Book Review: The Cana Mystery by David Beckett

  The story of Jesus turning water into wine, at the wedding at Cana, is one of the most iconic and theologically important Bible stories. The Cana Mystery, is a fictional thriller inspired by the story of Jesus and the miracles he performed during the wedding at Cana.

These days, readers are flooded with tons of "treasure hunt thrillers" inspired by Christian history or the Bible. I am a fan of this genre, and I love books written by authors such as James Rollins and Matthew Reilly. However, the most notable best seller of the genre, is Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. In some ways, The Cana Mystery probably belong to the same genre, with one major difference. In The Cana Mystery, the story actually portrays Christianity, and the history of the Bible more fairly than Dan Brown's depiction. In fact, The Cana Mystery is an excellent good read. Let's take a closer look.

Synopsis:

Ava Fischer is a brilliant graduate school student studying in Boston. One day, she is summed by her friend to provide assistance, to solve an ancient secret, hidden in some most profound artifacts which were unearthed during an archaeological dig. These artifacts are directly linked to Jesus Christ, where legend speaks of a hidden code that no mortal man can read.

In the meantime, Ava and her friend became the target of ruthless criminals and terrorists, being pursued and chased at every turn, can Ava and her friend prevail, and survive to solve the Cana mystery?

What I think about the book:

The Cana Mystery is a very good read, it is difficult to put it down once you start reading it. Some have compared this book with The Da Vinci Code, but I think it is more similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Having said this, I did some search on the historical facts mentioned in this book, and they all turned out to be accurate, and by reading this book, I've learnt a fair bit of history, and I think the quality of this book is far superior than The Da Vinci Code.

Furthermore, this book portrays the history of the Bible and Christianity in a fair way. It is refreshing, to see this book does not seek to thrill the readers with sensationalist, conspiracy theory such as the one found in Dan Brown's book. In this book, the distinction between the good guys, and the bad guys are clear, it is a story of good vs. evil. The characters are well portrayed, the story is very well written, and the plot moves at a very fast pace. What I really appreciate, is that everything in this story is based on historical facts, it truly is an educational experience, this author knows his history. The plot is interesting, and has some surprising twists and turns.

This book is recommend by various Catholic reviews, and is categorized as Catholic fictions. Yet, it does not seek to preach like a broken record player. Instead, the story, and the central characters displayed core Christian virtues. This is the first time I am reading Catholic fictions, and I am impressed. I hope David Beckett will write a sequel to this book, because this stuff is truly great.

Movie Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

There is something about superhero movies that attract people of all ages. Perhaps it is a combination of actions, the larger than life characters, the high adventures, coupled with fantasy elements providing some escapist fun, with emphasis on stories about good vs evil, freedom vs oppression. It's a winning formula. We tell a lot of stories based on this formula, again and again, but we never get tired of it, because they are good stories, we love them, and we find them inspiring.

In the past 15 years, Marvel has made a considerable number of superhero movies, from Spiderman, X-men, Iron man, The Hulk, Thor, The Avengers, and Captain America. Yes, Captain America, while the idea of a hero dressed in the iconic American symbol, stripes of red, white, and blue, might sound like a cliché today, but when the first Captain America movie came out in 2011, it was a hit, and it attracted many positive reviews from general audiences and critics alike. Personally, I really liked the first Captain America movie, I liked it more than other major Marvel movie franchises, such as The Iron Man, X-men, or The Avengers. I favor Captain America, because he embodies all the good virtues, such as honor, courage, love, and sacrifice, he is also very straight forward. While he might sound a bit old fashioned, but I like his ways, I find him a very likable character, in my mind, he is everything a superhero should be.

This is why, when I saw the trailer for the sequel, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, I was excited and couldn't wait to see the film for myself. Finally, I had the chance to see it in the cinema today, and here is my review:

Synopsis:

After woken up from 60 years of cryogenic sleep, Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, now works for SHIELD, combating global crimes and terrorism. Rogers struggles to adapt to the modern world. In the meantime, a new threat arises, following its wake it endangers the fate of the world, but it also threatens to tear SHIELD apart. Rogers and Natasha Romannoff (aka Black Widow) set off on a desperate mission to thwart this threat, where they confront one of the most deadly nemesis Rogers has ever encountered, the mysterious Winter Soldier.

What I think about this film:

The Winter Soldier improved vastly over its predecessor. In fact, in my opinion, The Winter Soldier is probably the best Marvel superhero movie up to date. First of all, in terms of story, The Winter Soldier has a very intricate, and interesting story that's far superior than other Marvel movies. The story feels more like a political thriller, with some good twists and turns that will surprise you. Furthermore, the story of this movie recreates the atmosphere of paranoia found in political thrillers of the 70s, by tapping into the anxieties post 911, exploring the argument about security, freedom, and (most recently) Obama drone wars and IT security following the events surrounding Edward Snowden. This is a superhero movie that is culturally relevant, and personally, I like this kind of story, because after the movie finishes, I can actually take something away, and think about the world I live in.

The characters in this movie, are portrayed brilliantly by a strong cast of actors and actresses. The heroes of this movie, from Captain America, the Black Widow, to Nick Fury, all show moments of vulnerability. This make them more human, giving the audience a sense that these characters, are not invincible, but they try their best to do what is right. The acting in this movie is superb, the portrayal of Chris Evans as Captain America is believable, it feels like he was meant to play the role of Captain America. In the middle of a culture clash, the character of Steve Rogers, tries to re-determine his place as Captain America in a modern world, while trying to uphold his principles. Scarlett Johansson was great as The Black Widow, portraying her as a confident, skillful, and funny character. Robert Redford portrayed the character of Alexander Pierce, bringing a lot of dynamics that contributed to the vibe of a political thriller. In the meantime, The Winter Soldier is a very successful villain, he is intimidating and deadly. The audience will really feel the sense of danger for the heroes, as they go toe to toe into grand conflicts against this villain.

The action scenes are spectacular, with the aid of CGI, some of the scenes are truly jaw dropping. Overall, this movie is a visual spectacle, especially if you watch it in 3D. In fact, if you can, I would recommend viewing this film in 3D.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, exceeded my expectations of a Marvel superhero movie. It has a complex story that will intrigue you, good acting and very likable characters, and explosive action scenes that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Out of all of the Marvel superhero movies I've seen, this one is my favorite, two thumbs up. I highly recommend it. Also, it is definitely worth paying a few extra dollars to view the 3D version of the film.

Book Review: The Reaver by Richard Lee Byers (The Sundering book 4)

Last year, Wizards of the Coast announced The Sundering series. The series is meant to consist of six stand alone novels based on Dungeons and Dragons universe, each book will be written by a different author. I am not a Dungeons and Dragons player, but I like reading novels based on the world of Dungeons and Dragons. Therefore, I was excited by this announcement, I have been reading The Sundering series since the first book came out in August last year.

The novels in The Sundering series are pretty good, I enjoyed most of them. The Reaver, is the fourth installment. After reading The Reaver, I have decided this is currently, my favorite book in this series.

Synopsis:

Endless rains plague the people who live in the coastal regions surrounding the Sea of Fallen Stars. Crops are dying, and harvests are failing, as agricultural produce drown in the never-ending rainfall. In despair, some people have returned to the evil Goddess Umberlee, Queen of the Depth, offering sacrifices in hope for relief from this miserable condition.

Evendur Highcastle, an undead pirate captain, is the chosen champion of Umberlee. He attempts to seize this opportunity, and use it to further the power of the cult of Umberlee.

Among the hopelessness and despair, a little farm boy called Stedd Whitehorn became the chosen for Lathander the Morninglord, to bring renewed hopes of peace and kindness. The teachings of the Morninglord is in stark contrast to the savage ways of Evendur and the ways of Umberlee.

Evendur hired Anton Marivaldi, an infamous and formidable pirate, to capture Stedd Whitehorn in exchange of a handsome bounty. Yet, Anthon soon found himself tangled up in a web of affairs that will concern the future fate of all who reside at the Sea of Fallen Stars..

What I think about this book:

The Reaver is my favorite book in this series yet. It has a straight forward, yet interesting and gripping story. The characterization is the main strength of this book. Anton the reaver, is the main character in this book. He started off as a somewhat selfish and antagonistic character, whose moral compass is dictated by gold. As the story progresses, Anton's character gradually changed. Other supporting characters such as Stedd and Umara are fascinating as well. Stedd brings into the story an aspect of innocence, and he will do what is right even if it causes danger to himself. When Stedd's innocence meets Anton's self preserving/profiteering moral attitude, the result is a dynamic relationship that is thought provoking.

The story is also well paced, I was never bored while reading this book. The action scenes are well described, and exhilarating. Overall, The Reaver is a good, traditional sword and sorcery novel, with swashbuckling high adventures, memorable characters, and a good story. It reminds me why reading fantasy novels can be so much fun.