Review of Xenu's Lotto, Part One

[Annabell Samuel]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Xenu's Lotto, Part One" by Mark McGhee.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Ernie E. Parmenter mistakenly signed an insurance deal with an alien insurance salesman, Vanilla Nova. He hoped to save the world. Unknown to him, Lord Xenu, the Nognian emperor, had other plans for Earth. This plan was to send Earth to the black hole. Even Vanilla Nova was unaware of Xenu's plans. Seeing that Ernie was not eager to give him a good review to help him collect his intergalactic insurance sales commission, he had to find a way to get on the same page with Ernie. The fate of Earth hung in the balance, and Ernie was saddled with the task of fixing what he spoiled.

"Xenu's Lotto Part One: The Grand Game" by Mark McGhee is a sci-fi book set in the near future. It presents a world where humans interact with creatures from other planets. This interplanetary and intergalactic relationship powers this book. The author uses the book to suggest the existence of many phenomena beyond our planet. For instance, the book confirms the existence of a black hole somewhere in space. The book also hints at wormholes that create pathways from one planet to another. These are phenomena that I find interesting.

This book shines a light on the leadership structures across different planets. While Earth primarily enjoys a democratic leadership system, some other planets can only thrive on dictatorship. An example was when Lord Xenu allowed Nognians and many other planets to rule themselves. After many years, Nognians voted to return to Lord Xenu's dictatorship rule. It makes me wonder whether a time will come when humans will vote to scrap democracy. This is me thinking out loud, though.

The author's attempt to infuse romance into the narrative could have come out better. However, I could not help but notice how the love triangle between Ernie, Del, and Lorelei became a key point of consideration in the mission to redeem Earth. The author wove a complex web of love attractions that I found fascinating. It became even more fascinating when Joecrett, the Mungrul emperor, was inserted into the love triangle.

I had mixed feelings about how the book ended. On one hand, I felt some aspects of the narrative were left untouched, and I didn't like that. For instance, the focus for this installation, according to the title, was not adequately dealt with. On the other hand, I assumed that the author planned to fill the missing gaps in subsequent installments.

The book was not professionally edited. Therefore, I'd rate it four out of five stars. I could not remove further points, as my other issues weren't strong enough to warrant further deduction of points. This book would interest fans of intergalactic sci-fi stories.

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Xenu's Lotto, Part One
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[Sam Ibeh]

I am surprised to hear about insurance salesmen from out of space. How do they look? I'd love to find out. Nice review, though.

[Obinna Chima Agoms]

"This book shines a light on the leadership structures across different planets. While Earth primarily enjoys a democratic leadership system, some other planets can only thrive on dictatorship." Different strokes for different folks.

[Sean Patrick Tracy]

"Xenu's Lotto Part One: The Grand Game" by Mark McGhee is a gripping sci-fi tale exploring interplanetary relationships and Earth's fate. Through Ernie E. Parmenter's encounters with Vanilla Nova and Lord Xenu, readers are immersed in a world of alien insurance salesmen and planetary dictators. The novel delves into fascinating phenomena like black holes and governance structures across different planets, raising thought-provoking questions about democracy. While the complex love triangle adds depth to the narrative, the ending leaves some aspects unresolved, hinting at future developments. Overall, it sets the stage for an enthralling series filled with adventure and intergalactic intrigue.

[NetMassimo]

I have to say that I have a dislike for love triangles because they stink of soap opera. The intergalactic landscape with humans dealing with aliens is much better for me. It looks like this is the first part of a bigger story, so I might wait for at least the second part to decide if I want to read it. Regardless, thank you for your great review!