LitPick Review
Knowledge is power, and power in the wrong hands leads to destruction. When the Excreters, a hateful, malicious group of aliens, abduct Earth’s long-time, brilliant government scientist, Ransom Sky, new technology begins to emerge that threatens the existence of Pauldarians and humans alike. Now, it is up to Sky’s former colleague, Douglas Whitaker, to ensure his rescue from the imprisoning clutches of the Excreters and an end to dangerous, inhumane technological warfare. However, Whitaker’s attempts go from difficulty convincing the Robot Senate of Sky’s importance to full-scale kidnappings and towns in rubble. Will Whitaker be able to rally a resistance against the Excreters, or will he watch Sky and the universe he loves implode before his very eyes?
Opinion:
The Rise of Lasarius is a short, third-person point of view, science-fiction story that would make a nice starting point for reluctant readers or those with shorter attention spans! Oftentimes, readers are spooked by the reputation of the science-fiction genre, since more often than not, it is portrayed to only be lore-intensive books that may require a notepad and gallons of caffeine to comprehend. The Rise of Lasarius is a fantastic break from the stereotype.
While “layered” and “simple” may appear to contradict, at first glance, Marlon Hethcoat’s writing style uses simple, clear storytelling for his layered worldbuilding, giving it depth that does not break your brain. Despite it being a “quick read” with a clearly explained plot, the story contains clear inspiration from real history: names of locations and groups often draw from relevant WWII or American Civil War sites, and Hethcoat will occasionally pull terms from history to expand the plot. While it may seem like a minor point (in the grand scheme of things), it expands the depth of the Rise of Lasarius war through its relations to tragedies that the reader is already acquainted with. Readers who are not well-versed in history will enjoy it the same, and may grow to enjoy it more as they learn more about the events referenced.
Unfortunately, the book contains a notable number of grammatical errors that sometimes confuse what is occurring. The issue most commonly arises with dialogue, where quotation marks are sometimes forgotten or misplaced, and changes between speakers are not properly indented, which takes away from Hethcoat’s well-set-up emotional beats. Whitaker also has an internal monologue in the book, but it is not separated, either by italic or quotation, from third-person narration. Luckily, Hethcoat’s direct writing style (as mentioned before) defeats much of the confusion.
So, if you have been cautious to get into a science fiction series, you may tuck away your packs of instant coffee and exit your bunker to read The Rise of Lasarius by Marlon Joseph Hethcoat: you are in for an adventure.
