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Wild Wastes #1
Wild Wastes
Spoiler for the faint hearted at the bottom of the blurb. Please read all the way through.Before world war two could reach its conclusion, the world suffered what could only be defined as a cataclysm.Legend has it that an experiment failed. Catastrophically so. And when it failed, the center of the United States, from the Sierra Nevada to the Mississippi river became "The Waste", where everything changed.In The Waste, every fantasy creature, fairy tale demon, or mythological monster exists. From Orcs, to Neriads, Ogres, Trolls, Wratihs, Elves, Harpies, and even Beastmen. They all exist, and all despise humankind.In the ruins of the west and east coasts new governments have arisen. With new jobs.Vince is a Ranger, a profession whose sole job duty is surviving in the waste, and taking missions from the Ranger Guild. Be it courier services, escorts, or simply exploring tombs and cities.Taking up an escort mission, Vince encounters a situation that will shape his life forever onward.As well as the lives of everyone in North This novel contains adult themes and moral ambiguities. The main character is written as a real person in an apocalypse, and will not make choices that line up with society and cultural norms.This story contains a harem and is an Adult Fantasy novel.
243 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
April 23, 2018
A guy wanders around a post-apocalyptic fantasy world, enslaving and impregnating monster women.
First of all, this book was boring. The plot synopsis above is really the entire book. There is side plot of him wanting to start a monster underground railroad, but make no mistake-this book is about one thing only. And that would be totally fine except that it is just so dull. The story is dull, the characters are dull, and even the freaky monster sex is pretty boring. I don't know how you make sex with an ant-woman boring, but Darren pulled this off in spades.
Next, I don't know if this is a first novel, but it reads like one. The writing is clunky ("He pulled his shirt over his head and cleared his head") and the "plot" meanders, with side plots popping up and disappearing without warning or reason.
Finally, this is one of those books where the main character is perfect at everything he does, and has whatever power/magic/special ability he needs as the plot demands. The book gives a reason for this (he absorbs the abilities of anything he eats), but it just comes off as a paper-thin excuse to make him a Mary Sue.
As a side note, I listened to the audiobook version of this, and the narrator is one of those people that insists on doing a bunch of British, Scottish, and Irish accents, even though they are laughably terrible at them.
First of all, this book was boring. The plot synopsis above is really the entire book. There is side plot of him wanting to start a monster underground railroad, but make no mistake-this book is about one thing only. And that would be totally fine except that it is just so dull. The story is dull, the characters are dull, and even the freaky monster sex is pretty boring. I don't know how you make sex with an ant-woman boring, but Darren pulled this off in spades.
Next, I don't know if this is a first novel, but it reads like one. The writing is clunky ("He pulled his shirt over his head and cleared his head") and the "plot" meanders, with side plots popping up and disappearing without warning or reason.
Finally, this is one of those books where the main character is perfect at everything he does, and has whatever power/magic/special ability he needs as the plot demands. The book gives a reason for this (he absorbs the abilities of anything he eats), but it just comes off as a paper-thin excuse to make him a Mary Sue.
As a side note, I listened to the audiobook version of this, and the narrator is one of those people that insists on doing a bunch of British, Scottish, and Irish accents, even though they are laughably terrible at them.
August 3, 2017
This is a erotic fantasy. Not smutty or romantic but a fun erotic fantasy. Usually with such books it can boil down to MC hooking up with random faceless women with thread bare story and sex scenes that devolve into "look at her tits and my big dick!". This is not the case everyone is fleshed out and there is a solid story underneath, it never tries to be more than it is.
This story follows a skilled ranger who decides to pick up a mission for some cash, this is in a world where old USA has collapsed into a fantasy land. He fights a orc on his mission and with his special empathy powers decides to spare her life, she follows him, fun happens.
After that we see more women they go on adventures they discover a war brewing and the build a town of escaped slaves. Its not deep but its a nice read. Glad stumbled on this. Too bad there is not erotic fantasy instead of fantasy erotica category.
This story follows a skilled ranger who decides to pick up a mission for some cash, this is in a world where old USA has collapsed into a fantasy land. He fights a orc on his mission and with his special empathy powers decides to spare her life, she follows him, fun happens.
After that we see more women they go on adventures they discover a war brewing and the build a town of escaped slaves. Its not deep but its a nice read. Glad stumbled on this. Too bad there is not erotic fantasy instead of fantasy erotica category.
February 25, 2019
I really enjoy the Super Sales on Super Heroes series. They're not good books, but for what they are, they are ridiculously entertaining. In the latest of that series, I felt like I was missing a large part of the story, only to find out that it's because it assumes I've read this series as well, and ties in heavily with it. This is something I always dislike in a work of fiction. A volume of a series should not be dependent upon my having read material outside of that series. So, I had an audible credit, and grabbed the first book. Hopefully, it won't be too bad. It sounds interesting, but the author's explicit content warning on it has me a little wary.
60% done:
There is waaaaaaaaay too much sex in this book for my taste. I mean, I'm a guy, I enjoy sex as much as the next man, but I find reading about it to be extraordinarily boring. In my opinion, any sex scene in a book is wasted space. All narrative momentum comes to a screeching halt so that we can sit and watch the author masturbate for 5-6 pages before the story is allowed to resume. It adds absolutely nothing of worth to the story, and frequently, and frustratingly distracts from more pressing concerns. After the first few I just started fast forwarding them in the audiobook, because I don't give a shit about two characters fucking each other in excruciating detail. I've probably skipped around an hour of this book so far. It's only a little over 10 hours long. That's a lot of sex. that's way too much sex. And if that wasn't enough, even when they aren't boinking, they're either talking or thinking about it. Meanwhile, there's a big plot to start a war going on when the characters can be bothered to pull themselves apart long enough to notice it. This is really frustrating, because I want to see how this ties in with Super Sales on Super Heroes, but man, I just do not need to wade through all this crap to get there.
100% done:
This book is at least 20% sex scenes. That is 1/5 of this book that is completely irrelevant to the actual plot of the book. A further 30%-40% of the book is sex talk, or sex thoughts. Bleh. This is sooooo not my thing. It was so dull and boring, and I skipped what feels like a good quarter of the book because it was just completely irrelevant. While I do want to find out how this book connects to Super Sales on Super Heroes, I am not reading another book like this. I guess I'll just never know. This book was such a waste of time. The only people I can see actually enjoying it are teenaged boys looking for spank material because they haven't figured out how to get around the porn filter their parents put on the internet yet.
60% done:
There is waaaaaaaaay too much sex in this book for my taste. I mean, I'm a guy, I enjoy sex as much as the next man, but I find reading about it to be extraordinarily boring. In my opinion, any sex scene in a book is wasted space. All narrative momentum comes to a screeching halt so that we can sit and watch the author masturbate for 5-6 pages before the story is allowed to resume. It adds absolutely nothing of worth to the story, and frequently, and frustratingly distracts from more pressing concerns. After the first few I just started fast forwarding them in the audiobook, because I don't give a shit about two characters fucking each other in excruciating detail. I've probably skipped around an hour of this book so far. It's only a little over 10 hours long. That's a lot of sex. that's way too much sex. And if that wasn't enough, even when they aren't boinking, they're either talking or thinking about it. Meanwhile, there's a big plot to start a war going on when the characters can be bothered to pull themselves apart long enough to notice it. This is really frustrating, because I want to see how this ties in with Super Sales on Super Heroes, but man, I just do not need to wade through all this crap to get there.
100% done:
This book is at least 20% sex scenes. That is 1/5 of this book that is completely irrelevant to the actual plot of the book. A further 30%-40% of the book is sex talk, or sex thoughts. Bleh. This is sooooo not my thing. It was so dull and boring, and I skipped what feels like a good quarter of the book because it was just completely irrelevant. While I do want to find out how this book connects to Super Sales on Super Heroes, I am not reading another book like this. I guess I'll just never know. This book was such a waste of time. The only people I can see actually enjoying it are teenaged boys looking for spank material because they haven't figured out how to get around the porn filter their parents put on the internet yet.
March 16, 2017
Awesome!
Ok, it was a good story. But it needs editing, that's the only defect! Buy it, you will love it.
Ok, it was a good story. But it needs editing, that's the only defect! Buy it, you will love it.
April 7, 2017
Pretty solid.
It's a good book with some nice character development. Interesting take on the whole post-apocalyptic thing mixed with magic. I would've liked more description about the wastes, but it was a great book. Looking forward to the sequel.
It's a good book with some nice character development. Interesting take on the whole post-apocalyptic thing mixed with magic. I would've liked more description about the wastes, but it was a great book. Looking forward to the sequel.
August 26, 2018
Rating 3.0 stars
Most of my reviews start with my thoughts feelings at the time of reading and don't always have to do with the particular book I am reviewing. I just thought I needed to preface what is coming next. I feel I owe an apology for the last couple of reviews I have written. After reading this book, I am starting to think I was rating those books for what I wanted them to be, instead of what they were. The last couple of books I have read have had a heavy dose of sex in them, some of them with Harems. They are all in the Scifi, fantasy world as well. I kept writing in those reviews that the most unbelievable part wasn't the supernatural creatures but how the Harem worked. Thinking about it now though, that is like me watching porn with amazing sex and then complaining because the plot was lacking. Or watching the notebook and complaining that there is too much emotion. That is not really fair, so with that in mind I will separate this review into its individual parts and review them separately.
One of the first questions I have; is the author a man or a woman? I looked online and can't find anything about the author. I began reading thinking the author was female. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is female even though the main character is male, yet most of the characters in the story are female, so that could be the reason? Also there is a lot of sex in this book, but it occurs between different species. Some of it was very hard to picture. That is why I initially thought the author was female, because a female might think a man would have sex with anything? Of course on the opposite side I can see how some men would actually have sex with anything. I just can't see a male author writing about it? Later on in the story, I started to question that assumption, because there was an undercurrent of dominance and shaming that came into the sex. At that point I was hoping the author was a woman. I would be a little uncomfortable about a man writing stuff like that.
Sorry I went off on a tangent there.
Story: Overall the story was just okay. I don't think the world building is very well done. Apparently around world war II the center of America split down the middle and let supernatural creatures into the world. So now humanity is separated to the east coast and the west coast. The middle section is now called the waste, where the supernatural creatures now call home. The main character is Vince who is a Ranger. He has the job of transporting people and other goods between the coasts. During one of these missions, he comes across a female Orc and this one act ends up changing his life. There is something special about Vince and while it is written about in the book, the explanation does not go into much detail .
Here is where I rant about one of my person pet-peeves: Logistics (I know I am being petty, but if someone takes all that time to come up with a new world, they could at least spend a little time on the mundane daily function of life in that world). The whole money system in this world didn't add up. Initially, Vince takes a job for 30 standard gold (10 up front and 20 on delivery) to deliver 2 people from one coast to the other. This trip will take at least 3 months and then another 3 months to get back. Later on in the story I find out that to stable a horse for 1 night costs 2 gold, and 1 night in a hotel costs 1 gold. So, 30 gold for 6 month worth of work doesn't seem worth it . It's kind of lazy writing in my opinion. Like when someone says they are going to build a house and they report it will be done by the end of the day (how, it should absolutely take more than 1 day to build a house). I know that is not the most important part of the story, but I do like when there is a little thought put into it (again, this is just my person pet-peeve).
Magic: Yes there was some magic in the world but it was not described very well. The rules, limitations and who can use magic were not discussed at all.
Sex: Multiple sex acts between Vince and multiple species
Characters: Not very well developed either. Each character seemed to only have one side to their personality and it was pretty simplistic.
Overall: Like I said at the beginning I can't rate this book like I would rate Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (one of my favorite fantasy writers). Even though this is a fantasy story, it also is a harem story, and it was probably written to be just a fun romp. In that, this book succeeded. At some point I will probably pick up the next book to have a little brainless fun and maybe to find out, how many other creatures and strange sex Vince can possibly have.
Most of my reviews start with my thoughts feelings at the time of reading and don't always have to do with the particular book I am reviewing. I just thought I needed to preface what is coming next. I feel I owe an apology for the last couple of reviews I have written. After reading this book, I am starting to think I was rating those books for what I wanted them to be, instead of what they were. The last couple of books I have read have had a heavy dose of sex in them, some of them with Harems. They are all in the Scifi, fantasy world as well. I kept writing in those reviews that the most unbelievable part wasn't the supernatural creatures but how the Harem worked. Thinking about it now though, that is like me watching porn with amazing sex and then complaining because the plot was lacking. Or watching the notebook and complaining that there is too much emotion. That is not really fair, so with that in mind I will separate this review into its individual parts and review them separately.
One of the first questions I have; is the author a man or a woman? I looked online and can't find anything about the author. I began reading thinking the author was female. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is female even though the main character is male, yet most of the characters in the story are female, so that could be the reason? Also there is a lot of sex in this book, but it occurs between different species. Some of it was very hard to picture. That is why I initially thought the author was female, because a female might think a man would have sex with anything? Of course on the opposite side I can see how some men would actually have sex with anything. I just can't see a male author writing about it? Later on in the story, I started to question that assumption, because there was an undercurrent of dominance and shaming that came into the sex. At that point I was hoping the author was a woman. I would be a little uncomfortable about a man writing stuff like that.
Sorry I went off on a tangent there.
Story: Overall the story was just okay. I don't think the world building is very well done. Apparently around world war II the center of America split down the middle and let supernatural creatures into the world. So now humanity is separated to the east coast and the west coast. The middle section is now called the waste, where the supernatural creatures now call home. The main character is Vince who is a Ranger. He has the job of transporting people and other goods between the coasts. During one of these missions, he comes across a female Orc and this one act ends up changing his life. There is something special about Vince and while it is written about in the book, the explanation does not go into much detail .
Here is where I rant about one of my person pet-peeves: Logistics (I know I am being petty, but if someone takes all that time to come up with a new world, they could at least spend a little time on the mundane daily function of life in that world). The whole money system in this world didn't add up. Initially, Vince takes a job for 30 standard gold (10 up front and 20 on delivery) to deliver 2 people from one coast to the other. This trip will take at least 3 months and then another 3 months to get back. Later on in the story I find out that to stable a horse for 1 night costs 2 gold, and 1 night in a hotel costs 1 gold. So, 30 gold for 6 month worth of work doesn't seem worth it . It's kind of lazy writing in my opinion. Like when someone says they are going to build a house and they report it will be done by the end of the day (how, it should absolutely take more than 1 day to build a house). I know that is not the most important part of the story, but I do like when there is a little thought put into it (again, this is just my person pet-peeve).
Magic: Yes there was some magic in the world but it was not described very well. The rules, limitations and who can use magic were not discussed at all.
Sex: Multiple sex acts between Vince and multiple species
Characters: Not very well developed either. Each character seemed to only have one side to their personality and it was pretty simplistic.
Overall: Like I said at the beginning I can't rate this book like I would rate Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson (one of my favorite fantasy writers). Even though this is a fantasy story, it also is a harem story, and it was probably written to be just a fun romp. In that, this book succeeded. At some point I will probably pick up the next book to have a little brainless fun and maybe to find out, how many other creatures and strange sex Vince can possibly have.
August 26, 2019
This is going in my 'guilty pleasure' pile. It was thoroughly entertaining and I'll almost certainly read it again at some point.
You can tell it's total wish fulfillment by the author, but it's well written, the characters have depth, and none of them are assholes or doormats. Vince, the main character isn't a total 'Mary-Sue', but there are hints there. Overall though, it's the female lead characters that really carry the story. Vince just seems to primarily be there to reap the rewards as a stand-in for the authors fantasies, and provide a nice counterpoint to the female leads. It's pretty clear throughout, that no matter how much he might think he's running things, it's the women that are in charge and making things happen.
It's just a lot of fun, a lot of sex, and a lot of fighting, without a huge amount of depth. That said, there is a significant amount of excellent world building done here, and I definitely want to know more about it. What happened to change the world, what caused it, etc. There are also lots of little side mysteries that aren't integral to the immediate plot, but leave lots of potential doors open for future installments, without feeling like cliffhangers. The plot of the current arc wraps up nicely, and leads well into the next book.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this series.
You can tell it's total wish fulfillment by the author, but it's well written, the characters have depth, and none of them are assholes or doormats. Vince, the main character isn't a total 'Mary-Sue', but there are hints there. Overall though, it's the female lead characters that really carry the story. Vince just seems to primarily be there to reap the rewards as a stand-in for the authors fantasies, and provide a nice counterpoint to the female leads. It's pretty clear throughout, that no matter how much he might think he's running things, it's the women that are in charge and making things happen.
It's just a lot of fun, a lot of sex, and a lot of fighting, without a huge amount of depth. That said, there is a significant amount of excellent world building done here, and I definitely want to know more about it. What happened to change the world, what caused it, etc. There are also lots of little side mysteries that aren't integral to the immediate plot, but leave lots of potential doors open for future installments, without feeling like cliffhangers. The plot of the current arc wraps up nicely, and leads well into the next book.
I'll definitely be keeping an eye on this series.
September 22, 2017
Love this book!!
It's not smut book and i love that. Theirs actual story and character development that makes it on par with game of thrones which to me fits really well. Their is sex which is a little tame and more realistic sometime making me think these were personal experiences rather than just random watching some 80s romp video as research. I give it 5 because it was just that much of a entertaining read and even surprised me by the price I paid. Hell l halfway there the book I bought the second edition before finishing the first.
It's not smut book and i love that. Theirs actual story and character development that makes it on par with game of thrones which to me fits really well. Their is sex which is a little tame and more realistic sometime making me think these were personal experiences rather than just random watching some 80s romp video as research. I give it 5 because it was just that much of a entertaining read and even surprised me by the price I paid. Hell l halfway there the book I bought the second edition before finishing the first.
March 21, 2017
Wasn't sure what to expect, but enjoyed the book immensely!!
I liked theme book because it did not sugar coat what life would be if a cataclysmic event occurred. The author told a good story without trying to wrap up every single thread. I will be purchasing the next book in the series.
I liked theme book because it did not sugar coat what life would be if a cataclysmic event occurred. The author told a good story without trying to wrap up every single thread. I will be purchasing the next book in the series.
June 24, 2019
I started reading this because I was told this series ties into Super Sales on Super Heroes by William D. Arand had it not been for that I probably would have dropped it as soon as I realized just how much sex was in it the book spends more time detailing sex between the characters than advancing the story and the main mechanic of advancing the story seems to be time jumps prefaced by stuff like "It had been 2 months.". The book didn't really have any memorable characters or character development and it doesn't pass the Bachdel test. The narrator of the audio book version Andrea Parsneau did a decen't job considering what she was reading and it didn't seem like it made her uncomfortable in the least. During the last 45 minutes of the audio book the story does start to pick up and go somewhere then just stops leaving you to read the next book. It may sound like I'm giving the book a bad review but I'm not the book was okay especially considering it was the authors first work as far as I am aware so I am hoping for improvements in the next book.
December 16, 2017
I rather enjoyed this book. I can say that I do in fact like the world building for this. I also like the different interactions that go on between the different characters. I also like the fact that the MC is NOT a bumbling idiot. The fact that this turns into a fantastic harem is also funny, but the MC does have a believable set of morals that he abides by. I guess the best way to describe this book would be like this is a mix of GoT, Skyrim, and Fallout. I'm eagerly looking forward to what happens in the second book and I REALLY want to know what the hell happened to his parents.
March 28, 2017
Fine story
I have two problems though, way to many errors. Needs editing again. Also some kind of glossary of all important people, who they are, what they do, and their positions in relation to the MC would be really helpful. The author has such a cast of characters that you can easily lose track of who's who.
I can still recommend this book though as the story itself is very nice. Be warned, it has a lot of sex. It does say it's a harem book though in the description.
I have two problems though, way to many errors. Needs editing again. Also some kind of glossary of all important people, who they are, what they do, and their positions in relation to the MC would be really helpful. The author has such a cast of characters that you can easily lose track of who's who.
I can still recommend this book though as the story itself is very nice. Be warned, it has a lot of sex. It does say it's a harem book though in the description.
July 16, 2017
What can i say..If you like magic, Sex, alt world fantasy this book definitely is for you. If you on the other hand are a bit prudish..It is not. It is in my opinion definitely a GUYS book. Though i am sure there are women out there who will also love it. NOT YA in any sense at all.
Eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!
read this in one day..had me hooked :)
Eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!
read this in one day..had me hooked :)
September 10, 2017
A great read.
This book was a really entertaining. I had a good time reading the interaction between the characters. The one thing that I dislike about this book is the number of sexual scenes in it. I believed that it was good that the author added some of them, but I believed it was more than call for.
This book was a really entertaining. I had a good time reading the interaction between the characters. The one thing that I dislike about this book is the number of sexual scenes in it. I believed that it was good that the author added some of them, but I believed it was more than call for.
March 19, 2017
A great read
Wow is all I can say this book is legend wait for it ary the flow was great the battle scenes were life like in telling felt like I was watching in real life. Well done author
Wow is all I can say this book is legend wait for it ary the flow was great the battle scenes were life like in telling felt like I was watching in real life. Well done author
April 11, 2019
A new favorite author. I had a hard time putting the book down. I like bigger-than-life action heroes, and this book definitely fits that definition. Good humor, good characters, good story, good action.
It did have a bit more erotica than I prefer, but it was so far out there that it was more amusing than anything else. At times a bit repetitious. It seems every form of life in the Wastes has a gender with compatible female anatomy?
I've already picked up the second book in the series.
It did have a bit more erotica than I prefer, but it was so far out there that it was more amusing than anything else. At times a bit repetitious. It seems every form of life in the Wastes has a gender with compatible female anatomy?
I've already picked up the second book in the series.
August 24, 2017
Well done.
The story kept my interest throughout. I enjoyed the coming of age fantasy theme with a post apocalyptic twist as well as the varios sexual relationship themes. I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who are open minded towards the idea of a culture very different from our own.
The story kept my interest throughout. I enjoyed the coming of age fantasy theme with a post apocalyptic twist as well as the varios sexual relationship themes. I would recommend this book to fantasy fans who are open minded towards the idea of a culture very different from our own.
July 25, 2018
Could have been a good read
Like too many of the "sci fi/fantasy" books out the story revolves around sex, in between the build up to sex, the actual act of sex, the after sex thoughts, comments and complications created by the act, you get a little bit of a adventure story, I don't mind adult situations, but this type of writing is getting ridiculous, if you have more pages devoted to sex than story your writing a different kind of fantasy and should be in a different section so I don't waste my time.
Like too many of the "sci fi/fantasy" books out the story revolves around sex, in between the build up to sex, the actual act of sex, the after sex thoughts, comments and complications created by the act, you get a little bit of a adventure story, I don't mind adult situations, but this type of writing is getting ridiculous, if you have more pages devoted to sex than story your writing a different kind of fantasy and should be in a different section so I don't waste my time.
February 5, 2018
Meh, seemed like an interesting premise, but it's just some ones erotic fiction. The sex is monotonous and cringy. Maybe people with an Orc fetish would like it but I couldn't take any more. Reached the 30% mark before just giving up on it.
out of curiosity I skipped ahead a bit ~35% and he's ogling an ant woman naked. skipped ahead some more ~40% and he's pulling someone's pants down. This book is all sex scenes with only the minimal amount of story between them to get to the next girl.
out of curiosity I skipped ahead a bit ~35% and he's ogling an ant woman naked. skipped ahead some more ~40% and he's pulling someone's pants down. This book is all sex scenes with only the minimal amount of story between them to get to the next girl.
August 17, 2017
Gratuitous Sex Fun Action, Intriguing World
If you are sensitive to graphic, or sexual situations this is not the book for you. Author is graphic, but does not lean, on the violence and sex to keep the reader. The story and world are fantastic by themselves, the sexual content is just a bonus. Will follow author and hope to see more of this world.
If you are sensitive to graphic, or sexual situations this is not the book for you. Author is graphic, but does not lean, on the violence and sex to keep the reader. The story and world are fantastic by themselves, the sexual content is just a bonus. Will follow author and hope to see more of this world.
July 20, 2017
Different in a good way
A slightly new take on the theme of fantasy blended with after civilization falls. Some of the content would certainly not be appropriate for young readers, yet, still a very enjoyable book. I look forward to seeing more from this author.
A slightly new take on the theme of fantasy blended with after civilization falls. Some of the content would certainly not be appropriate for young readers, yet, still a very enjoyable book. I look forward to seeing more from this author.
October 17, 2017
Porn
A book that had potential but was thrown away because of the porn,the story was interesting but the pornography in it lost its appeal.I would recommend that you take out the pornography and the story would be a good one
A book that had potential but was thrown away because of the porn,the story was interesting but the pornography in it lost its appeal.I would recommend that you take out the pornography and the story would be a good one
September 17, 2017
For 15 year old boys
D grade light porn. If you are a 15 year old male poisoned with testosterone and have no clue then this is the book for you.
D grade light porn. If you are a 15 year old male poisoned with testosterone and have no clue then this is the book for you.
January 27, 2025
Wild Wastes by Randi Darren is the first entry in the Wild Wastes series, and while it attempts to blend elements of LitRPG, harem, and adventure, it ultimately fails to deliver a coherent or satisfying story.
Pros: There’s a certain boldness in its world-building, but the execution is severely flawed.
Cons: Extremely problematic character dynamics, an incoherent plot, and excessive, gratuitous content.
Let’s break this down further:
Pacing and Plot
Wild Wastes throws the reader into a post-apocalyptic fantasy world where human-like animals (referred to as "beastkin") and magic are the norm. Our protagonist, Vince, navigates through this world in a manner that feels erratic and poorly paced. The story never seems to settle into a cohesive rhythm. Plot points come and go without any sense of narrative structure, and there’s very little tension or challenge for the protagonist to overcome.
Vince gains power far too quickly, and rather than this being an interesting progression, it feels forced and artificial. In a genre where progression is key, Vince's development is so unbalanced that it drains the story of any real conflict. There’s no sense of stakes, and without them, the reader has no reason to care about the outcome.
Characterization
Perhaps the most glaring issue in this novel is its treatment of characters, particularly women. Vince is surrounded by a harem of female characters, but none of them are developed beyond shallow archetypes that exist to serve his desires. The book objectifies women to an almost uncomfortable degree, reducing them to sexual objects without any meaningful personalities or autonomy.
Vince himself is difficult to empathize with, as he seems more interested in his harem than in anything else. He lacks depth, making it hard to relate to or even like him as a protagonist. He’s designed purely as a vehicle for the power fantasy, and that limits any potential growth or complexity.
Worldbuilding
The world of Wild Wastes has the potential to be interesting, with its blend of post-apocalyptic survival, beastkin, and magic. However, the worldbuilding feels haphazard and underdeveloped. There are many concepts introduced, but few are explored in depth. The setting could have been a great backdrop for complex political dynamics or survivalist challenges, but instead, it takes a backseat to the protagonist’s sexual escapades.
Writing Style
The writing style is simplistic, and while this might work in certain adventure stories, it doesn’t do the book any favors here. The dialogue is often stilted, and much of the prose lacks nuance. Randi Darren’s writing suffers from an excessive focus on titillation rather than plot or character development.
Additionally, the book is plagued by awkward tonal shifts. It tries to combine lighthearted moments with darker themes, but it often misses the mark, leaving the reader unsure of what kind of story they’re reading. Is it a serious fantasy adventure? A lighthearted harem comedy? The inconsistency detracts from the experience.
Problematic Themes
One of the most troubling aspects of this book is its handling of consent and power dynamics. The relationships between the protagonist and the women in his harem are uncomfortable, as the women often appear to have little agency or choice in their involvement with Vince. This is presented as acceptable, which raises significant ethical concerns.
Moreover, the focus on gratuitous sexual content over meaningful relationships or character development makes the book feel exploitative. Readers who are looking for a more balanced and respectful portrayal of romantic or sexual relationships will be sorely disappointed.
Conclusion
Wild Wastes is a novel that prioritizes sexual fantasies over storytelling, and it suffers because of it. While it introduces an interesting world, it fails to flesh out its potential, instead focusing on shallow power dynamics and problematic character relationships. The plot lacks structure, and the characters are one-dimensional at best.
For readers who are looking for a well-crafted LitRPG with meaningful progression and rich worldbuilding, Wild Wastes is not the right choice. It’s a disappointing and problematic entry in the genre, and I would recommend steering clear of this one unless you’re specifically looking for gratuitous harem content.
November 30, 2017
This book is a male power fantasy hard erotica. Not as bad as the GOR novels, but definitely problematic in some of its treatment of women, resulting in a longer than normal review from me. I do wish I could do 2.5 stars
Let us get out of the way the world backstory. You will find more detail on the history of the world on the description of the book then in the book. That is a bit hyperbolic, but other then a few mentions it leaves the history of the world very hazy.
The overall plot of the book, a rebelling province, slaves and an Empire facing change is very loosely written with not a lot of detail. In fact the overall arc of the story serves more as a hanger to rest the interpersonal interactions of Vince and his women. This is not a Game of Thrones but honestly for what the book is about it works mostly.
Vince, the protagonist, and his many women (some whom become his wives) is where it is problematic with both positive and negative issues.
The Pros:
Vince is a ranger who hates slavery. His whole time in the book is him trying to free slaves (most of whom are women). He does free men as well but that is glossed over because the story isn’t about that. The story is more about the “shipping” between Vince and these women of various races.
The women themselves aren’t written badly overall. They excel in various areas including combat, intelligence, wit and magic. In addition, some of the sex scenes are pretty good, some are decent if taken out of context. There is something about his writing that is easy to read, and it went quickly.
Oh and I want to underline that the voice actress who reads the book is awesome.
The Cons:
The women outside of Vince are distinct individuals with strengths, some weakness and do have individual personalities. However the story becomes evident it is a power fantasy because the women do not pass the Bechdel Test, their entire focus for all women are Vince, and their desire to be dominated does have some callback to Gor (although from memory not as bad).
My biggest issue is all the women he chose, no matter their age/occupation/race were virgins. It gave the story a weird slut shaming feel on women. In addition not once during the several sex scenes did he write about Vince performing on the women for their pleasure. All pleasure they had derived, was from his manhood. Personally I feel he would have been a disappointment to any of those women, but like I said this is an erotic male power fantasy, and purely focused on what a typical “guy” would want from the author’s perspective.
I would have been ok if some of the individuals would have been like this, but all of them virgins, wanting to be dominated sexually in various ways by Vince made me uncomfortable. The fact they all wanted to be his wives, not be with anyone else sexually (not even between each other) and have his babies even more so.
Oh, and a side note, one of his wives is half woman (down to the genitals) and then half ant... I wasn’t sure when Vince met that character if the author would go that direction, but of course he did. However, the relationship worked out story wise for me. The biggest issue about that was her ant portion seem to shift size in the story to fit what was needed.
The story started out as a sexy D&D game, culminating in the fight and relationship between his first wife Fess, then rapidly dropping into a purely erotic power fantasy for men. I think the part that bothered me due to connotations the most is that this is being called the “Slave Harem” series.
I am still not sure if I will read the second book, I suspect the answer is yes. However this has made me want to find a more female positive series like this, and if I can’t find one maybe I need to write it.
Let us get out of the way the world backstory. You will find more detail on the history of the world on the description of the book then in the book. That is a bit hyperbolic, but other then a few mentions it leaves the history of the world very hazy.
The overall plot of the book, a rebelling province, slaves and an Empire facing change is very loosely written with not a lot of detail. In fact the overall arc of the story serves more as a hanger to rest the interpersonal interactions of Vince and his women. This is not a Game of Thrones but honestly for what the book is about it works mostly.
Vince, the protagonist, and his many women (some whom become his wives) is where it is problematic with both positive and negative issues.
The Pros:
Vince is a ranger who hates slavery. His whole time in the book is him trying to free slaves (most of whom are women). He does free men as well but that is glossed over because the story isn’t about that. The story is more about the “shipping” between Vince and these women of various races.
The women themselves aren’t written badly overall. They excel in various areas including combat, intelligence, wit and magic. In addition, some of the sex scenes are pretty good, some are decent if taken out of context. There is something about his writing that is easy to read, and it went quickly.
Oh and I want to underline that the voice actress who reads the book is awesome.
The Cons:
The women outside of Vince are distinct individuals with strengths, some weakness and do have individual personalities. However the story becomes evident it is a power fantasy because the women do not pass the Bechdel Test, their entire focus for all women are Vince, and their desire to be dominated does have some callback to Gor (although from memory not as bad).
My biggest issue is all the women he chose, no matter their age/occupation/race were virgins. It gave the story a weird slut shaming feel on women. In addition not once during the several sex scenes did he write about Vince performing on the women for their pleasure. All pleasure they had derived, was from his manhood. Personally I feel he would have been a disappointment to any of those women, but like I said this is an erotic male power fantasy, and purely focused on what a typical “guy” would want from the author’s perspective.
I would have been ok if some of the individuals would have been like this, but all of them virgins, wanting to be dominated sexually in various ways by Vince made me uncomfortable. The fact they all wanted to be his wives, not be with anyone else sexually (not even between each other) and have his babies even more so.
Oh, and a side note, one of his wives is half woman (down to the genitals) and then half ant... I wasn’t sure when Vince met that character if the author would go that direction, but of course he did. However, the relationship worked out story wise for me. The biggest issue about that was her ant portion seem to shift size in the story to fit what was needed.
The story started out as a sexy D&D game, culminating in the fight and relationship between his first wife Fess, then rapidly dropping into a purely erotic power fantasy for men. I think the part that bothered me due to connotations the most is that this is being called the “Slave Harem” series.
I am still not sure if I will read the second book, I suspect the answer is yes. However this has made me want to find a more female positive series like this, and if I can’t find one maybe I need to write it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2018
Fantastic story
It's probably but for everyone but, for what it was, I loved it. It started quite differently than how it ended with a natural progression and smart skipping of uninteresting or repeat happenings.
The MC seemed a bit OP near the end without a ton of explanation as to why, but it was still a very enjoyable read, that was well written, with few mistakes.
It's probably but for everyone but, for what it was, I loved it. It started quite differently than how it ended with a natural progression and smart skipping of uninteresting or repeat happenings.
The MC seemed a bit OP near the end without a ton of explanation as to why, but it was still a very enjoyable read, that was well written, with few mistakes.
August 12, 2017
Welp, let me toss it out right now. I listened to the Audiobook version which was narrated by Andrea Parsneau. And Parsneau is actually a fairly good narrator if you like narrators who personalize each character to some degree. Not sure if the book was editing again for the Audiobook but I couldn't pick up any major issues (I multitask when listening).
I want to say it's an erotica but it's really more of a literary pornography or pornographic literature. Erotica is something that "arouses sexual desire" which doesn't really fit this book. There's little arousal and more straight on sex scenes. It's hard to pinpoint an exact amount but at least more than 50% of the book is about sex, flirting or temptation related. That also means this leaves very little room for an actual plot.
One more thing, this book has the harem/polygamy theme.
Another thing is I read review claiming that Wild Wastes is similar to Daniel Black. I have to disagree. Wild Wastes is really a literary pornography or pornographic literature because Wild Wastes really has a poor plot and lacks anything else. Daniel Black has a mediocre plot with a strong world and magic building component.
The background of the story is that stuff happened and now the protagonist lives in a post-apocalyptic world where fantasy creatures/races are here now. It's really confusing and hard to figure everything out. But, I think it's alien invasion, by alien I mean fantasy creatures/races invasion. Yeah... I didn't really get it or it was explained poorly. Next!
The plot is rather linear. So yeah, there's no twists and turns. The antagonist also makes little sense but whatever.
P.S. The author has no sense of money value and his mathematical skills are not that good.
All in all, it depends what you're looking for. If you're looking for pornography in words or someone reading a pornographic story, then it's a pretty good book. I'll probably give it 4 stars. If you're looking for a half decent story with erotica-like elements, you need to look harder.
I want to say it's an erotica but it's really more of a literary pornography or pornographic literature. Erotica is something that "arouses sexual desire" which doesn't really fit this book. There's little arousal and more straight on sex scenes. It's hard to pinpoint an exact amount but at least more than 50% of the book is about sex, flirting or temptation related. That also means this leaves very little room for an actual plot.
One more thing, this book has the harem/polygamy theme.
Another thing is I read review claiming that Wild Wastes is similar to Daniel Black. I have to disagree. Wild Wastes is really a literary pornography or pornographic literature because Wild Wastes really has a poor plot and lacks anything else. Daniel Black has a mediocre plot with a strong world and magic building component.
The background of the story is that stuff happened and now the protagonist lives in a post-apocalyptic world where fantasy creatures/races are here now. It's really confusing and hard to figure everything out. But, I think it's alien invasion, by alien I mean fantasy creatures/races invasion. Yeah... I didn't really get it or it was explained poorly. Next!
The plot is rather linear. So yeah, there's no twists and turns. The antagonist also makes little sense but whatever.
P.S. The author has no sense of money value and his mathematical skills are not that good.
All in all, it depends what you're looking for. If you're looking for pornography in words or someone reading a pornographic story, then it's a pretty good book. I'll probably give it 4 stars. If you're looking for a half decent story with erotica-like elements, you need to look harder.
May 26, 2017
This is an interesting empire builder with fantasy races, set in a wrecked world.
The build up to the ending was pretty straight forward and what Id expect given where the book was headed. Elves as a vessel for excess magic is a really interesting idea and I hope that gets expanded on in the future books.
Some of the details of the ending didn't seem to add up in my mind. The timelines for building up the city, the wall, the guard force all seemed overly compressed to create the net effect of the battle. Too little time had passed for that level of development to have occurred. A less one sided battle or a more desperate fight to hold the unfinished sections with sparse weapons/armor would have fit the timeline better IMO.
All things considered, I look forward to reading the next book.
The build up to the ending was pretty straight forward and what Id expect given where the book was headed. Elves as a vessel for excess magic is a really interesting idea and I hope that gets expanded on in the future books.
Some of the details of the ending didn't seem to add up in my mind. The timelines for building up the city, the wall, the guard force all seemed overly compressed to create the net effect of the battle. Too little time had passed for that level of development to have occurred. A less one sided battle or a more desperate fight to hold the unfinished sections with sparse weapons/armor would have fit the timeline better IMO.
All things considered, I look forward to reading the next book.
February 24, 2018
Fantasy erotica aimed at men.
Vince is a Ranger in a magical post-apocalyptic Wasteland known as The Waste. Working for the Ranger Guild he does courier services, escorts, or simply exploring tombs and cities. On one of his trips however he takes pity on a starving she-orc and saves her life. Unintentionally establishing a relationship with her.....
In essence this is fantasy/ empire building story with a whole lot of sexy fantasy creatures thrown in to fulfill the +18 quota. The story itself was fine and fairy interesting. Vince get a few good action scenes to show off and has a cool background that slowly reveals itself. In all a decent fantasy/ pulp novel. Just be aware of the reader warning.
-----------------------------------------------
From the blurb:
Warning: This novel contains adult themes and moral ambiguities. The main character is written as a real person in an apocalypse, and will not make choices that line up with society and cultural norms.
Spoiler for the faint hearted if you read further than this:
This story contains a harem.
Vince is a Ranger in a magical post-apocalyptic Wasteland known as The Waste. Working for the Ranger Guild he does courier services, escorts, or simply exploring tombs and cities. On one of his trips however he takes pity on a starving she-orc and saves her life. Unintentionally establishing a relationship with her.....
In essence this is fantasy/ empire building story with a whole lot of sexy fantasy creatures thrown in to fulfill the +18 quota. The story itself was fine and fairy interesting. Vince get a few good action scenes to show off and has a cool background that slowly reveals itself. In all a decent fantasy/ pulp novel. Just be aware of the reader warning.
-----------------------------------------------
From the blurb:
Warning: This novel contains adult themes and moral ambiguities. The main character is written as a real person in an apocalypse, and will not make choices that line up with society and cultural norms.
Spoiler for the faint hearted if you read further than this:
This story contains a harem.
August 27, 2017
The entire book follows this formula
1) The hero of the story goes from A to B
2) He encounters a creature from fantasy (ogre/dryad/etc)
3) He has sex with the aforementioned creature with pornographic level of details
4) Repeat until the end
The first two times it happened, I thought it was ok, something new, but the novelty wore off fast. If I read this, I would have stopped after a few chapters, but it's tolerable to listen to on audiobook while multitasking.
1) The hero of the story goes from A to B
2) He encounters a creature from fantasy (ogre/dryad/etc)
3) He has sex with the aforementioned creature with pornographic level of details
4) Repeat until the end
The first two times it happened, I thought it was ok, something new, but the novelty wore off fast. If I read this, I would have stopped after a few chapters, but it's tolerable to listen to on audiobook while multitasking.
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