#AtoZChallenge: F for Food and Drink

Okay, this post is just going to be excerpts of the food & drink mentioned in The Tale of the Hostage Prince because at this point of “planning” my posts, I’m just combing through my text to see what I can fit into what alphabet. Only the significant ones, though, not the ones that just say "I sipped at my tea" or whatever.

Chapter 1
I smile—fake, so fake, is this who you are?—and stride across the hall to my seat at the head of the main table. When I sit, so does everyone else—and the bustle starts up again. The servants step forward, laying their mouth-watering charges—mutton rendang, peppery beef soup, chicken curry, to name a few—on the tables before us.

Chapter 2
There’s a knock on the door and I hurry to open it. It’s only Relka again, carrying a tray.
“Ampun, Tuanku, I thought you would need drinks for your guest.”
I step aside. He places the tray, which has a tall jug of iced rose syrup and a couple of glasses, on the side table in my living room.

Chapter 3
Relka brings up two servings of roti with chickpea curry for me and a plate of rice, sambal, anchovies, and hard-boiled eggs for my uncle.

(and later)

“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.

(even later!)

I stare at him long and hard, then pull back my unfinished breakfast. I sop up the last of curry with the cold leftovers of my roti, buying time to figure out what to say.

Omg what Malaysians, your roti canai is not supposed to look like this! From: https://www.therakyatpost.com/fun/2021/11/11/theres-a-lizard-roti-canai-and-malaysians-are-all-screaming/

Chapter 4
The scene is almost normal, as if everything I saw upstairs were a distant dream. It has to be a dream. A steaming cup of tea sits on the table in front of me, thick and black. I lift it to my lips. Strong and sweet. Like Ibu makes it. I swallow my tears.

Chapter 7
Eat, I tell myself, and suddenly I’m lost in memories of Ibu ushering Mikal into the castle kitchens, cajoling him to sit and eat after his father’s death. We all rallied around Mikal in the aftermath of his victory, but the one thing that held his head above the water and helped him work through his grief was my mother making his favourite dishes. Relka is doing the same for me—or at least he’s trying to—but it’s not the same. I find myself eating at odd times in the day, careening from binging on some comfort food to not having the appetite to eat at all. That night, Azman half-drags me, shirt soaked, back to my room after spending hours washing dishes amidst gawking kitchen staff.

Chapter 27
On the mat between us is a tray filled with various types of kuih. The ketua picks up the tall jug of chilled rose syrup and pours it out into glasses that he hands to us.

Eee all the kuih! From: https://www.malaymail.com/news/eat-drink/2016/03/27/malaysian-kuih-a-marriage-of-flavours-and-cultures/1087719

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That's it for today!

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!

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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

Malaysia Teaspoon Publishing

Add on Goodreads

#AtoZChallenge: E for Emigration and Exile

What does it mean to leave your country and head to somewhere new?

I think this question is one that many people are grappling with worldwide, whether they are considering emigrating for a better future, or whether they are being forced to flee their own country due to circumstances beyond their control.

I’ve left Penang and Malaysia for short periods of time, but never for good. It was always with the intention to return. But that doesn’t stop me from asking what if? What if, in 2015, I had decided to relocate to San Jose, California instead of travelling there every half a year for work? What if, in 2019, after finishing my Masters, I decided I liked London so much that I found a way to stay?

Besides, one of the questions ethnic Chinese and Indians face in Malaysia every so often is the question, Why don’t you leave?

My dedication for The Tale of the Hostage Prince reads:

For the diaspora,

third-culture kids,

and the pendatang who know no other homeland.

It’s funny (in the ouch-how-dare-you, not the haha kind) that third- and fourth-generation Chinese in Malaysia are still called “pendatang” (immigrants) and often told to “go home”. Even more awkward when the Baba Nyonya or Peranakan Chinese community get lumped into that, when their families have been rooted in Malaysia for centuries. What “home”, I have to ask? My grandparents were born in Malaysia. China is not my home.

Question: If a Chinese-Malaysian emigrates, are they the Malaysian diaspora or do they revert to being Chinese diaspora even if they have never set foot in China?

This kind of cultural and ethnic identity is one that Yosua grapples with in Hostage Prince. His parents were Bayangan, brought to Maha as captives. He was born in Maha, grew up in Maha, has “assimilated” because that’s all he’s ever known. And now he’s back in his “homeland”, the one he’s tied to by blood. And heritage.

But who is he really?

In Amok, Yosua made a decision to stay in Bayangan, to finalise his emigration, even though he knew the political situation would make it akin to exile.

Now he has to come to terms with it.

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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

Malaysia Teaspoon Publishing

Add on Goodreads

#AtoZChallenge: D for Developing The Tale of the #HostagePrince

One question every writer seems to get (or at least I do) is how did you develop your story? Did you write an outline first? Do you plan out your character arcs? Determine the beats of the story? Or do you just write and create on the spot?

Or, as common parlance puts it: are you a plotter or a pantser? If you don’t know what this means, here’s a great article: https://thewritepractice.com/plotters-pantsers/. Other terms include “architect vs gardener” or “outlining vs discovery writing”.

I’m…pretty much a pantser. I find it very, very difficult to sit down and work out an outline from scratch. I’ve tried. And failed. Many, many times. What tends to work for me is to start writing first, let the story grow in multiple directions, if necessary, until I hit a spot where I go, “There—there’s the story.” From that point, I can either finish up the story so that I know how it ends, or I can go backwards into writing a semi-coherent plot and outline, then work on rewriting the whole thing.

What now is The Tale of the Hostage Prince has a convoluted history. Actually, the development whole series is very convoluted. See, I wrote Absolution first—or what I used to call The Weight of Sin. And then I figured it needed a prequel to explain why Terang got to where it was. So I thought, why not make it a trilogy! Fantasy series are usually trilogies, no?

So I started planning it out:

1. The Weight of Strength
2. The Weight of Secrets
3. The Weight of Sin

Sounded like a good plan. I'd already gotten the third one. The first one was easy. It definitely had to do with Maha, and how Terang fell from grace in the first place. That slowly evolved into Amok, which also draws inspiration from the biblical tale of Samson and Delilah, because, magical strength, y’know?

But The Weight of Secrets had me stumped. I thought I’d go with something to do in Impian, which has Justices that have the gift of Mind-reading. Even the head of the Justices is called the Secretkeeper! So I was playing around with various ideas surrounding Nek Ramalan (the Secretkeeper in Amok) and her daughter Rahsia. Then I thought maybe the story would be about Iman, Rahsia’s best friend, who shockingly inherits Nek’s powers (You can read Shattered Memories, a short story about this, in The Painted Hall Collection—though it’s a little outdated by now; Rahsia’s journey and many worldbuilding details have evolved since writing that in 2018). But nothing really stuck.

So I thought okay, fine. I can work with a duology. That’s not uncommon.

But by the time I was finishing Amok, Yosua had grown to be so much more than just the sidekick—I’d initially planned a dual POV between Mikal and Yosua for Amok before I switched over to Mikal’s POV exclusively. Yosua…deserved his own story. And I kind of wanted to know what he’d do after the events of Amok. Would he stay in Bayangan? And if yes, why?

Thus, The Weight of Secrets became Yosua's story, The Tale of the Hostage Prince.

More about that in H for Hostage and Y for Yosua!

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For those still wondering how pantsers work with story, structure, here’s a good article on that: https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2017/11/10/seat-of-the-pants-story-structure/ 

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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)

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

Malaysia Teaspoon Publishing

Add on Goodreads

#AtoZChallenge: C for Cast of Characters

Some SFF books have a cast of characters, either at the front or end of the book. I mooted the idea for a while but it was a little too difficult to compile, and I didn’t know what information to include. At any rate, I do have a working draft from the last attempt, so I updated it a little for this post! 

For simplicity, I think I’ll only include the major/important characters so that it doesn’t get too long and confusing.

The ones marked (*) were in Amok but are not in The Tale of the Hostage Prince, though they may be alluded to.

Bayangan 

Yosua ayell Garett, also known as Yosett Regis Baya: The current Raja of Bayangan (and the current viewpoint character! He grew up as a servant to Mikal in the Mahan Palace.

Garett Regis Baya: Yosua’s father, formerly the Raja Muda of Bayangan before he was taken captive by Simson.

Marla Ishi: Yosua’s mother. The Ishis are a prominent noble family in Bayangan and she grew up in the Bayangan Castle before she was taken captive by Simson. 

Jeffett Ishi: Marla’s eldest brother. He became Regent of Bayangan after Garett was taken, and raised Layla to take the throne. 

Layla Regis Ishi*: Garett’s youngest sister. Raised by Jeffett, she eventually took his name (Ishi) along with the Regis indicator of the ruling family when she assumed the throne.

Carla Tuah: One of the oldest and most influential nobles on the Majlis DiRaja. The Tuahs are a prominent noble family in Bayangan.

Azman Tuah: Yosua’s close friend in Bayangan, and Carla’s grandnephew. He’s been marked to take Carla’s place on the Majlis.

Relka: Yosua’s servant.

Terang

Terang is made up of three city-states, so I'll just divide the cast by those as well. 

Maha

Simson*: Previous Sultan of Terang & Maha. He defeated Bayangan 20 years before the events of Amok and took the firstborn children as captives to Maha.

Mikal: Current Sultan of Terang & Maha, Simson’s only son. 

Yaakub*: Temenggung of Maha, he was Mikal’s mentor.

Rizal: Laksamana of Maha, he is the only one of Simson’s Majlis Maha to survive the events in Amok, and is currently still holding the post. 

Daud: Head of the Temple in Maha.

Han: One of the Tawanan, he grew up in the Mahan Palace with Yosua. Now, he leads troupes between Maha and Terang, often acting as messenger between Yosua and Mikal.

Suci

Ikhlas*: Uskup Agung of Terang, and the head of the Temple in Suci

Farouk: An Uskup from Suci, one of the forerunners to succeed Ikhlas as Uskup Agung. 

Impian

Nadir: Titular head of Impian

Ramalan*: Previous Secretkeeper of Terang. Besides having the Mind-reading Gift of the Justices, she also sees visions of the future. 

Rahsia: Ramalan’s granddaughter. She is a Justice, and was sent as a spy to Bayangan in Amok.

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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

Malaysia: Teaspoon Publishing

Add on Goodreads

#AtoZChallenge: B for Bayangan

 The Tale of the Hostage Prince is mostly set in a kingdom called Bayangan. It’s ruled by a Raja, who is elected by a council of nobles called the Majlis DiRaja (literally, council of kings, but oh well). This may or may not be influenced by the way the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is, uh, selected in Malaysia but, you know, with a lifetime appointment and other complications. (Wikipedia also tells me Negeri Sembilan practices something of the sort. Maybe S will be for Succession rules, but we’ll see.)

At the back of my books, I give a short blurb on the main places that appear in the Absolution Series. Here’s what you’ll find:

Bayangan is located across the Mahan straits and is said to have been formed by rebels who seceded from the Terang Sultanate due to differences in beliefs. The rulers of Bayangan have maintained its animosity and enmity over the years, leading to frequent wars between the two kingdoms.

That sounds pretty dry, so here’s a little excerpt that covers Bayangan’s founding legend, how it got its name in the story world*, and the Regent’s Festival! 

To set the scene: It’s the Regent’s Festival in Bayangan, and Yosua is griping (a little) about his duties as king. (Note: the novel is in Yosua's point of view!)

Chapter 3 Excerpt

In keeping with tradition, I’m required to hold the Regent’s Court in the throne room, listening to the gripes of the people and settling them as the ultimate judge over Bayangan. They’re only supposed to escalate the most difficult cases to me—the ones that have been disputed too many times, those which the magistrates cannot handle, those which need a tougher sentencing that only the Raja is allowed to pronounce. Yet most of them are petty squabbles, easily dealt with. I suspect they delay their cases on purpose in hopes that their hearing would fall during the festival—who doesn’t want to say that the Raja himself judged their case at the Regent’s Court? Twenty years ago, when the population of Bayangan was decimated, and the kingdom was in disarray, I can imagine this was a useful tool for my uncle to consolidate power and support, and to prove his ability to rule. But now? Now it is nothing but a useless spectacle. 

It’s tough to listen to their long grandfather’s stories without tapping my feet or drumming my fingers on the nearest surface. I would rather even be at parang training, being humiliated by the weapons master, than this. I plaster an attentive look on my face that I can only hope looks genuine. Beside me, Azman sniggers. 

‘Shut up,’ I scold with my fingers though, of course, he doesn’t understand.  

Various performers congregate in the courtyard, entertaining those waiting for their turn to tour the castle with songs and stories and sleight of hand. Han and his troupe perform in the dining room all day, presenting a stunning repertoire of stories collected from the farthest reaches of Bayangan. 

I don’t get to watch until the evening, stuck as I am with my duties. With the crowd ebbing and flowing throughout the day, there’s no formal protocol. Everyone fills their plates from the loaded buffet table whenever they’re hungry and finds a place to sit. 

I’m almost done with my dinner when Uncle Jeffett sits down beside me with a heavy thud. His face is unexpectedly grim for an event like this. Straight ahead, the evening performance starts and his expression darkens.

“And so it goes,” Han calls.

The chorus responds, “If you will listen, O Raja.”

Han echoes, “If you will listen, O Raja.” 

“This is how it went,” the chorus replies.

“In the year of the locust, when magic corrupted Terang, there stood a man head and shoulders above the others, who was not afraid to fight alone.”

They launch into a swashbuckling story of the founding of Bayangan, from when Harett Baya rejected the cult of Terang and founded his own kingdom. There are fantastic sea battles up and down the straits accompanied by dramatic declarations, until Harett finally convinces Sultan Yosua to leave them alone. Harett Baya names his newly formed kingdom Bayangan, after himself, and adds Regis to his surname. His descendants—and many nobles who aspire to kingship—tag the ‘ett’ suffix to their names in honour of him. It’s a beloved story, but not one that I would have preferred the rapt audience to be reminded of right now. 

The legend they tell here is vastly different from the version I grew up with, where my namesake performed a penance and wept over the people living under the shadow of fear and ignorance. I know that version like the back of my hand, its forms engraved into my body’s memory. I dance it in my mind’s eye, tracing Kudus and faith into the palm of my hand, as Han’s troupe plays out the Bayangan version in front of me. 

I try to look beyond the surface of this performance to see what Han is saying in private, but again, there are no hidden messages—at least, not for me. Did someone request this story—someone opposed to the new policies I’m trying to push—or did Han choose it of his own volition? And if the latter, to what end? 

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* I made up this legend after the fact. The real story is that I was being very, very literal in my naming. Since Terang = Bright/clear, their enemy obviously had to be Bayangan = Shadow/shade. I’m sorry. Lol.

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The Tale of the Hostage Prince is now on NetGalley, so if you have an account there, click the widget thing below to get an ARC! 

The Tale of the Hostage Prince

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That's it for today! 

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!

#AtoZChallenge: A for Absolution

Welcome to the A to Z Challenge! Today's post is A for Absolution.

The Absolution Series is a duology consisting of Amok (released June 2021) and Absolution (coming this November!) But wait, you ask, there are three titles in that picture!

While Amok and Absolution revolve around the fall and restoration of Terang (therefore are books #1 and #2 respectively), The Tale of the Hostage Prince is a side story that follows what happens to Yosua in Bayangan after the events of Amok. Since it isn’t directly related to the main story arc of the other two, I made it #1.5.

(Confusing? Yeah, I know. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. lol)

Here are the book descriptions & buy links!

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The Absolution Duology

Amok (Absolution #1) – June 2021

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 royal family. Yet no matter how religiously he keeps his vows, Kudus denies him the Strength—even while his father, Sultan Simson, blatantly defies the Temple, insisting on a marriage alliance with the enemy queen despite the priests’ visions of doom.

Then the prophecies come true.

International purchases: books2read.com/Amok

Malaysia: Teaspoon Publishing | Shopee

Add on Goodreads

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Absolution (Absolution #2) – Releasing November 2022

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, until 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?

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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

Malaysia: Teaspoon Publishing

Add on Goodreads

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That's all for today. See you tomorrow for B for Bayangan! 

Head back to my theme reveal and master list.

Go check out the other A to Z Bloggers!

#bookreview: Shadow and Sword | NK Carlson

Shadow and Sword by N.K. Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Reith sets off to hunt one morning, little does he expect to come back to find his town under attack. Following instructions, Reith sets off alone to the ruined city of Erador in hopes of reuniting with his mentor, Master Chronicler Vereinen. Instead, he only uncovers more danger - and an ancient sword of gold, silver, and copper.

Shadow and Sword starts off at a run, then doubles back a little to events that happened earlier in the day. I know the general writing advice now is to start in media res but this was a little...awkward, and could have just have started in sequence anyway because of the short time covered. Still, it works well enough. Reith gains sympathy as the young apprentice trying his best in unexpected circumstances; the Gray Man is a chilling villain, a vague, unsettling shadow looming over the towns of Coeden and Suthrond.

As Reith travels Terrahsohnen, the reader is drawn into a fascinating world where humans, dwarves, and elves once worked together before the dragons laid waste to Erador and left behind the scorched swath of dead land called Dragonscar. We don't know why - it's part of the unfolding mystery, along with the reasons for the current animosity between humans and elves and the growing evil.

Carlson's literary inspirations are maybe a little obvious here. Reith breaks out into a spontaneous rhyming song. There's a magical circle of trees that provide sustenance and safety for Reith as they whisper at him, reminiscent of the Ents. And then there's a voice that speaks to Reith, one that "had a memory from the dawn of time and ... could see into the future" which hints at Aslan.

And that's the thing. Shadow and Sword is an interesting enough read, but if I had one complaint, it would be that everything becomes a tad predictable at some point. What could have been an exciting plot twist came off to me as "oh, yeah, that was like what happened in [book]" which is maybe more of a "we have the same literary tastes" problem than anything else.

And so the novel ends with the convening of the fellowship, with the sword-bearer poised to bring light to fight the Shadow.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

View all my reviews

#CoverReveal and #Preorder links: The Tale of the Hostage Prince

After all the organisation I did for the release of Amok - which went astray anyway because of Malaysia's MCO - I feel like I don't have any concrete plans for launching The Tale of the Hostage Prince, other than my A to Z posts.

Mostly because I'm just sitting on everything being overwhelmed. And also slightly over-scheduling myself for March when I knew I was trying to launch a book. (Or maybe because I was launching a book?)

BUT! 

Launch day is now less than a month away, final files are at the printer or uploaded online, and I'm staring at April wondering if I've made a bad choice... 

So I guess it's time to reveal our lovely cover, designed by Jiwosophy!

~

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!

ebook | paperback (Malaysia)

I've dropped pre-order prices to $2.99/RM12 for ebooks and RM35 for paperbacks in Malaysia. The international release for paperbacks is in the process - it has to go through some final checks before I can release it for sale. 

~

FOR IMPATIENT PEOPLE 

who don't mind subscribing to my slightly-neglected newsletter:

I'm trying out Smashwords' presale function, which means that you can get early access to the ebook like NOW! Before release day! If you click to subscribe to my newsletter, you'll even be able to get it at the pre-order discount of $2.99! (If not, you can still get it at the full price of $4.99.)

HEAD TO THE SPECIAL PRESALE

#AtoZChallenge Theme Reveal 2022: The Tale of the Hostage Prince

Technically this post was supposed to go up yesterday. Practically, I only started writing it today. Well, it's still Monday somewhere in the world, I think?? But delay aside, I decided to kill two birds* with one stone with this year's A to Z Challenge.

You see, instead of organising a cover reveal and book launch tour, which takes massive coordination skills and time, I decided to use the A to Z Challenge as launch month for 

The Tale of the Hostage Prince

...which means content around the world of the Absolution series, teasers for the new book, writing insights, and basically a bunch of Yosua-related content!

The Tale of the Hostage Prince launches on April 14, because that's when L for Launch is. 

I'll be updating the index below as and when I start filling them up! :)

*No birds were really killed, promise. 

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A for Absolution

B for Bayangan

C for Cast of Characters

D for Developing the Tale of the Hostage Prince

E for Emigration and Exile

F for Food and Drink

G for Guerrilla Theatre

H for Hostage Prince, with excerpts from Chapter 24

I for Identity

J for Justices, Mind-reading and the Secretkeeper

K for Kudus

L for LAUNCH DAY!

M for Mikal, Maha and the Amok Strength

N for Nusantara

O for Obedience

P for Paderi, the Perantaraan Gift, and Suci

Q for Quills and that pesky thing called anachronism

R for Relka

S for Succession

T for Tuah

U for Uncle Jeffett

V for Vibes

W for War

X for Xenophobia

Y for Yosua

Z for Zen

#bookreview: Mister Yam | Yeng Tan

Mister Yam by Yeng Tan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

2.5 stars because I am slightly (British: very) annoyed with this book.
TL;DR: For all the fantastic layered writing in the beginning, the ending was a flat out trope. He did not stick the landing, folks.

---

Mister Yam starts most deliciously. We're presented with an oddly named Malaysian protagonist in California who has a rather intriguing voice. Mister Yam meets up with Lorenzo, an old college friend, and encounters the winged sheep (that's on the cover) for the first time.

Part 1 is the start of the bizarre events that happen to Mister Yam - a mystery that I'm rather invested in. Who is this unknown woman who knows all about him? Who is this bald, sheep-obsessed man who keeps turning up everywhere and feels like a time-traveller? How are all these random events connected? There are some brilliant lines, some rather poignant philosophical musings, but also a few awkward word choices. Play pamphlet becomes a whole side-story, but that's another matter.

Part 2 is where the dissatisfaction starts setting in. Everything is becoming too coincidental, too manufactured. It doesn't feel like cause and effect anymore, it feels like random events tacked on to advance the story. There is a sidetrack into Emma's backstory of her Mormon mission in Mongolia and escaping from Mormonism & her family, which involves the bald man with the sheep. The mystery is nowhere closer to being solved; it just felt like an anti-Mormon spiel. On that point, I never got why Emma (who, before this, thought he was a bit weird) would just suddenly invite a weirdo to her home. And then tell him her life story. But not the important bit at the end, he needs to figure that out himself.

At any rate, the mystery is devolving into Mister Yam is supposed to know what he's supposed to know even if he doesn't know he knows it (but the mystery is also where is Lorenzo?). The reader (me) doesn't know any of what he's supposed to know so this is all just going round in circles. Confusion x1000.

And then you get to Part 3, where the conclusion to the mystery or the search for Lorenzo (or the sheep, or Boris, or whatever the heck Mister Yam is hiding from himself) is revealed. And it sucks. It plays out like one of those shitty school essays where the author doesn't know how to resolve everything they've put in and takes the easiest solution. If this were an essay, I'd give an A for the prose and writing style but a D for ending and resolution.

Read it, I guess, if you just want philosophical musings about life and the universe. Not if you want the ending to mean something to the beginning.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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#bookreview: A Castle from Ashes | Sharon Rose

A Castle from Ashes by Sharon Rose
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sir Thomas Kaituer is almost assassinated at the ruins of his family's castle. Lady Sareen visits her cousin Beth to ask for advice on how to avoid marrying Lord Ivan Maerton, where she finds herself starting to fall in love with Sir Thomas. Lord Ivan Maerton is determined to accomplish two things: destroy Kaituer and marry Lady Sareen.

Where the first two books in the Castle in the Wilde series, A Castle Awakened and A Castle Contended, focus on Tristan and Beth's story, this one focuses on Sir Thomas Kaituer. Thomas isn't a new character by any means - he's been a side character of increasing importance ever since the first one where he first stumbles upon the castle while searching for his missing brother. We've seen him grow from being an outcast living in fear for his life to being knighted by the king himself. (In fact, the recently released prequel, A Castle Lost, tells the story of the grandfather he was named after, and how that Thomas Kaituer lost his family, title, and castle all in one day; it might be helpful to read that first to see where the present Thomas is coming from and all the family baggage he is dealing with.)

A Castle from Ashes at its core is a story about integrity and (appropriate) belief in one's self. Thomas is coming into his own - yet he struggles with self-doubt and whether he is worthy of all the things that have been restored to him. It feels like everyone else around him, from the people of the woods to Tristan and the king, believes in his capabilities more than he does himself. I don't quite believe in this "noble blood" thing that makes it so that he has a right to rule because of his bloodline/ancestors, but it is evident from the way that Thomas carries himself and how he relates to others that he has great leadership qualities and a heart to help those under his care. Besides, he has a great role model-and practical help-in Tristan.

On the other hand, Ivan is so sure of his place in the realm and his utter right to everything he wants that he gets increasingly unhinged when things are denied him or events don't turn out the way he expects them to. Of course, his greatest enemy is Thomas, because how dare this little upstart outlaw claim any portion of his inheritance no matter what the law says? I kind of pity Duke Maerton because he has to deal with his son, but not really because it is somewhat his fault.

Of course, in between the clash of these two men, there has to be a woman. And Lady Sareen is stuck in a society where she has little to no say in what happens to her. But it's lovely to see how she learns to stand up for herself - and what she really wants - while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

All in all, A Castle from Ashes is an exciting read and a fitting end to the trilogy.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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A Castle from Ashes releases today! Get it now :) 

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A Castle from Ashes by Sharon Rose
Novel 3 of the Castle in the Wilde series

His family was abased, and their castle destroyed. Now a hint of the king’s favor marks him for murder.

Saving the king’s life has lifted Thomas Kaituer from impoverished exile. It also earned him a title—without a scrap of authority or noble privilege. All Sir Thomas gains from his courtesy title are a few party invitations and contempt from the House of Maerton—the very rivals who drove his family from their ancestral land.

When a stranger points out the ruins of Kaituer Castle to Thomas, he cannot resist visiting the home from which his grandfather fled into exile. Now a desolate scene where all may tread—except Thomas. Was he lured here with deadly intent? Who shot that arrow at him? And why, since he is a nobody?

Hovering between the poverty he grew up with and the nobility he is denied, Thomas belongs to neither world. No land will be his, no bride will be suitable, no children will carry his name. Then the king pulls a will from the royal archives. Thomas’s great-grandmother left her descendants a small estate, also occupied by the Maerton clan. They suddenly relinquish it to him. Far too easy. Another trap, perhaps? But how can he decline it when it could be the key to his future? Would it give him the right to join hands with a certain lady? If he lives long enough.

A Castle from Ashes is the final novel of the Castle in the Wilde series. If you enjoy a story where lies hide in plain sight and true freedom must be won, explore this fantastical world with medieval undertones and sparks of hope.

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About the Sharon Rose
I started writing when I was seven years old. Okay, My Life as a Flying Squirrel may have had a couple spelling errors, but my classmates loved it.

 
Plenty of life has happened since that first story, and I’ve come to realize the things that fascinate me. People. Communication. Culture. Personality. Viewpoints. Beliefs. Anything that makes each of us beautifully unique. Small wonder that my art spills out in story form.

 
It was only a matter of time before I just had to share my stories. I publish fantasy and science fiction because they allow vast spaces to explore. My stories weave cultures and characters, who are more than they seem to be, into adventures with mystery, romance, and hope.

 
When I’m not writing or reading, I may be traveling, enjoying gardens, or searching for unique coffee shops with my husband. We live in Minnesota, USA, famed for its mosquitoes—uh, I mean 10,000 lakes and vibrant seasons.

#comingsoon: A Castle from Ashes | Sharon Rose #fantasybookseries

I'm excited that A Castle from Ashes (Castle in the Wilde #3) is launching on January 18th! I've just finished reading it and am getting round to writing my review which will be posted next Weds (well, in my timezone, but Tuesday in the US).

Here are my reviews for the earlier books in the series: 

A Castle Lost - (pre-prequel, haha, this is about Thomas Kaituer's grandfather, who he's named after -- and might best be read right before this book 3! Actually, I might go back and re-read this)

A Castle Sealed (prequel) 

A Castle Awakened (book 1) - on sale at $0.99 until 15 Jan

A Castle Contended (book 2) - on sale at $0.99 until 15 Jan

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His family was abased, and their castle destroyed. Now a hint of the king’s favor marks him for murder.

Saving the king’s life has lifted Thomas Kaituer from impoverished exile. It also earned him a title—without a scrap of authority or noble privilege. All Sir Thomas gains from his courtesy title are a few party invitations and contempt from the House of Maerton—the very rivals who drove his family from their ancestral land.

When a stranger points out the ruins of Kaituer Castle to Thomas, he cannot resist visiting the home from which his grandfather fled into exile. Now a desolate scene where all may tread—except Thomas. Was he lured here with deadly intent? Who shot that arrow at him? And why, since he is a nobody?

Hovering between the poverty he grew up with and the nobility he is denied, Thomas belongs to neither world. No land will be his, no bride will be suitable, no children will carry his name. Then the king pulls a will from the royal archives. Thomas’s great-grandmother left her descendants a small estate, also occupied by the Maerton clan. They suddenly relinquish it to him. Far too easy. Another trap, perhaps? But how can he decline it when it could be the key to his future? Would it give him the right to join hands with a certain lady? If he lives long enough.

A Castle from Ashes is the final novel of the Castle in the Wilde series. If you enjoy a story where lies hide in plain sight and true freedom must be won, explore this fantastical world with medieval undertones and sparks of hope.

---

A Castle from Ashes can now be preordered on Amazon! 

Click here for the Castle in the Wilde series

About the Author, Sharon Rose
I started writing when I was seven years old. Okay, My Life as a Flying Squirrel may have had a couple spelling errors, but my classmates loved it.

Plenty of life has happened since that first story, and I’ve come to realize the things that fascinate me. People. Communication. Culture. Personality. Viewpoints. Beliefs. Anything that makes each of us beautifully unique. Small wonder that my art spills out in story form.

 
It was only a matter of time before I just had to share my stories. I publish fantasy and science fiction because they allow vast spaces to explore. My stories weave cultures and characters, who are more than they seem to be, into adventures with mystery, romance, and hope.

 
When I’m not writing or reading, I may be traveling, enjoying gardens, or searching for unique coffee shops with my husband. We live in Minnesota, USA, famed for its mosquitoes—uh, I mean 10,000 lakes and vibrant seasons.

#bookreview: Two Figures in a Car and Other Stories | Wan Phing Lim

Two Figures in a Car and Other Stories by Wan Phing Lim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As a brief disclaimer, I am probably biased towards this book because Wan Phing is a writing friend - some of these stories I remember from critique sessions, and two of them (A Star Has Landed and Islanders) were first published in NutMag, the annual zine that I run.

I've always loved Wan Phing's voice as a writer - and this debut collection of 14 stories (2 of them new) is a showcase of that. The stories are very rooted in local life and the places she's lived - mostly Penang and Singapore - while the one (and a half) set in England are peopled by Malaysians. Her language dips in and out of local vernacular, peppered with Malay and Hokkien expressions and the occasional Mandarin phrase.

If I were to put a central theme to this collection, I'd say it's relationships - or maybe love, sex, and family. Because whether it's Seng sending money home to his son, Sozai musing on the Penang Bridge, the Ruby case that Sergeant Wong refuses to close, or the many people Justin Liew has slept with, each character is pushed and pulled by their relationships to the people around them. There's no shying away from the dark side and failings of human nature: the stories explore ambition and escape, affairs and one-night stands, madness and murder, as well as the supernatural.

All fourteen stories are quite short - I think many of them don't cross the 2K mark - so Two Figures in a Car and Other Stories is quite a quick, if somewhat dark, read.

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Get it here! 

#bookreview: No Land to Light On | Yara Zgheib

No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sama Zayat is at the Boston airport on January 28, 2017 waiting for her husband, Hadi, to return from his father's funeral in Amman. But he doesn't emerge, and the inexplicable mob crushes her, leading to the premature birth of her firstborn.
Hadi Deeb is stuck in a nightmare, detained at the airport for reasons unknown, questioned as if he were an illegal immigrant despite his visa and refugee papers. Papers which were very much in order when he left for the funeral a week ago and when he boarded the plane home the day before.
On January 27, 2017, Executive Order 13769 had been issued, the chaos and injustice of this new ruling throwing the lives of thousands into chaos.

I should really start a list called "books that made me want to cry". It'll be a very eclectic list because very few stories make me want to cry and I normally avoid them. Which actually made me wonder a little why I decided to review this book (did I request it? was it offered? I don't recall) when it's usually not my thing. At any rate, no regrets.

No Land to Light On is a poignant and heart-wrenching read, following both Sama & Hadi's struggles as they try to reunite after the Muslim ban was put in place by Trump. The first person POV flips between Sama & Hadi - often disjointed, like our thoughts are, running in circles and getting stuck on strange things. There is a raw tone to these passages, offering thoughts straight from their minds as they try to navigate both legal and personal battles. Threaded through this, a third-person narrative flashes back to the difficult journeys and sacrifices they - and their families - made to get to the USA in the first place.

Where is home? And what is home? Is it a place? And why is it that place? Is it your roots and the land you came from? Or is it the land where you've transplanted yourself? Yara explores this gently from various angles. Sama left Syria and her parents willingly five years before for the freedom that America offered; it is the only home she wants, the one that she is trying so hard to assimilate in so that it will truly accept her. Hadi was forced out two years before by fear and his mother (or his mother's fear for his life) in search of a safe harbour that would not murder him; he finds comfort in the company of other immigrants, pulled towards the familiarity and yet pushing away from the painful memories of war and deprivation.

And what is love? Love here is expressed not in loud declarations, flashy gifts, or sexual acts. It's offered quietly in the way Sama's parents offer food and money and Sama hides her problems to shield them from worry. It's shown in the way Hadi tries to find safety for his parents through the family reunification program and how his parents try to go through with it even though they do not wish to leave their land. Love here is the way Hadi and Sama cannot truly leave their culture, food, and language, although they have left their land behind.

Yara uses Syrian words unapologetically throughout the novel. Sometimes it is confusing - what are they truly saying? Do I need to google this word? But most times, it grounds the story, makes it feel earthier, weightier, more authentic, an honest, raw expression of the injustices of this world. It is also a reminder that not all stories are for you. This one is for Syria and the Syrian refugees, especially those still caught in limbo.

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

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Get No Land to Light On here:

2021: A Year in Review

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

What can I say about 2021?

"I survived." (What else can anyone say about 2021??)

Writing-Related Things

Amok is out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Which was variously called Berserker or The Weight of Strength on this blog, depending on which draft/version it was. But Amok is the final published title. It's currently available on most online retailers (in ebook & print), Black Dragon Books (UK/International Shipping), Teaspoon Publishing (Malaysia - now with GrabPay!), and Shopee (Malaysia). If you are Amazon-averse and based in the US, you should be able to request it at your local bookstore or library if they are supplied by IngramSpark or have Overdrive. :) 

I was going to publish The Tale of the Hostage Prince (sometimes called The Weight of Secrets) this year as well until there were editing snafus, so that's tentatively coming out March 2022, with Absolution (previously pitched and griped about as The Weight of Sin) now slated for November 2022. I suppose I will get round to adding them on GoodReads sooner rather than later... or when I stop being a potato. 

Here's this year's edition of our annual zine. My own story didn't get in because it was decidedly weird and not quite fitting the theme, but I was attempting something less pandemicy. Alas, everyone else was super pandemicy so it was hard to make it fit. Anyways, you can get NutMag 5: Lost on Shopee and on Google Play.

On not-my-writing (but stuff I worked on), my client is in The Malaysia Book of Records lol. Get her book here.

We made MYWritersFest2021 happen virtually! Jaymee and I did a thing!

I was on a GTLF session with Deric Ee talking about anthologies! You should be able to watch the replay on their Facebook page.

I can't remember anything else. I suppose if you remember on my behalf, you can leave a comment. haha.

Reading-Related Stuff

Here's my Year in Books. It's a drop from last year, but I was busy publishing a book and organising a festival and being very stressed.

I'm looking at my 5-star reviews for the year, but none of them jump out at me as strongly as they did in 2020. I guess I'd put these as my top 5, in no particular order:

• The Long, Long Afternoon by Inga Vesper
• Toyols'R'Us by Terence Toh
• Strength (The Legacy Chronicles 2) by Lauren Salisbury
• Mist Bound: How to Glue Back Grandpa by Daryl Kho
• Future Perfect by Felicia Yap

I'll probably also give The Windward King by KT Ivanrest a mention because I just read it and I really loved it but I do not have the energy to write a review at this point in time so maybe I don't love it enough?? But it was a very, very good read!!! 

Blog-Related Stats

Views - all-time

Look at that weird bump. Which is yay, I suppose, even though I haven't been as consistent at posting this year. Unless they're bots. Maybe they're bots. Oh wait, the spike is June - July, which was when I did the Amok launch & blog tour, so maybe that makes sense. Or maybe not, because the actual days are off. And another spike in November, a few days after I posted Lay Heong's thing. idk.

Top locations -  last 12 months

I suddenly have an audience in Indonesia! Not sure why! 

Top 5 posts - last 12 months

And my top 5 posts are mostly A to Z posts from 2014, except for my review of Toyols'R'Us, which you should totally read. 

I cannot recall anything else of note that happened this year. So I'll sign off now at 18 minutes into 2022. 

Happy New Year!

#bookreview: The Golden Yarn (MirrorWorld 3) & The Silver Tracks (MirrorWorld 4) | Cornelia Funke

The Golden Yarn by Cornelia Funke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Okay, so I was hoping to like this better after another read, since The Petrified Flesh and Reckless II: Living Shadows were much better the second time round. (Idk how that works; a state of mind, maybe?) But while I liked it well enough, it just still remained a little meh. Not enough to push it up to a 4-star at any rate.

Plotwise, The Golden Yarn is getting more complex. Spieler, the Alderelf, is taking centre stage - he seems to be the main mover of events now, with Jacob mostly just reacting to his threats and to the bargain that he doesn't want to fulfil: that Spieler gets his firstborn. Will is back in the MirrorWorld in an attempt to save his girlfriend Clara. And Fox? Fox is dealing with Jacob's mess, as usual.

And maybe that's part of the reason why this feels flat to me. Jacob is just reacting (badly), and it feels like he hasn't really learnt anything or grown from the last book, because he's making the same mistakes again. Namely, keeping things from Fox, especially things that will affect Fox. And then telling her she's free to go, but then acting all jealous when she takes him at his word. Mebbe I'm really just meh about this book because I'm getting annoyed by Jacob and am generally frustrated at all the unnecessary secrets, no matter who is hiding it.

I mean, fairy tale wise, this should be entrancing. We're heading into Eastern territory, with Baba Yaga narratives and flying carpets and lesser-known, less-white-centred tales. But maybe it's also because we don't see enough of it; we get glimpses obscured by love triangles and love denials. At this point, the Dark Fairy is the most interesting character. Because she knows what she wants and won't be swayed.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Pushkin Children's Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

 

The Silver Tracks by Cornelia Funke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacob and Fox finally catch up to Will and, despite their better judgement, join Will's journey to Nihon (mirror-Japan) to find a cure for Sixteen. There's a weird sort of temporary ceasefire between Jacob and Nerron the Bastard, while they deal with a bigger threat - because in the mountains of Nihon, they find that Spieler, and the rest of the Alderelves, have returned.

The Silver Tracks is a story of betrayal, ever-shifting loyalties, and plot oddities. How long will this alliance between Jacob and Nerron last? Why has Clara allied herself with the Alderelves, and who does Will actually love: Clara or Sixteen? How human is a creature of glass that's turning into wood? And whose side is Yanagita Hideo on? Alderelves can be killed if you fell their Silver-Alders, but trees you think are dead can come back to life. And proximity to the one to whom you owe a child can create life (this was one of the weirdest plot points in the book).

It's interesting to see elves cast in a bad light for once - where they're often the "good, beautiful race", though these Alderelves live deep underground, and in even hotter territory than the Goyl dare go. Only Toshiro seems to be a "good" kind of alderelf, but even then still felt rather self-serving.

There are, again, too many POVs in this one, shifting across the ever-increasing cast. Which is a weird thing for me to say because I love Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archives. I think The Silver Tracks expanded a bit too far, and too fast, and the narrative and plot loses a bit of coherence especially with the shifting POVs. Jacob is perpetually in prison or being tortured and after too many betrayals and shifting allegiances, I think I gave up figuring out who was on whose side anymore.

I decided not to re-read this one, despite rereading the others, mostly because I'm not in the mood to. Besides, there seems to be a book 5 coming, so maybe I'll reread this then, instead of now.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Pushkin Children's Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Merry Christmas!

#bookreview: Living Shadows (Reckless #2) | Cornelia Funke

Living Shadows by Cornelia Funke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jacob Reckless has been keeping secrets - but how long can he keep his coming death from Fox, who knows him better than he knows himself?

Living Shadows (also called Fearless) is a race against time and death. Jacob has tried every magical object and legend he can think of, but the Fairy curse is proving unbreakable. The only thing left to try may not even prove reliable (or exist at all)--and is also being actively pursued by the Goyl. Funke pits two treasure hunters against each other: Jacob in a bid to save his own life; Nerron the Bastard who wants both fame and the Goyl's triumph over humans.

I rather enjoyed this one, despite wanting to yell at Jacob to just tell her already, tell Fox the truth like every single chapter. Despite the dark theme, it becomes a rather sweet slow burn romance, where they realise that they can't keep ignoring their feelings for each other - especially when death is just so close for both of them. Because as the chase goes on, it's not just Jacob's life at stake anymore.

I still don't like the shifting POVs very much, but it's not super jarring. I guess like with The Petrified Flesh, familiarity with the story helps smoothen the flow. Otherwise, expect to flip back and forth a little at times to keep track of what's happening. Because it is a complex story - it's not just two people looking for one crossbow. It's a chase across Austry, Albion and Lotharaine, it is politics and double-crossing and backstabbing, it is varied myths and legends being weaved into one larger whole. There's a lot to keep track of.

But if there's one thing to take away from this one, it's the fact that keeping secrets can be very, very harmful. And that Reckless is always reckless with his own life because he values Will and Fox above himself. And also very secretive. And both these traits just lead him into more trouble (which leads into The Golden Yarn).

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Pushkin Children's Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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