Lisa Perskie Rodriguez's Blog
May 20, 2025
Readers' Favorite -5 Star Review of 'Arising'
Review Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Jefto Pierre for Readers’ Favorite
Lisa Perskie Rodriguez's Arising depicts the story of Laela, a woman who boldly fights against ingrained social injustice to integrate two rival clans. This story begins in Aerizon, where Laela, a treetop dweller from the Treedle clan, bravely ventures into the forested areas of the Mergon clan, her tribe's mortal enemies. Weary of the oppressive rule of the Mergon clan, directed toward her people, Laela's courage inspires her to confront this tribal disunity. In Mergonland, she meets and befriends Prince Mateo, the benevolent son of the Mergon king. Eventually, Laela is arrested by Mergon guards for trespassing in their territory and placed on trial. Following a surprising turn of events, Laela and Mateo are forced to flee Mergon when a new tyrannical king ascends the throne. Can Laela fulfil her prophesied destiny and lead both clans toward an era of peace?
Lisa Perskie Rodriguez deftly weaves a tale that combines personal growth and adventure. She accomplishes an ideal balance of characterization, exposition, and action. Arising is full of surprising and gripping twists that will have readers eager to reach the last page. It is heartrending and inspirational to read Laela's incredible journey as she rises from being a prisoner to the deliverer of her people. Themes of oppression, love, fearlessness, resistance, and bridging societal gaps are knitted seamlessly into the fantasy backdrop, making this novel pertinent to our modern times. Readers drawn to tales of optimism and social change will undoubtedly find resonance in this captivating story. It is a brilliant example of the importance of solidarity in the face of division and persecution. It is a sensational character-driven tale that stands out above the rest. Fans of immersive fantasy settings and stories on social justice will enjoy this read.
Reviewed by Jefto Pierre for Readers’ Favorite
Lisa Perskie Rodriguez's Arising depicts the story of Laela, a woman who boldly fights against ingrained social injustice to integrate two rival clans. This story begins in Aerizon, where Laela, a treetop dweller from the Treedle clan, bravely ventures into the forested areas of the Mergon clan, her tribe's mortal enemies. Weary of the oppressive rule of the Mergon clan, directed toward her people, Laela's courage inspires her to confront this tribal disunity. In Mergonland, she meets and befriends Prince Mateo, the benevolent son of the Mergon king. Eventually, Laela is arrested by Mergon guards for trespassing in their territory and placed on trial. Following a surprising turn of events, Laela and Mateo are forced to flee Mergon when a new tyrannical king ascends the throne. Can Laela fulfil her prophesied destiny and lead both clans toward an era of peace?
Lisa Perskie Rodriguez deftly weaves a tale that combines personal growth and adventure. She accomplishes an ideal balance of characterization, exposition, and action. Arising is full of surprising and gripping twists that will have readers eager to reach the last page. It is heartrending and inspirational to read Laela's incredible journey as she rises from being a prisoner to the deliverer of her people. Themes of oppression, love, fearlessness, resistance, and bridging societal gaps are knitted seamlessly into the fantasy backdrop, making this novel pertinent to our modern times. Readers drawn to tales of optimism and social change will undoubtedly find resonance in this captivating story. It is a brilliant example of the importance of solidarity in the face of division and persecution. It is a sensational character-driven tale that stands out above the rest. Fans of immersive fantasy settings and stories on social justice will enjoy this read.
Arising- US Review of Books
Dear Prospective Reader,
Thrilled to share the positive editorial reviews that 'Arising' has been receiving. Here is one from US Review of Books:
US REVIEW OF BOOKS
https://www.theusreview.com/
Arising
by Lisa Perskie Rodriguez
Palmetto Publishing
book review by Kate Robinson
"Just like a plant needs fertile soil to bloom, there must be truth and justice for love to exist."
Laela, a curious, courageous young woman, challenges the Treedle culture’s notion of femininity in Aerizon. The society of three distinct clans has developed a unique, sustainable lifestyle governed by a council in an extensive forest canopy, where they rarely rub shoulders with the ground-dwelling Mergon kingdom just beyond the forbidden Feral Forest. Rodriguez writes: “Mergons never strayed from the ground to ascend to the forest heights, and Treedles remained calmly cradled among the interlaced treetops.”
Only traders and guards enter the forbidden forest, but Laela and her friend find the hunting easy along its border. That spurs Laela’s common-sense yet daring dream of making the journey shorter and more accessible, a venture in which a jaguar marks her chest, and later, lands her squarely in a Mergon prison. Sentenced to death by the angry king, Laela awaits her destiny with a sense of composed resignation. Unbeknownst to Laela, her parents already realize from afar that their missing daughter is marked by an old prophecy, destined not only to survive but also to thrive, mend fences, and build bridges so badly needed by the two different cultures.
Detailed worldbuilding, deeply descriptive prose, and the author’s keen eye for personal and societal transformation make this standalone sequel to Laela and the Moonline a tale that will linger in memory long after the reading. In some ways reminiscent of the world Pandora in James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, Rodriguez’s world is also awash in natural beauty but conflicted by the limitations of human emotion, greed, and prejudice. Laela and her newfound love explore tenderness and unity, bigotry and diversity, and the wounds and healing engendered by authenticity and social justice. Laela experiences a classic heroine’s journey, imbuing the role’s hardship with the vision and kindness that ignites universal change.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
Thrilled to share the positive editorial reviews that 'Arising' has been receiving. Here is one from US Review of Books:
US REVIEW OF BOOKS
https://www.theusreview.com/
Arising
by Lisa Perskie Rodriguez
Palmetto Publishing
book review by Kate Robinson
"Just like a plant needs fertile soil to bloom, there must be truth and justice for love to exist."
Laela, a curious, courageous young woman, challenges the Treedle culture’s notion of femininity in Aerizon. The society of three distinct clans has developed a unique, sustainable lifestyle governed by a council in an extensive forest canopy, where they rarely rub shoulders with the ground-dwelling Mergon kingdom just beyond the forbidden Feral Forest. Rodriguez writes: “Mergons never strayed from the ground to ascend to the forest heights, and Treedles remained calmly cradled among the interlaced treetops.”
Only traders and guards enter the forbidden forest, but Laela and her friend find the hunting easy along its border. That spurs Laela’s common-sense yet daring dream of making the journey shorter and more accessible, a venture in which a jaguar marks her chest, and later, lands her squarely in a Mergon prison. Sentenced to death by the angry king, Laela awaits her destiny with a sense of composed resignation. Unbeknownst to Laela, her parents already realize from afar that their missing daughter is marked by an old prophecy, destined not only to survive but also to thrive, mend fences, and build bridges so badly needed by the two different cultures.
Detailed worldbuilding, deeply descriptive prose, and the author’s keen eye for personal and societal transformation make this standalone sequel to Laela and the Moonline a tale that will linger in memory long after the reading. In some ways reminiscent of the world Pandora in James Cameron’s 2009 film Avatar, Rodriguez’s world is also awash in natural beauty but conflicted by the limitations of human emotion, greed, and prejudice. Laela and her newfound love explore tenderness and unity, bigotry and diversity, and the wounds and healing engendered by authenticity and social justice. Laela experiences a classic heroine’s journey, imbuing the role’s hardship with the vision and kindness that ignites universal change.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
May 12, 2025
Summon Fantasy Editorial Review of Arising
Epic Fantasy Meets Heart-driven Revolution—A Review of Arising
The Story
Lisa Perskie Rodriguez’s Arising is a breathtakingly beautiful and timely fantasy novel about love, courage, and the quest for unity across deep-seated cultural divides. Set in a richly imagined world of treetop cities and ground-dwelling kingdoms, Arising follows Laela, a brave treadle woman, who defies tradition and danger to forge an unprecedented bond with Prince Mateo, the compassionate heir of an enemy nation. This novel continues the Laela and the Moonline series but also stands alone as an independent story. Laela, a Treedle woman, defies tradition and danger to journey into enemy Mergon territory, where she meets Prince Mateo. Their bond defies generations of distrust. After surviving political imprisonment and threats to their lives, they return to Aerizon only to find that true peace requires even greater courage.
Rodriguez masterfully crafts a story that blends epic adventure with intimate emotional growth. Laela’s harrowing journey, from a persecuted captive to a beacon of hope for her people, is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Themes of inclusivity, healing, and social justice are woven seamlessly into the fantasy setting, making Arising feel urgently relevant while maintaining the lush wonder expected from high fantasy.
World-building
The author’s world-building is exquisite. Aerizon’s treetop culture, with its moonline silks and sacred gardens, contrasts vividly against the harsher, earthbound Mergonland. Prophecies, spirit totems, and ancient medallions enrich the narrative with mystical depth without overshadowing the personal stakes at the heart of the story.
What sets Arising apart is its focus on building bridges rather than burning them. The relationship between Laela and Mateo feels authentic, full of tenderness, doubt, bravery, and sacrifice. It offers a refreshing vision of change—not through conquest, but through mutual respect, empathy, and a shared dream of peace.
Final Thoughts
Arising is a deeply moving, thought-provoking fantasy that will resonate with readers who crave stories of transformation, healing, and hope. It’s a triumph of character-driven storytelling and a shining testament to the power of love and unity against the forces of fear and division.
Highly recommended for fans of rich fantasy worlds, strong heroines, and uplifting tales of social change.
Our final verdict: 5.00
The Story
Lisa Perskie Rodriguez’s Arising is a breathtakingly beautiful and timely fantasy novel about love, courage, and the quest for unity across deep-seated cultural divides. Set in a richly imagined world of treetop cities and ground-dwelling kingdoms, Arising follows Laela, a brave treadle woman, who defies tradition and danger to forge an unprecedented bond with Prince Mateo, the compassionate heir of an enemy nation. This novel continues the Laela and the Moonline series but also stands alone as an independent story. Laela, a Treedle woman, defies tradition and danger to journey into enemy Mergon territory, where she meets Prince Mateo. Their bond defies generations of distrust. After surviving political imprisonment and threats to their lives, they return to Aerizon only to find that true peace requires even greater courage.
Rodriguez masterfully crafts a story that blends epic adventure with intimate emotional growth. Laela’s harrowing journey, from a persecuted captive to a beacon of hope for her people, is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. Themes of inclusivity, healing, and social justice are woven seamlessly into the fantasy setting, making Arising feel urgently relevant while maintaining the lush wonder expected from high fantasy.
World-building
The author’s world-building is exquisite. Aerizon’s treetop culture, with its moonline silks and sacred gardens, contrasts vividly against the harsher, earthbound Mergonland. Prophecies, spirit totems, and ancient medallions enrich the narrative with mystical depth without overshadowing the personal stakes at the heart of the story.
What sets Arising apart is its focus on building bridges rather than burning them. The relationship between Laela and Mateo feels authentic, full of tenderness, doubt, bravery, and sacrifice. It offers a refreshing vision of change—not through conquest, but through mutual respect, empathy, and a shared dream of peace.
Final Thoughts
Arising is a deeply moving, thought-provoking fantasy that will resonate with readers who crave stories of transformation, healing, and hope. It’s a triumph of character-driven storytelling and a shining testament to the power of love and unity against the forces of fear and division.
Highly recommended for fans of rich fantasy worlds, strong heroines, and uplifting tales of social change.
Our final verdict: 5.00
June 28, 2022
Booktrib review of Laela and the Moonline
High in the Treetops, a Courageous Young Woman Fights to Save Her People From Persecution
By BookTrib|June 28th, 2022
“We worship the same ‘One,’ and we live and share the same earth, here or higher up. We practice the same teaching, with just a few differences. What a shame our people can’t be friends.”
Where do you go when it feels like there’s nowhere you belong? What happens when you must defend your community to your dying breath, even as you chafe beneath its laws?
That is the reality of the protagonist in Lisa Perskie Rodriguez’s fantasy novel Laela and the Moonline (Gatekeeper Press). Laela is a Treedle — a society made up of three tribes that live in the treetops of the Aerizon. Life in the forest canopies is not as idyllic as it may sound, however; while the Treedle people are close-knit and caring, their traditional values keep women firmly relegated to the home. Laela, meanwhile, yearns to explore the wilds and find a more fulfilling life than the one she’d been assigned.
Yet on the forest floor beneath them lies an even greater danger. That’s where the Mergons reside, waiting for Treedles to venture down or fall from the trees. All her life, Laela has grown up hearing the horror stories of Treedles who have been captured, enslaved or outright murdered by the patrolling Mergon guards. Feeling stifled inside her community, but in danger outside its boundaries, is there anywhere Laela truly belongs?
SEARCHING FOR A CHANCE AT PEACE
Rodriguez takes the reader on a journey to the unearthly realm of the Aerizon. Detailed worldbuilding and lush descriptions build Treedle society into something that resembles an ancient civilization, immortalized in myth. The novel’s unique setting speaks to the author’s ability to create an extraordinary experience for the reader.
That thorough worldbuilding also relays the novel’s message. Treedle society and the Mergons have obvious differences, and not only in the different elevations of the Aerizon that they inhabit. The Treedles have no sense of hierarchy or class beyond gender roles, whereas the Mergons have a draconian monarchy that regulates every citizen to a strict stratum, from nobleman to commoner to slave.
Yet even with these stark differences, Laela finds astonishing similarities between the two groups. They both worship the same god, known as the “One,” as well as a whole pantheon of lesser divinities. The two warring societies even descend from the same civilization, united long ago as a single group. With so much in common, could it ever be possible for the two communities to reconcile?
Reminiscent of Clan of the Cave Bear and the story of the Na’vi in Avatar, Laela and the Moonline depicts how an individual’s bravery and determination can help break the poisonous cycle of prejudice. Laela is unafraid to stand up for herself and her people in the face of bigotry, even if she must disobey her own society’s antiquated ideas of what it means to be a good Treedle woman. Thanks to her tenacity and the help of an unexpected ally, the people of the Aerizon may finally have a chance at brokering peace.
Ultimately, Rodriguez’s novel is a rallying call to readers, encouraging them to look at their own communities and find ways to bring about change for a better future.
*Trigger warning: contains scenes of enslavement, domestic violence and sexual assault.
By BookTrib|June 28th, 2022
“We worship the same ‘One,’ and we live and share the same earth, here or higher up. We practice the same teaching, with just a few differences. What a shame our people can’t be friends.”
Where do you go when it feels like there’s nowhere you belong? What happens when you must defend your community to your dying breath, even as you chafe beneath its laws?
That is the reality of the protagonist in Lisa Perskie Rodriguez’s fantasy novel Laela and the Moonline (Gatekeeper Press). Laela is a Treedle — a society made up of three tribes that live in the treetops of the Aerizon. Life in the forest canopies is not as idyllic as it may sound, however; while the Treedle people are close-knit and caring, their traditional values keep women firmly relegated to the home. Laela, meanwhile, yearns to explore the wilds and find a more fulfilling life than the one she’d been assigned.
Yet on the forest floor beneath them lies an even greater danger. That’s where the Mergons reside, waiting for Treedles to venture down or fall from the trees. All her life, Laela has grown up hearing the horror stories of Treedles who have been captured, enslaved or outright murdered by the patrolling Mergon guards. Feeling stifled inside her community, but in danger outside its boundaries, is there anywhere Laela truly belongs?
SEARCHING FOR A CHANCE AT PEACE
Rodriguez takes the reader on a journey to the unearthly realm of the Aerizon. Detailed worldbuilding and lush descriptions build Treedle society into something that resembles an ancient civilization, immortalized in myth. The novel’s unique setting speaks to the author’s ability to create an extraordinary experience for the reader.
That thorough worldbuilding also relays the novel’s message. Treedle society and the Mergons have obvious differences, and not only in the different elevations of the Aerizon that they inhabit. The Treedles have no sense of hierarchy or class beyond gender roles, whereas the Mergons have a draconian monarchy that regulates every citizen to a strict stratum, from nobleman to commoner to slave.
Yet even with these stark differences, Laela finds astonishing similarities between the two groups. They both worship the same god, known as the “One,” as well as a whole pantheon of lesser divinities. The two warring societies even descend from the same civilization, united long ago as a single group. With so much in common, could it ever be possible for the two communities to reconcile?
Reminiscent of Clan of the Cave Bear and the story of the Na’vi in Avatar, Laela and the Moonline depicts how an individual’s bravery and determination can help break the poisonous cycle of prejudice. Laela is unafraid to stand up for herself and her people in the face of bigotry, even if she must disobey her own society’s antiquated ideas of what it means to be a good Treedle woman. Thanks to her tenacity and the help of an unexpected ally, the people of the Aerizon may finally have a chance at brokering peace.
Ultimately, Rodriguez’s novel is a rallying call to readers, encouraging them to look at their own communities and find ways to bring about change for a better future.
*Trigger warning: contains scenes of enslavement, domestic violence and sexual assault.
