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Reviewed by Gabriel Santos for Readers' Favorite
Kolab Khem lives a structured, predictable life. As a woman born and raised in the United States, the only things she knows about Cambodia, her ancestral land, come from her late grandmother. Kolab is entrusted with taking care of her grandmother's last rites, taking the ashes to her home village. At first, this was just another task, another item to cross off the checklist. But Kolab can't ignore the uncanny sense of familiarity and the feeling that something extraordinary is happening around her. She eventually realizes that spreading her grandmother's ashes is just the beginning of an epic journey that takes her thousands of years into the past. Som Phin's A Thousand Years of Wrong Hands (Moonlight Over Mekong Book 1) follows Kolab as she discovers a world of magic, spirits, curses, and bonds that last for several lifetimes.
I'm a sucker for isekai/portal fantasy, so I just had to take a look. This is more of a time travel story than a classic isekai, but I wasn't disappointed. Most stories in the genre are set in slight variations of medieval Europe, so a setting based on Cambodia definitely stands out. And it's not just a difference in location; Som Phin incorporates elements of Cambodian culture everywhere, from the characters to the magic system. In fact, the novel has one of the most unique takes on elemental magic I've seen. I also really enjoyed the romance. The novel builds the relationship step by step, with plenty of banter and teasing, but also some in-depth psychological exploration. There's some explicit sex, so reader discretion is advised. If you're into romance, fantasy, spirituality, and journeys of healing and self-discovery, give A Thousand Years of Wrong Hands a try.
