Bismillahirrahmaanirrahim wbt & Assalamualaikum friends and readers.
Hi guys, I'm back with another book review! Today I'll be talking about this one Malay book called 'Sunan - Nanggroe Sang kembara'.
Introduction
The book is written by a Sabahan-born Malaysian author named Ramlee Awang Murshid (RAM), dubbed the No. 1 thriller novelist in Malaysia. The story brings us into the wonders and fantasy of Saifudin, as a traveling young boy who met with a lot of challenges and hardships throughout his journey that eventually would lead him to the title of 'Laksamana Sunan' or 'Sunan the warrior' (or something like that. It sounds more poetic in Malay. Haha)
The book is a part of a long-running series of novels revolving the 'Laksamana Sunan' character. Even though this is the seventh book, chronologically its the first one as the story takes us into the origin and how Saifudin was awarded the title.
The book
The book was very fulfilling for me to read. I have enjoyed a lot of RAM's book so far and this one was no difference. The amount of mystery, thriller, love, friendship was balanced properly to bake a very good story and fit them into the 509-paged novel very nicely. Though I'd say that I prefer the more grown-up version of Saifudin but after finishing the book, it gave me a new perspective towards the whole teenage-as-a-main-character aspect of the book.
What I like about the book specifically is that even though the main character is presented as a teenager, the story is dark enough to know that this book was intended for a more grown up demographic. A young adult perhaps. But even then, RAM's books were widely appreciated and I've seen even teenagers read them back when I was in high school.
The characters are dark and mysterious in the book. Some of them are new, some of them have appeared in the previous titles. Ratna the princess (Ratna Sang Ratu), Engku Aminah (a mysterious princess from Pagar Ruyong), Gimbaran (a dark shapeshifter), Luna (a winged humanoid woman), Tikurai the cook (A Hindu who helped Saifudin on the ship), Orang Kenit (forest goblins), Djailuh and Sadik also made an appearance in this story, and many more.
Another good part about the book was that it presented a lot of Islamic facts, talks about the oneness of Allah, the Prophet (pbuh), his sunnahs (actions and hadiths - look it up), and directly he doesn't only sends the message to the reader, but he also shows an application and hikmah (reasons) behind certain Islamic teachings. One topic I could give as an example is the 'patience' part. As Saifudin is a very humble person. Sometimes he'll be angry but his teacher/ foster father / caretaker 'Wali Sufi' would always remind him back into being patience.
A good sum of knowledge will be gained any time I read the works of RAM. He stated that he feels deep connection with the character that it feels like he's talking to Saifudin every day. Just like the author have said, I also feel deep connections with his characters. I can relate to whatever he was reminded in the books and at one point it will really hit me hard. For that I'd like to thank the author.
Conclusion
For those who are looking for a light reader, I don't suggest this book. But if you're looking for a ride into the mysterious realm of the old Nusantara, adventure, advices with a hint of romance, you've come to the right place. I enjoyed this book and the language this time. RAM could be very formal sometimes but in this piece of art, I haven't felt it even a single bit.
I got stuck with the book everytime I have some free time. I bring the book to dinner, over when I'm staying at my friend's house, and managed to finish it within three weeks after I purchase it even with my tight, tight schedule. I maybe a bookworm but if you want to read something good in 2014 and you're in Malaysia and you can understand Malay, this book is definitely a must-get.
Thanks for reading. Hope you guys enjoyed today's entry. Have a great time guys!
Always messy,
Matsuo.
Matsuo.
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