Die #2: Split the Party by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans (Artist)

Now that the main characters from Die, Vol. 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker are back in the fantasy gaming world of Die, they are struggling to make their way back to the real world.

Part of that struggle involves delving into the past and decisions made by their teenage selves. There are lost loves, old enemies and even a few descendants to contend with- not to mention old hurts that they’ve carried for years between members of their own party.

Which is a particular problem for our intrepid heroes. They all have to agree that they want to leave “Die” in order to do just that. And they don’t all want to leave anymore.

Like most sequels, at least in my experience, the follow up to the first issue wasn’t as strong. Now that readers are in the character development section of the story, action moves a little slower and it reads less like a fantasy adventure and more like a drama.

I think the character with the most potential for growth is Ash, the Dictator, who is a man in the real world, but a woman in the world of Die, and controls people’s emotions with her voice. But all of the movers and shakers in this drama have some growing to do.

There’s Ash’s sister Angela who plays a cyberpunk named Neo. In order to power her electronics, she uses ‘fair gold’, something which readers get to learn a little more backstory about in this issue.

My favorite character is Matt, the Grief Knight, whose power is fueled by his depression and despair. Of everyone in this story, I’m rooting for him to get home the most because of the unshakable love and devotion he has for his family.

He’s also, I think, the most relatable of the group. Who among us hasn’t felt the sting of the pain and sadness that life occasionally dishes up and wishes for a way to harness that power for the greater good?

In this issue, readers get to learn about the origins of Matt’s magical sword, the outer representation of that inner voice that whispers to him about his failings and secret anxieties.

We also brush on the mysteries of Sol’s resurrection, Chuck’s astounding conflict avoidance and the awesome extent, as well as limitations, of Isabelle’s godbinding powers.

I’m interested to see where the story goes next. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy fantasy and horror-tinged graphic novels.

Thanks for reading!

Ways of Heaven: An Introduction to Chinese Thought by Roel Sterckx

“China, so far, tends to creep into our narrative only from the time it appears on the imperial horizons of the West, or when it enters the international politics of the twentieth century, or when its economy seems unresistingly relevant (or threatening) to us.” Preface, x

Ways of Heaven, by professor Roel Sterckx from the University of Cambridge, seeks to build a bridge for the western mind to a thorough understanding of Chinese thought through its philosophy, history, historical figures, rituals, food and more.

The result is a delightful window into a different world, complete with context and signposts to guide your way.

I was looking for a book with a general overview of Chinese philosophy and this one definitely fits the bill.

Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about military formation. Confucius replied: ‘I have, indeed, heard something about the use of sacrificial vessels, but I have never studied military matters.’ The following day, he left the state. (An. 15.1) pg 221

Sterckx explains how Chinese history changed with each dynasty as well as the interpretations of key philosophical texts. Each succeeding ruling figure had to prove that their rule was legitimate and connected to all of the ones that went before it. Also, if Confucius’s teachings didn’t fit with how the current emperor wanted to rule, all that had to be done was to craft a different interpretation for the new ruler.

In that way, Chinese history and philosophy are both living systems, shaped by those who came before us and also, perhaps, changed in ways we will never know. It is fascinating to consider.

(And also ripe fodder for any authors who are looking for material to create historical fiction or alternative universes.)

I appreciated how Sterckx teases out the importance of symbols and materials that permeate Chinese culture. Lately, I’ve been on a Chinese and Korean television binge through Netflix and I could tell I was missing all sorts of meanings because I didn’t grasp the cultural cues.

Ways of Heaven helps with that too.

“In the Olympics of Chinese metaphor, champions are those who float along the river of life with ease, accompanied by a teacher or loved one and with the looks of a dragon and a character like jade.” pg 367

My favorite part of the book is when Sterckx talks about the use of music in Chinese ritual. How many times in films and television have you seen an ancient sage playing a flute while seated serenely on the side of a mountain? I can think of dozens of examples of just that. Now I know why:

“Music creates an unspoken bond that no other medium can achieve. … It is ritual lived through sound: ‘Music is what sages delight in, and it can be used to make the hearts of the people good. Its effect on people is deep; it can change habits and alter customs.'” pg 241

Highly recommended for readers who are interested in Chinese history or philosophy.

Thanks for reading!

Maskerade (Discworld, #18; Witches #5) by Terry Pratchett

“The huge, be-columned, gargoyle-haunted face of Ankh-Morpork’s Opera House was there, in front of Agnes Nitt. She stopped. At least, most of Agnes stopped. There was a lot of Agnes.” pg 9, ebook.

The usually charming wit of Terry Pratchett falls flat in this entry of The Witches, a sub-series of Discworld.

Having already lampooned the general idea of ‘theater’ in Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett takes a crack at ‘musical theater’, specifically The Phantom of the Opera. Besides the addition of the witches to the mix, the main gag is that Agnes Nitt is fat.

It’s not a story that has aged well.

“Agnes was, Nanny considered, quite good-looking in an expansive kind of way; she was a fine figure of typical young Lancre womanhood. This meant she was approximately two womanhoods from anywhere else.” pg 21

Agnes is not the only person in the story with weight concerns, the other being one of the lead singers in the opera, a male. But Agnes, despite her obvious talents, is forced to sing in the chorus, providing the voice for a willowy female who looks the part.

All of this is just a backdrop for the larger story which is basically that Granny Weatherwax is bored and Nanny Ogg is afraid if they don’t find another member for their coven, then Granny will turn to the dark side.

Which no one wants, obviously. Because Granny Weatherwax is one of the greatest of her age in headology and general witchy works, which vary greatly depending upon the circumstances.

And it brings the readers back around to the concern that I addressed in earlier books about Magrat (the witch they’re looking to replace) being bullied by the other older witches in the coven. In Maskerade, they’re just looking for a new punching bag.

The one bright spot in the story was Greebo, slinking around in his predatory human form. I love how he talks to people, elongating his R’s and adopting a general attitude of slightly aggressive insouciance, something which I imagine cats would do, if forced to speak English.

But beyond that, for whatever reason, this entry in the series didn’t hit the spot for me.

Here’s hoping the next is better.

Thanks for reading!

Lord Marksman and Vanadis Vol. 01 by Tsukasa Kawaguchi

“I have a homeland to return to and protect. I inherited Alsace from my father. Abandoning it is out of the question.”

Warring factions lead to the capture of Tigrevurmud Vorn, the young count of Alsace by Eleonora Viltaria, a war maiden, one of many, chosen by a powerful dragon king and given a magical weapon to help her succeed in battle.

Eleonora has offered to return Tigre to his home, but first his people must pay a huge ransom, which they can’t afford.

Meanwhile, another powerful leader is preparing to take advantage of Tigre’s absence to ravage Alsace.

What will happen next? Pick up volume 2 to find out.

Which I’m not sure I want to do. Having not read a manga series before, I didn’t realize that some cater to particular audiences and preferences. This one, I have since discovered, is classified as “seinen” and recommended for adults (men, says the wiki) between the ages of 18 and 45.

I inadvertently discovered the classification when I turned to a page containing a balloon-chested young woman nearly nude except for a tiny hand towel.

In another, there’s a cantankerous maid in Eleonora’s palace whom is given a teddy bear to sweeten her mood. After admiring the cute cartoon of the teddy bear, I realized that readers could see up the young woman’s skirt.

I prefer to read manga for the story and not semi-naked cartoon figures. But, if that’s your thing, this fantasy series might be of interest. It is an art form, after all.

As for the story, I was particularly intrigued by the war maiden and dragon part, which volume one didn’t really have time to get into between the introductions to the various characters and the naked scenes. Which, in my opinion, is a shame.

The Red Book: Liber Novus by C.G. Jung

“The years, of which I have spoken to you, when I pursued the inner images, were the most important time of my life. Everything else is to be derived from this.” preface

The Red Book is a stunning publication. It is a physically large book which mimics Jung’s own handwritten copy which measured 11.57 inches by 15.35 inches.

The contents are just as impressive. The first part is a brief history of Jung and his publications. The second contains pages of calligraphy in both German and Latin of his “active imagination” visualizations as well as sketches and paintings created by Jung to accompany the text.

The last section of the book is the English translation of the second part.

“Jung described his technique for inducing such spontaneous fantasies: ‘The training consists first of all in systematic exercises to eliminating critical attention, thus producing a vacuum in consciousness.'” pg 209

The visions themselves are interactions between Jung and voices or figures that he named his soul, gods and other archetypical figures.

“To this my soul spoke a word that roused my anger: ‘My light is not of this world.’ I cried, “I know of no other world.” The soul answered, “Should it not exist because you know nothing of it?” pg 240

As he stated in the preface, Jung felt as if his ‘confrontations with his subconscious’ affected his work for the rest of his life. It is a fascinating, little-examined side of a man who has had a huge effect on psychology and is credited, by some, as being one of the leading figures of the New Age movement.

The road to publication for this book is a story in itself. At first, Jung’s family carefully kept The Red Book in a safe deposit box to protect it as they recognized its value as a one-of-a-kind creation. They also believed that Jung wouldn’t have wanted its contents made public as he hadn’t left any specific instructions in his will about it.

However, researchers and scholars have since examined the text and found parts where Jung addresses, “my dear friends,” leading to the opinion that he did intend to share it with a wider audience. They also point to its importance to Jung’s following works as another reason why it should be published.

Whatever their reasoning, I’m so very glad his family and foundation made the decision to publish. This book is a treasure.

Curiously, The Red Book ends in an incomplete sentence.

Here it is:“I knew of nothing better than to write them down in a ‘precious,’ that is to say, costly book and to paint the images that emerged through reliving it all- as well as I could. I knew how frightfully inadequate this undertaking was, but despite much work and many distractions I remained true to it, even if another/possibility never…” epilogue

I wonder what he was going to write next.

Though I didn’t use Jung’s method of active imagination, I too have undertaken lengthy ‘confrontations’ of my subconscious and have come back with pages of material that read, in some ways, quite similar to this book.

Perhaps, one day, I will also find the courage to publish it.

Highly recommended for any readers interested in Carl Jung’s methods, archetypes or dream interpretation.

Thanks for reading!

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller

“Anyone who dreams of an uncommon life eventually discovers there is no choice but to seek an uncommon approach to living it.” pg 73, ebook

The One Thing contains simple, ridiculously obvious advice- find your passion, make time for it and live it. But, if it’s really that easy, then why aren’t more of us doing it?

“Where I’d had huge success, I had narrowed my concentration to one thing, and where my success varied, my focus had too.” pg 8, ebook

This book has helped me to adjust my focus so that I spend more of my time on what I love, writing. That being said, there are still chores that must be done, a family business to tend to, a child to raise and numerous other responsibilities that chip away at time that I can give to my one thing.

And, as author Gary Keller points out, this isn’t a big deal. Everybody has their big ONE THING but smaller one things in other areas of their lives. You can use the same focusing principles on each to improve your life in each sphere.

What’s the one thing you can do to improve your family life? Health? Diet? etc., etc.

This book also taught me that a majority of my output comes from a very small percentage of my actions, something that I had never considered before. Like I said, obvious in hindsight now that I know it, but it wasn’t something I instinctively knew.

“Happiness happens on the way to fulfillment.” pg 98, ebook

I read tons of non-fiction and self help titles. Have they all improved my life? No. Do I always learn something from them? Generally.

For me, the fun is in the search.

Read The One Thing if you want to learn some methods to narrow your focus and advance what is most important to you in your life. If you already know how to do that, this isn’t the title for you.

Thanks for reading!

Lords and Ladies (Discworld, #14; Witches #4) by Terry Pratchett

Granny Weatherwax set about finding out what had been happening around the stones in her own distinctive way.” pg 46

Headology, humor and elves are the focus of Lords and Ladies, the fourth entry in The Witches series of Discworld books.

A ring of ancient stones sits in the mountains above Lancre. They were erected so many years ago that no one remembers why they were put up in the first place. No one, that is, except the witches.

Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat have returned from their long journey to install Magrat as a short-term fairy godmother and to free a distant city from the tyranny of stories- a far more dangerous trip than any of them realized it would be.

Upon their return, Verence, the recently crowned king of Lancre, announces his intention to wed Magrat. While the preparations are taking place, something dangerous and cold is pushing its way into Discworld through the stones upon the hill.

“You know,” she said. “The Fair Folk. The Gentry. The Shining Ones. The Star People. You know.” pg 53

Too bad the elves are nothing like what people remember in the fairy tales.

Terry Pratchett takes a completely different view of the elves than any other fantasy author I’ve ever read. Their beauty and glamor hides a viciousness that makes them terrifying rather than enchanting.

The three witches face the danger in their own unique way- a charming combination of psychology and common sense.

Unlike the last book where I felt that Magrat was disparaged and bullied, I feel like she comes into her own in Lords and Ladies.

“If you fought an elf and lost… then, if you were lucky, you would die.” pg 169

We get to learn more about Granny Weatherwax’s mysterious past as well as Nanny Ogg’s capacity to fascinate a certain amorous dwarf.

Overall, I think it is one of Pratchett’s best. At least, that’s what I believe so far. We’ve reached the end of the Discworld books that I read eight years ago, so perhaps there are some gems waiting in my future.

I’ll let you all know. 🙂

Highly recommended for fans of fantasy and British humor.

Thanks for reading!

The Honor of Violet Fate (I Shall Seal the Heavens, #3) by Er Gen

“His name is Meng Hao,” said Bai Yunlai quietly. “Have you heard of him? Recently, everybody in the Southern Domain has been talking about him.”

In The Honor of Violet Fate, former scholar turned cultivator Meng Hao continues his efforts to become one of the most powerful magic users of his era.

He has made the decision to learn alchemy because of the unfortunate ingestion of a highly toxic magical plant which is slowly killing him. If he can learn everything there is to know about how to create medicinal pills, maybe he can concoct a cure before it’s too late.

Every cultivator knows the most talented alchemists can be found in the highly selective and secretive Violet Fate Sect.

“His true goal in joining the Violet Fate Sect was to become a novitiate of Grandmaster Pill Demon and study the most powerful Dao of alchemy in the entire Southern Domain. Then he would create his own branch of alchemic arts.”

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels.com

The concerns I had in the last two books were mitigated somewhat in this entry in the series because of the introduction of alchemy to Meng Hao’s cultivation. He finally has some time to stay in one place and have a break from continual attacks from other magic users, which had a lot to do with the repetitious nature of the other books.

That’s not to say that there isn’t some monotony. It may be due to translation issues, but some phrases are used over and over again. It reminds me of passages from Homer or other stories that were originally transmitted through live storytellers. I imagine that if you read this story aloud, it might have a hypnotic quality to it through the repetition.

But I wasn’t reading aloud and it doesn’t really work.

“It felt like being slapped across the face, like having a dagger plunged into his chest. As an alchemist, all of it was a direct attack on him.”

It’s still annoying that all of the women in this world are in love with Meng Hoa like in the previous books. However, there seems to be a major love interest developing and the passages where they interact are actually quite touching.

“She wasn’t sure when it had happened, but Meng Hao’s figure had at some point become deeply ingrained into her; he was now a part of her very heart, a part that would never leave her.”

The romantic in me likes that very much.

The more I read I Shall Seal the Heavens, the more I realize that I am not the intended audience. This fantasy is more about spiritual cultivation and competition, than the relationships between the characters or character development. The fighting and acquisition of magical items is more important than the embodiment of spiritual virtues or enlightenment.

But even knowing all of that, I still want to know what Meng Hoa is going to get up to next. So I’m going to press on!

Only recommended for fans of the genre, wuxia.

Thanks for reading!

Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches #3) by Terry Pratchett

When Magrat is designated as the next Fairy Godmother (a legacy from her mentor), Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg feel compelled to help her straighten out the troubles of her new fairy goddaughter.

“I don’t trust that wand,” said Granny. “I looks wizardly to me.” “Oh, come on,” said Magrat, “generations of fairy godmothers have used it.” pg 47

Unfortunately, the city where this young woman resides is quite far away. That means a roadtrip- something that some of the witches tolerate better than others.

Complicating matters is the fact that Fairy Godmothers always come in pairs, a good one and a bad one. We all know that Magrat is good so…

The other Godmother works her magic through the power of stories. She may have some unique ideas about what constitutes a happy ending.

“People think that stories are shaped by people. In fact, it’s the other way around. Stories exist independently of their players. If you know that, the knowledge is power.” pg 8

Terry Pratchett has crafted three unforgettable characters in the witches. Their traveling, as well as evil-fighting, hijinks are amusing, like in the previous entries in this series.

But let’s talk about Magrat for a minute.

“Magrat would be the first to admit that she had an open mind. It was as open as a field, as open as the sky. No mind could be more open without special surgical implements.” pg 28

Though he’s writing it humorously, the elder witches constantly bully Magrat not only for her youth but also for her progressive ideas about what witchcraft should be. In addition, her open-mindedness makes her a target for derision.

Despite her efforts to look mysterious through the use of various pieces of “occult” jewelry, Magrat is teased by other characters (and the narrator) for her funny hair and ridiculous appearance.

It makes me want to reach through the pages and say, just lay off her already, people. She’s trying to do the best she can with what she has, where she’s at. Can’t say the same for everyone else here.

“There’s nothing wrong with happy endings,” said Magrat hotly. “Listen, happy endings is fine if they turn out happy,” said Granny, glaring at the sky. “But you can’t make ’em for other people…” pg 103

The denigration of Magrat makes me view the other characters negatively. Because, even though Granny and Nanny are considered experts in witchcraft as well as wise (in their respective spheres), I don’t think they’re worthy of respect from others when they treat their young colleague like garbage.

I’m not sure why this dynamic between the witches is bothering me more on the second read-through than it did the first, which was eight or so years ago. But it does.

I still consider Witches Abroad an excellent read when I look past the treatment-of-Magrat issues. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy humorous fantasy.

Thanks for reading!

The Help Desk Book Blog

Sharing reviews and deep thoughts about life.

Tag: Reviews

Die #2: Split the Party by Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans (Artist)

Ways of Heaven: An Introduction to Chinese Thought by Roel Sterckx

Maskerade (Discworld, #18; Witches #5) by Terry Pratchett

Lord Marksman and Vanadis Vol. 01 by Tsukasa Kawaguchi

The Red Book: Liber Novus by C.G. Jung

The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller

Lords and Ladies (Discworld, #14; Witches #4) by Terry Pratchett

The Honor of Violet Fate (I Shall Seal the Heavens, #3) by Er Gen

Witches Abroad (Discworld, #12; Witches #3) by Terry Pratchett

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