Advent: The Exlian Syndrome Series, Book 1

The Exlian Syndrome #1

by Seth Ring, Pavi Proczko (Narrator)

From bestselling LitRPG author Seth Ring—creator of the Titan and Battle Mage Farmer series— Advent is the first in an epic new series of alien contact, fast-paced military action, and thrilling adventure that will leave listeners hungry for more.

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.

Genres: Litrpg, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Fiction, Action, Dystopia

Audible Audio

First published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Tony Hinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

For the first quarter of this book I wasn't fully on board. It seemed overly derivative of the many Japanese manga/anime system stories. But once the inciting incident occurred to the protagonist things just took off.

I liked the layered politics and the mysterious cat companion. The team was made up of several decently fleshed out characters (and a few paper cut-outs). The magic system was as expected except for the dream training (excellent if unexplained).

The world-building left something to be desired. Is the whole planet reduced to one functional city. No other places are mentioned. It's just not explained. That's not an intended mystery, more of an author oversight.

In short, Mark's warped power mechanic, (alongside an insane work ethic) leads to some of the most exciting levelling-up I've read. Good stuff.

[Krysta ꕤ]

another day, another LitRPG 🔥

[Maria Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars! This is not my typical genre but I met Seth at a writing conference past summer and was so impressed with his talks that I wanted to read one of his books.

This story is well written, the chapter are a very consistent length, the Lit RPG elements were really cool and I was impressed with how much plot he was able to fit into 450 pages. I would certainly recommend. I am just not the target audience for this book so my enjoyment was lower.

[Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be honest, I don’t know why this book was in a Barnes & Noble three weeks before its release. But it caught my eye and peaked my interest. So here we are…

For my introduction to Seth Ring as a writer I am very impressed! I will definitely have to check out some of his other works!

Needless to say the actual review now. I could relate to Marck which is hard to find in some sci-fi books nowadays. Not really going anywhere in life and complaining about the smallest things and then joining the military. Albeit this military seems like they have some bad actors up their sleeves being influenced by the cities elite. Mark is a good seed in a land of bad apples. Through friends and hard work he is able to overcome some really exciting and action packed struggles.

Overall I would definitely pick up this book if you haven’t been planning on it already.

[E.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! I love this type of progression fantasy that has a LitRPG feel to it but also feels more “real”.

I was immediately invested in the characters and love Mime!! I can easily recommend this though I will say the ending felt a little abrupt to me. I don’t mind a bit of a cliffhanger but it was kind of shocking.

Super excited see what happens next!!

My rating: 4.3*

—-
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced listening copy. All opinions are my own.

[Julei · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I like litRPG… this was different and fun!

[Brooke ♥booklife4life♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

way too much telling instead of showing details and plot things. a little too much romance for me but wasn't the worst. didn't feel like it really went into some aspects of things i'd like to know, like how does the government keep control over those with powers, like yes you have the grading system and all that set it, but is that everywhere, is someone in Djibouti just destroying everything without anyone overseeing that area?

[Clayton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and too much fabricated drama

I was going to give it 3 stars till the end of the book. The whole thing moved at glacial pacing. It was a super long, and boring, training montage. Literally every twist was seen coming a mile away and blatantly telegraphed. Marks “powers” are exceptionally boring and take forever to actually start getting decent, all the drama is so forced it’s obnoxious, and the whole thing basically just reinforces humanity sucks.

Definitely won’t be recommending this series to anyone

[That Guy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for adults or smart kids

I would think this is written for kids if not for the violence. The MC is a naive idiot without any sense of agency or awareness. Characters are cookie cutter tropes and the dialogue is juvenile. I tried the second book hoping it would improve, but honestly it just gets cringe as the MC gets stronger and more white knight-ish.

[Crystal Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!

[Hunter Zajac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommended this book! I thought it was really good and easy to read, the characters were easy to follow and made me want to keep reading with all the action and humor. I love the world building and the concept of the leveling-up (in my opinion it’s too much like a video game but if you love video games that you might like it better.) My only real complaint is that you can tell it’s a part of a series because there’s no real satisfying ending. Over all, great book, definitely going to keep reading this series!

[Turner Main · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a 4.5 for me! I walked in knowing it would be a LitRPG and that was it. I assumed it had something to do with humans fighting aliens from the cover (which it is) but it turned into so much more.

Likes
- leveling system
- resourcefulness of our MC
- MC and cast in general is really easy to root for
- A CAT!!!! There’s a scene in here that made me lol
- yes, the humans are fighting aliens but the story turns into a bigger political mess

Dislikes
- I wish we did get to see more of the aliens in this book. They sounded so sick so I was excited to experience them more.

Definitely continuing this series!!

[Livi ✨ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looks like I am seriously in the minority regarding my rating.

LitRPG is a cool genre, and I find that I do enjoy it. I just feel like this book in particular was honestly super boring and uneventful. It was too long and nothing really happened that was noteworthy, except for some events in the last 20% or so.

I understand the whole market manipulation thing with the potions (we all do that in MMOs), but for the love of god, I don't fucking care about it! I did not need that much info about it!!

I thought the whole premise was really cool and had so much potential, but NOTHING was really followed up on. I don't expect to learn everything about the series in the first book, but I felt like things were mentioned just to be mentioned rather than actually developed.

At first, I equated this to Helldivers + Spiderman/Incredibles, with a dark and sinister twist with war and corruption. Which is super cool.

This was honestly poorly executed and did not keep me entertained sometimes. It was a lot of "telling" not "showing".

Most of the characters were flat as a board, including Mark, and I wish more was done with them...

Maybe, we will see if I continue. I think I will, but it's not a priority.

[Rie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre Status: Scifi; LitRPG; Progression Fantasy

Rank: B

Worldbuilding: A

Characterization: C-

Grammar: C

Fun: S

This was a fun read. It was an advance reader copy so the polish seemed a bit rough at times. I really liked the world building and the power leveling system and how the main character subverted that system. I’m interested to see what other twists there will be in future installments. I loved the level of crunch to the mechanics of how powers and I am interested to see that develop as well.

The interactions between the main character and other characters seemed a bit two-dimensional at times (especially with the other characters that were women). The characters seemed to be based on archetypes and didn’t really defy those archetypes much. Though the character Noah did surprise me by turning out to be an OK dude instead of the privileged bully that he might have been if he played into the trope.

Overall this book was a really fun experience and I look forward to the next one. I would totally recommend it to other fans of the genre. By the end of it I was totally hooked.

[Shane Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

solid premise but crazy plot holes…

I’ve read other books by this author, but this one clearly seems to have been AI assisted… The writing and spelling are fine, which I assume is the AI, but the plot holes are crazy… The best example I can give without spoiling the plot, such as it is would be… there’s an alien in my room and it wants to give me weird powers… No time to look into them though because I have to rush and get to gym class… my brother is one of the top 100 strongest superheroes in the city protecting us from a horrible threat… But we are dirt poor… I hope I can become a superhero so I can be rich and take care of both… it might’ve been better as an anime novel

[Seth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bland af- power system boring- characters flat with absolutely no life in them- leveling system super dumb - plot nothing to write home about- maybe i was just overly spoiled by carl and his world but i sure hope not cause this was not nearly worth the over 4 start average rating at all- there is no life behind the characters motivations and his love interest is bland- also bro did not question a single fucking thing in his life- something was weird or off ->bro said oh ok great have a nice day- also another comparison as much as donut can annoy me sometime with her incessant arrogance at least she has character and personality

[Brittany McCann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was an unexpected treasure. I hadn't heard anything about this, so I randomly picked it up from my local library.

I loved everything about this!

It was very well edited and exciting.

The world was well created, and the characters were clear while allowing room to glow.

An awesome new cat creature and the powers.

Bravo, Seth Ring! I can't wait to read the rest of these.

5 Stars

[Casey Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up the Con exclusive of this book at NYCC back in October 2025 on a whim, without knowing what it was about! It looked cool and I wanted to start reading more LitRPG. In an attempt to start reading off my physical TBR, I picked it up and had no idea how much fun I was going to have with it! It’s like Starship Troopers meets Solo Leveling (if you’re into anime/manga). There are aliens called the Exlian wreaking havoc on the human population. Mark wants to join the military and help fight the Exlian, like his family before him, but so far he has no powers and he’s just a lowly dishwasher. A chance encounter and Mark’s dreams are finally coming true. He gets to join training camp, his powers developing, he can level up… but he begins to suspect that the Exlian may not be the only threat. This is a cool world with this sort of My Hero Academia aspect to it where some people have powers and some don’t. They develop at different strengths and potentials. The leveling up aspect is what brought to mind Solo Leveling. And of course we have a weird cat character, which I always love, and the secrets of what is really going on to uncover. We get into that closer towards the end, so I am curious to see where this story winds up going. Overall, had a great time with this one!

[Ryan Carrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7⭐️
0🌶️

Listened to the audiobook on Libby

This felt like a litRPG version of My Hero Academia. It has special schools cool powers with a lot of people having these powers and variations of powers and potential. We see Mark going from no powers to being a bad ass. I had a lot of fun plus it has great social commentaries. Mark is genuinely likeable main character when happens to have some great contacts. The alien baddies are fun and allows for overpoweed characters.

[Emily Harrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ this was a fun little read. And there's a cat, so of course I'm going to like it. 🐈

[Sabs ✨️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟. Pretty good read and the storyline was fine. But all around, just a bit boring.

[Court:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5⭐

[Ben Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first litRPG. Entertaining story that definitely read like a video game. Chock full of battle scenes (some of them were pretty violent), but nothing else objectionable.

[Justus LeCates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not LITRPG but a good book. Mostly modern fantasy with a smidgen of RPG elements. Kinda like Starship Troopers mixed with alchemy and AoT thrown in haha. AoT (Attack on Titan) because of the 3 branches of military focusing on Scouting, Research, and Wall Protection all defending the last bastion of humanity.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great pacing, great action, really interesting world building, and a protagonist that doesn't ask too many questions, so most things are still a mystery (that I'm willing to wait for to find out the answer to). This ended on a complete cliffhanger, but there was enough setup for me to feel satisfied with this first installment. Will definitely continue the series.

This was just a good old fashioned fun sci-fi story where it's really just magic with aliens.

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Advent (The Exlian Syndrome Series, #1) by Seth Ring

A classic underdog progression fantasy set in an alien-invaded, superpowered society, Advent balances high-octane leveling action and military intrigue with accessible characterization—delivering fun genre comfort with notable, if sometimes frustrating, genre limitations.

Premise & Setting:

Advent introduces Mark Fields, a powerless dishwasher in a dystopian city perpetually at war with insectoid alien “Exlians.” Mark comes from a family of renowned heroes but, past the usual age for power manifestation, is left with little hope until a chance encounter with a dying scientist radically shifts his fate. Suddenly gifted with unusual powers, Mark enters a militarized training camp just as Exlian attacks and citywide conspiracies threaten everyone’s survival.

The city-centric world feels both vibrant and oddly claustrophobic (with little sense of a broader planetary society), and the premise borrows heavily from anime, cultivation, and military SF traditions. While the singular city focus adds social pressure and narrative clarity, it leaves some readers feeling the setting is underexplored or missing broader global stakes.

Progression Mechanics:

Ring’s take on progression fantasy (and LitRPG elements) lands in the “leveling, but not stat sheet-heavy” tradition. Mark’s powers and progression system are clearly explained, but Ring eschews excessive numerical detail and focuses on training montages, innovative use of powers, and the importance of teamwork. The book features vivid action sequences, creative alchemy, and “dream training” (a highlight for many readers) but remains more interested in creative power application and steady growth than crunchy stat optimization.

Where Advent rises above some of its genre brethren is its emphasis on Mark’s hard work and problem-solving rather than easy power-ups or overpowered antics from page one; the path to power is consistently incremental and, thus, more rewarding.

Characterization & Team Dynamics:

Mark is a classic “decent underdog”—earnest, hard-working, and, at times, believably insecure. Some readers find his voice a bit too “innocent” or adolescent, which fits the teen/early twenties protagonist archetype, although his emotional development occasionally lags behind plot developments. His journey from isolation to integration with a varied cast of companions is a core driver of the story’s emotional beats.

The ensemble includes highlights such as:

Mime — a mysterious, possibly lethal feline companion whose personality and role provide both comic relief and plot intrigue.
Noah — initially a privileged-seeming rival who subverts expectations to become a strong supporting friend.
Skye — a love interest who, for some, reads as underdeveloped or frustratingly stereotypical, introducing YA-style relationship drama that split readers.
Master Abram — the dangerous, enigmatic mentor driving much of Mark’s personal growth and magical training.
Big bro Joe — whose shadows over Mark’s life and secrets about the city’s politics and military create further tension and mystery.

Pacing, Plot, and Structure:

Advent spends its first quarter rooted in manga and anime system-stories, but picks up the pace after Mark’s turn of fortune. Many enjoy the book’s action, the “team-building” intensity, and escalating tension as Mark is drawn into city conspiracies and waves of alien attacks. The focus on gradual mastery—rather than immediate world-shaking power—grounds the narrative, encouraging reader investment in both Mark’s and his team’s arcs.

A significant criticism is the abrupt, cliffhanger ending and a sense of plot “setup” over self-contained story. Key mysteries—why Mark’s brother’s group was targeted, the purpose of Mark’s powers, and political secrets about the Exlians and city elite—are only lightly touched on. For completion-seeking readers, Advent can feel like an extended pilot episode, promising more than it resolves.

Style and Accessibility:

Ring’s prose is clean, readable, and brisk—though some dialogue slips into cliché and telling, not showing. This accessibility makes the book a great entry-point for LitRPG and progression fantasy newcomers, and many highlight the successful audiobook narration as boosting enjoyment.

Comparative Analysis — Genre Contemporaries:

Tao Wong’s “System Apocalypse” and “Life in the North” offer a more global, stat-heavy, survival-centric grind, while Advent is focused on a single hero and his immediate circle, with higher emotional comfort but sometimes less worldbuilding immersion.
Will Wight’s “Cradle” features boundary-expanding progression and layered character development with tight plot resolutions; Advent goes for a slower pace and “teen hero” tone.
Seth Ring’s own “Battle Mage Farmer” and “Nova Terra” feature MCs and worldbuilding that some find more instantly likable or rich, but Advent stands out for thematic ambition—politics, friend-foe dynamics, militarized society—albeit less developed in romance and wider worldbuilding.
Compared to anime/webtoon classics (like Solo Leveling, My Hero Academia), Advent is less flashy, more grounded, and struggles at times with visual momentum and intensity.

Criticism & Flaws:

- Dialogues and emotional depth can run shallow or generic; several reviewers hope for richer interpersonal engagement.

- The romantic subplot divides readers for feeling forced, undercooked, or lacking real connection.

- Pacing is uneven—sometimes setup-heavy, sometimes meandering with montage over action or discovery.

- Worldbuilding is incomplete—society outside the city and some institutional logic are left for sequels.

- Cliffhanger ending and lack of standalone arc can frustrate those seeking resolution.

Conclusion:

Advent is a solid, if sometimes predictable, entry into the LitRPG/progression fantasy landscape. Its underdog MC, reliable team dynamics, and satisfying (albeit tropey) leveling provide comfort for genre fans. While it doesn’t break major new ground, it avoids most big pitfalls and is more ambitious with politics and group dynamics than most debuts—though less developed in romance and world immersion. Recommended for readers seeking a fun, team-focused new series with growth potential; those looking for more literary polish or innovation may wish to look elsewhere.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ (3.0/5) — Enjoyable and comforting, with room to grow; a promising open salvo for the Exlian Syndrome series but not yet a genre standout.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advent is the first of a new series from author Seth Ring. It's a military science fiction set in a futuristic world overrun by alien things, and humans have the potential to awaken superhero-like powers. Technology and alchemy are used to "fill skill/power slots" and advance levels of power just like in video games! We follow main character Mark who is a young man living hand to mouth on his own as a dishwasher and the only one in his family without powers.

This was my first lit RPG novel, and this might be my new favorite sub genre!

I'M SO INVESTED IN THESE CHARACTERS. This audiobook was a total blast! Super fun world, super fun fantasy system, great drama and adventure!! And THE CAT!!! Mime might be my new favorite literary animal.

The audiobook narration is excellent. I listened at a slower pace than I usually do to keep up with all the detail and the emotional inflection of the narrator, but the content is so good I didn't mind. He did all the voices really well and that definitely helped keep everything in order in my head.

I could be misremembering, but I don't remember any explicit language at all? The violence was not gratuitously described. It's about as violent as any Marvel or DC movie, which is to say there is a lot of violence but none of it. It's action packed from beginning to end!

There's a romance subplot by the end, but it's a relationship building through friendship and barely described--nothing explicit or implied.

There's corporate corruption, terrorism side plot, and human experimentation is mentioned. But otherwise, unless there was something I missed, this would be a good book for older teens.

And of course, this is the first of a new series! It could grow in intensity, violence, or romance in the next books.

Audiobook gifted from netgalley and Blackstone Publishing, all thoughts are my own.

[Sean Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of Advent in exchange for an honest review. Overall, I thought it was an okay read—about a 3-star experience for me, maybe 3.5.

The strongest aspect of the book was the main character’s powers, which had a unique and engaging development that gave me strong anime vibes. There were some cool moments where the magic system and abilities unfolded in a way that felt dynamic and visually striking, which kept me interested in seeing how things would progress.

That said, I had some issues with the structure. The chapters often felt like they stopped and started somewhat randomly, which disrupted the pacing and made it harder to stay immersed in the story. Additionally, the ebook formatting had some noticeable problems, which made the reading experience a bit frustrating at times.

The book is written in third person, primarily following one character’s perspective, but every now and then, there would be a line like, “If he was conscious, he would have seen…” followed by something interesting happening in the background. While I liked getting those extra details, the way they were integrated felt a little jarring at times.

Overall, Advent had an interesting concept and some exciting moments, but the execution didn’t fully land for me. If you’re into anime-inspired action and don’t mind some structural quirks, it might still be worth checking out.

[musicality84 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is drier than a saltine cracker

[Annie Zang · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 15-20% I didn’t particularly dislike anything but also couldn’t get myself to care for Mark at all. He feels so very 2D and lifeless, and there was no creativity with the world building.