Sailing The Golden Chersonese by Joyce Chng
I would like to thank the author for a copy of this collection in exchange for a fair and honest review
Publisher – Queen of Swords Press
Published – Out Now
Price – £7.99 paperback £2.21 ebook
Neo has been raised to be their father's son, to succeed him as the captain of the pirate vessel Sri Matahari andto sail the seas of the Golden Chersonese raiding and having adventures. They thought this was all that they needed or wanted until the beautiful Maria sought their help on her quest for vengeance. Together, they will avenge wrongs, encounter Naks and other wonders and find a magic all their own.
Join acclaimed author and editor Joyce Chng on an unforgettable journey through a fantastic landscape with Neo and Maria.
I always pull a face when I hear there are only so many stories in the world. It’s a very basic way to categorise and a change of setting or slightly different spins on characters create new stories. There may be echoes of the past, but I always enjoy what authors bring to it. In Joyce Chng’s very enjoyable Sailing the Golden Chersonese we visit a re-imagined fantastical version o the Malay Peninsular in the past and two characters facing many wonders and dangers.
Neo has always trodden between two worlds and now captains their father’s ship the Sri Matahari. One day a mysterious woman Maria comes to the ship asking for a request to kill a man. A tale of revenge, pirates and more soon unfolds.
This is a mosaic collection where each story builds upon the events of the last and uses the key characters of Neo and Maria to explore Chng’s take on the old myths and history of the area. In the first story Saints and Bodhisattvas it sets up their initial encounter and explores their dynamic. Neo is a non-binary lead and there is an instant attraction between Maria and Neo that moves beyond the grizzly tale of revenge. Despite the sombre goal of the story there is a feeling of two people finding that missing part of themselves that keeps it quite warm.
There are though repercussions in the next tale Silks and Celadon that while the duo is in danger explore the life of a pirate ship in the area and wraps into this the history of colonising empires from Europe. Adventure, romance and daring are all to be found, and this story cements the deep relationship the two have.
This then leads to the longest story Trail of Silver and now our couple are working together on their ship as a partnership and so Chng allows the more fantastical elements to collide. Magic eggs and dragons await. It plunges the reader into the story and myths that European readers will recognise here have a South East Asian focus applied to them. Different cultures and traditions are found and the sense of a region rich in culture, trade and its beliefs. The main story focuses on a good deed that goes slightly wrong so gives Neo some real stakes to resolve the story
The final tale Golden Beads and Eagle Wings wraps the sequence up with the consequences and there is a sense of the dup becoming now a true family unit plus a sea eagle to tame. It’s a low-stakes story in terms of adventure but a fine capping to the stories and a resolution that is happy for this unique group works very well.
Sailing the Golden Chersonese is a short and relaxing trip to the land of fantasy that gives us two characters to cheer on and a whole new world to explore. Prepare for fun, some romance, adventure and a happy ending. Sometimes that is just what the doctor ordered.
