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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5
The first two sections of the book were pretty solid: I was surprised at the amount of 4 and 5 star stories! Where this fell apart for me a bit was the third section - but, while fantasy isn’t my jam, I did enjoy the last two.
While I did like the Malaysian dialect and verbiage sprinkled in the stories - it added such an element of authenticity - there were some sections where there were so many that I wasn’t sure I got the gist of what was happening. I wish there had been a glossary!
I picked this up because I read and immensely enjoyed Black Water Sister earlier this year. I will certainly seek out more Zen Cho books in the future!
Ratings:
The First Witch of Damansara: 2.5
The first two sections of the book were pretty solid: I was surprised at the amount of 4 and 5 star stories! Where this fell apart for me a bit was the third section - but, while fantasy isn’t my jam, I did enjoy the last two.
While I did like the Malaysian dialect and verbiage sprinkled in the stories - it added such an element of authenticity - there were some sections where there were so many that I wasn’t sure I got the gist of what was happening. I wish there had been a glossary!
I picked this up because I read and immensely enjoyed Black Water Sister earlier this year. I will certainly seek out more Zen Cho books in the future!
“Here is a secret Chang E knew, though her mother didn't.
Past a certain point, you stop being able to go home. At this point, when you have got this far from where you were from, the thread snaps. The narrative breaks. And you are forced, pastless, motherless, selfless, to invent yourself anew.
At a certain point, this stops being sad - but who knows if any human has ever reached that point?”
Ratings:
The First Witch of Damansara: 2.5
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
So original. Dark themes made light, exploring death and life and everything in between. Learned a lot about Malaysian culture and folklore.
This compilation of stories is so entertaining. I wish I had read it sooner. The weaving of folklore and magic with modern day life was well done. It made me laugh and tear up. There are LGBTQ+ characters, multigenerational families, stories about finding yourself and not giving up, lots of relationships between mother/aunt's/daughters, and many viewpoints on immigrating and how your relationships to your culture and home land change.
I would definitely recommend reading or listening to Spirits Abroad.
I would definitely recommend reading or listening to Spirits Abroad.
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A truly spectacular collection of speculative fiction stories.