This novel is an anthology of folktales from Borneo. I had never heard of any of these folktales so they were really enjoyable. Therefore, this book sheds light on a culture that I knew very little about. I recommend this for fans of folklore.

"The Girl Sudan Painted like a Gold Ring" is a collection of folk tales from Borneo and I really enjoyed reading them. The stories were entertaining and suspenseful, and I loved learning about the culture and the mythology.

Thank you to the publisher and author as well as netgalley for allowing me access to this eARC of this book and allowing me to give feedback and read books in exchange for a review.

This is a beautiful fable tale with bloodshed it is perfect, I have not read anything from this author before but I will read more from her in the future as this book was amazing.

First of all, this cover is gorgeous! And secondly, I love how this story is centred around the Dayak tribe. I am born and raised in Brunei but I know very little about our local tribes here which is a shame. I only learned more about the Dusun, Murut and Iban tribes when I started doing volunteer work with a local organisation and my, what a learning journey I am on. They are so rich in culture and tradition that it’s a delight to just hear their stories.

‘Endu-Sudan-Galinggam-Tinchin-Mas’, The Girl Sudan painted like a Gold Ring

This is a collection of short stories based on the history of the Sea Dayaks in Borneo. The Dayaks mentioned here are headhunters as bringing a head home is a symbol of status and strength. There are ten interconnected stories here with short interjections of legends and tales. I was especially tickled by the short tales of Sang Kancil and Pelandok (mouse deer). The main story, ‘The Story of Siu’ follows Six, a hunter who accidentally wandered into the spirit realm and learned about bird spirits. He fell in love with the daughter of the God of Spirits and promised her to never hunt birds again. Can Siu really keep his promise? He is a hunter after all.

Another story I really enjoyed reading was about Pulang-Gana, who followed a porcupine and entered the spirit world too. He was constantly looked down upon by his brothers and he just wants to find his worth. He ended up making a deal with a God and married his daughter. When he returned home again, his brothers still showed no respect for him. How will Pulang-Gana gain respect from them?

Since headhunting is an important ritual in the community, the tale of Danjai and the Weretiger’s sister is especially fascinating! The weretiger sets traps for people to fall into so this gives him an excuse to hunt them and keep their heads. Danjai’s wife met the same fate and set out to seek revenge. How can he, a mere human go against the were tiger? He met the were tiger’s sister who helped Danjai but at what cost?

I really enjoyed reading this! I felt immersed in the stories. Dreams and omens are an important part of Dayak culture. They look to these to make important decisions. They take tradition and superstition very seriously so they can live a good life. Do give this a read if you are interested. Thank you Netgalley and Victory Editing Coop for the arc.

This is a beautiful collection of folktales that will capture almost anyone in minutes! I loved the different stories and the approach to each one!

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of The Girl Sudan Painted Like a Golden Ring in exchange for an honest room.

I'm pretty sure based on the title that these are adaptations of Folktales, but even without needing the source material they're all unique and well structured enough to hold your attention.

I loved this, I loved the fact everything was so new and interesting, I’ve never read any stories, mythology or folk/fairytales from Borneo before, it’s such an interesting set of stories full of detail, told beautifully and details the culture well. Thoroughly recommended to readers of historical, fantasy fiction and mythology fans.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I love folklore, legend and myth from around the world especially countries that I havent read or heard anything from such as this collection. It is so fascinating to see how cultures are shaped by the legends that surround them, it was riveting and I really enjoyed it.

I don't think I'd read any folktales from Borneo before, and this collection was an excellent introduction. I especially liked how the author added more focus to the women in the stories.

Reading about head-hunting was a bit disconcerting and probably not for everyone, but I still found the stories fascinating.

4 stars
This book is full of immersive writing and fascinating lore. I'd recommend it to fantasy or historical fiction readers looking for something a bit different.