On the Verge of Lunacy

The volume is a compendium of three books of the Orcs: First Blood series. It includes Bodyguard of Lightning, Legion of Thunder, and Warriors of the Tempest. The story is set in Maras-Dantia, populated by various races who do not get along well with each other. There is an ongoing struggle between two religious factions, the Unis and Manis, and involves various races. Apparently, according to the elder races, Maras-Dantia is losing its magic and killing the land because of the invasion and abuse of the humans. The Manis, who have humans among its followers, believe this as well and are seeking to restore some of the power lost because of the human settlements. This edition also features a short story called The Taking which tells about Coilla's first day with the Wolverines and a short interview of the author. Bodyguard of Lightning In the first book, the members of the orc warband, the Wolverines, are introduced. Touted as the best orcs in Queen Jennesta's army...

History tells of a woman who defied tradition to follow her heart's desire and succeeded. Grania was the daughter of the Black Oak Dubhdara and Mairgret of clan O Malley. When most women were expected to fulfill their roles and housewives, Grania instead wanted to sail the seas. At a very young age she was known for her willfulness and insight. A natural leader known for her charisma and unconventional means to get what she wanted, she was a constant object of admiration and sometimes resentment of men and women alike.  First married to Donal O Flaherty, Grania has had her share of lovers like most heroes portrayed in adventure stories. Although I'm not fond of romance, Grania's affairs seem intriguing and more often her treatment of the men is refreshing for a lead female character. She still retains her qualities of being a woman, a mother, and a wife ---aspects that give her more advantage over the male leaders who are also after power. It is only fitting there...

Laura Shane was born on a night of a freakish lightning storm. Her life since then has been filled with both despair and mystery. Despite losing her mother and later her father at an early age, Laura grew up to be a strong and positive woman. Through most of the trying times of her life, from her birth then an incident with a store robber and more, Laura feels like she's being watched over by someone. This guardian appears during some of her life-threatening encounters and what's more puzzling is that he does not seem to age even as years pass. Ever since his last appearance however, Laura begins to doubt the existence of this blond, blue-eyed, gun-toting guardian. Lightning's pace is consistent from start to finish even when the timeline jumps from days to years sometimes. Laura's fantastic experiences may be a bit exaggerated but they are consistent with the idea in which the story revolves. The technical details explaining the guardian's appearances is ...

This collection of the majority of European mythology will make the lover of myths cry out for joy. Bulfinch's Mythology includes Greek and Roman myths; Norse; Celtic; Arthurian and British legends (Beowulf, Hereward and Robin Hood); tales of Charlemagne's Paladins; and a few Egyptian and Eastern (Zoroastrian/Persian, Hindu, Buddhist) myths and legends. The stories are limited however and only the more popular tales are included. It is a general overview of most myths but the focus, as expected, is still on Classical Mythology. The pages dedicated to the Greek and Roman gods take up most of the book, followed by Charlemagne's Peers. Despite my disappointed to find that I'd be reading stories I'm already familiar with, the book does have its surprises. There is a chapter dedicated to monsters and how myths are formed. Some of the epics are summarized, much to my dismay, but it might be a good introduction for readers who find the longer versions too te...

Greek history enthusiasts will find this beautiful volume an invaluable addition to their collection. Filled with vivid illustrations and photos, the book is a general outline of history of ancient Greece from its prehistory until Alexander's death.  It contains mostly descriptions of major architectural and archaeological finds and a narration of events at the time they were built or made. The book is informative but not detailed enough for the scholarly purposes. It however provides a good overview of architectural styles, art and a condensed history of the area. I recommend this both for casual and scholarly reading. If you are interested in mythology, the book also mentions a few things. The text is easy to understand and reader friendly (however, the reader might want to check some updates on the progress of the study of finds). Rating: 9 out of 10

Even more than months after the San Antonio Spurs won their fifth title, I still feel like everything is a dream. As a long-time fan of Tim Duncan, last year's loss to Miami Heat still feels like a nightmare whenever I think about it. It took me more than a month to recover after that loss. I'm just a fan and I felt terrible so I can't imagine what it was like for the players. People who did not believe and appreciate them said it was the end of the line for the "old" guys. Duncan and Manu Ginobili were passe. They said some might retire or go to other teams, but they proved them wrong again. Of course I didn't wanna believe all the bad things they wrote but it was not easy to keep thinking like that after that kind of loss. They said it would not be easy to recover from that nightmare. Of course it wouldn't be, but how the players will deal with that will say a lot about them individually and their spirit as a team. Whatever the unbelieve...

In the third book, Joffrey Baratheon was poisoned at his wedding feast and Tyrion Lannister was accused by his sister of the crime. The guest Oberyn Martell became Tyrion's champion but was killed by Gregor Clegane. Tyrion escapes with help of his brother Jaime. Tyrion however confronted and killed his father and Shae. Brienne of Tarth searches for the Stark sisters to keep her promise to Catelyn and Jaime. Arya Stark goes to Braavos because she has nowhere to go and she remembered the offer given to her previously. Sansa Stark escapes King's Landing and pretends she's Petyr Baelish's daughter. During their stay at  the Eyrie, Littlefinger murdered Lysa Arryn. Now they both have to keep up the pretense of being father and daughter.  Cersei Lannister thinks she's in control of the realm, but she's ran out of friends and allies and sees enemies everywhere she turns. Maybe Cersei's hold is finally slipping away especially now that Jaime i...