Poetry: August Rain

Tingnan ang post na ito sa Instagram

Isang post na ibinahagi ni Zarah Gagatiga (@zarah815)

Book Review: Uprooted

Uprooted
Naomi Novik
Del Rey, 2015

A predictable beginning, a roller coaster ride in the middle and an ending that satisfied the romantic me.

The novel has several cliches but Naomi Novik is a fascinating storyteller who centers her characters at the heart of human suffering, desire and joy. Her wizards and witches are all too human, far from the wizened sages and mages of fantasy. They appear to be stereotypes and yet, their personalities, once matched and mixed in relevant events in the novel result in a wonderful, funny, scary and fascinating alchemy that shows the complexities of life.

For example, Ballo’s bookish approach to magic versus Alosha’s detachment to power is a mirror to humanity’s use of resources and technology and the many ways of dispensing them. Focus on the contents of a book and knowledge becomes rigid and stale. Power and ambition, among other things, corrupt so a personal indifference to both can save, not just life but the soul as well. Indeed, the tension of the opposites is a strong issue in the novel which is best depicted in Agnieszka and Sarkan’s relationship. Her magic is intuitive and organic while his is precise and logical. With chants, stories and songs, she wields her power with great effect. Sarkan, on the other hand is concise and practical like math. But together, their workings combined is a force that can shake the earth, make the oceans rise and move the stars from its firmament. Together, they are amazing despite their stark differences.

Uprooted isn’t great but it is alluring, charming and made me want to read Novik’s other stand alone novel, Spinning Silver.

Rating: 4 Bookmarks

Book Review: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Carry On
Rainbow Rowell
St. Martin's Press, 2015

Rainbow Rowell is back with Carry On, a fascinating but sad depiction of magic and man's obsession with power. What struck me was Rowell's narrative on how one's choice of loving can lead to destruction or redemption. So this novel on magic and mayhem is, for me, in its many layers, a love story.

The story of Simon Snow, the Chosen One, and nemesis Basilton Grimm Pitch is tailored after the fantasy canons of old. There is a classical feel to this relationship. Think about the opposites and the good-evil characters of literature, old and new. Add a girl in the mix, Penelope Bunce, and there goes the triumvirate - Harry Potter once more. But, it isn't. It is a stand alone novel despite shades of Potter and Lev Grossman's The Magicians. Is it a combination of both? Rowell's take on the magical and fantasy troupes of this age?

As a fan, I felt Rowell was having fun writing the novel. I'm not saying or assuming that writing this novel had been easy for her. For who am I to say so? But I can tell from the way the characters speak to each other and the way the plot unraveled the secret of Simon Snow that this novel was not easy to tuck away in another novel as a technique to further enrich the story. It has to come out! And out it did! It hit me with a bang right through the heart. Because, apart from being a story of magic and power, of friendship, of desires big and small, it is a story of a mother's love and a father's duty to protect his child.

Carry On is another feather on Rowell's cap. A classic tale of creating something new out of a tried and tested canon. Adorable!

Rating: Four Bookmarks