On the Verge of Lunacy

This game-based novel tells the same story in the first installment of the game series. The book gives a different perspective of the gods and Kratos plus more that only written material can offer which the experience of playing Kratos cannot. Anyone who's played the game will be familiar with Kratos' background and his motives for serving the gods --- that is to rid himself of the terrible visions of his monstrous acts. In this book, Kratos will follow the same path that the Kratos in the video game took; he will battle the same foes and use the same weapons and magic. This time however, the reader gets more intimate with Kratos' thoughts and emotions. The authors did a great job in explaining things that we usually take for granted in the game such as the acquisition and carrying of the items (how does he keep all the weapons), Kratos' ability to absorb orbs (of course this is to replenish health, mana and rage meter in the game but how to explain that...

Dante Alighieri's Inferno is given a different twist in this bloody game of one man's quest to save his wife's soul. The game did justice to the description of hell in this adaptation of the first part of the Divine Comedy epic. In this game however, Dante has a different motivation for going to hell. In order to rescue Beatrice's soul from Lucifer's grasp, he fights demons, saves or damns souls, and goes through a series of recollections of his life, in particular the events that led to the breaking of his vow to Beatrice. In the process, he not only tries to save Beatrice but is also seeking her forgiveness and the salvation of his soul. Why Dante was allowed to gain power in his quest and constantly provoked by Lucifer will make sense at the end of the game. This game is not for the squeamish type. It's very bloody; filled with hellish creatures from women who use their uterus as weapons, well not really just the uterus but the entire female reproduc...

Padraic Colum not only provides a retelling of the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts but also of some of the Greek heroes and gods that most readers would recognize. The book is divided into the following three major parts: Part 1. The Voyage to Colchis Part 2. The Return to Greece Part 3. The Heroes of the Quest Colum is not only a narrator of the events in the heroes' quest to retrieve the fleece and return home safely, but he also made an attempt at characterization. Jason is no longer just a famous hero and the readers voyeurs, but instead are involved in the emotional struggles of the characters. First time readers of this tale will not find the book difficult to understand. Several stories told or sung by Orpheus are also very helpful for readers who are new to Greek mythology. These stories include the beginning of things and Titanomachy, Demeter and Persephone, Atalanta's Race, The Golden Maid, Prometheus, and Perseus. The final part of the book features...

The book is a condensed and translated version of the Hindu epic of a war of the kingdoms in Northern India caught in a scheme of a jealous cousin and five brothers struggling to reclaim their kingdom. Mr. Dutt provided introductions and summary for each chapter. The summary might spoil the story for the first time readers of the epic but keep in mind that this is a condensed version. Some of the less important scenes were omitted. The contents of these chapters are in English verse form. The translator explained in the epilogue his method in selecting the passages and included here as well as his approach to its translation. This gives the reader an idea how much information was not included in this book. The translator was able to pick out the story of the Pandavas and Kurus buried in all the material added to the original epic. The information provided by Dutt in the epilogue is an excellent guide and introduction to the entire epic itself. There is also a glossary of terms a...