Reviewing books like this is awkward, but not for the reasons you would think.
Yes, 'erotica' is obviously another word for porn. "HaremLit" is basically just a sub-genre of written porn. It's not much of a wish-fulfillment fantasy without graphic sex scenes with multiple hot women/
It's the content in and of itself that's awkward. It's the task of reviewing a book that it simultaneously well-executed but suffers from being too much about being what it's trying to be.
Riley is, on paper, a good character. His background gives him enough skills, knowledge, experience and instincts to succeed at defeating slave traders, making multiple women fall in love with him, exposing a huge multi-corporate conspiracy, while at the same time, being constantly in over his head or out of his depth/
The plot is of itself, in a vacuum, would be interesting: corporate conspiracies, sentient AIs, psychic powers non-humanoid aliens, mercenary groups, FTL, all that good space opera goodness.
However, let's do a recap of this book's events: by the end of the book, Riley has 3 lovers, an advanced, luxurious star ship, billions of dollars (or credits, to use the in-universe currency),and contacts with well-connected, morally grey criminal organizations who, while they aren't 100% on his side, will not betray him.
Even for a wish-fulfillment, there should be limits. It seems absurd that I should basically expecting a certain amount of porn, but here me our.
What's worse, is how fast everything happens. Within THREE DAYS of meeting Selene, the hot assassin android who has recently gained sentience, he's having sex with her.
Even if he doesn't personally buy into the false argument that AIs will automatically turn against their creators and destroy all biological life once they gain sentience, he is told, point blank, they she is capable of mimicking complex facial tics, body language and speech patterns to seduce a target, and ironically it takes very little convincing for him to build trust with her.
Yes, you'll say, it's erotica, you were expecting a slow burn romance?
Now, hold on, let's look at another military sci-fi story with erotica elements, The Occupation Saga by J.L. Williams.
The main character, Jason Linford, is put into a space marine boot camp surrounded by female aliens called the Shii'vati, who look human except for bring much taller than an average human females, have purple skin, and tusks sticking out of their lower jaws. It takes, weeks, if not months, of being around them before he feels comfortable bring sexual with an alien species. Also, while he does enter a polyamorous relationship later on, he still ends the book with one lover.
Why do I like one more than the other? Plot and execution. While Elliot Kay is no doubt a good writer. the plot is so cliche that I'm not invested to follow it. I only finished it as fast as I did because the pacing was break neck, bit I wasn't satisfied at the end. It's Chobits meets Firefly meets Cat Planet Cuties, meets Mass Effect, meets Saber Marionette J meets...well, you get the point. It's not
Jason, has both a slower build up and also a more interesting one. I want to him rise up the ranks of the Shii'vati military and bang hot alien chicks.
Hot Restart hits all the right beats, but it's not engaging. The corporate asshole Whitmore is the main bad guy, and he's as bland as bland could be.
Compare that with Lilith from Mike Truk's Five Trials series by contrast. A powerful, cunning foe, who has already corrupted and killed her enemies, is literally on the cusp of ruling the ENTIRE COSMOS. Now, it might seem that I might be comparing apples and oranges, so let me explain
On paper, watching a Chosen One getting power ups, by having sex with his harem shouldn't work as well as it does/ Here's the thing; to succeed he doesn't need to be strong, he needs to suceed despite his flaws. he has to create deep spiritual bonds with every member of his harem. He has to fight with temptation, the stress of responsibility, the weight of failing, and making very morally questionable choices. Oh, and the Kabbalistic based magic system is legitimately cool too.
Is Riley in peril, does he struggle? Yes, but it's so much engaging on an emotional level.to watch Noah fight and fuck, because everything is always tied into the narrative and character development. The sex scenes are satisfying on multiple levels.
While yes, Mike Truk is at the end of the day an erotica writer, I will always give props for putting effort into your storytelling.
Mike Truk, for whatever reason wants to harem cliches and make something EPIC out of it. Elliott Kay just wants to tell a decent erotica story. Which is fine as it goes, but what would you actually want give :
A steak from The Keg, or a Macdonald's burger?
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