Eric Buffington's Blog, page 5

Teacher Challenge #22

Telling a kid they can be anything in life, when I know they actually believe a Zombie Apocalypse is coming.

Traffic Signs

I saw a sign the other day, "Absolutely NO TRUCKS!"

I'm guessing that out there somewhere a truck driver is saying, "it didn't say absolutely no trucks, so I thought I would be the exception."

Book Review: Codex of Light

Codex of Light is a well-written fantasy novel by E. P. Stein about two very unlikely travel companions running for their lives from danger after danger as they traverse the harsh Bereaved Desert.

The protagonist, Dallet, is a student of religion with no skills in battle. He is charged with delivering a Codex, a sacred religious book with powers for those who read it, to the Brass Gates. On his way his caravan is attacked and (spoiler alert if you haven't looked at the cover of the book) he is taken as a slave to a drakin, named Torak, a half dragon, half human. This brutal drakin is trained for battle only and keeps Dallet alive for the status he will gain by having a slave.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is well written. For example, I loved how Stein describes the sun, at the beginning of the novel, working its way across the sky, finish its day of work etc. Small details like this make it a unique and interesting experience to read this book. I was actually a little sad that the book didn't end with the sun taking a break after a long day of work.

I also like how there are multiple societies, races, religions in the world Stein has created. This gives a more real feeling to the entire story. As we discover the Drakin culture through Dallet we learn it as he does, so it doesn't slow down the story telling, but gives the reader information as needed.

I love to see character growth in a novel and we get that with Dallet. He is not your typical protagonist and we see his weaknesses as he bends to the will of his master. This gives him room to grow, and also makes him a character with depth, which is great to see. On the other hand we also see Torak, his drakin master, change a little as time progresses, but it is not as obvious as it is all from Dallet's POV.

In a book I love a good solid ending. This has that! It hints at what is to come, but gives us a good solid story with beginning, middle and end. When we reach the final pages of the book, it feels like we have come to the end of one journey, but there are future journeys ahead which sound pretty exciting!

I would recommend this book to high school aged or older. I think they would appreciate the complex world Stein has created more than younger readers, the violence/threats of violence might be a little much for younger readers, and there are also occasional mentions of sexual encounters although it is done very tastefully, and never in detail (example: It mentions that one woman visited a different tent each night on their caravan travels), for some younger readers it might go over their heads, but I think it is targeted at the older range of Young Adult.

I was given a copy of this book by publisher for review.

Codex of Light Book Description

Long ago, the Silver Empire brought an end to the Kingdom of Lumin, and drove the Lumineans from their high city of Tashavet. Still true to their traditions however, the Lumineans have not been undone. They live among the Dan’din of the new Imperial Commonwealth, keeping hidden the few, precious codices which hold the secrets to the powers of the Divine. 

Young Dallet has been studying his whole life to become a cleric of the Divine, and dreams of one day marrying his childhood sweetheart and taking over the care of the Luminean Shrine in his small town of Zelf. In order to be initiated on this path he will need to read one of the ancient codices under the guidance of an experienced cleric. It is an honor, although a surprise, when he is tasked with transporting one such codex across the Bereaved Desert to the capital city of Brass Gates. The journey will prove to be treacherous, and Dallet’s oath to protect the Codex of Light, even unto death, will prove to be a challenge that tests all of the values Dallet has ever held to be sacred.

Discovery

It would be fun to discover a new kind of plant or animal, then you could name it anything you want.

Like Jim-picks-his-nose Fern

Or

Randy-kissed-me Frog

I would forever have the last laugh as scientists throughout the world try to keep a strait face while teaching their eager students about my discoveries.

Fire Eyes Awakened Release

It's July 20th! Release date for Fire Eyes Awakened!

Check out the event by clicking here on July 20th

​Release party for Fire Eyes Awakened, new epic fantasy novel from R.J. Batla Author!

There'll be several different authors taking over the event, each with their own special prizes! eBooks, Paperbacks, and Signed Paperbacks will be up for grabs!
Whit McClendon, Tom Fallwell, Jason J. Nugent, and Jason A. Dimmick will be hosting.

Others donated some prizes, which will be given away.

Thanks to Brandon Barr and Joshua C. Chadd!

Drop by and have some fun with some great authors!


Fire Eyes Awakened
Jayton Baird worked for years to save enough for his powers to be Awakened, becoming a Senturian. Protectors of Terranum from the terrors on the West Side. This power comes with a price - Jayton becomes the most powerful Senturian Awakened in a hundred years. And the most feared.
With an invasion imminent and a death sentence over his head, Jayton is chosen to fight in a gladiator style tournament to prevent a potent weapon from falling into the hands of an enemy bent on conquest. A team of elite warriors escorts him on the trek fraught with danger.
Can Jayton and his team survive long enough to complete his mission, or will the dark power burning inside consume him? 

A New Toy

None of the kids will play with this great outdoor toy I bought for them. It has a handle with levers, and moving parts, you can use it to pick stuff up in the grass, specifically dog poop... Why am I the only one who gets to play with this fun new toy?

Summertime

All school year long we fight to get Matthew out of bed, and during the summer, guess who is standing at my bedside at 5:30 ready to start his day?

Facebook Book Launch Event With R.J Balta

R.J. Balta, Author of Against the Beast is having an event on Facebook on July 20th for the release of his second book, Fire Eyes Awakened!

Anyone who attends will be entered to win 10 free e-books and 3 signed paperback copies!

I'll be posting the link for the event when it is live on the 20th!

Before it was cool!

I did stupid stuff as a teenager before Youtube made it cool!

Totally ahead of that curve! 

Guatemala

Being an author is wonderful in many ways, one way is that the extra income has funded some humanitarian work that I have been able to do with my family. This past year we made our third humanitarian trip to Guatemala, through Family Humanitarian Experience, and it was amazing and very different from previous years. This year we were asked to be the leaders on the trip. As it was a small group of twenty seven, my wife and I were the only official group leaders, although we did get a lot of help from some of the wonderful people on the expedition, and our in country coordinators.

This year we were able to continue work building a school, start making a dam to get clean water to a village, deliver Days for Girls kits to three remote villages, fix school desks for children, and deliver school supplies and teacher training to a school in need.

​Through these trips I have learned so many things, I want to share some of them here with you:

1. Education and opportunity: On our first trip we met with a man from Guatemala City. He had an SUV and drove us up to a nearby volcano so we could hike it and roast marsh mallows over an active volcano. It was an amazing trip. On our way back, I asked him what made the difference between having a nice car, and living in poverty. He very quickly responded, "Education and Opportunities." It is often hard to see that distinction in developed countries but the more I have thought about this the more I see wisdom in his words. In most developed countries, each person has access to a public education. The quality of education and the opportunities and obstacles for each person can be vastly different, and often we don't appreciate the education and choices we have. For many of the people I worked with on these trips, being able to 'choose' what they wanted to be when they grew up was a choice with only one option. Those with an education, and training had three or four choices, and they felt lucky.

2. Wealth and happiness are not even in the same equation: Some people say that wealth does not equal happiness, but now I think those two elements are completely separate. I've seen people with wealth be very happy, and very sad, I've seen people who are very poor be happy and sad. I've seen children have more fun playing with a stick or a rock than american children do with the latest device. Happiness is much more closely connected with expectations than it is to what we have. If we expect everything, nothing will ever satisfy us. If we expect nothing, any little thing can bring us joy.

3. The difference we make: Two years ago I hauled large crates of trees up a steep mountain trail with groups of youth, then we planted the trees for a reforestation project. Three of the five work days I spent planting trees. The wonderful young people I worked with were positive, hard-working and tough. The next year I was told that all the trees we planted died. Every single one. I wanted to make a change in the ecosystem in Guatemala. I wanted to provide wood for their fireplaces, and trees for their forests, but instead what I did didn't change the Guatemalan landscape one bit. But the service we gave changed the youth I worked with and it forever changed my heart. I often think of this when I don't see the results I expect from the work I am doing. Perhaps the difference I make is more for me and my progression and learning than anything else.