On the Verge of Lunacy

Title: Deadhouse Gates 2nd book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen Series Author: Steven Erikson Unlike Erikson's first book in this series, this book gives the readers a more intimate view of the Malazan Empire. The story is told through the point of view of a few selected characters. Erikson still lapses with his habit in the first book of switching to one point of view to another in the same paragraph or chapter. Deadhouse Gates is more compact, more personal and more emotional than Gardens of the Moon. The book foreshadows what is to become of the empire. Here we meet new players along with familiar characters from the first book. It focuses on five main stories, although they are only a small part that makes up the plot of the series. Each story is told in one unique perspective, the most notable of which is Duiker's narrative of Coltaine's march. The other narratives revolve around the following characters: Icarium, who the readers will meet for the first time. His...

I read a passage in Dean Koontz's book, The Darkest Evening of the Year, that loving dogs is a 'penance for all the other illusions we allow ourselves and for the mistakes we made because of those illusion'. We take them in knowing that a dog's life is short. The inevitability of losing a friend would force us to share their joys and pains. Their death reminds us that whatever we do with our lives, we can only do it once. Death is not at all that bad because it humbles us. It reminds us to cherish those we love, including creatures who repay us with love and loyalty. My mother Rhoda has always been fond of dogs. We grew up with a proud half-breed spitz named Dogart. I remember when me and my mother took him home. He was in an open red plastic bag and everytime he crawled on my mother's lap at the back of the bus on our way home, I would giggle with delight. He was furry and ferocious even as a puppy. I remember he bit me once when he was having his dinner and I tr...

Steven Erikson's debut is one step ahead of most fantasy series today. By creating a world that does not borrow concepts from Tolkien, he was still able to mold memorable characters and a unique universe in this first book of the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. When I first read the book not more than two years ago, I was amazed at how he was able to develop not just one but a dozen characters in a few pages without sacrificing the need for pace and action. His experience as an anthropologist and archaeologist served him well. Though not obvious, some of the concepts have similarities in several myths, but he was able to twist them and make them unique to create the book. The first few chapters might be confusing because his point of view is not consistent. But as the story progresses, the reader will soon get used to his style. The characters themselves are fascinating. However, the reader is not forced to follow just one main character in the series. I thought at first t...

Instead of writing a formal review of Dean Koontz's Intensity, I decided to discuss what I feel about the characters of the book, specifically the antagonist, Edgler Foreman Vess. If you're familiar with most of Koontz's suspense/thrillers, youd find Mr. Vess, as he calls himself, more intriguing than most. His musings about his extraordinary senses and intellect remind me of the antagonists from the Face of Fear.  It made me wonder when he said that any kind of experience is neutral. Pain, when embraced is the same as its opposite. The intensity of the moment is what defines life. Koontz goes on to discount this claim of course, using the heroine of the story, but I still wonder. Pain after all, makes our joys and triumphs more meaningful. We will never appreciate the beauty of things without the ugliness that surround them. Chyna, the protagonist, also said that it's easier for most people to act cruelly than to do good even if doing good is the easier choice. This ...

I'm sorry I failed you as a friend I'm sorry I could not do anything to ease your pain I'm sorry that your cries for companionship and comfort are ignored at night I'm sorry we complained I'm sorry we could not fulfill your expectations We tried to do everything but we lost the battle Yet you never gave up Hope sparkled in your eyes everytime a loving hand soothes you We did not see it coming You were so full of life and joy You liked to play You loved me even if sometimes I wasn't such a good friend to you You greeted us with a wag of tail everytime we approach you even if you're in pain I'm sorry we could not do anything Why did it have to be you You were loved You were special Just like all dogs I'm sorry our efforts failed You will always be remembered Thank you for being a good friend Thank you for the smiles, for every wag of tail, for the happiness you brought, for being naughty while you're waiting to be fed, for being cute even if you h...

Most of the people who know me from my high school days to the preset think I've always been obsessed with books. I wouldn't call it 'obsession' and I've never started reading books (from cover to cover) since I read Edith Hamilton's 'Mythology' when I was thirteen. I never read my textbooks, or my notes for that matter. But I've started taking writing seriously when I was ten. I never expected my teachers and classmates would find my essays interesting. When I started earning better grades without taking a lot of effort, not that I've always had bad grades but I was considered a mediocre student, it made me want to read my books. For most writers (and honor students), exposure to reading materials precede or result to a good writing or an excellent grade. It was the other way around for me. I started quite late, but it wasn't too late. My mother bought me my first paperback as a birthday gift. At that time I was immensely interested in m...

My countrymen have always been known as music lovers. We are fond of gatherings, parties and special occasions and most of the time the indispensable videoke (or karaoke for some) is always present. Anyone who can sing the high notes are regarded as 'good singers', although this is not the only criteria that will earn a person a recording contract. Most of the songs performed on singing contests are usually what people generally call 'love songs'. Most of these are released during the '80s and '90s, while some have been playing in the radio stations for more than 3 decades. I do not claim to be an expert on such things or to have had the luxury of time to do a research, only that these observations are based on experience. The current trend (and it has been going on for quite some time) in the Filipino music industry is to revive the old love songs. I do not know who started this but I remember M.Y.M.P. got me into this new trend. It is a great thing to try an...