Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

I think that the stories were really well done and had so much to offer in terms of show casing the culture. I just wasn’t a fan of the writing style and the voice of the stories. So this is a personal preference issue.

I think if people love short stories and seeing cultures, they should definitely give this a try! I just wasn’t particularly engaged with it due to the style of voice.

Beautiful and colourful. If you like to be sucked in my magic and you love a good food this book is for you.
The magic seeps in form in between the pages and drags you in to a colourful world that many will enjoy

I was genuinely excited to read stories of Malaysian mythology and learn something about a culture I knew little about. Unfortunately, the very first story left me feeling lost and quickly led me to believe that I am not the target audience for this book. I love learning about new cultures and reading mythology from around the globe. However, this book presented cultural ideas, beings, and names without any context or background so I was never able to full connect. Definitely disappointed in this one.

It took me a while to finish this book as I was struggling with the descriptions at times (English isn't my first language) but I found the stories so incredible and well-written. I highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this one, so much so that I bought my own copy when it was published and read it over again. Like the editor notes in her introduction, there could definitely be more Malaysian fantasy out there and I’m glad and grateful for this collection of twelve contributions towards that. I can’t tell you how much of a delight it was to begin with a story from Borneo, and it was similarly heart-warming to discover the range of stories included here, geographically but also beyond this. Such richness! Eagerly awaiting more (a second volume perhaps?!) from the evident pool of talent from these shores. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the complimentary e-copy.

This book had good base concepts. I liked the idea and the structure. The issue I ran into was the writing style. It wasn't bad and I can see how someone could enjoy it but it wasn't for me. The writing style made the book feel dense and at times it felt like you had to drag yourself through the writing.

This was a new reading space to wade into - Malaysian Fantasy stories.
I enjoyed the format of short stories and that it covered so many different themes.
While I stay away from horror, this collection was quite engaging to read and explore the Malaysian culture and folklore and some of influences from other cultures.

I read this in 2023 and enjoyed it.

Congratulations to the author and thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Really good version of myth and hairstyle brought up to modern times and set in authentic Malaysian background.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

This....was pretty lackluster. I liked it okay I guess. The one that stood out to me most is The Rivers and Lakes. There are also a few that made me wonder, "But what's Malaysian about these stories apart from the authors?" because the stories are so generic.

Okay okay I'm being harsh but there are also a few that are okay to read like Kampar and the Kings of Kedah, Moonlight City of the Hidden Ones, Remembering How to Cook and The Dahlia of Hutan Kilat. The last couple actually ended way too soon for me. I wanted more :(

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free digital copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this short story collection. I think there were only two stories that I disliked in the whole collection! Unfortunately one of them was the very first story in the book, so it was a little hard to get into at first, but once I was past that one, it was great.

I loved the diversity in the stories. Malaysia is such an interesting country in that it has people from so many different cultures who make their home there. It gave such a variety to the stories that you don't see in cultures that aren't so diverse.

My favourite story in the book was probably Remembering How to Cook by Sharmilla Ganesan, but I also loved Rosetta and the Fairy-in-Training a lot and Rivers and Lakes and Visitor in the Night # as well. Like I said though, this was a really strong set of stories so many were noteworthy!

This is truly a great way to explore Malaysian culture.

This is a good set of stories by different Malaysian authors. I wasn't keen on all the stories, but I'm sure another reader would feel the same, but about a completely different set of stories, so I think its a good collection. Short stories are not for everyone, but they give you an excellent chance to dip into the literature of a different country, which is what I loved about this book. This book is perfect for any customer who wants something a little different.

I realize this type of writing isn't really my cup of tea. The prose was too flowery and it felt difficult to connect with the characters. I did enjoy the concept, the atmospheric settings, and the folklore overall.

Very cool collection! I haven't seen a Malaysian anthology like this before and will definitely recommend it to folks who shop at my store!

This was great! The stories were well written and incredibly fun. It's a great opportunity to learn myths you may not know!

Thank you to NetGalley and Teaspoon Publishing for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic: An Anthology was such a fascinating and fun read! I've never read any Malaysian stories and this collection spoiled me! Many of the stories read like myth and folk tales and it provided so much color and texture to what little I know of Malaysia. Malaysia is a multicultural place and the anthology I think represents that really well with Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous peoples' cultures in the selected stories. If you're unfamiliar, I think this does a great job of providing some cultural background to Malaysia.

All of the stories were gorgeously written with detail and clearly a lot of love. I don't necessarily have a favorite or even a story that I didn't like, but the first story was a bit heavy as an opener for me so I deducted a star. BUT overall, the collection's stories were each engaging, interesting, and fun to read. I honestly think this may be the first instance in which a collection did not have a droop of a story. Each story hit well and other than the opening story, I thought the story organization did a great job.

An enjoyable collection of Malaysian short stories, some set in the ancient past -- reminiscent of mythological tales -- and others set in the present. As a whole, they offer a glimpse into the diversity and cultural breadth and wealth of Malaysia; each tale giving the reader a view into Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous society, past or present.

The contributors, likewise, are drawn from Malaysia's multiethnic community; this is truly an anthology representative of the Malaysian landscape. I especially liked this anthology is a work offered by a Malaysian press; this is truly a work of OwnVoices, written for a wide audience of Malaysians as well as non-Malaysians.

While I have my favorites among these tales, all were engaging. On the whole these stories are well-crafted, the prose smooth and evocative. Most of the stories include Malaysian "jargon": Manglish in some cases, Malay and Muslim sayings in others, or modern urban colloquialisms. Readers unfamiliar with Malaysian culture will be able to discern meanings from the text; though a familiarity with Malaysian culture will deliver a greater impact.

I really love short story collections and was very excited for one from a culture I don't know a lot of so I can get a starting point for learning more.

This anthology has a wide variety of styles and fantastical aspects. As in all anthologies I wasn't convinced by every story because sometimes the writing style isn't for me or I don't like the execution of an idea. Especially the latter was significant for some stories where the depiction of women wasn't very … progressive (I think the second story was the one I liked the least).

But then there are such gems in this anthology and I couldn't hide a smile as I realised that especially the shorter ones where hitting the right narration style for me. I really like those "dipping" into sceneries that aren't to long winded and I have the feeling that those stories often have the best writing style.

I definitely want to explore more of malaysian literature, especially when there is magic!

I am going to keep this review short and sweet. I am Malay American, and have been craving Malaysian-inspired or -related fantasy works in English for years. There is plenty of historical fiction based in Malaysia, and I will readily read all that, but I so adore and appreciate the intent of the editors of this anthology to create fantastical Malaysian stories that aren’t just written off as “supernatural.” Each of these stories brings something new and beautiful to the canon of growing Asian-inspired fantasy. I couldn’t pick a favorite, and I will refuse to try to, so that you can hopefully read through each of these and enjoy them for yourselves. PLEASE pick up this book if it comes across your desk or shelves! 5 eager and giddy ⭐️s

This is an anthology of short stories that gives a different take on Malaysian folklore and fairy tales, with added spice and flair.

Oh, this was an absolute delight to read! Not your typical collection of Malaysian folklore and fairy tales, this book features stories that aren't conventional, and may introduce you to new lores that you may have never heard before, yet still maintains relatability. There is an eclectic mix of culture, fantasy and myth in this collection; a little something for everyone. I found myself constantly intrigued and excited as the read goes on, feeding my love for folklore and mythology. It's a great collection to add to the existing variety of Malaysian stories.