Daniel's top 5 favorite movies of 2015

The end of 2015 is drawing near with every passing second. I have watched a few movies in 2015, but I did not write reviews for all of them due busyness of life. Just 3 days before the arrival of 2016, I sat down and chose 5 movies as my favorite movies of 2015. These movies are very popular so I suspect most people would have seen them already. Having said this, while these 5 movies may not be the "best" movies, but they are my favorite movies from 2015, mostly because I think they are re-watchable.

P.S. While this list is highly subjective (as, my subjective opinion) but I would recommend these movies if you haven't seen them already.

Without further delay, here is my list

Number 5:

Ex-Machina

Ex-Machina stands out as the most interesting movie I've seen in 2015. Through a story about humanoid robots possessing artificial intelligence, Ex-Machina explores a wide range of fascinating questions from existentialism, humanity, creator/creation, and Turing test. The special effects in this movie are stunning and realistic. If you have not seen Ex-Machina yet, then make sure you check it out.

Number 4:

Mad Max: Fury Road

Mad Max: Fury Road is one heck of an adrenaline rushing experience! This movie made minimal use of CGI. Instead, the film entranced its audiences in waves after waves of thrilling action scenes starring real cars and real explosions! This is something you don't see very often in movies these days. Furthermore, Mad Max: Fury Road moves at a relentless pace, the entire film feels like one giant action scene. Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron both did excellent jobs at portraying Max and Furiosa respectively. I purchased a copy of Fury Road on 3D blu ray. Since then, I have re-watched this movie 3 times already and I am still loving it!

Number 3:

The Martian

The Martian is adapted from a novel of the same name, written by Andy Weir. I read The Martian back in August and I loved every page of it! This is why, I exercised iron determination to watch the film adaptation when it came out in October. People tend to compare the movie against the novel. I think there are rooms for both versions to co-exist. Although I'd say I like the novel a bit more than the movie. However, the movie shines with its own brilliance with a great cast, starring Matt Damon who did an excellent job at portraying Mark Watney. Furthermore, Ridley Scott directed this movie and the cinematography was beautiful while the story is gripping and packed with good humors. The Martian is the best Ridley Scott movie to appear in the cinema in the past 5 years!

Number 2:

Inside Out

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first set my eyes upon Inside Out. This movie is a joint production from Disney and Pixar. Some say this is the best animation movie to appear in the cinema in years. I don't know if it is the best animation movie in years, but I do remember being deeply moved by this movie. The premise staging behind Inside Out is very clever, it is simply the most unique movie I've seen in a long time. This movie is loaded with good humors that will put smiles on your face and drawing out genuine laughter from your soul. The story also delivered a very beautiful, and very powerful message that grown ups can surely appreciate.

Number 1:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens:

The eagerly anticipated opening to the new Star Wars trilogy throws a heavy Force punch at a cinematic galaxy extending far, far away. The Force, is very strong with episode 7. I am pretty sure this movie is going to attract a new generation of Star Wars fans, turning them into faithful padawans. Meanwhile, an old Sith Lord such as I, am more than satisfied with episode 7. Although I did find JJ Abraham's over-abundant faith in the Death Star...disturbing... Nevertheless, episode 7 tells a gripping story featuring interesting, and likable characters. I foresee myself re-watching episode 7 many times in the future, and I shall be waiting for episode 8 to hit the cinema with a full blast of force lightning and then, everyone shall experience the full power of the dark side!

A Book Review: Sign of the Cross by Chris Kuzneski (Jonathan Payne & David Jones #2)

Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code reached a phenomenal level of success. I guess we can even say, that Mr. Brown opened a new genre in thriller fictions called: Religious Conspiracy Thrillers. This genre has soared in popularity in the past decade, and the thriller market is filled with Dan-Brownish books.

I dabble in “Dan-Brownish” books every now and then. I take enjoyment out of this type of books. They are mostly fun and entertaining reads and I do not see any problem with them. However, in today's culture, religious conspiracy thrillers have become synonymous with “controversy”. I think the problem is some people tend to take these works of fictions way too seriously.

Anyway, a few days ago I read Sign of the Cross. This is a religious conspiracy thriller written by best-selling author Chris Kuzneski. While this thriller novel obviously feels “Dan-Brownish”, but I was really surprised by this book, because it tells a gripping story and I thought it was a decent novel.

Synopsis:

A Vatican priest is found dead on the Danish shore. The cause of death is crucifixion. Another victim, also killed by crucifixion, appeared in Lybia on the next day. This gruesome serial killing attracted the attention of Nick Dial, the director of Interpol, who took an interest and investigated the case.

Meanwhile, in Orvieto, Italy, professor Boyd unearthed a legendary catacomb buried beneath the earth. Within the catacomb, Boyd discovered a 2000 years old scroll with contents that could shatter the foundation of Christianity. Following his discovery, Boyd became the most wanted criminal in Europe.

At the same time, the serial killing by crucifixion continues to spawn on all continents. Is there a connection between Boyd's discovery and the serial killing?

My thoughts on this book:

I have read several books written by Kuzneski, and I generally like his books. Sign of the Cross was Chris Kuzneski's second publication. This is also the 2^nd installment in the adventures of Jonathan Payne and David Jones. This also means, Sign of the Cross does have some problems, especially with the writings. It was easy to see that when Kuzneski wrote this book, his skills as an author had yet to mature because the writings were obviously inferior to his later books.

However, writings are about the only flaw with Sign of the Cross. When it comes to storytelling, this book succeeded brilliantly as a thriller novel. When I was reading this book, I was hooked by the time I reached page 4. From there, I simply could not put this book down and before I realized it, the clock was ticking at 1am in the morning.

Kuzneski spun a very good story, he told it at an excellent pace, wrapping his story in a web of suspense. He soaked the plot in a river of mystery, inviting his readers to guess at the answer to the next puzzle. Meanwhile, Kuzneksi' narratives took his readers on a roller-coaster ride through unexpected twists and turns. In this book, Kuzneski managed to maintain the suspense from the first page to the very last. Suffice to say, it was a blast to read Sign of the Cross and I like this book very much.

Characterizations are less spectacular than the plot itself. Having said this, Jonathan Payne and David Jones are still a charming duo. Their dialogues are humorous and brought comic reliefs to the story. Kuzneski painted both Payne and Jones with colorful, personal qualities that they each stood up as memorable characters. The story also showcased a cast of supporting characters. Each of these characters are vividly portrayed and they are likable. The villain of this story does come across as a threatening character. However, I found his motivation a bit unrealistic.

After a quick glance at my synopsis, many people would probably imagine Sign of the Cross is a rip off of The Da Vinci Code. Some may even think this book attempts to thrive by generating anti-religious controversies. I have read the entire book from the first page to the last, and without spoiling the plot, I can say this book neither of those. Sign of the Cross encompasses a wider reach than The Da Vinci Code, and it certainly doesn't hold anti-religious sentiment. But as I have said, I do not wish to spoil the plot. This is because most of the fun in this book comes from letting Kuzneski's story surprise you with unexpected twists and turns, which he did so brilliantly in this book.

Sign of the Cross reminds me why I enjoy reading religious conspiracy thrillers. This story possesses enough originality and it is actually quite interesting. Meanwhile, Kuzneski packed barrels of suspense and mystery into its plot that will keep you reading it as if you are glued to your seat. I highly recommend Sign of the Cross to those who enjoy reading books written by authors such as Dan Brown, Steve Berry, or James Rollins.

A Book Review: The Cult of Osiris by Andy McDermott (Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase #5)

There are times when I just want to switch off my brain and read something really simple. At times such as these, I borrow Andy McDermott's Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase novels from the local library. What are these books like? Well, these books are classified as “thrillers”, but I think in reality they are more like action adventure novels rooted in Hollywood styled, treasure hunt blockbusters like Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider movies. I think that is a fitting description for McDermott's books.

McDermott's novels usually tease my imagination with intriguing titles; The Hunt for Atlantis, The Secret of Excalibur, The Tomb of Hercules, so on and so forth. These books pack barrels of actions and they provide a few hours of entertainment, but the stories are also forgettable. However, I do read them every now and then when I just want to read something simple. A few weeks ago, the need to read something simple rose again. I visited my local library, and with a swipe of my library card, I borrowed The Cult of Osiris and carried it home. This novel narrates the fifth installment in Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase's adventure. As its name suggests, this time, the story is set in Egypt.

Synopsis:

Since a time immemorial, the Great Sphinx has been staring, unwaveringly, into an open sky and the sandy desert. It lies waiting, hiding a secret vault underneath its megalithic frame.

Today, the Sphinx's secret is about to be unveiled on international television, as a group of archeologists prepare to break into its secret vault. Macy Sharif is a student in archeology and a part of the team planning to uncover the Sphinx's hidden vault. Things went pear-shaped, when Macy accidentally stumbled upon a shocking discovery involving a religious cult: The Cult of Osiris. The cultists raided the site and Macy realized they are after an invaluable artifact; the map to the lost pyramid of Osiris.

Macy bore witness to the cultist activity. Unfortunately, the cultists caught Macy's spying. Although she escaped successfully, but the cultists bribed the corrupt officials, framing Macy for crimes of theft, sending her on a run for her life. The only two people who can help Macy out of her predicament are Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase.

The question, however, remains: What secret lies in Osiris' lost pyramid that's worth killing for?

My thoughts about this book:

The Cult of Osiris follows the same formula as other books by Andy McDermott, and the story's structure in this book is almost identical to its predecessors. The story itself reads like a movie script from an action adventure film. Every page dazzles readers with action scenes; from vehcile chases, gun fights, fist fights, and explosions. This book did entertain me for a few hours, but the story was easily forgettable and nothing really stood out to make a lasting impression on my mind.

Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase remain likable characters. Their constant bickering against each other brought comic reliefs to the story. Having said this, character development is completely absent in this book. By the end of the book none of the characters changed, not even a bit, despite having went through the life-threatening ordeal in the story. The villains in this book are cook-cutter characters reek of stereotypes and therefore unimpressive.

However, I do think The Cult of Osiris improved slightly over its predecessors. The previous installments of this series suffered from a lack of suspense, because Nina and Eddie always uncovered the important artifact about 30% into the story, followed by 300 pages of tiresome action scenes. This made the previous installments boring and anti-climatic. The Cult of Osiris differs from the previous installments. This time, the story reached its climax about 70% into the story. This means the author prolonged the suspense in the story, and naturally this made the book more interesting to read. Yet, I still think this book is 100 pages too long. It would have been better if McDermott wrapped up the story at the climax when Nina and Eddie uncovered the artifact. Instead, the story went on for another 100 pages of more action and fight scenes, and I thought the last 50 pages of the book was especially tedious.

The Cult of Osiris is a somewhat entertaining, but mindless action adventure romp. It was fun when I was reading it. However, the story is forgettable because it reads just like “another” episode in Nina and Eddie's treasure hunt adventures.

A Book Review: Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #5)

The genre of fantasy fictions possesses a bizarre convention. That is, this genre is per-occupied with telling stories set in medieval, pseudo-European worlds thriving with castles, swords, horse riding and medieval European clothing. To make things even stranger, these worlds often remain static and timeless, with little or almost no technological/social/cultural progress what so ever.

I wonder why?

Why can't fantasy fictions tell stories set in progressive, evolving worlds like ours? Why aren't there more fantasy novels exploring a world alive with constant social/cultural reforms, where magic co-exist with, or clashes against advancing technologies? Terry Pratchett's Discworld series represents one of the rare examples that broke this convention in the fantasy genre. In October 2015, Brandon Sanderson also broke the genre's convention, when he published Shadows of Self.

Brandon Sanderson is the current “rock star” of the fantasy genre. He is best known for his Mistborn trilogy, a trilogy that attracted legions of fans around the world. Two years ago, I read Mistborn trilogy. While I thought they were good novels, but I didn't become a fan. Shadows of Self begins a new story arc in Mistborn universe. This is why, I did not pay much attentions to Shadows of Self when it hit my local bookstore back in October.

My attitude towards Shadows of Self, however, changed, when various booktubers and reviewers describe Shadows of Self as a blend between fantasy (with magic) and Sherlock Holmes, set in a world reminiscing the 19^th century Industrial Revolution. The premise for Shadows of Self intrigued me, so I bought a copy and read it during the festive season. While this may appear to be an unpopular opinion to Mistborn fans, but when I was finally done with this book, I decided I like Shadows of Self a lot more than the original Mistborn trilogy, and here is my review for this book.

Synopsis:

300 years has passed since the ascension for The Hero of Ages, and history remembers Vin, Sazed, and Elend only in legendary stories and songs. In the new era, the world of Mistborn continuously evolve when magic blends with advancing technology, and the society takes on a new face where economic growth became the government's number one priority, creating enormous gaps between class distinctions in the process. In the meantime, corruption is served to the people under the guise of democracy; while 4 religions rose to power, fighting for converts and driving the ongoing cultural reform.

In other words, the world of Mistborn has entered a hopeful yet fearful era. It is a new world bustling with opportunities as well as social instabilities. It was at this time when terrorism struck, its mastermind aiming to destabilize the society with crimes, while furthering labor strife and religious conflicts. Three lawman, Wax and Wayne, together with their lovely assistant Marasi, stood up against the waves of terror and attempting to unveil the conspiracy lest it tear the city of Elend into pieces...

My thoughts on this book:

I prefer Shadows of Self to the original Mistborn trilogy. I like the characters in this book, especially Wax and Wayne, they are both central characters in this book. Brandon Sanderson depicted Wax and Wayne colorfully and vividly. Wax is a middle aged lawman living with scars from his past, and his personality casts a deep impression on my mind. Meanwhile, Wax's friend Wayne, is a fascinating character who not only provided comic reliefs in the story, but he also stood out with intriguing qualities that made him an unforgettable character.

For me, the most enjoyable aspect of this book is the excellent mix between fantasy and detective fictions. Wax and Wayne's adventure smells of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. Some people have categorized this book as Steampunk. However, make no mistake. Shadows of Self does not truly belong to the genre of Steampunk because it does not contain elements from sci-fi. Furthermore, the worldbuilding in this book is not shaped after Victorian London. Instead, Brandon Sanderson crafted his fictitious world with flavors of wild west and 19^th century Industrial Revolution, it is one of the most unique creations in the genre. He build the world in Shadows of Self with rich, but not cumbersome details. In short, Sanderson flexed his authoring prowess at worldbuilding, and immersed his readers deeply into the world of Shadows of Self.

Sanderson told his story at a very good pace. He build suspense, and kept his readers guessing at the answer to the riddle as the story passed through bouts of twists and turns. This book is a page turner. The story gathered momentum as it unfolded, until it reached a crescendo where its ending will surely seize readers with a final surprise. Having said this, I do think the story began a bit slowly at the start. I think this is because the first 50 pages in Shadows of Self made several references to the original Mistborn trilogy, which, I have little memory of. This also means, while it is not essential to have had read the original Mistborn trilogy, but having some knowledge of the original trilogy will present advantages to the would-be readers of this book.

As the beginning of a new trilogy, Shadows of Self succeeds at characterizations, worldbuilding, and storytelling. Sanderson refreshed the fantasy genre, directing his new novel out of the medieval, pseudo European persuasion that we have become overly familiar with. In its stead, he gave us a unique, creative world, blending fantasy with detective fictions, while reminiscing wild west and the Industrial Revolution. Shadows of Self may began a bit slow at the start, but once the story gets going, its pace flows as a bursting dam. This is an excellent book and I recommend it to both new comers and existing fans of Sandereson's literary works.

A Movie Review: Star Wars: The Force Awakens (3D)

Star Wars returns to the magical silverscreen for the 7^th time. George Lucas' long-running space opera inspired a generation of similar sci-fi movies, books and cultural references. It is a rarity to meet a person who has never heard of Star Wars.

The 7^th installment in Star Wars movie franchise is titled: Star Wars: The Force awakens. This movie generated much hype before its release. Numerous fan speculations, theories and rumors populated the internet. Suffice to say, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is probably the most talked about movie of 2015. My own childhood is colorful with memories of the original Star Wars trilogy (that is, episode 4, 5 and 6). I used to beg my dad to rent VHS from stores on regular basis so I could watch them. However, more than a decade ago, Star Wars prequel trilogy disappointed me when they came out on the cinema. The Force just wasn't as strong in the prequels as in the original trilogy.

This is why, I had low expectations about this new Star Wars movie. But I said to myself that I would watch episode 7 for nostalgia's sake. Finally, Star Wars: The Force Awakens arrived at my local cinema pulsing with The Force. So I put on my Dark Vader t-shirt and watched this movie in all of its 3D, lightsaber fighting glory. Today, I will like to share my opinions about episode 7 in a movie review. Let me first provide a very short synopsis, and I will avoid spoilers.

Synopsis:

30 years has gone by since the Battle of Endor and the fall of the Galactic Empire. Luke Skywalker, Leila, and Han Solo became heroes of myths and legends. Luke, especially, has vanished altogether.

Meanwhile, from the ashes of the Galactic Empire, The First Order rose to threatened the peace in the galaxy. The First Order's priority is to seek and hunt down Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi.

And this is where our story begins: On the remote planet of Jakku, a Resistance pilot and a droid retrieved a piece of vital information, and the fate of the galaxy depends on it...

My thoughts about this movie:

I think The Force Awakens is the best Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back. One of the best features in the original Star Wars trilogy, is that each movie made you ask some questions but also fed you answers to some questions in the process. In other words, the original Star Wars trilogy installed suspense into each episode, created a continuity, and made the audience curious about the story. The prequel trilogy, despite having had good CGI, but the story was predicable, while its uneven pacing made the movies boring on several occasions. The Force, was either fading in the prequel trilogy or the saga was going down the dark side.

The Force, finally, has returned in episode 7 and it is flowing strong in this movie's veins. This movie installs an abundance of suspense and thrills into the story. A constant sense of danger surrounded our heroes. Meanwhile, the movie raised questions and it will prompt the audience's curiosities wanting to know more about the story itself. The plot's many twists and turns will surprise the audience. Some questions are answered by the movie's end, but the answers to some mysteries will only be revealed in the sequel. However, The Force Awakens does pack enough materials into its story, and it stands up as a self-contained movie. When I was at the cinema, as the credit rolled on the screen, I felt as if I have watched a (some what) complete movie, but I also couldn't wait for the sequel. Now, that is a sign of a successful Star Wars movie.

The Force Awakens introduced new characters as well as bringing back the old favorites. Rey and Finn are the new protagonists in Star Wars and I like them both. Rey and Finn's characters are interesting, and the movie packed enough background stories to flash out their characters. The villain in this movie is Kylo Ren, a masked Sith Warrior worshiping the dark side of the force, whose origin, is shrouded in mystery. Kylo Ren appears as a dangerous, spine-chilling villain and he is a very memorable antagonist. Finally, Han Solo and Chewbacca also returned in this movie and playing vital roles in the story. My nostalgia was satisfied as I watched Millennium Falcon soaring through the sky one more time on the giant silverscreen. Suffice to say, all characters in this movie are memorable and interesting. I can't wait to see what will happen to them in the sequel.

The Force Awakens also moves at a lightning fast pace. There is almost no slow moment in this movie. Every scene in this movie is “action”. By that, I don't mean every scene is fighting and combat. What I mean to say is, something important is always happening in this movie. There is not a scene that is not integral to the story, and one scene transitions and renders smoothly into the next. As a result of this, The Force Awakens tells a story of good versus evil at a breathless pace. 

The cinematography in The Force Awakens is visibily different from any of the Star Wars movies that came before it. Overall, episode 7 has a gritty look about it. The fighting scenes are excellently choreographed and beautifully rendered with CGI, and it really look like a bunch of guys hacking and shooting at each other, and the actions appeared mighty dangerous and life threatening (the light sabers, for example, had a very threatening look in this movie). This is the stuff that will glue you to the edge of your seat. The fighting scenes in The Force Awakens do not have the cartoonish, flashy look in the prequel trilogy and I think the cinematography in episode 7 is the best of all Star Wars movies so far.

If you are going to watch this movie, then I highly recommend watching it in 3D. Not every movie should be in 3D, but The Force Awakens is one of those movies where 3D is done brilliantly, and it enhances the viewing experience. When viewed in 3D, the pictures in The Force Awakens showed excellent depth, and it had plenty of “pop out” moments. The 3D effects became especially impressive during the aerial combats where X-Wing fighters engaged Imperial fighters and soaring across the spaces between giant spaceships. There were also scenes when a gigantic, Starship Imperial Destroyer was protruding from the screen and it felt as if you can touch it with your hand. Overall, I was really impressed by the 3D version of The Force Awakens, so I highly recommend watching this movie in 3D. It is worth spending the few extra dollars for it.

The Force Awakens reboots Stars Wars movie franchise with a powerful kick. In my opinion, The Force Awakens is the best Star Wars movie since The Empire Strikes Back. This movie tells a story that moves at a relentless pace, it has memorable and likable characters, beautifully choreographed actions, and impressive CGI that offers Star Wars fans and movie goers a most exciting adventure from a galaxy far, far away. The Force, I think, has at last awoke and returned to Star Wars.

A Book Review: Excalibur by Bernard Cornwell (The Warlord Chronicles #3)

Excalibur (or in Welsh, Caledfwlch), is a legendary sword once belonged to King Arthur. In Arthurian legend, Excalibur possessed supernatural qualities, and the sword was analogous with the sovereignty of Britain.

It is difficulty to verify the historicity of Excalibur/Caledfwlch. The sword's existence, much like the historicity of its wielder, King Arthur, is shrouded in the mist of legend. I suppose, if the historical Arthur existed and he possessed a sword called Excalibur/Caledfwlch, then it was probably a very sharp and well-crafted sword, but Excalibur most likely didn't have supernatural powers. Nevertheless, Excalibur played a vital role in Arthur's story. Therefore, Excalibur should always accompany a retelling of Arthur's story. Arthur and Excalibur are inseparable. This is perhaps why, Bernard Cornwell closed his retelling of Arthur's story, The Warlord Chronicles trilogy, with a book called Excalibur. As the book's name suggests, this story revolves around Excalibur and with it, Bernard Cornwell brought my favorite trilogy to a majestic closure.

Synopsis:

Arthur, the king that never was but a king that should have been, overcame treachery and insurmountable odds and quenched Lancelot's rebellion. Britain, was united at last!

However, Arthur paid a heavy price for his victory. Guinevere betrayed Arthur and broke his heart. Furthermore, Arthur's army became weak after his war against Lancelot. The Saxons spotted Arthur's moment of weakness, they seized the opportunity and came to invade Britain once more with a large army outnumbering Arthur's forces three to one.

Meanwhile, Merlin and Nihume emerged from their retreat with the 12 treasures of Britain. The druids were ever as intolerant of Christianity as the Christians were intolerant of Druidism. In Merlin's mind, the new religion of Christianity was an invading force not different from the Saxons. He believed the only way to rid Britain of the Saxons, as well as Christianity, was by summoning the Gods back to Britain with the 13 treasures. In order to perform this summoning rite, Merlin needed the last piece of treasure and it was Excalibur, Arthur's sword.

Merlin claimed Excalibur from Arthur's hand at the moment when Arthur needed the sword the most. However, Arthur soon discovered Excalibur was not all that's needed to bring the Gods back to Britain. Merlin's summoning rite promised great powers upon the Gods' return, but it also required a horrible sacrifice, a sacrifice Arthur would never pay. In the meantime, the Saxons approached Britain, and storms brew over the edge of Mount Baddon. Arthur must prepare and fight for Britain's survival.

Here lies the final journey of Arthur, who, after united Britain and warding off the Saxon invasion, would be remembered as Enemy of God as well as the enemy of the pagan Gods, but after his departure missed by the people like no other man has ever been missed in Britain.

My thoughts about this book:

What a book! Excalibur gave The Warlord Chronicles trilogy a most fitting conclusion. This is a moving tale with flawless narratives and powerful characterizations. I will miss the characters from this book and I want to re-read this trilogy (possibly many times) in the future.

Cornwell proves he is a formidable storyteller and writer in Excalibur. The story in this book bursts with complexity, yet Cornwell told his tale in a way that can be tracked easily while the story unfolded at a good pace. An atmosphere of suspense clouded over the book, readers will surely be surprised by the plot's endless twists and turns. The story grew progressively darker in its telling, but it was never void of some hint of hope like sunshine waiting to penetrate the brooding thunderstorm. The ending of the book, I will not spoil here, but I will describe it as bitter sweet, touched by a hopeful ambiguity. An ambiguity that could explain the legendary story about the return of The Once and Future King.

Like the two books that preceded it, Cornwell wrote Excalibur using 1^st person narratives. Derfel once again narrates the story and acting as the POV character in this book. In Excalibur, Derfel has grown into a very interesting character with admirable qualities, and readers will surely like Derfel and his families. Meanwhile, the story focuses on Arthur and the last chapter of his life. In this book, an aging Arthur has passed his prime but his character has also grown wiser. Arthur became a more cautious man than his earlier years, but he never became a cynical man despite having faced a life time of treacheries from those who his trusted in the past. I admire Arthur's unwavering belief that mankind has an innate goodness, and I was really moved by how Arthur's belief spurred his warriors on, and together they continued fighting for the dream of a united, peaceful Britain even when the darkest hour descended upon them.

After a satisfying sigh, I turned over the last page of Excalibur. I closed the book and returned it to my bookshelf. I became lost in thoughts as I recalled, how The Warlord Chronicles trilogy swept me into its world with a grand tale about Arthur, who is one of the most famous character in our culture. There are many retelling of Arthur's story, and I think Bernard Cornwell's version is among the finest of Arthur's stories. This trilogy marked itself as historical fictions, it strips away the supernatural elements from the traditional Arthurian legend. Yet, this tale does not lackluster for the absence of fantastic elements. Instead, it shines brilliantly with a majestic story about loyalty, love, both new and recovered, conflicts, and betrayals, the things that we are familiar with, and this is when Arthur's story sent echoes down the river of history to meet us. I highly recommend The Warlord Chronicles trilogy to lovers of historical fictions, fantasy fictions, or enthusiasts of Arthurian romances. Furthermore, I would also recommend this trilogy to fans of movies such as Braveheart or Spartacus.

P.S. Carl Orff's rendition for O Fortuna was playing in the back of my head as I read the last 10 pages of this book. I thought the song captured the mood and the essence of this book beautifully.

A Book Review: Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell (The Warlord Chronicles #2)

The history behind Arthurian legend is complex. With many incarnations, King Arthur appears in our culture. In the most popular incarnation of Arthur, the story usually portrays Arthur as a noble king. This incarnation is rooted in Welsh oral traditions about Arthur, which became the source material that inspired the medieval Christian retelling of Arthurian legends, such as Le Morte d'Arthur.

However, historians found in the traditions of some Celtic churches (such as Life of St Padarn), Arthur was depicted as a tyrant who oppressed the Christians. So what was going on? One explanation, when looking at the historical background of Dark Ages, is that Arthur (if he existed) was probably a pagan warlord, who, attracted hostility from some churches because he did not help the Christians getting rid of paganism in Dark Ages.

Inspired by the above premise, Bernard Cornwell wrote Enemy of God. This book stands as the second novel in The Warlord Chronicles, a critically acclaimed historical fiction trilogy. Enemy of God continues Arthur's story that began in The Winter King.

Synopsis:

Arthur and his warriors bled and fought bravely at the Battle of Lugg Vale. Their sacrifices secured Arthur's dream of a united Britain. Unfortunately, as the new religion of Christianity clashed against Britain's old tradition of Druidism, the balance of Arthur's united Britain was gradually reaching a tipping point.

Merlin was Britain's most powerful and renowned druid. He did not conceal his ambition of restoring Druidism back to its full power in Britain. Merlin placed further strains on the fragile peace, when he set out on a quest to retrieve the last of Britain's 13 treasures; the fabled Cauldron of Clyddno Eiddyn. Merlin's new mission made Christians nervous, for they too wished to achieve religious and cultural monopoly in Britain.

As the clashes between these two religions intensified, Arthur struggled to keep Britain together lest the quarrels open a door for the invading Saxons. Could Arthur keep the peace in a society whose unity was torn apart by religious intolerance? Or will religious intolerance undo everything Arthur and his warriors fought for?

In the eyes of religion, those who are not with them are against them. In the summer of Arthur's life, he would use all of his strengths to preserve the unity of Britain. For that, religion would remember Arthur as an Enemy of God.

My thoughts on this book:

I am not an avid reader of historical fictions but I do enjoy books in this genre. I tend to prefer historical fictions based on the pre-medieval history of Europe (for examples, Viking novels usually tickle my fancy). Historical fiction novels about political intrigues, wars, religious conflicts and strong characters interest me the most. The Warlord Chronicles tick all these boxes. I added this trilogy's opening installment, The Winter King, to my list of favorite novels of all time. Enemy of God proves itself to be a worthy sequel to The Winter King. I did not hesitate at adding Enemy of God to my list of favorite books.

  Following the events from The Winter King, Bernard Cornwell wrote beautifully and powerfully in Enemy of God. The writing is superb. Cornwell depicted every character and every scene in rich, vivid details. However, Cornwell never went overboard with details and this gripping story flowed at a fast pace. The story in Enemy of God is rather complex, but Cornwell possesses uncanny skills as a master storyteller. The narratives in this book weaved a number of complex, intricate plots into a story that is very easy to follow.

  Cornwell presents his version of Arthur's story as “the truth behind the legend”. Merlin's mission to recover the Cauldron of Clyddno Eiddyn is a parallel for the holy grail quest and it is central to the plot in this book. Meanwhile, the famous tale of Tristan and Iseult also appeared in this book and it was integral to the general thrust of the story. In Enemy of God, the romance story of Tristan and Iseult ended in such a horrible fashion that haunted me for the rest of the book. Tristan and Iseult's story played a significant role in this book, because their story brought to surface, the reality of the human conditions, in turn challenging the limit of Arthur's vision for a united Britain ruled by strict orders and laws.

  Enemy of God, like its predecessors, The Winter King, possesses intriguing aspects that propelled its quality ahead of other books in this genre. I have mentioned some of these aspects in my review for The Winter King, aspects such as strong characterizations, a gripping plot, political intrigues, religious conflicts, heart-pounding battle scenes, and a story based on carefully researched history. However, in my review for The Winter King, I did not mention yet another attractive quality for this series. That is, while The Warlord Chronicles belongs to the classification under historical fictions, but in fact this trilogy sits on the border between fantasy and historical fictions.

  In this book, Merlin and the druids appear to possess supernatural powers. In the meantime, Cornwell also provided enough information so the readers could construct naturalistic explanations for Merlin and the druid's “powers”. However, an air of ambiguity was deliberately instilled into the narratives, leaving much room for open interpretations. But the story highlights the importance, that the characters in this book really believed Merlin and the druids had real powers. Therefore, combining with this trilogy's cast of morally ambiguous characters, I believe The Warlord Chronicles may also appeal to lovers of grim dark fantasy fictions.

Enemy of God continues this trilogy's trend to depict characters vividly with strong, impressionable qualities. The story is still narrated by Derfel, and the story is written in the 1^st person view. In this book, Derfel has grown into a fascinating character. He is easily my favorite character in this book. On the other hand, Cornwell also showed the inner side of Arthur and I really empathized with Arthur. I have a deeper appreciation for Arthur's character here than in the previous novel. When I was reading this book, the story moved me profoundly because Arthur truly envisioned a better future for his people, and he fought earnestly for it. Arthur didn't care about religion, he just wanted to build Britain into a kingdom governed by orders and laws and let its people follow whatever religion they want, in peace. Arthur's dream inspired his warriors to follow his vision, and together they sacrificed everything to make that dream come true. However, Arthur's dream of peace, purchased at the heavy price of blood, was short-lived not because Arthur erred, but because people were acting like people; they allowed their fervor to overcome their rationality and then did foolish things that eventually put everything, not just Arthur's peace, but also their own lives, into dangers and unspeakable horrors.

  Enemy of God is not the closing chapter for this trilogy, but I can sense darker things to come in Excalibur, the third and final installment for this trilogy. I feel a burning eagerness to read Excalibur, but at the same time I am afraid to read it. This is because I speculate in the next book we shall probably bear witness to the tragedy where Arthur's heart finally breaks as his dream disintegrates into oblivion. Therefore, knowing the tragic darkness that lies ahead for these beloved characters, I venture into Excalibur, to the twilight of Arthur's story and the conclusion of this most gripping and exhilarating tale.

  Until the next time, happy reading.