After Lambana (Book Review)

In diwata high! 

I feel like I am still in between the real and the magical and haven't quite emerged from it just yet. 

You see, after seeing Eliza Victoria's early promotions for After Lambana a few years ago, I patiently waited for its release---especially since I read her Fairy Tales around that same time. It is a short story that Ms. Eliza contributed to Daily Science Fiction, an online magazine. You can read the short by opening this link.

Going back, I won't spill any spoiler and will just exclaim that it's worth the wait! Ugh. Okay, fine, I'll provide a summary to give you an idea. After Lambana is a speculative fiction about a Philippine society where magical and nonmagical beings coexist---the former being discriminated against by anti-magic laws imposed by humans.

Featuring: Diwata, sirena, magical spontaneous diseases, and all-around badassery!

I was stoked when I first thought After Lambana was going to be a novel and was ecstatic when I found out that Ms. Eliza collaborated with Mervin Malonzo, the creator of the comic book series Tabi Po and one of my favorites in the Philippine komiks scene. It was such an amazing team up that I couldn't help but squeal in excitement every time they posted an update.

They launched the graphic novel in this year's Komikon, and pauper me wasn't able to go again. So instead, I ordered online via Visprint and resigned myself with an unsigned copy. *Sob

As always, Ms. Eliza's story line is brilliantly told. I am once again transported to this world she created and am left floating even after flipping the last page. Wooh. I also love Mr. Mervin's vibrant colors for this project. It is different from Tabi Po's dreamlike, almost nostalgic vibe but still emanates the lines and style that are uniquely Mervin Malonzo.

As you well know, I seldom write book reviews, so I don't really know how to end this. Heh. All right, I'll just paste the online order info and preview link that Ms. Eliza provided in her Facebook page:

E-mail bookorders@visprint.net.FREE DELIVERY NATIONWIDE (Philippines only) until December 15.
AFTER LAMBANA
Graphic Novel
Published by Visprint, November 2016
Story & Words by Eliza Victoria
Art & Book Design by Mervin Malonzo
PhP 500
Read the first 50 pages: http://salimbalcomics.com/chapter/after-lambana-preview
Visprint, our publisher, will handle book orders and delivery, so best to direct all questions and concerns to their Facebook page or their e-mail.

Post script:

This contains a little spoiler, so forgive me. Heh. Rose, the spontaneous disease in After Lambana, is strangely reminiscent of Terrorium's flora invasion. XD

Note:

Terrorium is one of the stories found in Beyond, a creative collaboration featuring Manix Abrera, Mervin Malonzo x Adam David, and Harvey Tolibao.

Of Memory and Apathy

The amazing and sad thing about Filipinos is we forget easily. It might have been a form survival mechanism, but it's detrimental to our awareness and progress as a nation.
One good propaganda is enough to misdirect the masses, worse brainwash them. Just look at how we continually elect criminals to public offices. Look at how we glorify and idolize them.
And what of our apathy? It's frustrating and disturbing how some would dismiss the blatant evidences, exposing murder and human rights violations for what they believe as "economic progress." I know this is too idealistic to some, but no fucking infrastructure or economic improvement is enough reason to take human lives.