Here's an excerpt from the second fic in my series Absolution. It's called Invitations.
Mav hummed as he grabbed his mail from his P.O. box. There was a small handfull today.
He smiled when he found a postcard from Carole and Bradley. They were traveling on a vacation. It looks like they've reached the Grand Canyon. The back of the postcard had a short written note from Carole and a little cow drawing by Bradley. She wrote about their adventures since the last postcard and how Bradley loved seeing the bison. Oh.. The drawing wasn't a cow. It was a bison. Mav's smile grew wider.
He looked at the other mail he received and his smile faltered when he saw a letter from Iceman. The return address said, "Thomas Kazansky." Mav stared at the name for a moment before deciding to open the letter right there at the post office.
Available to read on AO3 and Wattpad.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Summary:
Over the course of a year, Maverick receives a couple of invitations in the mail. One he goes to. The other, he can't bring himself to go.
** I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
"What is faith but a vapour? It is the hopes and dreams you place in hands other than your own, whether those hands belong to another human or some being that claims to be god."
Wow.
Tan is a supremely talented storyteller. I don't even know where to begin this review because there was so much that blew me away. The best advice I can give you is, if you're looking for a fresh and well-written fantasy story, add this to your TBR pile.
// image: official cover art by Jiwosophy //
The plot revolves around Mikal, a prince whose kingdom has been razed and people have been captured by a hostile force. Forced into servitude, Mikal must watch his father, the former sultan, lose his Amok powers and wither away while his people suffer endless beatings and torment at the hands of their new masters. The story is told in first person, and we spend the entirety of the book inside Mikal's mind, seeing his fears, frustrations, and emotions first hand. After a life spent in devotion to his god, Kudus, the being who grants the Amok powers, Mikal is frustrated that he has not yet been able to tap into these strengths, and throughout the story becomes more and more angry that his god has not yet provided salvation for his captured people.
Mikal is similarly betrayed by his servant, closest companion, and brother in all but name, Yos, who (SPOILER) turns out to be the crown prince of the nation that attacked and subsequently captured Mikal's people (SPOILER END). He spends much of the novel torn as to whether to place his faith in Yos, who insists he is loyal only to Mikal and is only trying to help free him.
Mikal struggles to believe anyone is truly on his side and trying to help him, from Yos to his father to the nascent rebellion to Kudus himself. This was such a fascinating journey to witness, and the protagonist is beautifully ambiguous. I frequently shifted between feeling bad for him to being angry with him and back again. I think his frequent hypocrisies and shortcomings are much more realistic for a fifteen-year-old placed in such a dire situation than many of the other adolescent fantasy protagonists I have read. Additionally, his journey to blindly believe a god and his constant frustration at the lack of deliverance is a fantastic reflection of the struggles of faith and religion.
This was a very fast read; once I began I couldn't put it down. At surface level, it is an edge of your seat fantasy adventure in which a deposed prince must win back his kingdom. Yet at its core, it is a beautifully written reflection on the complexities of faith.
Characters:
Mikal - son of the Sultan of Terang, desperately waiting for the awakening of his Amok strength
Yosua (Yos) - Mikal's Bayangan servant and closest confidant, (SPOILER) revealed to be the Crown Prince of Bayangan (SPOILER END)
Ayahanda/Simson - the Sultan of Terang, wielder of the Amok strength
Layla - queen of Bayangan, (SPOILER) Garett's sister and Yosua's aunt (SPOILER END)
Garett - Yosua's father, (SPOILER) rescinded his claim to the throne of Bayangan, serves the royal family of Terang (SPOILER END)
Kudus - the deity that provides the Sultan with the Amok strength, patron of Terang
Tok Yaakub - commander of the Terang military, trains Mikal
Tok Ibrahim - Ayahanda's chief advisor
Uskup Daud - head of the Temple in Maha, opposes Ayahanda's behavior and accuses him of causing the fall of Terang
Uskup Agung Ikhlas - ruler of Suci and religious leader of Terang
5/5: "What is faith but a vapour? It is the hopes and dreams you place in hands other than your own, whether those hands belong to another
Mav straddled his new ride. It had seen better days but it looked sturdy enough. "Where are we racing to?"
Ice pointed towards the mountain beyond their homes. "There's a fun trail along the slope that leads to the water."
As soon as Mav heard "slope," he started his bike up and took off.
"Cheat!" Ice laughed as he turned his bike around to chase him.
The start of the trail went through some trees. There were a bunch of fun dips in the ground where Mav caught some air. The trail turned and he risked a glance backwards, Ice was right on him.
They went steeper upwards and the trees thinned out. Mav leaned as far forward as he could. Slowly, Ice passed him. Either he rode better on inclines or his bike did.
The path leveled out and Ice came to a stop. He pointed out at the town below them. Mav pulled up alongside him.
"Gorgeous, isn't it?" Ice smiled as the morning sun bathed him in light.
Pete saw the town but he thought it didn't hold a flame to Ice. Tom's hair was windblown and he had a slight tan that Mav just now noticed. "Yes, gorgeous."
Available to read on AO3 and Wattpad.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
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