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Master Class #1
Master Class
The Demon Lord is dead.
The System is broken.
Somehow, Elias Hearthsong is neither of these things, despite being at the final battle of the Demon Wars. He is a Master Enchanter, perhaps the last one alive. Determined to keep a promise, he crosses the continent to protect his dead friend's legacy: a crumbling orphanage run by a beautiful kitsune.
He isn't a teacher, nor does he have experience with children. But with the love of a few good women, anything can become possible.
Publisher's Note: This slice of life story contains graphic scenes of intimacy intended for mature readers
The System is broken.
Somehow, Elias Hearthsong is neither of these things, despite being at the final battle of the Demon Wars. He is a Master Enchanter, perhaps the last one alive. Determined to keep a promise, he crosses the continent to protect his dead friend's legacy: a crumbling orphanage run by a beautiful kitsune.
He isn't a teacher, nor does he have experience with children. But with the love of a few good women, anything can become possible.
Publisher's Note: This slice of life story contains graphic scenes of intimacy intended for mature readers
444 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2022
566 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
December 7, 2022
I honestly didn't think this would work out. It caught my eye because I didn't know that "slice of life" was a thing and seeing it as a sub-sub niche of LitRPG made my eyebrows rise. Add Kitsune and I'm officially intrigued. But harem? Sigh. Fine.
To my surprise, the story works out pretty well. Elias is back from the cataclysmic war that broke the LitRPG system. Being a commander in the final battle that broke everything dumped enough XP to make him a Master at his class in addition to being one of the few survivors. So he takes his survival guilt and goes to keep a promise to his mentor and friend who died after that big confrontation—namely, to take care of his orphanage on the edge, sorry Edge (of civilization, i.e. where monsters and bandits lurk). The story picks up with Elias arriving and meeting the current head of said orphanage, the kitsune on the cover.
The kids were cute, though a little too ideal (even the hard-case boy who refuses to participate in the reindeer games). Still, heartstrings were tugged and the emotional moments weren't entirely unearned. And seeing Elias deal with setbacks and short-term trials while planning longer-term gains was engaging. And the plot was well-paced as well for all it did, indeed, feel like a slice-of-life story (though I have no idea what that really means so take this with a grain of salt).
And yeah, all of that was a surprise because having "harem" in the subtitle had me expecting an excuse for erotic shenanigans being the central focus of the story and it really wasn't. There's enough story warping of kids and plots (including the whole excuse to make this a harem story) that I can't go all-out. But it was a solid four stars with some great emotional high-points. And yes, I'm really surprised to write that.
A note about Steamy: I was expecting more. There are three explicit sex scenes that are a chapter long, putting this on the high end of my steam tolerance, but still remaining within it. I can say with certainty that it's three scenes, and that they're a chapter long, because chapters with explicit content were marked with an "M". Which is an amazing convenience that I kind of wish would be picked up by others, though it is intrusive and a little bit . . . mechanical? Maybe?
To my surprise, the story works out pretty well. Elias is back from the cataclysmic war that broke the LitRPG system. Being a commander in the final battle that broke everything dumped enough XP to make him a Master at his class in addition to being one of the few survivors. So he takes his survival guilt and goes to keep a promise to his mentor and friend who died after that big confrontation—namely, to take care of his orphanage on the edge, sorry Edge (of civilization, i.e. where monsters and bandits lurk). The story picks up with Elias arriving and meeting the current head of said orphanage, the kitsune on the cover.
The kids were cute, though a little too ideal (even the hard-case boy who refuses to participate in the reindeer games). Still, heartstrings were tugged and the emotional moments weren't entirely unearned. And seeing Elias deal with setbacks and short-term trials while planning longer-term gains was engaging. And the plot was well-paced as well for all it did, indeed, feel like a slice-of-life story (though I have no idea what that really means so take this with a grain of salt).
And yeah, all of that was a surprise because having "harem" in the subtitle had me expecting an excuse for erotic shenanigans being the central focus of the story and it really wasn't. There's enough story warping of kids and plots (including the whole excuse to make this a harem story) that I can't go all-out. But it was a solid four stars with some great emotional high-points. And yes, I'm really surprised to write that.
A note about Steamy: I was expecting more. There are three explicit sex scenes that are a chapter long, putting this on the high end of my steam tolerance, but still remaining within it. I can say with certainty that it's three scenes, and that they're a chapter long, because chapters with explicit content were marked with an "M". Which is an amazing convenience that I kind of wish would be picked up by others, though it is intrusive and a little bit . . . mechanical? Maybe?
February 19, 2023
The war is over. The good guys won, but at a cost. The world is broken, and the gods are silent.
Elias was one of the few left standing after the final battle. This book follows him as he fulfils his mentor's dying wish and takes on the running of an orphanage, a challenge for which his battle and book training has left him completely unprepared.
Master Class is a LitRPG novel in which the world's rules follow the conventions of a roleplaying game. This world is modelled on a fictional fantasy computer simulation with characters referencing "classes" and "levelling up" and "quests" and "skills" in the way they are handled in a game. I wasn't sure how well this would work for me, but the authors handle it brilliantly with statistics and "number crunching" only briefly alluded to when Elias uses magic. While Elias is human, he encounters a seemingly endless array of races thrown together in the aftermath of the war against a common enemy.
There's something here for everyone. The world-building is concise and engaging, with the scale of the cataclysm and the resulting trauma and devastation explained over the course of the story. There are exciting (and bloody) fantasy action elements and a developing romance between Elias and several women (as befits the world, and at the women's behest), complete with steamy scenes which kept the romance reader in me satisfied. However, the orphans and Elias' journey from hardened war veteran to teacher/guardian/father figure is compelling and heart-warming and ultimately steals the show - and it is for this aspect that I strongly recommend this book.
An afterword from the authors indicates they would like to write a sequel to this book, but I'm not aware of any being announced, and the story they tell is a complete stand-alone, though it may leave you longing to return to this world at some point in the future.
Elias was one of the few left standing after the final battle. This book follows him as he fulfils his mentor's dying wish and takes on the running of an orphanage, a challenge for which his battle and book training has left him completely unprepared.
Master Class is a LitRPG novel in which the world's rules follow the conventions of a roleplaying game. This world is modelled on a fictional fantasy computer simulation with characters referencing "classes" and "levelling up" and "quests" and "skills" in the way they are handled in a game. I wasn't sure how well this would work for me, but the authors handle it brilliantly with statistics and "number crunching" only briefly alluded to when Elias uses magic. While Elias is human, he encounters a seemingly endless array of races thrown together in the aftermath of the war against a common enemy.
There's something here for everyone. The world-building is concise and engaging, with the scale of the cataclysm and the resulting trauma and devastation explained over the course of the story. There are exciting (and bloody) fantasy action elements and a developing romance between Elias and several women (as befits the world, and at the women's behest), complete with steamy scenes which kept the romance reader in me satisfied. However, the orphans and Elias' journey from hardened war veteran to teacher/guardian/father figure is compelling and heart-warming and ultimately steals the show - and it is for this aspect that I strongly recommend this book.
An afterword from the authors indicates they would like to write a sequel to this book, but I'm not aware of any being announced, and the story they tell is a complete stand-alone, though it may leave you longing to return to this world at some point in the future.
November 15, 2022
Rating 4.0 stars
This was a good book. It had a good balance between everything. Most of these fantasy harem books are focused too much on one area. Either there is too much sex without much of a story, or too many stat dumps without any context. Sometimes the story just isn't very good. This one is a slice of life story that actually had more going on than I expected. Yes, there was a harem element, but it wasn't overdone, and it made sense in the context that was presented.
The MC is a master enchanter who is coming to give news about his mentor to his family. He is one of the few survivors of one of the worst wars ever. The war was so bad it damaged the system. He is tired of war. He is super powerful, but he just wants to have some peace. His mentor ran an orphanage and left his adopted daughter, a kitsune, to run it. He was given ownership of this orphanage and he will do anything he can to help it succeed. Things start slow. They aren't sure if they can trust him, but they slowly begin to open up. The kitsune falls for him after she sees how he treats the children. A lot of time is spent teaching the kids how to prepare for their class selection when they turn 14. There are some troublesome kids that he needs to help as well as problems with the run-down orphanage. There are things that pop up from the remnants of the war that will affect the kids if he doesn't deal with them. Overall, it was a very heartwarming story. It had good balance. I am looking forward to the next one, if there is one. It is written as it could be a standalone.
This was a good book. It had a good balance between everything. Most of these fantasy harem books are focused too much on one area. Either there is too much sex without much of a story, or too many stat dumps without any context. Sometimes the story just isn't very good. This one is a slice of life story that actually had more going on than I expected. Yes, there was a harem element, but it wasn't overdone, and it made sense in the context that was presented.
The MC is a master enchanter who is coming to give news about his mentor to his family. He is one of the few survivors of one of the worst wars ever. The war was so bad it damaged the system. He is tired of war. He is super powerful, but he just wants to have some peace. His mentor ran an orphanage and left his adopted daughter, a kitsune, to run it. He was given ownership of this orphanage and he will do anything he can to help it succeed. Things start slow. They aren't sure if they can trust him, but they slowly begin to open up. The kitsune falls for him after she sees how he treats the children. A lot of time is spent teaching the kids how to prepare for their class selection when they turn 14. There are some troublesome kids that he needs to help as well as problems with the run-down orphanage. There are things that pop up from the remnants of the war that will affect the kids if he doesn't deal with them. Overall, it was a very heartwarming story. It had good balance. I am looking forward to the next one, if there is one. It is written as it could be a standalone.
September 19, 2024
somewhere between 3 or 4 stars
This book is is basically a kids book, that also has sex scenes.
Those sex scenes are not too graphic, degrading, or obscene.
Yes I know that sex is how you get kids, and that parents often go have sex immediately after putting their children to bed. But in a harem book, to go from a "how cute are kids" scene to a "teachers in the closet getting it on" scene, ...It's just a little weird to me. I'm sure that says more about me than this book, but I thought I'd mention it.
-One thing this book really has going for it is a unique concept. The protagonist is a veteran with PTSD who wants to remake himself into something productive and never have to kill anyone again. He travels to the edge of civilization to care for an orphanage that his deceased war-buddy had founded. There are many scenes with orphans that are just so Kawaii but not too schmaltzy. it depends on your taste.
Here's where it gets interesting. This veteran was at the final battle when the armies of the free states defeated the Demon Prince, and the System broke. This is a RPG world and the system broke. The people still have levels and skills, but no new quest has been issued since the Demon Prince died.
Brilliant! was that game over? Was the Demon Lord secretly the source of the system? did killing him break something fundamental in the world? are they free, or screwed? I love it!
To be honest, I found the existential aspect of the book way more engaging than the 3 or 4 mild scenes of nookie, ...but I went ahead and read the nookie anyway.
This book is is basically a kids book, that also has sex scenes.
Those sex scenes are not too graphic, degrading, or obscene.
Yes I know that sex is how you get kids, and that parents often go have sex immediately after putting their children to bed. But in a harem book, to go from a "how cute are kids" scene to a "teachers in the closet getting it on" scene, ...It's just a little weird to me. I'm sure that says more about me than this book, but I thought I'd mention it.
-One thing this book really has going for it is a unique concept. The protagonist is a veteran with PTSD who wants to remake himself into something productive and never have to kill anyone again. He travels to the edge of civilization to care for an orphanage that his deceased war-buddy had founded. There are many scenes with orphans that are just so Kawaii but not too schmaltzy. it depends on your taste.
Here's where it gets interesting. This veteran was at the final battle when the armies of the free states defeated the Demon Prince, and the System broke. This is a RPG world and the system broke. The people still have levels and skills, but no new quest has been issued since the Demon Prince died.
Brilliant! was that game over? Was the Demon Lord secretly the source of the system? did killing him break something fundamental in the world? are they free, or screwed? I love it!
To be honest, I found the existential aspect of the book way more engaging than the 3 or 4 mild scenes of nookie, ...but I went ahead and read the nookie anyway.
November 4, 2022
Quit halfway through.
Slice of Life lives and dies by its characters. Quirky, OP, moody, anything goes as long as they are entertaining and interesting. This is where the book fails. The characters are bland and predictable. They use the most common tropes as templates and add no originality or flavor. It was just boring to read. When it hit the rebellious teen and the bandit camp I knew I was done.
Slice of Life lives and dies by its characters. Quirky, OP, moody, anything goes as long as they are entertaining and interesting. This is where the book fails. The characters are bland and predictable. They use the most common tropes as templates and add no originality or flavor. It was just boring to read. When it hit the rebellious teen and the bandit camp I knew I was done.
October 13, 2023
Very wholesome slice of life, really sweet romance with a bit of sexy time thrown in there, then out of left field it turns into a harem book. Honestly wish they kept it with just a romance with Eli and Alluria cause I thought it was actually pretty sweet. And like other reviews said here, the switch of "these kids are so cute. need to be a good teacher/role model to them" to "teachers getting super frisky" is a bit jarring. Smut aside, I really liked the story, but probably not going to continue because we're getting into the harem territory, and I'm good on that for now.
March 25, 2024
I enjoyed it. The story is good and so is the smut. The pacing feels a little too fast for me personally but still good!
April 12, 2023
Edit: second reading. I saw a sequel to this in the offing, so I decided this was worth a re-read. All truly good books are worth reading more than once, in fact, I'd say that's the defining trait. Just as good as the first time I read it, and with the roll-over of the calendar year it may now be the best book I've read this year. There hasn't been anything truly outstanding so far in 2023, but that doesn't take away from how well balanced this book is.
May not be the best thing I've read this year, but definitely in the top 5. I think it undersells itself as a "slice of life" book. Yes, there is a fair bit of pretty mundane stuff happening, but it's well written and paced, so it doesn't drag like a lot of SoL books tend to.
There's plenty of heavy stuff in the flashbacks, and some tense situations in current time, so it leavens the story well with action/more "interesting" stuff. The authors asked for good reviews to encourage a sequel, so consider yourself fully supported by me in that endeavour.
May not be the best thing I've read this year, but definitely in the top 5. I think it undersells itself as a "slice of life" book. Yes, there is a fair bit of pretty mundane stuff happening, but it's well written and paced, so it doesn't drag like a lot of SoL books tend to.
There's plenty of heavy stuff in the flashbacks, and some tense situations in current time, so it leavens the story well with action/more "interesting" stuff. The authors asked for good reviews to encourage a sequel, so consider yourself fully supported by me in that endeavour.
September 15, 2025
(Audiobook Version)
I wish there was a 2.5 star rating, but since there isn't I gave if 3 because as far as the LITRPG Harem with explicit scenes genre goes this was very competently written if also pretty generic.
Overall Writing - It is competent in every way. the writing won't be particularly distracting or irritating if you are used to reading a lot of these, but nothing will really leave an impression.
Slice of life vibes - relatively low stakes and slow pace with a setting in an orphanage with reasonably cute kids and friendly townsfolk. I enjoy the premise of building up the self sufficiency of an orphanage out in the boonies.
MC - I wasn't immediately repulsed by any particularly weird or toxic traits or values that make some of these characters in the Harem genre intolerable. For the most part I can understand why a woman (or several) might actually be attracted to him, even if he's bland, generic and tropey. Unfortunately the MC's approach to actual conflict doesn't make much sense to me, or I should say that it doesn't ring true. I get that he is battle weary, internally conflicted, and hoping to turn over a new leaf, but given his background some of his choices seem unusually lax/myopic when faced with current and future threats. It often feels like some choices he makes are simply shoehorned in to set up later plot elements or clumsily used as ultimately self contradictory characterization shortcuts (he's soooo nice see!!! He's soooo tormented see!!!). It all serves to muddy the character in ways that don't add compelling complexity to a bland character, but just sort of make him feel both bland and incoherent. Sill i've wasted time on much much worse.
The LI's - Again they are pretty bland and generic, but I appreciate that efforts were made to make them distinct characters with traits beyond what they look like. But I also appreciate that when their appearance is described there is a range of body types that go beyond generic hyperfem sexbots. I will say that their characters are simpler but more cogent than the MC for the most part.
Romance - It is reasonably sweet, it hits a lot of the points it needs to hit. Unfortunately the pacing is absolutely breakneck and I think it would have been served better by some breathing room. I imagine there us a lot of pressure to move things along to get to the sexy stuff for writers in this genre, but I'd love to see a version of this book where the development of the central romance used 80% of the length of the book to resolve, while the additional Li's were simultaneously maneuvered into place for future development. I think all of the landmarks are in more or less the right places, they are just too close together. So I just chalk this up to the 'business' of churning out this kind of book.
Explicit stuff - Outside of the pace of encounters which I kind of covered in romance, the actual scenes were fine. I think they were about the right length and level of detail. Nothing special, but they did their job and were more or less innocuous.
Overall if you are like me and you were looking for something to listen to while unwinding on lazy Sunday afternoons while playing equally unchallenging cozy games then this really is a solid pairing. This will do.
I wish there was a 2.5 star rating, but since there isn't I gave if 3 because as far as the LITRPG Harem with explicit scenes genre goes this was very competently written if also pretty generic.
Overall Writing - It is competent in every way. the writing won't be particularly distracting or irritating if you are used to reading a lot of these, but nothing will really leave an impression.
Slice of life vibes - relatively low stakes and slow pace with a setting in an orphanage with reasonably cute kids and friendly townsfolk. I enjoy the premise of building up the self sufficiency of an orphanage out in the boonies.
MC - I wasn't immediately repulsed by any particularly weird or toxic traits or values that make some of these characters in the Harem genre intolerable. For the most part I can understand why a woman (or several) might actually be attracted to him, even if he's bland, generic and tropey. Unfortunately the MC's approach to actual conflict doesn't make much sense to me, or I should say that it doesn't ring true. I get that he is battle weary, internally conflicted, and hoping to turn over a new leaf, but given his background some of his choices seem unusually lax/myopic when faced with current and future threats. It often feels like some choices he makes are simply shoehorned in to set up later plot elements or clumsily used as ultimately self contradictory characterization shortcuts (he's soooo nice see!!! He's soooo tormented see!!!). It all serves to muddy the character in ways that don't add compelling complexity to a bland character, but just sort of make him feel both bland and incoherent. Sill i've wasted time on much much worse.
The LI's - Again they are pretty bland and generic, but I appreciate that efforts were made to make them distinct characters with traits beyond what they look like. But I also appreciate that when their appearance is described there is a range of body types that go beyond generic hyperfem sexbots. I will say that their characters are simpler but more cogent than the MC for the most part.
Romance - It is reasonably sweet, it hits a lot of the points it needs to hit. Unfortunately the pacing is absolutely breakneck and I think it would have been served better by some breathing room. I imagine there us a lot of pressure to move things along to get to the sexy stuff for writers in this genre, but I'd love to see a version of this book where the development of the central romance used 80% of the length of the book to resolve, while the additional Li's were simultaneously maneuvered into place for future development. I think all of the landmarks are in more or less the right places, they are just too close together. So I just chalk this up to the 'business' of churning out this kind of book.
Explicit stuff - Outside of the pace of encounters which I kind of covered in romance, the actual scenes were fine. I think they were about the right length and level of detail. Nothing special, but they did their job and were more or less innocuous.
Overall if you are like me and you were looking for something to listen to while unwinding on lazy Sunday afternoons while playing equally unchallenging cozy games then this really is a solid pairing. This will do.
November 4, 2022
What it Says
Alternate universe, magic, LitRPG, harem adult situations
Elias is the MC. He's an Enchanter who has enchanted himself to be a melee fighter, and while he's formidable in combat, he knows some basic enchantments, his recipe knowledge is lacking, which causes problems, and prime among them is that he would rather spend coins than enchant. Could be PTSD but also his focus on melee fighting who uses self-buffs and magic to enhance his physical abilities; he's very dangerous in a fight, and can do simple crafting, but runs into trouble right when he arrives at the orphanage, and therein lies the tale.
Story is a mix of first and third person narrative, and unlike many tales of outsiders landing in a game environment, Elias is a native, and aware the (game) System might be broken after the final battle that he and a few hundred others survived out of tens of thousands perished during seven years of war. As a result, he's young yet OP as the story begins, with a lot of battle scars both inside and out. Traditionally, wyverns and oni have two eyes, but assume it's a coding quirk of the System, and as a reader, move on.
I've read Annabelle's stories before and this was a bit wordier than her usual writing so that must be Virgil's influence. Slow start, but it does pick up speed as it goes along. Better edited than average, but a few mistakes did squeeze through, but most often quite minor things. Artwork was a pleasant surprise.
I would be interested in reading a sequel in this milieu.
Alternate universe, magic, LitRPG, harem adult situations
Elias is the MC. He's an Enchanter who has enchanted himself to be a melee fighter, and while he's formidable in combat, he knows some basic enchantments, his recipe knowledge is lacking, which causes problems, and prime among them is that he would rather spend coins than enchant. Could be PTSD but also his focus on melee fighting who uses self-buffs and magic to enhance his physical abilities; he's very dangerous in a fight, and can do simple crafting, but runs into trouble right when he arrives at the orphanage, and therein lies the tale.
Story is a mix of first and third person narrative, and unlike many tales of outsiders landing in a game environment, Elias is a native, and aware the (game) System might be broken after the final battle that he and a few hundred others survived out of tens of thousands perished during seven years of war. As a result, he's young yet OP as the story begins, with a lot of battle scars both inside and out. Traditionally, wyverns and oni have two eyes, but assume it's a coding quirk of the System, and as a reader, move on.
I've read Annabelle's stories before and this was a bit wordier than her usual writing so that must be Virgil's influence. Slow start, but it does pick up speed as it goes along. Better edited than average, but a few mistakes did squeeze through, but most often quite minor things. Artwork was a pleasant surprise.
I would be interested in reading a sequel in this milieu.
May 14, 2025
DNFed 50%. Not for me. I am surprised this is rated so highly.
The protagonist just doesn’t work out for me. A war veteran that has seen the worst of it and is supposedly more prone to killing someone rather than discussing with them,… but he doesn’t even kill bandits when they try to rob and stab him.
It just doesn’t work out. When the young man stole his belongings and tried to join some bandits I was kind of prepared for the Mc to forgive him and take him back, even tho I wasn’t a fan, but what happened then was unacceptable. The bandits were left off with a slap on the wrist and the little thief, that had no problem harming the Mc and the orphanage and became a bandit assassin, didn’t even really get scolded. It was a disappointment.
The protagonist is a total pushover. Not just in that instance, but throughout the whole book. This was just the most extreme example. It doesn’t fit with the war veteran image at all! Why bother making a book child friendly and forcefully reduce violence, if it includes sexual content anyway?
The romance was poorly written. The Mc was there for maybe 2 days and then the kind, attractive Mary Sue kitsune with abandonment issues jumped him, told him she was his and that he should also sleep with other women.
The rest of the story was comparatively boring and the kids made too many sexual jokes with their mother figure.
The protagonist just doesn’t work out for me. A war veteran that has seen the worst of it and is supposedly more prone to killing someone rather than discussing with them,… but he doesn’t even kill bandits when they try to rob and stab him.
It just doesn’t work out. When the young man stole his belongings and tried to join some bandits I was kind of prepared for the Mc to forgive him and take him back, even tho I wasn’t a fan, but what happened then was unacceptable. The bandits were left off with a slap on the wrist and the little thief, that had no problem harming the Mc and the orphanage and became a bandit assassin, didn’t even really get scolded. It was a disappointment.
The protagonist is a total pushover. Not just in that instance, but throughout the whole book. This was just the most extreme example. It doesn’t fit with the war veteran image at all! Why bother making a book child friendly and forcefully reduce violence, if it includes sexual content anyway?
The romance was poorly written. The Mc was there for maybe 2 days and then the kind, attractive Mary Sue kitsune with abandonment issues jumped him, told him she was his and that he should also sleep with other women.
The rest of the story was comparatively boring and the kids made too many sexual jokes with their mother figure.
November 8, 2024
Well Written and Engaging
A well written story with a good mix of frivolous slice of life content and engaging storyline with a dash of combat here and there. The MCs backstory is interesting to uncover and almost every character has a distinct voice and personality and experiences at least minor character development, including the children in the orphanage which was a nice surprise.
The LitRPG elements are integrated very well in the world building and writing without turning the story into an excel sheet that just so happens to have a story taped to it. My one complaint is that every time the MC uses an ability we’re given the full name and skill description of the skill again, which gets very tiresome to see over and over again and feels like padding, especially when almost all the skill names are self-explanatory.
The romantic developments felt a bit fast but not unforgivably so given the genre of the story. Spicier scenes were well spaced, they didn’t feel like an afterthought but neither did they dominate the story in an overpowering manner.
Overall, a well written LitRPG story that I enjoyed very much and look forward to reading more of. A rarity in the slice of life genre which I’m usually bored to tears by.
A well written story with a good mix of frivolous slice of life content and engaging storyline with a dash of combat here and there. The MCs backstory is interesting to uncover and almost every character has a distinct voice and personality and experiences at least minor character development, including the children in the orphanage which was a nice surprise.
The LitRPG elements are integrated very well in the world building and writing without turning the story into an excel sheet that just so happens to have a story taped to it. My one complaint is that every time the MC uses an ability we’re given the full name and skill description of the skill again, which gets very tiresome to see over and over again and feels like padding, especially when almost all the skill names are self-explanatory.
The romantic developments felt a bit fast but not unforgivably so given the genre of the story. Spicier scenes were well spaced, they didn’t feel like an afterthought but neither did they dominate the story in an overpowering manner.
Overall, a well written LitRPG story that I enjoyed very much and look forward to reading more of. A rarity in the slice of life genre which I’m usually bored to tears by.
January 4, 2025
This series is classified as slice of life harem rpg lit, which made me expect boring spun out material, Eric Vall style. I liked Radley's Home for Horny Monsters though so decided to give it a try. I was very pleasantly surprised, and again impressed. It's a bit more 'standard fantasy' than the Radley's series, featuring a master enchanter who, after a bloody war, decides to retire and run an orphanage. It features daily life, kids, plenty of cute moments, romance, spicy harem stuff, but also, perhaps because it focuses on 'normal life' surprisingly deep scenes about raising and teaching kids, processing trauma and other stuff that you wouldn't normally encounter in fantasy, let alone harem lit rpg. Also, it contains a pleasantly flexible fantasy system and some good fantasy action / combat, so I didn't feel I missed out on anything because of the slice of life label. Instead I think this is a great and unusually broad and balanced story, if you're ok with some cute and sexy moments. The only downside is the way spell usage is presented in the audio book - every time one is used the full spell details are read out, which becomes boring fast (even though it's just a detail in the context of this great story).
November 1, 2022
This book has been a very good read and I can wholeheartedly recommend it for those who enjoy this genre.
The book tells the story of what happens to the world after a major conflict has ended, focusing on our main character and the new life he is trying to forge after taking over the orphanage of his war friend. We get good solid worldbuilding, with small inserts from the past to spice things up (a particular nice touch that I hope will continue in future books). The relationship part is well developed and tastefully done, can't wait to read more of it. Hope that in the future the current girls will still play major parts and we get more scenes with them. All the kids were also fun to have around even though only a few of them get some small arcs.
What I would like to see more in the next books is some further character development with the girls and children, and hopefully more backstory for the supporting characters, especially with our kitsune, who I feel we got to interact with a bit too little. Also, I'm very curious to see how things will develop after that ending. :))
Nor sure what else to say the book is a Master Class in storytelling and excitement, read it!
The book tells the story of what happens to the world after a major conflict has ended, focusing on our main character and the new life he is trying to forge after taking over the orphanage of his war friend. We get good solid worldbuilding, with small inserts from the past to spice things up (a particular nice touch that I hope will continue in future books). The relationship part is well developed and tastefully done, can't wait to read more of it. Hope that in the future the current girls will still play major parts and we get more scenes with them. All the kids were also fun to have around even though only a few of them get some small arcs.
What I would like to see more in the next books is some further character development with the girls and children, and hopefully more backstory for the supporting characters, especially with our kitsune, who I feel we got to interact with a bit too little. Also, I'm very curious to see how things will develop after that ending. :))
Nor sure what else to say the book is a Master Class in storytelling and excitement, read it!
November 2, 2022
Read this book
This is a well written book. The characters are well rounded and compliment each others skills well. Eli is a wartorn OP enchanter looking to find peace and finds new purpose in an inherited orphanage run by a beautiful kitsune.
The story is sweet and adventurous. The more mature parts are clearly marked for avoidance or perusing. They add a lot to the story and are beautifully written but can be skipped without losing much.
The prose is wonderful. The two authors can switch from a peaceful scene description to conflict to remembrance of the horrors of war with smooth transition. There are adventures but the story revolves around keeping the ramshackle orphanage together and keeping the kids safe and well trained.
The romance between the characters is sweet and suggestive in the main chapters and burning hot in the NSFW parts.
Read this book. Review the book. Earn us a sequel.
This is a well written book. The characters are well rounded and compliment each others skills well. Eli is a wartorn OP enchanter looking to find peace and finds new purpose in an inherited orphanage run by a beautiful kitsune.
The story is sweet and adventurous. The more mature parts are clearly marked for avoidance or perusing. They add a lot to the story and are beautifully written but can be skipped without losing much.
The prose is wonderful. The two authors can switch from a peaceful scene description to conflict to remembrance of the horrors of war with smooth transition. There are adventures but the story revolves around keeping the ramshackle orphanage together and keeping the kids safe and well trained.
The romance between the characters is sweet and suggestive in the main chapters and burning hot in the NSFW parts.
Read this book. Review the book. Earn us a sequel.
November 11, 2022
the beginnings of an exceptional story
this story contains all the elements that I think make a good story. there are characters that are well defined and to my mind are easy to identify with. we have a main character who is searching for some Redemption and he comes across what he is searching for. it takes him a while to realize and become back in touch with his feelings which had grown cold because of the war he was in. there is Adventure learning how to survive as well as challenges for good things and overcoming bad things. I am trying not to get into too much detail because I don't want to give the story away. the story seems well edited and flows rather nicely. the story does have spicy scenes which are Not Fade to Black but are not overly done and add to the romance in this story. this story has a good ending for a first book and yet leaves a lot more that can come in the future which I hope does I'm looking forward to this author's next book.
this story contains all the elements that I think make a good story. there are characters that are well defined and to my mind are easy to identify with. we have a main character who is searching for some Redemption and he comes across what he is searching for. it takes him a while to realize and become back in touch with his feelings which had grown cold because of the war he was in. there is Adventure learning how to survive as well as challenges for good things and overcoming bad things. I am trying not to get into too much detail because I don't want to give the story away. the story seems well edited and flows rather nicely. the story does have spicy scenes which are Not Fade to Black but are not overly done and add to the romance in this story. this story has a good ending for a first book and yet leaves a lot more that can come in the future which I hope does I'm looking forward to this author's next book.
April 17, 2023
Lovely fun book
Harem.. Yes. But with more feeling and meat. Very good but the main character Is well described by the author. The MC Is a survivor from the war. The great war that is It basically wiped out Most of the higher level people in the world and left a leadership void. The story is as much about him becoming a new person And leaving is older life behind. He's here to save an orphanage but is really also saving himself. Quite the wonderful story. There is plenty of magic and a good bit of fighting though I expect a lot more In the series to come. The MC is Going to be saving people especially children The opposite of what he did during the war. That said he's going to use the tools he learned in war to help people survive In the new world After the defeat of the demon lord. I really enjoyed this book and thank you look forward to the next one.
Harem.. Yes. But with more feeling and meat. Very good but the main character Is well described by the author. The MC Is a survivor from the war. The great war that is It basically wiped out Most of the higher level people in the world and left a leadership void. The story is as much about him becoming a new person And leaving is older life behind. He's here to save an orphanage but is really also saving himself. Quite the wonderful story. There is plenty of magic and a good bit of fighting though I expect a lot more In the series to come. The MC is Going to be saving people especially children The opposite of what he did during the war. That said he's going to use the tools he learned in war to help people survive In the new world After the defeat of the demon lord. I really enjoyed this book and thank you look forward to the next one.
October 31, 2022
Fantastic Novel from 2 great Authors
Loving these authors separately this novel intrigued me and was so happy I pre ordered it.
This novel does not disappoint!
It has heart, its a great story, it's got a really colourful and sexy array of monster girls.
Never has a novel balanced it all so well.
Nice touch with the 'M' for certain chapters and this actually makes you respect the story.
And a truly interesting story it is. A broken MC looking towards a kinder future
Solid world building and levelling but not overwhelming.
I truly hope we get a follow up series as I'd love to see the characters grow and the story continue.
Thanks Anna belle and Virgil for a great collaboration!!!
Obi
Loving these authors separately this novel intrigued me and was so happy I pre ordered it.
This novel does not disappoint!
It has heart, its a great story, it's got a really colourful and sexy array of monster girls.
Never has a novel balanced it all so well.
Nice touch with the 'M' for certain chapters and this actually makes you respect the story.
And a truly interesting story it is. A broken MC looking towards a kinder future
Solid world building and levelling but not overwhelming.
I truly hope we get a follow up series as I'd love to see the characters grow and the story continue.
Thanks Anna belle and Virgil for a great collaboration!!!
Obi
July 9, 2023
War is over and the demon lord is dead, so now Elias is seeking to find a new path without the guidance of the system. Fulfilling the dying wish of his mentor, he heads to the edge of civilization to take over the care of the orphanage that they founded. It is a surprisingly wholesome set-up for a haremlit story. Initially, the romantic situation is postponed with the intent to set a "health" example for the orphans, but then we somehow escalate to a harem (whatever). The MC is pretty cool in my opinion and I like his power set. It is slice-of-life though, so it is on the slower side of pacing. Enjoyed the book overall and will continue reading. Although, I didn't really appreciate how the explicit chapters are marked with "M" as it messes with my expectations (only 3 chapters).
November 23, 2023
Mostly very good
This was a great story. Very enjoyable, usually good pacing, and enough mystery to leave you wondering without drowning you in exposition.
I felt the majority of the book was just fantastic. I enjoyed the characters, the bonding, the growth of the children. It was great.
So why only four stars?
Towards the end everything felt a little rushed and overpowered. It's like suddenly everyone has everything they need. There's no real fear of failure, because suddenly everything is amazing and the important people can do anything.
I'm sure I'll check out the second book at some point, but I think I'm going to take a break before doing so.
This was a great story. Very enjoyable, usually good pacing, and enough mystery to leave you wondering without drowning you in exposition.
I felt the majority of the book was just fantastic. I enjoyed the characters, the bonding, the growth of the children. It was great.
So why only four stars?
Towards the end everything felt a little rushed and overpowered. It's like suddenly everyone has everything they need. There's no real fear of failure, because suddenly everything is amazing and the important people can do anything.
I'm sure I'll check out the second book at some point, but I think I'm going to take a break before doing so.
November 6, 2022
More please
Fantastic
MC is a survivor of a devastating war but he lives on for one more goal. Protect the orphanage.
I love how easy it is to root for all the main characters. All the motivations are clear and relatable. There is magic, but it is a tool, not a shortcut to bypass all life's problems.
The ease of gathering a harem is a little too easy and quick, but still manages to feel like a real relationship instead of a conqueror collecting prizes.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
Fantastic
MC is a survivor of a devastating war but he lives on for one more goal. Protect the orphanage.
I love how easy it is to root for all the main characters. All the motivations are clear and relatable. There is magic, but it is a tool, not a shortcut to bypass all life's problems.
The ease of gathering a harem is a little too easy and quick, but still manages to feel like a real relationship instead of a conqueror collecting prizes.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
December 6, 2022
Just wow.
I'm not familiar with Virgil Knightley's work but I am a fan of Annabelle Hawthorne. I knew I would enjoy the book but I ended up loving it.
The story seems to be paced weird at times but that is my only complaint. I like the light system. Some times these book get too bogged down with stat blocks. This book touches on core stuff then explains the abilities being used which is enough crunch for me to fill in the gaps and not take away from the story.
This is now one of my favorite book series. Please keep these coming.
I'm not familiar with Virgil Knightley's work but I am a fan of Annabelle Hawthorne. I knew I would enjoy the book but I ended up loving it.
The story seems to be paced weird at times but that is my only complaint. I like the light system. Some times these book get too bogged down with stat blocks. This book touches on core stuff then explains the abilities being used which is enough crunch for me to fill in the gaps and not take away from the story.
This is now one of my favorite book series. Please keep these coming.
January 24, 2023
Master Class is fairly entertaining. I don't like it as much as I do Annabelle Hawthorne's other writing. It is less humorous, less creative, and the characters aren't as interesting. That's not to say it's a bad book; it's pretty good. I enjoyed the time I spent following the main character.
The copy of the novel I read is in bad need of another round of proof reading. There are a lot of unintended words that are spelled correctly but misplaced, sometimes changing the meaning of a sentence.
The copy of the novel I read is in bad need of another round of proof reading. There are a lot of unintended words that are spelled correctly but misplaced, sometimes changing the meaning of a sentence.
August 27, 2023
My Rating System:
5- Perfect for my taste, I could not physically stop reading/listening and wanted more afterward.
4- Almost perfect, could not stop reading/listening, probably wanted more afterward.
3- I enjoyed the book and could see others loving it, I need to think if I want more.
2- I can see why others might like the book, but I could not, I do not want more.
1- What is this? What went wrong? Why did they do this? This doesn't make any sense! (No idea who it is for, but definitely not for me).
[Audiobook Version]
5- Perfect for my taste, I could not physically stop reading/listening and wanted more afterward.
4- Almost perfect, could not stop reading/listening, probably wanted more afterward.
3- I enjoyed the book and could see others loving it, I need to think if I want more.
2- I can see why others might like the book, but I could not, I do not want more.
1- What is this? What went wrong? Why did they do this? This doesn't make any sense! (No idea who it is for, but definitely not for me).
[Audiobook Version]
May 20, 2025
The story is surprisingly good. Creating dedicated steamy chapters marked “M” was a great idea - let people skip or seek to their hearts content. It was why, as an adventure-focused LitRPG fan, I gave the book a shot. However, the chapter list (in Audible) has zero chapters marked “M”. WTF? It may be a limitation of the Audible chapter menu format, because the narrator does include the M when reading the names of those chapters, ex: “Chapter 11, M.”
For those who are wondering, the chapters marked “M” are: 11, 22 & 29.
For those who are wondering, the chapters marked “M” are: 11, 22 & 29.
August 29, 2025
I've been an avid reader of all sorts for almost 40 years now and this whole story and all its characters hit so hard. I can say without a doubt it's my favorite series of all time. Each relationship is better written and more filled out then most other stories and Annabelle and Virgil managed 4 different wives and better fleshed out side charecter relationships than most others books manage with their main romance. No character no matter how small feels thrown in or generic. It's a shame this will never be mainstream and get its proper flowers
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 2, 2022Excellent Story
Eli arrives at his friend and mentors orphanage determined to take up the mantle of provider and protector. He finds love in the arms of beautiful women and the pure love of children. Helping him to heal his heart and mind from the ravages of war. The question remains will that past return? A well paced story with action, adventure, and a bit of spice. You're going to enjoy this awesome book!
Eli arrives at his friend and mentors orphanage determined to take up the mantle of provider and protector. He finds love in the arms of beautiful women and the pure love of children. Helping him to heal his heart and mind from the ravages of war. The question remains will that past return? A well paced story with action, adventure, and a bit of spice. You're going to enjoy this awesome book!
December 8, 2022
Very entertaining
I don’t usually enjoy the LitPRG genre, I’m not into gaming. This story was awesome & I WANT a sequel!! And an audio book! I laughed out loud at the “system comments.”Loved the characters & want to see how their relationships progress. There are unanswered questions… not a
cliff hanging sort of ending but definitely threads that want tying up! More please!!!
I don’t usually enjoy the LitPRG genre, I’m not into gaming. This story was awesome & I WANT a sequel!! And an audio book! I laughed out loud at the “system comments.”Loved the characters & want to see how their relationships progress. There are unanswered questions… not a
cliff hanging sort of ending but definitely threads that want tying up! More please!!!
May 24, 2023
Absolute waist of space MC
Ok so the MC is supposed to be this baddass battle hardened war veteran that has seen more shit that a chicken coup. He consistently lets murdering thieving bandits, thugs and soldiers that will (self admitted) 100% be back to try and steal kill and rape his newfound family go live another day just cause he doesn't want to be a bad person anymore WTF! I hate dumbass MCs so much. Completely ruins what good the story could be.
Ok so the MC is supposed to be this baddass battle hardened war veteran that has seen more shit that a chicken coup. He consistently lets murdering thieving bandits, thugs and soldiers that will (self admitted) 100% be back to try and steal kill and rape his newfound family go live another day just cause he doesn't want to be a bad person anymore WTF! I hate dumbass MCs so much. Completely ruins what good the story could be.
March 10, 2024
The title is misleading: it’s a full good story
If the only thing you see is ‘harem’ then you are wrong. This is slice of life story with some harem elements, but only when it suits the story. Competently written, this is a book about surviving a war and dealing with the fallout. It also has plenty of feelings in there, and made me go ‘awwwww’ and tearing up a bit more than once.
If the only thing you see is ‘harem’ then you are wrong. This is slice of life story with some harem elements, but only when it suits the story. Competently written, this is a book about surviving a war and dealing with the fallout. It also has plenty of feelings in there, and made me go ‘awwwww’ and tearing up a bit more than once.
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