Book Review (10): The Legend of Drizzt (The Dark Elf Trilogy)

Nice. I've managed to hit 10 book reviews. I kinda thought that my diligence would fizzle after a while. But 10 book reviews, yo? Baby steps, people... baby steps.

Another review that ought to be posted a long time ago, though not as long as Eragon. I think I read this in 2013. Let's get this started!



Once again, I've proven that even when I'm displaying pictures of trilogies. They have to be from the same publisher. That's why the third book does not look as sharp as the first two... I went to other websites to find the third book cover. Yes, have you forgotten my idiosyncrasies?

The Legend of Drizzt (The Dark Elf Trilogy)
R.A. Salvatore

Sypnosis (in my own words): Dark elves are considered the race of the most evil. In the midst of them, a dark elf was born... with a different conscience. Watch how he struggles between what he feels is the right thing and what his society and culture wants him to believe is the right thing.

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In case you don't know, this whole series is based on the game Dungeons and Dragons. Well, one part of it. I find that pretty fascinating. It's as close to getting fanfiction officially published as you can get. Well, I shouldn't be surprised anymore. More fanfiction are getting published as we know it. I may say it this way, but I only know of two. The famous one being Fifty Shades of Grey and the other one being "My Disjointed Life", which I've not read but will leave the link here so that you can have a look.

Apparently, if I'm not wrong, the original series is Book 4, 5 and 6. (Star Wars, anybody?) The trilogy that I've read was Book 1, 2 and 3. After Book 6, there are approximately another 20 books. I kid you not. Ask Wikipedia.



Well now, that's seriously - too many books.

Let's get on with the positives and negatives.

1. Firstly, setting.
The beginning of the book kind of confused me, but not in the way that is confusing to the story. It took me a while to understand how the world was like. Basically... I give a rough image of the place and I continued.

R.A. Salvatore took time to explain the concept of dark elves and the world around them. Basically, dark elves are in a system of morals and values completely different from us. I appreciate that the explaination was done in detail. Yet, he explained it so simply that I did not need to do a double take to think again.

2. That moral story again.
The story describes Drizzt's struggle to find balance in his morals. When I was reading this, I found the moral struggles that it described very apt because that was the struggle that Meia felt in "I Want To Be A Turk!" This grey area of morality is a very common and highly sought after theme in young adult books, I guess?

Do I like that? Yeah, I do! But I had my reservations in the middle of the story.

3.Character
Drizzt was a wonderful character. He was handsome. He was talented. He fights beautifully. He had a conscience that a drow/dark elf would never have. He was caring (which is not desired in his world). And many, many, many more.

That was the problem. He's too philosophical. Too perfect, if I dare say. There were basically no flaws about him. *gasp* Gary Stu alert! Yeah, I admit. That was a littttttle annoying. If I can pinpoint a flaw in Drizzt, probably that he's too emo. That man... er... elf... needs to lighten up!

How about the other characters? Umm... I can't remember. Sorry.

4. Action..
Yup, this story has good action and a fair bit of fighting. I'm a bit on the fence for this. It's all about whether you like it fast-paced or complicated. I like the description and pace of the fights. I could imagine how the moves were executed, which is something I usually gloss over in other books. Just to be fair, I started glossing over in the second and third books eventually.

If you are looking for battle flair and beauty, none. Fights in this book are straightforward, melee actions. That is, you hit until the enemy falls. If there's something that I would like to learn from, however, it would be the description of the fights.

5. Pace of the story
I read other reviews which said that the author wastes no time with his story. I agree with that. The pace of the story was just right. It gives enough information for context, yet moves fast enough to see action and plot. It's something I appreciate

6. Way too many books.
I've said it too many times, but I must say it again. There are too many books. Twenty? No way.

*insert "Ain't nobody got time for that" meme, because I'm too tired to find one for you*

I stopped after the third book, which is Soujourn. It's kinda sad because the real story is Book 4 to 6, the Icewind Dale Trilogy. However, I think I'm pretty done. The prequel was good enough and I'm satisfied already.

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Rating: Love it.

It's funny. Despite my many reservations, I enjoyed reading the series while it lasted. BUT I will definitely not need to reread it, neither will I pick up the rest of the 20 books. I say again, 3 has been good, I'm satisfied.

Pictures are taken from:
Homeland Cover
Exile Cover
Sojourn Cover
The lineup of books

Disclaimer: Despite the official term, the above book review is not a wholesome and fully critical one. The book is merely reviewed and reflected on based on story writing skills and other literary elements.

Being A Leader

On the 23rd of March, the first prime minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, passed away.

I have many thoughts in my head, but you know, we do what the ancients do... There's always time to put it into a poem, so why not?

Being A Leader

Being a leader brings glory.
Everywhere you go, people see you,
When you die, people tell your story.

Being a leader means power.
But the anxiety and burden outweigh the benefits,
There're days when you want to cry and cower.

Being a leader needs to be daring
The greatest historymakers are all radical in their thinking.
I imagine you up on stage, enthusiatic and raring.

Being a leader requires a strong will.
As you once said, "must have that iron in him",
Without it, would we be what we are still?

Being a leader is lonely.
Times get difficult and people blame you for it,
After all, people gather in good times only.

Being a leader will always be a special calling,
And a leader does what he needs to do, at all costs,
To keep us strong, keep us from falling.

Thank you to all the leaders out there who suffered in silence for the betterment of society.

Manga vs Anime: What's the difference? (Part Two)

A while back, I've mentioned about the differences between manga and anime. Check it out here, if you don't already know.

Today's post will be on the bigger question: Which medium is better?

Here's the short, simple and straightforward answer: It depends on your taste. Try out both mediums and work out which suits your taste better.

If you are happy with that answer, you can turn back and scoot off into the Netiverse. For those who are still hanging around, here's the long and draggy version:

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So shall I read manga? Or watch anime instead? I will first begin by pitching for manga. My personal view is that manga is always the better alternative. I know that everyone loves anime and talks about anime. I used to feel quite annoyed in secondary school, when my friends talked about the events in the anime and all I did was read manga.

I think there is a good reason why people don't like reading manga. The very obvious reason would be that it was pretty expensive to read the tankobon volumes when you can get the free versions online *ahem* please support the originals as far as possible *ahem* Another reason would be that they don't like to read. They would rather sit back and let the animators fill in the details instead of their imagination.

Then, I've got friends who say that anime is drawn better than the manga. Of which, I gotta say "NO WAY!" Am I the only one who thinks that manga are drawn better? Yes, initially when the manga is first published, especially for new mangaka, the characters do look awkward and (may I dare say) disproportionate sometimes. So when the anime was produced, everyone grabs on to their besties and squeal "Awesome graphics!"

However, the beautiful thing about manga is that the mangaka grows and improves. It's very obvious especially for multi-chapter mangaka. We can talk about One Piece, or Naruto, or any other manga. There is a stark improvement from the first chapter to the last chapter. That change is so subtle. It's amazing to read and suddenly realise that the mangaka has been improving his drawing. That feel is something that anime can't exactly portray.

Allow me to show you:

Naruto right after the timeskip

Naruto right before the end. I love the expressions that he made towards the end of the story. Props to Kishimoto for capturing those looks. (Picture has been cropped to prevent spoilers)

Here's another one. Look at Onime No Kyo at Chapter 1. Look at that disproportionate body!!



And then Kamijyo Akimine had such a big improvement... Well, I couldn't find a good image with Kyo's full body so here's a wallpaper that is just as good :)



Besides, manga is usually the original, I would say. So, why go around viewing secondhand information (i.e. anime) when you can get it straight from the creator (i.e the manga?) No offence.

Another reason why I would not go for animes. Endings. As mentioned, the original storyline comes from the manga.  So if the anime ends before the manga... obviously the ending ain't canon. In the past, the anime would go for a completely different ending, which in my opinion, ALWAYS makes things worse. I'm STILL looking at you, Samurai Deeper Kyo! How could you humiliate the manga like that! You had an ending that was so absurd that I just- can't-

*ahem* Anyway, anime nowadays tend to go this method of ending like 'we-have-a-long-road-ahead-of-us-but-we-will-conquer-them-all'. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of that. I want closure. Obviously, I can't get closure because the manga is not stopping. Oh well...

To be fair, I have some titles where I prefer the anime titles more than the manga. Two titles off the top of my head. Gintama and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun. They have shown amazing work with their anime. I love Nozaki-kun, the manga, but when I watched the anime, I appreciated how the team tries to fill in the small details that are lacking in the manga. (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is a 4-koma manga.) As for Gintama, I dare say that I enjoy the anime more than the manga, even though in terms of timeline, everything's different.

To take the fairness to another level, the production team for anime has been doing a great job. Anime nowadays are done really well. I don't really complain about their art or animation, not like before. Series like Magi and Ao No Exorcist had such lovely illustrations that after the series ended (horribly), I immediately went out to get the manga. Their vague endings (the ones that I said that I wasn't a fan of) were the reasons why I eventually got the manga.

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Alright, let's get down to the real thing. Suppose you are new to this whole manga/anime thing. You have been hearing about a particular title and you're not sure if you should start with manga or anime. Do you need help in deciding? Truthfully, it's what I've prescribed at the beginning of the post. Go give both medias a chance, but anyway, on top of that, you may consider these questions:

1. Is the title available in other forms of media?
You know, there is an idea that there probably is an anime for any manga title out there, or vice versa. That may, or may not be true. Though I can safely say, all mainstream titles have both the manga and anime option. I mean, the reason why it became mainstream was probably because of the anime, I won't deny. Still, do check it out first.

2. Do you like to read?
Readers tend to favour manga. Movie buffs would rather see it animated. Ain't rocket science, honey.

3. Do you read/watch on the go?
Well, I'm not supporting any piracy over here. Ignoring the option of piracy, do consider whether you enjoy reading/watching on the go or at home? For me, I read manga or books wherever I am. But when I'm on the go, I tend to read more than I watch. When I'm at home, I don't mind watching videos and stuff, even though I ultimately favour a book/manga more. Hehe.

Gee, I seriously hope that I wasn't boring you with all these. But if you have not read manga or watched anime, do give it a try. The world of Japanese authors is so profound and unique. They tell stories in ways that I don't see in English writers.

Anyway, I'm finally done with this post. I had it as a draft for the longest time. Hehe.

Pictures taken by:
Naruto after timeskip
Naruto at the end
Samurai Deeper Kyo Chapter 1
Samurai Deeper Kyo wallpaper

More surrendering...

And then, to follow up on my previous post, more reviews came in.

From the same person.

In fact, this person made sure to review every chapter that I wrote, even though she was reading from Chapter 1 to 5 in one go.

I've not seen such a reviewer in such a long time.

You had no idea how happy she made me last Thursday, when I first received her review (and the subsequent 4 reviews after).

I don't think I'm the only one in this. Readers, please encourage your fanfic writers. They are all putting in their best, regardless of the quality of the stories.

I surrender.

Is it just me, or has the culture of readers online become one that are silent and supportive with their likes and follows?

Don't get me wrong, I love them equally. But today, I received my first review in a very, very long time. I don't think I've smiled so happily, or felt so satisfied with my work with that one review.

So I give up. I have to admit to myself that even though I love it when people favourite and follow my stories, it is the reviews that make my day extra special.

DEM. FEELS.

Although I call myself an otaku, technically speaking I can't be one. That's because I've not actually played/read/watched enough video games/manga/anime to consider myself one. But the fact that I'm so obsessed with them all kinda concludes that I'm one, but that's besides the point.

Initially, the idea of this post was to create a list of shows that you want to watch again "for the first time". That means I wanna watch it again with no memories of what had happened. The emotions and thoughts that go through my head whenever I read/watch some of these amazing titles... it'll be an experience to go through them again.

Then, I realise that if that is the criteria, I might as well change it to "Anime that are emotionally powerful." We are talking about titles that had an impact on my emotions, even minutes or hours after reading. These titles have moments that I know that if I reread the series again, the reaction and feeling will not be as strong as the first time, AND I feel sad because of that knowledge.

It's not that they are my favourite title and I have no more favourite titles. For many titles such as Magi (big love!) and Fairy Tail, after from that 'ooh, everyone is all nice and cosy' feeling, I had no extra wow-ness to it. The series is good, but it did not impact me like that.

So here goes the list! It is a pretty stringent list, if I do say so myself. Usually I like most titles, so I shall be a little more strict this time.

Yes, they are in order of merit:

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1. One Piece
If everyone says that One Piece is overrated, I guess they are right in some way. However, the title is not world-famous for nothing. One Piece had me close to tears, especially at the beginning parts of the story. Oda Eiichiro, the mangaka, has this really wonderful way of building story and climax, foreshadowing and hinting. He is a natural storyteller. Anyway, back to the main point. The show grabs you in your feels.

Even watching their opening songs ("Bon Voyage" and "Fight Together") will make me cry.



Dear "Fight Together" opening video, I am talking about you.

2. Full Metal Alchemist
If I don't put this up on the list, fangirls and fanboys will hunt me down. This story is a classic but amazing example of morals and the search for "eternal life".



I admit. I did not cry at this scene, but when I first watched it, I remember that I went, "Oh my gosh... no way, no way, no way... I knew it!"

I would stop at these two, but if I have to add one more...

3. Kekkaishi
This title is horribly underrated. The battle system, characters and world that the author created was simple to understand but well-developed. Even the ending of the story was not exaggerated beyond imagination. I'm really tired of "We-need-help-or-the-world-and-outer-space-will-implode" crisis.

This title went in because I admire Yoshimori's determination to protect Tokine very, very much. I was very moved by his dedication. Everything that he worked for was for her. That's it. Throughout the whole story, I kept rooting for Yoshimori and hoping REAL hard that there might be something that will happen between the two of them. Also, there was the death of an important character which made me *almost* give up on the series... like how I did for Deathnote when L died. Good thing I did not give up on Kekkaishi... though I really really wished that that character did not die :(

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It really is surprising that I don't have many - I expected more. I even looked through my manga database to double check... and I've just revealed that I'm a nerd.

It's pretty obvious that we can never relive these moments, so we go in search of other anime titles that can blow our minds like that. However, I'm pretty glad that there were titles and stories that have impacted me like that... One day, I want to impact people like that too.

Pictures taken from:
Fight Together screenshot
Nina and Alexander

Happy Valentine's Day!

Unfortunately, I'm not ready to upload another chapter of my stories, so I've decided that I should look up on some quotes on love that I kinda like.

"After all this time?"
"Always." - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Love is like pi; natural, irrational and very important. - Lisa Hoffman

I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart) - E.E. Cummings

“Yelena, you've driven me crazy. You've caused me considerable trouble and I've contemplated ending your life twice since I've known you." Valek's warm breath in my ear sent a shiver down my spine. "But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.”

“That sounds more like a poison than a person,” was all I could say. His confession had both shocked and thrilled me.

“Exactly,” Valek replied. “You have poisoned me.” - Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

This is my favourite from the Bible.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-29

I've tried to find love quotes for "Fifty Shades of Grey" but... I couldn't find them. Oh well. Not surprising.

And in the mood for something more narcisstic, I went ahead to find some of my love confessions in my fanfiction. I didn't find them all because I was lazy to type them out. So enjoy it!

Kyo threw the letter aside and held his lifeless wife tighter. "I won't ever forget you." - A Love That Surpasses Time (SDK)

Until fate decides otherwise, I'll be here watching her and ensuring that she is alright. Even here in the Farplane, I am watching over Yuna as her guardian and as one who loves her. - Guardian (FFX)

“So… Kayla is just lying, right?” Elena asked again. She had to be sure. “You and Tseng don’t like me, right?”

Reno’s voice was soft. “Wrong.”

Elena felt her heart sink. Reno and Tseng likes her? Then what-

"Tseng doesn’t like you, Elena.” Reno’s hand smoothed out Elena’s mutilated hair with little success. “I do.” - Moves Like Jagger (FFVII)

Hehe, the last one was my all-time favourite actually.

Once again, have a happy Valentine's day!