Reviews

Title: Rakesfall
Author: Vajra Chandrasekera
Publisher: Tordotcom
Source: I got mine from Libby, but I am unsure if it’s available in Malaysia. It IS available as an audiobook (of all things) on Google Play Books for RM44 (at time of review).

Below is my first impression upon finishing Rakesfall.

Rakesfall, or what did I just read?

Well, part of the problem is that I read it when I was literally half-asleep, for I am tired from not getting enough sleep because we needed to be up early today and I do not know what I want to eat here where I am waiting for the next family gathering and the way the prose has wound itself in my head in a stream of consciousness not quite like any other…

Rakesfall defies description because it comes down to asking what kind of story you expect to hear.

Is it one where there is a nice, straightforward narrative? Is it one where there is a beginning and an end and you know all the players and the stakes and therefore very little if any is of surprise? Is it one where it is a story told simply because we humans seek novelty and thus any form of story, as long as it is told with conviction from the storyteller?

The first two, of which honestly, are how most of us discover stories, will find it very difficult to get into Vajra’s prose. The last, who seek stories for the sake of novelty, who seek to hear words and meanings and emotions, will probably find it easy to thread through Rakesfall.

The hunger, the anger, the coldness, the revenge, the smallness, the desire, the escape, the finality, the banality…

Saying that Rakesfall is quite unlike any other story I’ve read is a massive understatement. I’ve read the Saint of Bright Doors, his previous work, and even that at least had a sort of narrative straightfowardness, a thread by which to follow the weave of the story.

This? This is no jungle. There is no physicality to root yourself in (unless you got a physical hardcover, to which I congratulate you, I read this as an ebook). Rather, you find yourself tethered only to the words in front of you, following a described journey that entraps the mind and ensorcells the senses.

By the end of the book, there is nothing to anchor yourself to the world he has built, the future he describes, the battles you witness, nothing that holds you to the reality of who you are and where you are and what you have just experienced because trust me, reading Rakesfall is an experience, nothing but the witnessing of an end where it is both satisfying and yet somewhat unsatisfying, because you do not want more, but you feel it is incomplete.

TL;DR – I enjoyed Rakesfall and I am only a little sad that I cannot read it again for the first time.

Title: Bitter Medicine
Author: Mia Tsai
Publisher: Tachyon Publication
Source: I got mine from Libby, but if you’d like to purchase it, your usual ebook retailers will do. Kinokuniya stocks it according to their site (the price is kinda silly though in RM).
Genre: Romance

The only thing I was aware of going into Bitter Medicine by Mia Tsai was that it was about a woman who was trying to keep one brother alive while the other tries to kill them both. And it had references to wuxia as well as traditional Chinese medicine, both of which are always my jam.

So when I actually began reading Bitter Medicine, I was pleasantly surprised by how the story unfolded. It turned out to be a cosy read that I didn’t realise I needed in a year where everything seems to be on fire. Even then, it makes you question again the foundations upon which our society is built on and the capitalist tendencies that drive it.

(Though to be fair, I was reading Martha Wells’ Witch King before this, so I’m probably seeing threads where I shouldn’t, but eh…)

Overall, if you go into the book expecting a nice cosy read about two somewhat clueless immortals getting together, you’re probably going to enjoy this. Highly recommended.

In a nutshell:
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Longevity: Debatable
Payoff: Vivid

Other info:
Official price: RM25.90
Brand: Palladio
Range: Velvet Matte Metallic Lip Colour
Shade: LV14 Brilliant
Type: Cream
Available from: Selected Guardian stores, Hermo (but of course)

Detailed review

Out of the bottle, the Palladio Velvet Matte Metallic Lip Colour is super rich and thick. It is a lovely copper shade, with hints of glitter that give it the metallic tint. I had no problems getting a good swipe on the back of my hand.

On the lips, it is anything but drying, but rather very moisturising. However, this means that it never really “dries down” and so the lippie is NOT transfer-proof.

One swipe is usually enough to cover most of my lips, but I have had to go back to colour the parts I missed. The colour is still spreadable at that point; it’s very forgiving compared to some of the lip colours I’ve used over the years (Maybelline 24hr Sensational I am looking at you).

The good thing though is that even if it does transfer, it’s very light. Unless, of course, you’re having oily food. All bets are off then. I usually have no problems taking it off at the end of the day, and the lip colour stays on quite well, until mealtimes at least.

How I got it

Palladio’s Velvet Matte Metallic Lip Color is probably my last lipstick purchase for a long while. I’m not allowing myself to buy any more until at least half of my current lippies are gone. I scored this at a 50% off cosmetics sale in Guardian. At RM15 it felt like a pretty low commitment, and I was pleasantly surprised at its effects.

I doubt I will repurchase though; the brown isn’t something I think will wear outside work, and I need a mirror to apply, so it’s not likely to be a daily driver.

http://chirb.it/6mhK0e

This is just a quick post testing the above. 😀

Author: Jack Thorne
ISBN: 9780751565355
Price: RM119, depending on where you get it
Rating: 7/10
TL;DR: A fast read, for Harry Potter fans and completionists

The Cursed Child reads like a novella than a full-length novel. It’s short, simple and rather sweet. You can see traces of J.K. Rowling’s style, but overall, the book is a really good script that demands to be seen live rather than read.

Part of this is due to its format; it is really that easy to read. It’s also really light on details, simply because it’s supposed to be a play. If you grew up reading the books and the movies, then your mind will fill in the empty spots, and it’s an easy fill.

As it’s also supposed to be a play, there’s far more emphasis on the characters rather than the spectacle we got from the movies. We substitute our own ideas for what “Harry reins in his anger” means, rather than watching Daniel Radcliffe clench his fist, making it a more personable and relatable story.

Which brings me to the next point, the characters here are simply fantastic. Of course part of the fun is seeing Harry and Ginny and the rest of the Harry Potter cast all grown up. But what I loved reading most of all, was the friendship between Albus and Scorpius.

I personally love the friendship between Albus and Scorpius the most. It is very reminiscent of Harry’s own, but there are a lot of subtle differences that make it much more meaningful especially in this day and age. I also love the little touches that revealed how the characters, especially the older ones, have grown throughout the years.

We saw Draco for instance, reveal that he has a love for his son as much as his mother did. We see how Hermione still calls the shots even after all this time and how Ron is happy to be a henpecked husband. And I think, we see most of all, how Harry is not perfect and how Ginny, like Molly, understands her children very much.

Overall I would recommend Harry Potter and the cursed child only to fans and those who grew up on the series. If you’re just stepping foot into the world of Harry Potter, you might want to start off with the books first, or maybe the movies. If you are a fan, then you should get this book. It’s simply magical.