"The Shepherd King" duology captivated me in a genre I never thought would held my interest—the Gothic. Rachel’s duuology with its familiar premise of forbidden magic and generational curse, transcends the ordinary by seamlessly weaving a uniquely magical tale.
The narrative unfolds around a group of individuals, a maiden, a Destrier captain, a highwayman, a bethroed, and a prince. Each leading distinct lives yet intricately connected in their quest to break the chains of a curse plaguing their kingdom. An enchanted mist, driven by curse, engulfs the kingdom and induce a madness that stems from the lost of their talismen. The spellbinding storytelling, adorned with poetry and enigmatic riddles immersed me wholly in this fantastic realms.
What sets Rachel’s work apart is her ability to infuse the characters with life, portraying them in a raw and unfiltered manner. The palpable pain and the yearning for liberation from their own traumas resonated through the pages, allowing me to empathise with their struggles. The characters’ depth and complexity became a conduit for me to vicariously experience their journey, making the narrative all the more enthralling.
I am grateful to have stumbled upon this literary jewel, and eagerly anticipate more from Rachel in the future!
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?
Author : Anna Tan
Genre : Fantasy, Malay/Nusantara Fantasy, Royals
TW : Abuse, deaths
Disclaimer : I would like to thank Anna Tan and Teaspoon Publishing for giving me this incredible book for an exchange of an honest review! The review is solely mine.
Review
Amok revolves around the story of our main protagonist, Prince Mikal of Terang and his struggles in getting back his rightful throne against their biggest enemy, the ruined kingdom of Bayangan. It is a thrilling Malay-Nusantara historical fantasy story that is heavy in the themes faith, loyalty and friendship. Terang is comprised of 3 major cities of ardent worshippers of the god, Kudus. With Maha as the central city where the Sultan and the armies reside under the umbrella of the Kudus strength, Suci the Holy City of the priests who are blessed with the ability to communicate via mirrors, and Impian where the women are bestowed with the gift of mind-reading. The neighbor kingdom, Bayangan is the ultimate nemesis of Terang where wars perpetually occurring for decades which results in the defeat of Bayangan in the hand of Terang. Mikal is the only child of Sultan Samson, making him the first and the only successor on line for the throne and succession of Amok strength, which will be regained in his coming-age. However, despite reaching 15 years old and trained the combat art of silat (martial arts of Nusantara) relentlessly, Kudus never response to him let alone bestowing an ounce of power to him.
This is a stirring story on how a young prince going to fight to restore his kingdom in the path full of thorns and hurdles, while having in internal conflict in the pursuit of his faith on Kudus, and living up to his position as the next ruler of Terang.
I find the worldbuilding and the settings of the story to be very intriguing! I really appreciate the Malay-Nusantara elements in the story and the natural flow of the writings. I have always love the ancient Malay kingdom history when I was in high school and having the chance to read a book in that very same settings totally piqued my excitement to delve into the world. You will find familiar traditional Malay customs and phrases in the book such as calling 'Tok' to honorable elders, 'Baginda Paduka' to address the King, and much more. Though the writings is concentrated with these Malay phrases, worry not, Anna Tan has provided a comprehensive glossary in the last pages for international readers to refer to! We are brought along the story through the POV of Mikal. Plot wise, the story escalated fast but not too fast that it feel abrupt. The flow of the story is just nice to keep your nose hooked on the book to know what'll happen next!
Now, let's move on to our main protagonist, Prince Mikal. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about him. I find myself getting frustrated on him whining and complaining almost all time! I'm most annoyed by him that it was hard to continue reading it, a really self-centered person who can't stand on his own and demanding people around him to cater to the whole situation. However, his situation is fathomable to some extent because; his father, Sultan Samson and those in authorities never bat an eye on him (except Tok Yaakub) before. He wasn't deemed and treated as how a successor should've been. Those folks ignored his position and potential , casting a barrier between Mikal and the politics, just because he hasn't regained the Amok Strength. This lead to him being oblivious and lack the knowledge to lead people. Another note is that he is only 15 years old at that time, few years to go before his coming-of-age. It's the moody phase of a teenager with unstable and fluctuating emotions, hence it's understandable why Mikal is prone to vent his feelings before his logic take place. Who would've imagine that the grand and majestic Kingdom of his own would be in ruin when the sun set on the same day? He was thrown into the chaos and bewilderment without any preparations beforehand. Even though at times I just feel like smacking his head for his immaturity, but I could see where he is coming from, and that kinda stirs a feeling of sympathy and sorrow for his situation. So in conclusion for his character, I would say Anna Tan managed to write the character splendidly, exhibit a realistic dynamic of a prince with huge responsibility, and a confused teenage boy devoid of attention and leading trainings.
The other pivotal character is Yosua. Oh how much I like him! He is my FAVOURITE character in this book (and prolly the reason why I'm eager to finish the book). The friendship and loyalty between him and Mikal is just very earnest . If Mikal is the raging fire, then Yosua is the calming wind, hence complementing each other. I don't think so I have ever seen a story of slaves-master swapped roles before in any story. Indeed, this one is a very unique relationship they have.
Even so, I'm still this ti----ny bit suspicious on him (in which i did since the very beginning of the book). I wonder if he really does not have an ounce of eager of power? What is with this unwavering loyalty of Yosua and Garett towards an enemy kingdom that has destroyed the peace of their very home, ruining the lives of their family and relatives, making them a slave? Yes sure because of their sworn oath, but still, it is TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. Maybe I am just too skeptical so I'm really looking forward that some backstory- or maybe a connection in the past with Sultan Samson, that makes them to choose loyalty over blood. I hope they won't switch side later on because they're the only 'family' left of Mikal :')
All in all, I enjoy the story. The ending was really emotional-stirring :') It was the ending, for a new beginning. It was such a journey to see the growth of Prince Mikal, from a confused teen boy, to a benevolent ruler . Seeing him break through out of his shell, and taking different approach, HIS OWN approach, makes me looking forward to the future he'll be building. I can't wait for the next book in this series! I really hope we'll get to see the mature and wise side of him later on, and how will he restore back the kingdom whilst handling the unceasing hurdles in the future.
Understand both sides of bioethics without hours and hours of research
In "Bioethics: All That Matters," author Donna Dickenson gets straight to the most interesting parts of the subject. Inside you will find an introductory chapter that maps out the subject for you, while later chapters will go deeper, looking at the details of the most interesting areas. You will read different viewpoints, making "Bioethics: All That Matters" perfect for when you are writing an essay on this controversial topic. Features original and inspirational ideas to help you explore the subject in more depth Includes web links and QR codes throughout the text, linking to videos from the author, or more detailed audio explanations Text boxes around key concepts makes navigating through the material a snap
R E V I E W
This is the first science non-fiction book that I finished. Since I just started out to read non-fiction books about biotechnology, I picked this up as bioethics is the most concerning aspect talked by the scientists in the pursuit of making new innovations AND also applying it to humans. As we know, starting late 19th century until now, the biotechnology field is blooming rapidly with all the new technology and commercialization in healthcare and private used. Surely, with all the resources and knowledge we have, then we can just enhance our human capability for a better world right? Imagine a world without heritable diseases, human with the ability exceeding the norm, intelligent babies and so on. But,
'Should we do whatever science let us do?',
and that's the title of the first chapter of the book.
It is mesmerizing to think about all the changes we could make to ourselves, it is enthralling that we can create more and more cures for the chronic diseases that has killed thousands and billions of people. But, in the process of finding them, have we ever thought about the process, the experimental subjects? This book tell us briefly about the 'untold' stories of those unfortunates women in Korea who were injected with hormones to produce a large number of eggs and suffered from reproductive illness and imbalance, the African American men who were denied clinical care after being studied and monitored for the diseases, the injustice of the indigenous people being forced to become the experimental subject for drugs tests and so on.
This book is only 121 pages long, and yet managed to tackle the concerning issues in bioethical talking. Although it is really condensed with information, the writer managed to deliver it in a not too-complex way of writing. I think it is a good read for people who want to start knowing about the bioethics, in which everyone should take bioethics into account so that we won't take advantage of our fellow humans in impoverished situation as the subject in clinical trials, and lose our humanity.
V E R D I C T
Rating
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐.5 / 5
Who are this book for?
Those who have the basic knowledge on biotechnology and want to know about Bioethics. (a beginner-friendly Science book)
Where to buy?
I bought it on Big Bad Wolf Malaysia Book Sale for only RM12!
A wild road trip
adventure in the heart of Kuching that draws delighted laughter and endless
excitement. Robin and his friends embark on a journey of amazing discovery
where they explore delicious local food and breathtaking destinations. Their
adventure takes a comedic turn when they encounter orangutans and proboscis
monkeys in the wildlife. When their best friend mysteriously disappears, their
road trip takes a swerve on rocky path of danger and suspense…
Side Note
This ebook was sent to
me by the author, Malcolm Mejin for an exchange of an honest review. The review
is solely based on my own preferences without any bias.
Review
A story of Robin, Charlie and Ken voyaging in a new adventure exploring
Kuching, Sarawak along with Robin’s lovey-dovey parents and their girl friends;
Siti and Chloe. It was an enjoyable and light read packed with humour and
adventures. Following them embarking in a journey together to explore the
nature and the beauty of Sarawak thrilled me! I feel exhilarated and amused by
the description of the place they went to, it feels like I am tagging along
their memorable adventure.
My favourite moment of the book is when they visits Semenggoh Wildlife Centre
to see Orangutan, a special species that’s in danger of extinction, where their
frantic encounter with the Orangutans would end up becoming a crucial aid for
them in the end. Another one is when they eat Durian, the most superior King of
the Fruit. Seeing Ken changing his immense hatred towards Durian to likeness
reminds me of being in the same shoes as him as I was also once a durian-hater
haha, but the table has turns now. Also for Charlie, thoughI feel a bit sorry
to him for having all the misfortunes befalling him, but since he is the most
spoiled and quite a conceited one, it’s good that he learnt his lessons from
all the incidents and see them a brighter side.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to local and international reader who
want to know more about the beauty of Sarawak , this book can literally serve
as your Sarawak travel itinerary (and also if you enjoy middle-grade graphic
novel!). It is a heartwarming story centred around the theme of family-bonding
and friendship, along with braveness and loyalty! Can’t wait to see more of
Robin, Charlie and Ken’s thrilling adventure in the future.
HOW would your life be if you had so much money that it could fill the entire ocean? For Sarawakian Malcolm Mejin, he would travel all around the world in his private jet. He would also own the latest gadgets, the likes of which are so expensive that they could only be afforded by the wealthiest.
It’s such a good fantasy that Malcolm decided to pen it all down in his latest book, Diary of a Rich Kid, whose plot centres on a group of privileged, wealthy kids who lead the most lavish, extravagant lifestyle filled with excitement, suspense and adventure ― peppered with some humour.
SIDE NOTE
This ebook was sent to
me by the author, Malcolm Mejin for an exchange of an honest review. The review
is solely based on my own preferences without any bias.
REVIEW
Had a really great laugh experience throughout reading the book. The story is
like Crazy Rich Asian but make it TEEN VERSION. It’s such a light reading that
could be enjoyed by people regardless of ages. I love how the story is
fast-paced with twists here and there 💃. The characters are very admirable,
it’s fun to see how the three friends are spending some quality time over the
holiday together (+ with the ‘uninvited’ family members 😏😂) The
quarrel between Robin and the drama-king Charlie with Ken as the mediator in
the end of every fight will never cease to make me laugh! I think they really
complement each other very well in their friendship ✨ The story
brings so much fun to the table; but also with lessons incorporated subtly by
the authors; eg; toleration between friendship, family-love and also braveness
in unexpected circumstances! It’s also cute how Robin is always craving for
Sarawak Laksa despite all the lavish meal served to him, I guess we all will
always have ‘that one’ local delicacy dominating our appetite no matter where
we are. Another note, there’s also Amanda (the star who stole the limelight of
the story), a ferocious creature yet also poor, seeing how she always shows up
whenever the 3 are there, seems like she’s lonely and wanting to eat befriend
them! Haha. The twist in the end oof- I wasn’t expecting that! 🙊
In short; it is a good read if you’re seeking some kind of light kid-comedy
story amidst the chaos of life.
"An exceptionally moving story of triumph
against all odds set during World War 2, from the acclaimed author of
Jefferson’s Sons and for fans of Number the Stars.Nine-year-old Ada has never left her one-room
apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her
outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape
the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan
Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself
to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to
trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their
bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her
brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?This masterful work of historical fiction is equal
parts adventure and a moving tale of family and identity—a classic in the
making."
A cute, heart-warming book!
Rate - 4.7 Stars
LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH. I have been wanting a
children book about war. It feels like remembering my so-called-childhood xD
this is the second children-book I read after Heidi. I love both! I bought this
book for about USD1.20 ! Crazy right, I took this book right before I pay for
the book fair. The cover is beautiful and it bought me #covertalksright?
The plot
Simple, no pressure. I love it because I
could feel the war settings. The plot are well-built and interesting.
The settings
Beautiful, and pretty.
The characters
Ada Smith – A girl get locked in her apartment room
for her entire live because of her clubfoot. She is not like other children and
don’t trust people easily. She believes that all people are bad like her evil
mother. She really loves her little brother and very sneaky. She is hard to
decipher. She learns thing easily and very bright. She gets intense hurt from
little and can do well on her own.
Jamie smith– Ada’s little brother who is just like
the other boy. She loves her sister Ada.
Susan Smith – A young woman who lives alone and was
forced to take care of Ada and Jamie. She looks cold and lonely but inside her
heart , she is actually kind and lovely. She takes care of them lovingly. The
presence or Ada and Jamie brighten her dull and grunge life. She is really
sincere and don’t take benefits from the consequences.
Last Thought
This is suitable for an easy-reading. I would ask
my future children to read this novel. Loving it! <3
The forests burned, the lakes and rivers dried up,
and the oceans swelled.
Then came a plague, and fever spread across the
globe. Families died, violence reigned, and man killed man.
Next came WICKED, who were looking for an answer.
And then they found the perfect boy.
The boy’s name was Thomas, and Thomas built a maze.
Now there are secrets.
There are lies.
And there are loyalties history could never have
foreseen.
This is the story of that boy, Thomas, and how he
built a maze that only he could tear down.
All will be revealed.
I REALLY REALLY love this book! I am a Glader and
already read all 5 books in Maze Runner Series. I would say James Dashner is my
favourite Dystopian Author ever. This series blown my mind off. I don’t know
why several persons hate this series. Maze Runner is my favourite Dystopian
novel <3 I can’t find the lack of the writing (excepts for Deedy’s death
(u-know-who-right?) and the death cure’s ending).
RATE – 4.7 stars
Plot- This book is the lightest book among the
other 4 books because it is telling about how the Gladers, Thomas, Newt, Minho,
Teresa, etc got into WICKED. Not like the other books, this book used 3rd POV.
And mostly It tells about the main characters,Thomas, Minho, Newt and Teresa
‘childhood’ with WICKED. Reading this book making me sad because they get
treated and expectation like an adult since kid and they couldn't recognize
themselves when they got into the Maze.
Actually, I can see why some people don’t like the
book or worst, DNF it. Because they story only linger among their child life,
not like the other 4 books which contain action, adventure, riddle, etc. But I
enjoy it so I can feel their miserable life deeper.
This book answered all our
questions, how they end up in WICKED, why non-munies hate the munies, who is
the bad and who is the good, who are they before they are WICKED, why Teresa
and Thomas played important roles in WICKED, how the virus spread, and is
WICKED good?
If you really love TMR series, I UTTERLY RECOMMEND
YOU TO READ THIS BOOK! There are somes SURPRISING and HEART-BREAKING secrets
unveil! If you haven’t read the other 4 books, I think it is okay for you to
read this first, but if I am you, I will read the first book first. The choice
is in your hand!
"After the 1st wave, only darkness remains.
After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky
survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.Now, it's the
dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from
Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone
they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay
alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious,
Evan Walker may be Cassie's only hope for rescuing her brother-or even saving
herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance
and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.
RATE - 4.5 stars
The book is really intriguing.
It is not so complicated like other dystopian
books. I bought this book without knowing anything about the book. When I first
read it, I never thought it would be alien-story-book because it is DEFINITELY
not my style. ALSO, it has multiple POVs , I never thought the book has... 4
POVs without the character POVs written on the beginning of the POVs.
Which I need to guess whose POV it is by myself. I really don’t have idea about
it so when it turned out to be the second POV I was like… whut? At least I
realized it soon. Well, I did regret a bit because reading a book about alien
would be the last of my choice! But anyway I kind of enjoying it ~
PLOT
Okay, since this is my first alien-novel, it
is kinda good (?) Because AT LEAST the aliens are not like the ‘alien’ on TV. I
mean, the aliens lived in human’s body, yeah , some kind of like that. It
started that they are in the 4th wave and are getting ready for the 5th wave.
Long story short, it is about a girl named Cassie who was separated with her
only family left, her little brother. So she take the attempt to rescue her
brother and… yeah the story just linger around it. And the aliens are kind of
confusing, because their attentions are hard to decipher. They made 4 waves so
far and, if they want to own the earth, why they didn’t kill all humans at
once? Oh that remain questionable .
THE CHARACTERS
Cassie - She is really vulnerable after
losing her family but she cope with it in order to save her brother. Her only
weapon is M16 which I am glad she have it because YOU CAN’T SURVIVE if you
don’t have any weapon. She is a caring, bold, strong and unreliable girl. Her
only goal is to get her brother back in her arm. Well, nothing really
interesting about her character except that she had a long-term crush towards
someone who is like 99% doesn’t even realize her existence. Well she has
one common thing with me, which is writing diary. She bring her diary all of
the time and write all things in it which is not likely me. I won’t write all
things there (I am a lazy bum lol) especially when we are in ‘a war’.
Evan Walker – He really has many secrets and so
good in covering them. His personalities are perfect except his IDENTITY.
Cassie is really glad to get Evan’s help at the time. He is kind, warm-hearted,
strong, and sympathy-hearted. I really love the character but I DID
REGRET checking the movie actors because…. The actor (which I don’t know his
name) IS 100% NOT SUITABLE TO BE EVAN WALKER. Evan is supposed to be kind, good
and harming (overall- have good-looking and kind face). But the actor
looks fierce, strong, a fighter, etc. I don’t know how to read the next book
when I HAVE to imagine the character L #please #don’t #bash #me , #no #hate,
#just #saying.
Ben Parish – He is the reason why I read the book
so fast despite having many homework and stuffs. Cassie has a crush on
him and he never know about it. He is in popular category pupils in the high
school. He is so kind and attractive (I don’t have to question why he is so
popular lol XD) And what I love more is he is positive-thinking, helpful, good
leader and care for the others <3 Also, *SPOILERSSSSS!!!!What a great coincidence he meets Cassie’s brother,
Sam Sullivan and takes care of him well (he is not aware that Sam is Cassie’s
brother nor that he know Cassie). Although things doesn’t went well for him
though, at least Sam is be able to comfort himself thanks to Ben.
Ringer- She is ruining my OTP actually, but I
accept her by the end of the novel because she is strong, quick-witted, brave
and invulnerable. She is great and have fighting vibe in her. What I don’t like
is the actress, nope, not the actress, but the actress makeup in the movie. THE
EYELINER like director-nim, what in the world you are doing? I was about to
accept the OTP but seeing her makeup like totally bad girl it drag me down:\
Sam Sullivan – Cassie’s little brother, he is brave
and quite matures for his age. He is so pity because he needs to go through the
circumstances in his age, apart from his family, vulnerable and clueless.
Luckily Ben is there for him :D He is cute by the way, he didn’t show his fear
in front of his family because he didn’t want to worry them.
Last thought
It is a great book but not the best. It doesn’t
have roller-coaster riding (glad it doesn’t have it xD). Rick Yancey , you are
a great writer (Y)
The book is perfect before I found the actress and
actresses. ( Cassie, Ben, Sam are suitable though). I hope the sequel won’t let
me down :D
Also, I really love the waves idea. So I am sharing
them with you down below! (Source from Wikipedia)
First Wave: Lights Out: During the first wave, the
Others release an EMP wave that takes out all electronics/lights/technology and
kills half a million people by shorting out all moving vehicles, including
planes in mid-flight.
Second wave: Surf's Up: The Others, realizing that
roughly 40 percent of Earth's population lives within 60 miles (97 km) of
coastline, drop enormous rods "twice as tall as the Empire State Building
and three times as heavy" (45) onto the Earth's fault lines, causing
massive tsunamis that wipe out three billion people.
Third wave: Pestilence: The Others launch a scheme
to infect as many remaining survivors as possible with a deadly virus. Using
the Earth's birds as carriers (via falling excrement), the plague claims 97
percent of remaining survivors. The virus, which resembles an advanced form of
Ebola, causes victims to slowly bleed to death until eventually "you've
become a viral bomb. And when you explode, you blast everyone around you with
the virus" (46).
Fourth wave: Silencers: After the 3rd wave, the
remaining human population tries desperately to survive off whatever resources
remain by looting, all the while clinging to the hope that "the people in
charge", wherever they may be, are working toward a solution. Eventually,
this belief seems legitimate when an impressive battalion of soldiers (with
functioning vehicles) arrives at the makeshift camp where Cassie, Sam, and her
father are staying. The soldiers and commander, however, only appear interested
in the children and promptly load them onto waiting buses before ordering all
the adults into the camp barracks. Once the humans are surrounded, Commander
Vosch orders a massacre and kills everyone at the camp. Cassie, however,
narrowly escapes and witnesses her father's death by Vosch's hand. At this
moment, the 4th wave becomes clear: not all "humans" are actually
humans.
Fifth wave: The Fifth wave is referenced in
"The Last Star".
I like to stay at home, sipping tea whilst reading a book, writing random stuffs or watching a k-drama. A huge enthusiast of STEM & the moon. Currently based in Paris.
Amok revolves around the story of our main protagonist, Prince Mikal of Terang and his struggles in getting back his rightful throne against their biggest enemy, the ruined kingdom of Bayangan. It is a thrilling Malay-Nusantara historical fantasy story that is heavy in the themes faith, loyalty and friendship. Terang is comprised of 3 major cities of ardent worshippers of the god, Kudus. With Maha as the central city where the Sultan and the armies reside under the umbrella of the Kudus strength, Suci the Holy City of the priests who are blessed with the ability to communicate via mirrors, and Impian where the women are bestowed with the gift of mind-reading. The neighbor kingdom, Bayangan is the ultimate nemesis of Terang where wars perpetually occurring for decades which results in the defeat of Bayangan in the hand of Terang. Mikal is the only child of Sultan Samson, making him the first and the only successor on line for the throne and succession of Amok strength, which will be regained in his coming-age. However, despite reaching 15 years old and trained the combat art of silat (martial arts of Nusantara) relentlessly, Kudus never response to him let alone bestowing an ounce of power to him. 
![请向我告白[重生] Please Confess to Me](https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png)
