Where Are The Jinn?

Jadoowallahs, Jugglers and Jinn by John Zubrzycki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Magic has long been the mainstay of India. Jugglers, conjures and tricksters line the street performing their stunts in order to get you to part with your hard earned money. India has long been considered by many to be the home of magic.

From the beginning it is hard to distinguish between a legit holy man who can do things like swallow swords, lay on a bed of nail or walk across hot burning coals and a jadowallah who does the same thing. After all both have similar techniques, pray to the same gods and perform. The same abolutions.

Even Indias rulers were taken with these juggler and jadowallahs. They would often times stroll to the park in disguise in order to see the performers perform their tricks. The relationship between the rulers and. performers gets even more complicated than that. Often times the rulers would invite troops of performers to perform in their court. At other times the performers would be used as spies.

Western interest in the Indian magicians grew under the British colonialization of India. Western audiences were blown away by sword swallowers, snake charmers and jugglers. This lead to promoters promoting the tours of Indian magicians to Europe and the west. Some of these magicians became really well known. Some would not come to the west for fear that crossing an ocean would cause them to lose their. Power. As they came in droves two things happened . FIrst was a sense of sceptisim. Enough searching lead to people discover that some of the Indian magic was tricks or sleight of hand. Other things like firewalking were real but could be explained by science.

Another problem caused by these roaming performer is that promoter would not pay them and often times left them stranded trying to find a way home. This caused lots of problems.

Nowadays it seems craft of the Jadowallah maybe in danger. As the government cracks down on certain practices and destroys the haunts of these magicians one is left to wonder.

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Rise of the Ash Queen

Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Kavolaxian conquest of Astrea was the most brutal thing that could happen to the young princess Theodisius. Watching her mother’s throat get slashed by the Kaiser and his chief warrior Theyn was only the beginning. Kept a prisoner in her mothers palace for 10 years she is forced to endure daily humiliation. Called the Ash princess she is forced to wear a crown made of ash at every royal gathering, she is lashed every time the Astrean rebel against Kavolaxian rule.

After 10 years she is forced to kill her father and that is when the seeds of rebellion are sown. Three rebel sneak into the castle with a plan for her to escape. Lady Thora as she is called at the Kavolaxian court decides to stay to see if she can gather information and sow discord in the castle.

The Kavolaxian are very reminiscent of German Viking and German occupation. They enslave the the Astreans by having them mine for magic gems but the mines can make people go insane. The insane ones are used at Berserkers./ Crazy experiments are performed on the Astrean. THe Leader is called the Kaiser. Kavolaxian come from a Northern land barren with snow. They go from kingdom to kingdom taking them over and draining them of resources . Then they move to another kingdom.

A long the way a love triangle developers. Theodisius falls for both a rebel and the prince. Excitment builds until the final moment.

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Strange Dreams of Weep

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lazlo Strange was one orphan of many in a Great War in Zosmos. Like most orphans he was sent to the monastery and raised to be a monk. Born with mtalic skin that soon turned normal, young lazlo had a vivid imagination and was always playing in the field and dreaming of faraway places. One of his favorite past times was listening to a monk tell stories of a mythical city in the desert called Tizkarin. One day while playing in the fields he realized everyone forgot the city’s name and its existence. Yet he rembered it. It became an obsession. Later on Lazlo becomes a librarian which gives him ample time to do research and prove to himself the city does exist.

One day the opportunity arrives for him to go to the city.The Godslayer comes to Zosmos recruiting people to help them with a problem in the Weep as the city is now called. A huge angel shaped citadel floats above the city. It is a remnant left over from godlike being called Mestarthim. The citadel is made from a strange metal called Mestarthium. The object is to get that citadel removed to the city can experience sunlight again. The Mestarthim basically enslaved the people of the weep. The Godlsaysr killed these godlike being and freed the people. He also killed off the godspawn, hybridized children of human and god.

Five survived in the citadel each with a different magical ability. Some want to fight, others like Sarai want peace. She enters peopl s dreams by expelling moths from her body. She connects with Lazlo. It is here thst Lazlo finds his destiny. Will peace prevail or will there be all out war.

A rich story with a cast of well developed characters. The story is over 500 pages and I read it in 3 days. Enjoy!

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The Essence of Rebbe Nachman

The Essential Rabbi Nachman by Avraham Greenbaum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When it comes to Judaism you cannot beat the spirituality of Rebbe Nachman. This book is a primer meant specifically for the beginner or someone just newly exposed to Rebbe Nachman. If course those more familiar with his works can glean some benefits as well. The author gives a biography of Rebbe Bachman along with a compendium of his books and works.
The book renders his teaching on a while variety of subjects , including prayer, serving hashem , repentance and a host of other subjects.Rebe Nachmans spirituality is Crystal clear, direct and simple. His philosophy is one of joy and optimism. His formost command is to always be joyous. One must never give up hope because of you can damage then you must believe you can fix. No sinner is even so low that Hashem will never forgive them for Hashem is there even in the lowest pit of hell. Worried about your lack of focus while praying then never fear. Just do the part that resonates with you while davening with intent. For that part of the prayer resonates with your soul. Why do families fight? Because parts of their soul that resonates with the different nations. Different nations fight.
The book also tells several of his stories. They tell a lot like faery takes but they convey a certain meaning. Many of them will tell how it is important for the Jew to bind himself with the tzaddik. The tzadik knows how to fix the soul and is the one who leads his chassids or followers to the her after. Rebbe Nachman introduced some new practices that are really useful. The first one is hisbodedute this is like freestyle prayer where you pour out your heart to Hashem. You tell Hashem what is troubling you, what is in your mind and how you plan to improve. In fact the Rebbe believed you should write your own prayers and even base them in Torah lessons. Another practice is the general remedy. You say 10 of certain psalms as a remedy for problems.The Rebbe was keen on waking up at midnight to say tikkun hatsote. This is mourning for the beit hamikdash. Rebbe Nachman was buried in uman in a Jewish cemetery where the martyrs of a massacre are buried. It is a big thing for his followers to go to his grave on Rosh Hashanah. Rebbe Nachman will alwAys intercede for his followers.

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Dark Twisted Tales

Occasional Beasts: Tales by John Claude Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is dark and I mean really darker. It makes reading Stephen King, Clive Barker and HP Lovecraft like reading an innocent fairy tale for children. The book is compromised of some of the most eeriest short stories I have ever read. If horror is your thing then this book is for you. A word to the wise ,none of these stories have a happy ending.

In this world there are dark things that have only threw vilest and most evil intent for mankind. Some of it lies beyond the veil and some of it is right under our nose. Stories like the glove deal with aliens possessing humans for a time to explore our planet. When an Alien child is kidnapped the whole of humanity could be compromised. Enter a psychic investigator to find it in the nick of time. Innocent dandelions which are so good for your liver could end up to be man eating plants that will feast on you for all eternity. Several stories take place in a small town , always beware of small towns you might never be able to leave. That was the case in the story about the dandelions and in the last story Jeff goes to a broke down town where every one acts like schizo drug addicts. They are changed by the land lord.

The characters themselves must deal not only with the horrors that they are experiencing but also their own personal issues. Many struggle with drugs and alcohol. Some are in abusive relationships lie the one where the poet turns into a beast and eats her boyfriend. People come in but they do not come out. Dark twisted stories like this will more than chill. Your bones but dark stories like this never become classics because they scare and freak people out too much.

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