What do you think?
Rate this book
Master of All #1
Branded
What would you do if you found yourself in a hidden world full of magic and danger? And what if there were a cabal of foul sorcerers enslaving the world? Well, you would fight back, free the slaves, and lead a rebellion to freedom.
When William Tyler's father reveals this secret world to him on his death bed, that's exactly what he plans to do. Gaining the power of an ancient magical brand and recruited by a desperate village under attack by slavers, he has one chance to save the Land Below.
But it won't be easy. To stop the vile wizards, William will have to break their mind control of legions of monster-girl warriors, reunite the scattered people, and destroy their instruments of slavery.
You know what they say, if you want to make a freedom omelet, you might have to break a few slavers.
Please Note: This novel contains a harem and adult situations. You have been warned.
When William Tyler's father reveals this secret world to him on his death bed, that's exactly what he plans to do. Gaining the power of an ancient magical brand and recruited by a desperate village under attack by slavers, he has one chance to save the Land Below.
But it won't be easy. To stop the vile wizards, William will have to break their mind control of legions of monster-girl warriors, reunite the scattered people, and destroy their instruments of slavery.
You know what they say, if you want to make a freedom omelet, you might have to break a few slavers.
Please Note: This novel contains a harem and adult situations. You have been warned.
Audible Audio
Published February 25, 2020
707 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Simon Archer
123 books225 followersLibrarian Note: There are multiple authors by this name in the Goodreads database. This profile may contain works from multiple authors.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
Read
July 18, 2019I couldn't finish this story as I felt that it wasn't worth the read and boring
July 28, 2019
Absolutely Delightful
What an amazing and delightful highly polished story this! Yes, it follows some common HaremLit standards, but it does so with panache. It takes the grand adventure elements from movies like “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, then adds in the upbeat and good-natured swagger from Errol Flynn movies like “Robin Hood”, or “Captain Blood”. It does this with really decent characters, stunning environments, good plot,and fair editing. If you like a fun adventure, then here you go. Delightful: I can’t wait to read more.
Definitely recommended (16+)
What an amazing and delightful highly polished story this! Yes, it follows some common HaremLit standards, but it does so with panache. It takes the grand adventure elements from movies like “Raiders of the Lost Ark”, then adds in the upbeat and good-natured swagger from Errol Flynn movies like “Robin Hood”, or “Captain Blood”. It does this with really decent characters, stunning environments, good plot,and fair editing. If you like a fun adventure, then here you go. Delightful: I can’t wait to read more.
Definitely recommended (16+)
August 4, 2019
My biggest complaint about this book is the secondary characters, Reggie in particular being a walking stereotype of an upper-crust Englishman. I really don't know the author's background, but from this alone I have to assume he's never met enough Brits to have a clue how someone from this century (even if he's older) would actually talk.
It's ok, but pretty by-the-numbers as a saviour/harem book with nothing particularly special about it. It gets a solid "meh" from me for a recommendation.
It's ok, but pretty by-the-numbers as a saviour/harem book with nothing particularly special about it. It gets a solid "meh" from me for a recommendation.
August 3, 2020
I can see why others didn't like it, but I did
A fun little story stitched together out of cliches and tropes. There is sex but it mostly fades to black. The MC has a magic branding iron, but his main power is motivational speeches. I liked this one because the MC is good guy who wants to do right and doesn't care about getting rich, amassing power, or building a personal empire. how refreshing.
EDIT: I reread this 8/2020 and I liked it more the second time. I'm kickin' it up a star for standing up to a rereading which I didn't think it could bare.
Also let me say, I didn't want to read this book the first time because I thought it would be the worst kind of misogynistic garbage. The book is called "Branded" for Christ's sake. the blurb on the back says "Defeat slavers. Take their monster girls." I expected this book could have been just as easily titled the "the joy of subjugating women" but I was wrong. The domination certainly is present in the fictional world, both of women and entire peoples, but the MC is definitely no thug and seeks no profit from setting people free. (Sigh- Yes all the sexy monster girls choose to stay with him him and have hot monster sex with him after he frees them. but he definitely lets them know they are under no obligation, and he wants partners not subjects.) Just in case that was a fear you had about this book like I did before I tried it.
'"
A fun little story stitched together out of cliches and tropes. There is sex but it mostly fades to black. The MC has a magic branding iron, but his main power is motivational speeches. I liked this one because the MC is good guy who wants to do right and doesn't care about getting rich, amassing power, or building a personal empire. how refreshing.
EDIT: I reread this 8/2020 and I liked it more the second time. I'm kickin' it up a star for standing up to a rereading which I didn't think it could bare.
Also let me say, I didn't want to read this book the first time because I thought it would be the worst kind of misogynistic garbage. The book is called "Branded" for Christ's sake. the blurb on the back says "Defeat slavers. Take their monster girls." I expected this book could have been just as easily titled the "the joy of subjugating women" but I was wrong. The domination certainly is present in the fictional world, both of women and entire peoples, but the MC is definitely no thug and seeks no profit from setting people free. (Sigh- Yes all the sexy monster girls choose to stay with him him and have hot monster sex with him after he frees them. but he definitely lets them know they are under no obligation, and he wants partners not subjects.) Just in case that was a fear you had about this book like I did before I tried it.
'"
November 20, 2020
dnf.
It's your generic, bland, "smart, because the author said so" OP MC with a generic harem full of one dimensional women. Also, the sex hits the missionary, in a dark room, with clothes on level of unimaginative, which makes it more tiring and unnecessary, than exciting. And don't get me started on the British dude. He's just ridiculous.
It's pretty bad. I'm doubly disappointed, since I was hoping for my first good book in the monster girl genre.
It's your generic, bland, "smart, because the author said so" OP MC with a generic harem full of one dimensional women. Also, the sex hits the missionary, in a dark room, with clothes on level of unimaginative, which makes it more tiring and unnecessary, than exciting. And don't get me started on the British dude. He's just ridiculous.
It's pretty bad. I'm doubly disappointed, since I was hoping for my first good book in the monster girl genre.
August 24, 2020
Main character is too sure of himself. Would have been more interesting if he would be more hesitant in an entirely alien world.
June 21, 2022
Having read another one of Simon Archer's books, the difference between that and this one was night and day. Still first person haremlit, this one is written with more overt prose rather than the relaxed readability of a casual protagonist. Here's a paragrah to give an example:
The clearing we were sprawled out in was ringed by a primeval forest that was both familiar and strange in one go. The trees were, well, obviously trees; bark, branches, leaves and all that, but the shapes and colors ran a range that was... unearthly. Some familiar looking ones could've passed for oaks or maples, but other leaves ran the colors of the rainbow, shimmering like steel. One gnarled oak straight ahead looked more as if it had been cast from bronze than simply grown, with curled leaves that resembled arrow heads in shape and, judging by the gleam of their edges, perhaps function.
While that's clearly setting description, that tone and detail is used for other things on a smaller scale. The writing feels far more on par with other fantasy novels.
That said the situation and characters are still fairly generic enough, no surprises there, but I was none the less impressed with the writing.
The clearing we were sprawled out in was ringed by a primeval forest that was both familiar and strange in one go. The trees were, well, obviously trees; bark, branches, leaves and all that, but the shapes and colors ran a range that was... unearthly. Some familiar looking ones could've passed for oaks or maples, but other leaves ran the colors of the rainbow, shimmering like steel. One gnarled oak straight ahead looked more as if it had been cast from bronze than simply grown, with curled leaves that resembled arrow heads in shape and, judging by the gleam of their edges, perhaps function.
While that's clearly setting description, that tone and detail is used for other things on a smaller scale. The writing feels far more on par with other fantasy novels.
That said the situation and characters are still fairly generic enough, no surprises there, but I was none the less impressed with the writing.
April 14, 2025
To any other audiobook listeners, skip this series. While it's interesting someone thought having each chapter read bouncing between the two narrators was a smart idea. So when you hear the main character talk it could be two difference voices (the male doing his voice then the female trying to copy it). Why would that be a smart decision? One chapter into listening to the change and I'm lost because I can't recognize off hand who's speaking.
If you want the two narrators to each get chances to read that's a good idea, but keeping consistency is super important to a listener.
If you want the two narrators to each get chances to read that's a good idea, but keeping consistency is super important to a listener.
February 20, 2022
This was a DNF for me.
Its a very cliche white saviour complex story and i just couldn't continue past chapter 4.
The MC is amazing at everything cause his rich daddy paid and prepared him to become a slaver but a nice slaver not a mean one. He saves the hot women who instantly fall for him and I bet he'll never face any real struggles.
I just cannot stand this and won't bother reading anymore. A sad male power fantasy through a portal.
Its a very cliche white saviour complex story and i just couldn't continue past chapter 4.
The MC is amazing at everything cause his rich daddy paid and prepared him to become a slaver but a nice slaver not a mean one. He saves the hot women who instantly fall for him and I bet he'll never face any real struggles.
I just cannot stand this and won't bother reading anymore. A sad male power fantasy through a portal.
February 14, 2023
Man, I hate this but I really, really didn’t enjoy this book. I totally wanted to. The premise was spectacular, and I was down for a monster girl harem portal “thing”, but no, nope, notta! This was very bland, and to be honest I got the audible version which had two narrators (male and female) and it sounded like the guy did most of not all the characters. There was only one distinctive female voice and I heard it like twice.
Just..a miss for me.
Just..a miss for me.
August 13, 2020
2.5 to maybe 3 stars I guess. It was okay at times but pretty standard and too easy at times. pretty simple story of this time and not much for it to really stand out of from other stories of the same type.
I don't think I will continue the series but I still my look for other books by this author as it was not all bad and I do like these type of books.
I don't think I will continue the series but I still my look for other books by this author as it was not all bad and I do like these type of books.
October 28, 2020
Very good book
This is one of the most unique RPG style stories that I've read. As the Brand premise. Is unlike any other storyline I've read. Also though I can figure out how William will make love to the Dragoness. How he'll do it with the sphinx is not entirely clear. Great story so far though.
This is one of the most unique RPG style stories that I've read. As the Brand premise. Is unlike any other storyline I've read. Also though I can figure out how William will make love to the Dragoness. How he'll do it with the sphinx is not entirely clear. Great story so far though.
May 1, 2021
It's an interesting start that does invite returning to and going on the series. The world is interesting as is the story, but the characters we spend the most time with, at least on an initial readthrough, aren't all that engaging. I'll have to reread later to see if I feel the same way.
July 5, 2022
3.5/5
Lots of monster girls, pretty man saving all around him, cute kitten girls, and Sir Reggie my favorite character. I feel as if this should've been a graphic novel as the book itself was completely rushed. Overall, it was a decent read.
Lots of monster girls, pretty man saving all around him, cute kitten girls, and Sir Reggie my favorite character. I feel as if this should've been a graphic novel as the book itself was completely rushed. Overall, it was a decent read.
April 5, 2025
Isekai, harem. The story was a quick and straightforward adventure story. Not sure how I feel about branding being the magic system, specifically the branding of Freedom. Still I enjoyed it enough to try out the next one.
April 16, 2025
Story: 3.5/5 🌟
plot/spice%: 95/5 🔥
spice quality: 2/5 🌶
An entertaining adventure story, narrated in Dual by JF Harding and Andrea Parsneau. It's a trilogy, but it was a cool listen on the first book. I haven't read a male harem in a while, so it was ok.
plot/spice%: 95/5 🔥
spice quality: 2/5 🌶
An entertaining adventure story, narrated in Dual by JF Harding and Andrea Parsneau. It's a trilogy, but it was a cool listen on the first book. I haven't read a male harem in a while, so it was ok.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2020
Excellent read!!!!!
This was an excellent story with plenty of background and detail and the story was very well told and I can’t wait to read the sequel!!!!!
This was an excellent story with plenty of background and detail and the story was very well told and I can’t wait to read the sequel!!!!!
February 1, 2020
Enjoyable
Not bad. Pretty creative. Enjoyable to read. Started a little slow, but picked up momentum as it went on and had a good ending. A little predictable though.
Not bad. Pretty creative. Enjoyable to read. Started a little slow, but picked up momentum as it went on and had a good ending. A little predictable though.
April 9, 2020
Another excellent series by Simon Archer!! Can’t wait to get into book 2!!!
April 15, 2020
Excellent!!!
I really enjoyed the idea and the characters. I am looking for to reading the next on in the series.
I really enjoyed the idea and the characters. I am looking for to reading the next on in the series.
March 25, 2021
Everyone was so very bad-ass... and totally boring.
August 10, 2021
Mediocre writing at best, a blight on the landscape of fantasy writing.
October 17, 2021
I DNF'd this. I got sick of hearing about the fine cleavage and wonderful female form and so much innuendo.
November 20, 2021
I give it 9 out of 10, in a way I think this was too short of a story. I am going to prob get the other two books just to hear the ending.
December 23, 2021
DNF
Couldn’t get through it….endless dialogue with very little action. I couldn’t understand the concepts of “branding”.
Couldn’t get through it….endless dialogue with very little action. I couldn’t understand the concepts of “branding”.
Read
May 17, 2022Ngl, almost dnfd
May 23, 2022
Very Cliché book with over the top Savior tropes that made me cringe. lol
October 12, 2022
9 Oh my. This is a perfect case of judging a book by its cover. This is really adolescent in style and plot. Not much more I can say. Unable to recommend to the normal crew.
December 9, 2022
Not for me...
December 15, 2022
2.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews