Catching Fire...

Catching Fire is the second book of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy. All the good qualities in the first book still echoes throughout this sequel. Catching Fire brings on the flame, hurtling through the revelations and heart-stopping twist. Once reading the book, it’s hard to put it down...You want to know how it ends... You might even suffer an adrenaline rush as the story moves on. It's just as exciting and electrifying as The Hunger Games. Whereas, in the first novel, Katniss, has to struggle all by herself to preserve her life, in this sequel, she has to build alliance with other tributes to save Peeta’s life. Unlike Rue, her alliances in here are much more deliberate and intentional. That's what makes it hard sometimes to watch the characters dear to us get killed one by one since we have developed certain affection for them during the alliance. Although the plot is partially a replication of the first book, it differs in setting, supporting characters, and atmosphere nuanced politically. The second game is deliberately designed to crush the symbol of rebellion, Katniss Everdeen-the Mockingjay, through Quartel Quell. It is a reminder for all districts in Panem "that even the strongest amongst them fall down". Therefore, the surrounding situation in the games gives more nerve-racking stroke and every action, big or small, has meaning and serious repercussions.




Having returned to their home District, Katniss and Peeta were haunted by nightmares of the brutal deaths in the arena. Their guaranteed comfort and luxurious life following their victory was hardly triumphant, knowing that President Snow was keeping keen eyes on their every move. The source of Snow’s outrage was Katniss’ defiance during the first game. Her act of defiance in attempting a double suicide at the end of the Games forced the Gamemaker to allow both her and Peeta to live. Without her awareness, she has now become a symbol for rebellion in the Districts. The dire circumstances worsened because Katniss was confused by her feelings for Peeta and Gale, her hunting partner and oldest friend.

During The Victory Tour designed to remind the people in the Districts of the power of the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta had done acts that provoked sparks of riot in District 11, home for Rue and Thresh. Peeta had offered to donate a portion of his Victory winnings to Rue's family, and also Thresh's, the other fallen District 11 tribute. When their speeches concluded, an old man whistled the tune that Rue used in the Hunger Games arena to signal Katniss she was safe. The song prompted everyone to salute Katniss with the same gesture she used to bid farewell to Rue. It wasn’t long for them to realize that this action would bring repercussion to those they loved. Other uprisings have broken in several districts where life was much more oppressed. Panem was on the brink of chaos. President Snow was ever determined to quench these uprisings.

Before long, President Snow announced that, for the 75th Hunger Games, as part of the "Quarter Quell”, a special edition of the Games every quarter-century, tributes would be reaped from a pool of all living Victors of past Hunger Games, one male and one female from each district. It was obvious the changing rule targeted Katniss as retribution since she was the only living female survivor from 12. When Haymitch, their mentor, was chosen as male tribute, Peeta volunteered in his place to protect Katniss. Desperate to prepare, the trio began training and studying the winning tactics of past victors. To survive, Haymitch, strongly advised them to take allies of other tributes.

Arriving at the Capitol, Katniss and Peeta got to learn about the other tributes among others Finnick Odair, a 24-year-old man who successfully survived the Games at age 14, and Mags, Finnick's 80-year-old mentor who voluntereed for Annie (Finick’s girlfriend), both from District 4. They also made alliance with Beetee and Wiress, older tributes from District 3 who were said to be "exceptionally smart" and adept at working with electronics. Also they met Johanna Mason who had a unique character, and despised the Capitol bluntly. Before the Games resumed, Peeta, desperate to save Katniss, revealed to the audience, that Katniss was pregnant. It was a lie to win the hearts of the audience, to gain symphaty for her.

China was still appointed as Katniss’ Prep team who as always designed unforgettable and extraordinary outfit for her. As a protest of her being forced into the arena again, China designed a Mockingjay costume which instantly sparked anger over the Capitol. Katniss also learnt that the former Gamemaker, Seneca Crane, was hung after the first game. During the party, she met the new Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee, who within a brief moment showed her a mockingjay watch. She was later realized how the arena of the game was devised. Seconds before her launch to the arena, Katniss was forced to see China beaten and bloodied by the peacekeepers. It was an act of repercussion resulting from his defiance of creating mockingjay outfit.

In the arena, Katniss was soon joined by Finnick whom the readers easily to love. He's the flamboyant casanova. Several times, he helped saving Peeta's life. His loyalty to protect Mags touched the readers' heart. It was heartbreaking to see him helpless to choose Peeta or Mags until Mags sacrificed herself for Peeta. Soon, their alliance was joined by Johana, Betee and Wires. Together, they had to outsmart the clock-woven arena, and fought other tributes from district 1, 2 and 3. Each time zone was trapped with devious cruel torments to kill them. The game makers controlled the vast, forested arena: they’re announcing the death of a tribute, organising sweeping poisonous forest fog or releasing terrifying monkey mutations. It only heightened our awareness of how cruel and callous the Games really were, as the gamers deliberately set out to inflict horrific deaths on the tributes. As the story progressed, Katniss realized something was amist in the alliance. The others were keeping secrets from her and Peeta. She found out only after it was too late.



All in all, I love the book as much as the first. It keeps me reading for days before I finish, and wants for more. Collins is brilliant in adapting the classic horrifying combination of gladiatorial combat and reality TV that really squeeze her readers’ emotion.

Mockingjay: "There's no Victory without Humanity"

Mockingjay is the finale novel in dystopian fantasies of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Once again Suzanne Collins has not let her readers down with the adventure of the 17-year-old protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, bringing a heart- wrenching conclusion to the tale of a country in chaos. You can’t stop reading, once begun… Mockingjay is not as impeccably plotted as The Hunger Games, but none­theless retains its fierce, chilly fascination which offers every bit the pressure cooker of its forebears. Nevertheless, I find the book bloodier, more deaths on both sides, more twisted characters, and more grey areas that compel readers to think that ‘good’ and ‘evil’ is far too complicated, not just a distinguished color of black or white. More elaborate gadgets, gizmos, and creatures (mutations) are devised for means of torments or death, among others genetically altered wasps called tracker jackers that can hijack memories and distort them to change the very essence of who a person is, and mutts trained to track down and destroy enemies in horrifying graphic ways, creating a simultaneously disturbing and fun book to read. As always, it brings tears to read a sweet innocent child being killed and sacrificed to gain twisted victory, like Prue in Hunger Games. In the end, Katniss fails to save her sister (Prim) whom she intends to protect and safeguard from the start of her volunteering in the games, and learns the bitter truth that the rebels are just as morally ambiguous as Panem’s leaders. As Katniss herself says in ­“Mockingjay,” “There are much worse games to play.” Absolutely my fondness of Katniss, a headstrong nihilist grows more in this book. Unlike the common stereotyped heroine, she’ becomes a heroine not because she fights next to a male hero, but she fights on her own terms, and in fact she feels protective over the people she loves ad cares about including her male partners and strangers alike, particularly the helpless and weak. She can be a fatal nihilist and stubborn egoist, but her brighter sides always win. She is sharp and deadly as the arrows in her quiver, yet she has compassionate heart. Her heroism isn’t necessarily something that’s played up as sexy.




“Mockingjay” was a symbol for the rebel cause in Panem. During the Dark Days, the Capitol genetically engineered jabberjays, all-male spying birds that were capable of memorizing conversations and bringing the information back, able to repeat it in a human voice to crush down the rebels. However, once the rebels realized their conversations were being transmitted, they used the jabberjays against the Capitol, sending back false information to lead them astray and fooled. Knowing, they were used against it, the Capitol abandoned the breed and left them in the wild to die. Yet, it was commonly known that extraordinary wildlife almost never doing what we expect, male jabberjays bred with female mockingbirds, giving birth to the mockingjay. This new breeds could repeat both human melodies and birdsong and were thus better able to protect themselves. Mockingjay, then, was perceived as a symbol of hope and survival among the people of Panem. When Madge Undersee gave Katniss a mockingjay pin, she merely saw it as a symbol of solidarity across economic lines (she’s the District 12 Mayor’s daughter, Katniss is the daughter of a coal miner) in a thankless struggle. It’s what Katniss did with that image over the course of the three books that was important and elevated the mockingjay from passive to active symbol, and it’s Katniss herself as the Mockingjay that inspired people. From the moment, she held up the ‘berries’ (nightlock), President Snow saw her as really ‘the girl on fire’, a girl who could ignite fire who might inflame widespread inferno in the nation if not tamed and controlled.



"Mockingjay" begins with Katniss Everdeen rambling through the wreckage of her district 12 hometown during the dreary aftermath of "Catching Fire”, tripping over skulls and breathing in the ashes of the incinerated bodies that used to be her neighbors. More than 90% of those neighbors were dead; the rest have been relocated to district 13, an area that was thought to be abandoned but was very much alive led by President Coin. Katniss was in desperate need to revisit the place to hold on to something that made her intact after the grievous Quarter Quell. The Capitol had destroyed her life, carving endless nightmares and terrible ache in her soul. She was rescued from the arena of Hunger Games along with Finnick Odair under the instruction of President Coin because she wanted to use her as a human symbol for rebellion to unite the 12 districts with 13. For people in other districts, from the moment she sang the song for the dying Rue and defied the Gamemaker to have double winners, she became their mockingjay. Rue trusted her once she saw a mockingjay pin she wore. However, Katniss was sick of being constantly used as pawns in a chess game. Her only desire was to be left alone with her family, resuming her normal life. Meanwhile, Peeta was taken captive by President Snow along with other tributes in Quarter Quell. He was tortured and hijacked so that he looked at Katniss as his greatest nemesis. The uncertainty of his fate devastated her more that she thought. She was still torn by her feeling for Gale and Peeta. Unsure of her role and feelings, she kept weighing her options in district 13. Forced to live underground for 75 years, district 13's residents have spurred the present uprising. They see Katniss as symbol of their Mockingjay who had power to rile up the rest of the districts and overthrow the pale-skinned President Snow.



Desperate to save Peeta, Katniss willingly took on the role of Media Darling under the condition that all victors from the Hunger Games be granted immunity, and that she got to kill President Snow herself. As always, Katniss was not much of media type of a person. She came to life only after involving herself in real life actions, not just a mere human symbol who read texts/footages dictated by Coin. She showed no interest in being a poster girl. She simply wanted to be part of the work of rebellion in organizing and fighting. She came to life on camera once she resumed such real role in real action and continued to inspire rebel news footage because of her genuine care for others, and her desire to kill President Snow herself. Such media influence showed how accurate portrayal of how propaganda could be used by either (or both) sides of a conflict to further their cause, as well as the importance of a charismatic spokesperson, or a human symbol, to a movement.



As the story progressed, readers saw from Katniss’ eyes, that Coin’ rebel against Snow wasn’t as simple as Good v.s. Evil. There were always the shades of grey. Both sides of a conflict could use or misuse their symbols, and Katniss Everdeen was used. President Coin might have started out with Panem’s best interests at heart, but she was damaged and corrupted when her objectives outweigh humanity. Her methods of using any means necessary, including killing the innocents to secure greater victory, lost integrity along the way. Coin and Snow was two sides of a coin. Unlike them, Katniss always put humanity above others. It was the foundation that shaped her intentions, motivations, and actions. Any action she took based on her sound conscience. She wanted people to live in freedom, free of any coercion and fear. There would never be victory without humanity. When Prim was tragically killed, she was on the verge of madness and despair. It was a finale to decide of who her true nemesis was, Coin or Snow.



All in all, I absolutely love Mockingjay, love the three dystopian saga, and Suzanne Collins is really a genius. I love Katnis Everdeen, the memorable heroine struggling to do the right thing in the public gaze. I love Prim and Prue. The trilogy keeps me thinking of situation in my surroundings, including working place. Once, a leader is corrupted, weighing objectives more than humanity, taking any means necessary to gain his/her goal, then there will only be chaos.

The Hunger Games

Have you ever imagined to be put into a prison with other 23 people and to win your freedom you have to kill the others? Only one survivor will be declared a victor and gets abundant and generous rewards at the expense of those deaths. It will be easier to kill in self defense but to kill an innocent and unarmed child is definitely brutal. Yet, when it is deemed a necessary price to gain such liberty from what it seems to be an endless agony and misery, it is likely most people will pretend to be deaf and blind and just go for the killing. I think that’s what occurs in such places like in the huge slum prison such as Gaza. In fact, reading the book in a way reminds me of people in Gaza who are imprisoned by the authoritarian governments, and divided into so many humiliating check points. Often, when people are being pushed into the most extreme circumstances in which the only visible hope for freedom is to kill, people tend to be blind of the other options or alternatives. It’s the most basic survival instincts in the predatory world, “to kill or to be killed.” After two days of absorbing the book, I would say it’s quite a great book to read. Reading The Hunger Games can lead to interesting discussions about our own world and how reality shows, threats of war, fights to get justice, authoritarian governments and obsession with fashion trends influence us daily. Such game can be easily related to today’s present situation, let’s say in the third world countries, where such game is prevailing because of the superpower dominance over the overall economic system and politics. Or you can easily relate this game to your workplace context when some employees compete for the one and only available job opening in higher rank position. If you pay close attention, you can identify and relate them with the characters in The Hunger Games J. Due to the darkness of the story, it is best suited for adults rather than teens. The book is rich in discussion points not only about governments, personal freedom, and sacrifice, but also about what it means to be yourself and not submit to society’s expectations.


Among the characters I like best in this first novel of Suzanne Collins’ Trilogy is Rue, a twelve year old girl who is defenseless and her only main purpose is to stay alive by hiding out, staying away from the other tributes (those who are selected by the Capitol in the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television in Panem). I love the main heroine, Katniss Everdeen, but I like Rue best. Tears well up in my eyes to learn Rue’s most heartbreaking death. She doesn’t want to kill. She just wants to stay alive and makes friends like any other normal kids. Yet, the Gamemakers in their cruelest ways force these children fight to the death solely for the amusement of the Capitol. The people of Capitol, the capital of Panem, are immune to such barbaric show mainly because they are accustomed to watch such horrors. It's like watching repeated horrors, and when you get used to it, gradually you will think it as normal. They get entertainment from it. They are the rulers and the twelve districts are their prisoners, inferior and weak. They should always be reminded of their place, that they have no control over their life. What is more agonizing that seeing your children age 12-18 fight to the death for the bread and butter for their districts? The most heartbreaking scene is when Katniss fails to rescue Rue from a tragic death, a spear piercing through her body by the boy from District 1. The readers feel a suffocating emotion to hear Rue screaming in agony and how Katniss in the end makes her first direct kill by shooting arrow at the boy’s neck in futile attempt to save Rue. We shed tears to see how Katniss gently takes Rue in her arms and sing the melody until she slips away. To show her rebellion Katniss puts some flowers over Rue’s body. When they are supposed to kill one another, Katniss and Rue, on the other hand develop friendship and tenderness. It is regarded as action of defiance, an act of rebellion. No such thing goes unpunished.



The Hunger Games is the first novel of Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy followed by Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem after the destruction of North America by a horrible apocalyptic disaster during the Dark Days. Panem consists of twelve surrounding, poor and deprived districts under the rule of the authoritarian government in the wealthy Capitol. Each district has its own specialty that benefits the Capitol, such as coal mining, agriculture, fishing, explosives, etc which function to sustain the Capitol. Each district stands isolated by electrified high fences, and therefore people in each are unable to communicate. It’s the way the Capitol controls their life in maintaining its hegemony. While the people in these districts are in constant hunger due to the strict control of the government, the people in the Capitol contribute little to their own sustenance and are concerned mainly with the latest fashions and amusements. Hunger, fear, and total surrender are the main bread and butter in these deprived districts. Peacekeepers and a local government are instituted in each district, but the rulers in the Capitol have strict control over everything and everyone in each district. District 12, where the book begins, is located in the coal-rich region that was formerly Appalachia.



The Hunger Games are an annual tradition created by the Capitol rulers to commemorate the annihilation of the rebellious act of District 13. Formerly, there is District 13 in Panem. When this district rebelled against the Capitol, it was wiped out with nuclear bombs. The game is not only to amuse the Capitol citizens, but also to preserve control over the districts by demonstrating the Capitol's dominance. It is a constant reminder what will happen if any district rebels. Each year called as the Reaping, the twelve districts are forced to select two representatives, a girl and a boy, age from 12-18 to participate in the Hunger Games. The first reaping for these kids is when they reach the age of 12. The parents should send their names to the ballot which will be drawn from the box on the Reaping day. A kid can resend their name again to get a teserra to obtain a ration of grain that is given in exchange for placing his/her name in the lottery for the reaping, the ceremony that determines who will be the district’s representative in the Games. Each time a kid exchanges his/her name for the teserra, his/her chances of being the one whose name is called increase. Due to hunger, some kids resend their names each year. Therefore, within each year, their chance to get selected is growing bigger. After passing the age of 18, will any be freed from the games. These representatives are called “tributes” to make people believe that representing their district is an honor, even though parents and children alike live in endless fear that someone they love will be chosen. The entire nation must watch as these 24 tributes battle each other to the death until only one is left as the victor. Having a victor is important to a district because extra food and a few luxuries will be granted to the victor's district. The government has created the ultimate reality show, complete with technological challenges and constant monitoring of the movements of the participants. And each citizen is required to watch the Games until their conclusion, which may take hours or days. It is a cruel game forcing children to hack one another and bleed to death.



Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen lived in District 12 with her mother and 12 years old sister, Primrose Everdeen. Since her father got killed in a mining explosion, her mother drawn into a relapse, leaving Katniss alone to provide for her family. She despised her mother for this abandonment, yet she still loved her. When she was 10 and things got worse, she was confronted with most desperate moment in which her family’s survival was at stake. Peeta Mellark (the baker’s son) showed her kindness by throwing her some loaves of breads. For this act, he got bruises all over. It was his kindness that lingered on her mind. It was a favor she would never forget. It was the first time she met him before got reunited when both were selected for the games 6 years later. It was Peeta who inspired her to stand on her feet again to feed her family. With her skills in bow and arrows, she illegally went for hunting beyond the boundaries of District 12 and used the game she killed for food or for barter. In the woods, she met Gale who became her best friend and hunting partner. Gale was also the sole provider for family. He was good at traps and nets. They have also survived because both signed up for the tessera.



When Prim turned 12, the family went for the reaping for the 74th Hunger Games. So far, only one victor came from District 12. Consequently, this district was considered a weakling and the most destitute of all. Prim was the only sister Katniss loved above all others. She was only 12, quiet, loving and on her way to being a healer. Despite her scarce chances to get selected, Prim’s name was called. It turned Katniss’ world upside down. Prim would not be able to survive the games and Katniss knew this. To save the one she loved the most, Katniss immediately volunteered to take her place as a tribute from District 12 to the Hunger Games. She knew she had better chance to survive the odds compared to his little sister. The boy who got selected was Peeta which shocked her even more. He made her life as a tribute became more complicated because she knew that now her survival would mean his death. How could she kill the only person in the whole world whom she owned a favor from? Katniss and Peeta must fend for themselves against natural elements, the Gamemakers and the other contestants whose only option is to kill or be killed.



Katniss is whisked away from her family and Gale with Peeta, to the Capitol, where they were prepped and primped to participate in the Games. Before leaving, Madge, the daughter of the councilor of District 12, gave her a mocking jay pin for a good luck token. They were mentored by Haymitch, the only tribute that District 12 has had who was a winner in the Games. But Haymitch was a reluctant and seemingly inadequate mentor at the beginning, so they should rely on their own strengths in order to survive. It was not until they proved their worth, did Haymitch promised to be their reliable mentor. Before, they were air crafted to the game arena; they were prepared by their Prep Tem led by China. They were also got some training where they learnt about their opponents from other districts. Tributes from District 1,2, and 3 (the favorite of the Capitol) were blood lust, others were just like them. One in particular attached to both was a 12 years old, Rue, from District 11 specialized in agriculture. Rue reminded Katniss a lot with her sister. It was during the game; she got to know Rue better and formed an alliance with her. She had the urge to protect her from harms. And the pain stabbed her like a dagger when she failed to save Rue’s life. Katniss’ hatred towards the Capitol accumulated. It was a cruel heartless game. She was determined she would not yield to the Capitol.

Overall, I enjoy reading the book. The language is simple. The characters are drawn in simple black and white type…almost minimum in grey characters that make readers can easily engage with the story line. The constant suspense kept me turning page after page within two days. I love the protagonist – Rue and Katniss – the whole thing about the bow and arrow. I find the love triangle is a bit cliché, but I love how Katniss takes control over her life, not just a girl who is madly deeply in love type of character. She is strong-willed, independent, and smart. Like any good story, I am immersed in the universe built around by the writer. I know it is not real but I can't stop reading. Sadly, yesterday I failed to collect the second novel in my favorite store. The books are sold out L. I have to satisfy myself jumping reading the thirdJ.

A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows is the fourth book in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. Unlike its predecessor, A Storm of Swords (which absolutely keeps me in great suspense and thrill and craves for more) is in a very different tone; its pace is a bit more leisurely and it is wearisome sometimes because Martin develops too many new points of views which makes the book can’t stand independently. The three fan-favorite characters are cut from Feast completely — Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen. It frustrates me as well to find the absence of Bran and his little band in their perilous adventure to find the three eyed crow. Queen Cersei is the star in Feast; she gets all the best scenes. The readers see more of her, and get a picture on how she struggles amidst the cruel male dominated courts. Yet, unlike her twin brother, Jaime, the more I get to know her, the less I have sympathy for her. She becomes a cruel and bitter tyrant, paranoid of everyone around her. Her ambition and fears have blinded her. The many new characters having loose connection to the main story is quite frustrating, giving a head a spin. It’s really disappointing to read the book to the end despite the fact Martin’s skills in constructing plots and crating the words. It is solely the urge not to miss the link to its fifth book that keeps me going, although I skip some pages, lol.




Feast takes up the story immediately after the events of the third volume in the series. It focuses on events in and around King’s Landing, on the Iron Islands, and down in Dorne. Readers will not see much of the bloody and violent action of previous volumes in Feast. Further, Feast focuses on the women of Westeros (Cersei Lannister, Asha Greyjoy, Arianne Martell and her cousins, Brienne of Tarth, Arya and Sansa) in their struggle to attain and maintain power or just to survive in the primarily misogynistic medieval society they live in. In the aftermath of Lord Tywin’s death (ignominiously slain by his own son, Tyrion the Imp), Cersei Lannister has pulled herself together and was ever more determined to rule King's Landing as Queen Regent until her youngest son Tommen came of age. She ruled with an iron fist, distrusted people around her, including Jaime and her Uncle. From her point of view, readers could finally see how her evil ambitions rooted from her childhood hurts. She would seize and maintain power at any cost. From the presumed safety of the Red Keep, she plotted to get rid of the unsubtle machinations of the ambitious Tyrells, starting from the young queen, Margaery Tyrell whom King Tommen wed to seal the alliance of the two Houses. She was also obsessed with finding her fugitive brother, Tyrion, who had slain their father and was accused of killing Joffrey. Blinded by her rage, fear and ambition, Cersei devised a scheme to drive off Jaime away, a decision she regretted later on.

Meanwhile, Stannis Baratheon has installed himself at the Wall in the far north. He claimed as the rightful king of Westeros and planned to gather support from the Northmen (the Stark’s banner men) to seize the Iron Throne. Melissandre, the red woman declared Stannis savior of the realm from evils lurking beyond the Wall called the Others as had been foretold in the old prophecy. They held Mance Rayder a captive along with his sister in law and baby son. Melissandre planned to sacrifice him to the fire, R’Lor, because every ritual needed kingship blood. Jon Snow, now Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, sent Maester Aemon and Mance’s baby son to save them from the fire because both had royal blood. It was a perilous journey by seas accompanied by Sam and Gilly. Upon his approaching death, Master Aemon learnt that his niece, Danny, survived and hatched three dragons. He begged Sam to bring Danny to Westeros as their rightful queen. She was the savior foretold by the old prophecy, the queen with three dragon heads who would heal the bleeding Westeros, and not Stannis.



Off on the bleak and craggy Iron Islands, the fanatical Greyjoys were deciding upon their new king when Balon Grejoy died due to terrible accident. They desired nothing less than to renew their rebellion and conquer Westeros. Asha Greyjoy, was King Balon’s favourite daughter. She was a fierce warrior who aspired for the throne because no one seemed to confirm whether her brother and Balon's rightful heir, Theon Greyjoy (the ward of Lord Edard Stark) was dead or alive. Yet, women were never made queen in Iron Islands. Balon's two brothers were in a battle for her father's crown. She was ever more determined to seize the throne at any cost, and thwarted any who stood on her way.



Far to the south in Dorne, the ailing Prince Doran Martell found himself alone in his allegiance to the Lannister in the Iron Throne. The rest of his family and subjects demanded war in revenge for the death of their beloved Prince Oberyn. Arianne Martell, his beloved daughter, turned against him and planned to install Princess Myrcella (sister of King Tommen) to claim the Iron Throne. During their escape, Myrcella was severely wounded and Arianne was captured. Prince Doran Martell imprisoned her along wih her cousins, bastard daughters (the sand snakes) of Prince Oberyn. The ailing prince had a secret of his own. He sent his long exiled son to find the lost dragon princess.

Meanwhile Brienne, the rough-hewn warrior woman who was good-natured, loyal and brave was on a quest to find Sansa Stark. Both Brienne and Jaime assumed Sansa was the only living Stark alive. She had everything to embark on the quest but a plan. Her large frame and un-womanly looks have kept her out of the traditional world of women of her time that made her constantly rebuked and humiliated. In addition, the attitudes of the men prevented her from being taken seriously as a woman knight that made her ‘unfit’ to any society she lived in. Renly Baratheon was the only man who ever showed her courtesy. She was in love with him, and swore the oath to serve and protect him. She failed. Thus, she was determined not to fail Jaime and Lady Stark this time. Yet, it’s so strange to see her wandering aimlessly to about the center of the map and being constantly set upon by men, only to die at the hand of the Stoneheart (the resurrected Catelyn Stark). She got lots of portions in the book but Martin just killed her by hanging (or will we ever see her again in the next series just like Catelyn and Theon?). It’s a bit unsettling.



Sansa herself was still holed up at the Eyrie, in disguise of Lord Petyr Baelish’s bastard daughter. She was still a docile and submissive frightened pawn used by Little Finger to gain power. Sansa's lone wolf sister, Arya (who believes all her family was dead but for Jon Snow), has sailed across the sea to the exotic city of Braavos, where a new life and uncertain destiny awaited. Slowly, she was forced to abandon herself as the wolf girl. She was a lost wolf without her pack, scrabbling and fighting her way through the world, trying to survive. In the end, she was poisoned and became blind.

To my dismay, the book offered no answers to mystery in previous series as if left me standing in the dark. One thing is certain: power is a feeble fleeting thing one can posses as has been perfectly expressed by Shakespeare "Uneasy rests the head that wears the crown." (Henry IV, Part II.) Those who have a lot of power and prestige also have a lot of responsibilities, and therefore worry more than other people. Yet, power always tempted men to seek after it at any cost. Men fight and kill for power in this novel. Kings and Queens alike fight for the throne to rule and punish instead of to protect and serve the citizens. Many want to obtain power, yet only few who deserve such a burden. And in the end, a crow will feast upon kings and beggars alike.

HOLLOW

A Drop of Silence,
as the night rolls off its curtain,
painted the skies in naked blackness,
and the wolves howl to the lost moon,
begging the Shadow to let her loose,




A drop of silence,
Watching the starless horizon,
Stretching infinite up in heaven,
Nothing but the sound of the breeze,





A Drop of silence,
watching the starless horizon,
stretching limitless up in heaven,
nothing but the sound of the breeze,
whispering songs of lament and woe,


A grain of sands rolling in the deep,
into fathomless depth of dark abyss,
lost into insignificant existence,
like a midnight mist soon forgotten in morning haze,
A grain of sands rolling in the deep,
Spiraling down in a still drift,


A Drop of silence,
watching the starless horizon,
stretching limitless up in heaven,
nothing but the sound of the breeze,
whispering songs of lament and woe

One Soul is Lost

The sky mourns in quiete solitude,
shrouded in dark grey hue,
the sun vehemently refuse to shine,
the wind sings a melody of woe,
and the air cries tears of grief in eerie,
when a fallen angel screams in piercing agony,
of his lost paradise and virtue...


The wave subsides and the wave rises,
The flower withers and the flower blossoms,
The sun shines and the sun sets,
the spring ends, the summer reigns,
There is no end to the cycle of life,
as virtues and vices,
as angels and demons,



Nothing stays immortal and nothing stays fleeting,
yet, when an angel falls in disgrace,
the nature weeps in thunderous roars,
the universe laments in shattering anguish,
for each virtue killed, one soul is lost

A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS

I have just finished reading Khaled Hosseini’s second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Khaled Hosseini's second novel. Similar to The Kite Runner, Hosseini weaves a story of friendship, betrayal,  family, endurance and survival in the war torn society of Afghanistan. This time, the tale centers on two Afgani women who are brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of more than several decades of turmoil and war.  Both women have to endure pain and misery to survive amidst the chaos and cruel male dominance to find their happiness. Mariam and Laila are the heroines of the story  born 20 years apart that builds a deeply moving account of family and friendship to find hope, courage, and faith in their pursue of hapinness. The breathtaking story is set against the backdrop of Afganistan's volatile events in its last thirty years of warfare - from the soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding. While his first novel, The Kite Runner unfolds the story of Amir and Hasan from the time of peace up to the rise of Taliban viewed from male point of view, his latter novel reveals the story of two women from a female point of view. Yet, Hosseini’s profound insight about women position in Afgan already finds the way out in The Kite Runner when he narrates the story of Soraya, Amir’s wife. I think A Thousand Splendid Suns expanded the horizon that had been opened slightly in his first novel, the world of women in Afghan. The novel takes us into a journey on what it's like to be a woman in a country where male tradition hiding behind the stiff religious doctrines to justify their oppression and superiority towards women.

Mariam was an illegitimate daughter of a wealthy Herat businessman, Jalil who had 3 wives and 9 “legitimate” children, with his housekeeper, Nana. His 3 wives were less than enthused when they learnt about the affair. They devised a  compromise to force Nana and her daughter to live in a location where people rarely set foot on the area. They did not want to bring shame to the family. So, it was decided that Nana and her illegitimate daughter should live in a kolba, a poor little hut made of mud. In return, Jalil would supply all their basic needs. Born in 1959, Mariam was raised in a kolba on the outskirts of town. Nana became a bitter often cruel person to Mariam . Innocent of her unwanted existence, Mariam kept thinking that Jalil was a good father as he  visited her weekly and brought her many presents. On the other hand, Nana always made grudges about him, saying he was a coward without respect at all.  Naïve and innocent, Mariam favored Jalil over her mother. Tension between mother and daughter was palpable. Her life centered only around the kolba. Her only neighbors were Mullah Faizullah, her teacher, and Bibi Jo. She received  inconsequential education solely from Mullah Faizullah. Status and education were denied to her due to her illegitimacy. She has learnt hardship and suffering resulted from the betrayal of men since her early childhood. It ruined both Nana's life and hers.

"Learn this now and learn it well, my daughter: Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam", once her mother said to little Mariam. Sadly, she only learnt the truth of the remark later on when it was too late. Nana had killed herself for her disobedience. She went to his father's house despite Nana's strong prohibition. It was an action she regretted for the rest of her life. She was all left alone and learnt the bitterness of his father's betrayal. She had worshiped her father with all her heart, yet he abandoned her. Her own father had rejected her, surrendering to tradition and good name. Eventually, she was given in marriage to Rasheed, an older shoe-maker from Kabul, at the age 15. Her father mainly married her off to remove the embarrassment of her very existence from his world. Rasheed was an ugly, cruel man inside and out. Her husband tore her spirit down with his cruel abuses and dominance. she was forced to wear a burqa against her will. His only concern was to get Mariam bore him a son. When she had miscarriages, he stopped trying and treated her like dirt on the floor. He was a hypocrite. He kept saying that his nimos (honor and respect) require him to order Mariam to conceal her face and body from the world. But he himself sought pleasure in porn photographs. Mariam was naïve and pure at heart. Despite all his abusive manners and hypocrisy, Mariam, like any other women in such male dominance society, devoted all her life for her husband. She was helpless, alone, uneducated, and poor. She could not think of any other option to get free.

Meanwhile, Laila was an attractive girl who lived just up the street. She was born from an educated, liberal parents and enjoyed the freedoms Mariam was restricted from. Unlike other girls during Mariam time, Laila rejected many tradition and restriction imposed by the society. She and her dear male friend, Tariq did routines and habits that often girl was not allowed to do like going to cinema, kissing, etc. She was a liberal at mind. During warlord wars, propelled by despair of separation, they made love out of a marriage. It was an act of adultery and greatly condemned by their society and religion. With a promise that he would return for Laila, Tariq left with a devastated heart. She endured the same pain as well. A rocket destroyed Laila's home with her parents in it upon their preparation to leave Kabul for Peshawar. Somehow, she suffered the same fate with Mariam. She was alone and cast off. It's a fate that brought Laila and Mariam together.

Laila's unexpected pregnancy forced her to become Rasheed's second wife. She deceived Rasheed in order to survive in the harh world where women were always to blame for the all sins committed. She needed Rasheed to protect her and her unborn child. Both were deceiving each other. Yet, it was too late for Laila to realize just how cruel he was. Mariam, bitter and alone, was resentful with Laila's presence. Laila had robbed her of everthing dear to her. She was old and childless. It was a losing war to compete with the young and beautiful Laila. Not to mention that Laila had bore Rasheed two children. Her relationship with Laila started out poorly and got worse. It was after Laila shared her secret that Mariam started to develop a mutual feeling for Laila. Eventually,  their shared victim status and their mutual disgust and hatred for Rasheed had sealed their fate together to fight the tyrant. After an initial rivalry, Mariam and Laila became ally and best friends. Both shared their thoughts and dreams, trusted each other with their secrets and both shared a common enemy, their husband. Rasheed was a hostile and sadistic tyrant at their household. Through Laila and her two children, Mariam found peace and comfort. She found her shattered dreams fixed in them. To safeguard her her dreams, Mariam would do anything, including giving her life a way. She had to help Laila find her hapiness. She would do anything to get Laila and her children in Peshawar to be with her beloved Tariq who was alive and well. It's a sweet sacrifice for Mariam. 

“She remembered Nana saying once that each snowflake was a sigh heaved by an aggrieved woman somewhere in the world. That all the sighs drifted up the sky, gathered into clouds, then broke into tiny pieces that fell silently on the people below. As a reminder of how people like us suffer, she'd said. How quietly we endure all that falls upon us”




The resolution of the conflict between these two women is like a bitter sweet orchestra. It is compelling, riveting and painful that will make readers shed tears to see their suffering and struggle. It's like the readers will get the impression that there aren’t too many happy endings in Afghanistan. Yeah, life in the war-torn Afganistan is hard. Frankly speaking, the story is wrenching the heart. It's beautiful as well as sad. I prefer a happy ending, yet a happy ending is hard to get in the world of Afganistan that is still torn with unrest of civil war :-). War, violence, male dominance society, and ancient traditions and norms had curbed women further into inferiority in Afganistan. Worse, such society justifies their ancient traditions and customs by misinterpreting religious doctrines for their own purpose. It's a beautiful and heartbreaking novel :-) amidst the backdrop of historical settings.

“The Kite Runner “: One Decision That Changes Everything

“I had one last chance to make a decision. One final opportunity to decide who I was going to be. I could step into that alley, stand up for Hassan--the way he’d stood up for me all those times in the past--and accept whatever would happen to me. Or I could run.”




Many believe that life is all about making the right choices. Some are big, life-changing choices, but many are small, day-to-day ones. These choices, small or big, are the hinges upon which the paths of our lives turn. They will define what course we set sail upon. Once awhile, perhaps, we will probably sit down and ponder upon one choice we take that set our life on a completely different course than if we had chosen one of the other options available to us. Making a life choice and decision is the most difficult thing to do because it brings consequences to our future. One wrong choice might turn your life into a twisted end. It is such exertion of making the right choice that is sourly portrayed in The Kite Runner, a novel by Khaled Hosseini.

Amir, the leading character in the novel, had made a fatal decision that changed his whole life forever. Instead of defending Hassan, his childhood friend, he chose to abandon him into a disgrace. He chose to run away, an act of cowardice. Unable to face his shame, he further devised a wicked scheme to get rid of him and his father. After all, he was a Pasthun, a major tribe in Afghanistan, and Hassan the Hazara, the minority tribe in which the two tribes are divided by race and religious mainstream, Sunni and Shia. He was the master and Hassan, the servant. Despite the betrayal, Hassan did not develop any signs of hatred for Amir. He took the blame of thievery to protect Amir. For Amir, Hassan would always say “for you, a thousand time over”. The nature of their friendship is forever altered.



The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman from Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. Hassan continually demonstrates loyalty, honesty, and courage to Amir. Every time Amir was bullied, Hassan stood by him to protect. It is described clearly how seeds of hatred grow and develop among the tribes in Afghanistan back then. Thus, the friendship between Baba (Amir’s father), Rahim Khan (Baba’s closest associate), with Ali (Hassan’s father) is regarded absurd and bold. It’s against the prevailing norms. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.



Despite their different tribe, Amir and Hassan grew up together. They fed from the same breast and learnt to crawl together. They spent their days in a peaceful Kabul, and enjoyed doing anything together. They used to play hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, and they loved insect torture. They took strolls together through the parks and saw many movies together. One of the most memorable times that Amir and Hassan shared together was underneath their pomegranate tree on top of a hill. They climbed the tree and Amir read many stories to Hassan since Hassan was illiterate. Amir had carved on tree the tree "amir and Hassan, sultans of Kabul.” It was Hassan who helped Amir to choose the path of his future career while Amir had only taken advantage of the friendship. He made fun of him whenever he had the chance, but Hassan never took it to heart and still perceived Amir as his best friend.



Baba loved both in a kind of different ways, leading Amir to suspect his father favoring Hassan. In Baba’s eyes, Hassan was physically and mentally stronger than Amir. While Amir was weaker, he never stood up for himself. Amir loved poetry, something that Baba believed was not normal for a young boy. Hassan’s father was was brought to their household by Amir’s grandfather, a judge, after his parents were killed by two drunken men. The judge raised Ali with his own son. Ali became a servant as well as a good friend to Baba. Amir’s mother died in childbirth. Therefore, Amir had the feeling that his father despised him because he was the reason for her death. He craved for his father’s love and blamed Hassan as an obstacle. Meanwhile, Hassan’s mother, Sanaubar, abandoned him after gave birth, to follow a gypsy life. Ali loved Hassan so much. Father and son was so close and full of love. Such relationship was absence in Amir’s that nurtured a constant jealousy within him. Baba was always critical of Amir and did not support his ambition in writing. However, he found a father figure in the form of Rahim Khan, who understood Amir better, and was supportive of his interest in writing stories.

An incident took place while the boys ran up the hill they used to hang about. They were ambushed by three older Pashtun teens led by Assef, a hostile teen with sadistic tendencies and a follower of Hitler. Assef was the son of another rich Pashtun family who was also the friend of Baba. He regarded Hazara as minority group that should be eradicated from the land. On critical moment, Hassan stood up to defend Amir with his slingshot. As always, he was always be the bodyguard of Amir. Assef swore an oath, he would seek revenge. This incident would foreshadow an event that occurred later in the story in which Amir and Hassan’s lives were changed forever



During the prestigious kite tournament held annually in Kabul, Hassan had prepared everything to ensure Amir’s victory. He used his birthday present kite to compete, and directed Amir to beat all the other kites. It was Amir’s chance to win over Baba’s love for if he won he would acquire pride and glory. The last cut kite was the great trophy of the tournament and whoever got it would got pride and glory. Amir cut the last kite and Hassan chased off the kite for Amir, saying “For you a thousand time over" before he ran.

Hassan, the kite runner, went off searching for the kite, and got ambushed by Assef and his two comrades in the dead alley. Assef was determined to take his revenge. He gave Hassan two options: Either he gave the blue kite or received something bad. Hassan refused to give up the kite. Meanwhile, Amir was worried since Hassan hasn’t returned for long. He looked for him and finally stumbled upon the alley. He stood paralyzed in his hiding place to watch the horror. Amir saw the blue kite behind the back of Hassan; he protected the kite from the one person that he hated the most. He saw how Assef and his gangs molested Amir sexually. He turned his back on Hassan out of fear. He took the path of a coward. “I opened my mouth, almost said something. Almost. The rest of my life might have turned out differently if I had. But I did not. I just watched paralyzed.” He had betrayed the person that once stood up for him; the one person who was willing to do anything for his sake. It was a wrong choice he regretted for the rest of his days. It altered his friendship with Hassan forever.



Ashamed of his cowardice, Amir further devised a wicked scheme to get rid of Hassan for good so that he didn’t have to face him anymore. He falsely accused of Hassan of thievery. To protect Amir, Hassan took the blame for he would always love his friend. Ali eventually took Hassan away from the Baba’s household; it was no longer a safe place for his beloved son. Baba was devastated. Henceforth, nothing stayed the same. Amir’s fatal choice had ruined not only his life but also of those dear to him. After the Soviet invaded Afghanistan, Baba and Amir sought refuge in the United States (US). Their once prosperous life began anew from zero. Yet, no matter how far he went away, the nightmare of the betrayal haunted him constantly.



It’s not until twenty years later; Amir had the chance to redeem his sins and betrayal. After Taliban took over Afghanistan, Amir got a phone call from from Rahim Khan -the best friend of Baba. Rahim Khan told Amir "There is a way to be good again" as if he knew what happened to Hassan that night. It was Rahim Khan who revealed of his father’s secret; Hassan was actually his step brother, born from the same father. Rahim Khan said that there was a child that linked him to Hassan. The child was the key to redeem his past betrayal. The past could not be changed or altered to how he wanted his life to end up but Amir had one chance to make things right. Sohrab was an orphan falling tragically into the hands of one of Taliban leaders. He had suffered sexual abuse and unimaginable cruelty. The boy was trapped in war zone war, a lamb in the lair of the lions. The boy was in dire need of rescue just like Hassan who once waited for a help, a help that was denied to him because Amir run way cowardly. Amir had been given a second chance. Rahim Khan offered him to make the right choice, to redeem his betrayal to his step brother as well as his Baba’s towards Ali. It was a choice that could set him free inside. It was a choice that was likely to be paid by his life by entering the war torn Afghanistan, his homeland that he had deserted 20 years. His choice would eventually bring him face to face with his old nemesis, Aseef. Would he run again and turn his back? Or would he rush to the kid’s rescue and put his life on the thin line of death? And what was the link of the kid to his past? Well… the readers should continue reading the novel to know the ending of the story.

It’s a great historical fiction to read. It’s a story that compels the heart to ponder and experience how it feels to live a life with such a great burden of betrayal. Further, it also makes us see the other sides of life in Afghanistan before and after the wars. The colorful picturesque of Afghan before the war where Baba took Amir and Hassan for sightseeing was just beautiful in description. We are also forced to see how sometimes religion is twisted and manipulated to justify the cruelty for the sake of an individual or a group. Injustice and inequality of the majority towards the minority (like the case of Pashtun with Hazara) had created deep rooted hostility and wars. Such cases can be seen clearly on daily basis. Why can’t we live side by side regardless of color, race, and religion? In reality, we see many Aseef and perhaps many Amirs, Babas or Rahim Khans but such pure heart like Hassan is a rare gem to find.

Every decision we make, every path we take, will foreshadow our future. We are confronted with choices on daily basis in life, and we struggle to take the right ones. Sometimes, we make mistakes and then we are given second chance to make amends. It’s the choices we make and the actions to translate that choices that will make who we really are, not the blood that run within our veins. So, choose carefully, for you hold responsible for every choice you take.