Men of the Harem, Vol. 2 comes out tomorrow (March 18th), so it’s time to get through my review of Vol. 1—because this went way better than I ever expected!
Title: Men of the Harem, Vol. 1
Author/Artist: Yeongbin
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance
Ages: Teen
Publisher: Ize Press
Volume: 1/? (ongoing)
Release: Dec. 10th, 2024
Order: Amazon | Bookshop.org
HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A WOMAN SCORNED
Newly crowned emperor Latrasil Valentine Tarium has no illusions of finding a saccharine love match. Forced to rapidly ascend the throne following her father’s assassination, Latil is still stinging from the bitter betrayal of Prince Hyacinth, the man who swore to love her through thick and thin. Now only two things matter―securing her sovereign power and causing her former lover the same agony Latil felt when he married another. And she’ll do so by taking on five consorts herself! Only the most powerful and handsome men shall be fit for her harem. The son of a duke, the king of mercenaries, and…the brother of her ex?!
I picked this up on a whim, fully expecting one of those mature comics that lack plot and are basically just smut… but to my surprise, I actually really enjoyed the story. And there was no smut!
It turned out to be quite political, and wow—can the FL really hold a grudge.
At first, I didn’t hate Prince Hyacinth—not enough to justify Latrasil taking in a harem that included his own brother. But I did appreciate that she had enough sense not to wait another five years for him just so he could secure his position as emperor. Also, I adored the conversation between Latrasil and Prince Hyacinth’s fiancée. Rather than seeing each other as enemies, they saw each other as allies?, which was such a refreshing dynamic.
Actually, I’m still on the fence about completely hating Prince Hyacinth. I mean yeah, I don’t think he’s a good guy, but it’s like they both can’t get over each other with how they keep poking at one another.
Latrasil’s character also undergoes a drastic shift from the beginning of the volume to the middle—like, whiplash level change. Initially, she seems heartbroken and weak, clinging to the love of a man. But then, we quickly realize she’s not weak at all. It was actually nice to have an FL who isn’t some overpowered character who thinks she’s above having a loving relationship. Of course, that kind of goes out the window when she decides she’s just going to have a harem instead, but hey, it is called Men of the Harem, so fair enough. 😂
tldr: Yes, there’s plenty of talk about harems, but this is actually a surprisingly political and intriguing story—with no smut (at least in this volume). Also has a himbo!
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ejbookblog 
This sounds like a great story, thank you. It’s really cool that love affects her deeply but she can be strong too.
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