Weekly Roundup 1-20-25
I wrote out a whole ass review but then clicked out of it and it closed on me. Got so pissed off it took a day to calm down a rewrite everything. Anyway on to the review.
Amazon Apocalypse 3
Third book in the series so you should know what to expect. Still good writing still pretty decent storyline and really like the characters.
So far all the girls make sense and the adding of Cyra was abrupt but I think a really good addition. It feels like Cyra as a character was what Myrina was supposed to be but Myrinas wackiness got away from the author so Cyra had to get into the harem to get the authors story back where they wanted it. I mean Myrina was on earth for a long time and yet she acts like she knows nothing and has no impulse control which would be out of the ordinary.
I still think Bridget is best girl though. She is the type that makes the house a home while also can take the field with MC. I am really glad none of the girls so far has been relegated to the back of the house. Every woman so far has been able to fight and stay a major participant and a driving force of the story.
I think the author though could be more subtle with some things....the story was not foreshadowed as much as the reader was beaten over the head with what happens next. The author has a major problem with religion it feels like (it shows in all thier books so far) and this one is no different.
Anyway the series is called Amazon Apocolypse and seriously the only problems really have been Earth problems. You can replace the Amazons with anyone else and the story would not change much. Maybe as it progresses we will see more....but at each book being 700+ pages I guess I expected to get to the crux or at least see the crux of the matter. Anyway still a good book in a really enjoyable series. I hope the audio for book 4 releases soon.
Bonded Summoner 6
It's book 6 in the series...if you made it this far you know what to expect and what it is pretty much coming to. Hell we have a MC that literally fucks the world (Ava). Not every woman in the world ohh no this is not a wuxia no this guy fucks the soul of his planet.
Besides that this is another book that is doing something I really like and keeping all the woman in the story relevant. I like how MC is keeping the girls powered up so none fall by the wayside and can be left behind.
There are some really glaring inconstancies to me like Lord Guan saying he can not say much do to him being of a higher tier but then he info dumps for like 20+ pages. Also the thing with gun like here
And of course, many sought power. The Framework would help people master magic, and while they might be discouraged from using it against others, some still tried. In truth, it wasn’t until people passed level ten that they were truly super-humans, a bullet able to put down an initiated. Guns would need to be destroyed as well, the Framework already providing a special bounty for turning them in. This was yet another instance where the heroes and the administrator needed to step in, to ensure such manufacturing was stopped.
Bookerson, JJ. Celestial Nexus: A Summoner Fantasy LitRPG (Bonded Summoner Book 6) (p. 552). Hearthspark Publishing LLC. Kindle Edition.
My question is both why and how. Like What do they or the system think guns will do that a asshole with a propane tank and can shoot fireballs out of his fingers can not? Also we dont see that chemistry changes much so how will you stop more from being made? It just seems like a pointless endevour when you dont get rid of any other ballastics like bows or rocks. Hell there are people who can fire slings and arrows now....at human strength with enough force to get the job done.
Another thing I did like is that all of Jakes kids are nonhuman which makes sense because his women are not human. Just curious why they are all girls though. Anyway it was a really good addition to the series.
Fertile Valley 1
Looks like these two authors are trying to give Jack Brice a run for thier money in the SOL subgenre here. There was a lot to like in this book. The laid back story for one was pretty well set and this was just a easy read.
Now there were some heavy stuff going on and I like that the authors did not shy away from it. Things like Quieenies secret....but I do feel like even though the authors gave it a lot of attention it still felt glossed over. Her hiding his child from him should have cut her from ever being considered into the harem. She has already proven she can not be trusted in the most important way possible and as a father myself I think she has proven it with the only thing that matters.
Now our boy Pete does a lot of self reflection and has a lot of self recrimination and for what we as the reader see a lot of it is nor ewarranted. he is always saying he should have been better and visited his grandfather more or that he should have not lost touch with his friend and my question is why. Why should he not people grow and change and sometimes they leave a place with no reason to go back. Like for me personally there is nothing I left in the continent of Africa that I would ever need to go back for....by choice.
If no one gave him a reason to go back (grandfather did not tell him that he was sick) then why would he?
Some things that were great is that our guy Peter wanted all the information. You dont see him grab his inner bitch and say he cant deal with stuff...nope when shit was going on he wanted to know everything. I like that a lot. I think the sex with the elves and fairy's was very inventive but a bit overdone.
I did have a laugh out load moment when one of the store owners said this
“Get used to my ugly mug,” I fired back.
As I approached the counter, I looked both ways and narrowed my eyes as I tossed her a conspiratorial look.
“You got a minute?” I asked in a lowered voice.
“I need something specific.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, Pete, you poor thing. We don’t sell no city crack-cocaine out here.”
Knightley, Virgil; Hawthorne, Annabelle. Fertile Valley 1 (p. 278). Wet Leaf Press LLC. Kindle Edition.
And all I could think is no you are in the backwoods of course you don't sell cocaine you sell meth.
Anyway this was a really good book and I am looking forward to the next one.
By and By the female VA rocked the songs here get is audio for that alone if you need. Brought to mind Paris Paloma
Hero's Game 2
This was way better then the first one. I think the authors other series is better done though. At least the relationships while still flat make more sense then they do here. Our MC who was supposed to be pretty smart previously seems to be having his IQ drop per book. Now this could be a side effect of Scarlett riding with him and we as the reader will see later someone who knows him making the connection or saying like this is not like him he used to be able to pick up on stuff before.
Seriously through most of the book the MC is going over how can he tell these girls he is fucking other girls and how should he and what not....never once does it done on him (until way later in the book) to actually use his fucking words and talk to them like they were also whole ass people who deserve to be treated like a sapient being. Also he never once asks himself the question how would I feel if they did they same to me? It was really pretty annoying.
Outside of that this was a pretty decent Adam West style story. There was no nuance and no real build up, you know what is going to happen and the how of it. I do like the gradual power scaling for the MC. While this is not a series I will rush to buy as soon as it drops it is one that I will read in between series.
Giga Beast 1
Chompy is pretty cool. But the real question can he save a book from this MC...I will let you be the judge.
Now for me personally this MC is terrible and I expect better from both these authors. Our guy Sam is the most unimaginative unattentive uninquisitive MC ever. Won't listen to the lawyers...and once he found out that his father left more then he thought and the inhert8ence is different he does not call them back or get his own lawyer. He gets someone willing to teach him about the giga system yet does not asks questions or try to learn. He just too busy smelling his own farts.
I really feel like these authors were hobbled here by Amazon. Sam would be way more likeable and more of a sympathetic character if he was say 13-18 range VS 25+. Sorry a man at 25 is supposed to have his emotional shit together at least well enough to pay attention when something important is going on. The only thing our guy here pays attention to is tits and asses.
I also think we could have done better with more world building. We learn that the AI controls stuff and hides the people of the realm in the relam....then how do they leave? Why make a conversion rate at all from shards to USD. Tell us about the world outside the core so you can show us easier what the world inside is different because right now besides these gigabeast and stuff at the trading hub we are not seeing a lot. Like at once point where we are seeing what Sam brings to the table and how he can help the realm we hear this
In conclusion, Samuel West commits to utilizing this plot of land and its resources for the betterment of Corelith and its surrounding communities. By responsibly capturing and raising GigaBeasts from the dungeon, he aims to generate sustainable energy and support agricultural productivity. The farm’s operations will provide essential goods such as crops, crafted items, and rare materials, fostering economic growth through trade and local markets. Additionally, the farm will serve as a hub for innovation, showcasing sustainable farming techniques and providing opportunities for education and collaboration. Samuel also envisions the farm as a means of creating jobs, supporting local families, and contributing to regional food security. Through careful stewardship of the land and its natural resources, he intends to maintain ecological balance, ensuring that the farm’s benefits extend to both the people and the environment of Corelith. This venture, rooted in community-driven values, represents a holistic approach to growth and prosperity, reinforcing the farm’s role as a cornerstone of the realm’s development.
Grayson, Gwen ; Riggs, Edgar . GigaBeasts (pp. 389-390). anonymous. Kindle Edition.
And we are not told the how of this will help. This is like someone submitting a RFP response and adding the sustability blurb that is standard now. Like how would he do any of this when Gigabeast do all the work...the core crystal can and does almost everything else.
I just think the authors should have show us more of the world and what the Core cyrstal can and cannot do and what it does and does not do. Because with things like say healthcare well healing potions...ok those take shards...well how do people get shards? It seems they live in a post scarcity world here.
Also so far when Bartholowme said there are no reason for these country girls to like Sam....he is not wrong. We have not seen a lot from Sam here...just the girls say some small things (trying to protect Faryn before he knew what was going on, being nice to gigabeast and not trating Maeve as wierd) which I am sorry is just bare minimum and if that is all it takes to impress these girls then I weep for the species.
This is another book where we see the MC go on and on about he can do whatever he wants with any girl he wants because he does not owe them anything and they never labeled what thier relationship is. He spends so much time talking about it that when the conversation finally happens it was with him not even being there and the girls have to work it out. Felt pretty cowardly to me like the MC was trying to convince himself that what he was doing was right....and I am sorry but if you can not say it with your chest then you have to know you are fucking up. Now I know I am ranting but I just dont like when the MC treats the women he is supposed to be intimate with like not worth the effort to have basic communication.
We see him saying that a girl like Faryn is worth waiting for...but is it really waiting if you have another girl banging you? What are you really giving up because Faryn is still spending time and energy on you she is just not spreading her legs but another girl is.
Now as for Maeve, I felt like she needs therapy and not a boyfriend. Now I think she is a really well written character but would have been better suited as a friend we see her get out of her shell but stay a friend...maybe she joins the harem of another guy that is friends with the MC.
I really wonder about these battles as well. I mean if Gigabeast can hurt humans then why would I send my monster to fight your monster. I cast gun prepare to meet God my guy. Send Chomp to nibble on Batrs face I bet that attack would be super effective. This feels like the same as watching the power rangers or sailor scouts transform and just letting it happen.
Now the Gigabeast were awesome and stole the show. Chomp was pretty cool and very expressive...I am going to try to make a 3D print of this guy when I can just because a Sharkpup sounds cool. I wonder if he grows from a Sharkpup to a Sharkdog....or is he is like my 80lbs Pit bull back stateside who is named Pup'O'Saurus Rex. Like I told my daughter she is the youngest she will always be the baby and Pup to me will always be a puppy no matter how big she gets.
Now I know it looks like I am ragging on the book and I kinda am. This book has everything to make it great but it fell in the meh category for me. Just there was not enough meat on the bone for what I expected and from these authors you come to expect great. Now maybe a lot of this will be cleared up in the next book or maybe it will get handwaved away but I hope not.
I think this book would have been better if this was set in a already pre established universe...that way we the reader already has some background on the goings on and how the world works. Now none of this is to say I wont buy the next one. I most certainly will.
Anyway that is what I read what about you guys?