A Husband Out of This World: Failed Experiment

by Deovandski Skibinski Junior

A stranger awakens buck naked in a bloodied room with barely a sense of self, only to be greeted by a lively royalty that offers him a brutally ritualistic marriage proposal to Maiara Sanbi Second-Princess. The offer seems worth the price of admission when King-Maid explains the caveats, but she doesn't know the full picture either, for something much darker is brewing on the horizon. Every subchapter contains a full-page illustration!

Genres: Fantasy

204 pages, Paperback

Published August 15, 2022

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I won a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

Okay. I'm a little over fifty pages into this 194 page book, and there are no characters that I care strongly about. There are also no situations that I know enough about to have much interest in seeing how they play out. Time to quit, I think. If the book hasn't got my attention by the 25% mark, it's never going to.

We've apparently got the beginnings of a classic isekai tale, but the author seems more concerned with going through all of the steps to get the protagonist from one world to the other than with giving any of the characters, well, any character. We get descriptions of what people look like (and smell like) but very few examples of what any of them are actually like, that make them unique as people.

And everybody swears a lot. It reminds me of those anime dubs from the 80's and 90's where the scriptwriters would throw in some random “shits” and “damns,” because, hey, this is for grownups, not kids; it's got swears in it. It certainly doesn't feel like something the characters would actually say, but, in all fairness, nothing they say does.

Although this is apparently self-published, it has a *lot* fewer typos–like, none that I noticed in the first fifty pages–than such projects typically contain. I'm impressed.

It's illustrated. That cover is pretty typical of what you'll find inside. The character designs seem a bit … derivative? The one on the right practically screams Avatar, but maybe it's just me. Could also be an homage, I suppose.

I feel bad being all Mr. Grinch about this. I really wanted to like it more than I did. From the author's Afterword, and from the website for the books (there are apparently to be twelve of them), this is clearly a labor of love. There's heart and soul that have been poured into this project. It's just that, somehow, none of it connected with me. I wish everyone involved with this project all the accolades and success they deserve.

[Shay Leszinske · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the storyline. I’m excited to see where this goes. Stopping it where you did was genius, I ned to know what happens next. This was an easy, perfect for a stormy weekend. I received this book through Goodreads.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

i won a goodreads goveaway
4.5
This type of book is intended for a specific audience. It's for anime and manga lovers, comicon and artist alleys (I do miss having a table at one of these events). The author brings us a dark humor/Fantasy portal story (isekai) where this character (Harry) is drawn into another world, and after trying to understand what is happening and what kind of world this is, he will lose an event, and in volume 2, he ends up a servant. It's not a graphic novel but an illustrated (full color pages) one in each chapter. If you are sensitive to triggers, be aware that this humor pushes far into gore, silliness, sex, and language. Gave me some nostalgia for the violent but hilarious nonsensical ecchi anime I loved: Oruchuban Ebichu, Ebichan is an R-rated anime.

Although there is a lot of humor and non-sequiturs, the author explores a lot of themes: identity, without memory, depending on actions and reactions to defy personality without being tainted by what his society rules and the memory of laws. It's unexpected; we usually see heroes being pulled into new worlds to save the day. Here, Harry will be powerless. New laws to learn, new sense of freedom. This science in this world is magic and no religion. Court intrigue and all paranoia and plots that come with it.

I think there are a lot of potential fans for this niche book on Instagram & tiktok but the bookstagram community will not get it if they are not adult anime fans and are used to the dark humor style.

[Jason Blosser · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Received from a Goodreads giveaway!) First I would like to thank the author for giving me the chance to read this! :) First impression was pretty good, but the cover does not do it justice in my opinion. But you know what they say, don’t judge a book by its cover! lol. When I opened the cover, I was greeted with a map of the world, which is always a good sign based from everything else I’ve read. The world building and character designs are pretty good. I read some of the other reviews and saw that some thought the story wasn’t great like it was child like, but honestly I think that’s what I like most about it. It is kinda like you’re reading a book for YA, but with slightly more mature themes. Which is awesome In my opinion because it makes me feel nostalgic without having to read a book for a kid based audience, if that makes any sense lol. Ok so now onto the art, I really enjoyed the visuals it gave us throughout book, but honestly I was a tad bit disappointed that there weren’t more pictures. But honestly I think that’s my only complaint! I would recommend if you’re looking for a lite fantasy book that you can finish in one sitting. (Plus there’s a second one out rn so you don’t have to get left on a cliffhanger!!)

[Heidi]

like another reviewer, I won this book as a Goodreads.com win. unlike the other reviewer, I got to page 117 before writing this review.

Within the first couple of pages, it was obvious that this was self-published. A quick look for a publisher and being unable to find one confirms my thoughts.

The storyline can be hard to follow, and the constant character cursing is off-putting. Character development has been minimal so far. At times, I expect to see hentai descriptions, but so far, that has not materialized.

This book is clearly a labor of love. The author is bringing a child to life with minimal external assistance from professional editors. That is commendable. This is a better read than 50 Shades of Gray- which supposedly had professional editors. I plan to finish reading this book and perhaps volume II, which was a part of my Goodreads.com win. I know someone who is a small-time, self-published author. It's hard work, writing, and self-promoting your labor of love. This seems like a book series that I would expect to see at a comic con, where I have met other self-published authors.

[Rebecca M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book for free from Goodreads Giveaways.

I also got the second in the series as well in a very nicely packaged parcel. Thanks!

It is an...interesting read, to be honest. It is a self-published book and still has some writing/grammar/spelling mistakes. However, the art is nice and I enjoy how frequently they show up. I'm not sure if it's on purpose or not, but I find the writing style to be rather....sarcastic? Goofy? Weird? I don't consider this written well, but it is written humorously. The way the author describes analogies is frankly hilarious.

It's also inherently sexual in nature but has the most...unsexy protagonist? I'm not sure the reasoning behind this, and will have to continue reading to see where the author is going with this choice.

Don't go into this expecting something professional, instead, just go ahead and have fun with it like the author did.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Husband Out of This World is a wildly inventive and humorous adventure that will resonate with fans of off-kilter fantasy and visual storytelling. Skibinski’s immersive world-building, absurdly delightful characters, and vibrant illustrations create a reading experience that’s both silly and enthralling. If you’re searching for a quirky, laughter-inducing fantasy that doesn’t take itself too seriously—and has heart underneath the chaos—this book delivers.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads giveaway win. I enjoy entering genres I don't normally read so this is one that I would not normally have read but found it to be enjoyable and different. I like the illustrations also since I am a visual person. The author was super generous with how much care was taken in packaging this win. If you want to read something outside your comfort zone give this book a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Husband Out of This World was a labor of love. The illustrations were the best part. Unfortunately, the story line was a little hard to keep up with sometimes. It read like a fanfiction of a pre-established world, effectively making me use the website and illustrations to make guesses as to what was going on.

This book was a Goodreads Giveaway, so I walked into this knowing absolutely nothing about it, and I walked out now knowing what a 'dark, ecchi isekai' is.

[Stuart Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little story...plenty of characters and illustrations galore!

Fun read...and the author does a great job conveying his enthusiasm...!

Recommended!

[Keira herbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed and will share with others

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start. I binged these two. Ready full review in book 2

[Chrissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The overall story is an interesting, well written tale. I was not a fan of the coarseness with which the characters spoke or were described.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an extra that was sent along with the 2nd book, which I won in a Goodreads giveaway.

This was a very confusing story at the begining, but it did start to make sense the further I got into it. pacing was good and the characters became more interesting. i'm going to read another book before I read book 2 in this series.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won the second book through a GoodReads giveaway but they sent this one with it. I’m not going to be able to review the 2nd book though because this one was so bad. I liked the illustrations and the artist definitely has some skill but the story felt like it was wrote by a middle school boy. I appreciate all the little trinkets and stickers that were sent with the books but I can’t make myself read #2.

[Nathan Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads, and I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have mixed feelings about this book, feeling intrigued and curious yet also a little confused and underwhelmed. The setting feels like a vibrant and fascinating world that stands out from other fantasy worlds, with the way the book presents unique facets like the soul energy, fake skin, and badges actually making me sort of see this as a fantasy take on the usually sci-fi cyberpunk mechanics.

The trouble I run into when reading the book is that while some of the elements are explained clearly, other things are left unexplained. Part of the appeal of an isekai character is that it gives narrative the opportunity to clarify things that are commonplace to people in that world but strange for readers. But with most characters keeping Harry in the dark on things for various reasons, or just assuming he knows things, we're left fumbling in the dark. Worse than that is the prologue - which, while still good, is entirely from the perspective of character from that world, meaning we get thrown a lot of various jargon that we can't easily decipher.

And I kind of feel that Harry's semi-amnesia also hinders the flow a little; if it's part of a larger plot that will become evident in later books, that's reasonable, but on the other hand, it limits the culture clash aspects that are really fun to explore in isekai stories like this. A lot of the time, Harry sort of questions local customs and technology, but since he lacks enough memories to frame a solid contrast in his mind, he then just sort of goes along with it and doesn't question it further. The world feels very distinctive from other fantasy worlds, and I liked the moments of culture clash we did encounter, so I kind of wish we could have seen more of that.

I think including a glossary of some kind would have alleviated the stress of confusion from readers. The map at the front page was very nice, but I would have liked some sort of appendix or two at the end. I know that we're advised to view the world lore glossaries on the website listed - and I strongly recommend checking them out; they're really cool - but this could pose an accessibility issue for people with limited access to the internet. Plus, the note about the website warns about spoilers, since the full lore on the site is updated with each new book; it would have been better to have a separate glossary from Harry's perspective in each book, with the information changing book-by-book as he learns more in successive books, so readers have a source for reference without risking spoilers from future novels.

Going back to the positive side, the colored illustrations throughout the book are great. They're not spectacular, but they're colorful and capture the scenes and setting well in a way that highlights the distinct flavor of this world. They make me think of the illustrations you can find in Japanese light novels, and I appreciate the art to further immerse us into the story.

However, I do think that the front cover, combined with the relatively vague summary on the back, proved rather misleading. The cover shows a scene from the prologue, with one of the two featured characters in the picture not actually having an active role past the prologue. Because of that, before reading the book I assumed that the isekai'ed main character was one of the two men on the cover, and that it would be a same-sex marriage between the two men. Instead, we appear to be moving toward a relationship between Harry and women such as the maid Eiri. I'm fine with either direction, but this shows how the choice of cover can drastically mislead readers.

In any case, while this book isn't perfect, it has created a unique world that draws me in. I want to learn more about this intrigue-filled world that Harry has gotten himself into, and I hope to read the following books in the near future. Thank you for creating this amazing world, and the stories to let us journey through it!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full Disclosure: Goodreads Giveaway Winner

Several times in the first half of this book I wondered what exactly I was reading. I thought it was A type of story, then it was B (and it felt like a totally different story), then it was C.... and by the end, I still was unsure. The revelation in the afterward that most of it was a dream of the author's sort of tracked, and explained a lot... not the plot, but it did explain my issues with the story.

In the end, I just think it wasn't 'my kind' of book, although there are anime I have enjoyed.

That being said, I do have some critiques. I like world building, and language building - and mostly I was able to figure out this vocabulary. Also, the sometimes broken language, or odd grammar worked, especially given Harry's story arc. However, and especially with characters that are part of the world being built, it is jarring to suddenly run across English expletives. Don't get me wrong, I am quite familiar with curse words - I'm a retired Sailor and middle school teacher.... however, while adjusting and getting comfortable with this world's language and ideas, 'Fuck' just doesn't flow. Invent curse words in the world's language, readers are smart enough to figure it out (and you just may give us one that we use in times when having others understand would not be beneficial).

[Rylie Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Husband Out of This World was a very confusing read. I found that there was too much focus on insignificant details, while character development was severely lacking. As a result, I never felt any real connection or attachment to the characters. I didn’t care what happened to them, which made it hard to stay engaged.

The title is also misleading. There’s no clear reference to a “husband” in the story, aside from the king, and it’s unclear if that’s who the title is meant to represent. The book seemed to be building suspense, but when the moment finally arrived, it was glossed over far too quickly, which was disappointing.

Overall, this isn’t a book I’d recommend or reread. That said, I’m still grateful to have received a copy through a Goodreads Giveaway and appreciate the chance to give it a try.

[Cathy VanLear · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from Good Reads and appreciate the opportunity to sample a new author’s writing and a different style and genre of literature. I have never read Isekai genre and am not a fan of fantasy. Although this isn’t my typical reading material, I decided to open my mind to this adventure presented to me. This review was difficult as the subject matter was quite foreign for me. However, I could tell that the story and the illustrations were a labor of love and that the author is creative and talented. Another factor I struggled with was the profanity which seemed totally unnecessary!

[Louise Blais · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads giveaway. It definitely was not what I expected or would usually read. So this review is a difficult one for me. Obviously the author has a big fan base from what I see from other reviews. To be fair to the author I admit that he is brilliant and has a great sense of humor but just not my cup of tea.

[CJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book from a Goodreads Giveaway, but I am sorry to say that this tale seemed lacking completion and basically read like an adolescent’s wet dream. I will not be continuing with this series.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When your book comes out I will go to the library and read this book to give a honest review.I am sorry for the author as ups did try to message me but I thought it was spam as it took me to a site I had to pay and wanted my bank info.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very well written, it is filled with mystery and full illistration in each subchapter. would love to read again.

[Bridgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

*well-written, easy to read
*top notch illustrations and character development
*teens and adults alike will enjoy from cover to cover
*highly recommend

[C.M. Stenquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

fantasy for sure

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graciously received a free copy through Goodreads.

This wasn't my style of book. Nothing seemed to make sense and the language used made me cringe.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

keep reading

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great read.

[Jessica Keesling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't get into it.... forced myself to page 137.

[Michelle Pulignani · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable adventure.