an adult book. So I approach these books with the mind set that this is a story for an adult so I tend to take the story and characters a lot more serious.
In GameLit books, this is one of the most prevalent trope that I see. I know, I just said that I disliked the loser guy trope but, that doesn't mean I absolutely hate it. I think when done good, it can be a way more enjoyable story as we get to see the journey of the nobody essentially becoming a god. This also can be true for books in the HaremLit genre. An example of this type of trope that is done well in this genre is, the American Dragon Series by Aaron Crash. It is not the best book ever written, but the way the author handled the main protagonist was done really well. We have the loser guy that everyone looks down on, and makes fun of, but at no point do we believe that Steven is a loser.
Steven is never shown to be pathetic and I think this is the reason why I tend to hate loser MCs. Authors feel like if they give us a pathetic MC character that we would gravitate to them more. Maybe? Like I said, that might be true in YA stories but for adult stories, it tends to suck. Having to follow a spineless MC who constantly pisses his pants when anything remotely dangerous or scary comes tend to suck out any enjoyment from the story. Also when you have that MC unable to think like and adult and handle anything with any sort of dignity, you instantly lose respect from me.
If I pick up an adult story, (it doesn't matter if it's a erotica book or harem lit, or just a regular fantasy) I expect these characters to be a bit mature in their mannerism. Who wants to read a story where at the first sight of danger the MC pisses himself? Maybe there are people who like that, but for me it makes me disinterested. I don't mind being afraid but the moment you cross that line into cowardice, it is just a turn off. Just because you write a loser character, doesn't mean he has to be pathetic. Writing a pathetic imbecile who is incompetent and weak is not fun to read. Remember this is a story for adults. Writing this type of character for an adult demographic is the single worst thing to do. Let me ask this question who out there liked Noah?
Plus the duality of the this MC is throwing me off. 95% of the time he is a coward who shits himself if he has to face something dangerous or make tough decisions, then 5% of the time he is like an alpha male who does what he wants, when he wants to. If you're writing someone like this, it has to be approach with a bit more finesse or else it would come off as you looking like an idiot. Instantly flipping from one extreme to the other was weird, confusing and stupid.
Then let's talk about the main character. He sucks. No redeeming characteristic, nothing to make him likeable just a FUCKING CUCK. Who is this story for? This is a fucking serious question. To elaborate on my question I need to talk about his character.
Let's talk about what a fucking helpless idiot this character is. Every time this dude is put in a situation with him having to make some tough decisions, or make an action to determine something, he always has to complain about I didn't ask for this. We get it! But why I say he is such an idiot is how he approaches everything. He approaches everything with such fear and unwillingness, I can't help but hate his character. Everything that happens, he complains about him not wanting to be their and then shits himself. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET INVESTED WHEN THE MAIN CHARACTER IS SO UNLIKEABLE?
Look I was born into a hellish life. For most of my life (until I reached 17) I suffered a lot. We barely had food on the table, we were homeless and then lived out of a fucking small garage for 5 years of my life. All the while I had to deal with some seriously fucked up shit, yet at no point did I complain. What good does it do? What does complaining get you, does it solve anything? What good does it do to be frustrated at your life, when the current moment your are in, if you didn't act, you would have lose someone close to you. I know how it feels like to constantly be in situations where you didn't ask to be in the world, but I never complained to anyone, never had a panic attack. You want to know why? I had no one but myself, and if I faltered even for a second, the people I cared for would not be alive. And I had to go through those things as a child and teen.
Look I am not saying I am perfect in anyway. There have been many times that things went wrong and it was my fault. I am no saint, but the premise I am trying to get at is if you are writing a hero, having him constantly complaining and faltering isn't how to set him up. You can have him be scared and whatever but at least give him a backbone. A hero isn't necessarily the strongest person, but the person who stands tall in the face of adversity.
So mister author I ask you this question. Who are you writing this book for? Noah's plight of something constantly not going his way and having to deal with situations should appeal to me right? No, because every time Noah has to deal with something, he faltered and whines and complains like a baby. I am just as awkward as the main character but I never made myself into a pathetic idiot. Trying to setup Noah as some sort of hero is a joke. He is no hero. He isn't even a character worth rooting for. So I iterate, Who is this book for? Who wants to follow the story of a pathetic pussy? Why do authors thing just because he is the protagonist, that writing a weak will, meek, poor excuse for a man that it would mean that we'll root for them. FUCK THIS.
REFUNDED.
P.S
I have no idea why I went on a tirade here. Maybe it's because this is like the 5th adult harem series I picked up and it reads like a middle schooler story that has sex and excessive violence to warrant a mature rating. I don't get why authors insist on writing mature content in the format of a middle schooler book. Hell YA/Middle schooler books handle themes like in this book way better. Rick Riordan anyone. If you want to write a mature story, then write something for adults. Writing as if you believe only horny 16 year old are buying your book is retarded. What adults wants to read about a protagonist constantly complaining, being a coward and fumbling is way to a harem. So again who is this book for?
Want to read
September 26, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (9/26/2020)! 🎁
April 19, 2019
My problem is that this is a wishy-washy MC that has what feels like a fever dream to finally bang his childhood crush. It's not immersive and the MC may be "coming-of-age" but the worst parts are where is this nerdy waste of a person is getting constantly hurt and his party is being constantly hurt, and the world has established that there are practitioners of healing arts AND this nerdy D&D loving waste of an MC doesn't find a God Damn HEALER, and I have to listen to chapter after chapter of grit and growth at the cost of utter stupidity and a fixation to bang the hometown girl he couldn't get over.
Also, the sex scenes are written like a mid-twenties frat boy, where hammering every woman results in their absolute pleasure to be the 2x4 that a nail is being driven into.
Indecision is not sexy, pissing one's self is not sexy or endearing, all the MC's strength is taken from an external source and this is a literal fever dream in a sex deprived frat boy's mind.
Also, the sex scenes are written like a mid-twenties frat boy, where hammering every woman results in their absolute pleasure to be the 2x4 that a nail is being driven into.
Indecision is not sexy, pissing one's self is not sexy or endearing, all the MC's strength is taken from an external source and this is a literal fever dream in a sex deprived frat boy's mind.
December 30, 2019
“The Five Trials (Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum #1)” is yet another book I chose because of the amazing hottie on the cover! It’s not lesfic, though, although one of the explicit scenes includes a FFm threesome.
MC Noah has to perform five trials to save the universe, and he needs to “bond” with hot women to grow his powers. So yeah….what was I thinking here? Next time I’ll just admire the cover and move on. 3*
MC Noah has to perform five trials to save the universe, and he needs to “bond” with hot women to grow his powers. So yeah….what was I thinking here? Next time I’ll just admire the cover and move on. 3*
June 6, 2022
Do not believe the summary or warning
This is not for adults, it's for delusional incels with the social skills of a sheltered adolescent boy. It's like a bad Bollywood movie, an edgy teenager, and a cheap 70's porn got thrown in a blinder. The MC is a spineless idiot, every female character is a body pillow with a name, and the story is ridiculous.
Don't get me wrong...This sort of novel has a place. But don't make it sound gritty and adult when it's cringe and juvenile.
This is not for adults, it's for delusional incels with the social skills of a sheltered adolescent boy. It's like a bad Bollywood movie, an edgy teenager, and a cheap 70's porn got thrown in a blinder. The MC is a spineless idiot, every female character is a body pillow with a name, and the story is ridiculous.
Don't get me wrong...This sort of novel has a place. But don't make it sound gritty and adult when it's cringe and juvenile.
July 19, 2018
Main character is pathetic
The premise of this book is interesting. The execution is very poor. The main character is weak, irritating, and unlikable. There are also significant grammar issues and typos.
The premise of this book is interesting. The execution is very poor. The main character is weak, irritating, and unlikable. There are also significant grammar issues and typos.
January 5, 2019
Good hack and slash with harem elements.
March 28, 2019
Wow
I read a ton of books but I couldn't put this one down. Mike you did an amazing job capturing my mind . I need more
I read a ton of books but I couldn't put this one down. Mike you did an amazing job capturing my mind . I need more
June 3, 2020
These types of books can and are often done well, but for me this just wasn't. I didn't like the main character and found him quite irritaing. There were attempts at humour that just fell flat and seemed a little like it was trying to hard, it didn't feel authentic.
I could have gotten past the above, surely the main character would grow somewhat and the writing might have felt better the further along I got. Maybe.
Honestly, it was the inconsistency for me one minute the godlike warrior folk were well-spoken and the next they we're spouting out about fucking. If this was the cosmic bond they were selling I doubt it would be a case of ’yeah just fuck them’.
”Their bond is sacred, and he can only succeed if he chooses well and wisely.”
”I’m also pleased to learn that you have already bonded with Valeria, one of our most dedicated and talented Aspirants. She will make a wise addition to your team.”
To...
”If you can’t find five partners amongst them that you’re willing to fuck, then I don’t know what to tell you.”
Ehhh? It is either a sacred cosmic bond or it it's an unwanted requirement of the bond formation they are willing to partake in to be one if the chosen.
I could list a good ain't if things that in didn't like about this but I don't want to just slate this book because some people will love it.
I decided to stop reading this, it was obvious it wasn't for me at all. I felt it was a little lazily written, the writing wasn't fluid or consistent and I generally didn't like the characters.
I could have gotten past the above, surely the main character would grow somewhat and the writing might have felt better the further along I got. Maybe.
Honestly, it was the inconsistency for me one minute the godlike warrior folk were well-spoken and the next they we're spouting out about fucking. If this was the cosmic bond they were selling I doubt it would be a case of ’yeah just fuck them’.
”Their bond is sacred, and he can only succeed if he chooses well and wisely.”
”I’m also pleased to learn that you have already bonded with Valeria, one of our most dedicated and talented Aspirants. She will make a wise addition to your team.”
To...
”If you can’t find five partners amongst them that you’re willing to fuck, then I don’t know what to tell you.”
Ehhh? It is either a sacred cosmic bond or it it's an unwanted requirement of the bond formation they are willing to partake in to be one if the chosen.
I could list a good ain't if things that in didn't like about this but I don't want to just slate this book because some people will love it.
I decided to stop reading this, it was obvious it wasn't for me at all. I felt it was a little lazily written, the writing wasn't fluid or consistent and I generally didn't like the characters.
September 6, 2021
This is so boring. I really don't know if I can finish an entire book about someone in the friendzone, or worse yet, the Brother-zone.
This is a slog. I think I will finish this book and that will be it for this series.
There is a lot of cringe in here.
The person who recommended this to me said it gets better by the end. No it doesn't. I don't want to read anything else from this series.
1.5/5 Stars
This is a slog. I think I will finish this book and that will be it for this series.
There is a lot of cringe in here.
The person who recommended this to me said it gets better by the end. No it doesn't. I don't want to read anything else from this series.
1.5/5 Stars
January 23, 2022
Interesting
Found this whole book great to read. It was a book that sucked me in and has left me wanting more. Great story with the right mix of ups and downs and emotions
Found this whole book great to read. It was a book that sucked me in and has left me wanting more. Great story with the right mix of ups and downs and emotions
September 29, 2018
It was fine, and I made it thru most of the book, but as it was ending and I realized I had no interest in these characters at all, and wouldn't be reading book 2. So with that, I just stopped reading book one.
The characters were all just flat, and didn't resonate.
The characters were all just flat, and didn't resonate.
April 18, 2019
Ok... I was surprised in many ways.
Let me just start saying that in many reviews I've read people complaining about the main hero being to "human"/"real" an less of a real hero, because he soils himself and actually afraid...
I really don't get it, what's not to like about it?
That's actually one of the things which I actually liked in the book.
What I liked:
1. Realistic main character.
2. Not a bad plot, especially for harem book.
3. pretty funny and fun.
What I disliked:
1. While I'm into women and all, and I understand that the story needs a lot of women, I did not like that the main character took to his trials only women. He needs to save the universe, and thus he needs to pick up all help he can, and he does not even consider men. Let's face it, men usually better fighters than women.
2. Bad sex. Usually it's not a con for me, but in this genre, when we get 5-6 scenes I expect them to be better. At least more diversity. Very bad sex.
It's a strange book...
Not a bad plot (even, good for harem book), but bad sex which supposed to be the main theme.
I'll probably read the next one.
Let me just start saying that in many reviews I've read people complaining about the main hero being to "human"/"real" an less of a real hero, because he soils himself and actually afraid...
I really don't get it, what's not to like about it?
That's actually one of the things which I actually liked in the book.
What I liked:
1. Realistic main character.
2. Not a bad plot, especially for harem book.
3. pretty funny and fun.
What I disliked:
1. While I'm into women and all, and I understand that the story needs a lot of women, I did not like that the main character took to his trials only women. He needs to save the universe, and thus he needs to pick up all help he can, and he does not even consider men. Let's face it, men usually better fighters than women.
2. Bad sex. Usually it's not a con for me, but in this genre, when we get 5-6 scenes I expect them to be better. At least more diversity. Very bad sex.
It's a strange book...
Not a bad plot (even, good for harem book), but bad sex which supposed to be the main theme.
I'll probably read the next one.
June 29, 2020
Really amazing
Loved the slow build-up of relationships and even that some of them quite not expeceted to develop much. All the setting that makes it realistic and buyable. Their disappointment, uncertainty, growing affections, curiosty, distance, distaste to each other are well displayed.
It's also well written as a famtasy adventure. Symbolism is adequately used. Overwhelming challenges make enjoyable tensions. Not filled with too good to be true allies rather quite irritating key helpers.
It's quite dark for my general likes but manageble. Didn't expect it to be that serious-i guessed just one of those silly harem fantasies-but wow really happy surprise.
And all the characters have their own falldowns and they seem to be deeply related to be plot. If so the series is greatly amazing stoy.
I usually enjoy reading stories badass MC but how Noah stands up and grows is so well written that it makes it more enjoyable.
I hope this to be one of my favorite fantasy serieses and expect to join his patreon when I'm done with books so far published.
Keep up the good work I so much cherish the writers who know what to write.
Loved the slow build-up of relationships and even that some of them quite not expeceted to develop much. All the setting that makes it realistic and buyable. Their disappointment, uncertainty, growing affections, curiosty, distance, distaste to each other are well displayed.
It's also well written as a famtasy adventure. Symbolism is adequately used. Overwhelming challenges make enjoyable tensions. Not filled with too good to be true allies rather quite irritating key helpers.
It's quite dark for my general likes but manageble. Didn't expect it to be that serious-i guessed just one of those silly harem fantasies-but wow really happy surprise.
And all the characters have their own falldowns and they seem to be deeply related to be plot. If so the series is greatly amazing stoy.
I usually enjoy reading stories badass MC but how Noah stands up and grows is so well written that it makes it more enjoyable.
I hope this to be one of my favorite fantasy serieses and expect to join his patreon when I'm done with books so far published.
Keep up the good work I so much cherish the writers who know what to write.
May 21, 2020
Review for all 3 (current) books in Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum, ie. Five Trials + Hindering Ones + The Manifold (just got this one):
In my opinion, one of the best series that were published in the past two years.
All 3 books deserve a 5star rating.
The relationship between the main character and his female companions is cleverly despicted.
Major characters have a depth beyond most.
In contrast to most "harem" -quoted, since I would disagree that it adequtely categorizes the series- the MC is not another occurrence of superhero with outstanding powers (along with oversised male attributes!)
The worldbuiding, as well, is original and thought with a lot of attention to detail.
I would highly recommend reading the entire series.
In my opinion, one of the best series that were published in the past two years.
All 3 books deserve a 5star rating.
The relationship between the main character and his female companions is cleverly despicted.
Major characters have a depth beyond most.
In contrast to most "harem" -quoted, since I would disagree that it adequtely categorizes the series- the MC is not another occurrence of superhero with outstanding powers (along with oversised male attributes!)
The worldbuiding, as well, is original and thought with a lot of attention to detail.
I would highly recommend reading the entire series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews