TL;DR Review: Classic progression fantasy with a fun, unique sci-fi twist. Easy reading, great action, solid character work, and a whole lot of fun!
Synopsis:
All his life, Mark Fields has dreamed of joining the Defense Force to fight the vicious, alien Exlian, just like the rest of his renowned family. So far, he’s … a dishwasher, trapped in a dead-end job with no powers, no money, and even fewer friends.
Then an encounter with a dying woman changes everything—granting him the abilities he needs to join the training camps—and his life finally feels like it’s turning around, faster than a movie martial arts montage (just ignore the weird cat).
But the Exlian are voracious and myriad, and there’s more to Mark’s new powers than just leveling up. With the pressure mounting, it doesn’t take him long to realize the Exlian aren’t the only sinister threat lurking within the city …
In this first installment of the Exlian Syndrome series, you must fight the monsters … or become one yourself.
Full Review:
Advent leaned fully into the classic progression fantasy flavor from the very first page, and kept riding it hard all the way to the end while giving me just enough unique to make it feel like a fresh entry into the genre.
Our protagonist, Mark, is everything you’d expect from a progression fantasy character: hard-working, mild-mannered (except when pushed), and driven by both the deaths of his parents and the looming alien Exlian threat. He wants nothing more than to join the military to defend Earth. All-around good guy, instantly easy to root for as the “hero” of the story.
One night, he stumbles upon a dying scientists, who with a few cryptic words and the handing-off of…something, forever changes Mark’s life. Think one part Spiderman, one part Venom, and one part…well, you’ll have to read it to find out!
Mark’s newfound powers are a lot of fun to explore along with him. Though they’re limited at first, you just know Mark is going to keep growing them, and you can see from early on where his potential can go. That’s the key to a good progression fantasy character: they can always grow into becoming more powerful than their current rank or limitations. It’s that journey that ends up being so much fun to go along with, and Mark’s is no exception.
Along the way, Mark’s good nature makes him friends—not only among his fellow cadets at the military training, but his boss at the restaurant where he works, a fellow worker, and so many others. His decency and drive opens doors for him and creates opportunities that he could never have achieved on his own, which offers more chances to level up and gain power.
But don’t worry that it’s too focused on the character of it all; there’s plenty of action throughout! Anytime it feels like we’re getting too into the weeds with the complex progression system or the alchemical properties of Exlian guts, we get a nice detour into an action scene where Mark gets a chance to kick ass and show how far he’s come since we first met the skinny kid on Page 1.
By the end, Mark’s growth is significant, both physically and emotionally. He’s still the “good guy” we met in the beginning, but circumstances have begun to change him and we can’t help wondering how long that goodness within him will persist, or if everything that’s happened—and the mysterious aspects of his new power—will change him and turn him dark. As you can see by the artwork on the cover, that’s a very real possibility!
All in all, Advent was fun, fast-paced, addictive read that fans of progression fantasy and alien invasion sci-fi will enjoy.
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