In the totalitarian state of Utopia, the top scientist developing the super chip that will propel the country to technological supremacy in the world is detained by the state security bureau. His best friend and the head of the state’s semiconductor joint venture Shan Hongbing needs to know why. As he digs in, he realizes that the eyes are also on him for asking questions. The state’s surveillance technology he reveres—which ‘keeps the citizens safe’—has now turned against him, tracking his every move at every turn to hold him in line with the Utopia’s principles. Hongbing’s attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery slowly unravels a web of politicking, espionage and betrayal, whatever it takes for the ruling party to achieve its cause. The moment he decides to flee from the system is also the time he finds himself no longer safe.
Archives: Books
Shattered Hopes
Drawing on interviews with first-hand sources in and outside the administration, official minutes and still classified documents, Shattered Hopes focuses on PH1.0’s rocky 22-months in power to tell the story of how a fledgling Government filled with so much promise and hope, was racked by internal power struggles and politicking even in its very first weeks in power, amid policy paralysis, racial politicking and the ultimate unwillingness of veteran Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to hand over power to his twice-anointed successor, Anwar Ibrahim.
In doing so, Shattered Hopes presents readers with a vivid blow by blow account of how broken promises, political patronage and trade-offs, economic dysfunction and racial polarization eventually became the defining characteristics of the promised New Malaysia.
Tethered
Tracy was at the start of her law career and at the cusp of life when she got a debilitating brainstem stroke that affected her breathing, swallowing, speech, eyesight, and severely weakened her left and paralyzed her right. She found herself effectively a thinking statue at the age of thirty-five.
This is an account of her journey to recovery. As her brain is reset, she finds, so is her life. Like a growing child, she learns the most basic things anew, and more insightfully, the second time around. She sees the world in a different dimension this time?as wheelchair-bound. She discovers what faith means when it is all that is left.
In amusing and heart-wrenching anecdotes, Tracy finds that there is a life to be had, even in the cracks.
Hue City
Meet the notorious Ativan Gang, a group of scammers in Manila who befriends solo tourists, then drugs and robs them. Twenty-five-year-old Carmen Maranan is their newest member, a college dropout desperate to see her mother, Nicole, now living with her new family in Vietnam’s old capital, Hue City. When Carmen flees Manila for Hue, she meets Hai, a receptionist, tout, and part-time pimp. Ambitious and driven, Hai’s goal is to be rich and run his own hotel, a dream that feels closer when he crosses paths with Marina, a wealthy Singaporean yearning for a new life—and love.
Told from the points of view of Carmen, Hai and Marina, Hue City brings you deep into the soul of Southeast Asia—from the faded, enigmatic streets of Vietnam’s former capital, to the fraught, gritty drags of Manila and the gleaming, cosmopolitan environs of Singapore—as it tells their intertwined journey towards the treacherous and sometimes heart-breaking path of starting over.
Ascension
First, you need to give it something precious to you. Then, a shelter, a doorway…
Something lives in a rotting house in the town of Santa Clara.
Emilia has not thought of this house for years, until a chance meeting with Alma, an old friend from her hometown.
When Alma suddenly dies, Emilia finds her way back to Santa Clara, to her circle of friends who rekindle memories of a bizarre ritual left unfinished.
Of a dark visitor who sits by their bed at night, of a being who won’t let them sleep.
Must they once again awaken whoever dwells in that lonely house?
Veins of Power
The returned gods of Kayumalon are the new currencies of power.
In Kayumalon, seed mages are a coin a dozen, but the god vessels are infinite.
Kalem, once a simple, awkward germachemical scholar, has lived in the shadow of his father, the Obsidian Datu, all his life. Now, with the power of the earth god flowing in his veins, time is all he has, and he intends to use it to help his father change his country for the better.
But politics is a far different battlefield, and despite the problems the country faces now—invaders in the north, slave rebellion in the south, political instability in the east, blight in the west—it seems that all these bureaucrats care about is jostling for more power and impressing the king, whose pride and ambition could be their very well be their own downfall.
It would take more than a legend, more than a good king, more than a mage, to navigate the treacherous twists and turns of Kayumalon court. Unfortunately, Kalem’s enemies also have the power of the gods on their side.
The Fraught Lives of Nathan Kwan and Lapsang Souchong
Cousins Nathan and Junie Kwan, and their friend, Sachin Sundara, are students in the prestigious and fiercely competitive Noble Hall School – dismissed as bookish nerds by the popular students who rule at school and subjected to micro-aggressions. Their friendship kept them afloat… until the bright new girl at school, Aida Anargul, befriended them.
Fashionista Aida brought a touch of glamour into their lives, and seemed to make the impossible seem possible. But their new found popularity is short-lived as Nathan’s world came crashing down when his precious Siamese cat disappears one night. The friends embark on a frantic search for Lapsang Souchong and discovered that their quaint little neighbourhood is hiding a dark secret.
The narrative merges the charm of old-school mystery, adventure and folklore; with complex Millennial characters, including (sometimes) unlikeable, annoying know-it-all protagonists and bold, formidable antagonists who are (sometimes) admirable.
The Summer of Letting Go
“Death blinked into existence when Uncle Drew left. It’s never going to leave me now, and I’m never going to let it.”
When eighteen-year-old Kali’s uncle dies in a car accident on his way to pick her up from school, her world stops. The sudden void where her favourite person used to be leaves her a ghost of what she once was – at least, until she starts seeing Uncle Drew on the corner of Tea For Two where he was supposed to meet her.
When Kali applies for a part-time job in the tea shop to spend every waking hour with the carefree ghost of her Cheeto-loving uncle, she doesn’t expect Luca, the hot but aloof owner behind the counter, to offer her the job – nor does she expect to find him irresistibly cute.
She can’t afford to have Luca’s college-boy charm distract her when the landlord condemns Tea For Two for demolition, because losing Uncle Drew’s haunt might just erase him from her life completely. And she can’t lose him – not again.
But Uncle Drew has his own demons too, and in the midst of messy LEGO bricks, Kali’s best friends going to separate colleges, tearful heartbreaks, and her counting down the final days until her uncle slips from her fingers forever, can Kali truly learn what it means to move on, find love, and let go?
I Can Color (Pack of 4 Books)
I Can Color series is a collection of four beautiful coloring books that introduces kids to a dazzling world of colors.
- Features simple, bold, and age-appropriate illustrations for easy coloring.
- Encourages creativity and self-expression through fun-filled activities.
- Helps improve concentration and focus in an enjoyable way.
- Supports the development of fine motor skills and hand control.
- Makes learning relaxing, engaging, and full of joy.
The series includes –
- I Can Color: Letters, Numbers and Shapes
- I Can Color: Animals and Birds
- I Can Color: Things that Move
- I Can Color: Fruits and Vegetables
Fun with Activities (Pack of 4 Books)
The Fun with Activities (4 Books Pack) is the perfect companion for curious young minds.
- An exciting 4-in-1 activity book pack designed for preschoolers and young learners.
- Includes a fun mix of mazes, spot the differences, brain boosters, and crayon coloring.
- Encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity through playful learning.
- Helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Features bright, child-friendly illustrations and easy-to-follow layouts.
- Keeps children engaged with a variety of interactive and enjoyable activities.
- Promotes screen-free learning while making playtime meaningful.
- Ideal for use at home, during travel, or as a thoughtful gift for kids.
Titles in this pack:
- Fun with Activities: Spot the Differences
- Fun with Activities: Brain Booster
- Fun with Activities: Mazes
- Fun with Activities: Crayon Coloring