I'm sorry that none of the stories in this collection really grabbed me. The folklore on which these supposedly drew is rich and interesting, but many of the stories felt very generically magical or magical in a broadly pan-Asian way, including the use of anime tropes. Most of the stories needed significant developmental and/or line editing for length, tone, and clarity, The illustrations hurt the book as well--they're not needed, and they're not good.

The only fantasy Malaysian writer I knew was Zen Cho, and I love her. This anthology made me know a lot of new author.
Not all the story are at high lever, there quite a lot of horror, but I enjoyed it
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

While anthologies are always a mixed bag, I found the majority of these stories engaging and well-crafted, and I especially appreciated that they introduced readers to the amazing cultural diversity of Malaysia - I really learned a lot by quickly googling lots of words for locations, foods, mythological creatures, etc, which totally enhanced the experience.

Of course, like most anthologies, some stories were clearly stronger than others, and I found the ordering of the stories to be a little confusing at times. The anthology throws you in with a story that's very heavily steeped in lore to the point of being difficult to follow, which is perhaps not the easiest entry point; I would have been more equipped to enjoy it after having warmed up with some of the more accessible stories. Additionally, the last two stories (while both enjoyable), could be described with the basic plot of a girl falling in love with a dragon boy. Perhaps those two could have been separated a little.

Still, that's mostly just nitpicking. I really enjoyed this anthology and am glad I got the chance to read it!

A Spoonful of Malaysian Magic is, in my belief, intended to be a taste of Malaysian fiction inspired by the country's multicultural folklore and history but is not meant to be a capstone of contemporary Malaysian speculative fic. In other words: for new readers unfamiliar with Malaysia and her patchwork blanket of stories, this anthology gets the ball rolling.

With the range of stories it contains—from supernatural fantasy pulling from traditional Malay folklore, to dystopian homages to Chinese wuxia dramas reminiscent of imported Hong Kong dramas from the 70s to 00s, to Indian slice-of-life magic realism, to (and my initial surprise) the odd one Japanese and few Western-influenced short stories, to contemporary speculative fiction set in KL, and more—and the homages to the country's biodiversity and geography, it is a nice starter pack of fiction that can initiate the unfamiliar to the richness of Malaysia. My favourite stories in this collection are Visitor in the Night, Moonlight City of the Hidden Ones, Remembering How to Cook, The Rivers and Lakes, and The Fiery Tale of Embun and The Prince.

For my own sake, and any others that this review might help, I want to share my musings about the inclusion of Japanese and Western-influenced short stories here. As I mentioned, I was initially surprised at their inclusion as they're not the first things I associate with (modern) Malaysia and her stories. However, when you consider the country's history and the multiple occasions it was occupied by foreign forces between the 16th and 20th centuries, I say: understandable. Colonisation has permanent consequences that can stain and change a country (for better or worse), many of which have lasting effects still seen today. Folklore breathes with the inhabitants and carriers of stories in a given place. History noted the presence of the Portuguese, Dutch, British and Japanese in Malaysia. These are facts that cannot be erased. Hence, upon reading the first page of those shorts in this collection, I was surprised, but then not.

For those who know of Malaysia and/or hail from her land, this anthology is like coming home. For those that are new: welcome.

Thanks to Netgalley and Teaspoon Publishing for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.

"What better way to seek comfort than in a fairy tale?" Quite a question posed in this little book.

This is an anthology of very different stories and they come together in what becomes a generally good book.

I will say some of the stories were not as strong as others. There were definitely two that stood out as something the authors wanted to make bigger but had to constrain for the sake of a 'short' story.

There were some that really got me, either because I loved them or they broke my heart, like Visitor in the Night by Zufar Zeid. The Fiery Tale of Embun and The Prince by Julia Alba was a lovely story about family, found family and acceptance. And I absolutely loved Moonlight City of the Hidden Ones by Joni Chng and The Dahlia of Hutan Kilat by Hamizah Adzmi. Those secret touches of magic in an otherwise day-to-day world is something we could all do with more of. And I just really liked the old man in The Rivers and Lakes by Collin Yeoh. That could absolutely be a longer story or some novella of the man's experiences and learning.

There was one bit in the The Fiery Tale of Embun and The Prince that made me raise an eyebrow. There the narrator tells us the demons looked similar to humans, then lists all the ways they absolutely didn't. But that was a small thing in an otherwise enjoyable short story.

I don't think every book needs to be the best thing ever since sliced bread and buy it for all your friends. Like I said, there were a couple of stories that didn't click with me the same as the ones I mentioned here and only two I would say I didn't enjoy really. But the book as a whole is good, it's enjoyable, it's light in places and it is so rich with myths you can't help but hope there will be more Malaysian magic in the world to follow it up.

A good collection of stories, although a couple fell flat for me. They were interesting just hard to understand. Unfortunately, I probably won't be buying this book

Oh my goodness this was an unexpected treat to read!

This anthology series leans heavily on horror fantasy themes, using highly descriptive language and emotional scenes to portray strong stories with new and distinct messages.

Twelve stories are included in this anthology series. I didn’t know much about Malaysian folklore before reading this book, and while I still don’t completely understand some of the myths, I truly enjoyed reading this book and found it to be incredibly refreshing and enjoyable.

If you’re into heavy fantasy themes, this is the book for you.

This beautiful book is an anthology of 12 fantasy short stories written by 12 different authors set in Malaysia or that weave in Malaysian folktales or retellings of Malaysian myths.

The cove attracted me most to this book and the short stories did not disappoint me. Each story weaved its own magic and fantasy around me that I finished the majority of the book in one sitting (the first story was hard for me to get into). I loved so many of these that it's hard to pick my favorite from the book -- but Visitor in the Night by Zufar Zeid pulled at my heartstrings and made me feel so many emotions. I loved these stories so much!

I hadn't read a lot of Malaysian fantasy stories or Malaysian stories in general. After reading this anthology, I see so much how multicultural the country is and hope that more Malaysian stories get published in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Teaspoon Publishing for letting me have an ARC of this book for an honest review!

I adore all kinds of Science Fiction and Fantasy. We have already discussed my troubles with the current publishing industry and just a few months ago we reviewed a Nordic Science Fiction collection and discovered together that it is no fault of the reader, that we cannot get access to more cultural science fiction. One of my favourite science fiction stories is a French pre 2000s story, that I would never have normally had the opportunity to read, had it not been for fortune.
However, no matter how hard I wanted to like this collection, I was let down time and again by the stories.
Another thing to note about the collection, is that it is absent of footnotes. Not being familiar with Malaysian mythology, some of the words, Gods and ideas presented were new. I would have appreciated footnotes accompanying the word, like in many other books, which gave me a brief overview of the concept.
Overall there were no stories that stood out and I was disappointed.

This anthology of short stories offers fresh takes on Malaysian folklore and fairy tales, adds enchantment to the ordinary, and bursts with new, wonderful flavours.

A wonderful anthology. I don't know much about Malaysian culture or mythology, so this was a refreshing and informative read.

L’idea mi piaceva molto: un’antologia di racconti fantasy di autori del sud-est asiatico, intrisi dei miti e della cultura di quell’area. Purtroppo il risultato è mediocre; scritture tiepide, narrazioni noiose, personaggi piatti.
Peccato. Spero che in futuro l’idea di fondo - che continuo ad adorare - si concretizzi in qualcosa di più appassionante