Reviewed:
I believe this author managed to create a fantasy story about one man's journey to become a powerful magic user. By choosing runic magic the author was able to get away with describing the function of the rune without making the story seem like a lesson in runic magic.
The lack of character development made the townspeople seem more like NPCs. Sex was mentioned to aid in developing character relations without turning the story into a stroke story. It allowed the author to develop the storyline rather than detract from it.
I, personally, don't need sex in a story to enjoy it. This is an example of a story that has enough merit to be worth your time to read it.