Herald of Shalia 2

Who This Book Is For

Readers who loved the first book and want bigger stakes, more demihuman variety, and Frost's diplomatic chaos expanded across kingdoms

Who This Book Is NOT For

Readers who felt the first book was too explicit or plot-light — those issues persist, and the harem grows faster than individual relationships can keep up

Our Review

The Setup

Frost has built a reputation. He is known as the giant-killer, the deviant who “shamefully” lays with elves, and the herald nobody expected to survive this long. Now the wider world is paying attention. He faces two major diplomatic challenges: marrying Princess Brynn of neighboring Zira to improve relations between their territories, and answering a summons from King Darius of Rilia — a brutal warlord who has a habit of killing heralds but has taken an unexpected interest in Frost’s lascivious reputation.

The scope expands considerably from book one. What started as a local protection story now involves multiple kingdoms, political maneuvering, and the introduction of new demihuman races including demons and arachne. Frost is no longer just defending a camp of outcast elves — he is becoming a regional power player whether he intended to or not.

What Works

The expanded world-building is the biggest improvement. Tamryn Tamer takes the foundation from book one and builds outward in satisfying ways. The political intrigue between kingdoms gives Frost real problems that his stats alone cannot solve, and watching him navigate diplomacy with the same blunt charm he uses for everything else is genuinely entertaining. The introduction of demons and arachne to the cast keeps the harem feeling fresh rather than repetitive.

The humor remains a consistent strength. Frost’s diplomatic misadventures — a guy whose reputation is built on being a sexual deviant trying to conduct serious politics — generate some of the series’ best comedic moments. Tamer understands that the absurdity of the premise is a feature, not a bug, and leans into it with confidence.

The kingdom building elements that were hinted at in book one start paying off here. Frost’s territory is becoming something real, and watching it develop from a refuge into a genuine multicultural settlement scratches the base building itch that many harem fantasy readers share. The stakes feel bigger because there is now something worth protecting beyond just the characters.

What Doesn’t

The sex scenes occupy a large portion of the book, and for some readers that comes at the expense of the plot development they were hoping the sequel would deliver. When the political intrigue is rolling, it is great — but it frequently stops for extended intimate sequences that can feel like interruptions rather than rewards.

The LitRPG elements feel increasingly light and inconsistent. The stat system that was well-integrated in book one starts fading into the background, which may frustrate readers who came for the litrpg progression as much as the harem. The harem itself is also growing faster than Tamer can develop individual relationships, which means newer additions get less character work than the original cast. Editing quality remains a concern, with noticeable typos scattered throughout.

The Heat

Five out of five again. The explicit content is just as frequent and over-the-top as book one, possibly more so with the addition of demon and arachne characters bringing new dynamics to the intimate scenes. If the heat level of the first book worked for you, this continues in the same vein. If it was too much, nothing has changed to address that.

Bottom Line

Herald of Shalia 2 successfully levels up the series with better world-building, political depth, and new monster girl varieties that keep the harem interesting. Read it back-to-back with book one if you are binging the series on Kindle Unlimited — the momentum carries well and the kingdom building payoffs are worth it.

If You Liked This, Try