Review:
It’s not very often that I read a novel and find references to the Philippines or its culture (the last one I read a few months back with links to the homeland was Daniel Brown’s Inferno). As a Filipino, it’s always intriguing to read how non-Filipino authors see the Philippines; what they particularly think is interesting to warrant a mention in their books; or at the very least, as in the case of Brown, to help along in concocting their plots. I’m often not sure if authors do indeed spend time at least to go (or live) in places like Manila to offer a first-hand view of what it truly is like or do they just base it on news they’ve heard perhaps on CNN.
The Philippines, unfortunately, have been portrayed in most media as corrupt, poor, filthy – almost primitively backward. The moviedom’s phase of craving for ‘slum porn’, popularised by gems like Slumdog Millionaire, has propelled places like Manila as interesting places to weave stories through. As proof, Manila’s overcrowded slums were the focus of climactic scenes in The Bourne Legacy.
It was with a deeper gusto then that I read through N.K. Richard’s wonderful book, “Black Hearts, Gold Warriors”. Richards himself has spent a good amount of time living in the Philippines and has married a Filipino wife, which gives him enough credence to write about Filipino places and people.
“Black Hearts, Gold Warriors” was a delight to read through – able to hold you in its exciting tentacles with enough action, plot progression and moral core. The story centers around Jim George, an Australian and the anti-hero with a taste for adventure and gold – the kind that one finds in buried war treasures. Jim is a professional archaeologist, but his taste for treasures spiralled out of control and plunged his life into ruin.
Jim becomes a treasure hunter, and ironically, becomes the hunted as more powerful adversaries with insatiable greed complicate his sorry existence. But this is not another run-of-the-mill Indiana Jones yarn, though it would be natural to compare it with such genre. We would meet Jim at his lowest, a wretched pimp in Manila’s red light district. His life would take a turn though, as he would be given another chance at life. Here, at his life’s crossroads, he would meet his apsara, the beautiful Jorani, a Cambodian survivor and French-speaking archaeologist.
They’re thrown together by different circumstances into another treasure hunt cum archaeological find in the jungles of Mindanao. Their ultimate decisions on life and love would either mean their destruction or salvation; or for Jim, a chance at redemption. Only the strength of his resolve, his wit and his remaining strength will see him (literally) dig his way out of his grave and finally rid him of his arch-enemy.
“Black Hearts’ twists and turns would take you to other Asian locations, and meet a host of colourful yet believable characters: a murderous Vietnamese mob boss, a gay Russian paedophile thug, and a Japanese sensei, among others. It’s also fun to read through a mob of Pinoy personalities – Richards has seemingly characterised them with a certain degree of accuracy. You can almost hear the unique inflections in their tones, the Tag-lish conversations and the peppering of humour. Richards has captured the admirable (or terrible) minutiae of the Pinoy culture: the food, the funny dialogues, the clothes and yes, the corrupt political environment. There were parts here that were hard to dismiss as just fiction, ergo the hideous massacre event in the late chapters, as those events are in fact happening in real-life in Mindanao.
Richards has provided a thrilling ride through the chapters, and has managed to bring its plot to a satisfying conclusion (there’s a “Breaking Bad”-like moment in there, which I enjoyed). Altogether, “Black Hearts, Gold Warriors” was an easy, enjoyable read. It is the second in the series, and I would be looking forward to the third and final part of this trilogy.
4.5 stars out of 5.