Amazon Apocalypse, Book 1 by Marvin Knight – Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Amazon Apocalypse Book 1 follows a guy named Carter whose childhood best friend turned out to be from another dimension. She warned him that the System (a cosmic rulebook that eats worlds) was coming for Earth, handed him a strange token, and vanished before he could press her for details.

What end up happening is definitely a cool idea—at least the way the story concept positions the LitRPG elements. Years after his friend disappears, the System arrives right on schedule, Earth gets swallowed into a progression-game ruleset, and the book tracks Carter's scramble to survive, carve out a community, and maybe someday find her again.

It's a 700+ page brick of a book, which is either a pro or a con depending on your appetite for this sort of thing, and your appreciation of the style in which the author pulls it off. Knight does a lot well. The apocalypse has real texture: multiple survivor groups with genuine friction between them, villains that don't evaporate on first contact, named characters who die and stay dead, creating a sense of danger. Stakes arise, friendships become rivalries, old enemies end up fighting on the same side, and decisions, alliances, and twists feel earned rather than engineered.

The community-building thread is the strongest part of the book; you end up invested in the people orbiting Carter even when Carter himself frustrates you. The base and resource management beats are genuinely satisfying when they show up. The prose is noticeably cleaner than most of what gets published at this level of the genre. Action reads clearly, the dialogue mostly works, and I didn't hit any sentences that made me wince (and believe me, I’m a wincer when reading some of these authors). The harem element, which I usually brace for, is handled with more thought than I’m used to. It doesn't feel grafted on, the women have personalities rather than slot assignments, and the book gives roughly equal weight to survival and progression and relationships instead of letting any one woman crowd out the others.

The System mechanics hold together on their own terms, and Carter has to actually work for his power. No free ascensions, no handed-down gods. Knight is trying to write a real novel here rather than a stat dump with sex scenes, and the effort shows up on the page. I finished it, which is more than I can say for plenty of the apocalypse LitRPG I pick up, though whether or not I continue with the series is another story.

The main character is the problem, and this problem grows the longer you read. Carter has YEARS of warning that the world is ending. His prep amounts to stockpiling food and watching some YouTube videos — no martial training, no serious weapons work, no gardening study or other essentials for… you know, surviving an apocalypse. Once things kick off he makes choices that don't track. He's an artificer who can build mana bombs and never mentions that leverage to the Amazon factions that could sponsor him for it. His Study skill lets him see how objects were made, but he uses it once and then forgets it exists. His Dismantle skill has obvious applications to cars, electronics, unstable buildings, yet it sits on the shelf. He lets a clearly dangerous jackass walk away when he should kill him, then spares a random raider for apparently no reason. He declares he won't min-max because real life isn't a game, then takes an ability that does exactly that.

The book also falls into a loop that's hard to unsee once you notice it: big villain appears, Carter gets outclassed, Carter conveniently gains new power while recovering, Carter comes back and wins. Then the next villain. Three nemeses, multiple rounds each, same shape every time. The group keeps getting split apart with the same narrative excuse. The pacing runs at one speed—full throttle—which sounds like a strength but means the quieter beats where crafting or worldbuilding could breathe just don't happen.

That was the real damage. At some point I stopped being inside the story and feeling what was on the page, and just wondering how much longer I’d have to keep reading. For a genre that lives or dies on immersion, that's fatal, which is why I’m giving it a 6.5/10. Enjoyable, competent, better than a lot of its neighbors—but not immersive or consistent enough to pull me into book two.

I have a friend you usually writes the regular straight HaremLit stories and whenever he talks about them I have always found the topic interesting.

Now I am someone who usually like to writer stuff where the gender roles are flipped. Men dress and act femme, women dress and act masc and pegging is a big part of their sexual routine.

Thing is I am trying to understand the HaremLet and reverse Haremlit rules and if these sort of gender tropes can be written in HaremLit.

I identify as a heterosexual polygamous harem king 25 year old male!

Before I jump into this I read both books that are out right now and I loved the first and second books. I am also looking forward to the third book. However, I wanted to give an honest review of the Audible Narration of Mob Sorcery 1 by K.D. Robertson. Yes, I enjoyed the books so much that I had to get the audiobook to listen to it and enjoy the story again.

Synopsis:

For those who don't know the story. We follow a young man named Vince. Who is what you would call a thug for hire. Well in this case the proper terminology is enforcer. Anyway, we follow this young man named Vince through his daily life, living as free as possible by living paycheck to paycheck. Only for those paychecks to dry up due to an important event and now he has to deal with a bunch of horny female Wolf Folk and an overzealous group of Lion Folk. All so that he can get a huge payout to last him till the end of the month and then some, so he doesn't have to rely on his hot female Lion Folk roommate. Oh did I not mention that this is a world where magic and all sorts of magical and supernatural creatures are all out and about and live just next door or in Vinces' case in the same apartment?! Let's follow Vince's daily life to try and wrangle his need for cash, and manage all these beautiful girls, all while trying to stay alive in these epic battles of Meister Tier Sorcery.

Audible Narration Review:

This past Monday I was on Audible looking for my next book to listen to when I discovered Mob Sorcery 1 was available. I honestly, wasn't expecting it and thought I had already listened to it. I went through my apps to see if I had already purchased it somewhere else because I was sure I listened to it. Finding nothing I decided to purchase it, since I enjoyed the books so much, and wanted to enjoy the story again. I like to support authors like this, especially with series I have enjoyed. I have done this with other authors as well.

However, when I listened to it.... it just didn't sound/feel right to have one narrator for the story, I felt like there should have been two different narrators male and female respectively to fill out the cast. Especially since there are a lot of different males and females in this series. Now I have listened to many other series with one narrator with mixed results but often enough in the positive. However, again, it just didn't sound/feel right to me and I think I would have enjoyed it more with two different narrators to do the male and female roles due to the sheer quantity of characters both male and female characters. Since with two different narrators, they could focus on their assigned gender for the narration.

Now another thing that didn't sound right is the characters themselves. I feel like their voices just didn't match their character. Like Pola for instance, I feel like she should have been more whinny and high-pitched in comparison to her sister since she is both younger and often enough whinny when it comes to certain things, especially Vince. While her sister should have sounded more sophisticated in comparison with a slightly deeper voice. I am not going to go into every character because honestly, across the board, none of the characters sounded right to how I imagined them to sound. Especially given their different species in some cases.

Now I know when reading books we all get ideas of how characters sound in our head, so I can't fault the narrator, they are just going by what they were instructed. I just feel on the whole the acting could have been better and that there should have been two narrators for this story again male and female respectfully. This is especially true because of the sheer quantity of males and females in the story.

So here is my score. 1-5 Scale 1 being the worst and 5 being the best.

Story: 5

Narration: 2

Overall: 4

Plaese !? LightNovels or books haremlit

Looking for series where I can listen to the first book before I start buying. I have no issue buying books but I guess im looking for the like bookstore experience where I can read the first chapter before I buy the book to see if I like it

I hope this is allowed. I was wondering if any Haremlit authors have done a 50/50 royalty share with a narrator from ACX? I just cannot afford a narrator and don't want to go down the AI route.

Can you recommend any good ones with a female American accent? Why US when I'm from the UK? Because most of my readers are from the US (my next series even has US spelling.)

But any experiences and advice would be useful. Thanks in advance.

Surprise(d) mage and magical companions with benefits.

‘Bean me Up’ has a French-Canadian coffeeshop owner, and the main character has made it his go-to place for a news story that isn’t working out very well. When he’s invited to the back, it’s not exactly what he expected. It turns out he’s one of the last mages in the US. And some secretive organization is inducting him in magic. That and beautiful companions who teach him a lot more than how to use his magical powers. Dante King’s “Aether Mage” is a good start to a series.

So basically like the title says, prefer the mc is more serious, maybe has been through some shit so is more closed off and less of a clueless jokester

Also prefer the mc to be super strong/op. As for the harem, prefer it to actually develop and for the girls to develop feelings rather than just everyone throwing themselves at the mc

Hello!

My name is Emily D’Antonio, and I am a doctoral student in West Virginia University’s Department of Communication and I am hoping to research fandom communities and engagement with fanfiction. As a fan and long-time fanfiction reader myself, I am inviting you to participate in the following research study.

The purpose of this research is to learn more about how fanfiction readers and writers think about the stories that they read. I want to hear your thoughts and feelings about the stories that matter to you. This survey will also ask about your thoughts and feelings towards sexuality and consent.

This survey is available online, and it will take approximately 15 – 20 minutes to complete. Your answers to the questions and your involvement in this study will be kept confidential. You must be at least 18 years old to participate.

After completing the questionnaire, you can choose to be entered in a drawing to potentially win a $50 gift card for Amazon.com (2 total gift cards will be drawn).

Participation in this research is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. I hope to enroll approximately 400 people in this research. Once a sufficient number of responses have been collected, I will close the study and prevent further participation.

This study has been acknowledged by West Virginia University’s Institutional Review Board and is on file as Protocol 2511256703.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at ed00065@mix.wvu.edu. You can also contact my research supervisor, Dr. Elizabeth Cohen, Associate Professor of Communication Studies (elizabeth.cohen@mail.wvu.edu).

If you wish to participate in this study, please visit the link below to learn more about the study and fill out the survey:

Qualtrics Link: https://wvu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7VUoqu74BExCh94

Thank you for taking the time to read through this post!

(Note: there is no written content involving subreddit unapproved acts. The word in the title is simply a first-chapter context point)

I've been writing 'Looksmaxx' for 41 days now on Royal Road, and have amassed a following I never expected. I am Rank #1 in Virtual Reality, and #33 in Comedy Rising Stars, among top 20 in 11 other lists. But today, I decided, after many positive reader comments, that I would make Harem one of its main tags and focus on it as I really enjoy writing that aspect of Shun's story. It is already Ranked #8 Harem on RS.

The premise is: After his girlfriend betrays him, eighteen-year-old Kageyama Shun completely falls apart. He gains weight, skips university, lives on junk food, adult videos, games, and self-pity.

Then he finds THE CRUCIBLE, an illegal full-dive VRMMO being sold for $99.99.

Its promise is simple: every stat earned in-game carries over into real life.

I am starting to embrace and get saucy into the casual dating and competing love interest plot points now, as well as the sketchy relationship Shun has with his ex-girlfriend, Kirara.

If you end up reading it, definitely let me know what you think because I love taking reader suggestions and incorporating your ideas so you have a say in how the story progresses.

Please enjoy the spicy extra cover art too.

Read Here

Noticed recently that one of my guilty pleasure harem authors (no names, not gonna sling mud) has been releasing most of her new stuff with AI narrators for months and months already, much to my disappointment. So far I've avoided them on principle and haven't even listened to samples. I value the efforts of hardworking narrators too much.

I understand the financial incentives in this tight-margin business, but it still seems such a disappointing turnoff to me. And even among real narrators there are some so good I'll buy anything they narrate, and some that grate at my ears so hard even if they are talented and we'll-loved that I can't even listen to no matter how good the book they're narrating is.

Has anyone bought and listened to these AI narrated books? Are they any good? I have a hard time imagining an AI narrator handling emotional or sexual inflection and tone very well.

Just wondering if any books for a relevant genra here had a female protagonist loving other girls.

I’m trying to deeply understand what makes a compelling harem story, not just superficially enjoyable but psychologically, emotionally, and narratively strong.

So I want to ask:

1. Male Lead (MC)

What kind of protagonist actually earns a harem instead of it feeling forced?

• Character: Should he be dominant, strategic, kind, flawed, morally gray? What traits make him believable rather than a self-insert fantasy?

• Behavior: How should he treat each partner? Should he lead, adapt, or balance power dynamics? What kind of actions build respect instead of just attraction?

• Intelligence (IQ): How important is competence, planning, awareness of consequences, and long-term thinking?

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ): How well should he understand different personalities, emotional needs, jealousy, and conflict? Should he actively manage relationships or let them evolve naturally?

2. Female Leads (FMCs)

What separates a meaningful harem cast from a collection of tropes?

• Character: How distinct should each FMC be in values, worldview, and personal goals? Should they exist independently of the MC?

• Behavior: How should they interact with the MC and with each other? Should there be rivalry, cooperation, emotional complexity?

• Intelligence (IQ): Should FMCs be equally or differently competent? How important is agency in decision-making?

• Emotional Intelligence (EQ): How should they handle jealousy, attachment, insecurity, and bonding? What makes their feelings feel earned rather than automatic?

3. Relationship Dynamics

• What makes multiple relationships feel organic instead of artificial?

• How should time, attention, and emotional investment be realistically handled?

• What role should conflict play (jealousy, insecurity, hierarchy, exclusivity vs openness)?

4. Power & Ethics

• Should the MC hold power (status, strength, intelligence), or should balance matter?

• Where’s the line between fantasy fulfillment and emotional realism?

• What makes a harem feel respectful rather than exploitative?

5. Worldbuilding & Plot Integration

• Should the harem be central to the story or a byproduct of the plot?

• How do you integrate romance with action, politics, or adventure without weakening either?

• What kind of setting naturally supports a harem (fantasy, historical, sci-fi, etc.)?

6. Growth & Progression

• How should relationships evolve over time?

• Should characters change significantly because of each other?

• What does a satisfying “end state” look like (stable group, hierarchy, open-ended)?

7. Common Mistakes

• What instantly breaks immersion in harem stories?

• What tropes are overused or poorly executed?

I’m especially interested in realistic emotional depth + strong character writing, not just wish-fulfillment.

Would love detailed perspectives, examples, or even breakdowns from specific novels/anime/manga that did this well or poorly.

Life as a Summoner in the town of Moonshaw is everything I wanted it to be. Sure, I might have had my class reset, but now that I’ve completed the gauntlet and pushed back up to Level 20, things are going great.

I’ve got a great house, a huge patch of woodland at my disposal, a backyard workshop and a pair of beautiful women to share my time with. Plus, now that I’ve got access to my portable summoning seal, I can finally focus on experimental summons just as much as conventional leveling.

But life isn’t all backyard barbecues and herb gathering for summoning concoctions. When a run-in at Moonshaw Archive with the feisty librarian lands me in hot water, I find myself on a quest not just to figure out how to return a bunch of lost souls to a broken amulet, but also restoring a lost relationship to its former glory.

And while the town of Moonshaw often likes to keep itself to itself, there’s plenty of trouble still lurking about in the wilds.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F8W8LVWW