The Mythseeker - Unique, Imaginative and Heartfelt
Blackwell Link’s The Mythseeker is one of the best erotic books I’ve read in a long while.
I'm writing this review to draw more attention to this book because, despite its standout quality, I have yet to see anyone talk about it. Not wanting it to drown amid a sea of generic titles, I decided to wholeheartedly recommend it to all the haremlit fans here. If you're into the genre, chances are that you won't be disappointed.
Light spoilers for the whole book.
Here's the premise: Our main character Belromanazar is an ancient and powerful wizard. But long ago, he was just a simple novice, learning magic in a remote fishing village, dreaming of a bigger world. The Mythseeker is ostensibly the first volume of Belromanazar’s fictional memoirs, following Bel from his early days as an apprentice wizard to a fledgling adventurer, not knowing that one day he will be a legendary archmage.
All in all, it’s a rather straightforward fantasy adventure coming-of-age story with sex scenes. What really stands out is how the book is structured. As the main character’s “memoirs” focus on his romantic relationships, each chapter focuses on a different heroine, or multiple heroines. There are time skips of varying length between chapters and they collectively cover a few years of in-story time. Bel starts out as a rather clueless young adult and, over the course of the story, becomes a capable wizard and a talented lover. He’s a damn fine protagonist, likeable and has a clear motivation that shapes the narrative. He’s earnest and romantic and always trying to get more out of life.
The pseudo-memoir style also opens up a lot of space for both intimate scenes and worldbuilding. The setting is a pretty standard, D&D-inspired fantasy world, but it gets fleshed out pretty well, thanks to how the plot constantly moves forward. Every chapter introduces new places, new characters and new concepts. This grants it a real sense of scale; you always feel like you’re only glimpsing a small part of a bigger, more exciting epic.
On the other side of things, the sex scenes are also really good.
Blackwell Link is originally an erotic romance writer (there are a few non-fantasy stories of him online) and it shows. Despite the high number of heroines, each sex scene in the book has a real sense of intimacy. The main character is not collecting a battle harem for the sake of it, he just naturally builds one by being an adventurous lover. They’re all well-written, with a frank, yet charmingly romantic prose. Magic and the fantastical nature of the characters play a role in almost every encounter, making the scenes feel actually unique.
The heroines themselves all feel fleshed out and every one of them affects the story in some way; either through the main plot or through how they shape the main character’s development. Some of them are explicitly soulmates for Belromanazar, while others are simply casual, one-time lovers. There’s a seemingly innocent elven noble, a curious mermaid, a shy “dragonblooded” sorcerer, and multiple other adventurers - a lot of variety within the cast.
However, the djinn Zhahllalia (who is briefly mentioned in the back cover blurb) is the true standout here. She’s the heart and soul of the book and a big part of the reason there’s a plot in the first place. The narration is absolutely head over heels for her and tries its best to make sure you are too. If you like cute yet capable heroines with strong personalities, you’re in for a good time.
In conclusion, it's a 10/10 masterpiece. Right now, there are very few books out there quite like The Mythseeker. It has charm, it has heart and it truly tries to do something unique. If you think all haremlit books nowadays feel the same and want some bite to your wish fulfillment, don’t sleep on it.