Herald of Steel by FerriticMatrix

I have really mixed feelings about the Herald of Steel (HoS). On the one hand, it's an excellent depiction of Bronze age Greece and Roman culture combined with good storytelling, but on the other hand there are elements of this story which are downright frustrating or nauseating.

So, let's start with an overview and then expand in the good and the bad points of HoS.

HoS starts some 10 years after the main character (MC), Alexander, is transmigrated into the body of an unknown orphan. We learn that he was sold at young age into slavery due to being captured by slavers and then sold to a mercenary group. This mercenary group, now 10 years later, have been hired to act as infantry in a war between 2 city-states. The beginning is a bit confusing and chaotic, with many names being thrown around, changing points of view, and a lot of info dumping and history being told to the reader. However, if you manage to stick through it, you are generally rewarded with the story improving and soon centering on the MC, Alexander.

One of the reasons I really like this story is due to the historical references and the author's attempt to make it accurate in terms of technology, culture, and religion. Do note, that this is not a historical fiction, but fantasy in the way that MC is not transmigrated back in time to the Ancient age, but to another world, which is similar to Bronze age Greece and Rome, mixing a bit of both and from other cultures. The novel goes to great lengths describing phalanx combat, how religion impacts ancient society, and the role of nobility in this age.
Another thing, which may be a "turn off" for most readers are the depictions of cruelty and the hedonistic and pagantistic practices of the characters in the novel. But note, this is actually pretty close to what really happened during the golden age of the Roman empire. There were a wide spread practice of orgies, wife swapping, and more debase sexual activities. It was not until Christianity that such practices were taboo. Likewise, women in the Bronze age were not people, they were possessions - to be traded and bartered. They had no rights or social status beyond that of their husband. So when you read this novel, expect to be exposed to rape, depictions of cruelty against women, pedophilia, and more. The author holds no bar on describing this stuff and sometimes in great detail. Blame our history as a species.

And this leads me to my second point. While I generally appreciate the lengths that the author has gone to, to describe these unsavory acts and use them as a part of storytelling, we are also introduced to some characters that you would, for any lack of a better term, describe as complete and utter sluts. And it really angers me that the MC cannot be a better man and overcome these characters. For example, in one chapter, the MC stumbles across an orgy happening between some side-characters, he is then ridiculed as a child, degraded, and then he participates (somewhat) as these women take men's organs left and right in all entrances. He participates, first as a bystander, and then later by receiving oral. Another example, is one side-character, who is frequently described as one of the most beautiful women that the MC has seen - often pure, perfect proportions, etc. But we learn that she is one of the most craven nymphomaniac sluts in existence - repeatedly going on about how she delightfully takes dozens of cocks a day in her 3 holes, etc. And when she notices the MCs reluctance in regards to how he wishes to have her, but then realizes that he can't accept her behavior, she becomes ecstatic and wants to further flaunt her "superiority". However, this isn't what irks me the most. What irks me, is her arrogance and repeated petty attacks, comments, and disdainful attitude she carries towards the MC while she is in his home as a guest. He basically bends over backwards to fulfill her desires by opening a brothel so that she can sate her addiction to phallus. But instead of being thankful she keeps degrading him. Last example, is regarding one of the MCs women. We learn that she was raised in a "sex temple" where she was forced to partake in various of degrading activities. Herein repeatedly drinking urine, semen, constantly wearing a buttplug, piercings in all "sensitive" areas, and so on. While I'm not a wuss, and generally don't mind whether a love-interest has a whole background, what I find nauseating is the way she re-tells her previous experiences while in the act together with the MC. And somehow the MC gets turned on by this and becomes even more "eager."
So with these examples, it wouldn't be weird to call the MC a massive cuck. But we learn that the MC is actually possessive of his women, and is strongly against them doing anything intimate with anyone else but him (however, inter-harem stuff is OK, I.e., yuri). And thus, this leads me to become frustrated and annoyed, when I learn of the MC being stepped on by the craven slut, or anyone else. We build an image of the MC being highly competent and not taking any shit, while still exercising forbearance, but then he is suddenly meek like a simp towards sluts and other female characters who hold no respect towards him.
In short, no, there isn't NTR as you would strictly call it, as none of the "claimed" women are intimate with others. However, there side-characters who we are led to believe are potential love-interests, who we then later learn participate in orgies, f#ck around (a lot), and will not be able to stop spreading their legs to any dick. So we have this weird incongruous sense that this is NTR, but not really, because they are not in a relationship with the MC.
*ahem* So, rant over, but I needed to get that off my chest. Some people will be able to tolerate the polific deviant behavior of the nobility and some of the side-characters, other not so much. So if you get triggered by this theme, then I won't recommend reading this novel. Likewise, if you get triggered by rape, pedophilia, or other such descriptions, then I also recommend you stay far away. Remember there a number of scenes describing the MC sacking of a city, where the mercenaries he commands begin raping women and killing children. There are also scenes where the MCs love interest describes how she was treated as sex object, repeatedly gang banged by an incountable number of men, and how her daily sustenance consisted of semen for breakfast, lunch and dinner, both in her food and "straight from the source."

If you don't mind this, and don't mind reading this, then you're in for a good story about how Alexander conquers a city, and later "invents" various of technology and uses that to build his city, inventing concrete, clear glass, soap, sugar, fine clothes, etc (almost like Release That Witch), however this novel is much more detailed and describes the many dependencies such technologies require. In comparison, Release That Witch is almost a children's book as it doesn't take into account the many steps to make proper good steel.

Lastly, the writing is generally good. But I did find a number of spelling mistakes, and also repeated use of words, e.g. author is really fond of the word "lampoon" While these infractions do detract from the overall quality of the storytelling, the good balance (mainly in the 80+ chapters) between dialogue, exposition, etc. More than make up for it.

In conclusion, HoS is a good novel about a slave rising to become a powerhouse in the Bronze age, while inventing many modern technologies in the process. Most of the focus is on inventing mercantile goods and improving his military (no guns and such yet), and there isn't much focus on actual governance. There other aspects such as the societal norms of the age, herein the hedonistic practices of the nobility, women's status as possessions, and so on. It is generally faithful to how Roman's also partook in such activities during the golden age of the Roman Empire. There are many interesting topics covered in the novel, and the author has done a good job of integrating these topics so that it is relevant to the story and told in an interesting way.

Overall, with mixed feelings due to the number of frustrating elements, such as the MC being a wuss at times, and where I would curse the MC for not kidnapping the degrading slut and sending her off, so that she can be acquainted with a Guatemala-style holiday complete with water boarding. And if she likes cocks so much, just dump her into the military camp of a 1000 men barracks so that she can get acquainted with it non-stop, 24/7, for a couple of months. Let's see if you like it so much by then. Sorry that was another rant.
*ahem*, yes, so despite some frustrating elements, the story is generally good, and as such I'd rate the story a C+, or 3.5/5*.

Happy reading.