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The Exlian Syndrome #6
Light's Ascension: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure
Not yet published
Expected 5 Sep 26From bestselling LitRPG author Seth Ring—creator of The Titan series and Battle Mage Farmer—Light’s Ascension is the final book in the epic Exlian Syndrome Series.
The unstoppable wave arrived, and Mark and his friends were unable to stop it. As the Exlian assault the city of New Emery, everything starts to spiral out of control. Forces bent on taking advantage of the situation emerge from every corner, and soon the infighting among the defenders becomes an even greater threat than the Exlian themselves.
Yet in the midst of danger, there lies opportunity. Realizing that he could take advantage of the situation to complete his evolution and become a being of unparalleled power, Mark must answer a simple Is there a cost too great to pay?
The unstoppable wave arrived, and Mark and his friends were unable to stop it. As the Exlian assault the city of New Emery, everything starts to spiral out of control. Forces bent on taking advantage of the situation emerge from every corner, and soon the infighting among the defenders becomes an even greater threat than the Exlian themselves.
Yet in the midst of danger, there lies opportunity. Realizing that he could take advantage of the situation to complete his evolution and become a being of unparalleled power, Mark must answer a simple Is there a cost too great to pay?
1 pages, Audio CD
First published July 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 13, 2026
This was a pretty solid ending to a good series, however, it struggles with pacing. The last book feels rushed and could have used another 100 pages or so to work. As is there are too many plot threads that need to be addressed and so each of them is addressed a bit too briefly. This leads to a feeling of nothing ever really being a struggle and the conclusion being forgone since we are not given enough time to stew in the the struggle/potential for defeat.
You end up with an ending that although does fulfill all of the major plots, is done in such a way that the win feels both inevitable and a bit of deus ex machina since the final powers used are either barely introduced a few chapters earlier or not introduced at all until the final fight.
The book is still enjoyable but this book is definitely the weakest in the series.
You end up with an ending that although does fulfill all of the major plots, is done in such a way that the win feels both inevitable and a bit of deus ex machina since the final powers used are either barely introduced a few chapters earlier or not introduced at all until the final fight.
The book is still enjoyable but this book is definitely the weakest in the series.
July 9, 2026
For those familiar with Ring's Nova Terra series, you likely are going to feel similar at the end of this book as with that series. While this seems to be the last book in what I would call Phase I, there is A LOT left unexplored in this world, including an ambiguous (although it seems recently certain) ending.
If you made it this far in the series, you aren't going to stop now. I don't have much to say about this other than it is very similar to the last book, and ultimately, the characters are so different from where they were in book one in such a short amount of time that I didn't really have much connection with them anymore. This is something I've said about Ring's series frequently. They are soooo good at the start but they just can't be sustained. Every main character turns into a being that is the most powerful known being in that general area. The power levels no longer matter or make sense. It is just a foregone conclusion that the good guys will win and there will be some trickery.
I think this series peaked at book 2, when we had a robust slate of characters who were developed well and we hadn't quite looked under the hood yet. Once we got a look, it wasn't quite as interesting as I hoped. I will concede that since this story centers around the supposed last holdout of humanity, and the surrounding areas is filled with deadly monsters, I can't fault Ring for not getting us back out into the open world much. On the other hand, I think we are about to be 'Towered' (i.e., Phase II a la the Tower series building off of Nova Terra), so it feels more like Ring was saving some of the bigger secrets to tease out in the next series.
This is a short book when it comes to modern fantasy. Go ahead and finish it up and then see if you are interested in the next series Ring pens. I think he averages about 4 books a year so you have a lot of options.
TL;DR: Ring is Lit-RPG's James Patterson. The guy's catalogue is filled with fun books that lack substance. This is no different. I was barely engaged by the book's end but the series started strong. Unless the inevitable companion spin-off series bucks the trend and becomes some mega-hit, this is a series you can skip.
If you made it this far in the series, you aren't going to stop now. I don't have much to say about this other than it is very similar to the last book, and ultimately, the characters are so different from where they were in book one in such a short amount of time that I didn't really have much connection with them anymore. This is something I've said about Ring's series frequently. They are soooo good at the start but they just can't be sustained. Every main character turns into a being that is the most powerful known being in that general area. The power levels no longer matter or make sense. It is just a foregone conclusion that the good guys will win and there will be some trickery.
I think this series peaked at book 2, when we had a robust slate of characters who were developed well and we hadn't quite looked under the hood yet. Once we got a look, it wasn't quite as interesting as I hoped. I will concede that since this story centers around the supposed last holdout of humanity, and the surrounding areas is filled with deadly monsters, I can't fault Ring for not getting us back out into the open world much. On the other hand, I think we are about to be 'Towered' (i.e., Phase II a la the Tower series building off of Nova Terra), so it feels more like Ring was saving some of the bigger secrets to tease out in the next series.
This is a short book when it comes to modern fantasy. Go ahead and finish it up and then see if you are interested in the next series Ring pens. I think he averages about 4 books a year so you have a lot of options.
TL;DR: Ring is Lit-RPG's James Patterson. The guy's catalogue is filled with fun books that lack substance. This is no different. I was barely engaged by the book's end but the series started strong. Unless the inevitable companion spin-off series bucks the trend and becomes some mega-hit, this is a series you can skip.
July 16, 2026
Mark may be at the top of his game with power to rival most anything human, mutant, or Exlian, but never have the stakes been higher! Good thing he has his friends who are almost as powerful to rely on with strengths that are different. The worst has happened and war must be fought on several fronts if New Emery and its citizens are to survive!
Yeah, so you get nonstop action, lots of fighting, matrons and their creations to stop, Mutants on the rampage with their own goals (Dallas makes a grand return), plus the corrupt rich who have their own plans for survival and are in a race to grab the power in the vacuum that the Maestro left when Mark killed him. Never a dull moment for Mark, and the only way to the end game is for him to evolve into the being he seems destined to become. I did enjoy that path but I also liked how he leaned on his friends (and what awesome friends they are) to use their strengths and how Mark knew his own limitations. One of my favorite parts was when Mark and his friends went to the meeting with the other survivors (the rich scheming ones) and how Noah was deemed the spokesperson instead of Mark because he would most likely end up killing and eating everyone else at the table if he were in charge. :)
This is a fitting last book in the series and while I am sad it is over, I loved the whole adventure with Mark and his evolution. Plus Mime is totally awesome! And all of Mark's friends like Sky, Phoenix and Noah. All vital to the survival and rebuilding of New Emery! I am so glad I got the chance to read this. Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for introducing me to this great series and awesome author!
Yeah, so you get nonstop action, lots of fighting, matrons and their creations to stop, Mutants on the rampage with their own goals (Dallas makes a grand return), plus the corrupt rich who have their own plans for survival and are in a race to grab the power in the vacuum that the Maestro left when Mark killed him. Never a dull moment for Mark, and the only way to the end game is for him to evolve into the being he seems destined to become. I did enjoy that path but I also liked how he leaned on his friends (and what awesome friends they are) to use their strengths and how Mark knew his own limitations. One of my favorite parts was when Mark and his friends went to the meeting with the other survivors (the rich scheming ones) and how Noah was deemed the spokesperson instead of Mark because he would most likely end up killing and eating everyone else at the table if he were in charge. :)
This is a fitting last book in the series and while I am sad it is over, I loved the whole adventure with Mark and his evolution. Plus Mime is totally awesome! And all of Mark's friends like Sky, Phoenix and Noah. All vital to the survival and rebuilding of New Emery! I am so glad I got the chance to read this. Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for introducing me to this great series and awesome author!
July 15, 2026
Maybe I got bored or overstimulated by listening to all 6 of these books in a row, but the powercreep became obnoxious to me. It definietely is not half as bad as in the manwha solo-leveling, since here are still enemies who can put up a real fight and there are characters who can potentially outgrow the protogonist and also harm him. Yet when characters get overpowered in very short amount of time and receive power-ups that would have taken a lifetime to achieve during the beginning of the story, it just breaks it for me. The interactions also become superficial and the plot predictable. What was fun about the series was the steady grind the character went through. the first 2 books have been practically only grind and I was surprised how much I enjoed that and the last book just breaks this comepletely. It leaves us with a satisfiying half-open ending. Its clear how it can move forward and there still questions unanswered, but its also a satisfiying ending for the series. To me moving the story forward on this powerscale and growth rate does'nt appear intriguing. But I think I will explore more of the authors stories. Did'nt think I would enjoy the genre in such a pure form.
Review of advance copy
Review: Another follow up story in the city of New Emery. This story line needs a quest in a bad way. His GF continues to be annoying with her pouting and juvenile behavior which tends to ramp up with daddykins around. Mark continues to upgrade into a super-being which is super-boring as no one can challenge him. All of his friends are super-invincible and each carries a load of Dudley Doo Right baggage around. The council members / Military are scheming, under-handed narcissists. Really?
What this story line desperately needs is a Quest. Time to head on out of New Emery to that fabled city 10k miles away. The potential for lost tech, new challenges and hidden bunkers along the way would breath some life into this series. New Emery is topped out in terms of interesting events and life forms.
In the next installment, hopefully dipsh.....er, Phoenix stays in New Emery and implodes during an internalized mana war while Mark goes on a walkabout to do Marky things.
3.2/5
What this story line desperately needs is a Quest. Time to head on out of New Emery to that fabled city 10k miles away. The potential for lost tech, new challenges and hidden bunkers along the way would breath some life into this series. New Emery is topped out in terms of interesting events and life forms.
In the next installment, hopefully dipsh.....er, Phoenix stays in New Emery and implodes during an internalized mana war while Mark goes on a walkabout to do Marky things.
3.2/5
August 2, 2026
It was a fun series overall but this final entry shows how terribly it was paced and planned. It's meant to be a last stand of humanity with the good guys from the first five books having exciting fights, pulling out clever plans and tricks and sacrificing themselves heroically. Unfortunately, none of this lands- there are no regular people present in the narrative at all, the good guys are essentially brand new characters with new powers and different personalities, the plot twists are not based on any actual build up and the romances abruptly skip from first kiss to "you are the love of my life."
In short, I like the concept of the book but it was terribly executed. I barely finished it because the finale was simultaneously dull and predictable.
In short, I like the concept of the book but it was terribly executed. I barely finished it because the finale was simultaneously dull and predictable.
July 13, 2026
I'm still surprised how much I enjoyed this series since it's not my typical genre - but it's so fun and imaginative. I flew through these books at a disturbing speed. I love Seth Ring's writing especially with dialogue. He never overdoes it with theatrical speeches or overly clever one-liners. He will sometimes take a scene in a direction I don't expect but it is always in a more interesting and thoughtful way. My highest praise for these books though -thank you for writing an engaging plot with strong, loyal, kind characters that speak with competence and wit. Even in a total fantasy world the whole series felt refreshingly authentic and human. More of these stories pls!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It was so perfect! The ending of this series was magnificent; so many twists and turns near the end of the book that I did not see coming. The same great Mark, though leveled up, leads us on an adventure to save the city of New Emery and does not fail to disappoint. I am really sad this series is over; I wanted to see more Mark and Mime activities - perhaps exploring the world outside of his city. Overall, this was a great ending to a wonderful series; I can't wait to read more of Seth Ring's books.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
July 16, 2026
An excellent conclusion to a riveting super powered sci-fi series
This last book in the series (for now) marks the end of the exilian syndrome and is an excellent read. I started it and couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Seth Ring ties up the story nicely and leaves us with a satisfying conclusion to the story. If you’re a fan of progression fantasy- this story scratches that itch and leaves you satisfied.
This last book in the series (for now) marks the end of the exilian syndrome and is an excellent read. I started it and couldn’t put it down until I finished it. Seth Ring ties up the story nicely and leaves us with a satisfying conclusion to the story. If you’re a fan of progression fantasy- this story scratches that itch and leaves you satisfied.
July 29, 2026
Revised rating.
I am glad that this author believes in ending a series, this notable since litrpgs are littered with endless series that eventually bore me. What I liked about this final book? It concluded and wrapped up the story. What I didn't like? The non stop action. In the beginning of the series, the characters seemed more real and fwlts like a good story. By the time we get to this book, the plot is more like a comic book cliché. To each their own, but not my thing.
I am glad that this author believes in ending a series, this notable since litrpgs are littered with endless series that eventually bore me. What I liked about this final book? It concluded and wrapped up the story. What I didn't like? The non stop action. In the beginning of the series, the characters seemed more real and fwlts like a good story. By the time we get to this book, the plot is more like a comic book cliché. To each their own, but not my thing.
July 10, 2026
Many continuity issues
I think I’m done with Seth’s books. The writing has become superficial with lots of hand wavy overcoming of problems of perfect solutions coming out of nowhere. Solutions to problems are suddenly cast aside with no details etc.
I think I’m done with Seth’s books. The writing has become superficial with lots of hand wavy overcoming of problems of perfect solutions coming out of nowhere. Solutions to problems are suddenly cast aside with no details etc.
July 28, 2026
No notes. Satisfying conclusion to the series (first ARC?) of the story.
I still think book 3 was the weakest overall, and it was almost something that caused me to stop reading the series, but I'm glad Seth brought things back to where they needed to be for the last books.
I still think book 3 was the weakest overall, and it was almost something that caused me to stop reading the series, but I'm glad Seth brought things back to where they needed to be for the last books.
August 5, 2026
Good action in this ending. It didn't have the kind of ending that turned the world on its head and revealed big mysteries (which is my favorite for this kind of series). But it was a fun finish to a fun series.
August 8, 2026
I'll give Seth points for making such a frenetic episode both understandable and easy to read. At the same time, I don't know why it had to be so rushed. The next step toward efficient authorship would be a novel consisting nothing but bullet-points.
Review of advance copy
Read on ReamStories
July 8, 2026
Fanfreakingtastic!
What an amazing! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I really loved this series and I hope this is not the end of the series!
What an amazing! I absolutely loved this book and such wonderful characters! I really loved this series and I hope this is not the end of the series!
July 9, 2026
Excellent!
What a whirlwind! An astounding culmination for a riveting story! Seth Ring has done it again folks. You don't want to miss this action packed conclusion.
What a whirlwind! An astounding culmination for a riveting story! Seth Ring has done it again folks. You don't want to miss this action packed conclusion.
July 10, 2026
A fun series with an MC that goes from weak to strong. Pretty good ending. Fairly predictable. I am glad I listened to it.
July 13, 2026
Good book, but I disliked the fakeouts a bit.
July 13, 2026
Enjoyed the series.
July 17, 2026
Such a satisfying ending to this series.
So sad it’s over, but happy to have been along for the ride!
So sad it’s over, but happy to have been along for the ride!
July 24, 2026
Nothing surprising about this ending.
Read
August 5, 2026A fitting end. I cannot ask for more but i do want more.
August 5, 2026
awesome
Seth Ring is brilliant, as are most of his series. Finally a great author of fiction on kindle that actually produces quality books.
Seth Ring is brilliant, as are most of his series. Finally a great author of fiction on kindle that actually produces quality books.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews