What do you think?
Rate this book
The Honor of Duty
Phillip had spent his life living by his mother’s code of honor. One she had instilled in not just him but her household staff, her soldiers under her command as a general, and all his siblings.
One that called to the familial bonds and the importance of putting those above all else. Second only to the land and the crown.
If he was being honest with himself, Phillip valued that code of honor. It was something the Curis family was known for. An honorable military family led by a Duchess, Phillip’s grandmother.
That code, the honor of duty, is about to be tested in Phillip.
He and it will be put through the forge of conflict and forced to become either hardened, or terribly brittle.
On the day of his formal marriage agreement, Phillip’s family is called to war.
What would have been a celebration now turns to a swift goodbye as his family rolls into action. Sharpening swords, mending armor, and readying horses to fight for the queen.
Being sent off quickly as there was no time to waste.
Now Phillip will need to adapt to his new in-laws and family members, a mercantile family of great worth but no noble standing. Their marriage to him will rise them up to the lowest strata of the nobility, but still nobility.
At the same time, Phillip will have to navigate through the murky political waters of the new city he’ll now call home. As well as fight to carve out a role for himself that fits his desire.
All while hopefully growing to understand his wife - whom he had only just met. A young woman his own age named Alice.
Cunning and bright, she’s nearly ready to take over the family mercantile business as a whole.
Armed with his intelligence, his uncanny ability to read people, and his stubborn nature, Phillip has to become his own man, and define how his code will fit in his new life.
Regardless of what anyone else wants of him.
Warning and minor spoiler: This novel contains graphic violence, undefined relationships/harem, unconventional opinions/beliefs, and a hero who is as tactful as a dog at a cat show. Read at your own risk.
One that called to the familial bonds and the importance of putting those above all else. Second only to the land and the crown.
If he was being honest with himself, Phillip valued that code of honor. It was something the Curis family was known for. An honorable military family led by a Duchess, Phillip’s grandmother.
That code, the honor of duty, is about to be tested in Phillip.
He and it will be put through the forge of conflict and forced to become either hardened, or terribly brittle.
On the day of his formal marriage agreement, Phillip’s family is called to war.
What would have been a celebration now turns to a swift goodbye as his family rolls into action. Sharpening swords, mending armor, and readying horses to fight for the queen.
Being sent off quickly as there was no time to waste.
Now Phillip will need to adapt to his new in-laws and family members, a mercantile family of great worth but no noble standing. Their marriage to him will rise them up to the lowest strata of the nobility, but still nobility.
At the same time, Phillip will have to navigate through the murky political waters of the new city he’ll now call home. As well as fight to carve out a role for himself that fits his desire.
All while hopefully growing to understand his wife - whom he had only just met. A young woman his own age named Alice.
Cunning and bright, she’s nearly ready to take over the family mercantile business as a whole.
Armed with his intelligence, his uncanny ability to read people, and his stubborn nature, Phillip has to become his own man, and define how his code will fit in his new life.
Regardless of what anyone else wants of him.
Warning and minor spoiler: This novel contains graphic violence, undefined relationships/harem, unconventional opinions/beliefs, and a hero who is as tactful as a dog at a cat show. Read at your own risk.
359 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2020
285 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
October 17, 2021
I am absolutely astonished by the good reviews for this book. For the life of me, I can not figure out who the target audience is for this novel.
It is the story of a young woman called Philip, who has been sent off into an arranged marriage with a mercantile family, and is set in a medieval society. This young woman is determined to be a good wife and is very intelligent, so she happens to be good at making money. However, her new husband won’t see what a hidden gem his new wife actually is and takes her for granted.
Thanks to the flirty dialogue and the focus on this young woman who just wants to be a good wife, this feels like it belongs on a shelf with Mills & Boon novels... only, for some reason, the author switched the pronouns around in this novel and is selling it to men in a sub-genre where the readers tend to go for male power fantasies.
Other reviews talk about this book exploring the idea of switching gender roles, but that is incorrect. The author has literally just switched the pronouns of the characters, so men are now called women and women are now called men. The ‘women’ in this book are bigger, stronger, more dominant, more interested in sex, fight in wars, are the main decision-makers of this society, and expect the ‘men’ to be subservient to them. The ‘men’ on the other hand, are smaller, weaker, are only interested in being good ‘husbands’, and have dreams and goals that are the old-school stereotype of femininity. The main character literally throws a tea party in one of the early chapters of the book because he is desperately trying to show his wife what a good husband he is.
In fact, if the pronouns hadn’t been switched, I’m sure this book would be quite insulting for how closely the protagonist sticks to the old-fashioned stereotype of the underappreciated housewife.
The switch is so complete that within a few chapters, my mind started swapping out the pronouns for the characters and I started seeing the men as women and the women as men. Once I started doing that, suddenly I realised I was reading a story written for young women and wondered why I even opened this book.
If someone told me that this was actually a story previously published as women’s literature and the author had just switched the pronouns, I wouldn’t be surprised. This is not the book you should be selling to an audience looking for stories written for adult men... Only, I must be wrong about that judging by all the great reviews this book has on this site.
I just don’t get it.
If this book was about exploring the concept of a man in a matriarchal society where the men still acted like men and the women still acted like women, but history had unfolded in a way that the genders had adopted different roles in society, then that might make for an interesting read as it at least would be exploring new ideas. But this just felt like badly written feminist fiction with a twist.
Normally when I review a book that I am not the target audience for, I try to give some leeway to the novel, as I feel it’s unfair to judge it too harshly when it wasn’t really written for me. Considering the work this author has put out under his other pen names though and the fantasy sub-genre this book exists in, I can’t give this book the benefit of the doubt this time and I can’t give it any more than 1 very disappointing star.
It is the story of a young woman called Philip, who has been sent off into an arranged marriage with a mercantile family, and is set in a medieval society. This young woman is determined to be a good wife and is very intelligent, so she happens to be good at making money. However, her new husband won’t see what a hidden gem his new wife actually is and takes her for granted.
Thanks to the flirty dialogue and the focus on this young woman who just wants to be a good wife, this feels like it belongs on a shelf with Mills & Boon novels... only, for some reason, the author switched the pronouns around in this novel and is selling it to men in a sub-genre where the readers tend to go for male power fantasies.
Other reviews talk about this book exploring the idea of switching gender roles, but that is incorrect. The author has literally just switched the pronouns of the characters, so men are now called women and women are now called men. The ‘women’ in this book are bigger, stronger, more dominant, more interested in sex, fight in wars, are the main decision-makers of this society, and expect the ‘men’ to be subservient to them. The ‘men’ on the other hand, are smaller, weaker, are only interested in being good ‘husbands’, and have dreams and goals that are the old-school stereotype of femininity. The main character literally throws a tea party in one of the early chapters of the book because he is desperately trying to show his wife what a good husband he is.
In fact, if the pronouns hadn’t been switched, I’m sure this book would be quite insulting for how closely the protagonist sticks to the old-fashioned stereotype of the underappreciated housewife.
The switch is so complete that within a few chapters, my mind started swapping out the pronouns for the characters and I started seeing the men as women and the women as men. Once I started doing that, suddenly I realised I was reading a story written for young women and wondered why I even opened this book.
If someone told me that this was actually a story previously published as women’s literature and the author had just switched the pronouns, I wouldn’t be surprised. This is not the book you should be selling to an audience looking for stories written for adult men... Only, I must be wrong about that judging by all the great reviews this book has on this site.
I just don’t get it.
If this book was about exploring the concept of a man in a matriarchal society where the men still acted like men and the women still acted like women, but history had unfolded in a way that the genders had adopted different roles in society, then that might make for an interesting read as it at least would be exploring new ideas. But this just felt like badly written feminist fiction with a twist.
Normally when I review a book that I am not the target audience for, I try to give some leeway to the novel, as I feel it’s unfair to judge it too harshly when it wasn’t really written for me. Considering the work this author has put out under his other pen names though and the fantasy sub-genre this book exists in, I can’t give this book the benefit of the doubt this time and I can’t give it any more than 1 very disappointing star.
December 15, 2020
Disappointing
This has a lot of potential. The turn around of a classic male dominated aristocracy combined with a smart, disciplined, perceptive main character provides endless possibility. None of which is realized. The description of the main character is just flat out wrong. The others act in ways that work for parts of the story but have no continuity leaving them feeling broken and unbelievable. The entire plot never settles into a story you can sink your teeth into. It feels like three ideas that are bounced back and forth that the author can not before between. I kept going hoping it would coalesce into a good book but that never happened. The whole thing was a waste.
This has a lot of potential. The turn around of a classic male dominated aristocracy combined with a smart, disciplined, perceptive main character provides endless possibility. None of which is realized. The description of the main character is just flat out wrong. The others act in ways that work for parts of the story but have no continuity leaving them feeling broken and unbelievable. The entire plot never settles into a story you can sink your teeth into. It feels like three ideas that are bounced back and forth that the author can not before between. I kept going hoping it would coalesce into a good book but that never happened. The whole thing was a waste.
December 9, 2020
Another great book
This is absolutely not the kind of book I would normally go for, but considering who wrote it, and how much I've enjoyed everything else by him, there's no way I wasn't going to read it.
It's definitely not like any of his other books, but I still loved it. There's no magic, no powers, nearly no fighting, but there is so much drama, and the drama is so well done, that it's still a joy to read.
The characters, the plot, the pacing are all excellent and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
This is absolutely not the kind of book I would normally go for, but considering who wrote it, and how much I've enjoyed everything else by him, there's no way I wasn't going to read it.
It's definitely not like any of his other books, but I still loved it. There's no magic, no powers, nearly no fighting, but there is so much drama, and the drama is so well done, that it's still a joy to read.
The characters, the plot, the pacing are all excellent and I look forward to seeing where it goes.
December 12, 2020
An extremely...
TLDR: Gender role reversal of a generic medieval setting light on details with decent characters.
An extremely ham handed commentary on medieval sexism coached in the terms of a fantasy novel. Really don't think this qualifies as historical fiction but sure the characters are decent, story is fairly generic though the implied and aforementioned commentary overshadows everything and quite often isn't backed up by any kind of actual "this is how things actually were in medieval times". Far more political commentary in a gimmicky setting than fantasy or historical fiction. Read the authors other works under their other pen name and quite sad this is the direction they decided to go with writing.
TLDR: Gender role reversal of a generic medieval setting light on details with decent characters.
An extremely ham handed commentary on medieval sexism coached in the terms of a fantasy novel. Really don't think this qualifies as historical fiction but sure the characters are decent, story is fairly generic though the implied and aforementioned commentary overshadows everything and quite often isn't backed up by any kind of actual "this is how things actually were in medieval times". Far more political commentary in a gimmicky setting than fantasy or historical fiction. Read the authors other works under their other pen name and quite sad this is the direction they decided to go with writing.
December 8, 2020
Mildly smutty, very flirty, and best of all standalone.
What a romp this was. A quick read that is killingly funny in places, saucy in others, and with very self aware nsfw bits that are mostly comic, but also sweet. Our hero has quite the dilemma by the end of the tail. We even end on an acceptably stable cliff. Looking forward to the sequel but not unsettled. Well done. Hopefully this remains true to itself, instead of suborned into something larger.
What a romp this was. A quick read that is killingly funny in places, saucy in others, and with very self aware nsfw bits that are mostly comic, but also sweet. Our hero has quite the dilemma by the end of the tail. We even end on an acceptably stable cliff. Looking forward to the sequel but not unsettled. Well done. Hopefully this remains true to itself, instead of suborned into something larger.
July 13, 2023
At 53% mark I just say, no more.
So... the book is a gender role reversal romantic series, where Phillip enters a loveless marriage, he gets fed up and 3 other women (the best friend of her wife Alice, his bodyguard, and her wife's sister) want them and he is thorn between his duty as a husband and his desire to have a loveful marriage.
Thats the story.
It's not a bad premise, but the plot, the characters, and the world are so barebones that one can barely keep reading. The society is medieval, I guess, but it's such an indifferent middle age Europe that I legit didn't realize it was that until like page 80, and that was because I read the blurb. You know nothing of the nation, of its economy and social hierarchy beyond that there is a Queen, a Duchess, and commoners; which is not good because 1/3 of the entire tension of the story is about social classes and the expectations among nobility and marriage. But since you know fuck all, the only thing tells you there are stakes is that Phillip is a whore for the time setting and a bought husband is bad.
The other problem is that there are no antagonist and no obstacles for Phillip in any way. As a gender reversal, it state that husband are propiety of the wifes and having a man in a job is unthinkable (we know this because a shopkeeper or manager is rude to Phillip). But in less than a month, with a single decision, Phillip is multimillionare. So that goes out of the bag, he is economically free and set for life and all his decisions are money-makers. I would not be surprised if he became the richest man in the entire continent by the end of the book. So that gender hurdle was not even in the horizon.
He is also coded with very masculine traits to know that he is worth it. He fucked before marriage with her intended and one of her mother's attendants and is a god in bed. He is assertive, dominant in his relationships and so charismatic that he oozes sexual desire through his pores. In fact, this is a problem, because in all the romance (and the book is all romance), the women act in the same way as if it was a patriarchal society. They are shy, they constantly blush and giggle, and they are virginal. Sure they hunt him and are flirty, but become wet towels the moment things get serious and that's not bad for a romance, but why is then Phillip so good at handling them since he is supposed to be sheltered and demure? Also, they are constantly being described through their looks (and boy are they cute and adorable) and wear dresses (how scandalous to wear pants), and makeup is so important, and get very preoccupied by their weight and they have all the hallmarks of a generic love interest who just so happen are into economics (and thats the entire premise of their skills, economics. What branch of economics? The one that makes contracts and money and is mercantile. Yes its as shallow as that)
The only gender reversal Phillip has is that he wants to host tea parties (he cannot cook) and he can be bought as a husband.
So in the gender reversal its barely there. Just some throwaway lines here and there. It could be interesting and thats the problem with this book.
Its half-assed.
The setting is half-assed. The characters are half-assed. The romance is half-assed. The flirting is half-assed (since I got the audiobook, you get a giggle or a chuckle every 3 lines to indicate dalliances and its grating). The economics, which is Phillip's main worth is half-assed.
For all its many, many, MANY PROBLEMS, at least Brother's price actually tried to make a matriarchal society be noteworthy.
So... the book is a gender role reversal romantic series, where Phillip enters a loveless marriage, he gets fed up and 3 other women (the best friend of her wife Alice, his bodyguard, and her wife's sister) want them and he is thorn between his duty as a husband and his desire to have a loveful marriage.
Thats the story.
It's not a bad premise, but the plot, the characters, and the world are so barebones that one can barely keep reading. The society is medieval, I guess, but it's such an indifferent middle age Europe that I legit didn't realize it was that until like page 80, and that was because I read the blurb. You know nothing of the nation, of its economy and social hierarchy beyond that there is a Queen, a Duchess, and commoners; which is not good because 1/3 of the entire tension of the story is about social classes and the expectations among nobility and marriage. But since you know fuck all, the only thing tells you there are stakes is that Phillip is a whore for the time setting and a bought husband is bad.
The other problem is that there are no antagonist and no obstacles for Phillip in any way. As a gender reversal, it state that husband are propiety of the wifes and having a man in a job is unthinkable (we know this because a shopkeeper or manager is rude to Phillip). But in less than a month, with a single decision, Phillip is multimillionare. So that goes out of the bag, he is economically free and set for life and all his decisions are money-makers. I would not be surprised if he became the richest man in the entire continent by the end of the book. So that gender hurdle was not even in the horizon.
He is also coded with very masculine traits to know that he is worth it. He fucked before marriage with her intended and one of her mother's attendants and is a god in bed. He is assertive, dominant in his relationships and so charismatic that he oozes sexual desire through his pores. In fact, this is a problem, because in all the romance (and the book is all romance), the women act in the same way as if it was a patriarchal society. They are shy, they constantly blush and giggle, and they are virginal. Sure they hunt him and are flirty, but become wet towels the moment things get serious and that's not bad for a romance, but why is then Phillip so good at handling them since he is supposed to be sheltered and demure? Also, they are constantly being described through their looks (and boy are they cute and adorable) and wear dresses (how scandalous to wear pants), and makeup is so important, and get very preoccupied by their weight and they have all the hallmarks of a generic love interest who just so happen are into economics (and thats the entire premise of their skills, economics. What branch of economics? The one that makes contracts and money and is mercantile. Yes its as shallow as that)
The only gender reversal Phillip has is that he wants to host tea parties (he cannot cook) and he can be bought as a husband.
So in the gender reversal its barely there. Just some throwaway lines here and there. It could be interesting and thats the problem with this book.
Its half-assed.
The setting is half-assed. The characters are half-assed. The romance is half-assed. The flirting is half-assed (since I got the audiobook, you get a giggle or a chuckle every 3 lines to indicate dalliances and its grating). The economics, which is Phillip's main worth is half-assed.
For all its many, many, MANY PROBLEMS, at least Brother's price actually tried to make a matriarchal society be noteworthy.
February 20, 2021
This isn't the usual harem fantasy novel--especially considering the author, who has written both erotic and non-erotic harem novels in the past. This one might actually be something non-harem readers would want to take a look at.
First, this felt like the best novel this author has written, to date. I don't say this as a fanboi. This author has grown with every novel, and he obviously put more effort and polish into this one than ever before, not that his previous offerings were shabby. Every author evolves over time, and it is easy to tell that he has applied all his lessons to this novel.
Second, he courageously went way out on a limb with his premise--that his new world reversed the customary biological differences between men and women. I've read novels that placed women in power before, but I don't think I've seen before where an author has literally swapped physical averages between them (ie, women are bigger and stronger, and men are slight and weak) or where entire societies were based around that concept, to the point where women went off to war and men tended the home, etc. I'm not saying it hasn't been done, just that I haven't read them.
I'll admit, as a guy, I was uncomfortable with this premise for a bit, but good fiction--especially SF, and this *could* quality as SF from a certain point of view--tends to make a person uncomfortable at least part of the time. The characters drew me in, though, and it wasn't long before I was reading, again, about an underdog trying to succeed. The novel helped me really imagine what such a world would be like to live in. ...and cozied up to one my fantasies about women taller than I am, lol.
Honestly, the harem aspect was very understated, in my opinion. I suppose, when I think of harems, I think of one person dragging a group of members of the opposite sex around, and screwing them all silly while they just tag along, waiting on their turn. And the author does have a history of writing these stories, but this was more like one man just having trouble settling on one woman, with hardly any sex involved at all, barring a few teases, though there was some (for those who *need* it in their stories :) ). Now, depending on how the *next* novel plays out, he might just end up with all of them, but the social and legal customs of that world do not naturally lend themselves to that end.
All in all, the author really put some thought into this one. His characters are all very much individuals to me, each one having their own flaws and strengths, and separate in my mind. The world is very well thought out and developed.
It was a really great piece of fiction and I am "waiting with bated breath" for the next one.
First, this felt like the best novel this author has written, to date. I don't say this as a fanboi. This author has grown with every novel, and he obviously put more effort and polish into this one than ever before, not that his previous offerings were shabby. Every author evolves over time, and it is easy to tell that he has applied all his lessons to this novel.
Second, he courageously went way out on a limb with his premise--that his new world reversed the customary biological differences between men and women. I've read novels that placed women in power before, but I don't think I've seen before where an author has literally swapped physical averages between them (ie, women are bigger and stronger, and men are slight and weak) or where entire societies were based around that concept, to the point where women went off to war and men tended the home, etc. I'm not saying it hasn't been done, just that I haven't read them.
I'll admit, as a guy, I was uncomfortable with this premise for a bit, but good fiction--especially SF, and this *could* quality as SF from a certain point of view--tends to make a person uncomfortable at least part of the time. The characters drew me in, though, and it wasn't long before I was reading, again, about an underdog trying to succeed. The novel helped me really imagine what such a world would be like to live in. ...and cozied up to one my fantasies about women taller than I am, lol.
Honestly, the harem aspect was very understated, in my opinion. I suppose, when I think of harems, I think of one person dragging a group of members of the opposite sex around, and screwing them all silly while they just tag along, waiting on their turn. And the author does have a history of writing these stories, but this was more like one man just having trouble settling on one woman, with hardly any sex involved at all, barring a few teases, though there was some (for those who *need* it in their stories :) ). Now, depending on how the *next* novel plays out, he might just end up with all of them, but the social and legal customs of that world do not naturally lend themselves to that end.
All in all, the author really put some thought into this one. His characters are all very much individuals to me, each one having their own flaws and strengths, and separate in my mind. The world is very well thought out and developed.
It was a really great piece of fiction and I am "waiting with bated breath" for the next one.
November 6, 2021
I'm impressed
-Wait, William D. Arand wrote this? Can't be, the MC isn't a scum bag.-
This is a gender swap/matriarchal/ arranged marriage romance novel, and damn me if it isn't pretty good.
Very reminiscent of Princess Absolute by Anaïs Grace.
The Male lead is a stand up guy. A young man of honor who is married off to a merchant house to secure a favorable political alliance and struggles to bring romance to an otherwise loveless marriage.
Yeah, of course all the women want him. but homeboy stays true to his wife who is the only woman in the story who doesn't seem taken with this fine young lad.
The story is fun and flirty and stays engaging with out the benefit of magic or monster girls.
I recommend to fans of Daniel Schinhofen, or Ironically, people who are grossed out by Randi Darren.
-Of Note: A lot of reviews for this book keep calling it a standalone. I find that distressing because it very much ends with a large cliffhanger. I don't subscribe to any of Arand/Darren's news letters so I don't know if he has announced that this is a "one and done" or his readers are just guessing. Be aware that if this is a standalone book, you will be the one left hanging. I'd definitely read the next one.
-Wait, William D. Arand wrote this? Can't be, the MC isn't a scum bag.-
This is a gender swap/matriarchal/ arranged marriage romance novel, and damn me if it isn't pretty good.
Very reminiscent of Princess Absolute by Anaïs Grace.
The Male lead is a stand up guy. A young man of honor who is married off to a merchant house to secure a favorable political alliance and struggles to bring romance to an otherwise loveless marriage.
Yeah, of course all the women want him. but homeboy stays true to his wife who is the only woman in the story who doesn't seem taken with this fine young lad.
The story is fun and flirty and stays engaging with out the benefit of magic or monster girls.
I recommend to fans of Daniel Schinhofen, or Ironically, people who are grossed out by Randi Darren.
-Of Note: A lot of reviews for this book keep calling it a standalone. I find that distressing because it very much ends with a large cliffhanger. I don't subscribe to any of Arand/Darren's news letters so I don't know if he has announced that this is a "one and done" or his readers are just guessing. Be aware that if this is a standalone book, you will be the one left hanging. I'd definitely read the next one.
December 18, 2021
This is a gender reversal novel
Not where the hero’s sex gets switched via magic, just a straight up switch the word man for woman in a story. The women are bigger, the men are smaller. Out hero is the only son of a warrior family of women, and has been trained to be a docile slave to be sold off for a family benefiting marriage.
I get what the author is trying to do, but it’s just ham fisted and jarring.
I have read humorous gender swaps, or where the hero ends up in another world where women outnumber men and so men are protected. I think the problem here is there is nothing to identify with in the hero. No shards point of view.
I am a dude who likes British high tea, and have no problem being the only male in a room full of women. And yet the scene where the hero is serving tea is not fun because I get the context, it’s just creepy.
This is a hard pass.
Not where the hero’s sex gets switched via magic, just a straight up switch the word man for woman in a story. The women are bigger, the men are smaller. Out hero is the only son of a warrior family of women, and has been trained to be a docile slave to be sold off for a family benefiting marriage.
I get what the author is trying to do, but it’s just ham fisted and jarring.
I have read humorous gender swaps, or where the hero ends up in another world where women outnumber men and so men are protected. I think the problem here is there is nothing to identify with in the hero. No shards point of view.
I am a dude who likes British high tea, and have no problem being the only male in a room full of women. And yet the scene where the hero is serving tea is not fun because I get the context, it’s just creepy.
This is a hard pass.
December 8, 2020
A review I saw elsewhere compared the premise of this book to a gender role reversal of Fostering Faust and I have found that to be an inaccurate description. There are only superficial similarities to Fostering Faust and if you come in expecting gender role reversal you will find it both exceeds and fails to meet expectations.
The book is well written but the pacing is slow and the character backgrounds are flimsy. The summary on amazon is extremely misleading. Nothing regarding the war, politics or nobility are really elaborated on. This is basically a harlequin romance novel that is light on romance and heavy on the number of characters.
The book is well written but the pacing is slow and the character backgrounds are flimsy. The summary on amazon is extremely misleading. Nothing regarding the war, politics or nobility are really elaborated on. This is basically a harlequin romance novel that is light on romance and heavy on the number of characters.
September 19, 2025
It's solid, but some of the criticism is founded.
I tend to read reviews before diving into a book, and this one was no different. You can see some people complaining about how the gender reversal was done, which I dismissed as just the usual very loud, extremely insecure minority that thinks any protagonist other than gigachad thundercock is bad.
I must unfortunately report that fragility aside, they do have a strong point.
TLDR: This reads as weird mixture of a romance novel aimed at women and the usual suspects in haremlit. The main character is pretty much a woman in a man's body—both in needs, wants, and behavior—and although one with basic self-awareness and logical skills, that doesn't save the book from often falling into the same traps as the aforementioned romance novels. The world building is... serviceable. Love interests are mostly likeable (though I have some thoughts on the matter), and the plot, while decent, is only relevant on the latter third of the book. It's a objectively a 3-3.5 stars, which I'm bumping to 4 because I particularly like the tropes, and, surprisingly, Phillip.
Full review ahead
The Good.
Arand is a professional author and it shows. No typos, no awkward sentences. Little else to say when ti comes to grammar. You might be confused and who is who at first, as often characters are mentioned by either name or title interchangeably, but that is at par for the course for any book who delves into politics.
The characters felt real, and authentic. Phillips does pretty much behave like someone in his environment might, as do the female characters. And unlike most books in the genre, the protagonist is an actual character, not just a blank state.
I mentioned before that the world building is serviceable. It does require you to take it at face value (some pointed out pregnancies in an army full of women would definitely be a concern, as would maintaining the population in times of war), but it works, and it's familiar, which makes most of the politics easy to follow along if you are paying attention.
The Bad
It's fade-to-black. Rather disappointing given all the sexual teasing.
It's unfinished, and it shows. Phillips only starts to come to terms with his potential power as an object of desire around the later half of the book, which means he has very little time to turn it into agency by the time it happens. Had this been a full trilogy, as originally planned, this wouldn't be a problem, but as it is... It also ends on a major cliffhanger, not just for the main's character situation, but also because it leaves one of the major love interest (Lenore) in limbo. More on than on the next section.
Alice. She is a rather weak love interest. To begin with she is shows as uninterested, detached, and very clearly treating the whole marriage as nothing more than political. The main character does his best to try to connect, to try to help, but at every single turn, she dismisses him. At some point she even directly kicks him out of an important meeting, simply because he is asking the right questions and she isn't, leading her to lose money on the process.
(Incidentally, this is the mischaracterized 'tea party' some people were talking about, which is quite literally NOT what's happening on that scene, but I digress)
Now, at this point, I don't like her very much. Putting the usual 'neglectful husband' traits on a girl just make her looks like a bitch, because unlike that aforementioned trope, Alice doesn't have any excuse like having to provide, or the wife being a legit liability for the husband's goals.
Which would be fine. Characters grow, change, and with a bit on effort on her part, she could have turned around and become a rather lovable love interest
It's what she does next that kills her character to me. It turns out she had a previous fiancee. Which she meets, in secret, twice. Both of them are discovered by the main character by accident—once because a friend let's it slip, and another because he quite literally walks in on them, laughing talking.... Alice is even caressing the ex-fiancee's cheek, just having overall a good, clearly romantic time, something the MC even calls a prelude to cuckolding.
Now, the book tries to walk it back, make it seem like a character flaw she fixes, but I don't buy for a second. She begs and cries and apologizes and scraps and bows, even going so far as to go into the middle of a warzone to try to get the grandmother's recommendation, and later one, have someone hung for hurting the MC. You might think that it might be enough to redeem her, but no. Yes, she becomes more talkative; yes, she becomes sexually involved with the main character often, one might argue they start to get along, but at that point I simply do not buy it.
The idea that grand gestures of love can fix the relationship is laughable, as the thing between Alice and Phillips is fundamentally broken from the set-up itself, for one simple reason:
That one time were Phillips walks in on the duo shows more humanity, affection, and actual closeness from Alice than anything she does to him during the rest of the book, no matter how many times she kisses him, fucks him, or tries to promise otherwise.
Not only that, but the change is poorly paced, unrealistic, and feels performative.
There has been literally zero reason for her to go from clearly having something with her ex-fiancee to instantly cutting off all contact with him, and try so hard to keep Phillips with her. Zero reason. It's frame as her 'realizing what she is about lose', and clearly being slightly autistic when it comes to relationships, but I call bullshit. She is very aware that what she was doing was wrong, and she is very aware of the expectations of a relationship. Everything after that feels fake, and I, as a reader, cannot trust her, no matter how much the author tries to fix the blunder.
It's a clear disconnection between what's shown, and what is being told, made doubly bad because the switch between uncaring and so-deeply-in-love she is willing to move mountains for the MC is made in the span of... 4 chapters?
Yeah, I call bullshit. At least, in the way that is presented. I don't buy her excuses and alleged motives, I don't buy that she is in love with the MC, and I don't buy her supposed growth. I don't quite dislike her, given all the things she has done to try to get on the MC's good graces; an accomplishment given that I consider what she did too close to cheating for comfort, but one that doesn't save her for considering her a poor love interest.
PD; she also lies, even when asking for forgiveness. She mentions the MC is her first kiss, and her first everything, that she had done nothing with anyone but him. Later we learn that she kissed Min when they were younger. Admittedly inconsequential, likely an author oversight, but nevertheless a clear hint at a pattern of behavior you definitely don't want in a wife.
The Ugly/Weird
The main character will make or break the book for you. He is emotional, attention-starved, and spends most of the book pursuing his wife's sister and best friend—admittedly after she neglects and emotionally cheats on him. He is rather feminine, and often his actions and feelings feel like those of a woman in a similar situation, with the small caveat that at least he tries to make the relationship work at first. You could easily swap him for a lesbian protagonist and very little would change. Matter of fact, I picture him as a femboy in my head; desperately needed in a genre filled with so many macho men, but definetly not everyone's cup of tea.
If you don't like that, chances are you won't like the book.
Lenore's story is unfinished. She is the best love interest right until the moment the main character is kidnapped, and she never shows again. Unlike the other two, she doesn't come back as soon as she receives the letter with the news. This leads him to, as the woman that he is, think the worst and basically all but drop her out of the race.
This is clearly bait and a twist for the second book, but until that comes out, it will feel like character assassination for no particular reason. If it isn't, welp, that's two love interest that are already dead on the water for me.
Book desperately needs POV switch characters. I believe most of my problems with Alice could be solved if we had one or two chapters going through her head, why she does the thing she does, why did she meet with her ex-fiancee (actually let the reader see it, not take it at her word), and smooth out her transition between detached and cold, and willing to bend over backwards to please her husband. The second meeting with Jay it's a bit too close to cheating for me either way, too close; but a couple of extra chapters delving into her reasons, removing a couple of lines, and adding an scene or two of Phillips and her being actually intimate would probably fix everything.
Not much else to say. The book ended before the plot began, so the only thing to truly criticize is the character interactions, and their relationship. The MC almost gets raped and commits murder, something largely irrelevant on this book, but might come into play later. As it is, it just feels like more 'look Alice is trying to fix things and being a good wife, don't you like her now?' type shit.
Despite the flaws, I liked it. I'd read the second one. The other three main love interests are good and actually likeable, Lenore's resolution pending.
It's fine.
I tend to read reviews before diving into a book, and this one was no different. You can see some people complaining about how the gender reversal was done, which I dismissed as just the usual very loud, extremely insecure minority that thinks any protagonist other than gigachad thundercock is bad.
I must unfortunately report that fragility aside, they do have a strong point.
TLDR: This reads as weird mixture of a romance novel aimed at women and the usual suspects in haremlit. The main character is pretty much a woman in a man's body—both in needs, wants, and behavior—and although one with basic self-awareness and logical skills, that doesn't save the book from often falling into the same traps as the aforementioned romance novels. The world building is... serviceable. Love interests are mostly likeable (though I have some thoughts on the matter), and the plot, while decent, is only relevant on the latter third of the book. It's a objectively a 3-3.5 stars, which I'm bumping to 4 because I particularly like the tropes, and, surprisingly, Phillip.
Full review ahead
The Good.
Arand is a professional author and it shows. No typos, no awkward sentences. Little else to say when ti comes to grammar. You might be confused and who is who at first, as often characters are mentioned by either name or title interchangeably, but that is at par for the course for any book who delves into politics.
The characters felt real, and authentic. Phillips does pretty much behave like someone in his environment might, as do the female characters. And unlike most books in the genre, the protagonist is an actual character, not just a blank state.
I mentioned before that the world building is serviceable. It does require you to take it at face value (some pointed out pregnancies in an army full of women would definitely be a concern, as would maintaining the population in times of war), but it works, and it's familiar, which makes most of the politics easy to follow along if you are paying attention.
The Bad
It's fade-to-black. Rather disappointing given all the sexual teasing.
It's unfinished, and it shows. Phillips only starts to come to terms with his potential power as an object of desire around the later half of the book, which means he has very little time to turn it into agency by the time it happens. Had this been a full trilogy, as originally planned, this wouldn't be a problem, but as it is... It also ends on a major cliffhanger, not just for the main's character situation, but also because it leaves one of the major love interest (Lenore) in limbo. More on than on the next section.
Alice. She is a rather weak love interest. To begin with she is shows as uninterested, detached, and very clearly treating the whole marriage as nothing more than political. The main character does his best to try to connect, to try to help, but at every single turn, she dismisses him. At some point she even directly kicks him out of an important meeting, simply because he is asking the right questions and she isn't, leading her to lose money on the process.
(Incidentally, this is the mischaracterized 'tea party' some people were talking about, which is quite literally NOT what's happening on that scene, but I digress)
Now, at this point, I don't like her very much. Putting the usual 'neglectful husband' traits on a girl just make her looks like a bitch, because unlike that aforementioned trope, Alice doesn't have any excuse like having to provide, or the wife being a legit liability for the husband's goals.
Which would be fine. Characters grow, change, and with a bit on effort on her part, she could have turned around and become a rather lovable love interest
It's what she does next that kills her character to me. It turns out she had a previous fiancee. Which she meets, in secret, twice. Both of them are discovered by the main character by accident—once because a friend let's it slip, and another because he quite literally walks in on them, laughing talking.... Alice is even caressing the ex-fiancee's cheek, just having overall a good, clearly romantic time, something the MC even calls a prelude to cuckolding.
Now, the book tries to walk it back, make it seem like a character flaw she fixes, but I don't buy for a second. She begs and cries and apologizes and scraps and bows, even going so far as to go into the middle of a warzone to try to get the grandmother's recommendation, and later one, have someone hung for hurting the MC. You might think that it might be enough to redeem her, but no. Yes, she becomes more talkative; yes, she becomes sexually involved with the main character often, one might argue they start to get along, but at that point I simply do not buy it.
The idea that grand gestures of love can fix the relationship is laughable, as the thing between Alice and Phillips is fundamentally broken from the set-up itself, for one simple reason:
That one time were Phillips walks in on the duo shows more humanity, affection, and actual closeness from Alice than anything she does to him during the rest of the book, no matter how many times she kisses him, fucks him, or tries to promise otherwise.
Not only that, but the change is poorly paced, unrealistic, and feels performative.
There has been literally zero reason for her to go from clearly having something with her ex-fiancee to instantly cutting off all contact with him, and try so hard to keep Phillips with her. Zero reason. It's frame as her 'realizing what she is about lose', and clearly being slightly autistic when it comes to relationships, but I call bullshit. She is very aware that what she was doing was wrong, and she is very aware of the expectations of a relationship. Everything after that feels fake, and I, as a reader, cannot trust her, no matter how much the author tries to fix the blunder.
It's a clear disconnection between what's shown, and what is being told, made doubly bad because the switch between uncaring and so-deeply-in-love she is willing to move mountains for the MC is made in the span of... 4 chapters?
Yeah, I call bullshit. At least, in the way that is presented. I don't buy her excuses and alleged motives, I don't buy that she is in love with the MC, and I don't buy her supposed growth. I don't quite dislike her, given all the things she has done to try to get on the MC's good graces; an accomplishment given that I consider what she did too close to cheating for comfort, but one that doesn't save her for considering her a poor love interest.
PD; she also lies, even when asking for forgiveness. She mentions the MC is her first kiss, and her first everything, that she had done nothing with anyone but him. Later we learn that she kissed Min when they were younger. Admittedly inconsequential, likely an author oversight, but nevertheless a clear hint at a pattern of behavior you definitely don't want in a wife.
The Ugly/Weird
The main character will make or break the book for you. He is emotional, attention-starved, and spends most of the book pursuing his wife's sister and best friend—admittedly after she neglects and emotionally cheats on him. He is rather feminine, and often his actions and feelings feel like those of a woman in a similar situation, with the small caveat that at least he tries to make the relationship work at first. You could easily swap him for a lesbian protagonist and very little would change. Matter of fact, I picture him as a femboy in my head; desperately needed in a genre filled with so many macho men, but definetly not everyone's cup of tea.
If you don't like that, chances are you won't like the book.
Lenore's story is unfinished. She is the best love interest right until the moment the main character is kidnapped, and she never shows again. Unlike the other two, she doesn't come back as soon as she receives the letter with the news. This leads him to, as the woman that he is, think the worst and basically all but drop her out of the race.
This is clearly bait and a twist for the second book, but until that comes out, it will feel like character assassination for no particular reason. If it isn't, welp, that's two love interest that are already dead on the water for me.
Book desperately needs POV switch characters. I believe most of my problems with Alice could be solved if we had one or two chapters going through her head, why she does the thing she does, why did she meet with her ex-fiancee (actually let the reader see it, not take it at her word), and smooth out her transition between detached and cold, and willing to bend over backwards to please her husband. The second meeting with Jay it's a bit too close to cheating for me either way, too close; but a couple of extra chapters delving into her reasons, removing a couple of lines, and adding an scene or two of Phillips and her being actually intimate would probably fix everything.
Not much else to say. The book ended before the plot began, so the only thing to truly criticize is the character interactions, and their relationship. The MC almost gets raped and commits murder, something largely irrelevant on this book, but might come into play later. As it is, it just feels like more 'look Alice is trying to fix things and being a good wife, don't you like her now?' type shit.
Despite the flaws, I liked it. I'd read the second one. The other three main love interests are good and actually likeable, Lenore's resolution pending.
It's fine.
November 27, 2021
The split reviews intrigued me. I like the author's writing style, but I am not an overly big fan of his world or the repetitiveness of his characters over the different stories.
This book starts different and the role reversal of the sexes and the position of the MC as a result is an intriguing twist. The story and world were good. Yeah, the reader is reminded rather often how strong women are and how weak men, but while unnecessary it did not detract from the enjoyment for me.
Still, I am not sure the author is not going to fall in the same trap of repetitiveness in regards to characters though. Or one man loved by a rediculous number of women. The signs are there. And the supposed intelligence of the MC is more of the tell then show kind. He did not had much agency to be honest and never plotted. All he did was recognize a good deal and a con artist or two.
So, I enjoyed reading the book, but not entirely sure about future parts.
This book starts different and the role reversal of the sexes and the position of the MC as a result is an intriguing twist. The story and world were good. Yeah, the reader is reminded rather often how strong women are and how weak men, but while unnecessary it did not detract from the enjoyment for me.
Still, I am not sure the author is not going to fall in the same trap of repetitiveness in regards to characters though. Or one man loved by a rediculous number of women. The signs are there. And the supposed intelligence of the MC is more of the tell then show kind. He did not had much agency to be honest and never plotted. All he did was recognize a good deal and a con artist or two.
So, I enjoyed reading the book, but not entirely sure about future parts.
September 3, 2022
I liked a lot about this, particularly the gender-flipped world where women are larger, stronger, and more aggressive. It's a delightful fantasy to entertain, especially since the men still have some measure of autonomy, rather than just being mindless sex-drones. The whole delightful idea of being desired, flirted with, teased, and chased after was wonderfully conveyed, especially with the rather frank comments from Phillip’s guards.
The romantic elements were well done, as were the mercantile fantasy elements ruddy allowed Phillip to shine.
Where this fell short for me was with Phillip himself. I get that he was hurt, felt neglected and ignored, but he carries a grudge for far too long, is deliberately and repeatedly cruel and, let's be frank, carries on like a tramp, pursuing multiple marriage contracts at once - while he's ready married. I really came to dislike him, and that made the middle part of this something of a slog.
The romantic elements were well done, as were the mercantile fantasy elements ruddy allowed Phillip to shine.
Where this fell short for me was with Phillip himself. I get that he was hurt, felt neglected and ignored, but he carries a grudge for far too long, is deliberately and repeatedly cruel and, let's be frank, carries on like a tramp, pursuing multiple marriage contracts at once - while he's ready married. I really came to dislike him, and that made the middle part of this something of a slog.
November 7, 2021
4.5 from me. In many ways a typical book by the author, leaving aside the reversed sex dimorphism which is this world. In some ways it felt like a gender-swapped Jane Austen book [caveat: I only know those by reputation and osmosis] with the focus on society and making a good marriage match.
The author's male protagonists are always dependent on their women, so he didn't really have to stretch too far for this. Phillip is just an actual weakling in all ways except his mind, but without magic that will only get you so far.
Bottom line: I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure if I want too much invested in this world. Without magic or some sort of divine intervention in the story this'll get old (for me) really quickly.
The author's male protagonists are always dependent on their women, so he didn't really have to stretch too far for this. Phillip is just an actual weakling in all ways except his mind, but without magic that will only get you so far.
Bottom line: I enjoyed reading it, but I'm not sure if I want too much invested in this world. Without magic or some sort of divine intervention in the story this'll get old (for me) really quickly.
September 29, 2021
This author worst novel ever
I literally love all the novels that this author writes no matter which name he writes under. Because of that I had to give this book a try and that’s all I did was try I admit that I only got about halfway through this novel before finally giving up. This novel is just a trashy romance novel. I admit the writing is good but the story is terrible and not because of the gender reversal. But I can see why some people give it five stars if you’d like trashy romance novels this is right up your alley. For me I am just completely disappointed in this novel and hope that the author never does anything like this ever again. I for one would never buy it and now I’m going to have to be more careful buying this author’s works in the future.
I literally love all the novels that this author writes no matter which name he writes under. Because of that I had to give this book a try and that’s all I did was try I admit that I only got about halfway through this novel before finally giving up. This novel is just a trashy romance novel. I admit the writing is good but the story is terrible and not because of the gender reversal. But I can see why some people give it five stars if you’d like trashy romance novels this is right up your alley. For me I am just completely disappointed in this novel and hope that the author never does anything like this ever again. I for one would never buy it and now I’m going to have to be more careful buying this author’s works in the future.
December 21, 2020
A little confusing
As always, Rend/Arend/Darren is good at world building and tells a tale that sucks you in. I personally found the gender bending to be a little confusing. The woman are Amazon types who run the world while the men are dainty and weak, expected to keep house and serve their woman. Yet Rend still creates a harem type story with rough and tumble women of action falling all over themselves for the MC who is a tea-serving, clutch his pearls kind of guy. Like I said, a little confusing. But well-written enough I'll definitely read book 2.
As always, Rend/Arend/Darren is good at world building and tells a tale that sucks you in. I personally found the gender bending to be a little confusing. The woman are Amazon types who run the world while the men are dainty and weak, expected to keep house and serve their woman. Yet Rend still creates a harem type story with rough and tumble women of action falling all over themselves for the MC who is a tea-serving, clutch his pearls kind of guy. Like I said, a little confusing. But well-written enough I'll definitely read book 2.
February 6, 2021
Not for me.
I only got this to support William as an artist. I never would have picked a book like this.
The role and gender swap just doesnt work. The women are written like men or transexuals. Phillip says goodness me, crosses his ankles and is nothing more than a milkless maid.
I could not get over it. It honestly reads like gay porn to me. I am sad that so many fans of his other work inflated their reviews here. He needs honest feedback.
Book 2 would be a mistake.
I only got this to support William as an artist. I never would have picked a book like this.
The role and gender swap just doesnt work. The women are written like men or transexuals. Phillip says goodness me, crosses his ankles and is nothing more than a milkless maid.
I could not get over it. It honestly reads like gay porn to me. I am sad that so many fans of his other work inflated their reviews here. He needs honest feedback.
Book 2 would be a mistake.
October 9, 2024
You wouldn't know this from the book's official synopsis (because it doesn't mention it AT ALL) but the main conceit is that it takes place in a gender role reversed version of the Victorian era. That means all the sexist things people believed back then about women are now applied to men. It also means women are larger and stronger (ridiculously so, to the point that the average woman is 6'6), more aggressive, more interested in sex, etc. Basically men act like women and women act like men.
I am normally interested in these kinds of topics but the problem here is that the level of role-reversion is taken so far that it becomes ridiculous. This is not a thoughtful novel about what it would be like to be a man in a severely matriarchal society (thereby revealing insights about what it would be like to be a woman in the real life Victorian era) and the protagonist overcoming that. No, this is a novel about men who happen to use female pronouns and women who happen to use male pronouns. Its not about feminine men and masculine women, its about men being women and women being men. What I'm saying is that each sex acts so perfectly like the opposite of real life traditional roles that it removes any possible level of subtlety or insight. You could basically switch all the pronouns and it would basically still be the same novel. That defeats the entire purpose.
Maybe this could have still been interesting but sadly there is no almost no worldbuilding to support it. I'm left scratching my head at how this society could have evolved and why the birthing-sex of the species would have also adapted to become the more athletic one. For example, we're told that all the women were recently off fighting a war. Ok, so if all the people who can give birth were off dying in wars, didn't their population have a huge crash? Aren't there massively more men than women, now? Who is taking care of babies when the women are outside all day working or fighting? Men can change diapers and cook, sure, but they don't have breasts so they can't breastfeed. And what about all the women who get pregnant? Are they still working as soldiers and guards with swollen bellies? (Actually, that would have been hilarious and almost makes me wish the author had leaned into the absurdity.)
There are very good reasons in real life why sexual dimorphism evolved the way it did, so unless the author can offer some kind of fantastical explanation about why this world should be different and how a society like that could function (which they don't) then the setting just seems flat and uncompelling. In order for it to make any sense, you'd have to say that men have breasts and birthing canals and women are impregnators, which just defeats the purpose of role-reversal in the first place.
Then there's the actual plot, which is tedious and boring. The synopsis makes it sound like this book is all about intrigue and war and interesting topics like that, but in reality its basically a regency era romance about a loveless marriage with tea parties and other nonsense. DNF'd.
I am normally interested in these kinds of topics but the problem here is that the level of role-reversion is taken so far that it becomes ridiculous. This is not a thoughtful novel about what it would be like to be a man in a severely matriarchal society (thereby revealing insights about what it would be like to be a woman in the real life Victorian era) and the protagonist overcoming that. No, this is a novel about men who happen to use female pronouns and women who happen to use male pronouns. Its not about feminine men and masculine women, its about men being women and women being men. What I'm saying is that each sex acts so perfectly like the opposite of real life traditional roles that it removes any possible level of subtlety or insight. You could basically switch all the pronouns and it would basically still be the same novel. That defeats the entire purpose.
Maybe this could have still been interesting but sadly there is no almost no worldbuilding to support it. I'm left scratching my head at how this society could have evolved and why the birthing-sex of the species would have also adapted to become the more athletic one. For example, we're told that all the women were recently off fighting a war. Ok, so if all the people who can give birth were off dying in wars, didn't their population have a huge crash? Aren't there massively more men than women, now? Who is taking care of babies when the women are outside all day working or fighting? Men can change diapers and cook, sure, but they don't have breasts so they can't breastfeed. And what about all the women who get pregnant? Are they still working as soldiers and guards with swollen bellies? (Actually, that would have been hilarious and almost makes me wish the author had leaned into the absurdity.)
There are very good reasons in real life why sexual dimorphism evolved the way it did, so unless the author can offer some kind of fantastical explanation about why this world should be different and how a society like that could function (which they don't) then the setting just seems flat and uncompelling. In order for it to make any sense, you'd have to say that men have breasts and birthing canals and women are impregnators, which just defeats the purpose of role-reversal in the first place.
Then there's the actual plot, which is tedious and boring. The synopsis makes it sound like this book is all about intrigue and war and interesting topics like that, but in reality its basically a regency era romance about a loveless marriage with tea parties and other nonsense. DNF'd.
December 10, 2020
First off,
This author (and his other nom de plumes) is hard pressed to write anything other then an exceptional story. I have read every one of his books and have yet to find a story I was not immersed in, characters I was not intrigued by or a world setting I didn't find fascinating. So, what about this story?
Honor is different from the author's other storylines in that it is not so much a story about super powered protagonists battling bad guys as it is a romance. Don't get me wrong here, there is lots of action, a smattering of violence and more tension, turns and ups and downs then you can shake a stick at, but this story, set in a Victorian-like fantasy world has more to do with Bronte than the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
That being said, this is a really good book. REALLY good.
The author has always enjoyed strong female characters and that is something I can appreciate. In this book however he writes outside of the typical wheelhouse for harem stories and places his MC in a world with Victorian England sensibilities while gender swapping the roles in society. Women are stronger, taller and in all the traditional (for the time) masculine roles while men are smaller (our hero is tall for a man at 5'6"), physically weaker and work in the role of homemakers and supporter to the women of this world.
This was surprising but actually turned out to be very fun. For once our hero could not smash his way through his issues and had to thread the dangers and intricacies of his society with more subtle powers. He cannot meet force with force so he must out think, out charm or simply out persevere his enemies, waiting for those opportunities to show up that he can exploit to succeed.
We readers end up caring more about the hareem relationships than saving the world (though there is a bit of world saving going on), and the greatest tensions in the book are in those relationships.
The final result is an exciting story that the reader cares about that is centered on people rather than events, except perhaps the events of our main characters life and what he will manage to make of it.
A very easy 5 stars and another great story from an author with a lot of great stories under his belt.
This author (and his other nom de plumes) is hard pressed to write anything other then an exceptional story. I have read every one of his books and have yet to find a story I was not immersed in, characters I was not intrigued by or a world setting I didn't find fascinating. So, what about this story?
Honor is different from the author's other storylines in that it is not so much a story about super powered protagonists battling bad guys as it is a romance. Don't get me wrong here, there is lots of action, a smattering of violence and more tension, turns and ups and downs then you can shake a stick at, but this story, set in a Victorian-like fantasy world has more to do with Bronte than the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
That being said, this is a really good book. REALLY good.
The author has always enjoyed strong female characters and that is something I can appreciate. In this book however he writes outside of the typical wheelhouse for harem stories and places his MC in a world with Victorian England sensibilities while gender swapping the roles in society. Women are stronger, taller and in all the traditional (for the time) masculine roles while men are smaller (our hero is tall for a man at 5'6"), physically weaker and work in the role of homemakers and supporter to the women of this world.
This was surprising but actually turned out to be very fun. For once our hero could not smash his way through his issues and had to thread the dangers and intricacies of his society with more subtle powers. He cannot meet force with force so he must out think, out charm or simply out persevere his enemies, waiting for those opportunities to show up that he can exploit to succeed.
We readers end up caring more about the hareem relationships than saving the world (though there is a bit of world saving going on), and the greatest tensions in the book are in those relationships.
The final result is an exciting story that the reader cares about that is centered on people rather than events, except perhaps the events of our main characters life and what he will manage to make of it.
A very easy 5 stars and another great story from an author with a lot of great stories under his belt.
June 11, 2023
You know when people say "This female character was clearly written by a man" as to imply
men's gender roles give them a twisted idea of what being a woman is like.
The main character of this book is like that except he is a man written like a woman written by a man.
The Philip worship was so over the top it got comical. From the moment he is introduced every character talks about how awesome, thoughtful and smart he is. Im convinced its the majority of dialogue all characters have.
This was the most tiresome part for me. The extent matched and most likely exceeded the wildest YAs I have read, fully devoted to the concept of the "prefect portage all the love interests worship".
What made it harder to deal with was the fact we did not really get details about his contributions (They are either glossed over, non existent or very small)
His business sense seems to come from magical insight instead of educated suggestions and his food skills are amazing because everyone said they are. He is an extremely needy scoundrelly with a pretense of prudence. At the end of the day it really does seem like he will go with whomever (or everyone at once as is typical for genre. Philip wants it all and it just takes him whole book to admit it himself and think of a way to get it).
In other words the story has a messy flawed protagonist which is interesting but the story did not really acknowledge his flaws and was more focused on ego stroking.
It also needed a firmer identity. We jump right in and I kept waiting for the main plot, just as I had made peace with the fact that I had accidently picked up a slice of life story we superficially dive into merchant stuff and then shift gears again. It also does not help that it ends on a cliffhanger/in a precarious situation and its been 3 years since the book came out, with no sequels in sight (assuming you were not put off by the flaws of book 1).
I could go on but if you were going to be disused then you have already been by now, I'm going to leave the other nuggets of oof as a surprise for those who make the plunge.
men's gender roles give them a twisted idea of what being a woman is like.
The main character of this book is like that except he is a man written like a woman written by a man.
The Philip worship was so over the top it got comical. From the moment he is introduced every character talks about how awesome, thoughtful and smart he is. Im convinced its the majority of dialogue all characters have.
This was the most tiresome part for me. The extent matched and most likely exceeded the wildest YAs I have read, fully devoted to the concept of the "prefect portage all the love interests worship".
What made it harder to deal with was the fact we did not really get details about his contributions (They are either glossed over, non existent or very small)
His business sense seems to come from magical insight instead of educated suggestions and his food skills are amazing because everyone said they are. He is an extremely needy scoundrelly with a pretense of prudence. At the end of the day it really does seem like he will go with whomever (or everyone at once as is typical for genre. Philip wants it all and it just takes him whole book to admit it himself and think of a way to get it).
In other words the story has a messy flawed protagonist which is interesting but the story did not really acknowledge his flaws and was more focused on ego stroking.
It also needed a firmer identity. We jump right in and I kept waiting for the main plot, just as I had made peace with the fact that I had accidently picked up a slice of life story we superficially dive into merchant stuff and then shift gears again. It also does not help that it ends on a cliffhanger/in a precarious situation and its been 3 years since the book came out, with no sequels in sight (assuming you were not put off by the flaws of book 1).
I could go on but if you were going to be disused then you have already been by now, I'm going to leave the other nuggets of oof as a surprise for those who make the plunge.
January 7, 2021
To be honest a bit of a mixed review, what was done well was done really well, what didn't work really pulled the book down.
Had a really strong start with some dynamic characters and clever situations. Unfortunately kinda lost some cohesion around the halfway mark as more harem elements are introduced, one character straight up vanishes in a way that was really out of sorts for what we'd seen so far. I'm not sure if this was intentionally done for a purpose for another book, or if the author was struggling to maintain the relationships.
The dialogue at times was amusing and flowed well, but at times it was a little cringe. Although I think that's forgivable considering the type of story it is.
The deals we got to see are clever and sets this story away from a lot of those we've seen saturating the genre, such as, game lit and normal guy arrives in an alternate world, oh but he's secretly has this amazing ability etc etc.
If there was anything I'd have changed about the book it would probably include a few more male characters, to bring the world more depth, as aside from Phillip almost no other guy had any dialogue. For the same reason I think not every female in the story needs to be attracted to the MC to the point of drooling, its unbelievable and has them come across as 2 dimensional (although considering they basically swapped places with guys, perhaps that says more about us than I'm comfortable with haha.)
Had a really strong start with some dynamic characters and clever situations. Unfortunately kinda lost some cohesion around the halfway mark as more harem elements are introduced, one character straight up vanishes in a way that was really out of sorts for what we'd seen so far. I'm not sure if this was intentionally done for a purpose for another book, or if the author was struggling to maintain the relationships.
The dialogue at times was amusing and flowed well, but at times it was a little cringe. Although I think that's forgivable considering the type of story it is.
The deals we got to see are clever and sets this story away from a lot of those we've seen saturating the genre, such as, game lit and normal guy arrives in an alternate world, oh but he's secretly has this amazing ability etc etc.
If there was anything I'd have changed about the book it would probably include a few more male characters, to bring the world more depth, as aside from Phillip almost no other guy had any dialogue. For the same reason I think not every female in the story needs to be attracted to the MC to the point of drooling, its unbelievable and has them come across as 2 dimensional (although considering they basically swapped places with guys, perhaps that says more about us than I'm comfortable with haha.)
December 28, 2020
A Splendid Alternative to Runner's Worlds
There have been precious few novels that have come across my lap that illustrate for me in a compelling way as to how a truly working model of a matriarchal society might look and function. The few that I have seen often devolved into radical feminist hate rants or equally rabid misogynistic paeans to the perils of putting women in charge.
Although the protagonist is male, his lot in life as the "weaker" sex/gender in this almost medieval society is defined not only by what he "can't" do but also by what he can. The author, whose other books I thoroughly enjoy and will buy sight unseen, has taken the insight he has
into both genders' desires and motivations, as well as instincts common to both and fashioned a delightful tale that shows just how turnabout between women and men might actually work in a completely functional society.
Guys who harbor doubts about tbeir masculinity will probably hate this story, but those who want a picture of what stepping into women's shoes for a few miles might really look like...this book, and probable three-book series will raise more than a few reflections about modern life and the roles we've assumed.
There have been precious few novels that have come across my lap that illustrate for me in a compelling way as to how a truly working model of a matriarchal society might look and function. The few that I have seen often devolved into radical feminist hate rants or equally rabid misogynistic paeans to the perils of putting women in charge.
Although the protagonist is male, his lot in life as the "weaker" sex/gender in this almost medieval society is defined not only by what he "can't" do but also by what he can. The author, whose other books I thoroughly enjoy and will buy sight unseen, has taken the insight he has
into both genders' desires and motivations, as well as instincts common to both and fashioned a delightful tale that shows just how turnabout between women and men might actually work in a completely functional society.
Guys who harbor doubts about tbeir masculinity will probably hate this story, but those who want a picture of what stepping into women's shoes for a few miles might really look like...this book, and probable three-book series will raise more than a few reflections about modern life and the roles we've assumed.
December 24, 2020
An excellent book; original plotline & settings.
SPOILER: as regards the settings, think about an excellent 2005(around) novel "A brother's Price" by Wen Spencer.
Now, I have some difficulty categorizing the book: could be thought of an historical romance (at some points, evocative of Jane Austen) (no fantasy/magic ... elements) set in an alternate world with a mid-19th century England (social setting), combined with 17th technology level (re wheelbarrow invention).
There is, however one VERY MAJOR difference, that makes the book stand out; being more explicit would definitely be a spoiler.
Characters are interesting and mostly likable.
In summary, highly recommended; looking forward for the next one.
EDITED SAME DAY:
HOW STUPID OF ME !!!! did not realize who the author was, while writing initial review; altough I have read (and liked most) about all of William's / Randi, and should have quickly recognized the author's style.
An interesting departure from Runner Norwood's multiverse.
SPOILER: as regards the settings, think about an excellent 2005(around) novel "A brother's Price" by Wen Spencer.
Now, I have some difficulty categorizing the book: could be thought of an historical romance (at some points, evocative of Jane Austen) (no fantasy/magic ... elements) set in an alternate world with a mid-19th century England (social setting), combined with 17th technology level (re wheelbarrow invention).
There is, however one VERY MAJOR difference, that makes the book stand out; being more explicit would definitely be a spoiler.
Characters are interesting and mostly likable.
In summary, highly recommended; looking forward for the next one.
EDITED SAME DAY:
HOW STUPID OF ME !!!! did not realize who the author was, while writing initial review; altough I have read (and liked most) about all of William's / Randi, and should have quickly recognized the author's style.
An interesting departure from Runner Norwood's multiverse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2023
A very intriguing book from an unusual perspective.
The MC is an intelligent man in a medieval world, where women are physically and emotionally dominant. The story starts with the MC, Phillip being married off in a political union as his mother, a famous general is called to war. Phillips new wife treats him like furniture, though her sister and bff take advantage of his unique perspective to make some prudent investments.
This is a really interesting story of the “weaker sex” working hard to prosper despite societal and physical handicaps. He uses what he’s got to make his way and turn things around. Since he’s a handsome and intelligent man, he uses his male wiles to influence the women around him. As he gets swept up by different currents, he does everything he can while retaining the honor of duty.
A really interesting perspective. Hopefully there will be a sequel as the story ended with many unresolved issues: the outcome of the war, the choices of his intimate relationships, the machinations of the queen. Once again, l am really looking forward to a sequel.
The MC is an intelligent man in a medieval world, where women are physically and emotionally dominant. The story starts with the MC, Phillip being married off in a political union as his mother, a famous general is called to war. Phillips new wife treats him like furniture, though her sister and bff take advantage of his unique perspective to make some prudent investments.
This is a really interesting story of the “weaker sex” working hard to prosper despite societal and physical handicaps. He uses what he’s got to make his way and turn things around. Since he’s a handsome and intelligent man, he uses his male wiles to influence the women around him. As he gets swept up by different currents, he does everything he can while retaining the honor of duty.
A really interesting perspective. Hopefully there will be a sequel as the story ended with many unresolved issues: the outcome of the war, the choices of his intimate relationships, the machinations of the queen. Once again, l am really looking forward to a sequel.
December 18, 2020
A story that grips you throughout
This is a gender reversal story with the women being bigger, stronger and the dominant gender and males being shorter, frail and used for political marriages. The setting is more iron-age with horses and swords, rather than a more modern setting. Phillip the main character is more intelligent and starts to use his above normal male intelligence and good looks to work to his advantage, but being a handsome man in a woman’s world is not easy in this case with women wanting him for more than his intellect. His mother is a powerful character which makes him more of a prize. The story sweeps Phillip into a political marriage of convenience with a wealthy merchants daughter (heir to the family). From there many suitors still peruse the handsome man and attempt to steal him from his wife. War and political intrigue impact the story in a major way all the way through to the end of book 1 as Phillip uses his charm smile and wit to try to stay true to his honour. Fabulous story.
This is a gender reversal story with the women being bigger, stronger and the dominant gender and males being shorter, frail and used for political marriages. The setting is more iron-age with horses and swords, rather than a more modern setting. Phillip the main character is more intelligent and starts to use his above normal male intelligence and good looks to work to his advantage, but being a handsome man in a woman’s world is not easy in this case with women wanting him for more than his intellect. His mother is a powerful character which makes him more of a prize. The story sweeps Phillip into a political marriage of convenience with a wealthy merchants daughter (heir to the family). From there many suitors still peruse the handsome man and attempt to steal him from his wife. War and political intrigue impact the story in a major way all the way through to the end of book 1 as Phillip uses his charm smile and wit to try to stay true to his honour. Fabulous story.
August 12, 2022
Started well and went downhill fast
Which is really a shame because I enjoy the concept. A world where women rule and men are effectively beholden to their wants and needs. A matriarchy. But in a patriarchy, men almost always put themselves first. Why would a matriarchy do the opposite? Phillip quickly became very boring, as so many women kept throwing themselves at him and he effectively had no flaws. If anything, his major flaw was leading so many women on, but the book only praised him for it. It was as boring as the casual sexual harassment, which was curiously male centric. You wouldn't expect women in a matriarchy to put men's pleasure first- we certainly don't see that in a patriarchy lol. I think there could have been something interesting here, especially with exploration of the dynamics between men and women in this world, but the author was so focused on giving Phillip a harem that he completely dropped the ball. I'd say maybe read the first 30% and stop after that.
Which is really a shame because I enjoy the concept. A world where women rule and men are effectively beholden to their wants and needs. A matriarchy. But in a patriarchy, men almost always put themselves first. Why would a matriarchy do the opposite? Phillip quickly became very boring, as so many women kept throwing themselves at him and he effectively had no flaws. If anything, his major flaw was leading so many women on, but the book only praised him for it. It was as boring as the casual sexual harassment, which was curiously male centric. You wouldn't expect women in a matriarchy to put men's pleasure first- we certainly don't see that in a patriarchy lol. I think there could have been something interesting here, especially with exploration of the dynamics between men and women in this world, but the author was so focused on giving Phillip a harem that he completely dropped the ball. I'd say maybe read the first 30% and stop after that.
November 16, 2024
It’s has the most rational depiction of the swap gender roles trope I’ve seen, the genre tends to lean too much to the ‘breeding’ kink for my enjoyment, but this one has none of that. It is very much a role reversal where the women are expected to chase the men and the men have the social expectation of women in our current society. It’s entirely mundane, no magic or fantasy at all, it’s a different world but it’s all normal humans doing normal human things. It’s more focused on the relationships and character interactions, which were satisfying. If you are expecting op mc and everything else you expect from the haremlit genre, you will be disappointed, it's different kind of story, and your exceptions should be different.
The negative reviews are people missing the point or not being comfortable with their sexuality..."oh no, the mc isn't a carbon copy asshole that is mainly depicted in this genre 1 star!"
I appreciate the author doing something different with the genre without branching out into kinks and conversational tropes.
The negative reviews are people missing the point or not being comfortable with their sexuality..."oh no, the mc isn't a carbon copy asshole that is mainly depicted in this genre 1 star!"
I appreciate the author doing something different with the genre without branching out into kinks and conversational tropes.
December 9, 2020
A unique approach to a well versed genre
It's stories like this that cause my extreme respect for Arand. As far as this genre goes he is the most experimental and talented by far. This was definitely a different story with gender roles being completely swapped, males being the weak ones and women the dominant and seemingly more prolific gender. It is definitely hard to start this book having the male MC taking such a weak role. But his thoughts and responsibilities grow on you during the course of this book. Throughout the story I kept having to think of Phil as if he was a female from Pride and Prejudice to really understand what he was going through. For sure a more challenging read due to it, but enjoyable none the less.
Now I am curious if this ties in to the same multiverse as the rest of Arand's books. For one there was no signature reference to character's in his other books when there was definitely opportunity to do so. I guess we will have to wait and see
It's stories like this that cause my extreme respect for Arand. As far as this genre goes he is the most experimental and talented by far. This was definitely a different story with gender roles being completely swapped, males being the weak ones and women the dominant and seemingly more prolific gender. It is definitely hard to start this book having the male MC taking such a weak role. But his thoughts and responsibilities grow on you during the course of this book. Throughout the story I kept having to think of Phil as if he was a female from Pride and Prejudice to really understand what he was going through. For sure a more challenging read due to it, but enjoyable none the less.
Now I am curious if this ties in to the same multiverse as the rest of Arand's books. For one there was no signature reference to character's in his other books when there was definitely opportunity to do so. I guess we will have to wait and see
December 7, 2020
A very thought provoking, amusing, superb beginning
Writing under a third pen name, William D Arand has begun what I consider to be one of his best works to date. Reversing the biological / social /cultural standards seen in our world, in this mirror universe, women hold physical strength, authority and control over men who are treated almost as precious flowers, to be protected, cherished and kept at home, the poor dears. The author maintains the 'harem' tradition, showing in exquisite fashion how someone in a weaker position can still manipulate, love and help the women he favours. The character development in this book is superb, approach a level only seen in Austen's novels. The plot is convoluted, but not excessively so. It's 'fade to black' for intimate scenes but really, it just adds to the story. Buy it, enjoy it. I hope to God he continues the series. It's brilliant.
Writing under a third pen name, William D Arand has begun what I consider to be one of his best works to date. Reversing the biological / social /cultural standards seen in our world, in this mirror universe, women hold physical strength, authority and control over men who are treated almost as precious flowers, to be protected, cherished and kept at home, the poor dears. The author maintains the 'harem' tradition, showing in exquisite fashion how someone in a weaker position can still manipulate, love and help the women he favours. The character development in this book is superb, approach a level only seen in Austen's novels. The plot is convoluted, but not excessively so. It's 'fade to black' for intimate scenes but really, it just adds to the story. Buy it, enjoy it. I hope to God he continues the series. It's brilliant.
December 21, 2020
Loved most of it
Loved the first half of the book. The storyline in the first half was solid. Easy A+. Then the second half...smh. I don’t mind harem situations in books generally, but the author seemed intent to overwhelm the reader with it in the second half of the book. Every female just wanted to fall in bed with the MC. That is unnecessary and diminishes the quality of the story. More annoying to me is that it introduces too many characters, that the reader is forced to remember. As a result, none of the female characters seem special.
I think the story would have been served better, if the MC started off with a small harem, giving the user time to acclimate to each character.
In following books, the author could then add a few more, giving the story some room to breathe and focus on the main storyline, which is excellent on its own!
Loved the first half of the book. The storyline in the first half was solid. Easy A+. Then the second half...smh. I don’t mind harem situations in books generally, but the author seemed intent to overwhelm the reader with it in the second half of the book. Every female just wanted to fall in bed with the MC. That is unnecessary and diminishes the quality of the story. More annoying to me is that it introduces too many characters, that the reader is forced to remember. As a result, none of the female characters seem special.
I think the story would have been served better, if the MC started off with a small harem, giving the user time to acclimate to each character.
In following books, the author could then add a few more, giving the story some room to breathe and focus on the main storyline, which is excellent on its own!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews