A Book Review: Malice by John Gwynne (The Faithful and the Fallen #1)

Last week, I read an epic fantasy novel. It was about: A prophecy, a war of good vs. evil, a chosen one, a young hero's coming of age, and the story is set in a pseudo medieval European (Celtic) world. 

So many tropes! 

Was I reading a classic fantasy novel from 1980s? Nope, the book was written in 2012, and despite its many tropes, this novel delivered a refreshing story that exceeded my expectations. This book is called Malice, written by John Gwynne, and it is the first novel to a quartet named The Faithful and the Fallen.

Synopsis:

Step into The Banished Lands, a dark continent echoing with a history torn asunder by violence and a great war. It was a history where armies of men and giants crossed swords and bloodied the battlefield crimson red. The struggles ended long ago with a defeat for the the giants. The lands, however, remain deeply wounded from the memories of war.

A new tide of threat is rising once again; on the edge of its wave rides harrowing news - sightings of great wyrms, stones that weep blood, and giants stirring in the heart of a shadowy forest. These signs bear an ill omen, and with it marches the coming of a war to end all wars, where the faithful and the fallen shall wage one final battle to settle the course of history, once and for all. Our story began, with a 14 year old boy called Corban, the son of a black smith from the humble fortress of Dun Carreg...

My thoughts on this book:

Malice is a character driven novel. Gwynne narrated this epic tale from the views of 8 or 9 characters, and their stories are styled in 3^rd person POV chapters. This is a narrating method similar to George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Length wise, Malice counts to 640 pages, but Gwynne wrote these POV chapters economically, and every chapter in this book averaged from 5 to 10 pages. The chapters in Malice are quite short, but the story beats at a very good pace, and the chapters transitioned smoothly from one to the next. This is largely a credit to Gwynne's writings, full of suspense, where every chapter ended at a cliff hanger. Consequently, the book encourages you to keep reading it. When I was reading this book, I could not put it down. I kept turning the pages because I needed to know what would happen to these characters.

Speaking of characters; while Malice is a story about good vs evil, but no character in this book is a caricature. Instead, Malice depicted every single character with a stroke of well rounded portrayal, and these characters feel real. Every character in this book, even the characters who are fighting on the “wrong” side, is vulnerable, has a believable motive, and wrestles with self doubts. You will root for some characters, especially those characters fighting for the “wrong” side but sincerely believing their course is right. You will be hoping, these characters will see the evidence that their side is “wrong” and then change side. It suffices to say, Malice has one of the best characterizations I've encountered in the realm of fantasy fictions.

Some readers put Malice in the genre of grimdark fantasy. But I am not sure “grimdark” is a fitting description to be placed upon this book. In my opinion, while Malice is violent and gritty, but it is not necessarily grim and dark. This book takes tropes from the classical fantasy literature and did something interesting to it. Yes, Malice still tells you a story about courage and bravery, where hope is always moving in the background. But Malice also tells a believable story about how, out of a deep belief that their course is right, good people can be investing their heroics and qualities in the “wrong” side instead. I think this is the most fascinating and refreshing aspect about Malice. To my mind, Malice runs in the vein of David Gemmell's works and I believe it should be placed in the genre of heroic fantasy.

With Malice, John Gwynne made his debut as a fantasy author. This is an impressive book. It gripped me, from the start to the finish, with its memorable characters and vividly depicted battle scenes. As I am writing this review, I am already 60% into the sequel, Valor, and I am loving every page of it. If you like reading epic and heoric fantasy novels, then I strongly recommend this new gem to you.  

A Book Review: The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #22)

Consider this: Jump on a time machine, travel to the past and kill your parents before they met, does that mean you would have never existed? But if that is the case, then how could you step into the time machine at the first place? Since you exist, it follows logically that the past cannot be changed.

But what if someone else also step into the past, and set the event to the way it is? That is possible, but it still means an event has to somehow be the way IT IS, so it remains that the past cannot be changed.

Ok ok, but what if anything you do has been history all along, so after you killed your parents in the past, you somehow emerge back in the future and prevent yourself from entering the time machine, thus creating a self existing loop? That is also possible, but without your parents, how did you come to exist at the first place? The paradox remains!

Is your brain hurting yet? There are, perhaps more complex proposals to solve the time traveling paradox; but it suffices to say, writing a story about time travel must be very hard! Under this light, I believe the best way to appreciate a time travel story, is to NOT think about it too hard. Instead, just enjoy the story for what it is and see what the author is trying to tell you.

Well, I lied. There is another way to appreciate the aspect of time travel in a story – That is, Sir Terry's way, the Discworld way, where everything is a parody designed to tickle your funny bone. Indeed, in The Last Continent, the 22^nd Discworld novel, readers reunite with the cowardly wizzard Rincewind (spelt with double Zs), and his eccentric colleagues from the Unseen University. This round, we set foot on a time travel adventure in a continent called XXXX that bears a shocking resemblance to my home, Australia.

Synopsis:

What would be the impact to the future, if someone travels to the past and somehow influenced a turning point in evolution? Let the academics from the Unseen University demonstrate to you, the full weight of consequence and causality. This is what happened:

Rincewind is missing in action. He was last seen on Counterweight continent aiding a political uprising. Where is he now? On a continent called XXXX, drinking its famous beer and making friend with a dwarf called Mad. Back at home in Ankh Morpork, however, Rincewind is needed urgently. So his eccentric, wizardly colleagues set out on a quest to recover him, by magical transportation of course!

But traveling by magic is unreliable. After a mishap, instead of emerging on XXXX, the Rincewind-retrieval team arrived at a time billions of years in the past, and they met a deity who was in the process of creating things.... you get the picture? But hey, I tell you what? No worries!

My thoughts about this book:

The Last Continent divides its story into two parts. The first part follows the adventure of Rincwind on Continent XXXX (or, Australia). The second part tracks the misadventures of Unseen University academics, in the past. This book is very funny, from Mad Max to the Australian beer XXXX, this installment of Discworld made a festival of humor by parodying the popular culture related to Australia.

Furthermore, The Last Continent also poked fun at the Grandfather paradox, and I particularly enjoyed this humor. I don't think it is meant to be taken seriously, but to my mind though, it does raise a few very interesting questions: If there is a creator who exists outside of time, and the world runs according to the creator's design and plan, then did the creator always have these ideas? If so, then did the creator have the power to choose alternative options? On the contrary, if these ideas came to into existence, then when did it happen and where did it come from? Gentle readers, I leave these questions for you to explore, as food for thought.

Anyway, philosophical musing aside, The Last Continent is one of the funniest installments in Discworld. I was chuckling along from the first page to the last. But in my opinion, this book just doesn't shine as brightly when it is sitting next to the best Discworld novels, such as Small Gods, and any of the books from the City Watch and Death series. Why? Because the plot in The Last Continent doesn't make sense. As I mentioned earlier, this book divides itself into two, major story lines. But these two stories didn't connect properly to drive a cohesive narration. While these two story threads did come together in the final act, but the mash felt forced and rough. When I closed this book, I was left slightly confused about what happened at the end of the book. I guess the major theme in all Rincewind books is its randomness, because Rincewind represents uncertainty. But maybe The Last Continent just took it one step too far. The result? As a reader, I struggled to make sense of the plot.

All this goes to say, while the humors in this book did tickle my funny bone and I found it an entertaining read, but by Discworld standard, this one is average and the story was a bit confusing. Fans of Discworld would want to check it out anyway, because on any given day, Rincewind's adventure in Australia... hmm... I mean, XXXX, is likely to make you smile toothy grins. But you just need to step into this story and be prepared to deal with a little bit of randomness and abstraction.

Until the next time, happy reading!

A Book Review: Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #17)

"May you live in interesting times", is an English expression, and it is meant to be a translation of an ALLEGED Chinese curse.

Being a bi-lingual person, I have never heard of this expression in Mandarin Chinese. Dr. Wikipedia came to the rescue, where it detailed: "The nearest related Chinese expression is 寧為太平犬，莫做亂離人. It translates to "Better be a dog in a peaceful time, than be a human in a warring period".

Ah ha! Now it makes sense. I am indeed aware of this Chinese expression. But this expression is not a curse! No, this expression is proverbial. "Huh? How can one be better off as a dog (or a slave) than being an independent, human?"

Well, if you are a commoner, then the expression makes sense.

Why? Because it seems no matter who is in charge or who is trying to take charge, they don't seem to care what commoners need anyway. Therefore, given that pattern, I would rather have peace than a violent revolution.

So that is the meaning for the expression. Sir Terry Pratchett, took this expression and made it a title for the 17^th Discworld novel, its name - Interesting Times. This is a satricial fantasy novel, but it also explores, in a most witty and powerful way, topics such as revolution, east-west cultural difference, and oppressive government regimes.

Synopsis:

High walls tower over Agatean Empire, the oldest, and the most fortified kingdom on Discworld. Lying on his sick bed, the emperor of this ancient realm is about to draw his final breath. Meanwhile, as a pack of hungry wolves, ambitious warlords gather from the four winds at the captical city, eyeing the throne of power, soon to be vacant.

Civil war, however, is not the sole concern for the empire. For the air smells of revolution. It is triggered by a little book called What I did on My Holidays, and it is penned by Twoflower, who is Discworld's first tourist. So there you have it – 1) warlords fighting over the throne in a civil war, and 2) Workers uniting to ignite a revolution. It suffices to say, the prospects facing the empire spells doom and disaster. So who can avert the empire's course to doom?

The answer is a wizard! All they need is a wizard, and a wizard they shall get. Under the shining sun, a wizard magically appeared at the heart of the empire. On his pointy hat spelled the word, wizzard, with double "Z". His name is Rincewind, the worst wizard in the history of the Disc.

How is a failed wizard going to help in this situation? Worry not, the thing that stands between "fated to doom", and doom, is not competence, but uncertainty. And Rincewind IS uncertainty.

My thoughts on this book:

Discworld occupies a special place in my heart. In 2 years, I read more than 23 Discworld novels and I liked all of them. Discworld has multiple sub-series, and my favorite sub-series features the Ankh Morpork City Watch, it is a series of detective stories. Meanwhile, my least favorite sub-series of Discworld, are those novels featuring the failed wizard, Rincewind. Look, I like the characters in Rincewind series, but I found these books are just too random, and the narratives too incohesive, to my taste. But last week, my opinion about Rincewind series took a 180 degrees turn, when I read Interesting Times.

For a starter, the narratives in Interesting Times are cohesive. Almost every scene in this book added something to the plot. This also means, Interesting Times is a lot easier to read, and less confusing, than the previous Discworld books about Rincewind. Furthermore, while the book is not separated into chapters, but the story moved at a fast pace and it was a pleasure to read it.

Interesting Times also brought back beloved characters from Rincewind cycle. Aside from Rincewind himself, characters such as Cohen the Barbarian, Twoflower, and the Luggage, all returned in this book. I particularly liked Cohen the Barbarian and his Silver Horde. In this book, Cohen and the Silver Horde are a group of aging barbarian heroes who are plotting to usurp the imperial throne, and these guys are funny! Sir Terry parodied the archetypical barbarian heroes of the fantasy troupe. The dialogues and the potrayals for these guys are designed to tickle your funny bone, and by Crom they are hiliarious! I laughed the whole way throughout this book and I want to read more about Cohen the Barbarian and his band of silver headed (or balding) heros.

What made Discworld novels so human and so humorous, is Sir Terry's razor sharp observation of our world. He often dressed real problems in our world in satires and presented them from the viewpoints of the small folks, common people like you and me. His satires are witty, but he also approached it in a big-hearted way. When Sir Terry wrote Interesting Times, he was probably at the height of his literary prowess, and in this book he tackled themes such as oppressive governments, revolution, cultural differences and politics.

This book explored many themes and I will not do this book justice by discussing each and every theme here. Instead, I would recommend that you read this book for yourself. But I will say this, one theme particularly stood out and grabbed my attention, and I believe it rings true because we can see its pattern in most political systems recorded in the human history: When people become dissatisfied with a government, they put the popular uprising in power, in the hope of bringing changes. But very often, after the government is replaced by a new one, people suddenly find themselves ruled by "the government" again. It seems that those in charge (or trying to take charge), either forgets quickly, or just never cared about what is it that the common people need at the first place. Do you agree with this point? I leave my gentle readers to check out this book, and then consider it as a food for thought.

Interesting Times, this is a great book. Not only did this book entertain me and made me laugh, but it also provided food for thoughts. It is good to be back in Discworld and I want to read this book again in the near future. I highly recommend Interesting Times to veterans of the Disc. Meanwhile, if you have yet to set foot on Sir Terry's fantastic world that stands on the back of a giant star turtle, then make haste to a library or a bookstore and pick up a Discworld novel.

Daniel's top 5 favorite movies of 2016

2017 is approaching us rapidly, can you hear the echoes of its footsteps? As we are counting down to welcome a new year, I wish to share a list for my favorite movies of 2016. This year, I visited the cinema more frequently than in 2015, because I received a pile of free movie tickets from work. Due to the busyness of life, however, I was unable to write a review for every movie I have seen this year. Therefore, 4 days before Mr. Calendar opens the floodgate to New Year celebration, I sat down, and picked 5 movies to compile a list for my favorite movies in 2016. I recommend these 5 movies to you (if you haven't seen them already).

Of course, this list is highly subjective. These 5 movies may not be the most artistic films, or even the best films. No, these 5 movies are my personal favorites of 2016 and I think they are worth watching (and they are also re-watchable).

Without further delay, please allow me to present my list to you.

Number 5:

The Jungle Book

I didn't see The Jungle Book in the cinema. Instead, I watched this remake in the magical format of a 3D Blu Ray, at home. I loved every second of this movie and the 3D effect was breathtaking! Now, you might think this movie is for young children because of.... talking animals? Well, the talking animals are the best thing about The Jungle Book; the voice acting was top notch, and these characters are very likable. Overall, The Jungle Book is a fun and entertaining movie. What was my favorite scene in this film? It was the iconic moment, when the bear and Mowgli sang “Bare Necessity”. I was singing along very happily and I know you would have loved to sing along Mowgli and his fluffy bear friend, too.

Number 4:

Deepwater Horizon

A disaster movie – checked

A movie based on a true story – checked

A movie that keeps you at the edge of your seat – checked

A movie with a good moral message - checked

Starring Mark Wahlberg and based on a true event, Deepwater Horizon narrates the story about the WORST oil spill in US waters, ever! What caused it? Watch this movie and see for yourself. The visuals in Deepwater Horizon were both gripping and explosive, and it created a very immersive cinematic experience. This is a disaster movie, but unlike most Hollywood disaster movies, Deepwater Horizon delivers a heavy impact on its audience because it is based on a true story – a story about the best and the worst of the human nature.

Number 3:

Kubo and the Two Strings:

The studio, Laika, created a masterpiece in Kubo and the Two Strings. This stop-motion movie, hand-crafted, narrates a tale of epic fantasy set in medieval Japan. I was very impressed by the level of details and the artistic designs that went into the making of this film. It suffices to say, Kubo and the Two Strings is a labor of love. The story in Kubo and the Two Strings can be a little dark, and at times, melancholic and tragic, but I appreciated its themes about mortality and family values. This movie lingered on my mind for days after I left the cinema. It was a really good movie, and the soundtracks were delightful to the ear too! This movie has been released for home media, and I have purchased a 3D Blu Ray set. After viewing this film for the 2^nd time, I became even more fond of it, because I discovered a few little things I missed out at the 1^st time.

Number 2:

Arrival

Hollywood made (and will make) a lot of cheesy popcorn flicks about fighting evil aliens. But every now and then, they do make intelligent sci-fi movies, where the theme focuses on discovering ourselves through a story about aliens. So here we have it. Starring Amy Adams, Arrival takes the number 2 position on my list of favorites movies in 2016. There is a good reason why I am rating this movie so highly. Let me put it this way, Arrival is the most thought-provoking sci-fi movie I have seen this year. On the surface, the premise in Arrival posits the question: If we come into contact with an intelligent alien species, how will we communicate with them? However, on a deeper level, the story in Arrival really is about communication and language; not with aliens, but more about ourselves. If you like sci-fi movies, metaphor, and the history of the human language, then make sure to check out Arrival.

Number 1:

Love and Friendship

Here it is, my number 1 movie of 2016 is Love and Friendship. I think it is a shame this period comedy didn't receive more publicity. How did I discover this movie? By accident, I came across a few review videos on Youtube for Love and Friendship. Now, I am very fond of movie adaptations of Jane Austen novels, and my favorite actress is Kate Beckinsale. Upon discovering that this movie is adapted from a Jane Austen novella, Lady Susan, who is starred by Kate Beckinsale, I immediately added this film to my “must watch” list. When I finally watched Love and Friendship, this 90 minutes feature film delighted me with every second of its screen time! This movie satirizes the mannerism in high society, and the dialogues were hilarious! I grinned and laughed throughout the entire film. The acting in this vibrant movie was top notch. But Kate Beckinsale's acting was particularly outstanding. From the way she spoke, to the way she acted, Kate Beckinsale portrayed Lady Susan so vividly, and it was a truly stunning performance. I want to watch Love and Friendship again, because I think viewing this movie multiple times can bring one to appreciate it even more. Indeed, with superb acting and hilarious dialogues, Love and Friendship seizes the top spot on my list of favorite movies in 2016.

NOT EVEN WRONG? - Regarding my review for How Jesus Became God

I posted my review for How Jesus Became God on my own facebook page, and it generated a discussion both interesting and fruitful.

During the discussion, my Christian friend raised many objections to the points I raised in the book review. One objection stood out to me, and it was regarding this point:

Me: "With the way you are defending and reinterpreting the Bible, if the Bible is wrong, then can you know it is wrong?"

So what was the objection? My Christian friend wrote:

Quote: 'When you say, "I think Christians usually interpret the Bible this way..." and then a few paragraphs down say, "With the way YOU are reinterpreting and defending the Bible..." you're assuming things about my beliefs and approaches to scripture that you have no basis for assuming. “

I think this is a fair protest! Why? This is indeed my own observation (based on induction) and I have not talked to every Christian in the world. Perhaps there are some Christians out there who are approaching the Bible/Christianity differently, so if the Bible/Christianity is wrong then they can know it is wrong. 

But here is the thing, in order to Christians to falsify my point, they need to demonstrate what is this approach to the scripture/Christianity, that in the case when the Bible/Christianity really is wrong, they can know it is wrong.

The objection raised my curiosity, if my observation is incorrect then I want to know. (By the way, aren't you glad to know that my statement is falsifiable? Isn't falsifiability a good thing? Just a thought, you know?)

Therefore, if you are a Christian and you are reading my blog, then I invite you to a question:

If the Bible/Christianity is wrong, then how will you know it is wrong?

P.S.

1) I am NOT asking, “if your approach to the Bible/Christianity is wrong, then how will you know it is wrong”. Instead, I am asking, "what will make you stop believing Christianity?" Please take a note on this.

2) Some Christians (such as John Lennox) have said, if the body of Jesus is discovered (bones that belong to Jesus), then they will concede their faith is false. However, since we do not know the anatomical/biological features of Jesus, so there doesn't seem to be a feasible way to know if a pile of bone belong to Jesus. In other words, Christians need to demonstrate, how they will know a pile of bone belongs to Jesus. If they cannot demonstrate this, then they are just being evasive; they might must just as well say "nothing will ever make me stop believing in Christianity". My friend wrote a very good article titled, "The Body of Jesus Discovered!", where he discussed this issue in detail. The article can be found here:

http://www.skepticink.com/reasonablyfaithless/2014/01/12/body-of-jesus-discovered/

A Book Review: The Seventh Plague by James Rollins (Sigma Force #12)

Last week, a new Sigma Force novel arrived at the shore of my reading world. This new book is called The Seventh Plague. Being a big fan of Sigma Force series, I devoured the new novel in 3 sittings. All the while, this book reminded me of Metallica's song, Creeping Death.

Oops, by mentioning Creeping Death, I might have just given away what The Seventh Plague is about.

Or have I?

Worry not, my gentle readers. We are talking about James Rollins and his Sigma Force novel. This is a series of mystery/techno thrillers famous for inducing nail-biting suspense and havoc-wrecking action! This is why, even if you have already guessed, that The Seventh Plague has something to do with the biblical plagues of Egypt, please rest assured this is just the beginning of it and you haven't seen anything yet! And today I will be sharing my non-spoiler review for this much anticipated new book of Sigma Force.

Synopsis:

Out of the Sudanese desert came a delirious man, who stumbled his way to a small town and died shortly after. The officials identified him as Professor Harold McCabe, the leader of a British expedition who disappeared two years ago.

A medical team arrived on the scene to perform an autopsy, only to be shocked and mystified by what they saw – there, on the cold, steely bench lied the professor's body, but it appeared that someone started mummifying the good professor while he was still alive!

The bizarre discovery called for a further examination of the body, and the professor's mortal remain was returned to London. Meanwhile, disturbing news came from Egypt; an unidentified disease struck down all members of the medical team who performed the autopsy, and a strange plague also began to spread as a wild fire in Cairo.

A colleague of the professor took this alarming news in great concern. Before Professor McCabe disappeared, he was leading an expedition to search for the truth behind the biblical plagues of Egypt.

Can this be a coincidence?

It was not long before Painter Crowe, the director of Sigma Force, received a distress call for help. As soon as Painter Crowe and Sigma Force operatives began to investigate the case, however, they met a throwback immediately; a shadowy group of assailants firebombed the professor's home and destroyed his body, erasing all evidence. Now, Sigma Force must turn to the professor's daughter for help.

The clock ticks away as the pandemic spreads across the globe. Together, Sigma Force and the professor's daughter must hurry and piecing together an ancient puzzle, and find its linkage to an untold, historical journey involving Mark Twain, Nikola Tesla, and Henry Morgan Stanley. Should Sigma Force fail, unthinkable consequences will emerge from the shadow of a forgotten past.

Thus begins the adventure of The Seventh Plague, where Painter Crowe and Sigma Force are facing their deadliest challenge yet...

My thoughts on this book:

Reading The Seventh Plague was a blast! This book is a fast, thrill machine and it has Sigma Force's signature stamped all over it.

What is this “signature”? Well, since 2005, Sigma Force novels have attracted a large readership, because these novels successfully blended science fiction with history. I do not know if the science and history in these books are credible, but I do love how James Rollins meshed these “facts” together so seamlessly to writing these ultra fun, engaging novels.

The Seventh Plague opened its story with a mystery. The moment I read its first page, it immediately dragged me into a whirlpool of suspense. Throughout the rest of the novel, James Rollins gradually weaved tensions into the narratives, and his story beats at an excellent rhythm. The story maintained its suspense and mystery, right until the last page. Chapter after chapter, its many twists and turns will keep surprising you at the least expected moment. Not a single page in this book bored me, and I was yearning for more when the story ran to its end. This year, I have read dozens of thrillers, but The Seventh Plague stands near the top, as one of the best entries of 2016.

The Seventh Plague is using the biblical plagues of Egypt as a background for its story. At this point, some might be wondering, is this another “Dan Brownish” novel, attracting readers with religious controversy? Nope, I do not think this book is controversial at all. While The Seventh Plague is based on religious history, but James Rollins pulls it off with style. I do not think this book will offend a religious follower.

Sigma Force novels are exemplars of the thriller genre, but character development is also contributing greatly to its wide success; veterans and new comers to the series have all expressed their love for the characters in these books. Character development in thrillers? Yes, that is right! While best-selling thrillers don't usually pay attention to character development, but James Rollins has put a lot of works into portraying and growing his characters over the years. Most Sigma Force operatives, from Painter Crowe, Gray Pierce, Monk, Seichan, Kathryn, and Kowalski, are recurring characters in the series. James Rollins did an excellent job at depicting, how, the events in these books impacted and changed his characters. This means, while every Sigma Force novel is telling a stand alone story, but the heroes in these books are changing and growing from one book to the next, and a reader will become very fond of these characters. James Rollin's characters are an memorable, and likable bunch of daredevils. They will cut marrow deep impressions into your mind, and you cannot help but anticipating the next book.

Indeed, although The Seventh Plague delivered a satisfying conclusion to its story, but I cannot wait to read the next Sigma Force adventure. I wonder what's in store for Rollin's beloved characters, and what ancient mystery and peril are lurking around the corner, waiting to strike out at Sigma Force next time.

If you like Sigma Force series, then you will love The Seventh Plague. On the other hand, if you have never read a Sigma Force book but have a fondness for thriller novels, then I recommend this series to you, starting from a book called, Sandstorm.

Until the next time, happy reading!

A Book Review: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #4)

Most fantasy novels are set in pseudo medieval worlds, where the level of technology remains static for thousands of years. In a conventional fantasy novel, despite its world being inhibited by intelligent people, but the warriors never progress beyond fighting with swords and arrows, and its people never illuminate their homes with anything other than candles. Why is that? Is it because having supernatural powers, such as magic, makes everyday life too easy, thereby dissolving the spirit of scientific progress and technological innovation?

The fantasy genre, however, has been evolving in the recent years. Modern fantasy novelists are beginning to challenge the genre's trope, and depicting the interlock between magic and technology as a dynamic relationship. For example, in Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld stories, the advancing technology often led to major changes to Discworld's culture and tradition.

Inevitably, the attempt to revolutionize the fantasy genre brings some interesting questions to the surface:

1. In a fantasy world, how would supernatural powers, such as magic, interact with the laws of physics?
2. How would supernatural powers, such as magic, impact the technological progress in a fantasy world?

Best-selling novelist Brandon Sanderson does not believe the fantasy world should remain static. In The Alloy of Law, the 4^th novel in the famous Mistborn series, Sanderson told a ground-breaking story, of a fantasy world at the onset of a 19^th century styled, Industrial Revolution.

Synopsis:

Three hundred years has disappeared in the river of time since the Age of Heroes. Scadrial is stepping into a new era; a time of railroads, electricity, street lights and towering skyscrapers. In Elendal, the capital city, under the flourishing city hubs and buzzing streets lies a social tension, strut tight by the increasing disparity between the classes, the rich and the poor.

Here enters Lord Waxillum, AKA Wax, a law keeper and an allomancer, from the dusty Roughs, who returned to his noble heritage in Elendel after a personal tragedy. Instead of finding a peaceful retirement from policing works, however, Wax discovered a wisdom - always keep his gun and allomancy powers ready in the hostler...

My thoughts on this book:

Bradon Sanderson intended The Alloy of Law to serve as a bridge, connecting the original Mistborn trilogy (set in a medieval world) to his new trilogy (set in a world resembling the 19^th century). Two books from his new trilogy, book 5 and 6, respectively titled, Shadows of Self and The Bands of Mourning, have already been published.

What does this mean? I am reading this series out of its chronological order! I have already read Shadows of Self and The Bands of Mourning, and now I am returning to The Alloy of Law (book 4). Yep, I am jumping back and forth in this series, but has it impacted my perception for The Alloy of Law? To be honest, not much impact at all. This is because The Alloy of Law meant to tell a stand alone story. While this book's ending did leave room for the next book, but at its conclusion, this book also resolved most of its plots. However, if you have an interest in reading Sanderson's new Mistborn series, then I would strongly recommend that you start from The Alloy of Law. Do not read the series out of its chronological order like I did. Why? Because the latter books are extensions from the central plot in this book. If you read The Alloy of Law first, then it will help you at better appreciating book 5 and 6.

Now the question about chronology is out of the way, let me start to discuss the quality of this book. Is The Alloy of Law any good? In short, I like this book more than the original Mistborn trilogy, but I also think the original Misborn trilogy did something better than this book.

The Alloy of Law attracted me with its fascinating world. This is a fantasy world where technology thrives alongside magic. Make no mistake, the theme of this book is NOT pitting technology against magic. No, The Alloy of Law draws a reader with its wonderful worldbuilding. Especially, Sanderon's interesting magic system, one that integrates magic with the laws of physics. For example, the protagonist in this book, Wax, has the magical power to push all types of metals except aluminum. But when he pushes on metals, a reactionary force pushes back at him (Newton's 3^rd law applies here). In other words, although Wax's magical power makes him a superhuman, but his power is still abiding to the laws of physics. Sanderson's magic system eliminates the damning trope in most fantasy novels, where magic solves everything. Instead, in Sanderson's books, when a character uses magic without considering the laws of physics, it could backfire on him/her. 

Other than offering an interesting magic system, The Alloy of Law also features a dynamic, vividly portrayed world. The story is set in a time and place bearing resemblance to the 19^th century, where technology's rapid progress also introduced social problems, such as class distinctions and the disparity between the rich and the poor. In fact, class distinction and social tension, set the main theme in this book. Sanderson used this this theme to drive the book's narratives, in the style of a detective fiction. That is right! The Alloy of Law is a hybrid between high fantasy and detective fictions. If you like both of these genres, then you will probably enjoy this book immensely.

So the worldbuilding in The Alloy of Law is superb, but what about its character developments? When it comes to characters, I think The Alloy of Law shows some minor signs of weakness. Ok, look, the characters in this book are memorable and likable. From the protagonist, supporting characters, to the villain, each character is unique and interesting enough to leave an impression on your mind. However, I couldn't help but feeling that the book could be even better, if the story had gone an extra mile by exploring the characters a bit more. Having said this, The Alloy of Law is a short book, so it has a limited space for exploring the characters. Perhaps Sanderson intentionally kept this book short because it was an experiment, a novel bridging the old trilogy to the new one. Having read the latter installments in the series, I can say the sequels did explore the characters in greater depth.

I also shared a slight dissatisfaction with this book's pace. This story beats with thrills and wonders, but it beats at an uneven rhythm. The first act in the book flowed very nicely; it established Sanderson's wonderful vision for Elendel, and it also mounted the suspense for the story. When the stage for the second act unveiled, the story dipped in its momentum. In the third and final act, the adventure finally picked up its pace, and Sanderson thundered the story with actions, left, right and centre. In other words, the explosive actions in the third act was the climax of the story, and it was fun and entertaining. But towards the end of it, I felt a bit... burnt out, from reading too many action scenes. Why? Because Sanderson's action scenes, while masterfully written, but it is often too drawn out.

The Alloy of Law provides an excellent transition from the original Mistborn trilogy to the new one. This book might have a few weaknesses here and there, but its worldbuilding, its concept, are revolutionary and admirable. Personally, I prefer the new Mistborn trilogy to the original one, and I believe The Alloy of Law is a fine entry point to Sanderson's wonderful adventures. If you want to read a fantasy novel that challenges the genre's convention, then you might want to check out this book.

Until the next time, happy reading!