#bookreview: Nusantara: A Sea of Tales | Heidi Shamsuddin

Nusantara: A Sea of Tales by Heidi Shamsuddin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nusantara: A Sea of Tales is a wonderful collection of fairy tales, folklore, and fables from the core geographic area of the Malay Archipelago or what used to be called Nusantara. A large majority of the stories come from Malaysia, both East and West (since Heidi Shamsuddin is Malaysian), and Indonesia (because both countries share quite a lot of the same folklore), which I guess automatically includes Singapore (because they were historically always linked before they became their own country).

There are a smattering of stories from other Southeast Asian countries - the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand - and, oddly, one story each from Guam and Madagascar. Heidi justifies the latter two as being included because they share the Austronesian language. Frankly, I felt they were just a little too far away to share much cultural similarity and probably could have been kept for a later collection.

Some of the more familiar tales (to me) are several Sang Kancil stories, variations of the Bawang Putih, Bawang Merah tale, Si Tanggang, The Swordfish Attack of Singapore and The Curse of Mahsuri. Some of the other tales are vaguely familiar - whether because I have heard of/read them before in other collections or they are similar to European tales, I cannot quite tell. But quite a few were new to me, especially those from Borneo and from other countries. I was delighted to discover Pak Pandir stories for the first time. How did I not know these exist?

Heidi includes notes at the end of each tale or, sometimes, at the end of a group of similar tales. This provided a lot of background knowledge about where the story comes from (and where similar stories are told across the region), explanations of untranslated words and names (where they hold specific meanings that add nuance to the story), as well as some hidden meanings behind cultural practices that are not quite apparent face value.

Some other books you may be interested in checking out include: Tales of Superhuman Powers: 55 Traditional Stories from Around the World, Pearls on a Branch: Arab Stories Told by Women in Lebanon Today, Tales of Japan: Traditional Stories of Monsters and Magic.

Nusantara: A Sea of Tales is a timely book that collects tales from oral storytellers and
older print sources that are increasingly hard to find before they are lost to us altogether.

View all my reviews

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And that's book 1 from the 2023 Booktempter's TBR reduction challenge!

#edelweiss #bookreview: Gin, Jesus, and Jim Crow | Brendan J. J. Payne

Gin, Jesus, and Jim Crow: Prohibition and the Transformation of Racial and Religious Politics in the South by Brendan J. J. Payne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

TBH... the main reason I picked this up was because I saw the cover and went "oh, that's the book my Facebook friend's husband wrote". But also, I agree with a lot of her views and I was just kaypo enough to figure why not since Edelweiss had it as a DRC for download.

It was fascinating to read about how so many things we take for granted as "Christian tradition" did not actually become "tradition" until about a hundred years ago. Which is really short when you look at how old Christianity really is. And it's also really weird to realise that so many things seen as "conservative" now were really... "liberal and progressive" ideas back then.

But it is also a deeper insight into how American Christianity dropped off the deep end.

What I did not expect to find was how uncannily racial politics back in early 1900s America align with racial politics in Malaysia in this century; you just have to replace "Christian" with "Muslim" and "White" with "Malay". Which is a terrible, terrible realisation. Except that I have hopes that our democracy is strong enough and old enough at this point to withstand the worst of it. (Bersih & #balikundi movements have been doing good work.)

But one thing the church needs to come back to is the traditional Christian understanding that:

regulating such morality was the role of the church, not the state, and the church ought not try to use the government to remove a man's liberty to choose, even if he chose to sin.

Because any time the church tries to do that, it becomes the oppressor.

Anyway! Gin, Jesus, and Jim Crow was a fascinating, if difficult, read. Which really also means I am out of touch with academic reading and I had a hard time slogging through some bits, maybe also because some of the terminology and phrasing were strange to me.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from LSU Press via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews

#edelweiss #bookreview: VAMPS: Fresh Blood | Nicole Arend

VAMPS: Fresh Blood by Nicole Arend
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dillon is a Dhampire, a half-human, half-vampire reject. But he's also gotten a place at the very prestigious vampire finishing school, known as VAMPS, where he's supposed to be learning with and competing against the most elite of vampire society. Which really sucks, because he only found out about this whole... thing... a week before he was supposed to show up at school and has no clue about how vampire society works. Or how he's supposed to act as a vampire.

To put it simply, VAMPS: Fresh Blood is a kinda campy, boarding school vampire new adult rom-com, which is probably a lot to stuff to wrap your head around. Kinda Twilight X St Clare's/Mallory Towers (I'm sure there's one where like half the students were royalty or related to royalty, but I can't remember which one), where insecure 18YO vampires duke it out to be the best of the best while their parents play politics in the background.

It's actually quite a fun read once you can get through the clunky beginning where the WHOLE class is introduced and you're overloaded by too many characters too quickly. There's a bit of mystery surrounding Dillon's vampire parentage (though I kinda guessed who his mom was midway through the book) as well as surrounding why Dillon's blood is so special (science bla bla bla).

Read if you like teenage angst, love triangles, and betrayal.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Simon & Schuster via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews

The 2023 Booktempter’s #TBR reduction challenge booklist!

Since I've got a hefty TBR and Matt over at Runalong the Shelves is doing a TBR reduction challenge, I figured why not?

Because many of my books are still in boxes after the moves (in 2019 and 2020, ha!!), I'm restricting the books even further to the current 3 open boxes and 1 shelf of unread books, plus unread ebooks on my Kindle. 

The idea is that once I clear these boxes and the shelf, I can move on to the next unopened box. And work from there until there are no more boxes clogging up my office. (Will that actually happen??? Probably not in the next year or so). 

So, here are the books I've lined up so far. I may not end up doing the stretch goals because I DO also have e-ARCS to review and I try not to post more than 4 reviews a month. I also don't think I have the time to read more than that.

I'll be linking the books to their Goodreads page here first, and then updating the links to my review post once I've read them. 

JANUARY: End to end temptation

• Newest book in Mount TBR = Nusantara: A Sea of Tales by Heidi Shamsuddin. This is the last book I remember buying. Could be wrong, but eh. Review: 25/1.
• Stretch goal: Oldest book in Mount TBR = Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Not sure if it's really the oldest, but it's from a BBW sale that's coming up to a decade ago so I figure it counts. Review: 1/2.

FEBRUARY: Short steps

• 28 short stories = Whitstead Harvestide: A Speculative Anthology by Abigail Falanga (ed); The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis. I've been midway through these since 2022, so I might as well get around to finishing them off for this challenge. If that doesn't make up 28 short stories, I still haven't read Exhalation by Ted Chiang. Review: 22/2 (5); and 1/3 (9+1+9). EH that's only 24, oh well. 
• Stretch goal: 4 novellas one for each week of the month OR shortest book in Mount TBR = I don't know if I have any for this, so I might just skip this one. 

MARCH: Fresh starts

• Start a new series = Nameless (Morningstar: Destiny Trilogy #1) by A.C. Williams. It was this or The Witcher, since I bought the omnibus when it was on sale, but... I'm more likely to finish the stretch goal of reading the whole series if I do this one. Review: 22/3
• Stretch goal: Read all the remaining books in the series by year end = Namesake (#2) Review 3/5; New Name (#3) Review 13/12. 

APRIL: Open and Shut Case

• Standalone = Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng. Just because it's in the box. Review: 19/4.
• Stretch goal: finish the last book in a series in Mount TBR = huh, idk. Most of my unfinished series' are stuck in one of the unopened boxes. This isn't technically the "last book" in a series, but I figure Snakewood by Adrian Selby should fit somewhat because I read The Winter Road without reading this one and they're somewhat connected?

MAY: Crowning Glory?

• A book about revolution or a change of those in power = I'm going to put The Old Man's War by John Scalzi as a placeholder here though I don't really want to start a new series without the subsequent books, because well, it's been in the box for a while now too. Review: 17/5. Huh, not so much revolution, but just war. Eh, whatever. 
• Stretch goal: A tale with a member of a royal household in a leading role = The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. Didn't write a full review on the blog, but it's up on Goodreads here.

JUNE: long reading days or longest nights

• The largest tale on Mount TBR = The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. I cannot remember if I've ever read this before or if I only remember the story from watching the movie, but this is a pretty long one. Is it the longest? idk. Review: 28/6
• Stretch goal: The shortest novel in your pile = Well, the Goodreads page says it's a short novel (163 pages) so I guess Songs in the Night by Laura Frances. Review: 26/7

JULY: Holidays are coming!

• The author who lives the furthest from you on the globe = The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Mostly because USA is further than the UK (from Malaysia), and I feel like I should get around to reading this. Review: 6/7 (because I finished reading it on the way to USA lol!! And it's currently Weds here, but Thurs on the laptop)
• Stretch goal: A tale with an empire featuring heavily in it = Maybe The King's Sword by C.J. Brightley unless something else comes up. Don't know if it's exactly empire. Am open to suggestions. Review: 19/7.

AUGUST: Holiday treats

• Free read! = Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan. Mostly because I met the author at SRFC and got the book signed so I really should read it. Review: 9/8
• Stretch goal: A translated work / a character on holiday = I might go with Muara by Pauline Fan, (ed), Badrul Hisham Ismail (ed), Izzudin Ramli (ed) and Hafiz Hamzah (ed) on this. Not exactly translated, but a mix of works in English & Malay. Changed my mind and read The Epic of Bidasari and other tales instead. Review: 13/9

SEPTEMBER: Seven deadly tempts

• A book linked to one of the seven deadly sins = Fatal Greed by John W. Mefford, just because it has "greed" in the title. DNFed because I don't really like it. So I read Lust by Mike Wells instead, which was kind of 1/3 of a book (so I guess a Novella?). Review on Goodreads.
• Stretch goal: An author who has published more than seven books = Set in Darkness by Ian Rankin. Finished reading this, added a star rating, but will be skipping the review. 

OCTOBER: Spooky season cometh

• A book with a spooky or dark theme: Hantu Macabre by Jill Girardi. Review: 20/10.
• Stretch goal: A book connected to nighttime in some way = Apparently, I have previously downloaded a book called Midnight Marriage by Lucinda Brant. I have just read the summary and I have no idea why I have it on my kindle but okay! We shall find out!!! Edit 15/12: I read this, left a star review, but not going to do a blog review. 

NOVEMBER: Small press, big stories

• A book published by a small/indie press = The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M. H. Boroson. Published by Talos Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing. I'm gonna cheat on this one and replace it with Wings of Truth by Aaron DeMott, published by Onicranium Dragon Books so that I can merge my reading list. (Cheat because it was just published on 1 Oct 2023 and I won an ebook copy in a giveaway lol). Review: 15/11
• Stretch goal: A book where peace is the end result = Huh, how would I know this if I haven't read it? I'm gonna assume that Steampunk Cleopatra by Thaddeus Thomas is going to end in peace. lol Also open to suggestions for this one.

DECEMBER: Don't forget to say thank you

• A book someone else gifted you = In Defence of Doubt by Val Webb. My sister sent this to me from Australia last year.  31/12 update: Ended up reading a bunch of novellas from Bookiut, does that count as books someone else gifted me, since they were given to me at GTLF? In that case, I guess this review.
• Stretch goal: A wintry-based tale = Umm maybe The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, since the blurb starts "Just before dawn one winter's morning..." I'd love to read The Winter's Tale, which I know I own, but I just don't know which box it's in, so it's not in the scope, lol. 

I'll probably update the list further on in the year if I decide that something else in the box/kindle fits better. Or if I cave and open another TBR box. 

2022: Books in review

I decided not to do a full year in review because I am lazy, but I figured I might as well post my books in review.

Here are the previous years' posts (also so I can look them up lol; I should do a tag, shouldn't I?)

2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2020 | 2021

At any rate, here's my Goodreads' Year in Books, where I read 46 books during the year, not counting several I DNFed. And also several that I still haven't finished reading (anthologies, so I've stopped in between stories) which I probably should. hahaha.

Top 5 books of 2022:

• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
• Silver Queendom by Dan Koboldt
• The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas (just out on 1 Jan!!!)
• No Light to Land On by Yara Zgheib
• And huh, apparently Cora and the Nurse Dragon by HL Burke, which I apparently never wrote a review for but I remember with much more fondness than the other 5 stars in my 2022 reads.

The first three were very automatic highlights because THEY ARE VERY AWESOME BOOKS, but the other two were chosen by going through my 5-star reads and going "huh yeah I remember that one very fondly". 

But also, Brandon Sanderson and Diana Wynne Jones don't need any further boosts on this blog because they are a) super popular already (both) and b) dead (the latter).

#musicmonday: Satisfied | Ronnie Freeman

Lord, hear my plea 

May it be 

That You're satisfied with me

#bookreview: Ripples and Other Stories | Shih-Li Kow

Ripples and Other Stories by Shih-Li Kow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's hard to say what I really think of this.

On one hand, I'm not a huge fan of this kind of writing. By themselves, each short story seems to be a rather banal slice of life that doesn't quite lead anywhere. There's some drama in a few of them, but in a majority of the stories, it's just a thing that happened, something that's being told; there's no inherent conflict, no quick emotional hit that we tend to look for in a short story. This thing happened, so-and-so said something, the end.

And yet, there is a certain something about the way Kow weaves the compilation together, centred around a few key characters and their families. Each person's actions, each person's story creates ripples that affect the next. The POVs shift, identities are sometimes unclear. Despite the utter normalcy and banality, there's a lingering mystery that draws the reader to want to go back and read it again to figure out where the interconnections are made, where the ripples were formed and how far they stretched. Did this thing referenced in this story really...? Is this the same person that...?

The language is fluid and beautiful; it's not the stiltedly polished English we tend to get in Malaysian literature (can you tell I'm jaded yet?). Instead, it's a true reflection of our tongues and inflections, the mix of languages that make up our everyday lives.

Ripples and Other Stories is unapologetically Malaysian in setting and in tone and definitely deserves a closer read.

View all my reviews

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Ripples doesn't seem to be in print anymore, but you can get it as an ebook via Pakka English/Silverfish Books. 

#AbsolutionNovel ebook launch tour: Round up

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who helped in our online launch of Absolution! 

Here's an updated roundup of all the stops over the past ten days.

21 November

• Elayne Tan – Review of Absolution on https://www.instagram.com/elaynecacophony 

22 November

• Janeen Ippolito – Three Random Questions Book Feature on Amok, the first book in the Absolution series! Subscribe to Janeen's youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@JaneenIppolito 
• LA Thornhill – A book spotlight over at https://www.instagram.com/l.a.thornhill/ 

23 November

• CO Bonham – Dive-in review over at http://cobonham.com 

24 November

• GTLF LAUNCH EVENT @ Digital Penang with Daphne Lee – https://daphnelee.org/ 

26 November

• Pictures of the GTLF launch 

27 November

• Chapter 8 Excerpt

28 November

• Yuin-Y – A book spotlight over a https://www.instagram.com/elvenstar/ 

29 November

• Sales booth at Karnival Oren @ Level 3, Komtar

30 November

• Moments for My Thoughts – Check out an excerpt of Chapter 5 over at https://momentsformythoughts.blogspot.com 
• Aishah's Book Blog – Review of Absolution on https://www.mermaird.com and https://instagram.com/mermaird 

Purchase direct from TeaspoonPublishing:

Ebooks: Amok | The Tale of the Hostage Prince | Absolution

Paperbacks: Amok | The Tale of the Hostage Prince | Absolution (pre-order)

p/s we have good news coming about the Malaysian print run. 

#AbsolutionNovel excerpt

CHAPTER 8 (excerpt)

Story note: Tulen (POV) is living as a servant in the Impian Palace under the name Sabit. Tengku Nawal has discovered that her father is trying to marry her off to Sultan Mikal and is trying to find a way to get out of it. Magda, her childhood nanny, has been out all morning and has just returned to the palace.

Tengku Nawal is delighted to see Magda. 

“Magda, oh Magda, you have to help me!” she says, almost prancing.

“What is it, sayang?” Magda guides her to sit at the table where I’m laying out the various dishes the kitchen has prepared.

“I’ve been thinking all morning, and Sabit has been a great help,” Magda’s eyebrows shoot up, “but she’s not you, Magda, she doesn’t know anything!” 

“Anything about what?” 

“About how to deal with Ayahanda. You know how to deal with him, don’t you?” she wheedles.

“I don’t—”

“He listens to you. I just need to know what to say to him so that he won’t make me marry the Sultan!”

I have to bite my cheek to prevent myself from laughing at Magda’s incredulous expression.

“But sayang…”

“No, Magda, no buts! I’ve already thought about it all night and all morning and I’ve come to my conclusion. You cannot take Ayahanda’s side in this. He has no right to send me into a marriage I do not want!”

“But it’s the Sultan!”

“I know!” she says, stamping her foot. “But it’s not the Sultan’s request, so it doesn’t matter. It’s Ayahanda’s request.” 

She’s beginning to get annoyed, so I quickly push her attention towards the food. She looks down at the steaming hot rice and the freshly fried fish. She makes a face at the fried kangkung belacan but pulls the bowl of cabbage soup nearer.

“Sayang, your father only wants what’s best for you. This is why he is asking. You will have to get married eventually, and all he wants is to find the best husband for you. One who has the power and ability to take care of you and provide for you.”

“Eventually, Magda, but not yet.” She looks up sharply. “I’m still too young for this and Ayahanda knows that!”

“Many women get married at seventeen. This is just an engagement—you won’t have to marry him immediately.”

Tengku Nawal clicks her tongue in annoyance. “But I don’t want to get engaged! Not yet. I’m supposed to have time to enjoy myself and tour the Sultanate first!”

“Who says you cannot do that when you are engaged or after you are married? All you do is delay the inevitable, sayang. One day you will have to get married and leave home. It may not be to Sultan Mikal, but it will happen unless Kudus Himself wills it otherwise.” 

The hand reaching for the fish stills. 

Magda freezes where she sits. 

A look of glee spreads over Tengku Nawal’s face. “Kudus. That’s the answer.” 

“The answer?” Magda says, trying to recover her composure. “How?”

“A pilgrimage. I should seek the face of Kudus to find out if it is his will for me to marry Sultan Mikal. No matter what the Sultan’s reply is, he can’t stop me from doing that.” She starts stuffing her face with rice and fish, satisfied now that she’s found a solution.

Magda’s face darkens. “Do not take Kudus lightly, Tengku. A pilgrimage is not something you should embark on just on a whim.”

“But it’s the perfect excuse!” Tengku Nawal argues. “I will avail myself to the service of Kudus and by the time I return, whatever urgency Ayahanda has for this match will be over. Then we’ll see if he still wants me to marry the Sultan. Or if the Sultan even wants to marry me. I get to travel, and no silly engagement will be involved!” 

“And what if Kudus answers you?” Magda grips the edge of the table. “What if Kudus Maha Esa decides to call you into His service? What will you do then?” 

Tengku Nawal glares at Magda. I want to send her calming thoughts, but I don’t want to risk something that might change her behaviour too much—not while Magda is observing her so intently. Distracting her now is not going to work, anyway.

“What would Kudus want with me? Don’t be silly, Maggie. You know I don’t believe in your fairy tales. You may go now,” Tengku Nawal says curtly.

Jaw clenched, Magda gets up, gives the princess a deep curtsy, shoots me a warning look, then she backs out of the room.

~

 

I was going to post the excerpts yesterday, but it got a little too long, what with the photos and the video. So you get the excerpt today! 

Get Absolution now!

Amazon | Other retailers

Series link: https://amzn.to/3zvgo3e

Get the other books in the series at USD2.99 each as part of our Launch Week Sales!

Amok (Absolution, #1)

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

Looking for paperbacks?

We're currently working on getting the books printed, but you can pre-order a paperback directly from Teaspoon Publishing if you're based in Malaysia!

Living elsewhere? Ask for Absolution from your nearest independent bookstore!

Pictures from the #AbsolutionNovel launch at #GTLF2022

We had a great launch on Thursday! It was a dual launch, together with the launch of the Malaysian Writers Society's latest anthology, The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010 - 2020, which I also had a hand in (mostly going crazy in the background). 

 Here are pictures by Celine Wu & Jac, PLUS a highlights video of the event! 

In conversation with Daphne Lee.

Close up photo

Side shot!

And a wide shot!

From left to right: Tina Ishak, May Chong, JY Tan (ed.), Terence Toh, Anis Rozalina Ramli, Sumitra Selvaraj

MYWriters Secretary, May Chong (left) and anthology co-editor. JY Tan (right)

The early morning crowd. Thanks for coming!

Crowd from the other angle! lol

Closer pic of the crowd

L-R: Tina Ishak, May Chong, JY Tan

L-R: Tina Ishak, May Chong, JY Tan, Terence Toh

Group photo. L-R: Me, Tina Ishak, May Chong, JY Tan, Terence Toh, Anis Rozalina Ramli, Daphne Lee, Sumitra Selvaraj

Jac in action

Thanks to all our supporters!

Live streaming, photos and video by Jac ReviewsStuff. Give his YouTube channel a like/subscribe!

Want to watch the full video? Head on over to the Malaysian Writers Society Facebook page for the live stream recording! 

P/S I mentioned posting an excerpt here today, but the post got really long, so you'll get the excerpt tomorrow! 

~ 

ABSOLUTION

If cursed is the hand that kills, then it wouldn’t matter if that same hand stole, would it? 

Tulen feels doubly cursed, forced to serve the bratty princess of Impian as punishment for her crimes. When said princess embarks on a pilgrimage, Tulen grabs her only chance to offer a sacrifice at the holy city of Suci—and maybe, finally, feel clean again.

Sultan Mikal has set his face towards Suci—and certain death. Nothing about his Penance is clear, except the fact that if he fails, Terang will fall along with him.

When Tulen’s pilgrimage intersects with Sultan Mikal’s quest to fulfil the Covenant of Salt, Tulen faces a difficult dilemma: What is her absolution worth in the face of the sultanate’s very existence?

~

GET YOUR COPY NOW!

Amok | The Tale of the Hostage Prince | Absolution

Also check out The Best of Malaysian Short Fiction in English 2010 - 2020 in ebook or print!

Happy Release Day! #AbsolutionNovel

ABSOLUTION releases today!

Absolution (Absolution, #2) is the culmination of Anna Tan’s Absolution series, young adult fantasy books set in a magical Nusantara. Following events in Terang five years after the conclusion of Amok, Absolution is both a quest for absolution and a journey of faith as Sultan Mikal attempts to restore Kudus’ blessing on the kingdom of Terang and preserve their magical gifts.

If you're in Penang, join us at the soft launch at GTLF at 10:30AM today! Not able to make it? Tune in to the live stream on my facebook page: facebook.com/annatansp

~

Here’s what people have to say about Amok, the first book in the series:

“It really is an epic adventure of the imagination.”—Professor Benjamin Zephaniah

“Tan is a supremely talented storyteller.”—A Duck with a Book

“The language is lyrical, beautifully written, and immerses you into the world and characters with ease.”—Across My Shelves

“The world-building of this Nusantara-set novel is exemplary, seamlessly incorporating elements of all the cultures that meld and mingle in Malaysia and its neighbours to present a truly fascinating fantasy world.”—The Frumious Consortium

“If you enjoy reading fantasy that focuses on the growth of the main character, friendships that are put to test in terrible conditions, powerless princes and changed positions, then Amok is perfect for you!”—Mermaird

Here’s what people have to say about The Tale of the Hostage Prince, which follows Yosua’s travails in Bayangan:

“This book was such a lovely and captivating story of magic, religion, friendship, and the challenges of being a ‘third culture kid.’”—Jamie Edwards, NetGalley reviewer

“I love that this book also brings us to contemplate about the meaning of faith (in general).”—One Anjana

“Tan has created a rich world… What do you do if the path you thought was so clear is not so clear after all? What do you do if you are torn between duty and where your heart lies? There is substance to the storyline not just adventure, though that is there too.”—Juliane Silver, NetGalley Reviewer

“The Tale of the Hostage Prince is a fast-paced story that left me breathless…I absolutely enjoy Anna Tan’s writing style.”—Mermaird

Get all three ebooks for $2.99/RM12 each during our launch week sales until 30 November 2022!

~

ABOUT THE BOOK

If cursed is the hand that kills, then it wouldn’t matter if that same hand stole, would it?

Tulen feels doubly cursed, forced to serve the bratty princess of Impian as punishment for her crimes. When said princess embarks on a pilgrimage, Tulen grabs her only chance to offer a sacrifice at the holy city of Suci—and maybe, finally, feel clean again.

Sultan Mikal has set his face towards Suci—and certain death. Nothing about his Penance is clear, except the fact that if he fails, Terang will fall along with him.

When Tulen’s pilgrimage intersects with Sultan Mikal’s quest to fulfil the Covenant of Salt, Tulen faces a difficult dilemma: What is her absolution worth in the face of the sultanate’s very existence?

Add to Goodreads

~

Get Absolution now!

Amazon | Other retailers

Series link: https://amzn.to/3zvgo3e

Get the other books in the series at USD2.99 each as part of our Launch Week Sales!

Amok (Absolution, #1)

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

Looking for paperbacks?

We're currently working on getting the books printed, but you can pre-order a paperback directly from Teaspoon Publishing if you're based in Malaysia!

Living elsewhere? Ask for Absolution from your nearest independent bookstore!

~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anna Tan grew up in Malaysia, the country that is not Singapore. She is interested in Malay/Nusantara and Chinese legends and folklore in exploring the intersection of language, culture, and faith.

Anna has an MA in Creative Writing: The Novel under a Chevening scholarship and is the President of the Malaysian Writers Society. She can be found tweeting as @natzers and forgetting to update annatsp.com.

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

~

COVER ARTIST

Jiwosophy is the body of work of aspiring Malaysian-based artist/illustrator, Shahril Majid, also known by his artist handle, Jiwo. His art is a potpourri of peculiar characters, whimsical colour combinations, organic abstract shapes and eccentric philosophies.

https://linktr.ee/jiwosophy | https://lynkfire.com/jiwosophy

The #BookLaunch Tour for #AbsolutionNovel starts tomorrow!

The Absolution launch tour starts tomorrow! Which means that sales also start tomorrow! Get ready to click those buy buttons! :D

I'll be updating these links to the actual posts throughout the entire tour, so do check back here every day! 

24 November

• Elayne Tan – Review of Absolution on https://www.instagram.com/elaynecacophony 
• Ezza Syuhada – https://ezzasyuhada.com | https://www.instagram.com/ezza_reads/ 

22 November

• Janeen Ippolito – Three Random Questions Book Feature on Amok, the first book in the Absolution series! Subscribe to Janeen's youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@JaneenIppolito 
• LA Thornhill – A book spotlight over at https://www.instagram.com/l.a.thornhill/ 

23 November

• CO Bonham – Dive-in review over at http://cobonham.com 

24 November

• GTLF LAUNCH EVENT @ Digital Penang with Daphne Lee – https://daphnelee.org/ Join us in person at the Digital Penang Event Hall at 10:30am! The Malaysian Writers Society will also have a book booth at the UAB building, where you'll be able to buy my books! (Plus books from other Malaysian writers)

25 November

• Aishah's Book Blog – Review of Absolution on https://www.mermaird.com and https://instagram.com/mermaird 

28 November

• Yuin-Y – A book spotlight over a https://www.instagram.com/elvenstar/ 

29 November

• Karnival Oren @ Level 3, Komtar. In conjunction with Penang Goes Orange, over 80 booths will be set up for this sales carnival – including one by Teaspoon Publishing! Catch us there from 9AM to 5PM. 

30 November

• Moments for My Thoughts – Check out an excerpt of Chapter 5 over at https://momentsformythoughts.blogspot.com 

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Don't forget our launch week sales starting tomorrow!

Find them on your favourite ebook store:

Amok | The Tale of the Hostage Prince | Absolution (pre-order)

Purchase direct from TeaspoonPublishing:

Ebooks: Amok | The Tale of the Hostage Prince | Absolution

Paperbacks: Amok | The Tale of the Hostage Prince | Absolution (pre-order)

#bookreview: Red Scholar's Wake | Aliette de Bodard

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SPACE PIRATES. That's all.

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Xich Si's scavenger ship is taken by pirates in the wake of the Red Scholar's death, and you know how it goes: she can never go home again. But will she be pressed into service as a bondsperson? Or will she be tortured to death as her business partner had been? What she doesn't expect is to be offered a marriage contract by Rice Fish, the ship itself and also the Red Scholar's widow. It's a marriage of convenience, of business and protection, and you know how that usually goes as well.

And to put this right at the start, it's advertised as a sapphic romance, so if that's not what you can accept, then this story is not for you. No blindsiding in this one, it's obvious from the start that the two of them are going to, well... Anyway, there is at least one graphic scene, obviously right before the betrayal (or misunderstanding) though it's a strange stretch (for me) to think of a person and a mindship? An avatar? Relationships-wise at any rate, I do not think there is a single heterosexual relationship in this novel. If there was, it was just never really talked about at all.

The entire novel is layered in Vietnamese imagery, like a peek into a new world for me. One that seems faintly familiar in its Asianness and yet vastly different as well. There's that hierarchy of both age and status: the distance of the elder aunts and young child, the closeness of sisters. The descriptions - especially of their clothes and their overlays - are rich and detailed I sometimes wonder what's the significance of the phoenixes and the peaches and all the other stuff that appears on Tien's clothes that I've already forgotten.

The Red Scholar's Wake is a story full of open tropes and yet one full of hidden depths...skilfully engineered together to fulfil your every expectation--and beyond. It's Xich Si doing anything she can to keep her daughter alive and safe, and Rice Fish learning to love again from the ruins of her past. It's lawful space pirates against a corrupted legal society, the small people against the Big Powers, power plays and politics, a building and breaking of trust, family lost and family found. And all-too-perceptive children.

Come for the tropes, stay because it's a truly entertaining read.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the Orion Publishing Group via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews