Meninas Geeks: The Warded Addiction

Posted by Meg

Portuguese fan Alexandra, on her blog Meninas Geeks, writes a post on The Warded Man and how books can immerse you completely in other worlds. Check out the full blog post here. Or, read the English version below, translated by Alexandra:

The Warded Addiction

I have shared before, in this blog, what I consider to be my biggest geek passion: Videogames. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, the passion that defines me, both in my personal as in my professional life. I have always felt that video games were an extension of me – a way to open a door to my labyrinthine brain – a brain who loves to dive into different stories, assume another skin, solve puzzles, unveil enigmas, and get lost in the mazes of intrigue. Only another passion resembles the World where I transport myself every time I turn on my console and let the disc slide through my fingers. What other passion is this? My first Love…. Books!

Writing is in the essence of the human species since we started separating us from our simian ancestors. To record our life and our Experiences through paintings on the walls was something that always felt natural, if not, mandatory. To leave a testament of our experience on this planet is our legacy. From registering our experiences to creating a new world with our imagination, it took only a small step. Of all the art forms in which we show what happens within the mysteries of our minds, books and painting, were undoubtedly the first ones.

Since I was a little child, I have always been a compulsive reader – one that cannot stand being more than a week without reading a book. I assume myself as a lover of all styles.  José Saramago will always be my greatest literary love, although I collect Stephen King with the happiness of a child that has his first collection of sticker. I adore “Tolkian ” books, ones that explore the world of Fantasy, like: Tolkien himself,  Juliet Marillier with Sevenwaters saga, Michael Moorcock with  his  fascinating Elric of Melniboné , George RR Martin with his absolutely compelling: “Chronicles of Ice and Fire ” …. But it was a recent discovery that forced my “pen “to write this chronicle and share with you a new world.

“Demon Cycle” is the latest foray into the fantasy world of a new writer -Peter V. Brett. Clearly inspired by the Tolkian fantasy universe, “Demon Cycle” tells the story of a world that has long since abandoned the wisdom of Magic, Faith and Science, and, as the price of its ignorance, it was inundated by Demons, that rise to the Earth every night to remind us how short our life is, how fragile we are and how we can do little against the forces we do not understand.

The demons, or ” Corelings ” as they are called in the books, hunt humans as if they were mere prey, fearing only the Sunlight that pushes them back into the depths of the Earth . In this world where men live their everyday lives simply trying to survive, a Man stands and decides to fight against the demons, claiming back to us the planet that we inherited. “The Painted Man” , the first book of this saga , tells the story of this man. One that dares to break barriers of faith that lead us to believe without question, the rules we accept without inquiring the law … this man decides to fight against the Demons and elevate mankind to the condition of Predator, abandoning the role of prey.

Peter V. Brett writes this story with the mastery only possible to the ones that who fall in love with their creation, giving the reader the rare experience of seeing exactly what the writer describes and feel what he feels. The world to which we are transported into, is a  world where we return to the essence of being human – a world where we fight for the basic principles of life, where we struggle to protect the ones we love, where we find the courage to try to be more than what we seem destined for…

When I read the first page, I found myself alone, smiling to the pages. The kind of smile you feel arise in your face when you meet the one that holds your heart, for in that moment, I knew I had found a new passion. I understood, in that instant, that a very special experience was being drawn before my eyes page after page. I devoured the first book, holding with expectation the free moments of my day when I could plunge into those written lines and lose myself in Arlen´s (The Painted Man) fight. For the first time in 37 years, after I finished the last page, I found myself starting all over again.

The second volume, “The Desert Spear” is one of those rare instances where a sequel is better than the original. In this book, we understand the complexity of emotions we feel when we   find our true Nemesis. We understand the deepness of the struggles that occur inside our minds, when we face our “inner demons” – the ones that lurk on us, feeding on our outmost weaknesses and deepest fears, threatening to destroy sanity and ruin our peace of mind.

Peter V. Brett transported this everlasting fight for our soul, to the Outside. He put weapons in our hands and told us that the Light is ours. He “tells” us we can fight our worst fears and overcome, cope with all that is lifted from the depths of Darkness, we have the Power to smile to what scares us and bring light to what is now obscure. We fear what we do not Know – We Fight when we Believe!

Peter V. Brett does all this by telling a formidable story of adventure, war, love, betrayal and glory. The Demon Cycle is more than my new Geek passion – it is a new addiction that I “Tattoo”, letter by letter, in the halls of my Imagination.

Posted on June 3, 2014 at 8:00 am by megelizabeth
Filed under Fans, Meg, Portugal, Warded Man
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