Who This Book Is For
Readers who enjoy god-simulation and settlement building concepts with a harem element and do not need fast pacing
Who This Book Is NOT For
Anyone who needs a physically present MC, readers who want consistent action, or those with no patience for slow burns
Our Review
The Setup
A former computer programmer dies and wakes up as a god in a completely new world. He is not entirely sure if this is an ultra-realistic VR game or actual godhood — and the book smartly lets that ambiguity simmer. Three beautiful priestesses have traveled from distant lands to worship and love him, and together they must build a civilization from scratch.
The premise is genuinely inspired. Instead of the standard isekai formula of “guy with a sword levels up,” Vall drops the MC into a god-simulation where his followers do the physical work while he provides divine guidance. It is base-building meets harem fantasy meets deity simulator, and the concept alone is enough to hook anyone who has ever lost an afternoon to Civilization or Dwarf Fortress.
What Works
The unique approach to the isekai formula is the primary draw. The MC exists as a disembodied divine presence, which gives the world an unusual perspective. You are not watching a hero swing a sword — you are watching a god try to figure out how to guide a nascent civilization through its first growing pains. The light LitRPG mechanics enhance rather than overwhelm the narrative, providing progression markers without burying you in stat blocks.
The priestess characters who serve as the MC’s primary connection to the physical world are interesting in concept. Each brings a different background and skill set, creating natural specialization within the settlement. When the civilization-building elements click, there is a satisfying loop of problem-solving, resource management, and watching your followers grow under your guidance.
The epic buildup in the early chapters is genuinely engaging. Vall establishes a scope and ambition that most isekai harem books do not attempt, and the promise of growing from three priestesses and an empty field to a thriving civilization carries real narrative potential.
What Doesn’t
The disembodied MC is a fundamental problem. Being a voice in the sky rather than a physical presence creates a massive engagement barrier. You cannot interact with your harem in a tactile, immediate way, which is — let’s be honest — one of the primary reasons readers pick up harem fantasy books. The priestesses often take actions that feel like things they could have done on their own, which makes the god’s guidance seem pointless at times.
The pacing is glacially slow. The epic promise of the setup gives way to long stretches of tedious management that read more like a game manual than a novel. Filler scenes accumulate, and the story frequently stalls when it should be building momentum. The MC also inexplicably withholds basic information from his followers for no logical reason, creating artificial tension that feels contrived rather than organic.
The writing itself is called boring by readers, and the silly tone occasionally clashes with the grand scope the premise demands. When you are playing at being a god, the narrative needs gravitas. Building Harem Town too often settles for breezy when it should be epic.
The Heat
Spice level is a 3 out of 5. The priestess worship angle creates opportunities for explicit content, and Vall delivers moderate heat. But the disembodied nature of the MC creates an inherent awkwardness around the intimate scenes. The physical connection between a god and his worshippers is, by necessity, different from a standard harem dynamic, and the book does not always navigate that gap convincingly.
Bottom Line
Building Harem Town deserves credit for attempting something genuinely different in the isekai harem space. The god-simulation premise is creative, the settlement-building framework has real potential, and the priestess dynamics offer interesting harem architecture. But the execution does not match the ambition. The glacial pacing, the engagement problem of a disembodied protagonist, and the flat writing hold it back from capitalizing on one of the most interesting concepts in the genre. Worth a look on Kindle Unlimited if the base-building harem premise specifically appeals to you, but be prepared for a slow journey that never quite reaches the heights its setup promises.
If You Liked This, Try
Both feature protagonists using unique abilities to build organizations from scratch with harem dynamics
Same author, similar civilization-reshaping premise but with hands-on crafting instead of divine guidance
Shared base-building energy with a male lead constructing power from nothing alongside a growing harem
The Verdict
Building Harem Town has one of the most unique premises in the isekai harem space -- you are literally a god building a civilization. But the disembodied MC creates a massive engagement problem, the pacing is glacial, and the book never delivers on the epic promise of its opening chapters.