Monday, February 23, 2015

Review of The Warded Man

            Wow, it’s been forever since I've done a book review! It’s about time. But first, a story.

            I bought this book, The Warded Man, four years ago. Since then, it sat on a shelf. Why? Well, because I simply never got around to reading it until now. It happens sometimes.

            So, this past week I decided to pick it up and read it. Suddenly, a couple days later, I received an email from Amazon with a list of books they thought I’d like, including the sequel to The Warded Man. Spooky, right? I mean, I bought this book four years ago from a book store. Amazon had no way of knowing I even owned it (I made no mention of owning or reading it anywhere online). I start reading it and suddenly there’s a recommendation for the sequel. I feel watched. Either this was a remarkable coincidence (likely) or Amazon has a remarkable marketing setup probably involving satellites (unlikely, but fun to speculate about).

            Anyway, on to the actual book. The Warded Man, by Peter V. Brett, is the story of a world where every night, demons rise from the ground to prey on living things. The human race is dwindling. In ancient times, they used to have the magic to fight these demons, but all they know now are the defensive wards to keep the demons at bay. They huddle indoors at night, with the screeching demons outside, hoping that the demons won’t find a crack in their defences.

            The story itself follows the lives of three characters from three different villages, each of which survived a horrific demon attack. The reader is brought along on their journey as one strives to become a Messenger (the people who travel from town to town, braving being on the road at night with only their wards to protect them), another is apprenticed to be an Herb Gatherer (the women who function as the society’s doctors and midwives), and the third chases his dream to be a Jongleur (the entertainers who sometimes travel with Messengers, who spread news and legends as well as joy).

            As I read the book, I found myself wondering what it was that kept me reading. I felt that the overarching plot of the book was a little thin, yet for some reason I couldn't put the book down. It was the characters and their individual struggles that were so compelling, dragging me forward, wanting to know more – and above all else, wondering where the story was going that it would inevitably bring them all together.

            Along with that, the world building was excellent. The political structure of the various cities and settlements were very well developed, as were the cultural differences. I did find the overall culture to be a tad on the sexist side (relying heavily on gender stereotypes), however I believe this was intentional on Brett’s part – after all, in a world where humans are struggling to survive, repopulation is paramount and alters priorities in the society. One thing I absolutely loved was a character’s transition from a small community – where everyone banded together to help each other out – to the big city, where people were apt to strive for wealth and beggars roamed the streets. A wonderful commentary, I felt.


            Overall, I found The Warded Man to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. It was creative and well thought out – a wonderful debut for Peter V. Brett. I may even have to get the sequel which Amazon clearly wants me to buy.





Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.






If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Thought Exercise

            I've always wondered about the thought exercise suggesting that reality is just a figment of each individual’s imagination; the idea that there isn't any proof that anyone outside yourself exists.

            I think, therefore I am.

            I look at the world, though, and see plenty of people just as sentient as me. Unless, of course, I bestow that sentience upon them.

            I think you think, therefore I think you are.

            Hmmm...

            Then I look at all the people who express ideas that don’t contain so much as an ounce of logic. That’s enough proof for me.

            I couldn't possibly think of an idea as stupid as that, even in the pretence that I was thinking on behalf of a figment of my imagination, therefore you are.


            Problem solved.





Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.






If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Monday, February 09, 2015

Snow Insight

            I was sitting in the car while my wife ran into the bank one day and I found myself staring at the snowflakes landing on the windows.

            We’re taught at a young age that no two snowflakes are alike. I've never doubted this, but since I had nothing better to do, I started to compare them. It is true that no two were the same, but I noticed something that they all had in common: every single snowflake had six points as their primary structure.


            Each one was completely different, yet at their centres they were all the same.






Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.






If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Monday, February 02, 2015

The Grey Area

            Recently, my wife and I have started re-watching the show Boston Legal, which is an excellent comedy that deals with many issues that are still prominent today. However, the one thing I like the most about this show is how it makes us look at the grey area. Not that mushy grey area that rests between our ears, but the grey area of morality resting between right and wrong; good and evil.

            We, as humans, are often very quick to judge most things, grouping them into “right” and “wrong”. The problem is that, when it comes right down to it, there isn't a strict dividing line between the two. In fact, there’s a very big mass of grey right in the middle.

            For example, in one episode of Boston Legal, an elderly woman with no relatives had fallen under the legal guardianship of a man who put her in a home and was living off of her assets. When the main character (a lawyer) tried to solve the problem legally, the man was able to stall – and then put the old woman’s house up for sale.

            The main character – a man with a strong sense of justice but is not above unscrupulous methods – hired some thugs to break into the man’s house (stolen from a different senior) and leave him tied up in a chair so he’d know what it was like to feel as helpless as the old woman did. Then, after about an hour, the main character came in and forced the man to sign papers to release the lady from his control, returning her assets to her.

            As an audience, we can’t very well condemn the main character for his actions. He, himself, regrets them, but good won out in the end. The man was clearly in the wrong, victimizing seniors. He was a terrible person. Yet, at the same time, what the main character did was wrong as well. Two wrongs don’t make a right, but everything turned out for the best.

            The more we look at what’s right and wrong, the more we can see falling into the grey area. We tell ourselves that there are universal laws of good and evil, but there are other cultures out there with their own universal laws of what’s right and wrong. Everything shifts a bit, from place to place, religion to religion, even from person to person. Who are we to declare that our set of universal laws are the ones that are true?

            When I think about what rules must be universally accepted, the first thing that comes to mind is killing another person. I simply cannot fathom how anyone could say that, morally, killing a person isn't wrong. Yet, there are people who don’t see a problem with it. There are countries with capital punishment, cultures that reward killing people and so many people fighting wars and killing each other. Clearly, it is not a universal truth that killing a person is bad.

            For everything that is truly bad, a justification can always be found somewhere. Likewise, for everything that is truly good, a reason can always be found to explain why it was bad. Examining things closely enough, everything blurs. Eventually, everything becomes grey. Does evil really exist? Does good?

            Perhaps there really is a universal law of right and wrong out there. I could be that it’s ours. Or, maybe, we simply haven’t found it yet.


            We’re too lost in the grey area – the mushy one that rests between our ears.






Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.






If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.