Over all a pleasant surprise. This is a classic lost world jungle adventure with a creative twists. Incidentally the Jungle King trilogy, by Jack Porter is harem erotica. The adventure is the story, the sex is rather mundane and at times just something added in.
As with any lost world adventure, the initial problem is to get the cast somewhere that does not exist. Porter uses a university sponsored underwater expedition to limit what his characters can bring into their lost world and to seal them from the one they are taken from. We are asked to accept that our university professor cum jungle king selected to dive with only women students because that is how the selection process worked out. Again keep the set up simple, then live with it.
Once on their own island, Professor Jake Montblanc, the future Jungle King, maintains his status as expedition leader and assumes primary responsibility over the welfare of his charges. The ladies prove, from early on that they bring their own talents and willingness to work. Everyone works to further the common cause of survival. No one on this team is dead weight. No woman is portrayed as a sex object.
There are certainly things that can irk or distract a reader. The women seem to be wearing the world’s most indestructible bikinis. Even as they learn to make clothes, those strips of cloth are heroic in providing unlimited wear and sexual tension on demand. The good doctor makes, and remakes a fixed rule of no one traveling alone. Then, often as not on the same day breaks it. No one of the stranded has a lot of specialized survival training or knowledge of flora or fauna, but they never seem to lose much time finding what they need. We are told that the wood for bows has to have special characteristic and be seasoned. The professor seems to be able to spot the right kind of wood and so the survivors add bows and arrows in a matter of pages.
Bottom line, it’s a story, it has lapses. Porter does reasonable job of spreading out the surprises and explaining the solutions. As a read, this may not be no-par with Edgar Rice Burroughs, but one can imagine Jules Verne and especially Robert Heinlein being jealous of the ability to add sex to the narrative. And yes, there is plenty room for a fourth or fifth book
While I enjoyed this yarn, there was one thing in particular I found very grating. The author (via the MC, of course) lays out very specific rules for ‘not going off by yourself’ yet at every imaginable turn, the MC does JUST that. The author used that artifice to further the story, but c’mon, dude - it was so completely outside the boundaries you set for the MC and supporting cast. There must have been other ways to move the plot along without breaking the rules you set. While the overall story was fine, these instances of ‘breaking character’ didn’t enhance anything, and realistically detracted from the story you were weaving. It really just highlighted that the story was contrived, and you as the author didn’t feel compelled to adhere to your own rules. Not a great look. I’d have GLADLY awarded a 5-star review, but I tend to not enjoy when authors so glibly break their own rules.
This was an enjoyable book, sort of a "Land of the Lost" sort of vibe. My only complaint was with twelve different women coming with this one guy on this adventure was just too much for me. I don't know if it would be a mans dream or nightmare to have to divide your time with that many women. The author tried really hard to tell a story and work in spending unique quality time with each of the different women. Luckily he had three books to do it with. So the book starts out with a diving expedition in a new underwater cave that nobody has explored before. He takes with him his diving class that consists of twelve different women. Inside this cave there is a portal that takes them to a lagoon of an island that has been lost in time. The portal isn't always open, but it has sucked in different creatures from different time periods in Earth's history. There are also primitive humans as well. The story was enjoyable. Each of the bases that the party builds was unique and easily pictured. It was an enjoyable story.
Alternate universe, time travel, dinosaurs, megafauna, harem adult situations
Archeologist and cave diver Jake and his twelve women college students find themselves transported to a volcanic island with dinosaurs and other dangerous creatures from different time periods, including cannibals. Don't think too hard about; it's escape fiction. Usual number of errors for an indie writer. Fun.
Jake an twelve college students explore underwater caves .
Jake a University professor out of California lectures an researchs the past an diving for underwater caves for relics . A summer program in the Bahamas for cave diving turns into a adventure of a lifetime . They are transported back in time by a time rift to a prehistoric island lost in time . recommend reading excellent series .
As a trilogy this really works well. I have read this twice now and it was just as good the second time around. This is a well balanced adventure survival story with more intimate loving moments. The main character is likeable, highly practical and fair minded, an inspirational leader as well as courageous. I wish the story was edited more to take out the frequent errors particularly in the last six chapters. 5* definitely.
What an interesting concept. Traveling to a pocket universe. This is a new way to look at travel and fantasy. How this takes place is a very strange but wonderful experience of life in a varied fast lane. How you go from underwater acreology to travel into different time.
I really enjoyed reading this trilogy, so much that I read the whole thing in two days. It's a cross between Tarzan and the Land that time forgot but with its own take to tell. It has plenty of action, dangerous situations and a whole lot of women to enjoy time with. If fantasies were real then I want to be Jake!
I read this book over the span of 3 or 4 days. It kept my interest, and I kept wondering when Jake would get into his next spot of trouble, and then how he would solve it.
I do think that someone needs to proofread these stories better. I noticed several instances where the wording didn't quite make sense. Aside from that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I will say that this is wondering story starting with a worm hole trip ending with a E R Bourrows Tarzan ending. There is very vivid imagery. There is also very deep self dialogue of the main character, a little stilted. All in all a fine long read. Checking for continuation.
Enjoyable read. The description of the landscape and the fauna is great. The MC is likeable but seems to have a split personality. He talks about how the women are are strong and knowledgeable but how he has to protect them. He sees something dangerous but holds off telling them. He tells them not to go anywhere by themselves but then goes off by himself.
Three successive narratives in one book. Typical of adventure stories, dangerous situation arise and are narrowly escaped. Sporadic sex scenes sprinkled throughout, not particularly erotic. Kept me reading.
Well written, and a long story with the idea of parallell worlds with gates that opens and connects them letting lifeforms through. The life of a harem working to survive in a strange surrounding.
An excellent read of an exceptional man going through trials and tribulations, with fantastic partners and wonderful characters. Well done. Gary Challenger from Devon UK
Enjoyed the suspense, the action, the caring and commitment. Decent development of storytelling and characters. Nice enjoyable read. Worth taking the time to enjoy.
Boring and bland without much character depth. Setting is somewhat interesting, but could also more depth. The harem part is okish, but nothing special.
Surprisingly, this was a good story. I thought it would be more like several mindless afternoons of fun reading to pass the time, but the plot across the three books was pretty good.
The overarching story & lore is actually kinda interesting, but not completely satisfying. The parts building up the world and attempting to add "plot" just don't get the attention they need to keep them interesting. The characters are also mostly 2 dimensional caricatures who we mostly learn little, if anything, about. The behavior of the women in this story feels more like male wish fulfillment than a logical progression of the interpersonal relationships among the group.