Scan barcode
undisciplinedbeing's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kaypat23's review
3.0
Total rating: 3.9 ⭐ (bear with me, I explain more below)
Firstly, I must congratulate and commend Golda Mower for her bold attempt to bring Iban culture to the forefront of the literary world where such stories are absolutely non-existent. This means that many non-Native readers from the West will be encountering the Iban race and culture for the first time through this novel. This novel represents Dayak culture and it is therefore an important piece of #ownvoices fantasy fiction which deserves recognition for that. Efforts to preserve the indigenous cultures and beliefs in Sarawak are very important. Hence, I can see why this story is very meaningful to a lot of people. My review is NOT to take away that importance or diminish its significance but just to critique certain areas which I felt were lacking or weak.
Headhunting is a custom no longer practiced by modern day Dayaks but this novel is set in ancient times. In this novel, we see what it's like for natives in the jungle living in a time before the Brooke occupation. I would assume that this novel takes place during the Sultanate of Sarawak, a traditional Malay kingdom in 1959 which witnessed the reign of a sole Sultan, Ibrahim Ali Omar Shah, because the main character meets a Malay trader and clashes steel with a Brunei slave merchant.
What did I like?
Detailed depiction of traditional Iban life
I actually learned a lot about Iban culture from this story! I had no idea about the Iban myths and legends although I was aware of all the taboos and "pantang larang" that were similar to those of Bidayuh culture. It was refreshing to see life in the longhouse. It was an eye-opening experience to read about Sengalang Burong, Kumang, Keling and other Iban mythological figures. There is plenty of warfare, spirits, demigods, warriors and wise animals. The mythology is heavily based in nature, respecting nature and honoring your ancestors which is very important for hunter-gatherer races like the Dayak. Hence, I can say that Mowe's goal in educating her audience about the culture, beliefs and traditions of the Iban people was achieved. The novel spends so much time describing the food they eat, the clothes they wear, their family and their customs. The details of the myths and locations were rich and unique.
Descriptive and engaging writing
Golda writes beautifully and with such rich, lyrical language. Her descriptive writing transported me straight into the lush jungles of Borneo. We stay in that lush jungle for nearly the entirety of the novel, meeting all sorts of animals. Loved the way she described the majestic orang utan, snakes, crocodiles and hornbill birds that are proud symbols of Sarawak. The author describes everything in third person so we get the feeling we are following an epic instead of the typical first-person adventure or epic.
I have no quarrel with her language or the way she writes conversations between the characters. Western readers may notice a lot of "Hey"s and "OOOH HA" and "Oooi". They may think it sounds weird but it is just the way Dayak people speak. It is a speech pattern that I see among my Dayak relatives and the Dayak community overall. It makes more sense when spoken in Malay, Iban or Bidayuh because "Hai" which is commonly used to call out or greet someone, even in "Bahasa Istana" or the language spoken by the Malay Sultanate (eg: Hai, Panglima, mengapa kau di sana?) does not really translate well to the casual "Hey" that English speakers may confuse it with. "Hai" and "OOoi" can be more casual or formal depending on the dialect spoken but yes, seeing this small detail makes me determined to point it out in case people say they felt the dialogue was strange.
I liked her writing but I have some criticisms which I will get to below.
What did I dislike?
Flat and unengaging main character and story
This book read like a Hercules myth crossed with Tarzan and a biblical story. If you like those kinds of stories, you might enjoy this but I prefer fantasy stories that fully delve into the fears, emotions and experiences of the main character because that is what makes them relatable to us.
However, in this story, Bujang Maias (translated: The Ape Man) has a very straightforward path and minimal insight into his character or development. The plot is linear with no disruptions or deviations in POV. I disliked that Bujang seemed too perfect and simple. Bujang has a Tarzan-esque origin story since he was abandoned by his family, adopted by apes and could speak the language of animals. His emotions weren't well described either. He was either sad, angry, happy, confused or sleepy. Even his little funny quirks like snoring too loud didn't seem funny too me. He just seemed like an action figure who just goes wherever the plot brings him and follows whatever the war god tells him to do. He doesn't rebel or feel remorse. You could argue that this is just the path of a warrior but it's quite tough to sympathize with someone who has never lost a battle.
Throughout the story, I just felt like he was too one-dimensional and the storyline grew boring. I couldn't even read his fight scenes because I knew that he would win. And he did! The story just shows how he grows into a strong, brave warrior and sets up his own longhouse. His love story was also very typical since he ended up falling in love with a beautiful Iban girl. No conflict whatsoever. It's just love at first sight and he overcomes her jealous ex or something like that.
The only real change and character development I saw in him was when he embraced his son from his wife instead of abandoning him even though he is unsure of its parentage (ah, we love a good dad who does not repeat his father's sins). Still, he has no remorse killing young boys because he knows they will come back for revenge so his bloodthirsty rage is still there.
I am okay with morally grey and berserk characters. I would even expect this because of the nature of headhunting practiced by the Ibans long time ago but in this case, Bujang felt underdeveloped and unrealistic.
Climax of story came too early
The plot is very simple. Bujang's family was murdered by a rival troop of headhunters. Bujang was raised by apes. Then, he becomes the war god's chosen one and goes out to avenge his families, vowing to return with the heads of his enemies who showed no mercy to his parents...
And he does this. Within the first 40% of the novel!
That's bad, folks. What are we gonna read for the next 60%? This is why I felt disappointed that such an important climax was placed so early in the novel. Once he achieved this goal in a battle that wasn't even that memorable, I felt let down. What are we supposed to look forward now? Oh yeah, we have the second climax and secondary plot of Bujang saving his wife from the Brunei slave merchant but I just feel like one good climax would have been more memorable. It diminished the importance of avenging his family's murder.
There is no rhyme or reason to the will of the gods either. Sengalang Burong, the war god is bloodthirsty, simple as that. He wants to pick a warrior of his own and turn him into a headhunter who can slay hundreds of enemies for him. There was no further explanation why. You just have to go along with it. I disliked that the god was NOT EVEN in the second half of the story. He appears in the first 40% of the novel but never really showed himself again? It makes no sense since his name is on the summary so I'd expect to see more of him.
Lots of filler
Some chapters and pages are too long. Too many descriptive sentences. This novel could have been toned down to just a few important events. I found myself skipping a few chapters if they're just talking about mountains, forests and animals because those themes were repeated many times in the beginning as well.
Overall, it is not a bad novel for a debut author but could have been simplified and edited more. The main character should be developed more as well and we as the readers should be able to relate to him more. Perhaps it was Bujang's lack of emotion that made me unable to relate to him?
Still, I am proud of Golda's attempt to create a Dayak fantasy story. We don't have any of those EVER so this story might be a favourite of many. Don't let my review discourage you from reading it. I can imagine the story sounding really powerful if translated to its native tongue, Iban!
TW: Rape, kidnap, slavery, lots of gore and violence, decapitation, headhunting.
Firstly, I must congratulate and commend Golda Mower for her bold attempt to bring Iban culture to the forefront of the literary world where such stories are absolutely non-existent. This means that many non-Native readers from the West will be encountering the Iban race and culture for the first time through this novel. This novel represents Dayak culture and it is therefore an important piece of #ownvoices fantasy fiction which deserves recognition for that. Efforts to preserve the indigenous cultures and beliefs in Sarawak are very important. Hence, I can see why this story is very meaningful to a lot of people. My review is NOT to take away that importance or diminish its significance but just to critique certain areas which I felt were lacking or weak.
Headhunting is a custom no longer practiced by modern day Dayaks but this novel is set in ancient times. In this novel, we see what it's like for natives in the jungle living in a time before the Brooke occupation. I would assume that this novel takes place during the Sultanate of Sarawak, a traditional Malay kingdom in 1959 which witnessed the reign of a sole Sultan, Ibrahim Ali Omar Shah, because the main character meets a Malay trader and clashes steel with a Brunei slave merchant.
What did I like?
Detailed depiction of traditional Iban life
I actually learned a lot about Iban culture from this story! I had no idea about the Iban myths and legends although I was aware of all the taboos and "pantang larang" that were similar to those of Bidayuh culture. It was refreshing to see life in the longhouse. It was an eye-opening experience to read about Sengalang Burong, Kumang, Keling and other Iban mythological figures. There is plenty of warfare, spirits, demigods, warriors and wise animals. The mythology is heavily based in nature, respecting nature and honoring your ancestors which is very important for hunter-gatherer races like the Dayak. Hence, I can say that Mowe's goal in educating her audience about the culture, beliefs and traditions of the Iban people was achieved. The novel spends so much time describing the food they eat, the clothes they wear, their family and their customs. The details of the myths and locations were rich and unique.
Descriptive and engaging writing
Golda writes beautifully and with such rich, lyrical language. Her descriptive writing transported me straight into the lush jungles of Borneo. We stay in that lush jungle for nearly the entirety of the novel, meeting all sorts of animals. Loved the way she described the majestic orang utan, snakes, crocodiles and hornbill birds that are proud symbols of Sarawak. The author describes everything in third person so we get the feeling we are following an epic instead of the typical first-person adventure or epic.
I have no quarrel with her language or the way she writes conversations between the characters. Western readers may notice a lot of "Hey"s and "OOOH HA" and "Oooi". They may think it sounds weird but it is just the way Dayak people speak. It is a speech pattern that I see among my Dayak relatives and the Dayak community overall. It makes more sense when spoken in Malay, Iban or Bidayuh because "Hai" which is commonly used to call out or greet someone, even in "Bahasa Istana" or the language spoken by the Malay Sultanate (eg: Hai, Panglima, mengapa kau di sana?) does not really translate well to the casual "Hey" that English speakers may confuse it with. "Hai" and "OOoi" can be more casual or formal depending on the dialect spoken but yes, seeing this small detail makes me determined to point it out in case people say they felt the dialogue was strange.
I liked her writing but I have some criticisms which I will get to below.
What did I dislike?
Flat and unengaging main character and story
This book read like a Hercules myth crossed with Tarzan and a biblical story. If you like those kinds of stories, you might enjoy this but I prefer fantasy stories that fully delve into the fears, emotions and experiences of the main character because that is what makes them relatable to us.
However, in this story, Bujang Maias (translated: The Ape Man) has a very straightforward path and minimal insight into his character or development. The plot is linear with no disruptions or deviations in POV. I disliked that Bujang seemed too perfect and simple. Bujang has a Tarzan-esque origin story since he was abandoned by his family, adopted by apes and could speak the language of animals. His emotions weren't well described either. He was either sad, angry, happy, confused or sleepy. Even his little funny quirks like snoring too loud didn't seem funny too me. He just seemed like an action figure who just goes wherever the plot brings him and follows whatever the war god tells him to do. He doesn't rebel or feel remorse. You could argue that this is just the path of a warrior but it's quite tough to sympathize with someone who has never lost a battle.
Throughout the story, I just felt like he was too one-dimensional and the storyline grew boring. I couldn't even read his fight scenes because I knew that he would win. And he did! The story just shows how he grows into a strong, brave warrior and sets up his own longhouse. His love story was also very typical since he ended up falling in love with a beautiful Iban girl. No conflict whatsoever. It's just love at first sight and he overcomes her jealous ex or something like that.
The only real change and character development I saw in him was when he embraced his son from his wife instead of abandoning him even though he is unsure of its parentage (ah, we love a good dad who does not repeat his father's sins). Still, he has no remorse killing young boys because he knows they will come back for revenge so his bloodthirsty rage is still there.
I am okay with morally grey and berserk characters. I would even expect this because of the nature of headhunting practiced by the Ibans long time ago but in this case, Bujang felt underdeveloped and unrealistic.
Climax of story came too early
The plot is very simple. Bujang's family was murdered by a rival troop of headhunters. Bujang was raised by apes. Then, he becomes the war god's chosen one and goes out to avenge his families, vowing to return with the heads of his enemies who showed no mercy to his parents...
And he does this. Within the first 40% of the novel!
That's bad, folks. What are we gonna read for the next 60%? This is why I felt disappointed that such an important climax was placed so early in the novel. Once he achieved this goal in a battle that wasn't even that memorable, I felt let down. What are we supposed to look forward now? Oh yeah, we have the second climax and secondary plot of Bujang saving his wife from the Brunei slave merchant but I just feel like one good climax would have been more memorable. It diminished the importance of avenging his family's murder.
There is no rhyme or reason to the will of the gods either. Sengalang Burong, the war god is bloodthirsty, simple as that. He wants to pick a warrior of his own and turn him into a headhunter who can slay hundreds of enemies for him. There was no further explanation why. You just have to go along with it. I disliked that the god was NOT EVEN in the second half of the story. He appears in the first 40% of the novel but never really showed himself again? It makes no sense since his name is on the summary so I'd expect to see more of him.
Lots of filler
Some chapters and pages are too long. Too many descriptive sentences. This novel could have been toned down to just a few important events. I found myself skipping a few chapters if they're just talking about mountains, forests and animals because those themes were repeated many times in the beginning as well.
Overall, it is not a bad novel for a debut author but could have been simplified and edited more. The main character should be developed more as well and we as the readers should be able to relate to him more. Perhaps it was Bujang's lack of emotion that made me unable to relate to him?
Still, I am proud of Golda's attempt to create a Dayak fantasy story. We don't have any of those EVER so this story might be a favourite of many. Don't let my review discourage you from reading it. I can imagine the story sounding really powerful if translated to its native tongue, Iban!
TW: Rape, kidnap, slavery, lots of gore and violence, decapitation, headhunting.
biblio_mom's review
4.0
I was listening to the marvel sountrack while reading this action-packed and full of suspense book which is a combination of anthropology, fantasy and mythology. When you put them in the wok, stirr it up, and wallah! A perfect meal!
withmanyroots's review
4.0
Fantastic and magical - read in Indonesian Borneo while staying in a long house.
daphnelee's review
4.0
This is a short comment that appeared in my column in The Star newspaper on 16th Dec, 2012: This is exactly the book I’ve been waiting for – a fantasy novel that draws on the legends of our land. The author, who is of Iban and Melanau descent, was inspired by the tales she heard as a child in Sarawak and this exciting story draws on Iban mythology as well as the old ways of life that have all but disappeared. I look forward to more from Mowe and hope she will inspire other Malaysian writers to mine our local mythology for stories.
syafa's review
adventurous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
More...