Saturday 30 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: Z for Zen

It has been awfully difficult to figure out a post for Z. I was thinking of going for ZZZ (sleep) but that was just weird. I’ve got nothing to do with animals (zoo) or even chaos and disorder. So I figured I’d go with zen, in the “peaceful and calm” meaning of the word, and give you a little excerpt of how and where Yosua finds some peace in the midst of the storm. 


Chapter 7 excerpt

The next few days pass in a blur. In the early mornings, before the castle wakes, I find myself sneaking out to the market, Relka trailing behind me. Relka has taken to sleeping outside my bedroom, no matter how many times I tell him I’m fine, I just need to be alone. I do need to be alone. I need to light the censers, to let the incense rise to heaven, to scream out my anger and fear and weariness to Kudus. I need to pray over their souls, releasing them to Kudus. 

O Kudus, please. Grant me strength. Grant me peace.

The Tawanan are a form of peace, if only because of their familiarity. They congregate in the northwest corner of the market, where several have set up their own stalls. I’ve visited them often enough during ‘market inspections’, just to see how they’re doing. 

The first morning I appear after my parents’ deaths, Uncle Dan stares at me wordlessly. He’s thin and grizzled, looking like he hasn’t slept in days. We’re not related by blood, though I call him Uncle. He was one of Ayah’s closest friends in Maha, always coming in and out of our quarters. I lift my hands, shrug. He nods and puts me to work. Relka gawks for a moment before he too gets ordered about. It takes Azman half an hour to blaze in, two Royal Guards on his tail, in a panic. Uncle Dan shakes his head but ignores their presence, as does everyone else, eventually.


###

And that's a wrap for the A to Z Challenge! Thank you for surviving this whole month with me! 

Every year, I say this is too much, I'm never going to do it again, but...I obviously can't keep myself from it for too long. I hope you've enjoyed this little peek into the Absolution series. If you'd like a look at an earlier form of this series, you can check out my 2018 challenge posts. hahaha. I believe Yosua had yet to exist, Mikal was still called Adam, and this book was supposed to be about Rahsia. *snort*

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Friday 29 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: Y for Yosua

Of course, a whole blog series on The Tale of the Hostage Prince has to talk about its main protagonist by name at some point! 

Yosua ayell Garett, in my head, is a bit of a walking contradiction. Putting aside the rags-to-riches, slave-to-prince narrative, Yosua is soft, innocent, and sweet, and often overly trusting of family and friends. Yet at the same time, he’s had to learn to be hard, crafty, suspicious, and street-smart in order to survive in both Maha and Bayangan. 

My original envisioning of Amok was to split the POV between Mikal and Yosua, but I eventually decided that making it Mikal’s story made more narrative sense. But I’d already fallen in love with Yosua enough that I had to give him his own story, hence this book that doesn’t quite fit within the overall series arc. 

Trivia:

Yosua is named after the most prominent Sultan of Terang. It’s noted in Amok that after Raja Muda Mahmud performed his penance and fulfilled the Covenant of Salt, “A new priest-king, the famous Sultan Yosua…ascends the throne with a Secretkeeper wife. It’s the first and only time that the leadership of all Terang was concentrated in a ruling pair.” It’s this fulfilment of the covenant with Kudus that grants Terang their magical powers. 

Interestingly enough, this is also what pushed Harett Baya to leave, bringing those who don't believe in Kudus out from Terang to form his own kingdom of Bayangan: “There are fantastic sea battles up and down the straits accompanied by dramatic declarations, until Harett finally convinces Sultan Yosua to leave them alone.”

Here are a couple of reviews from readers who probably love Yosua as much, if not more, than I do.

Sholee’s Sphere | Mermaird 


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Thursday 28 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: X for Xenophobia

Xenophobia is the fear or hatred of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange. And as we’ve seen throughout this month’s posts, xenophobia runs (not so) subtly through The Tale of the Hostage Prince, whether it’s the Bayangans’ inability to fully accept the Tawanan back into society or the way they reject their young “foreign” ruler’s efforts to effect changes in the law. 

It comes back down to emigration and exile, and the whole idea of being a foreigner even in your homeland. 

In many ways, it also mirrors the complex relationship I have with Malaysia. “What makes one a Malaysian?” is a question that has been explored many, many times, with varying conclusions. Because the obvious one, being born in Malaysia to Malaysian parents, sometimes doesn’t seem to be enough in light of your race or religion.  How can one be xenophobic against people you grew up amongst?

And yet, some can. Because we live in our own comfortable bubbles.   



###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Wednesday 27 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: W for War

What Yosua wants is peace. What Uncle Jeffett wants is retribution.

It feels like war always wins, violence always wins. There is only so much you can do in peaceful protest until it feels like you need to strike back if only to protect yourself. 

And so Yosua cannot step down because he knows that the minute he does, Uncle Jeffett—or whoever he backs—is going to restart the war.


Chapter 2 excerpt

“So tell me, Han, which am I? The frog under the tempurung? Or the one afraid of the rain?” I raise an eyebrow at him, leaning back so I can watch both his face and his hands.

“Neither. It wasn’t meant as a statement.” He has the grace to look a little guilty. “I wasn’t, Yos. I wouldn’t. You’d never invite me back again and then where would I be?”

“Living it up in Maha, I suppose. Or playing raja in the kampungs around Bayangan.” 

“Honest, Yos, I wasn’t mocking you. It was just a funny story!”

I sigh. “I know that. But only because I know you. Because you’re my friend. You are my friend, aren’t you?”

“Of course!” He looks affronted. 

“I don’t know, Han. I don’t know anymore. Are they my friends or are they just trying to curry favour? Is Az always with me because he enjoys my company, or because he’s my guard? If he’s guarding me, is it out of altruism and goodwill or to preserve his family’s standing? Do you pass messages between Mikal and me because you are a trustworthy courier and my friend, or because you want money and a way to blackmail me?”

Han looks horrified. “I think you should renounce the throne and go back to living a normal person’s life.”

“I…I can’t.” I bury my face in my hands.

“You can’t or you won’t?”

“I can’t and I won’t.” I gather my courage to look up at him again. He’s got curiosity written all over his face. I’m relieved that it’s not judgement. “Who else is there, Han? My father has refused the crown and my uncle has retired to his estate. If I step down, there’s not only going to be great unrest in Bayangan, but whoever puts themselves forward will probably start another war with Terang and we’d be right back where we started. I won’t let that happen. I can’t.”


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Tuesday 26 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: V for Vibes

I’ve been pretty stumped about what to write for V, so I figured I’d go for the vibes.

Unfortunately, it seems I never made a musical mood board for The Tale of the Hostage Prince at any point in the writing process (there’s one for Amok), but I think maybe this one might fit.




###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Monday 25 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: U for Uncle Jeffett

I have a lot of conflicting feelings about Uncle Jeffett. On one hand, he’s obviously the Villain (or at least Antagonist) in this story, because much of what he wants is in opposition to what Yosua wants. Yet at the same time, what they both really want (even though they can’t agree as to how to get it or what it should look like) is peace and prosperity for Bayangan. 

The thing about Jeffett is that he has ultimately shaped Bayangan a great deal just by being the one to hold the kingdom together when their Raja was killed and the Raja Muda (Garett) was taken away. If anything, he deserves a little honour for what he did in the past, even if his current actions rub against the grain. 

Here’s a snippet from Amok, where Permaisuri Layla—Garett’s younger sister and the reigning queen of Bayangan at the time—explains what Jeffett has done for her and Bayangan. 


###

Amok, Chapter 9 excerpt

Note: this scene is in Mikal’s point of view; Ayahanda in this scene refers to Mikal's father, Sultan Simson

Bayangan soldiers come and go, piling up treasures from the houses they’ve plundered, bringing in children in chains. 

“Why are you doing this?” Ayahanda asks, breaking out of his stupor at the cries of a young girl. “Why do you do this, Layla? Take out your revenge on me. Let the children go.”

A soldier strikes him on the mouth. “Show some respect!”

Ayahanda spits out blood. 

Permaisuri Layla stands over him. “Why should I let the children go? Did you let our children go? Did you spare any of our people when we cried for mercy? You took our children, our young men and women, leaving us with nothing.”

Ayahanda drops his head. 

“As you held them to the fire, so we will hold you to the fire. I should kill you and leave your son behind bereft and orphaned like you left me, but I’ll not make the same mistake you made. I won’t leave behind a child who will come for revenge. By the time I’m done with Maha, it will be nothing but ashes. No one will be left to avenge you.”

Then why leave me alive? Why not just kill me?

Garett places a hand on her shoulder. “Layla, please—”

“No, Garett, I will not be placated. I want them both to suffer. I will have my revenge for what they have done to me, for what they did to you.”

“Layla, nothing good will come of this.”

“You weren’t there, Garett. You weren’t there having to bury our parents, having to bury our brother. You weren’t there for the devastation of Bayangan. If it weren’t for Jeffett, I wouldn’t even be alive. He took me in and raised me as his own—then restored the throne to me. Don’t tell me what I can or cannot do, not when you have given up your right to the throne. Not when you’re a coward who has tied yourself to this spineless pretender. What is he now? He hides behind his god and his witchcraft and his spirits. Cut off his hair and what do you have left? A shell. Not even a man!”

Garett flushes and looks away. “I did what I had to do to keep our people alive.”

“You gave in. You even let him name your child after them.” She throws a disdainful glance at Yosua, who’s watching from a distance.

“You changed our family name—”

“To honour Jeffett Ishi, the man who saved me. Who stewarded Bayangan back from the brink. You gave up everything.”

“What would you have had me do? Sacrifice a name or sacrifice a people? A name is a small price to pay for peace.”


###

Early in The Tale of the Hostage Prince, when Yosua admits that he has trouble changing a law without backlash from the Majlis or the Bayangans, Uncle Jeffett says this:

Quoted text from Jeffett Ishi in the Tale of the Hostage Prince: “Everyone thinks to themselves, ‘if I were in charge, I’d do better. I’d change this and that and everyone will accept it and prosper’! But when they are given the responsibility, they soon find that it’s not so easy to change things. It’s not so easy to get people to accept what is good for them. Especially when they don’t think it will benefit them.”

...which pretty much sums up his philosophy on leadership/statesmanship. And that's the chilling part. Uncle Jeffett truly believes that the end he’s working for really does justify the means.


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Saturday 23 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: T for Tuah

Che Carla Tuah has a minor appearance in Amok, but it’s her family that becomes a little more prominent in the Tale of the Hostage Prince

Her grandnephew, Azman Tuah, is Yosua’s new best friend in Bayangan, someone who he gets into trouble with, but who also acts as his bodyguard.


Chapter 1 excerpt

I am halfway across the hall when Azman intercepts me. 

“You know, of all your Mahan ideas, Yosua, I think this one is the best,” he says, waving his glass in a circle.

“This one?”

“Dinner entertainment! Do you know how boring it is to just sit and talk politics all the time? At least this way, you bring some culture to the nobility. Some of them are such boors.”

I grin. “That’s not a nice thing to say about your peers, Az.”

He pretends to be solemn. “Ampun, Tuanku.”

For a moment, Azman’s apology sounds almost jeering. Ayah’s mood is setting me on edge. I look over to where he’s back to looking at his papers, Ibu clucking her tongue in exasperation. 

Stop taking offense where there is none. 

“They’re still calling you the Mahan Raja behind your back, you know,” Azman lowers his voice, “but maybe we can build you up to be a patron of the arts. ‘The Cultured Raja.’ Do you think that sounds good?”

“How do you plan on doing that?” It’s an interesting idea—if it works. If it ends up improving instead of worsening my public image.

Mikal used to be irked at not being officially recognised as the Raja Muda of Terang because he hadn’t received the Mahan gift of the Amok Strength. Yet here I am, officially crowned as Raja of Bayangan—and I still have to worry about how the people perceive me. Right before Mikal left, he acknowledged my bloodline, addressed me by my title, as uncertain as it was then—shaky as it still is now. He addressed me as an equal for the first time: Raja of Bayangan. It feels strange, this title, like I’m wearing a skin not mine, jubah tailored to another’s measurements. 

Still, it’s not those last words that echo in my thoughts. It’s what he said before that that loops in my head: I hope you discover who you need to be. 

Who do I need to be?

I miss what Azman is saying. He looks a bit disgruntled when he realises I haven’t registered a word he said. 

“I’m sorry, Az,” I say, faking a yawn. “I think our little adventure this afternoon has tired me out. I haven’t been able to concentrate.”

“I hope I didn’t make you ill by letting you ride in the rain,” he says with immediate concern.

“You? Letting me? If anything, I should apologise for dragging you out in the rain.”

“We’re lucky we didn’t get separated, like those frogs.” Azman laughs and I laugh along with him, ignoring the tension that’s coursing through my body.


###

The thing is…for all they are friends (and they really are!) Azman is also something of a rival—as I mentioned in yesterday’s post, if anything were to happen to Yosua, Azman could very well be the next Raja. 

The Tuahs are so named for dual reasons: first, because it means good luck, and second because of Hang Tuah


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Friday 22 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: S for Succession

In B for Bayangan, I talked a little about the kingdom itself and said I’d go a little more into the Succession rules under S.

Here are a couple of excerpts from The Tale of the Hostage Prince that explains how the next Raja of Bayangan is selected. 

Chapter 4 excerpt

Succession in Bayangan is expected, but not guaranteed. Unlike Terang, where the throne is always passed to the firstborn male, the Bayangan Raja’s successor is elected from a pool of candidates who fulfil certain criteria. 

First, they must have been present at the prior Raja’s death and funeral. Second, the candidate should be a prominent figure in court life or be well-known by the citizens of Bayangan. Third, and last, is that there must be a consensus or majority vote for his or her rule. 

This was one of my forefather’s methods to help Bayangan break away from Maha’s dynasties—their dictatorship, he called it—where the Sultan’s family ruled with an iron fist. Yet over the years, things have drifted. Terang instituted the Majlis Maha, a council of seven, to curb the power of the Sultan; in Bayangan, while theoretically the Majlis DiRaja can depose the Raja if he falls out of favour, in practice the Raja does whatever he wants with little repercussions. It has also become almost a given that whoever the Raja appoints as his Raja Muda—normally his eldest son—will be voted in as the next Raja upon his death. 


Chapter 8 excerpt

I swallow hard. He’s right. The rule of Bayangan has historically alternated between three prominent families in the Majlis DiRaja: mine, Uncle Jeffett’s and Azman’s—the Bayas, the Ishis, and the Tuahs. Uncle Jeffett and Azman were not around when Aunt Layla died, so their candidacy defaulted on the first point—but they would both be eligible if I were to be deposed now. Other names have been brought up since then, but none that have been from families prominent, or strong, enough to gather majority support.  


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Thursday 21 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: R for Relka

After all the fancy explanations of where I got (quite a lot) of names, I will go ahead and admit that Relka was a placeholder name that I never got round to replacing, and was created solely out of “let’s simply put these syllables together” and then “it’s too much effort to find another meaningful name now”. (Isn’t writing fun?)

But if you google it, it’s apparently a real name? Or at least a quick search gives me:

I don’t recall ever reading the Hines book, so it’s likely more serendipity than any subconscious pulling of names from other fiction. 

Relka is a new character in The Tale of the Hostage Prince, a servant who plays pretty much the same role Yosua used to play for Mikal. Or basically, leverage. 


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Wednesday 20 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: Q for Quills and that pesky thing called anachronism

The problem with setting the Absolution series in a magical Nusantara with no exact corresponding real-world time period is that pesky thing called anachronism. I mean, obviously, it’s fantasy, and it’s not historical fiction, so I could really, really fudge a lot of details if I wanted to.

Which I did.

I think I did pretty well, and there’s nothing too noticeably advanced for the apparent time period/setting.

Except that in my original draft, I had Jeffett pass Yosua a pen. Because he had to write stuff. I mean, obviously, they had writing utensils, I just didn’t know what kind.

(During yesterday's write-in, I had someone in 1880s Indonesia pull out a glass jar, and then I went but wait, would glass jars be easily obtained at that time?? Because I know universities and stuff in the UK were already preserving specimens in glass jars, but a common woman in a tiny village in Indonesia?? Probably wouldn’t have that on hand. Unless magic. HMMM MAGIC)

So yeah, seeing that Yosua is Raja and all, I decided to give him a fancy quill and ink instead.


###

If you've read Amok, I have a huge favour to ask! 

Amok is eligible for the Realm Makers Readers' Choice Award, so I'd be honoured if you could add in your nomination.

My critique group partner made a graphic of all the books in our group that are eligible this year! In case you were looking for other books to nominate. Nominations are due 23 April.


Nominate here!


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Tuesday 19 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: P for Paderi, the Perantaraan Gift, and Suci

Chapter 2 excerpt

Before I can get too comfortable, there’s a light rap on the door. I jump to my feet and pull it open. Ibu steps in. 

“I didn’t expect you to still be here.” I step closer to give her a hug.

“Your Ayah and I will be heading home soon. I thought I’d say good night. We didn’t get to talk much over dinner.”

“Why don’t you stay the night?”

She smiles wryly. “You know why.”

I do. After the decades my mother spent as a hostage and servant in Maha, she’s had enough of palaces and politics. Now that she has a choice, she stays away as much as she can. I see this reflected in the way I refuse to cut my hair—distancing myself from the way we were reminded of our status, our powerlessness, by our closely-cropped hair. Even though it doesn’t make any difference here. 

And maybe because I still want to feel the Amok Strength— 

The ‘magical’ Strength from Kudus that I’m not supposed to have. I push the thought aside. 

“So, why did you come, Ibu?” I gesture toward a seat.

“To see you, of course,” she replies, but doesn’t move to sit.

I raise an eyebrow. “I was at your house yesterday.”

She shrugs. “Does that mean I can’t see you today? There’s no law against that, is there? Garett didn’t mention it.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t around earlier.” I’d come back from the port, drenched to the skin, to find her waiting in my suite. But by the time I showered and changed, it was time to head down for dinner. 

“Garett had a meeting with Che Carla, Che Willett, and Che Lyn, so I thought I’d accompany him. He’s worried. He won’t tell you, but I don’t think he’s making much progress on that project of yours.”

Only the three main leaders of the Majlis. “Which project? The one where I want to abolish slavery, or the one where I want to implement an easier, faster, and cheaper way to communicate with our closest allies?” 

Besides the Amok Strength in Maha, Terang has priests in Suci with the ability to talk to each other via mirrors across long distances. I don’t need a Temple in Bayangan, but I would like to have a priest stationed here who can set up those Perantaraan calls instead of waiting on letters that take weeks to arrive. 


###

Suci, the third city-state of Terang, is basically the religious hub of the Sultanate. That’s where they train the priesthood, and then send them out to the rest of Terang.

I basically created the hierarchy of the Temple, including the names, from the traditional churches, using Malay translations. So you have the diakon (lay deacons), paderi (ordained priests), and the uskups (bishops). The head of the Temple is the Uskup Agung. (I didn’t use “pope” because that’s a Catholic term, and also because pope = paus and whale = ikan paus and I would just... be snickering too much to edit.)

The Gift that Kudus has given to Suci is the Perantaraan Gift—a form of communication, where the paderi (and above) can use mirrors to contact each other over long distances. 

So Yosua really, really wants a paderi in Bayangan, solely for the fact that it would facilitate communications with Terang. Though obviously, having a priest in Bayangan would also make his practice of faith much easier and less lonely. 


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Monday 18 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: O for Obedience

One of the things my (American) critique group brought up was the fact that Yosua, at many times, seemed too obedient. He was supposed to be king, supposed to be issuing orders, but, at the start at least, he was just letting all the “adults” run the show—whether it’s his father, Garett, or his uncle, Jeffett. 

Part of that, I figured, was his upbringing. He was literally brought up as a servant. He was used to obeying if he didn’t want to get into trouble. Then again, he’d also already spent something like two years on the throne at the start of The Tale of the Hostage Prince, so some of that instinct would probably have started to change. 

Yet the other part of it is really the Asian culture of respect for elders. I mention it a few times—between adat (customs) and adab (culture), you’re supposed to respect your elders. Obviously, with Yosua being Raja, the authority of his position should trump that supposed deference. Only...Yosua is too soft to demand it and Jeffett, having been the Regent of Bayangan for two decades prior to this, totally takes advantage of the fact that he still commands their respect—and obedience.

And Yosua never really steps up to wrest it back from him until it’s too late. Here’s a little snippet of what’s going through Yosua’s mind even while his uncle is busy usurping his authority.


Chapter 10 excerpt

But no matter where I turn, Uncle Jeffett is there. He doesn’t accuse me of anything outright, but he inserts himself into every meeting, questions my decisions with each quirk of his eyebrow. I have learnt what statecraft I know from Ayah, from observing Sultan Simson and the Mahan Majlis, where they gently guide the people to the decisions they want made. That doesn’t work here. Every time I pause out of habit, every time I unthinkingly ask a rhetorical question, hoping they will finally get the point, Uncle Jeffett is there, questioning my ‘uncertainty’. Weakening me in their eyes.

And at least half the Majlis look to him every time they are uncertain. He’s still their ex-Regent—his very presence overshadows my authority. And adab demands that I give him face, deference, as my elder, as my senior, as my uncle—that despite what power I hold, I must listen to him with the respect his age and family relations affords him. 

If there’s one thing I regret, it’s that I allowed him to resume his role as Temenggung, instead of urging him to return to his estate. There’s no way to get rid of him now.


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Saturday 16 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: N for Nusantara

I’m tired, so I’m going to cannibalise part of my dissertation essay (EN5528 Assessment 2: Writer’s Journal) for this one, updated with the new name of the novel (i.e., The Weight of Strength changed to Amok).

Setting the Scene: How Centring Nusantara Changed the Backdrop of the Novel

[One] one development in the final version of Amok is its deliberate setting in a magical version of Nusantara, which first started during the planning module. Part of this epiphany came from reading books within the diversity movement, including The Weight of Our Sky (Alkaf, 2019), Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune (Lim, 2019), Lost Gods (Yongo, 2018) and Three (Udayasankar, 2015). As I said in a recent blog post:

“…diversity is what people are looking for now. People of colour are looking to see themselves represented in fiction—and it can’t just be the colour of their skin. Not just being the token brown guy. It has to also be the way they speak, the way they mix languages, the thoughts and feelings that cannot be divorced from who they are. 

We read to make sense of the world, to discover who we are. But even more, we write to discover who we are, who we are becoming. Even if it’s only to say that we’re leaving parts of our heritage behind.”  

Amok draws primarily from my background in Malaysia, which has cultural similarities with neighbouring Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia. This sub geographical area, historically referred to as Nusantara or the Malay Archipelago, was once united under the Majapahit and Srivijayan empires, and shares deeper cultural and linguistic roots as compared to the more Sino-influenced members of Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

My research included reviewing the different ruling dynasties in the Malay Peninsula, with Perak, Johor, and Melaka (Malacca) as the primary royal families of note. I decided to follow the structure of the Malaccan Sultanate, from which the Perak and Johor Sultanates were later established. 

Whilst Malacca had a well-defined hierarchy in their court structure, I decided to group these officials into the “Majlis Maha”, a sort of council instead. A historian would probably point out that the recreation of the court in this manner is inaccurate—I do not claim to have represented them accurately, having taken liberties in my recreation and modernised the setting somewhat from its 14th- to 15th- century roots. It would be good to note here that most medieval fantasy novels are not 100% historically accurate either, just “accurate” within the common tropes or popular imagination of the genre and time period (Douglas, 2019). As Stuart Lee noted in his talk at the 2018 ‘Here Be Dragons’, The Oxford Fantasy Literature Summer School, many writers use the medieval period to avoid infodumps as it is a very familiar starting point (Lee, 2018). This has created a romanticising of the period with accepted deviation of facts, especially since they are often secondary worlds, not historical fiction. 

Using the Malaccan Sultanate as a base also led to some changes in the geography and landscape. In my original imagining, Bayangan and Terang were separated by land and desert. In the final version, the countries are separated by the Straits, somewhat like the Straits of Malacca between the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. This was in direct response to the centricity of sea voyage to the Nusantara mindset. From Majapahit to Srivijaya, and later Singapura (Singapore) and Malacca, these dynasties were founded on control of the seas for trade and commerce. Popular stories revere the legendary Hang Tuah, Malacca’s most prominent Laksamana (Admiral). Unfortunately, I was not able to include that in the novel [Amok], except for Tok Rizal’s slightly deus ex-machina reappearance in Chapter 31.

In keeping with Nusantara setting, I decided to use Malay terms and names in creating the places and the characters. For example, Simson is the translation of Samson in the Malay Bible; Yosua is a form of Joshua. Some of the names are based on the meaning of the words—Maha as a prefix infers “great”, implying the greatness or strength of the capital city and the sultan; Suci means “holy” in a literal reference to it being the holy city and religious centre; the Secretkeeper’s name, “Ramalan”, means “prediction” or “prophecy” in direct relation to her gift of seeing visions. This then, wasn’t the creation of a new language ala Tolkien, but the use of modern Malay in this secondary world. 


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Absolution, #1.5) 

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Friday 15 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: M for Mikal, Maha, and the Amok Strength

Yosua’s story really grew from his relationship with Mikal, so I guess it’s fitting that we dedicate a post to talking about Mikal and Maha.

As stated in Justices, Mind-reading and the Secretkeeper, Terang is made up of three city-states: Maha, Suci, and Impian. And each of these city-states has their own leader and their own magical gifts from Kudus.

Kudus’ gift to Maha is the Amok strength. If you’ve been on this blog long enough, you’ll know that it used to be called the “Berserker” strength. Generally, the concept is the same: in the heat of battle, those possessing this power suddenly find themselves imbued with supernatural strength. 

So while Impian is the seat of Justice, Maha is the seat of Power in Terang. (Suci is the seat of Religion, but we’ll bring that up later). Being that I am a firm supporter of separation between state and religion (lol), for all that Terang is a society governed by religious laws, the headship of Terang resides in Maha, with the Sultan of Maha being the Sultan of all Terang as well. 

At any rate, I tied in the provision of this strength with some conditions of the Nazarite vows: not cutting their hair, abstaining from alcohol, keeping themselves consecrated to God (or in this context, Kudus). To maintain some form of order or hierarchy (as there should be in military-type endeavours), the tightest binding of the vows is observed by the Sultan of Maha (and the royal sons). From his headship, the Amok strength then flows to all the others with the gift, with the length of their hair signifying their authority and strength.

The Amok Strength, like the Mind-reading powers, manifests around puberty—indicating when a boy had come of age and grown into manhood. Which was why, Mikal, at fifteen, could not become a “man” in Maha, or gain a rank, or be crowned Raja Muda, because of the pesky reason that…he had not yet received the Amok Strength.

Here’s an excerpt of the opening of Amok, to give you a feel of what Mikal is like.


CHAPTER 1 (excerpt)

I wait. Of course I wait. 

Just that split second before the fight, waiting for Kudus to come through, to finally grant me His supernatural power, the Amok Strength that’s supposed to run through my veins. 

O Kudus, Maha Esa, berkatilah hamba-Mu dengan kuasa ajaib-Mu.

O God Almighty, grant Your servant Your miraculous strength.

I push stray hair out of my face as I wait, hoping for that stirring of power, for that gifting Ayahanda has described in multiple ways time and time again: that surety and Presence, the surge of raw power and rage, sparks running through his limbs. 

They say Kudus is never changing. He never disappoints. Well, He doesn’t disappoint. Nothing happens. No power, no presence. Just the continued silence of the past five years, ever since I started silat training at the age of ten. 

Tok Yaakub and I circle each other, bare feet stirring up clouds of dust from the packed dirt of the gelanggang. He slashes at me with his keris and I slash back, dancing backwards and forwards to the warm breeze. There’s sweat in my eyes and on my palms, frustration in my soul and in my forms. 

This match ends as it always does with his double-edged dagger at my chest. At least this time, I’m not flat on my back. He grunts in disappointment and withdraws his blade. We take a step backwards, bow to each other with our hands clasped in front of our chests, blades facing down. The fight is over and we bear no ill will to each other. 

“That was terrible, Putera Mikal,” Tok Yaakub says. “What’s wrong with you today?”

Everything. It’s hot, I’m sticky with sweat, my hair is itchy on my face, I still haven’t earned my Amok Strength, there’s a delegation from Bayangan no one is talking about, rumour says we’re about to go to war, Ayahanda has been distant and busy all week… 

“Nothing.” I wipe the sweat off my face with the back of my sleeve. It’s not that I don’t trust him. Besides training me in silat, Tok Yaakub teaches me military tactics and strategies. He’s one of the few adults I trust with my life—but he’s also one of my father’s men and sits on the Majlis as Temenggung, the commander of our military and head of security. Which means I don’t trust him with my secrets. 

“Come, let us put away the keris and go hand to hand. Get some of that restless energy out of you.” He wipes down his keris and lays it on the outer edge of the marked circle. 

My keris is about the length of my forearm. I take my time to shine each curve of the iron blade before I sheath it, rubbing away my sweat from the carved, gilded hilt. Then I walk to the opposite end of the circle and place it on the stand. I don’t have to. There’s no rule that says I should do so. I retie my knee-long hair into a bun so it will stop flying in my face then adjust my belt for the absence of the keris.

I turn to find Tok Yaakub scrutinising me with a worried look. His hair is neatly tied at the nape and falls down to his waist. I don’t know how he does it. Maybe it’s part of the Amok gift that’s extended from my father the Sultan to him as Temenggung. 

“Are you sure you’re not ill?” He crosses the circle towards me and I duck to avoid the arc of his hand that’s trying to feel my forehead. 

“I said it’s nothing, Tok Yaakub. I’m not sick.”

He sniffs in disbelief. “It’s never nothing with young men like you. Now either you best me or you tell me what’s bothering you.”

This time I don’t wait. I don’t bother with protocol that says we have to face each other and bow, that courtesy of making sure he’s ready. No one’s going to wait for me to be ready in war. He’s always ready though, he’s always prepared, so I can’t break through his defences, no matter how high or how low I strike, arms, legs or elbows. 

We break apart and circle each other again. 

“Is Terang at war?” I blurt.

A look of caution enters his face, his eyes wary, searching me. “Where did—what do you mean?”

“Where did I hear that? People talk you know, and sometimes I listen.”

He grimaces and straightens his stance, dropping his hands. “Do you see any armies? Any fighting?”

I haven’t, but Yosua heard it from his father, and Garett’s rumours are always right. It may not be here yet, but it’s coming. I straighten as well, folding my arms. “Why else are the Bayangans here?” I don’t know why I’m saying this—this is Majlis business I’m not supposed to know about—but once I start, there’s no stopping the flow.

“They’re not here for—”

“Ayahanda doesn’t tell me anything. Am I not old enough to be involved in the affairs of the sultanate?”

“Tuanku, your father—”

“I’m next in line to the throne, Tok Yaakub, but I don’t know anything that’s happening in Terang—or even here in Maha! My personal attendant, my servant, knows more than I do!” Yosua has always known more than me through the servant’s gossip, but I don’t say this. I can’t tell Tok Yaakub that almost every bit of news I hear comes from my servant because no one else in the palace tells me anything. “I don’t know what’s going on and the Majlis thinks I’m stupid and naive. They look at me and say I need to be responsible, that I need to act for the best of the sultanate. Then they look down on me because they think I don’t…but the truth is I can’t because I don’t know anything.” 

My voice cracks and I wince. My eyes are prickling and my face is hot. 

I’m fifteen, not five. 

I steel myself and glare at the face of my teacher, who looks bemused. It rankles. I am Mikal ayell Simson, only son of Sultan Simson of Maha, the First City of Terang. I am a prince not some backwater fool or village champion trying to act smart.


###

What is faith, except hope in desperation?

All Putera Mikal wants is to gain the Amok Strength, the supernatural power granted by Kudus to the Mahan royal family. No matter how religiously Mikal keeps his vows, Kudus still denies him the Strength—whilst his father, Sultan Simson, flaunts the Strength despite his blatant defiance of the Temple and the priests’ visions of coming doom.

Then the prophecies come true.

Taken captive, Mikal must find a way to liberate his people and restore his throne in Maha—and the key to this is the Amok Strength. But what does it take to gain Kudus’ favour?





###

Before I end this post, I wanted to crosslink a review of The Tale of the Hostage Prince by Mermaird!


If you have been following my reviews, you may know that Amok (read my review here) is one of my favourite reads of 2021, and it is still among the top of my favourite fantasy reads. As much as I loved the main character, Mikal, his best friend, Yosua had been my favourite character from the start...

The Tale of the Hostage Prince is a fast-paced story that left me breathless; there was no time to rest as things keep getting worse for Yosua after each page. The violence and torture are rather gruesome, perfect for my taste, even if it leaves a bitter aftertaste when I consider that Yosua does not deserve any of it. His faith is questioned and his efforts seem futile, but someone with a big heart like him never gives up. I love how hard he tries his best, and whenever he feels like giving up, somewhere deep inside him knows that it is not the right thing to do. This is why he will always be my favourite  

Read the whole review here!


###

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Book 1.5)

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


BUY NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Thursday 14 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: L for LAUNCH DAY!

IT'S FINALLY LAUNCH DAY!!!

And, arbitrarily, the only reason today, 14 April 2022, has been chosen as Launch Day is because it's L in the A to Z Challenge calendar. *shrug*

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Book 1.5) 


Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


I'm so excited that you get your hands on this book, which I once described as:

  • - fantasy SEA
  • - coming-of-age (ish)
  • - identity crisis/religious politics 
  • - no romance, sorry but lots of stupid PINING 

If you haven't already pre-ordered, here's where you can get your hands on both print and ebook copies!

That should cover all the links, I think.

###

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!

Wednesday 13 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: K for Kudus

Kudus is the name that I gave to the God of Terang. 

I’d initially just called him “God” all the way through, but as I was editing Amok, I felt like He needed a name. (I mean, I did just say names were important, ha). So I was like, God has many names in the Bible, I might as well just pick one from there. 

So Kudus came from Roh Kudus, which is basically the Holy Spirit (or Holy Ghost in some translations). Apparently, this word came over from the Arabic Quddus.

It’s a synonym for Suci (which is one of the city-states of Terang) and it means holy. 

From: https://prpm.dbp.gov.my/Cari1?keyword=kudus&d=394756&#LIHATSINI

All three books in the Absolution series struggle with some form of faith—so Kudus is really a central figure in each one! In the Tale of the Hostage Prince, Yosua is struggling with how to reconcile his upbringing in Maha—where belief and following Kudus gives them magical gifts—and his current life in Bayangan, where the practice of faith has been outlawed.

Although I’m coming at this from my own Christian background, it’s really for anyone who has wrestled with faith in any form, or with the pressures to conform to some sort of religious upbringing whether or not they truly believe. 


###

Chapter 3 excerpt

Note: This scene is in Yosua’s point of view.

It’s a touchy topic to bring up. This anti-faith law was the last law Aunt Layla enacted before her death. Bayangan has always been staunchly atheistic, one of the main reasons for the continuing friction between Bayangan and Terang. That, and Bayangan’s hatred and distrust of magic. But the practice of faith had not been outlawed until then. It was a last push, the last move of Aunt Layla’s war strategy to justify the attack on the holy city of Suci in Terang. 

Well, her war failed, she died, and I’m now the Raja of Bayangan, a Raja that is blatantly committing a crime in his own land by being a follower of Kudus. If anyone were to take it into their hands to enforce it, I’d be deposed and then beheaded—or more likely enslaved—within a day. No need for prolonged trials. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Uncle Jeffett wraps his hands around his mug, as if warming them in the heat emanating from the spiced tea.

I sigh. “Uncle, you know my stance.” It’s not like I don’t understand why this is creating such a huge backlash. With all the upheaval in the past few years, no one really knows what it means to be Bayangan any longer. This newest law has become one final thing holding the fragile Bayangan identity together. 

I hope you discover who you—Hah. I push the thought aside. 

“But you will not make it an official religion?” Uncle Jeffett stares at me intently. “You will not force others to convert to your faith?”

 “No, my faith is mine alone. If they wish to follow Kudus, it is their choice and I will not stop them, but neither will I make them practice what they do not believe in. It isn’t faith if it’s coerced.”

He looks away for a moment, as if deciding something. “I will see what I can do.”


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Book 1.5) – Releases 14 April 2022

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


PREORDER NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

###

Paperbacks arrived in my house today!!


Tuesday 12 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: J for Justices, Mind-reading and the Secretkeeper

 Here’s a little lore from Terang!

So, Terang is made up of three city-states: Maha, Suci, and Impian. And each of these city-states have their own leader and their own magical gifts from Kudus.

Today’s post will be about the Mind-reading Gift of the Impianans (Impianites? Idk, I don't think I've decided). This Gift is given primarily to the women, though some of the men have weak forms of the Gift. These Gifts usually manifest themselves around puberty—so between the ages of 12 – 14. Whilst everyone is encouraged to learn how to control their Gifts, those with particularly strong Mind-reading abilities are put on a register of sorts and are given the option to train to become Justices once they finish school.

These Justices form the backbone of the justice system in Terang—they can, obviously, read minds so they can fairly judge cases and know who is actually innocent or guilty. They often act as detectives as well, using their Gifts (with permission) to collect information. There are a lot of restrictions as to how and when they use their Gifts so that they don’t abuse it just to kaypoh and learn everyone else’s secrets.

The head of the Justices is called the Secretkeeper. Now, the Secretkeeper has a biiiiggg secret, mainly that she carries all the Memories of the Secretkeepers before her, right until the founding of Terang. These Memories are normally passed down from mother to daughter, but there have been instances where the Memories (and the title) is passed down to either another female relative or to another Justice. Because of that, the identity of the Secretkeeper is only known to the Triumvirate (i.e. the heads of each of the three city-states), the Majlis Maha, and her own close family. Only the Secretkeeper can decide who to reveal her identity to…so once in a while, a close family friend or two are in the know.  

Justices have appeared in both Amok and The Tale of the Hostage Prince, and the Secretkeeper is one of the key decision-makers so she appears as well!


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Book 1.5) – Releases 14 April 2022

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


PREORDER NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

Monday 11 April 2022

#AtoZChallenge: I for Identity

Harking back to the post on Emigration and Exile, the core of The Tale of the Hostage Prince is Yosua’s struggle with identity. 

Mikal’s parting words to Yosua in Amok are: “I hope you discover who you need to be.” And that’s something that Yosua has been mulling over again and again. 

Who is he? Where does he belong? How can he find out? 

At some point in the novel, Yosua decides where he’s supposed to be. But to get to that point, he needed to discover who he’s supposed to be. And obviously, when you’re stuck on a question, you sometimes need a little help. 

Here’s a little intervention that takes place at the Mahan Temple. A priest that Yosua doesn’t recognise (and assumes doesn’t know who he is) is lending a listening ear when the conversation veers off into something else. 


###

Chapter 25 excerpt

Note: This scene is in Yosua’s point of view.

“How long can you deny who you are?” [Farouk asks.]

“How do you know who I am?” Fear races in my heart, closes my throat. “Why does it matter?”

Farouk gives me a long, cool look. “Identity is a funny thing. If you believe in Kudus Maha Esa, if you believe in an Almighty God who reigns above all things, then you must believe that every drop of blood in your lineage has been accounted for. There is a reason you were born in your family, a reason you were born where you were, a reason you’ve been given these choices at this time.”

“You know who I am.”

“You are Yosua ayell Garett, descendent of Baya’s line, Raja of Bayangan.”


###

Names often form our earliest understanding of who we are and the world we live in. They usually carry cultural indicators. Like who your family is. Where you come from. Which is why it’s often an affront or a microaggression for someone to decide to give you a nickname because your real name is “too difficult to pronounce”. It's not just giving them something easier to say, it's telling you that everything you've grown up with is not valid, not normal, not enough.

But I digress.

Here, Yosua has his name affirmed to him, not just because of his lineage, but because that is who he is. That is his identity. Even if his uncle had been trying to form him into something more Bayangan by calling him Yosett Regis Baya.


###

That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!


###

The Tale of the Hostage Prince (Book 1.5) – Releases 14 April 2022

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly.

But peace doesn’t come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king.

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?


PREORDER NOW!

International purchases books2read.com/HostagePrince

###

It's release week!
Which means Amok goes on sale this week too!