I finished Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White

"It is the duty of those with power to protect those without." - Sòng Méi

I finished Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White, the second book of the Song of the Last Kingdom Duology by Amélie Wen Zhao.

"Yin and yang. Good and evil. Great and terrible. Two sides of the same coin, Lián'ér, and somewhere in the center of it all lies power. The solution is to find the balance between them," once said Dé’zì, grandmaster of School of the White Pines. A balance Lan and Zen, creation and ruin, found on the razor-thin, razor-sharp, path between Demon Gods and Elantian colonizers, past and present, love and hate, morality and necessity, truth and lies, betrayal and reunification. A race along that devastating path to a battle where foes hereditary and foreign clashed that returned the Four to the sky and made the Last Kingdom what it was meant to be all along: A land of Ten Thousand Flowers. Though the price, as I feared, was high.

All marking the end of an absolutely stellar and original Fantasy that has all the breathtaking elegance, beauty, heart, and cultural distinction of Chinese calligraphy. So much so that I felt it ended too quickly, for there was so much more of the Last Kingdom to see, to say nothing of the lands beyond the Emaran Desert and across the Sea of Heavenly Radiance. More to learn about practitioning, metalwork magic, and the Clans and gods and other entities who populate this amazing world. I can only only hope for a sequel someday, for even as gods have endings so does that lead to new beginnings. In the meantime though, for this ending, I can only now offer the same salute as given to the legendary heroes who once walked the lakes and rivers of the Last Kingdom:

Kingdom before live, honor into death Sòng Lián & Xan Temurezen (may the red thread of fate forever bind you), Yeshin Nora Dilaya, Shàn'jūn & Chó Tài, Master Nur, Nameless Master, and all the Clans who fought a won a land where your differing customs and heritages can be celebrated in peace and freedom.

"Blood draws more blood. Power desires more power. A vicious cycle cannot be broken. Unless it is destroyed." - Xan Alatüi, First Shaman of the Eternal Sky and the Great Earth, Classic of Gods and Demons

News gathers into a gale in the sails of the red ship. Not the four winds, but the fifth.

Music, when Writers are Bards

It is no secret that song and poetry are close cousins; indeed, song is effectively rhyming poetry that has been put, or was made to fit, music. That being said, poets, novelists, playwrights, singers, and musicians have different names for a reason. No one would call Taylor Swift a poet, for example, anymore than they would call Sir Arthur Conon Doyle a singer.

But are the boundaries between song and literature so firm?

William Shakespeare is called "the Bard" due to his masterful plays which are weddings between stellar stories and sophisticated yet simultaneously evocative wording. A union of skill so great that Early Modern English is also called Shakespearean English. What I am getting at, however, is his title: Bard. In ancient times Celtic bards were poets, musicians, and storytellers whose sacred task was the preservation history, mythology, and genealogies through oral tradition. Bards often served as advisors to kings and chiefs, using their poetry and music to praise or satirize rulers, ensuring their influence in society. Poets, musicians, and storytellers. All three. Alas, the Bardic profession died long ago. Yet some authors keep it alive by writing songs for their books while some musicians and singers do the same by playing those songs or making songs out of time-honored poems.

“There was Eru, the One, who in Arda is called Ilúvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones, that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made. And he spoke to them, propounding to them themes of music; and they sang before him, and he was glad. But for a long while they sang only each alone, or but few together, while the rest hearkened; for each comprehended only that part of the mind of Ilúvatar from which he came, and in the understanding of their brethren they grew but slowly. Yet ever as they listened they came to deeper understanding, and increased in unison and harmony.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion

Any who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings know that J.R.R. Tolkien designates many pages to song. Whereas other authors typically write something along the lines of "_______ sung a song telling the realm's founder and founding" along with maybe a few lyrics, Tolkien actually writes and includes in full the songs his characters sing. Better yet, he wrote songs in the Elvish language he invented.

Remember that Tolkien was the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and a Fellow of Pembroke College, both at the University of Oxford. Which in regular English means a renowned scholar and professor. One who poured his love, his fascination and delight with and of languages into his legendarium - his songs and languages bringing Middle-earth to life almost as much the story itself.

Thus it is that more modern singers have brought his songs to life, or created ones of their own: such as I See Fire - a song written by Ed Sheeran for end credits of one of The Hobbit movies and, here, performed by the internationally acclaimed Grammy-nominated all-female Irish musical ensemble Celtic Woman.

Where music and literature meet is a harmonious place indeed, and other authors have also created songs and verses for their works, two examples being Anne McCaffrey and Mercedes Lackey.

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock" and is part his novel Through the Looking-Glass, sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought—

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"It seems very pretty," she said when she had finished it, "but it's rather hard to understand!" (You see she didn't like to confess, even to herself, that she couldn't make it out at all.) "Somehow it seems to fill my head with ideas—only I don't exactly know what they are! However, somebody killed something: that's clear, at any rate." -  Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass

Jabberwocky is considered one of the greatest nonsense poems written in English, for it gave English the words "chortle" and "galumphing." That is correct, these two words did not exist until Lewis Carroll made them up for Jabberwocky. Like riddles, I consider Nonsense verse a sadly ignored poetic form in education - which is odd seeing how titanic, influential and beloved a literary figure Dr. Seuss is. It fosters creativity while challenges the writers and readers alike to make sense of the playful, whimsical language.

I just finished playing Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

I just finished playing Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.

As usual, every Fire Emblem game is an absolute joy to play. But this one, which came out in 2017, I have been saving. Why? Because not only is it a part of the Archanea Series – those games set on or relating to events on the continent of Archanea – it takes place during the time in which Marth lived, about two thousand before the events of Awakening. On that note, for the sake of those interested in the timeline, the events Shadows of Valentia occur after the War of Shadows and before the War of Heroes (i.e. between Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem - Heroes of Light and Shadow). Read my Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon post for full context.

So, in short, Shadows of Valentia takes place across the sea on the continent of Valentia that during Awakening is called Valm and, better still, I knew it featured some old friends in Whitewing Sisters Palla, Catria, and Est. Archanea Series means a lot to me, so I was naturally deeply interested in seeing what happened across the ocean and what brought the Whitewing Sisters there. Them and Camus, whose full story I finally learned.

That is why I was looking forward to it. What I did not expect was to be frightened near witless on starting it. Fire Emblem always pulls the heartstrings, loves to scare its players, and can be ruthless with characters dying. So what happens when you combine Fire Emblem with Romantic Fantasy and a trailer that at the time had every Youtube commenter (including myself) predicting that Alm and Celica would die on each other's swords? For me, a period of sustained terror that became lethal determination not to let that happen. Tis a point of pride on my part to get through every FE game with my whole army alive and managing as a happy an ending as humanly possible, and Shadows of Valentia seized my heartstrings in a death-grip on day one.

Beyond that the plotline was, per usual, exceptional. With added spice for me because I walked into the game knowing full well what Duma and Mila were and thus that they were likely falling victim to the madness effecting all the Dragon Tribes back in Archanea. I did not know what tribe they were, their relation to Naga, or why Valentia was otherwise empty of Manaketes though, so my experience with Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of the Emblem - Heroes of Light and Shadow added a whole extra layer of mystery that I loved.

The story was made more interesting still by Shadows of Valentia's unique gameplay: controlling two separate armies, Alm and Celica's, and advancing along their parallel routes across war-torn Valentia. And I took every pain along the way to make sure things ended well not only for Alm and Celica, but for everyone who had their hearts fighting alongside them. More I cannot say for fear of giving out spoilers, but it was a joy to get to see ancient Valentia and what made Alm the Saint-King even as Marth was the Hero King, both wielders of Falchion. Got to feel for Palla, Catria, and Est though: War of Shadows to the End of the Age of Gods to the War of Heroes. They have fought more battles, seen more history, than any other human Fire Emblem character. As to the actual battles themselves, either I am tactical genius or Hard Mode was not up to scratch. A fortress described as impregnable and unconquered I took with minimal effort.

The Mila Tree, where Chrom and co. found and awoke Tiki in Awakening

Peace and prosperity to you, Alm and Celica, Mae and Boey, Gray and Clair, Tatiana and (cough)Zeke, Clive and Matilda, Kliff, Conrad, Mycen, Saber, Faye, Nomah, Lukas, Tobin, Leon, Valbar, Kamui, Jesse, Python, Forsyth, Genny, Silque, Atlas, Palla, Catria, Est, Luthier, Delthea, and Sonya. I know what Valentia will look like when the Mila Tree matures and it is very different indeed, but it does not make it any less an honor to have served with you.

"I feel the same, Celica. This isn’t where things end for us. Even without gods, this world has a long and prosperous future ahead of it. Now let’s go claim that future together!" - Alm

I started Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White, book two of the Song of the Last Kingdom Series by Amélie Wen Zhao

"It is the duty of those with power to protect those without." - Sòng Méi

I started Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White, book two of the Song of the Last Kingdom Series by Amélie Wen Zhao.

The Demon Gods are freed, two bargained with and two missing. Well named they are, for as demons their power is Yin, destruction, yet as gods they hold the strength to save the Hin from the Elantian colonizers. Thus begins a race, thus continues a brutal war, with nothing less than the freedom of the Last Kingdom and the souls of Lan and Zen on the line. "Yin and yang. Good and evil. Great and terrible. Two sides of the same coin, Lián'ér, and somewhere in the center of it all lies power. The solution is to find the balance between them," once said Dé’zì, grandmaster of School of the White Pines. A truth that may destroy the Elantians, yes (particularly a certain Alloy), yet I fear Lan and Zen now occupy those ancient poles. I fear the price of the two bargains and fulfilling the mission of the Order of Ten Thousand Flowers, however necessary both may be.

“Power is always borrowed, never created.” - a Hin saying

I finished Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, book one of Song of the Last Kingdom by Amélie Wen Zhao

"It is the duty of those with power to protect those without." - Sòng Méi

I finished Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, book one of Song of the Last Kingdom Series by Amélie Wen Zhao.

Cultural arrogance coupled with colonialism, dehumanization and massacre annoy me (to put it lightly) as a matter of course, which means the Elantian colonizers have well-deserved death coming to them. But the road is fraught with peril and heartbreak. Two bound as though by a Red String of Fate, yet separated by history and Demon Gods, by paths chosen and not. For the Last Kingdom is not exactly innocent and borrowed power kept leads only to generations of war and strife. Lan has a plan to rectify this, a good one, but playing hide-and-seek with Demon Gods and a conqueror's regime is hardly safe, to say nothing of the fact that Zen obviously has his own ideas about how to win this multi-pronged war.

"Yin and yang. Good and evil. Great and terrible. Two sides of the same coin, Lián'ér, and somewhere in the center of it all lies power. The solution is to find the balance between them." - Dé’zì, grandmaster of School of the White Pines.