The Wallace House of Pain by S.M. Stevens; Muted Rage (The Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardians Series Book 2) by G. Russell Gaynor; In Search of Cognizance by Nabraj Lama

The Wallace House of Pain by S.M. Stevens

One of the best books that I read last year was Beautiful and Terrible Things by S.M. Stevens. It was a witty and insightful character study about a group of six friends: Charley, a bookseller, Xander, a political activist, Jessica, a financial analyst, Sunny, a solar energy systems sales associate, Terrence, Xander's fellow activist, and Buwan, an artist. The novel covers a period of several months where the friends face various personal internal conflicts, such as new romances, family drama,and shifting careers, and political external conflicts such as racial profiling, immigrant xenophobia, and income inequality. It's a wide reaching novel that covers various topics but also brilliantly captures its six protagonist’s traits, characteristics, and eccentricities that make them stand out as individuals and part of a group.

Stevens reentered that universe with the short novel, The Wallace House of Pain. Instead of an expansive novel about many things and having six leads, this one is shorter and more intimate focusing solely on one character. 

This time the lead is Xander Wallace himself. The short novel covers six chapters in which Xander brings each friend to his Conservative parent's house for dinner. The contrast between the fiery opinionated Xander, his rigid uncompromising father, Jim, his placid demure stepmother, Kathy, and his iconoclastic diverse friends is quite apparent.

Since this story is more compact, we get a closer look at Xander's background and experiences and how they contributed to his lifestyle and decisions in the novel. He is someone who saw a lot of artifice and superficiality. A home with plenty of affluent creature comforts but an inability to live his truth. He loves his parents and vice versa, but feels like he has to play a role for them.

 Xander can't discuss his work in any meaningful way. While he voices his political opinions, it can be very draining as he, and his parents especially his father, talk circles around each other never coming to an even ground. Xander has to hide his bisexuality, his political involvement, and even his name (His friends call him, “Xander” while his parents call him, “Alex”). Xander can't be his authentic self as he hides parts of himself from his family.

Much of Xander's real self is revealed by the family’s conversations with his friends. Terrence connects to his commitment to political activism. Sunny represents Xander's sexuality and gender identity. Jessica is indicative of the passion and talent that leads to finding a gainful career. Charley reflects his emotional and social connections with others. Buwan reveals Xander's self-expression and creative thinking as he uses his activism to shape the world into a better, more idealistic place with actual racial harmony and equality. 

Through the short novel, the larger aspects of Beautiful and Terrible Things are referred to particularly a Black Lives Matter protest that is a central climax in the previous novel. Xander's friends and his real self can no longer be denied as he reveals the real him to his father and stepmother, bisexual Liberal environmental social activist and all. He is able to be the open honest authentic person that we saw in the novel and be that person to his family.

The Wallace House of Pain is a small thread in the tapestry of the larger work but a very important one.

 

Muted Rage (The Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardians Series Book 2) by G. Russell Gaynor 

In The Blind Smith, the first book in G. Russell Gaynor’s The Forge Trilogy in The Shadow Guardians Series, tech billionaire genius John James “J.J.” Moore is severely wounded and rendered blind in an attack that kills his security team and his lover. He is recruited by a secret organization of spies and assassins and obtains the code name, “Augur.” He is able to use his new found abilities and organization to seek vengeance upon his enemies, including traitors to the organization.

The second volume, Muted Rage, elevates J.J.’s status significantly within the organization. Instead of being the rookie student, J.J. is now actively recruiting and training new members. His latest recruit is Sonya Bocharova, a Russian deaf woman. He sees a lot of himself in her. Her arrival can't come at a better or worse time because their enemies are closing in and ramping up their attacks.

This volume focuses primarily on action and plot which works well in the Political Spy Thriller subgenre. Sometimes the various characters and sides are disconcerting because it's hard to tell who is with which organization. Readers and characters are conditioned to be on the lookout for traitors and double crosses so just because someone seems on one side doesn't mean that they are going to stay that way. Sometimes it's a surprise twist but mostly because everyone is so suspicious, have ulterior motives, and live in worlds of morally gray, it's to be expected. Betrayal is the most logical step in their development.

The action also serves as a means for the various sides to show off their intellect. In the first book,  J.J., was playing 3-D chess while everyone else is playing checkers. In this book, everyone else is playing the same game of chess. Every character, including J.J., is trying to outfight and outsmart each other. As one organization gets an advantage, the next one fires back and so on. It keeps the Readers invested with its suspenseful tone.

While action is the primary facet to this book, there is some time for insightful characterization particularly in J.J.’s evolution from fresh newbie to hardened veteran. He was always somewhat arrogant in the previous book, though he had moments where his naivete was noticeable. There were also times when his conceit cost him dearly.

In this volume, J.J.’s character ascends to frightening levels. His Authoritarian streak is more paramount. Now that he is leader, his leadership style is iron will. In one chapter, one of J.J.’s colleagues calls him out on his personality and J.J. answers in a way that suggests that he is unapologetic and will only get worse. It raises the possibility whether in a future volume, characters may be driven to stop John James Moore rather than work with or for him.

So far though, J.J. still shows some glimmers of kindness. This is particularly noticeable in his dialogue with Sonya. They have a great deal in common, both have disabilities that they have or are in the process of using to their advantage as assassins. They both carry a lot of grief and anger.

 J.J. is at the point where he can guide someone else to channel that anger and put it to good use and Sonya sees a higher opportunity to protect others and unleash vengeance. With the help of sign language and technology that allows them to communicate, the two come to an understanding and partnership, perhaps even a friendship or more.

The action and lead characters help Muted Rage act on many of the things that were hinted at in the first volume. It prepares and keeps Readers in suspense ready for the next one.

In Search of Cognizance by Nabraj Lama 

It has been my pleasure to work with Nabraj Lama on his book, In Search of Cognizance. It is an evocative and insightful travel book about journeying to find a practical and spiritual path.

After a period of stress, frustration, and unanswered questions, Lama received a position from The Sacred Himalaya Initiative: Sacred Landscapes and Sustainable Futures. The project focused on studying and documenting the relationships between ecology and religion focusing on sacred spaces like Mount Kailash, a place that he studied on his own. The urge to travel to the Tibetan mountain consumed him so he decided to visit it. Lama had two objectives for the journey: to complete the project assignment and pursue a personal quest for spirituality. He describes this trip as one of “self-discovery and growth, as well as an exploration of the interconnectedness between humanity, nature, and the divine.”

This book is both rich in sensory detail and deep in spiritual meaning. It fills the senses with physical descriptions of the landscape and soothes the brain and emotions with its themes of connecting the physical plane with the spiritual. 

Lama’s gift for description is noticeable as he recounts the various settings before him. For example, he referred to Humla as “a hidden gem within the Himalayas (that) boasts breathtaking natural beauty, ecological diversity, and a rich cultural tapestry…a living testament to nature and culture.”

“With its towering green cliffs, cascading waterfalls, bountiful herbs, swift rivers, mesmerizing landscapes, and dense forests, Humla is truly remarkable,” Lama wrote.

The places that Lama and his companions visited were indicative of the countries and the people. One of the places that they visited was Dharipuri, a fish-shaped rock that according to legend were once a pair of real fish that transformed into rocks. When Lama observed the rock, he was struck between the obvious difference in the Tibetan and Hindu communities and the contrast of the downstream where fish were present and upstream where they were not. “The reasons behind the cultural and ecological divide remain elusive, but the fish-shaped rocks will forever stand as a testament to the mysteries of the region,” he said.

Besides places, Lama is adept at recounting the people that he encountered on his journey. His traveling companions, local villagers, officials, and hospitality workers are richly characterized. Among them was Ram Bhakta Sunar, a luggage handler. He owned three mules that carried tourist's luggage from one point to another. He cared for them so they provided for his family. During the off season, Ram let them run free in the forest and only retrieved them for work. He had goals such as wanting to get married at age 19 and one day have a family. Learning about Ram gave Lama some insight to what life was like for villagers, especially the ones that were dependent on tourism and the local environment to survive.

During the trip, Lama and his colleagues witness local concerns such as conservation, poverty, and the pinch of authoritarianism. Nowhere is this more prevalent than when they entered TAR, China. The travelers were ordered not to carry any items related to the Dalai Lama, wander off, enter, or take photographs of anything that they weren't allowed to. They were forbidden from bringing notebooks, books, cell phones, or other controversial items. It's a stark reminder that when traveling to other countries, one must be aware of the land around them and be careful when observing laws and regulations. 

The places that they visited reflected the local culture and folklore. Among those are the sacred lakes, Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal. Rakshas Tal is called the Lake of Demons and its black waters invited legends and stories that it was once frequented by demons. Manasarovar is considered sacred waters and is revered by various religions. It is believed that the waters purify the souls of those who bathed within it. 

The two lakes show the transformative power between the physical and spiritual world, that folklore is often used to describe nature and nature is often used to augment local lore.

Like many long travels, Lama writes about the problems which can occur. There was physical pain experienced by Lama and other travelers (particularly one woman who had menstrual pain while climbing a steep path). There were times where the groups separated and couldn't find each other for awhile. Of course there were times of complications like getting lost, missing a hostel, personality conflicts and all of the usual problems associated with travel. 

One of the most meaningful complications which led to some important lessons occurred while walking along the Dolma La Pass. It was a narrow but crowded path where travelers, locals, and animals teemed along the path. Lama opted to take small steps and opted for shortcuts rather than get in people's way. He was happy to see people helping each other, guiding, or pulling one another down the path.

 Lama himself decided to go through great effort on the path. He crawled through a narrow passageway to test his karma. He finally reached Mt. Kailash Kora to pay his respects, meditated, sang, and shared camaraderie with his companions and other visitors. The struggle of going through the pass was just as important as the destination of Mt. Kailash Kora. Lama said that the kora stands “as a powerful testament to the enduring human spirit and our unwavering pursuit of personal growth and self-realization.”

The trip was one where Lama wanted to seek spiritual fulfillment. His journey to Mt. Kailash gave him more than that. He wrote that he gained fulfillment and enrichment from this journey. 

Lama had “a newfound sense of serenity and inner peace, reflecting on the transformative experiences encountered along the way,” he said. “…The return journey transcended the physical realm, evolving into a deeply introspective and emotional endeavor… I realized that this voyage had left an indomitable mark on my soul, forever changing perspective on life, spirituality, and the power of nature.”

The journey allowed Lama to confront his fears and anxieties.He recognized kindness, respect, gratitude and selflessness that transformed his life and those around him. He recognized the interconnectedness of humanity, nature, and the divine. The experience gave him a stronger sense of purpose and spirit which he continues to share as a Research Scholar at Lumbini Buddhist University, and his articles and books on spiritual and cultural topics.

Lama's book shows Readers that the natural world can be the key for one to reconnect to the metaphysical world and to achieve mental, emotional, and spiritual clarity and peace.