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3.0 

The Tale of the Hostage Prince

By Anna Tan
The Tale of the Hostage Prince by Anna Tan digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Yosua wears an uneasy crown. Although he is now Raja of Bayangan, he still longs for the land of his birth where everything was much simpler…and less deadly. 

 

But peace doesn't come easily, not for a twenty-year-old servant playacting at being king. 

 

With his parents brutally murdered and his uncle bent on revenge, Yosua must decide where his loyalties truly lie. With his only remaining relative and the kingdom he has claimed? Or with his best friend Mikal and the sultanate that raised him as a hostage?
 

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The Tale of the Hostage Prince Reviews

3.0
““Peace is a certainty that says, keep to this path, do not falter.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5) First, before I read this, I know that this is part of a series (book 1.5). I think because it was a novella, so I didn’t particularly need to read the first book. But, I can’t deny that I had quite a hard time to connect. And I also read without knowing the Glossary at the very end. So, I suggest, if you would rather not read the first book, read the Glossary first. Because everything you need to know to understand the story better are there. This is a wonderful fantasy story about finding ourselves. To know who we really are, our calling, where our true heart belongs to. It tells about Yosua, a king of Bayangan kingdom. Even though he’s a king now, but he spent most of his life as a ‘hostage’ in another kingdom, Maha. His heart was also belongs there because he had dearly friends there. So, the crown was quite a burden for him. While he’s trying to find justice when his parents were murdered, someone tries to tear apart the kingdom and even attempting to kill him. The book has great pace and depth. The world-building is rich, the political issues are complicated (and frustrating, but I know it’s true). The characterization is strong to the point that I was so frustrated when Yosua is in struggles, and I hate the antagonist very, very much. I love that this book also bring us to contemplate about the meaning of faith (in general). Thank you, NetGalley and Publishers for the eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.”
“Tan does a great job at worldbuilding--so much so, it took me a bit to get into and wrap my brain around (foreign, for me, places, names, etc.)! Not a bad thing at all, and indeed something I think J. K. Rowling could have capitalized on rather than doing "British" vs. "American" versions of _Harry Potter_, lol. I was challenged a ton, even as an adult reader--so I think that young adults (the target audience) would be equally challenged, in a good way. There was more violence in the book than I typically go for--think Bourne, Mission: Impossible, etc. in a fantasy book. The descriptors were vivid (which was also a mixed blessing, lol), and mental images they conjured were all too real in my mind--sometimes too much so. There was also a passing conjecture of two (male) characters being lovers, which I felt was disappointing and unnecessary. Tan is obviously a talented writer, and this book is evidence of that. A couple missteps for me, hence 3/5 stars. I may try another of her books and see how it goes; not sure I'll read subsequent books in this series. I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.”

About Anna Tan

Anna Tan grew up in Malaysia, the country that is not Singapore. She writes fantasy stories and fairy tales, puts together anthologies, and helps people figure out their publishing goals at Teaspoon Publishing. She also wrangles writers and deadlines for the Malaysian Writers Society (MYWriters) in Penang.

Anna has an MA in Creative Writing: The Novel under a Chevening scholarship. She is interested in Malay/Nusantara and Chinese legends and folklore in exploring the intersections of language, culture, and faith. 

For updates on upcoming books, subscribe to Anna's mailing list at: https://annatsp.kit.com/honour

You'll also receive a FREE prequel novelette from the Absolution series.

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