Friday Fiction Fix: "Perelandra"

5/5 Stars, Favorite

It really surprises me that more people don't know about C.S. Lewis' space trilogy. I guess I'll have to do my small part in the world to rectify that. Seriously, if you've ever wished to read another Chronicles of Narnia that was slightly less strict allegory and more geared toward adults, this is what you've been looking for.  

While Perelandra is the second in the trilogy, it's not necessary to read the first book (Out of the Silent Planet) to understand the story. (In fact, I would recommend picking up either this installment or That Hideous Strength, the final book first, unless you really enjoy science fiction). 

Ransom has been summoned by the angels to go to a distant planet as Maledil's ambassador. Unlike Malacandra, this new planet is in the beginning of its life cycle, filled with new life and possibilities. Those possibilities have also beckoned the forces of evil, however, and he soon finds himself arguing-even fighting-for the heart, soul, and very future of an entire race and planet. Will this new humanity fall as Adam and Eve? Or will it stand? 

This imagination of the Temptation and Fall struck me to the core and continues to grow every time I read it. Lewis, as always, manages to weave a story of surpassing beauty and depth of thought. It's a book to be chewed on thoughtfully, not devoured. 

Recommended to: Fans of C.S. Lewis or fans of science fiction who enjoy theological themes woven through their books.

Sequel Review: "Cry of the Raven"

Hey there, folks! Sorry it's been so long. Life was a little crazy in the fall, but COVID-19 has provided a good opportunity to get back into the blogging and reading world. Now, more than ever, I feel that people could use some great book recommendations. I hope you enjoy!

5/5 Stars

This is the third and final book in The Ravenwood Saga and provides a satisfying ending to a stellar and captivating series. Morgan L. Busse does an excellent job throughout the series of blending together fantastical action, unique story-building, and themes of redemption and forgiveness. I would highly recommend this series to fans of Christian fantasy. If you haven't read the rest of the series, I'll direct you to my reviews of the first and second books before proceeding below.

Selene Ravenwood has finally come into her full power, but nagging self-doubts, the lurking shadow of the Dark Lady, and her own past continue to haunt her. Will she and Damien be able to hold back the Empire, even if it means working separately? And will the two of them be able to navigate the struggles in their own relationship and move past their differences to be able to keep moving forward?

This is an excellent conclusion to the series, though I have to say that it didn't touch me as deeply as the first two installments. I can't put my finger on precisely why, but don't let that hold you back from picking up the series. It's well-written and imaginative, and this certainly is a suitable ending to it. 

Recommended to: Teen and up fantasy fans who enjoy romance and supernatural powers.

Hound Dog Harmonies: "Anchor"

Song: "Anchor"

Artist: Skillet

Album: Victorious

Genre: Rock/Metal

Selected Lyrics:

Drifting beneath the horizon
Body is weak but I'm trying
To make it to shore, but I'm falling short
I need You more
Wave after wave, I've been sinking
So unto Your promise I'm clinging
You say that I'm strong, to You I belong
Keep holding on

You are my anchor
So steady me, steady me now
You are my anchor
You're keeping my feet on the ground
In angry oceans, You've never broken through
Every wave of the storm

Discussion:

My last Hound Dog Harmonies post featured the mellow sounds of The Gray Havens. This week, we swing the other way to Skillet's heavy metal jams. (Hey, I've never claimed to have consistent music tastes.) I honestly can't believe I haven't featured Skillet on the blog yet, though, in hindsight, their lyrics tend to be a little less deep than say, Theocracy. 

"Anchor" is probably my favorite song off of the new Victorious album that came out a couple months ago, mostly because it came at a perfect time in my life. The album released just a few weeks before my dog was diagnosed with lymphoma. The past month has been hard emotionally and mentally as I've had to make a lot of decisions regarding what exactly I want to do about his cancer and reconciling myself to the fact that he's not going to be around forever. This whole album, but especially "Anchor", has been the soundtrack to my life throughout that time.

I really enjoy the lyrics of this song because they focus me back on Christ and His consistency. I tend to rely on my dog for my main source of companionship and comfort, but even he's transient. Christ, however, won't abandon me, even when I'm drowning. Even when the world seems to be shifting around me and all my best laid plans have been stripped aside, He's there to steady me.

I would highly recommend the whole Victorious album if you enjoy a taste of heavy metal with some lyrics that you can feel comfortable listening to. My other favorites off the album are "Finish Line", "Never Going Back", and "This is the Kingdom". 

I also have to give a hat tip to Skillet lead singer John Cooper and his comments on how the church tends to elevate emotions and celebrities over the Word of God and how that can be a problem.The Christian Post did a nice article on his comments and their context a while back. He's a little forward, but I largely found it a refreshing take on Christian pop culture. 

Movie Review: "Tolkien" (2019)

Well, here's to wrapping up the 2019 Tolkien Blog Party hosted by The Edge of the Precipice. Many thanks to Hamlette for hosting such a wonderful party again this year!

4/5 Stars

I had originally intended to see this movie in theaters, but I couldn't find anyone with whom to go, so I decided to wait to watch it until it came out for rental. I can honestly say that I felt I didn't lose much by waiting; while the movie was enjoyable and even touching, it wasn't something that I felt I needed to see on the big screen. 

Tolkien focuses on the author's early life from the time his family moved from Africa back to England up through the start of WWI. While I was initially disappointed by the fact that we didn't get to meet the Inklings (including C.S. Lewis), the scope of the film was appropriate for the run time. 

Like all biopics, the film does take some liberties, at least according to critics that I could find. (I haven't done extensive reading on his life, so I had to take the word of some people on the internet). Mostly, it seems they added a few scenes for dramatic effect and shuffled a couple points around in the timeline. Overall, though, it seems the film did a good job sticking to the general facts of his life. 

The movie does lots of flashing back and forth between Tolkien's time as a soldier in the trenches and his earlier life and childhood. I'm not overly fond of this sort of format, but it worked well in this instance, serving to build tension throughout. 

The film mostly focuses on Tolkien's physical life, rather than his imaginative works. However, for those familiar with his writing, you can see how life events might have shaped the legends of Middle-Earth. (Ex. Edith dancing in the woods as inspiration for Luthien). Unfortunately, the film sidelines his Catholic faith and its role in shaping his stories, choosing to spend much more time on the friendship he forms with his classmates and his courtship of his future wife. I don't think it was necessarily a bad choice; nevertheless, it was mildly disappointing. 

I would recommend this movie as an enjoyable way to pass the time to anyone who has a mild to moderate interest in Tolkien's life or works, though someone who has an extremely deep interest may want to seek out a more traditional biography.

2019 Tolkien Tag

It's that time of year again! I'm pleased to present my answers to Hamlette's Tolkien Blog Tag as part of her Tolkien party over at  The Edge of the Precipice. Hope you enjoy!

Would You Rather...

...join Thorin's Company or the Fellowship?

I would have to say I'd rather join Thorin's company. While defeating a dragon is no small task, carrying a character-warping object into certain defeat seems like a horrible way to start off my questing career. 

...ride Shadowfax or an eagle?

I've always wanted to fly, so Eagles for the win! 

...travel through Moria or Mirkwood?

I detest spiders. Let's go with Moria. 

...learn to make elvish rope or mithril chainmail?

I mean, either would be cool, but elvish rope seems like something I would be more capable of learning how to manufacture. 

...try to outwit Smaug or Saruman?

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure that I could outwit either of them. Smaug's reasoning seems to be a little more susceptible to flattery, but being roasted alive seems rather unpleasant. On the other hand, Saruman has a rather wicked twist of thought, and if I lost, maybe it would just be better to be burned to a crisp instantaneously.

...spend an hour with Grima Wormtongue or Denethor?

Denethor might be the more dangerous of the two when it comes to manipulation, but he feels less, well, slimy, than Grima. Maybe I could get Denethor on a diatribe about Boromir and avoid too many overly probing questions.

...attend Faramir's wedding or Samwise's wedding?

Seeing as Faramir and Eowyn are my favorite LotR couple, I would have to pick theirs, even though the hobbits might have better food. 

...have to care for the One Ring or the Arkenstone for a day?

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I feel that the Arkenstone is less dangerous than the One Ring. Thorin is also far less terrifying than the Nazgul. 

...have tea with Bilbo or Frodo?

I think I would have to choose Bilbo. He's a very homey, cheerful person in my mind, whereas Frodo seems to be more the tragic hero type. 

 ...fight alongside Boromir or Eomer?

I've only ever ridden a horse once, so I think I would be less of a hindrance to Boromir on foot,  though I prefer Eomer over Boromir as a character. 

Are there any answers you feel strongly about? Which Tolkien character would you like to spend a day with?

Blog and Reading Happenings

Unlike the last half dozen blog updates, I won't be promising to write more frequently, as that seems to induce an unexpected hiatus. But here's an update on a couple of things you can expect to see in the coming months, as well as some books I'm excited about that don't fit in with the overall blog. 

7th Annual Tolkien Blog Party

This will be my fourth year participating in Hamlette's fantastic blog tag and overall Tolkien celebration. It's one of the highlights of my blogging year. Be on the lookout for one or two additional Tolkien posts that week as well. 

Exciting Releases

I've been a fan of Pastor Wolfmueller for some time now. I give him and Pastor Jonathan Fisk credit for me having an appreciation for theology and the liturgy and being key influences in the development of my faith. I've been looking forward to this book since he first mentioned it on his Youtube channel. The book is set to release on August 27th.

You may recognize the name of Kathy Tyers from the Firebird Trilogy that I can't seem to be quiet about. (I really ought to adjust my rating from 4.5 stars to a favorite; I keep coming back to it).  I have not yet read this separate sci-fi installation, but I do look forward to it. If it's half as good as Firebird, I'm sure I'll enjoy it thoroughly. 

Recent Readings

Dracula, by Bram Stoker

This was the latest in my quest to read some more "classics"/ "books everyone ought to read". Surprisingly, I enjoyed it quite thoroughly (I really have no desire to read about vampires, romance, or suspense, so the fact I enjoyed says something significant about the quality of the novel). The novel is framed as a series of journal entries, newspaper clippings, and telegrams written by the characters, which lends it an interesting perspective. Don't read it at 2 o'clock in the morning when you're on overnight shift unless you thoroughly want to be creeped out, but it's worth the read for the sake of the prose and suspense. It's also an interesting study in how the role of men and women has changed in lit and how religion can be a central point in a story without it being overwhelming. 

The Inheritance Cycle, by Christopher Paolini

I read this series pretty much every summer. This year, I've taken to listening to it on Audible. (Amazon made me buy it, I swear!). Gerard Doyle does a marvelous job narrating the story, especially when it comes to different character voices. If you're really into audio books, I would highly recommend Audible, even if you end up unsubscribing after a few months; I've been able to purchase the books at under half price.  

The Butchering Art, by Lindsey Fitzharris

This was entirely an impulse buy when I was on a history of anesthesia kick. As usual, the surgeons get all the glory, but this was an interesting historical read nevertheless. If you ever have issues with how healthcare is run, you can find more than one reason to be grateful for how far medicine has progressed in the past two hundred years within this work. It's incredible to see how our understanding of germs, antisepsis, and surgery itself has evolved in so short a time. Fair warning: only read this if you have a strong stomach; it can be pretty medically graphic at times. 

The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis

Speaking of Pastor Jonathan Fisk, he recommended this in a video a while back, so I picked it up to fulfill a Lewis deficiency in my life. I enjoyed it, but if you asked me to explain the main concepts, I would tell you that I need to read it again before I really understand it. (That's partially fueled by the fact that I read it on an overnight shift waiting for the phone to ring; my reading comprehension is not so good at those times). I look forward to revisiting it in the future, hopefully when I'm a little less sleep deprived and can more fully appreciate it and process it. 

What have you been reading lately? Are there any new releases you're waiting on?

Hound Dog Harmonies: "Sirens"

Song: "Sirens"

Artist: The Gray Havens

Genre: Folk/Pop

Selected Lyrics:

One taste of the sound
From the sirens in the water
And I'm thinking I should get out
The sharpest sword and suit of armor
So I can be ready to strike
But I pause, one more time
One last taste of the sound
Then I'll cut these sirens down
But as they sang, I forgot
They were death, so I brought them my heart
To be filled, and I followed them...

Hold on, my heart
You once were full and sang of grace...
You've tasted joy that's more than this

Discussion:

I've been on a Gray Havens kick lately. Their more laid back sound and thoughtful lyrics have been just what my heart has needed after a couple of crazy weeks.

This song in particular has become one of my favorites over the past few years as I've been listening to the group. The daily struggle against sin is something that ways heavily on my mind and heart from time to time and this song gives me words to voice how it feels when I'm struggling against something in particular. (And when I feel terrible about falling again and again, I follow this one up with "Storehouse"). The imagery of the sirens coming up and arming yourself to defeat them, only to stop mid-stroke to listen one last time always gives me pause.

I just discovered the music video for the song, but you can also find it on Spotify or your other favorite music outlets.

What's your favorite song when you're struggling with temptation?