Darkborn Messiah
Rating: 3 out of 5
"But real happiness lies in the joy of the struggle. In the hardships that forge you like a masterpiece of steel. You need to give in to the struggle, so that you may flourish. But give into the worldly property and bodily desires, then this world will devour you piece by piece, until you are nothing but an empty shell. Useless, worthless and soon enough lifeless."
Wealthy family man William was not as happy or satisfied with his life as he appeared. No amount of money, privilege or popularity was enough to extinguish the anger and misery inside him. In the midst of profound depression he was questioning the meaning of existence and the way of the world. There was something terrible and beautiful inside him, growing, prospering, and consuming his soul. Only after meeting a beautiful demon named Milena, who guides him on a journey through time and space hell-bent on grooming him to be the messiah of the future world, will he find the answers he seeks. But his metamorphosis is no easy task and the road to enlightenment is paved with desolation, pain, suffering, and inner demons.
"There is no evil; there is no good, there is only power."
Can I just start by saying that no book has ever made me feel as dumb or dense as this one did haha. I'm still not sure that I understood the full message of this book. It's probably one of those if I read it 5 times I'll have 5 different experiences with it. The author has a very interesting narrative style, it was witty and critical all at the same time. The author had no qualms about showing the inconsistencies and problems inherent in the systems we live in. I struggled a lot in the first chapter to see the connections, but I think by Chapter 2 the whole tone of the novel had shifted dramatically.
"But all live in denial. In denial that things can change."
The author showcases William questioning the point to life very frequently. Even though he is successful and should be happy; William is battling extreme depression and suicidal thoughts. His only reason for living appears to be his children, which form the sole basis of his identity. Milena shows William two vastly different versions of himself; and in each one some aspect of the system he has supported is a culprit that causes severe distress to his life. Each experience causes William to further question the norms of society as they exist. And to confront the issues within the world that we live in. Ultimately, it seems that William comes to understand that people are compliant because the system is rigged to keep them that way.
"You will see that in the world we live, some fights cannot be won. It doesn't matter whether you are decent, honest or wise. Because the game is rigged to a point where only the house wins."
The book argues that things should be equal for everyone rather than designated by the elite. The author seems to feel that the way to achieve this is for the media, money and religion to stop being used to divide people. Rather people should live together in harmony. I feel like the book did a great job of addressing modern issues but the solutions presented were a bit eccentric and unrealistic. Of course who really knows if I understood this book right haha. I would love to hear some other thoughts on this one.
