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Tales of Arvia #1
Harpyness is Only Skin Deep
On a world where death lurks around every corner, is friendship the strongest survival tool of all?
Darin: bored with his paper pusher existence, he accepts a questionable deal for the LARP adventure of a lifetime. A jump through a dimensional portal strands him on the mythical world of Arvia, where everything is gigantic. Except the life-expectancy of newcomers.
Rinloh: a mere ten meters tall. Life in the harpy flock has never been easy for her. Determined to become full-fledged at the upcoming human-hunt, nothing is going to stand–or fly–in her way.
A chance encounter between these two–what could possibly go wrong?
Humans consider consorting with a harpy a capital offense. Harpies consider the human citizens a tasty part of a balanced diet. Yet the two must overcome a most monstrous conspiracy as the citizens of the city begin disappearing, with a list of suspects as big as the inhabitants of Arvia.
Harpyness is Only Skin Deep blends endearing characters and whimsical fantasy adventure in a uniquely witty, charming style. Contact your neighborhood dimension broker, or download Harpyness, and jump into the world of Arvia today.
Darin: bored with his paper pusher existence, he accepts a questionable deal for the LARP adventure of a lifetime. A jump through a dimensional portal strands him on the mythical world of Arvia, where everything is gigantic. Except the life-expectancy of newcomers.
Rinloh: a mere ten meters tall. Life in the harpy flock has never been easy for her. Determined to become full-fledged at the upcoming human-hunt, nothing is going to stand–or fly–in her way.
A chance encounter between these two–what could possibly go wrong?
Humans consider consorting with a harpy a capital offense. Harpies consider the human citizens a tasty part of a balanced diet. Yet the two must overcome a most monstrous conspiracy as the citizens of the city begin disappearing, with a list of suspects as big as the inhabitants of Arvia.
Harpyness is Only Skin Deep blends endearing characters and whimsical fantasy adventure in a uniquely witty, charming style. Contact your neighborhood dimension broker, or download Harpyness, and jump into the world of Arvia today.
297 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2020
17 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
About the author
D.H. Willison
11 books28 followersD.H. Willison is a reader, writer, game enthusiast and developer, engineer, and history buff. He’s lived or worked in over a dozen countries, learning different cultures, viewpoints, and attitudes, which have influenced his writing, contributing to one of his major themes: alternate and creative conflict resolution. The same situations can be viewed by different cultures quite differently. Sometimes it leads to conflict, sometimes to hilarity. Both make for a great story.
He’s also never missed a chance to visit historic sites, from castle dungeons, to catacombs, to the holds of tall ships, to the tunnels of the Maginot Line. It might be considered research, except for the minor fact that his tales are all set on the whimsical and terrifying world of Arvia. Where giant mythic monsters are often more easily overcome with empathy than explosions.
Subscribe to his newsletter for art, stories, and humorous articles (some of which are actually intended to be humorous).
He’s also never missed a chance to visit historic sites, from castle dungeons, to catacombs, to the holds of tall ships, to the tunnels of the Maginot Line. It might be considered research, except for the minor fact that his tales are all set on the whimsical and terrifying world of Arvia. Where giant mythic monsters are often more easily overcome with empathy than explosions.
Subscribe to his newsletter for art, stories, and humorous articles (some of which are actually intended to be humorous).
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 29, 2020
How I read this: Free ebook copy received from the author
3.5 stars, rounded to 4 - this was a really unusual adventure that centers around a very unlikely friendship between a helpless human and a large predator, a harpy. The read was quite funny! And yet, touching at times as well. If you want to read more, here is my full review:
https://avalinahsbooks.space/tales-of...
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
3.5 stars, rounded to 4 - this was a really unusual adventure that centers around a very unlikely friendship between a helpless human and a large predator, a harpy. The read was quite funny! And yet, touching at times as well. If you want to read more, here is my full review:
https://avalinahsbooks.space/tales-of...
I thank the author for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
March 25, 2020
I've noticed a trend lately towards edgy, dark and moody fantasy. Even the comedic stuff a lot of time has an edge to it. I am always on the look for stuff that reminds me of my favorites from when I was younger, like books Craig Shaw Gardener, Piers Anthony, Esther Friesner, Lawrence Watt-Evans and Kyra Dalkey used to, and in fact, still do, write. Fun, lighter fare that still tells an interesting story, with good characters on fun adventures. I'm happy to say that Harpiness Is Only Skin Deep is just such a book, and fits in well with the company I mentioned earlier.
PLOT SUMMARY
Darin is a regular guy in his 20's just getting by, going nowhere fast. Hearing from some gaming friends about the newest experience in gaming, Darin follows the instructions to find how to join. He discovers the new game is no game at all. Its a chance to travel to another dimension, one that's a real fantasy world. Since he's not rich, he can't just go for a visit. Instead, we will be transferred there permanently, and a visitor from another dimension will take over his life. Signing the contract to travel to a world called Arvia, which is listed to have only small creatures and a low mortality rate for visitors, Darin gets his affairs in order. Meeting his contact to be sent over, Darin is told there were a couple typos in the contract that needed to be amended. Darin doesn't really take a close look, just signing, and gets sent across. Not reading what he signed will lead to some interesting consequences for Darin.
Arvia is definitely a fantasy world. It has fantasy creatures and races, and even magic. What Darin didn't realize is the predators of the world, which the original contract said weren't any larger than 100 inches, were actually no more than 100 feet, and were shockingly unpicky about what kind of meat they eat. Meeting up with other travelers, Darin learns its not all dungeon raids and gold. He will have to work as a laborer and earn money to live and eat. This doesn't leave time to try and find old tombs to raid. The giant predators also give incentive not to be roaming around either!
A few months into his new life, Darin has a job working for a merchant. He makes a deal for some magic fabric and finds it has magic properties, making it usable for Darin to make a wing suit that allows him to glide long distances. On an excursion testing the suit, he gets caught by a group of harpies, who are about 30 feet tall, and they start throwing him around before they would devour him. Escaping the smallest one, he ends up turning the tables and lands on her back, which leads to something amazing. Darin starts talking to the harpy, named Rinloh, and they strike up a strange friendship, as Darin teaches Rinloh humans have more uses than as a tasty part of a balanced diet.
This leads to the heart of the story, as Darin and Rinloh teach each other about their cultures, and Rinloh starts to think of Darin as her friend, something unimaginable before their meeting. Its also during this time that Darin starts adventuring in the city he lives in, called Xin, looking into various mysterious disappearances in the city that are increasing in number as the yearly fair is about to happen, something the city doesn't need to be interrupted. What Darin and his partners discover will threaten Darin's life, and even Rinloh might not be able to keep Darin from meeting a horrible end.
CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING
This is one of those books that has a lot of character building mixed with quite a bit of world building. Darin and Rinloh are both POV characters, and a lot of attention is paid to their character arcs, letting the reader get into their heads, with a close look at their thoughts and motivations. They both get excellent character building arcs, coming really far from where they started. There are several secondary characters, who get various levels of character building, but do rise above the level of two dimensional cutouts. The villains have actual realistic motivations based on how their society operates.
The world building is pretty expansive, since Arvia is such a different kind of fantasy world. It has magic, but where Darin lives, in Xin, its weak and diffuse. The wilderness is full of huge fantasy predators, from giant harpies, naga, even more giant mermaids, various giant cats, giant crabs, centaurs, and many others, most not friendly to humans, who are forced to live in walled cities for protection. Xin the city is fairly small by Arvia standards, and considered a backwater, but provides protection form the predators to its residents. The various predators have their territories which they guard jealously. This is the world Darin finds himself in, a fantasy realm with not a lot of fantasy aside from the monsters.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As I noted previously, I always appreciate a fantasy story that has a lighter side. Even though there are a few darker moments in this one, they are far outweighed by the comedic elements. With fun characters and an atypical fantasy setting, its a fun story that keeps the reader turning pages, and hoping their will be more stories to come.
PLOT SUMMARY
Darin is a regular guy in his 20's just getting by, going nowhere fast. Hearing from some gaming friends about the newest experience in gaming, Darin follows the instructions to find how to join. He discovers the new game is no game at all. Its a chance to travel to another dimension, one that's a real fantasy world. Since he's not rich, he can't just go for a visit. Instead, we will be transferred there permanently, and a visitor from another dimension will take over his life. Signing the contract to travel to a world called Arvia, which is listed to have only small creatures and a low mortality rate for visitors, Darin gets his affairs in order. Meeting his contact to be sent over, Darin is told there were a couple typos in the contract that needed to be amended. Darin doesn't really take a close look, just signing, and gets sent across. Not reading what he signed will lead to some interesting consequences for Darin.
Arvia is definitely a fantasy world. It has fantasy creatures and races, and even magic. What Darin didn't realize is the predators of the world, which the original contract said weren't any larger than 100 inches, were actually no more than 100 feet, and were shockingly unpicky about what kind of meat they eat. Meeting up with other travelers, Darin learns its not all dungeon raids and gold. He will have to work as a laborer and earn money to live and eat. This doesn't leave time to try and find old tombs to raid. The giant predators also give incentive not to be roaming around either!
A few months into his new life, Darin has a job working for a merchant. He makes a deal for some magic fabric and finds it has magic properties, making it usable for Darin to make a wing suit that allows him to glide long distances. On an excursion testing the suit, he gets caught by a group of harpies, who are about 30 feet tall, and they start throwing him around before they would devour him. Escaping the smallest one, he ends up turning the tables and lands on her back, which leads to something amazing. Darin starts talking to the harpy, named Rinloh, and they strike up a strange friendship, as Darin teaches Rinloh humans have more uses than as a tasty part of a balanced diet.
This leads to the heart of the story, as Darin and Rinloh teach each other about their cultures, and Rinloh starts to think of Darin as her friend, something unimaginable before their meeting. Its also during this time that Darin starts adventuring in the city he lives in, called Xin, looking into various mysterious disappearances in the city that are increasing in number as the yearly fair is about to happen, something the city doesn't need to be interrupted. What Darin and his partners discover will threaten Darin's life, and even Rinloh might not be able to keep Darin from meeting a horrible end.
CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING
This is one of those books that has a lot of character building mixed with quite a bit of world building. Darin and Rinloh are both POV characters, and a lot of attention is paid to their character arcs, letting the reader get into their heads, with a close look at their thoughts and motivations. They both get excellent character building arcs, coming really far from where they started. There are several secondary characters, who get various levels of character building, but do rise above the level of two dimensional cutouts. The villains have actual realistic motivations based on how their society operates.
The world building is pretty expansive, since Arvia is such a different kind of fantasy world. It has magic, but where Darin lives, in Xin, its weak and diffuse. The wilderness is full of huge fantasy predators, from giant harpies, naga, even more giant mermaids, various giant cats, giant crabs, centaurs, and many others, most not friendly to humans, who are forced to live in walled cities for protection. Xin the city is fairly small by Arvia standards, and considered a backwater, but provides protection form the predators to its residents. The various predators have their territories which they guard jealously. This is the world Darin finds himself in, a fantasy realm with not a lot of fantasy aside from the monsters.
FINAL THOUGHTS
As I noted previously, I always appreciate a fantasy story that has a lighter side. Even though there are a few darker moments in this one, they are far outweighed by the comedic elements. With fun characters and an atypical fantasy setting, its a fun story that keeps the reader turning pages, and hoping their will be more stories to come.
May 25, 2023
Harpyness is Only Skin deep is a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. Where most fantasy novels these days take themselves so seriously, leading to many repetitive and dry affairs that all feel essentially the same, DH Willison instead takes the opposite route. Fun, humour and imagination are the names of the game here. So if you are looking for a bit of escapism and a good chuckle then this might be the book for you.
The story revolves around Darin, who is stuck in a dull boring life inner world, and is catapulted to the world of Arvia which is basically everything you can think of except boring. There he meets the giant Harpy Rinloh and despite humans most often ending up as tasty treats for Harpies they end up striking upon unlikely friendship. Iron;t give away the plot, but it is fast past, imaginative and above all fun. I don't really have anything bad to say about it.
Thank you TWR for my copy of this great read!
The story revolves around Darin, who is stuck in a dull boring life inner world, and is catapulted to the world of Arvia which is basically everything you can think of except boring. There he meets the giant Harpy Rinloh and despite humans most often ending up as tasty treats for Harpies they end up striking upon unlikely friendship. Iron;t give away the plot, but it is fast past, imaginative and above all fun. I don't really have anything bad to say about it.
Thank you TWR for my copy of this great read!
January 25, 2020
The sort of bizarre and sanguine cover of this book is bound to catch to your eye. I assure you, its contents do not fall short of its presentation. This book is fresh and campy with its moments of darkness. The author has a firm grip on the world it takes place in and showcases all its grueling realities, whilst maintaining a consistent tone throughout.
Are you fed up with earthly main characters who manage just fine in a dimension that is not their own? Are you sick of fantasy worlds that are declared dangerous by the author, but they are never shown to be? Are you tired of empty relationships wherein friendship and camaraderie is an afterthought, or just outright missing from the dynamic? Then you'll be just as pleased with the read as I was.
The focus of this story is certainly the relationship, but the relationship it never detracts from the setting (which is quite integral). In fact, they're perfect harmony and contrast with one another. You'd like for their relationship to go on without issue but the world continually rears its ugly head as a grim reminder that this is "not allowed" — that this is unusual and rife with consequence. The deadly world and the tender emotions serve to benefit one another, story-wise, rather than take away from one another. It's a fine balance between conflict and fluff. The author does not fail in making a relationship with a harpy feel like, well, a relationship with a dangerous mythological being. Their relationship is going to stick in my head for being so endearing and going against the grain, in that there was a build up of a genuine friendship.
Conspiracies brew in the background, fascinatingly so. Our main character's an ambitious and investigatory personality who works to unravel the functions of magic and the human-on-harpy interactions in recorded history. The supporting characters are great as well. Despite them only being book characters, I remember their names and attitudes well.
In short, this book doesn't feel like a waste of time, like so many others of the same genre do. If you read it, you are going to get some subversive writing, ideas, and I'll say, some pretty incredible action scenes. It's a fairly simple read and in ways, it feels like it ends too soon — but that's not a bad complaint, is it?
Are you fed up with earthly main characters who manage just fine in a dimension that is not their own? Are you sick of fantasy worlds that are declared dangerous by the author, but they are never shown to be? Are you tired of empty relationships wherein friendship and camaraderie is an afterthought, or just outright missing from the dynamic? Then you'll be just as pleased with the read as I was.
The focus of this story is certainly the relationship, but the relationship it never detracts from the setting (which is quite integral). In fact, they're perfect harmony and contrast with one another. You'd like for their relationship to go on without issue but the world continually rears its ugly head as a grim reminder that this is "not allowed" — that this is unusual and rife with consequence. The deadly world and the tender emotions serve to benefit one another, story-wise, rather than take away from one another. It's a fine balance between conflict and fluff. The author does not fail in making a relationship with a harpy feel like, well, a relationship with a dangerous mythological being. Their relationship is going to stick in my head for being so endearing and going against the grain, in that there was a build up of a genuine friendship.
Conspiracies brew in the background, fascinatingly so. Our main character's an ambitious and investigatory personality who works to unravel the functions of magic and the human-on-harpy interactions in recorded history. The supporting characters are great as well. Despite them only being book characters, I remember their names and attitudes well.
In short, this book doesn't feel like a waste of time, like so many others of the same genre do. If you read it, you are going to get some subversive writing, ideas, and I'll say, some pretty incredible action scenes. It's a fairly simple read and in ways, it feels like it ends too soon — but that's not a bad complaint, is it?
March 2, 2020
This book had me snort-laughing from the first page and I didn't stop.
Darin is a human on Earth bored with his regular life. He finds a LARPing ad that offers him a completely immersive experience.
One ill-read contract later, Darin finds himself on Arvia, a dimension with all sorts of man-eating fantastical creatures.
Rinloh (my new favorite feathered character in all of literature) is a harpy native to Arvia who just wants to fit in with her flock but can't quite get the hang of hunting... or socializing.... or most anything else.
The book is filled with unlikely friendships that made me giddy. There aren't enough genuine friendships in the LitRPG sphere and finding a book with one would be enough to leave me satisfied.
I loved the whimsy of Arvia juxtaposed with the sheer terror of the planet. D.H. Willison expertly threads the needle between action, humor, and friendship.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
Darin is a human on Earth bored with his regular life. He finds a LARPing ad that offers him a completely immersive experience.
One ill-read contract later, Darin finds himself on Arvia, a dimension with all sorts of man-eating fantastical creatures.
Rinloh (my new favorite feathered character in all of literature) is a harpy native to Arvia who just wants to fit in with her flock but can't quite get the hang of hunting... or socializing.... or most anything else.
The book is filled with unlikely friendships that made me giddy. There aren't enough genuine friendships in the LitRPG sphere and finding a book with one would be enough to leave me satisfied.
I loved the whimsy of Arvia juxtaposed with the sheer terror of the planet. D.H. Willison expertly threads the needle between action, humor, and friendship.
Can't wait to read more from this author.
July 22, 2020
Harpyness Is Only Skin Deep by D. H. Willison can be read from two main levels. One, an exciting science fiction fantasy with vivid characterizations, fun and suspenseful, a break from today’s troubling situations. The other, a study in humanity and the universal condition of humans, human-ish and other sentient beings.
Scary mythological creatures that fly, swim or roam—preying on small, frail humans and other “littles”—baptize earthling Darin in the realities of another dimension, Arvia. Giant panthers and harpies strike where he first labors and travels—outside city walls.
Soon exploring alone beyond Xin’s walled safety, he begins page-turning, engaging adventures. He often sits under a tree, his small telescope bringing flying harpies close. Their colorful feathers and brilliant flowing hair mesmerize him; the idea of speaking with them and other sentient mythological beings tantalize him. Talking about what?
Negotiation for his life? As when our wanna-be hero shockingly gets his chance with Rinloh who snatches him in her talons? A wild, toss-a-human ride with her sisters portends his imminent demise. How can he escape? The close call initiates him to his new life, including a precarious, forbidden friendship.
The suspenseful-yet-fun tale, laced with outlandish metaphors and situations, is punctuated with harpy snark featuring a barrage of affronts. The neighborhood mermaid is addressed as a “sadistic sack of slimy second-rate squid sausage.”
Harpyness also offers a deeper layer: the inhumane and the humane.
On Earth, human culture allows some to set themselves aside convincing themselves that “the other” must be dehumanized, subordinated, entirely eliminated—and they act accordingly, inflicting misery and death.
On Arvia, sentient predators, seeking recognition and food delicacies, inflict misery, terror and traumatic deaths on humans and the human-ish while some humans prey on and terrorize others. The portrayed cruelty contrasts with the developing idealistic views and hopes of the two protagonists.
Ascending a steep survival curve, his sensibilities developing, Darin yearns to change what’s wrong. His initial undisguised jolt, for example, at meeting a half-human creature, evolves into appreciation and rapport—as is common in Xin. Although he masks his terror with wry wit—his revulsion to cruelty, violence and eating of sentient beings feels genuine.
Rinloh too climbs an uphill curve while proving an apt pupil as Darin’s status grows beyond a potential snack. To her surprise, their secret meetings include flight strategies from a tiny human who can only glide with his homemade wingsuit. They bond while sharing flight’s freedom and joy, enhanced by in-flight games Darin creates. Both work through their misconceptions of each other’s culture, building a rapport critical to fight a mysterious threat to the lives of humans and other “littles.”
One might expect dangerous predators to skew the novel dystopian, but Harpyness is upbeat, a perfect portal to sci-fi fantasy.
Scary mythological creatures that fly, swim or roam—preying on small, frail humans and other “littles”—baptize earthling Darin in the realities of another dimension, Arvia. Giant panthers and harpies strike where he first labors and travels—outside city walls.
Soon exploring alone beyond Xin’s walled safety, he begins page-turning, engaging adventures. He often sits under a tree, his small telescope bringing flying harpies close. Their colorful feathers and brilliant flowing hair mesmerize him; the idea of speaking with them and other sentient mythological beings tantalize him. Talking about what?
Negotiation for his life? As when our wanna-be hero shockingly gets his chance with Rinloh who snatches him in her talons? A wild, toss-a-human ride with her sisters portends his imminent demise. How can he escape? The close call initiates him to his new life, including a precarious, forbidden friendship.
The suspenseful-yet-fun tale, laced with outlandish metaphors and situations, is punctuated with harpy snark featuring a barrage of affronts. The neighborhood mermaid is addressed as a “sadistic sack of slimy second-rate squid sausage.”
Harpyness also offers a deeper layer: the inhumane and the humane.
On Earth, human culture allows some to set themselves aside convincing themselves that “the other” must be dehumanized, subordinated, entirely eliminated—and they act accordingly, inflicting misery and death.
On Arvia, sentient predators, seeking recognition and food delicacies, inflict misery, terror and traumatic deaths on humans and the human-ish while some humans prey on and terrorize others. The portrayed cruelty contrasts with the developing idealistic views and hopes of the two protagonists.
Ascending a steep survival curve, his sensibilities developing, Darin yearns to change what’s wrong. His initial undisguised jolt, for example, at meeting a half-human creature, evolves into appreciation and rapport—as is common in Xin. Although he masks his terror with wry wit—his revulsion to cruelty, violence and eating of sentient beings feels genuine.
Rinloh too climbs an uphill curve while proving an apt pupil as Darin’s status grows beyond a potential snack. To her surprise, their secret meetings include flight strategies from a tiny human who can only glide with his homemade wingsuit. They bond while sharing flight’s freedom and joy, enhanced by in-flight games Darin creates. Both work through their misconceptions of each other’s culture, building a rapport critical to fight a mysterious threat to the lives of humans and other “littles.”
One might expect dangerous predators to skew the novel dystopian, but Harpyness is upbeat, a perfect portal to sci-fi fantasy.
June 14, 2023
The first thing that I noticed was how humourously this book is written, and I loved the main character’s voice. The light mood and fun, almost sarcastic writing is going like a red thread throughout the whole book.
What I loved about the book was that once these were introduced, we didn’t only get Darin’s point of view, but also that of a harpy called Rinloh. All Rinloh really wants to do is eat Darin, but why doesn’t she? Well, let’s just say she is a really special one among her community of even bigger, even more dangerous harpy sisters, and despite the fact that she is out to kill Darin, she is also extremely likeable.
I loved seeing these two very different characters interact and get a stronger connection across the year Darin spends there. Even though they are so different, something connects them: both are incredibly ambitious. While Darin starts off just wanting to survive, he is soon striving for something bigger, and Rinloh equally starts to dream big…
I can’t wait to find out what else Arvia has in store for both Rinloh and Darin - 4.5 stars from me!
What I loved about the book was that once these were introduced, we didn’t only get Darin’s point of view, but also that of a harpy called Rinloh. All Rinloh really wants to do is eat Darin, but why doesn’t she? Well, let’s just say she is a really special one among her community of even bigger, even more dangerous harpy sisters, and despite the fact that she is out to kill Darin, she is also extremely likeable.
I loved seeing these two very different characters interact and get a stronger connection across the year Darin spends there. Even though they are so different, something connects them: both are incredibly ambitious. While Darin starts off just wanting to survive, he is soon striving for something bigger, and Rinloh equally starts to dream big…
I can’t wait to find out what else Arvia has in store for both Rinloh and Darin - 4.5 stars from me!
March 23, 2020
Have you ever wanted to leave behind your mundane life? Are you seeking escape into the realm of Fantasy and would never look back? In this book, a young man named Darin feels much the same way. When he comes across a shady character that agrees to exchange places with a person living in a magical reality, it's seemingly a dream come true. There's a catch though, the trade will be permanent.
Poor Darin quickly learns that what he imagined to be a fantasy adventure is far more grueling and dangerous than he expected. Between engaging in backbreaking labor for food, and attempting to avoid predators who consider humans a delicious snack, Darin is in for more than he bargained for.
There is enough magic and adventure to keep fantasy fans happy, and the dialog contains enough light tongue & cheek jokes to keep the reader chuckling while turning the pages. This books is a must for anyone who enjoys D&D stories or who are fans of the fantasy genre.
Poor Darin quickly learns that what he imagined to be a fantasy adventure is far more grueling and dangerous than he expected. Between engaging in backbreaking labor for food, and attempting to avoid predators who consider humans a delicious snack, Darin is in for more than he bargained for.
There is enough magic and adventure to keep fantasy fans happy, and the dialog contains enough light tongue & cheek jokes to keep the reader chuckling while turning the pages. This books is a must for anyone who enjoys D&D stories or who are fans of the fantasy genre.
May 21, 2020
Good fantasy world fun that doesn't take itself too seriously
July 5, 2021
I’m In Love With Rinloh!
Once I started reading Harpyness is Only Skin Deep, I couldn’t put it down. Its unique premise takes an everyman character from our own world and places him within a genuine fantasy world filled with mythical beasts, such as man-eating harpies.
The opening is a little slow, but it is still entertaining because of Darin’s strong, first-person narrative voice. Then we get a wonderful “walking through the wardrobe” moment that transfers an ordinary human from our world into another dimension where people actually go on quests and fight mythical beasts on a planet called Arvia.
From the moment the “wormhole” is shown, this story becomes addictive. Expect to stay up late at night reading to discover what comes next.
Darin is an everyman character. He is easy to identify with, which makes us care what happens to him during his adventures. He is bored with an unfulfilling life on Earth and jumps at the chance of a new existence on a world filled with mythical beasts and heroic quests. However, he didn’t completely comprehend that with real life adventures there are real life fatalities.
Despite her deepest desire being to consume Darin in a single bite, Rinloh is surprisingly likable. This is mainly due to the fact that she is the runt of the litter and less skilled than her larger sisters. However, there are hints that maybe she isn’t such a runt as she thinks…the harpies regularly use insults to communicate with one another, and she may actually be something rather special within her community.
As we watch these two extremely different characters interact, we learn much, much more about both of them. Even though she dreams of feasting of human flesh, Rinloh becomes every more cute as the story develops. If you don’t fall in love with her by the end of this book, you have no heart.
Initially, Darin just wants to avoid being eaten. But he’s an ambitious fellow, and he soon strives for something beyond mere survival. Similarly, Rinloh just wants to be as good as her sisters, but soon she’s achieving things they never dreamed of.
As the story develops, it’s clear we’re on a classic hero’s journey. Because Darin is from our world, we learn about this fantasy world alongside him. He begins his new life as the lowest of the low but soon gains knowledge and experience that takes him beyond the mundane.
And the relationship plot between Darin and Rinloh is exquisite. Though there doesn’t appear to be any cross-species potential, hints are given that he doesn’t entirely comprehend the harpy life-cycle, and he may have an important role to play in the future of Rinloh’s flock.
This novel doesn’t complete all the plot arcs. It is clear that Darin and Rinloh have many more adventures ahead of them before everything is resolved. However, an exciting action plot does begin about a third of the way through this story that is resolved in spectacular fashion at the end.
The setting of this fantasy world is exquisite. As mentioned earlier, because Darin comes from Earth, we learn about the magic and the mythical beasts of Arvia alongside him. And Arvia is far more interesting than Earth. We visit lots of interesting locations, and the author doesn’t spare us the more gruesome aspects of the five senses. Crawling through sewage, seeing your friends torn apart, and being splattered with unmentionable substances is all par for the course.
The first-person narration is crystal clear and entertaining. This story is entirely shown with not a hint of telling or any infodumps.
My eyes were glued to the pages of this fabulous fantasy. I fell in love with Rinloh, cheered Darin along as he achieved his goals, and I laughed an awful lot along the way. This epic fantasy novel easily deserves a rating of 5 out of 5.
Notice:
I received an advance review copy (ARC) for free, but this review is my honest opinion of the book.
Once I started reading Harpyness is Only Skin Deep, I couldn’t put it down. Its unique premise takes an everyman character from our own world and places him within a genuine fantasy world filled with mythical beasts, such as man-eating harpies.
The opening is a little slow, but it is still entertaining because of Darin’s strong, first-person narrative voice. Then we get a wonderful “walking through the wardrobe” moment that transfers an ordinary human from our world into another dimension where people actually go on quests and fight mythical beasts on a planet called Arvia.
From the moment the “wormhole” is shown, this story becomes addictive. Expect to stay up late at night reading to discover what comes next.
Darin is an everyman character. He is easy to identify with, which makes us care what happens to him during his adventures. He is bored with an unfulfilling life on Earth and jumps at the chance of a new existence on a world filled with mythical beasts and heroic quests. However, he didn’t completely comprehend that with real life adventures there are real life fatalities.
Despite her deepest desire being to consume Darin in a single bite, Rinloh is surprisingly likable. This is mainly due to the fact that she is the runt of the litter and less skilled than her larger sisters. However, there are hints that maybe she isn’t such a runt as she thinks…the harpies regularly use insults to communicate with one another, and she may actually be something rather special within her community.
As we watch these two extremely different characters interact, we learn much, much more about both of them. Even though she dreams of feasting of human flesh, Rinloh becomes every more cute as the story develops. If you don’t fall in love with her by the end of this book, you have no heart.
Initially, Darin just wants to avoid being eaten. But he’s an ambitious fellow, and he soon strives for something beyond mere survival. Similarly, Rinloh just wants to be as good as her sisters, but soon she’s achieving things they never dreamed of.
As the story develops, it’s clear we’re on a classic hero’s journey. Because Darin is from our world, we learn about this fantasy world alongside him. He begins his new life as the lowest of the low but soon gains knowledge and experience that takes him beyond the mundane.
And the relationship plot between Darin and Rinloh is exquisite. Though there doesn’t appear to be any cross-species potential, hints are given that he doesn’t entirely comprehend the harpy life-cycle, and he may have an important role to play in the future of Rinloh’s flock.
This novel doesn’t complete all the plot arcs. It is clear that Darin and Rinloh have many more adventures ahead of them before everything is resolved. However, an exciting action plot does begin about a third of the way through this story that is resolved in spectacular fashion at the end.
The setting of this fantasy world is exquisite. As mentioned earlier, because Darin comes from Earth, we learn about the magic and the mythical beasts of Arvia alongside him. And Arvia is far more interesting than Earth. We visit lots of interesting locations, and the author doesn’t spare us the more gruesome aspects of the five senses. Crawling through sewage, seeing your friends torn apart, and being splattered with unmentionable substances is all par for the course.
The first-person narration is crystal clear and entertaining. This story is entirely shown with not a hint of telling or any infodumps.
My eyes were glued to the pages of this fabulous fantasy. I fell in love with Rinloh, cheered Darin along as he achieved his goals, and I laughed an awful lot along the way. This epic fantasy novel easily deserves a rating of 5 out of 5.
Notice:
I received an advance review copy (ARC) for free, but this review is my honest opinion of the book.
January 1, 2021
When I first heard of this book I was slightly uncertain and when I started reading it, I was still apprehensive. However as I kept reading, my doubts about this book were gone.
While the circumstances in beginning might have felt slightly contrived, they were necessary to even allow this very premise. What I thought at first would be a lack of lengthy descriptions or feelings, I realised that it was just lack of unnecessary purple prose to allow for setting up the world and situation to facilitate the meeting between the two main characters. Everything makes sense, although it might be stretched at times. Some conclusions or decisions might have seemed to have worked too well for Darin, and yet the book makes sure to keep that luck in check with a healthy dose of reality.
Harpyness is not a masterpiece, but it is an engaging and enjoyable book that kept me reading and wanting to know more and see relationships between characters develop. It knows what it is and it stays true to that. It is a book I will recommend to anyone that has even a bit of interest in fantasy
While the circumstances in beginning might have felt slightly contrived, they were necessary to even allow this very premise. What I thought at first would be a lack of lengthy descriptions or feelings, I realised that it was just lack of unnecessary purple prose to allow for setting up the world and situation to facilitate the meeting between the two main characters. Everything makes sense, although it might be stretched at times. Some conclusions or decisions might have seemed to have worked too well for Darin, and yet the book makes sure to keep that luck in check with a healthy dose of reality.
Harpyness is not a masterpiece, but it is an engaging and enjoyable book that kept me reading and wanting to know more and see relationships between characters develop. It knows what it is and it stays true to that. It is a book I will recommend to anyone that has even a bit of interest in fantasy
September 15, 2020
I liked the concept and the fantasy world setting. Plot was okayish. Writing was mostly good, with clever chapter naming. But the mix of present tense and past tense was jarring and some chapters suddenly gave a little refresher of events that happened in the past few chapters. The ending seemed like there'd be more books in this setting, but you can read this one as a standalone too.
I'd definitely recommend it if you aren't looking for something serious.
I'd definitely recommend it if you aren't looking for something serious.
August 22, 2020
A Fun Read!
This was a quick read and fun! I enjoyed Darin's journey and his inventive ways of surviving the scary new world he finds himself in. The writing is whimsical and the story ended with a "humans are the real monsters" message. Im not one for survival stories and there was more survival here than wonder, but it was worth a read!
This was a quick read and fun! I enjoyed Darin's journey and his inventive ways of surviving the scary new world he finds himself in. The writing is whimsical and the story ended with a "humans are the real monsters" message. Im not one for survival stories and there was more survival here than wonder, but it was worth a read!
December 28, 2024
This is a fun fantasy read! Darin is fed up with his mundane job and mundane life, so when he sees two of his online gaming friends discussing something about a new realistic fantasy adventure, he decides to find out more about it. Arriving at a strip club which seems empty Darin soon meets a man called Charles-Lee who shows him a new type of technology that seems to be able to transport Darin to a different world. Excited about the chance to go and live on a real life fantasy world with real life fantasy creatures, like the ones he’s seen in videogames, Darin jumps at the chance and arranged a time to be transported to a place called Arvia. But when Darin arrives in Arvia, it’s clear things aren’t the way he expected, and Darin’s chances of survival are much smaller than he expected.
This is an interesting fantasy story with a bit of a different feel to it and I enjoyed this from the first pages. Darin comes from our world and seems to be an avid gamer, but he has few friends and a job he hates so when he gets the chance to go to a new fantasy world, like in the games he plays, Darin jumps at the chance. The story is interesting from the beginning with him trying out the technology that ends up transporting him to another world, but there’s a catch to going to Arvia, it’s permanent, and when he finally arrives in his new world he realises that things aren’t the way he was told they’d be. I liked Darin’s character from the start. Although he’s not particularly skilled in anything that can help him in survival, Darin is good at talking a lot which does sometimes lead to some silly conversations.
When he arrives on Arvia Darin soon realises that he’s been lied to about the local wildlife and that the many fantasy creatures that populate Arvia are huge and eat humans including the human eating harpies. The story has a good amount of humour in it from the start and being a fan of RPG games myself I liked the few gaming references in this book and enjoyed Darin’s excitement about being on a new fantasy world. While at first we follow Darin, the chapters soon begin to alternate with those of a harpy called Rinloh. I liked Rinloh’s character and the interactions between Rinloh and Darin when the two meet are good and funny. Rinloh is a young harpy, not yet fledged and the runt of her flock, but I love how she and the other harpies interactive with each other, their unique way of speaking and how Rinloh later interacts with Darin as she’s getting to know him. I love how these two get to know each other throughout the book and grow closer despite the fact they should be enemies.
As the story progresses through the course of a year there are some interesting things happening with the humans in the city of Xin where Darin lives. I don’t want to spoil the story but it does get more exciting and darker when we discover something specific that’s happening to some of the humans and other human-like creatures in the area too. The build up towards the ending is good and I love what actually happens in those dramatic last moments. I didn’t know what to expect but it’s a good ending and one I really enjoyed.
The book isn’t too upsetting. It’s a fun adventure with a lot of humour, but that said there are a few more violent moments including some deaths mentioned, though nothing too gory, and very ocassional swearing, using the f word (only once I think). I do like this book and enjoyed the brilliant adventure and humour in this story, but although it’s a good story the one thing that bothered me wasn’t the actual story, but the occasional odd switching between past and present tense in Darin’s narrative. While Rinloh’s chapters are in present tense and a few chapters following a third character are in past tense, both reading well for me, Darin’s mostly past tense narrative sometimes switches to the present tense. This does make sense when it’s a thought Darin has, but sometimes it just seems to switch to the present tense for a long portion of the text when there’s action involved, which felt a bit odd to me and I would have preferred the story to stick to one or the other rather than the mixture. However despite this criticism, it’s not something that’s made me dislike the main story.
Overall I have loved reading this, Rinloh’s character is one I have enjoyed getting to know so much! Her naivety and the funny moments that happen to her and to Darin made me smile and laugh and the story was exciting and so unique and different. Although it’s generally a more light-hearted read, it’s also got some darker more dramatic moments too, along with some deeper thoughts. It’s a book that I really enjoyed and it kept me turning the pages, and I can’t wait to read more adventures of Darin and Rinloh in the next book in the series, Finding Your Harpy Place.
-Thanks to the author for a free copy.
This is an interesting fantasy story with a bit of a different feel to it and I enjoyed this from the first pages. Darin comes from our world and seems to be an avid gamer, but he has few friends and a job he hates so when he gets the chance to go to a new fantasy world, like in the games he plays, Darin jumps at the chance. The story is interesting from the beginning with him trying out the technology that ends up transporting him to another world, but there’s a catch to going to Arvia, it’s permanent, and when he finally arrives in his new world he realises that things aren’t the way he was told they’d be. I liked Darin’s character from the start. Although he’s not particularly skilled in anything that can help him in survival, Darin is good at talking a lot which does sometimes lead to some silly conversations.
When he arrives on Arvia Darin soon realises that he’s been lied to about the local wildlife and that the many fantasy creatures that populate Arvia are huge and eat humans including the human eating harpies. The story has a good amount of humour in it from the start and being a fan of RPG games myself I liked the few gaming references in this book and enjoyed Darin’s excitement about being on a new fantasy world. While at first we follow Darin, the chapters soon begin to alternate with those of a harpy called Rinloh. I liked Rinloh’s character and the interactions between Rinloh and Darin when the two meet are good and funny. Rinloh is a young harpy, not yet fledged and the runt of her flock, but I love how she and the other harpies interactive with each other, their unique way of speaking and how Rinloh later interacts with Darin as she’s getting to know him. I love how these two get to know each other throughout the book and grow closer despite the fact they should be enemies.
As the story progresses through the course of a year there are some interesting things happening with the humans in the city of Xin where Darin lives. I don’t want to spoil the story but it does get more exciting and darker when we discover something specific that’s happening to some of the humans and other human-like creatures in the area too. The build up towards the ending is good and I love what actually happens in those dramatic last moments. I didn’t know what to expect but it’s a good ending and one I really enjoyed.
The book isn’t too upsetting. It’s a fun adventure with a lot of humour, but that said there are a few more violent moments including some deaths mentioned, though nothing too gory, and very ocassional swearing, using the f word (only once I think). I do like this book and enjoyed the brilliant adventure and humour in this story, but although it’s a good story the one thing that bothered me wasn’t the actual story, but the occasional odd switching between past and present tense in Darin’s narrative. While Rinloh’s chapters are in present tense and a few chapters following a third character are in past tense, both reading well for me, Darin’s mostly past tense narrative sometimes switches to the present tense. This does make sense when it’s a thought Darin has, but sometimes it just seems to switch to the present tense for a long portion of the text when there’s action involved, which felt a bit odd to me and I would have preferred the story to stick to one or the other rather than the mixture. However despite this criticism, it’s not something that’s made me dislike the main story.
Overall I have loved reading this, Rinloh’s character is one I have enjoyed getting to know so much! Her naivety and the funny moments that happen to her and to Darin made me smile and laugh and the story was exciting and so unique and different. Although it’s generally a more light-hearted read, it’s also got some darker more dramatic moments too, along with some deeper thoughts. It’s a book that I really enjoyed and it kept me turning the pages, and I can’t wait to read more adventures of Darin and Rinloh in the next book in the series, Finding Your Harpy Place.
-Thanks to the author for a free copy.
January 16, 2025
I'm not one for long reviews, and there are already a few that describe the whole thing better. I'll focus on what makes these series in particular such a pleasant read in my opinion.
First, this book has a proper feel of adventure. It doesn't treat something as massive as getting into another world, with completely different everything, and having to establish a life there as something as simple as 'oh, I isekai'd'. Darin really has to put in work, he gets amused, scared, his life is in danger, he doesn't really get any 'cheats' and his knowledge is only mildly useful here. In fact, the only thing that really makes the change for him is the attitude of someone not from this world. With this, to the:
Second, when he does get a 'cheat' in terms of befriending a scary, deadly and massive harpy, it does not come easy, and the whole reason he can is that he's not from Arvia. Darin sees the opportunity, and while he is afraid, he also treats Rinloh as a partner, someone who can be talked with, reasoned with and who can be trusted. This lovely harpy, in turn, goes through a massive personal growth of her own, mentally reevaluating her human as their relationship goes on:
"Tasty flying snack."
"Talking snack."
"Helpful pet"
"My pet, not for eating."
"My human to protect."
"Best friend, I will kill a mermaid for him."
Finally, while they are the main focus, both of them do have lives, and the author never forgets to keep everything grounded: Rinloh doesn't stop being a runt just because she's got a human, and Darin still has to work and make other friends, and keep living in human society.
Unlike many books who only treat themselves as fun pastime and a story, this one crafts a world you can believe in (though, personally, not one I'd like to live in!) and it really shows, as other books of the series always bring fresh stuff and never get stale. At least, not yet!
First, this book has a proper feel of adventure. It doesn't treat something as massive as getting into another world, with completely different everything, and having to establish a life there as something as simple as 'oh, I isekai'd'. Darin really has to put in work, he gets amused, scared, his life is in danger, he doesn't really get any 'cheats' and his knowledge is only mildly useful here. In fact, the only thing that really makes the change for him is the attitude of someone not from this world. With this, to the:
Second, when he does get a 'cheat' in terms of befriending a scary, deadly and massive harpy, it does not come easy, and the whole reason he can is that he's not from Arvia. Darin sees the opportunity, and while he is afraid, he also treats Rinloh as a partner, someone who can be talked with, reasoned with and who can be trusted. This lovely harpy, in turn, goes through a massive personal growth of her own, mentally reevaluating her human as their relationship goes on:
"Tasty flying snack."
"Talking snack."
"Helpful pet"
"My pet, not for eating."
"My human to protect."
"Best friend, I will kill a mermaid for him."
Finally, while they are the main focus, both of them do have lives, and the author never forgets to keep everything grounded: Rinloh doesn't stop being a runt just because she's got a human, and Darin still has to work and make other friends, and keep living in human society.
Unlike many books who only treat themselves as fun pastime and a story, this one crafts a world you can believe in (though, personally, not one I'd like to live in!) and it really shows, as other books of the series always bring fresh stuff and never get stale. At least, not yet!
March 29, 2021
An excellent start to the Arvia series.
Our hero Darin opts to leave our world for a life of adventure in Arvia - a world we’re being human means you might end up on the dinner menu on any number of dangerous creatures. Creatures like our other hero Rinloh, a “small” harpy (she’s just the smallest of her sisters, but she towers over humans) who befriends instead of eats Darin.
I had the pleasure of reading the second book first, so it was great to see how all the adventures began. The series is very episodic, with multiple smaller adventures that are tied together with a larger threat. No one is really “safe” in this story. Cool characters can get eaten in the turn of a page - with little to no fan fair.
Darin is definitely your average guy looking for an adventure. Unfortunately, he quickly comes to realize that our definition of average means “weak as a kitten” on Arvia. He has to start at the bottom before he can go out and really explore his new home.
But Darin is very resourceful and figures out how to do things his way - like making a flying suit out of discarded and “failed” magical clothe. He also is really good at strategizing and talking his way out of a problem, though he might accidentally first talk his way into one first.
Rinloh is a real treasure. She is the other main POV in the book and you know it’s her thoughts you’re reading because she’s in present tense. It sets the stage for harpy culture and shows how she thinks differently from humans. One big stand out moment is when she uses the pronoun “she” for Darin until she remembers that humans have two genders, not one like harpies, and asks Darin what his gender is. It’s touches like these that really make the world building and cultures really stand out.
I recommend for comedic and episodic fantasy fans.
Our hero Darin opts to leave our world for a life of adventure in Arvia - a world we’re being human means you might end up on the dinner menu on any number of dangerous creatures. Creatures like our other hero Rinloh, a “small” harpy (she’s just the smallest of her sisters, but she towers over humans) who befriends instead of eats Darin.
I had the pleasure of reading the second book first, so it was great to see how all the adventures began. The series is very episodic, with multiple smaller adventures that are tied together with a larger threat. No one is really “safe” in this story. Cool characters can get eaten in the turn of a page - with little to no fan fair.
Darin is definitely your average guy looking for an adventure. Unfortunately, he quickly comes to realize that our definition of average means “weak as a kitten” on Arvia. He has to start at the bottom before he can go out and really explore his new home.
But Darin is very resourceful and figures out how to do things his way - like making a flying suit out of discarded and “failed” magical clothe. He also is really good at strategizing and talking his way out of a problem, though he might accidentally first talk his way into one first.
Rinloh is a real treasure. She is the other main POV in the book and you know it’s her thoughts you’re reading because she’s in present tense. It sets the stage for harpy culture and shows how she thinks differently from humans. One big stand out moment is when she uses the pronoun “she” for Darin until she remembers that humans have two genders, not one like harpies, and asks Darin what his gender is. It’s touches like these that really make the world building and cultures really stand out.
I recommend for comedic and episodic fantasy fans.
May 11, 2023
Fantasy is not my usual genre but I loved Harpyness is Only Skin Deep and I'll be diving into the next book straight away. The novel's three main elements of adventure, humour and friendship combine to make an exciting and charming read. The friendship between Rinloh and Darin is so cute and endearing. They are like children learning to play together.
Aside from their loveable friendship, there is much to sink your teeth into in this book. Both Darin and Rinloh have obstacles to overcome if they are to keep their friendship secret and there is a mystery to solve when citizens begin disappearing from the city. Not only that but, in addition to harpies there are other dangerous mythical beasts roaming the land and sea that make life very perilous for all concerned. Luckily, Darin and Rinloh have a tight bond and they need each other's strengths to get each other out of tight spots.
This was a very entertaining introduction to the world of Arvia and I'm itching to get back to it.
Aside from their loveable friendship, there is much to sink your teeth into in this book. Both Darin and Rinloh have obstacles to overcome if they are to keep their friendship secret and there is a mystery to solve when citizens begin disappearing from the city. Not only that but, in addition to harpies there are other dangerous mythical beasts roaming the land and sea that make life very perilous for all concerned. Luckily, Darin and Rinloh have a tight bond and they need each other's strengths to get each other out of tight spots.
This was a very entertaining introduction to the world of Arvia and I'm itching to get back to it.
September 17, 2024
Compelling
To continue going out of my comfort zone and actually READING books, this like my first other read as very compelling, I like the MCs sheer will to survive. The FMC was also charming and endurerring. The slice of life feel made me forget the flat out massive man eating creatures. That mermaid scene was unexpectedly terrifying.
To continue going out of my comfort zone and actually READING books, this like my first other read as very compelling, I like the MCs sheer will to survive. The FMC was also charming and endurerring. The slice of life feel made me forget the flat out massive man eating creatures. That mermaid scene was unexpectedly terrifying.
May 29, 2023
An entertaining and light hearted fantasy with a very well done and unlikely friendship between a human (ie dinner) and a a Harpy. My favourite part about it was the humorous style it was written in and the relationship between Darin and Rinloh.
November 3, 2023
Very good book
This is a fine fantasy adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the harpy. I anxiously await the sequel.
This is a fine fantasy adventure novel. It is well written and edited. I especially like the harpy. I anxiously await the sequel.
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