Entering a world where myths are NEVER MYTHS... by Love Esios

When I was a little kid, I was very fond of listening to my cousins talk about the tales of the creatures that thrive within the darkness. We would usually sit in a circle with only one candle illuminating the room and I would let myself drift into their stories thinking whether it's real or not.  I guess I always ended up believing their stories because I would always find myself seeking for my elder cousin's company when going to the toilet after a session of myths and ghost stories. Despite being terrified about these tales, I still enjoy hearing and reading stories about aswang, manananggal, duwende and kapre. But what if all these things we believed to be untrue turned out to be real after all? Sounds absurd, yes, but this unsettling possibility is what this book's trying to get across.

Naermyth book cover from goodreads.com

The first time I saw Naermyth in the bookstore, I felt a strange contradiction about it. It captured my attention and I even thought it could be an interesting read, but then, I felt it's not a worthy purchase. Maybe deep inside of me, I think it's very corny. I have read stories about Philippine mythical creatures but I haven't actually read a novel with that storyline and I don't think someone can pull off a good book out of that concept as well. So instead of buying it at that time, I simply ignored it and went to the English Novels section.

After a few months, a colleague rushed into my cubicle and urged me to read a book that she founds very riveting. And guess what --- it's Naermyth! So I guess we were really fated to spend quality time together after all.

Naermyth is a story centered in the survival of human race in the fictional Philippines being controlled by every mythical creature we have ever heard of in Philippine horror stories when we were kids. A country being governed by duwende, aswangs, kapres and the like? How twisted is that?! In the novel, you would be introduced to the main protagonist Athena (also known as Aegis) -- a cold-hearted, independent young woman who is one of the many highly-skilled people trained to kill Naermyths -- monsters and creatures that were "never myth". These people are called Shepherds and they are tasked to protect the remaining human population in the war-struck country against these creatures that are hunting them down to extinction.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations when I started reading the novel. But then, I just found myself wishing I got a lot of free time to continue reading and turning the pages. There were some scenes that I find predictable, though. Nevertheless, Ms. Karen Francisco showed that she has a knack on combining fantasy, suspense, thriller and action into an engrossing, well-written novel that will surely leave you craving for more. It makes me proud to know that a Filipino author has a lot of potential to be an international-caliber writer and yet keeping her work very Pinoy.

I guess I just want to say that I loved it. I really do. And I fervently hope that somewhere out there, Ms. Francisco is pulling her hair trying to figure out how she'd finish the second book because for sure, I'm gonna buy it once it's published!

Allow me to do the honor of giving my first 10/10 cups of latte rating for this amazing book. ^____^




PS: It's about time to support our Filipino authors. Dystopian and fantasy novel readers, go check this out before the Naermyths take over!

It's Not That Complicated -- ang babasahin para sa mga Alien! ~ by: Uel Ceballos

Kung ihahalintulad sa isang pagkain ang akdang ito ni Eros Atalia, ang akdang sumunod sa naunang sulating "Ligo na U, Lapit Na Me", ang "Its Not That Complicated" ay isang malinamnam na putaheng kumpleto sa mga rekado at siksik sa sustansya. Pagpapawisan ka sa paghigop ng mainit nitong sabaw na bahagyang pinalapot upang maging masarsa at mag-iwan ng kakaibang lasa sa iyong dila na hinding-hindi mo malilimutan. Pihadong mapapasabak ka sa walang humpay na paglantak sa hain nitong napakamalamang sangkap hanggang sa tumirik ang mga mata mo at maghabol-hininga ka sa rurok ng iyong kabusugan.

Muling pakikibutin ni Intoy ang natutulog niyong puso, pakikislutin ang nanlalamig niyong mga ugat, paaagusin ang nagsesebo niyong dugo at pasasakitin ang nanahimik niyong puson sa muling pagtatagpo nila ni Jen na ngayo’y may kasama pang Tina.

Sila Jen at Tina ang mga alien na sumugod at nanggulo sa buhay ni Intoy hindi upang manakop kundi upang makihati ng saglit sa mumunting mundo ng binata at magbaon ng kapiraso nito sa kanilang pag-alis. Ang kapirasong iyon ng mundo ni Intoy ang gagamitin nila Jen at Tina upang lumikha ng panibagong mundong kanilang pagyayamanin.

Higit pa sa akdang pang-romansa ang It’s Not That Complicated dahil bukod sa likas na pangingiliti nitong taglay ay may hatid din itong nanunundot na paksang magpapasilab sa iyong kaalamang panlipunan. Kumbaga’y hindi lamang nito pauusukin ang tenga’t ilong mo, kundi puputungan ka pa ng bombilyang nagniningas ang liwanag.

Nakakatawa man ang mga linya ni Eros, may angkin namang itong talim na nakalilikha ng malalim na hiwa. Malaya nitong paaagusin ang dugong namuo na sa sobrang tagal nang hindi pagdaloy. 

Nababagay ang prosang ito sa mga alien sa sariling bansa ng sa gayon nama’y makilala na nila ang Pilipinas sa totoo nitong kulay at kalagayan. Baka sakaling magkainteres ang mga Pilipinong alien na ito na magkaisang agawin ang pamumuno sa mga mapagpanggap na nilalang (na silang totoong mga alien). Kapag nangyari iyon tuluyan na nilang masasakop ang Pilipinas at mapagyayamang muli hindi na bilang mga alien kundi mga totoong Pilipinong inangkin na rin sa wakas ang sariling pagkakakilanlan.