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The Dark Genome #1
Red Light Hero: A Superhero Fantasy
One night with a superpowered babe.
Alan Star thinks he's the luckiest guy in the world, but fantasy turns into nightmare when a late-night meetup with a heroine turns deadly. To the dismay of the powers-in-charge, Alan has stumbled upon the dirty truth behind the squeaky-clean image of the hero business.
Soon, everyone from government black ops to angry superpowered flames want to shut him up. Permanently. With nowhere else to run, Alan escapes to the one place that the heroes won't go: the underground world of a fabled hero-killer. There, he discovers the key to becoming the greatest hero of all.
Alan will have to gain new powers, seduce even more superpowered babes, and face the true menace lurking in the shadows.
Witness the birth of the Red Light Hero.
Warning: This book contains diverse adult situations and possibly unwholesome interactions such as superpowered flings, polyamory, and biology experiments gone wild. This book also contains light gamelit mechanics in the final act.
Alan Star thinks he's the luckiest guy in the world, but fantasy turns into nightmare when a late-night meetup with a heroine turns deadly. To the dismay of the powers-in-charge, Alan has stumbled upon the dirty truth behind the squeaky-clean image of the hero business.
Soon, everyone from government black ops to angry superpowered flames want to shut him up. Permanently. With nowhere else to run, Alan escapes to the one place that the heroes won't go: the underground world of a fabled hero-killer. There, he discovers the key to becoming the greatest hero of all.
Alan will have to gain new powers, seduce even more superpowered babes, and face the true menace lurking in the shadows.
Witness the birth of the Red Light Hero.
Warning: This book contains diverse adult situations and possibly unwholesome interactions such as superpowered flings, polyamory, and biology experiments gone wild. This book also contains light gamelit mechanics in the final act.
348 pages, Paperback
Published December 17, 2018
179 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Kory Shen
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www.koryshen.com
I'm a long-time fan of fantasy, anime, and video games with a special interest in the growing genres of LitRPG and GameLit. In 2018, I left an unsatisfying industry and started writing fiction novels to see if I could reach people in my own way. Whether you're tired, hurting, or just searching for the next good tale, I hope my stories can make you smile and forget your worries for a little while longer.
www.koryshen.com
I'm a long-time fan of fantasy, anime, and video games with a special interest in the growing genres of LitRPG and GameLit. In 2018, I left an unsatisfying industry and started writing fiction novels to see if I could reach people in my own way. Whether you're tired, hurting, or just searching for the next good tale, I hope my stories can make you smile and forget your worries for a little while longer.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 26, 2024
So. Like. It's smutty, sure. But it's more of a sexy superhero novel than pure erotica (to be clear, there is explicit content in this book). It's got superhero type hijinks that can be fun and silly and are everything one would expect from a super story.
The fact is Kory Shen really spent time developing these characters. You can feel it when they speak and in how they act. There is real depth and reasoning in motivations most of the time. Some of the tertiary characters fell a bit flat at times, but the exploration of our main heroes and the secondaries really managed to keep the book well afloat and drive forward an enjoyable read.
I was entertained and excited to keep reading to find out what would happen next. What more could a guy ask for from a book?
The fact is Kory Shen really spent time developing these characters. You can feel it when they speak and in how they act. There is real depth and reasoning in motivations most of the time. Some of the tertiary characters fell a bit flat at times, but the exploration of our main heroes and the secondaries really managed to keep the book well afloat and drive forward an enjoyable read.
I was entertained and excited to keep reading to find out what would happen next. What more could a guy ask for from a book?
December 30, 2018
The writing itself is good, the MC however is a complete wet blanket.
He gets abducted more often than Princess Peach, is more useless than a freezer in the Antarctis and his true super power seems to be being whiny.
Just as anexample. In one case the MC is being held hostage by four supers. He tells them he doesn't want to hurt them, not that he ever could. Even as they're using him as a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot. They're beating him to a pulp, completely trouncing him and he keeps whining how he doesn't want to escalate the situation or hurt these guys. Despite them outright trying to break his back and kill him.
Removing the MC from this book. Would've ended with a four star review from me. He's the single worst thing about the entire book and manages to completely ruin it for me.
He gets abducted more often than Princess Peach, is more useless than a freezer in the Antarctis and his true super power seems to be being whiny.
Just as anexample. In one case the MC is being held hostage by four supers. He tells them he doesn't want to hurt them, not that he ever could. Even as they're using him as a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot. They're beating him to a pulp, completely trouncing him and he keeps whining how he doesn't want to escalate the situation or hurt these guys. Despite them outright trying to break his back and kill him.
Removing the MC from this book. Would've ended with a four star review from me. He's the single worst thing about the entire book and manages to completely ruin it for me.
February 18, 2019
Interestingly hard to describe
First, technical stuff: not bad. Some editing issues, mixed up words, and the usage of non-words like “cummed”, but overall legible without me screaming, cursing, or pulling my hair. Yay!
Story stuff: slow in places, super-whiny in others (sometimes/ often the same places), but interesting world, good characters with realistic reactions (sexually, not so much, but without killing the will to suspend disbelief), a valid so far as my non-biology major self can determine reason for the loads of sex and the harem aspects.
All in all, took me a while to finish because I’d hit those slow spots and read more entertaining stuff but each time I thought about writing it off, I’d give it another shot and it would pick back up. I’ll probably pick up the next book because the world really is pretty nifty and I’m liking Godmother something fierce.
First, technical stuff: not bad. Some editing issues, mixed up words, and the usage of non-words like “cummed”, but overall legible without me screaming, cursing, or pulling my hair. Yay!
Story stuff: slow in places, super-whiny in others (sometimes/ often the same places), but interesting world, good characters with realistic reactions (sexually, not so much, but without killing the will to suspend disbelief), a valid so far as my non-biology major self can determine reason for the loads of sex and the harem aspects.
All in all, took me a while to finish because I’d hit those slow spots and read more entertaining stuff but each time I thought about writing it off, I’d give it another shot and it would pick back up. I’ll probably pick up the next book because the world really is pretty nifty and I’m liking Godmother something fierce.
January 19, 2019
Hero is an unlikable sleazy whiny bitch
This is a smut piece where the author tried to make into a SciFi novel but didn't commit to either of the two. Reading it is annoying and frustrating due to the fact that there is nothing latch onto. Buff dude that likes fucking fucks himself into trouble then gets rescued by super powerful women for no real reason. Stuff happens he becomes OP yada yada. Or at least thats what happens based on the direction it was going when I gave up on it.
This is a smut piece where the author tried to make into a SciFi novel but didn't commit to either of the two. Reading it is annoying and frustrating due to the fact that there is nothing latch onto. Buff dude that likes fucking fucks himself into trouble then gets rescued by super powerful women for no real reason. Stuff happens he becomes OP yada yada. Or at least thats what happens based on the direction it was going when I gave up on it.
December 29, 2018
Pretty terrible
I quit the first time around 50% but talked myself in to try again and made it to 60% but I just couldn't keep going. The main character is such a waste of space and every other character in the book is a train wreck. I can't read books where there are no redeemable characters and the only non terrible character is a weak willed push over with 0 impulse control and the common sense of a 2yr old
I quit the first time around 50% but talked myself in to try again and made it to 60% but I just couldn't keep going. The main character is such a waste of space and every other character in the book is a train wreck. I can't read books where there are no redeemable characters and the only non terrible character is a weak willed push over with 0 impulse control and the common sense of a 2yr old
March 20, 2020
Interesting books
What do they say " power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely " . I like this take on the story of becoming a "superhero". It shows something real I think. Very few people are black and white. Most of us are just varying shades of grey. And that is about as real as you can get in my opinion. I enjoyed this book. As well as the others this author has written. I look forward to reading more of his work.
What do they say " power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely " . I like this take on the story of becoming a "superhero". It shows something real I think. Very few people are black and white. Most of us are just varying shades of grey. And that is about as real as you can get in my opinion. I enjoyed this book. As well as the others this author has written. I look forward to reading more of his work.
April 13, 2023
Superpower transmission through sex -and you have to keep sex with your "sponsor" to keep the powers. The resulting heroes are everything but heroes.
The MC doesn't come over very bright. Most things are not explained, even the characters does not really ask why they do what they do. there is a big lawless area - why should states tolerate that? The sex scenes are not very good too.
The theme sound intersting but i think there is room for improveent.
The MC doesn't come over very bright. Most things are not explained, even the characters does not really ask why they do what they do. there is a big lawless area - why should states tolerate that? The sex scenes are not very good too.
The theme sound intersting but i think there is room for improveent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2018
Good first book
Good intro book.
It was an interesting superhero book and really liked the characters in general. My favorite girl was Violet.
The only thing I did not like sometimes was that the MC's reluctance to not kill his enemies in battle and some of his stupid actions.
Will give the book the next book a try if it comes out.
Good intro book.
It was an interesting superhero book and really liked the characters in general. My favorite girl was Violet.
The only thing I did not like sometimes was that the MC's reluctance to not kill his enemies in battle and some of his stupid actions.
Will give the book the next book a try if it comes out.
January 9, 2019
Red light
This was not a bad book. It just was not a great book. It took me a maybe a quarter of it before I really started getting into it. I think many people will like this book they just need to give it a chance. I would have given a higher rating if it had started a little faster.
This was not a bad book. It just was not a great book. It took me a maybe a quarter of it before I really started getting into it. I think many people will like this book they just need to give it a chance. I would have given a higher rating if it had started a little faster.
December 28, 2018
Excellent read
Very much enjoyed this adult super hero story that was exceptionally well written with a great plot, excellent characters and a great mix of action and adult content. Looking forward to the next one.
Very much enjoyed this adult super hero story that was exceptionally well written with a great plot, excellent characters and a great mix of action and adult content. Looking forward to the next one.
March 3, 2019
An interesting spin
Quite a few books you read, you know the ending before the end of chapter one. This one was a surprise in that regard.
An enjoyable read and a different approach.
Quite a few books you read, you know the ending before the end of chapter one. This one was a surprise in that regard.
An enjoyable read and a different approach.
June 15, 2021
A good entertaining read, Overall impression, is that it is a book setting the scene for a series. Characters still need some developing and loose ends that need tidying up. Looking forward to book two.
December 28, 2018
Great
This was very interesting. I loved the dark side of superheroes. Great inclusion of sex. I can't wait for the next one.
This was very interesting. I loved the dark side of superheroes. Great inclusion of sex. I can't wait for the next one.
April 30, 2020
Excellent
A very interesting twist on the whole "Super" hero idea!!! Great action, well written and just a blast to read!!!
A very interesting twist on the whole "Super" hero idea!!! Great action, well written and just a blast to read!!!
December 28, 2020
Great read
Had a blast reading this story I really enjoyed this original take on the superhero trope it’s a fun read from beginning to end!
Had a blast reading this story I really enjoyed this original take on the superhero trope it’s a fun read from beginning to end!
October 14, 2019
Great read
Hero or villain? It is all in the perception.this book captures the question.I really enjoyed the dichotomy involved in this book.
Hero or villain? It is all in the perception.this book captures the question.I really enjoyed the dichotomy involved in this book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews