My Panacea to Erudite Readership

I must confess, my affair with Mr Rollins began in an unpromising manner. I bought a secondhand copy of Map of Bones in a Pay Less bookstore. I think one reason I grabbed the book was because it was mistakenly placed next to Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose, and that day the bookstore had a Two for Ten promotion. So, I bought it and read Eco's novel first (that review will come next) and neglected Map.

One week later, I decided that I need to take a moment away from books. Rose had to be read during a long break: I finally conceded to a friend's advice. But my mind still craved for words and adventure. Map was there, and I reached out to read it.

Three hours later, by golly, I finished it. By the end of the three hours, however, I know I was hooked with the world of Sigma Team, DARPA, the Dragon Court, and the world of the hidden histories. Map of Bones was, surprisingly, regarding one of the most iconic and enduring figures in Christianity who confirmed the divinity of Christ: the Wise Men from the East, or simply The Magi. The men appeared out of the east, saw a star, freaked out Herod -who in turn massacred babies (known as Massacre of the Innocents) - found Jesus, gave him the three presents, then simply vanished out of history. Their bones, however, were scattered across the Christendom, one of them being kept in a church in Germany. Here the story really begins rather gruesomely.

How Mr Rollins connected the yarns between the Magi and the dark world of bio-terrorism was like going through an old documentary programs called Connections. He finds connections in the unlikeliest of places, but eerily they make enough sense, you sometimes have to re-think your view on the world.

The latest book of his that I have finished, The Last Oracle deals with the concept of genetically engineered prophets who would either bring about the end of humanity or lifts it up from its current stagnation. By now, I have come to expect the action coming from any of Mr Rollins's books, but here was what I had been waiting for: the resurrection of a very dear character. I don't know whether Mr Rollins was pressured to revive this particular character or otherwise, but I am thankful that he did. Without this character, Pierce Gray would have been a Rambo with brains and no sense of humour.

So, with that aside, I'm going to read both The Doomsday Key and Altar of Eden. Mr Rollins finally settles into the world he knows best in the latest book by crafting a story around a veterinarian. We'll see how both books pan out. Until then, wish me well!

World Drug Campaign

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We have suffered enough without drugs, why let it control our daily lives? Fight temptation and embrace life.