Ralfi Pagan is a Puerto Rican singer known for his smooth, soulful voice. One of his most popular songs is "Just One Embrace From You". The song was released in 1969 and became a hit on the Latin charts. The main idea of the song is the power of love and the desire for human connection. Pagan sings about the longing for a single embrace from a loved one, emphasizing the intense and transformative effect it can have on a person's life. The lyrics of the song are heartfelt and emotional, reflecting the deep yearning expressed in Pagan's vocals.
“The burned hand teaches best. After that, advice about fire goes to the heart.”
Modesitt made his impressive hardcover debut, breaking out in wide scope and grand scale with a novel in the great tradition of the war between good and evil in a wonderful fantasy world. The moral and ethical dilemmas that he faces illustrate the fine lines that separate the two, and show just how easy it is to fall down what turns out to be an extremely slippery slope in either direction.
The lyrics of the song are heartfelt and emotional, reflecting the deep yearning expressed in Pagan's vocals. He sings about how one embrace can heal the pain and loneliness felt by the protagonist. The song captures the universal feeling of wanting to be loved and held by someone who truly cares.
Review: The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
The Magic of Recluce (The Saga of Recluce #1) by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed from library
Formats available: hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook
Genres: epic fantasy
Series: Saga of Recluce #1
Pages: 501
Published by Tor Books on May 15, 1992
Purchasing Info: Author's Website, Publisher's Website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Bookshop.org
Goodreads
Young Lerris is dissatisfied with his life and trade, and yearns to find a place in the world better suited to his skills and temperament. But in Recluce a change in circumstances means taking one of two options: permanent exile from Recluce or the dangergeld, a complex, rule-laden wanderjahr in the lands beyond Recluce, with the aim of learning how the world works and what his place in it might be. Many do not survive. Lerris chooses dangergeld. When Lerris is sent into intensive training for his quest, it soon becomes clear that he has a natural talent for magic. And he will need magic in the lands beyond, where the power of the Chaos Wizards reigns unchecked. Though it goes against all of his instincts, Lerris must learn to use his powers in an orderly way before his wanderjahr, or fall prey to Chaos.
My Review:
“The burned hand teaches best. After that, advice about fire goes to the heart.”
The above quote is from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, but it could equally apply to the way that all of Lerris’ teachers operate in The Magic of Recluce. They all want him to think for himself and learn for himself, and not expect answers to be handed to him. At the same time, it is all too easy to sympathize with his position that they all already know, and why won’t they just tell him already!
And on my hidden third hand, it is clear that while their desire for him to learn things for himself is reasonable, they don’t exactly give him the building blocks from which to start. He’s 15, he’s exiled from the only home he’s ever known, and no one has bothered to really explain why.
All that he knows is that the endless striving for absolute ORDER bores him to exasperation. And that no one can be bothered to help him make sense of it all. There are always secrets within secrets, and cryptic answers within enigmas. He doesn’t even know that his own father is a High Master of Order until long after he has left the boring, orderly paradise that is Recluce.
But speaking of order, this is also a story about order vs. chaos, and the need to maintain the balance between the two. Lerris is actually kind of right in that pure order can be boring. Recluce is the bastion of order, and seems to be needed to balance the untrammeled chaos outside its borders.
However, while in this world it seems to be easier to create evil through chaos than through order, the fact is that both order and chaos, taken to their extremes, are bad. If that sounds familiar, it is also one of the premises of the Invisible Library series and of the Shadow War that was so much a part of Babylon 5. Unchecked chaos is ultimately destructive, but unchecked order leads to tyranny. Neither is particularly good for humans.
It’s up to Lerris, in his journey of training and discovery, to figure out where he belongs on that spectrum between order and chaos. The moral and ethical dilemmas that he faces illustrate the fine lines that separate the two, and show just how easy it is to fall down what turns out to be an extremely slippery slope – in either direction.
Escape Rating A+: The Magic of Recluce was the first book published in the author’s long-running Saga of Recluce. As such, it carries the weight of the initial worldbuilding that is needed for all of its prequels and sequels. However you may feel about reading series in publication order vs. the internal chronological order, this feels like the place to start.
And I fell right into it. I didn’t so much read this book as get absorbed by it. I started one night at dinner and finished the next afternoon. All 500-plus pages later. It’s a good story that keeps twisting and turning until the very end – and, I think, beyond.
Lerris’ story is both a coming-of-age story and a coming-into-power story. At the beginning, he doesn’t know who he is or what he is. He doesn’t even know there is a who or a what to be discovered – and that’s his journey. His internal doubts and fears, his constant questioning of what his purpose is, along with all of his very human frustrations, make him a fascinating character to follow.
What he does eventually realize, after fits and starts and mistakes and catastrophes, is just how equal, opposed and opposite chaos and order are – and how necessary the one is to the other. And that both sides are more than capable of deciding that the ends justify the means.
In the end, Lerris strikes his own path – by doing the best he can with what he has and what he knows – and often by ignoring what he doesn’t – occasionally with disastrous results. But in the end, he discovers or embodies that necessary balance even if it hurts. Because the person who is usually the most wounded is himself – every single time.
His journey is the making of him, and it’s the making of an utterly marvelous story as well as a terrific beginning to a fantastic series.
In celebration of the release of Outcasts of Order, the OMG 20th book in the series, The Magic of Recluce and the following two books in the series are being re-released with new covers this fall. (The panorama view of the three covers is below, and it is gorgeous!) After falling in love with this series, I have a lot of catching up to do. And I can’t wait!
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Pagan's delivery of the song is filled with passion and sincerity, further amplifying the emotional impact. His smooth vocals are perfectly suited to convey the longing and vulnerability expressed in the lyrics. "Just One Embrace From You" is a timeless song that continues to resonate with listeners today. It serves as a reminder of the power of love and the comfort that can be found in human connection. Pagan's soulful rendition and heartfelt lyrics make it a standout in his discography..
Reviews for "Ralfi Pagan's 'Just One Embrace from You': The Perfect Song for Relaxation"
1. John - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Just One Embrace From You" by Ralfi Pagan. The song lacked originality and creativity. The melody was repetitive and the lyrics were generic. It felt like I've heard similar songs a thousand times before. I was expecting something fresh and unique, but this track fell short of my expectations. Overall, it was forgettable and not something I would recommend to others.
2. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I couldn't stand "Just One Embrace From You" by Ralfi Pagan. The vocals were off-key and the production quality was subpar. The lyrics were cliché and lacked depth. It's like the artist didn't put much effort or thought into this song. It sounded like something you would find at the bottom of a bargain bin. I couldn't wait for it to end. Definitely not my cup of tea.
3. Mark - 2/5 stars - "Just One Embrace From You" by Ralfi Pagan didn't impress me at all. The melody was unoriginal and the instrumentals felt uninspired. It lacked any memorable hooks or catchy elements that could have made it stand out. The vocals were average at best and didn't do justice to the potential of the song. Overall, it was a forgettable track that failed to leave any impact on me.
4. Emily - 2/5 stars - While "Just One Embrace From You" by Ralfi Pagan had a decent melody, I found the overall production to be lackluster. The song felt repetitive and didn't offer anything new or exciting. The lyrics were generic and didn't resonate with me. It lacked the emotional depth that could have made it more engaging. The whole listening experience was underwhelming, and I wouldn't recommend it to others who are seeking something more impactful.