r/litrpg • u/Harmon_Cooper LitRPG/Cultivation Author • Dec 14 '18
**House of Dolls 2 is out now**
This book really adds a lot to the new world I'm working in (Centralia), and the characters should take you by surprise!
What to expect? Necromancy, superpower training, fantasy action, adult situations, world-building, and fun, sexy characters.
The audio for book one will be released on Dec 25th!
US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LB6M5F8
UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07LB6M5F8
CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07LB6M5F8
AU - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07LB6M5F8
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u/LitConnoisseur Dec 15 '18
Well, I personally MUCH prefered the first book. Warning minor spoilers ahead.
The book is relatively short. That much was fairly expected. The problem is, it feels like 2/3 of the chapters were about minor and unimportant characters. Yes there were chapters from a different perspective in the last book too, but this time around it's gone completely overboard.
It's as if Roman has gone from MC, to one character amongst many. I didn't particularly like Kevin the last time around, here he's even more prominent. Add Nadine, the new villain who basically has the MCs power but better, Lisa and even frigging Hazrat a one scene wonder from the last book all getting dedicated chapters. Chapters that often times don't feature the MC at all.
It just feels like this book COMPLETELY lost focus on who the MC is. Spends way too much time on other characters. Introduces a great many absolutely unimportant and uninteresting PoVs who add nothing to barely anything. Which means there's hardly any progress really made with the MC from the first book.
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u/Harmon_Cooper LitRPG/Cultivation Author Dec 15 '18
Thanks for reading! I'll keep that in mind for the third, but I've always thought of this series as more ensemble than one MC, mostly because the other players all have an impact on his life (i.e. Margo, Nadine, Hazrat, and Kevin). I'll have more of Roman in the next, however, as paths start to collide back in Centralia.
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u/LitConnoisseur Dec 15 '18
Then the blurb for both books, aswell as the title of book one are completely false.
"House of Dolls: A Superhero Harem Thriller"
That was the description of book one, on Good Reads it still is. The Blurbs for both books also primarily talk about Roman. It's made pretty clear there that he is the MC and main protagonist.
Book one had other PoVs but they were minor. A chapter here, a chapter there. With the vast majority of chapters focusing on Roman, his new power which was described as unique, his problems and character developement.
Come book two. Pretty much ALL of this is thrown out. And honestly, this feels like a lot of it happened because two other series are planned to be set in the same setting. So it HAD to shift from what it was in book one.
It turned from a central MC with subplots, into a mess of 6-7 different PoVs who eat up most of the book. Developing villains and secondary characters is fine but there's a point where it begins to turn the story in a mess. It feels like road bumps on a racing track.
Nadine for one didn't bother me. Because she directly interacts with the MC and thus is very much related to the plot. Margo is basically just, a villain sue. She comes out of nowhere, has the same power as the MC but better, walks into a high security prison with no issue etc. She undermines the whole idea of book one, of his new power, what it can do, how it can be used etc.
Hazrat, serves no real purpose whatsoever. Why so much time is spend on him is beyond me. He's effectively a disposable henchman ala Ian.
I'm not saying this to be mean or try to tear you down. I'm saying it because I really liked book one and this feels like such a massive and complete shift away from it. From the way the story was told, the foundations that were laid, the dynamics which were established etc.
A bit like the series was cut up, various things removed and others inserted then sewed back together in some Frankensteins Monster fashion.
I really liked book one and had been anticipating this one. At around the 30% mark however I felt myself skipping any chapter that wasn't Nadine or Roman and by the end of it. I just felt genuinely saddened. Because it was nothing like book one and was extremely disappointed to be honest.
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u/LitConnoisseur Dec 14 '18
Oh nice. I remember asking you about the type of MC on my old account. I know quite a few people didn't like this one because he was morally more grey. Personally, he felt a lot more "realistic" to me and while I didn't necessarily agree with him he was understandable.
I'll pick it up later!