The Law of Nines - Terry Goodkind

I finished reading this book in one day.  Being a fan of Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" series, I enjoyed it very much.  It's more of an offshoot of the series, but could very well be enjoyed as a separate novel.  If you have never read any of the books in that series, this might actually be a good place to start. Readers will enjoy the fast-paced, high-tension action of the story.  They will also be made to empathize with the characters - wishing them success at every conflict, hoping for a happy ending in spite of all the gruesome and horrific ordeals they must live through.  I think this is the most important aspect of any good story: its ability to make the reader believe the fiction (suspension of disbelief) and to make them empathize with the characters.

I have only two comments for this book.  First, I dislike it when villains start talking about their plans right in front of the protagonist.  I wish Mr. Goodkind could find a more subtle way to reveal the nefarious character of the villains rather than through plain dialogue.  Villains who gloat too much, who brag about their wicked plans to the suffering hero - it comes off as cliche, deliberate, and contrived.  Second, the ending - for me a tad bit rushed and anti-climactic.  It was only at the ending that the main antagonist was revealed, and I'd have wanted the antagonist to have had more depth and rationale to his character.  I think it would have been a bit better if he were more disturbed, self-righteous, vicious, and psychotic.  Still, the pacing, action, and thrill of the plot makes up for all these, and I have to say that I liked it overall.  I give it 6/10.

I can't wait for the paperback edition of "The Omen Machine" to be released here in Manila.  It is the latest installment to the "Sword of Truth" series, and I'm really excited.  I do wish more people will catch on to that series - it's so much fun.

Perfume - Patrick Suskind

This is one of the best stories I've encountered recently.  It's a tale of a man who was born with an amazing ability - an acute sense of smell.  Life takes him along a path that leads him to learn the intricacies that will make him the world's greatest perfumer, and eventually to commit several murders, in search of the ultimate scent that he hopes will bring him triumph and affirmation.

I love how the story is told - almost like a fairy tale - so graceful and restrained.  Grenouille, the main character, was not portrayed as something to be reviled, nor something to be pitied.  He was never made to sound like a hero nor a villain.  All of his actions were the consequences of his nature, the nature of the people whom he encountered in his life, and the nature of the milieu of the time.  You will feel that he is blameless and innocent, a victim of fate - just like how we think of ourselves and all the rest of us here on this earth.  He merely did what he had to do to seek that which he thought would make him happy.  Isn't that exactly what we all want out of life?

I recommend this book to people who are not afraid of truth, and who prefer their stories to be free of cliches and stereotypes.  Those who will like this book are open-minded, who do not think that all beauty is goodness, and that all that is good is beautiful.  Readers of this book will learn that redemption doesn't necessarily mean being saved, and that success may not be as sweet as we thought it might be.  You must have time to read this book from start to finish, for you will not want to let it go.  If I would rate it, I'd give it a definite 10/10.  Happy reading.

The Vampire Tapestry

I happen to love the idea of vampires, but when they became fodder for mass teenage hysteria, I had almost given up on them.  For a long time I thought I'd gotten tired of all this vampire business, and then I found this book -

WOW!  "The Vampire Tapestry" by Suzy McKee Charnas.

Every once in a while you encounter something so wonderful - it's almost miraculous.  I don't remember when it was that I read Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian," but at that time I thought it was just the best vampire story I've encountered.  There was nothing cheesy and corny and sugary about it.  It didn't glamourize the image of vampires and turn them into teenage pop mascots.  The same is true with Charnas' take on this enigmatic image.  These two stories are about struggles with something much more than human control or comprehension.  They portray battles within the self, and with external conflicts.  A look within and beyond a nature that is too often immediately perceived as evil and unnatural.  What is evil?  How do we confront evil, both within and outside of our human nature?  Who are we to say what is evil and unnatural?  Are we not just as wicked as the monsters we label?  These two books go way beyond the question of love and immortality.  They make you look at what it means to be alive - human or not, to grapple with the humanity inside and not to become the monster that we all have hiding within our darkest fears.