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The Fires of Tanam Alkin
Enter a world where magic runs deep, and nature speaks to those who listen.
Follow Aira, a girl from a village of rice farmers, as she discovers the secrets of the forest. And Dain, a young hunter who can channel the power of the endangered tiger.
But as they become Guardians of the natural world, a relentless plantation industry threatens to destroy everything they hold dear. With divine powers at odds over humanity's fate, and a forest in flames, the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
What will Aira and Dain do?
Who will triumph in this epic battle between nature and industry?
Follow Aira, a girl from a village of rice farmers, as she discovers the secrets of the forest. And Dain, a young hunter who can channel the power of the endangered tiger.
But as they become Guardians of the natural world, a relentless plantation industry threatens to destroy everything they hold dear. With divine powers at odds over humanity's fate, and a forest in flames, the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
What will Aira and Dain do?
Who will triumph in this epic battle between nature and industry?
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2023
7 people are currently reading
2496 people want to read
About the author
Sadie Noni
1 book13 followersSadie is a debut author with a background in physics, education, and the development sector. Fluent in English, Indonesian, and Hindi, she loves reading fantasy novels and is passionate about using climate fiction to inspire action on urgent environmental issues. As you can tell, she is shy. Therefore the AI-altered image and the pseudonym!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 23, 2023
"Spirits are as real as you and I. Many people fear the spirits, but they are only echoes of our ancestors (...) The spirits are a sum of all the lives lived."
I found this book on Instagram when I was reading one of my favorite reviewers and searching for a book with mythology and folklore to read during AAPI heritage month.
This is a very well-written novel that doesn't read like an indie novel, but a project that was well constructed. It has a slow pace (personal opinion) but has a wonderful poetic mood to it. The thoughts are presented in bold making it easier to identify when a spirit of deity is speaking.
It draws a lot of inspiration from Pacific islands' mythology, some I identified when it comes to deforestation, for Borneo nowadays has lost more than 50% of it. Focused on environmental awareness, the author was able to mention a lot of problems that we are facing now in an educational way.
Mostly a matriarchal society. We have two main characters, Aira and Dain, who are chosen to be guardians, connecting to fauna and flora. Aira can hear the plants, Dain can shapeshift into animals, and with these powers, they can help their communities and others.
Although it culminates in so much loss, it ends in a hopeful way.
This connecting-back-with-nature middle grade (for older middle-grade readers and adults) is the perfect book to recommend each year during Earth Day.
I found this book on Instagram when I was reading one of my favorite reviewers and searching for a book with mythology and folklore to read during AAPI heritage month.
This is a very well-written novel that doesn't read like an indie novel, but a project that was well constructed. It has a slow pace (personal opinion) but has a wonderful poetic mood to it. The thoughts are presented in bold making it easier to identify when a spirit of deity is speaking.
It draws a lot of inspiration from Pacific islands' mythology, some I identified when it comes to deforestation, for Borneo nowadays has lost more than 50% of it. Focused on environmental awareness, the author was able to mention a lot of problems that we are facing now in an educational way.
Mostly a matriarchal society. We have two main characters, Aira and Dain, who are chosen to be guardians, connecting to fauna and flora. Aira can hear the plants, Dain can shapeshift into animals, and with these powers, they can help their communities and others.
Although it culminates in so much loss, it ends in a hopeful way.
This connecting-back-with-nature middle grade (for older middle-grade readers and adults) is the perfect book to recommend each year during Earth Day.
August 18, 2023
I'm really grateful that Sadie reached out to me and asked if I'd give her debut self published book a read.
Set on the Indonesian Islands, we follow Aira and Dain, our young protagonists who unknowingly become gaurdians of the forest. Aira can talk to the trees and Dain can channel the animals. Growing up in different parts of the country in the forest, Aira on a rice farm and Dain on a cattle and goat farm where their parents and grandparents have worked for many years, their lives are very quickly changing with the encroachment of palm oil plantations.
The trees are sick, the soil and rivers are being polluted and the animals are being forced out of their forest homes onto the farms. Aira and Dain must help stop the contamination and the distruction.
I learned a lot from this book. How palm oil is manufactured and the destruction it causes the land. How consumerism can effect a country and land so far from the place of purchase and how people once lived in harmony with the land.
After reading some early reviews, I was under the impression this was a middle grade book. I would say it's for a more mature reader from about 12-13 upwards. There is a riot that happens in a later chapter where guns are used. Not by force but they are fired in the air. There is also a sap that oozes from the trees that when consumed, puts the person in a trance. These aren't major problems but good to be aware of for younger readers.
The writing is very descriptive and flowed beautifully. The climactic chapters had me turning the pages so fast. This was great debut climate fiction novel.
Set on the Indonesian Islands, we follow Aira and Dain, our young protagonists who unknowingly become gaurdians of the forest. Aira can talk to the trees and Dain can channel the animals. Growing up in different parts of the country in the forest, Aira on a rice farm and Dain on a cattle and goat farm where their parents and grandparents have worked for many years, their lives are very quickly changing with the encroachment of palm oil plantations.
The trees are sick, the soil and rivers are being polluted and the animals are being forced out of their forest homes onto the farms. Aira and Dain must help stop the contamination and the distruction.
I learned a lot from this book. How palm oil is manufactured and the destruction it causes the land. How consumerism can effect a country and land so far from the place of purchase and how people once lived in harmony with the land.
After reading some early reviews, I was under the impression this was a middle grade book. I would say it's for a more mature reader from about 12-13 upwards. There is a riot that happens in a later chapter where guns are used. Not by force but they are fired in the air. There is also a sap that oozes from the trees that when consumed, puts the person in a trance. These aren't major problems but good to be aware of for younger readers.
The writing is very descriptive and flowed beautifully. The climactic chapters had me turning the pages so fast. This was great debut climate fiction novel.
July 14, 2023
Appreciate the sentiment but a little under-developed
The Fires of Tanam Alkin is a morality fantasy tome with two main protagonists that I wanted to love….but found it difficult to connect to.
The story is an environmental gospel of sorts. There is an acknowledgement of the complexity of the issue of environmentalism vs. industrialization. An attempt was made to deal with the complications…
The problem is … not sure if that attempt could be more developed. Along with the two main characters. All of them really.
Listen - I fully admit that I may be to harsh on the book. It’s possible that I’m just expecting the impossible. A more nuanced, deeper, more layered approach. One that develops characters that I care about and like. These characters are nice and that’s not a great thing in a book like this.
There wasn’t any subtlety to the message either. The author was came in like a freight train and never let up on the message of how humanity is destroying the forests.
And maybe this is all because of me. Maybe I expected too much. I wanted Mystborne or Age of Empires. I wanted a fantasy/sci-fi/adventure story with twists and turns and surprises AND a moral.
I got the moral… didn’t get the rest. I read the whole book though… so that’s something, right?
The Fires of Tanam Alkin is a morality fantasy tome with two main protagonists that I wanted to love….but found it difficult to connect to.
The story is an environmental gospel of sorts. There is an acknowledgement of the complexity of the issue of environmentalism vs. industrialization. An attempt was made to deal with the complications…
The problem is … not sure if that attempt could be more developed. Along with the two main characters. All of them really.
Listen - I fully admit that I may be to harsh on the book. It’s possible that I’m just expecting the impossible. A more nuanced, deeper, more layered approach. One that develops characters that I care about and like. These characters are nice and that’s not a great thing in a book like this.
There wasn’t any subtlety to the message either. The author was came in like a freight train and never let up on the message of how humanity is destroying the forests.
And maybe this is all because of me. Maybe I expected too much. I wanted Mystborne or Age of Empires. I wanted a fantasy/sci-fi/adventure story with twists and turns and surprises AND a moral.
I got the moral… didn’t get the rest. I read the whole book though… so that’s something, right?
June 27, 2023
A good Tale
This was well written, but hard for me to get into. I liked the ending. The story was beautiful and has me thinking about preservation again.
This was well written, but hard for me to get into. I liked the ending. The story was beautiful and has me thinking about preservation again.
September 23, 2023
The book weaves together a quest by young protagonists from tribes, who must race against time to head off an environmental disaster caused by years of neglect. A thoughtful weaving together of environmental themes with exciting myths and legends. Simply & thoughtfully told, appropriate for younger children to read with clean language and easily understandable themes. Set in a vaguely tropical setting, it's also a nice change from European-centered quests.
May 26, 2023
There are some amazing hidden gems in the world of self-publishing, and I don’t often take a chance and read them, but author Sadie Noni reached out to me about her debut fiction novel The Fires of Takam Alkin. I decided to give it a try! Her novel is targeted at 11-15 year olds (upper middle grade), featuring Aira and Dain, two teens who fight environmental degradation first in their home villages, then in the bigger cities of Tanam Alkin. They discover their heritage as Guardians of the plant and animal worlds, and learn about some of the devastating effects of deforestation and the palm oil industry.
This is a thoughtful book, with writing and ideas that are simple and straightforward but at the same time engaging. The spirit world of plants and animals is ever-present, and deities communicate (in bold text, which was effective) with Aira and Dain as they discover what it means to be a Guardian. They begin as ordinary teens who know little about the effects of mass agriculture on their local ecosystems, each with a story that begins on a local level. Aira’s village has no water flowing to it anymore and as she begins her investigation, she discovers her ability to talk with the trees and plants. She follows the water to its source and discovers all is not well. The use of industrial fertilizers is poisoning the water. Dain is hunting a tiger that is menacing his village, but he wants to spare the creature. When he becomes a Guardian, taking on the powers of a tiger, he begins to learn why tigers are encroaching onto human territory and learns about devastating deforestation.
Both Aira and Dain come to the story as innocent to detrimental practices, but we are able to learn along with them, with “beginner’s eyes” to explore greater sustainability issues. Within the narrative, there is occasionally a chapter that pauses the action a bit, focusing on a story that serves as an illustration of a point. For example, Dain follows a group of orangutans in the forest canopy and one of their babies becomes poisoned after eating a contaminated palm fruit. This is our introduction into the plight of the orangutan, at risk due to industrial agriculture and deforestation. The stories eventually merge to focus on the palm oil industry, something I don’t know much about. Even as an adult, I was invested in the story, and learned a lot.
Honestly, I was amazed by how many environmental issues author Noni packed into a short novel without it feeling preachy or overcrowded. Rather, it felt appropriate and natural. Plastic pollution in the water? Check. Pesticide use? Check. The plight of farm workers? Check. Income inequality? It’s here too.
I particularly liked that Noni didn't fall into the trap of making cartoonish villains of the plantation owners or pesticide-using farmers. Even when people are clearly doing detrimental things, she shows the ignorance that may have led to those choices, or the rationalisations for acting irresponsibly. The economic realities of workers all along the production chain are shown with understanding and compassion. The book doesn't excuse bad behaviour and ignorance, it just seeks to understand it as a jumping off point for change.
There’s a curious tone to the book. It certainly has fantasy elements with spirits and goddesses. There is magic! But at the same time, there are cars, helicopters, people wearing jeans, and the palm oil industry which is clearly taken from our society. Sadie Noni’s bio notes that she is from Indonesia, and that her name is a pseudonym and an anagram. I suspected that Tanam Alkan might also be an anagram. Enter a handy anagram descrambler, and that led to some interesting reading about Indonesia and Borneo, which I suspect is Noni’s direct inspiration for the novel. In fact, most proper names in the book are anagrams.
By the end of Aira and Dain’s journeys, and after some really difficult scenes of environmental catastrophe, all is not okay. The book raises the issues and leaves us with questions that still need to be answered. The message here? Despite the short term pain of changing our destructive ways, it needs to be done for continued survival of humans and all other flora and fauna on the earth. The story highlights humans’ need to take responsibility and engage in change behaviours. Instead of ending the book with the traditional “The End,” Noni ends it with “The Beginning”. This lent a realistic but hopeful finale to the book, which I think is crucial for the upper middle-grade reader. Hope rather than despair galvanises us to action.
I think this would be an excellent book for anyone (I certainly enjoyed it!) but particularly for the target age group of 11-15 year olds. I suspect they will identify readily with Aira and Dain, and feel drawn in by the animal and tree stories. There is absolutely some difficult content, such as animal death and peril, and forest fires, but it’s age appropriate for readers, with that warning. Environmental crisis is not an easy thing to learn about, but this is a fantastic introduction to a difficult topic. It’s heartening to see self-published work of such integrity and quality. I hope readers will give this a try.
This is a thoughtful book, with writing and ideas that are simple and straightforward but at the same time engaging. The spirit world of plants and animals is ever-present, and deities communicate (in bold text, which was effective) with Aira and Dain as they discover what it means to be a Guardian. They begin as ordinary teens who know little about the effects of mass agriculture on their local ecosystems, each with a story that begins on a local level. Aira’s village has no water flowing to it anymore and as she begins her investigation, she discovers her ability to talk with the trees and plants. She follows the water to its source and discovers all is not well. The use of industrial fertilizers is poisoning the water. Dain is hunting a tiger that is menacing his village, but he wants to spare the creature. When he becomes a Guardian, taking on the powers of a tiger, he begins to learn why tigers are encroaching onto human territory and learns about devastating deforestation.
Both Aira and Dain come to the story as innocent to detrimental practices, but we are able to learn along with them, with “beginner’s eyes” to explore greater sustainability issues. Within the narrative, there is occasionally a chapter that pauses the action a bit, focusing on a story that serves as an illustration of a point. For example, Dain follows a group of orangutans in the forest canopy and one of their babies becomes poisoned after eating a contaminated palm fruit. This is our introduction into the plight of the orangutan, at risk due to industrial agriculture and deforestation. The stories eventually merge to focus on the palm oil industry, something I don’t know much about. Even as an adult, I was invested in the story, and learned a lot.
Honestly, I was amazed by how many environmental issues author Noni packed into a short novel without it feeling preachy or overcrowded. Rather, it felt appropriate and natural. Plastic pollution in the water? Check. Pesticide use? Check. The plight of farm workers? Check. Income inequality? It’s here too.
I particularly liked that Noni didn't fall into the trap of making cartoonish villains of the plantation owners or pesticide-using farmers. Even when people are clearly doing detrimental things, she shows the ignorance that may have led to those choices, or the rationalisations for acting irresponsibly. The economic realities of workers all along the production chain are shown with understanding and compassion. The book doesn't excuse bad behaviour and ignorance, it just seeks to understand it as a jumping off point for change.
There’s a curious tone to the book. It certainly has fantasy elements with spirits and goddesses. There is magic! But at the same time, there are cars, helicopters, people wearing jeans, and the palm oil industry which is clearly taken from our society. Sadie Noni’s bio notes that she is from Indonesia, and that her name is a pseudonym and an anagram. I suspected that Tanam Alkan might also be an anagram. Enter a handy anagram descrambler, and that led to some interesting reading about Indonesia and Borneo, which I suspect is Noni’s direct inspiration for the novel. In fact, most proper names in the book are anagrams.
By the end of Aira and Dain’s journeys, and after some really difficult scenes of environmental catastrophe, all is not okay. The book raises the issues and leaves us with questions that still need to be answered. The message here? Despite the short term pain of changing our destructive ways, it needs to be done for continued survival of humans and all other flora and fauna on the earth. The story highlights humans’ need to take responsibility and engage in change behaviours. Instead of ending the book with the traditional “The End,” Noni ends it with “The Beginning”. This lent a realistic but hopeful finale to the book, which I think is crucial for the upper middle-grade reader. Hope rather than despair galvanises us to action.
I think this would be an excellent book for anyone (I certainly enjoyed it!) but particularly for the target age group of 11-15 year olds. I suspect they will identify readily with Aira and Dain, and feel drawn in by the animal and tree stories. There is absolutely some difficult content, such as animal death and peril, and forest fires, but it’s age appropriate for readers, with that warning. Environmental crisis is not an easy thing to learn about, but this is a fantastic introduction to a difficult topic. It’s heartening to see self-published work of such integrity and quality. I hope readers will give this a try.
November 21, 2024
The maiden approach of Sadie Noni is highly commendable and to be complimented from the depth of the heart. The theme is completely lateral. The passion of the author on nature preservation, is vivid in the flow of thoughts, which centers around two lovely charecters - Dain & Aira. There is depth in the narratives. More important for any fiction is the flow which induces indulgence in the topic chosen, which is very much seen. Vocabulary is superb, and right words are chosen to emphasize.
A Great attempt which should be complimented and profusely supported by all the nature enthusiasts, wild-life lovers and book readers.
A Great attempt which should be complimented and profusely supported by all the nature enthusiasts, wild-life lovers and book readers.
June 4, 2023
A fantastical eco adventure for middle graders!
Aria Hant and Dain Kuc are about to have the most incredible yet dangerous experiences of their lives. They don’t know each other at the beginning of this story, but they’ll be brought together to save the lives of everything and everyone around them!
Aria and Dain have been chosen to be guardians because of their love for nature. Aria is able to communicate with trees, and Dain is able to communicate and transform into animals. These skills help to change the materialistic ways of the the company destroying their lands and waters when a raging fire threatens to destroy everything they love.
This book is a perfect way to introduce young people to embrace nature’s gifts and to protect the environment they are living in. They will be inspired by Aria and Dain’s bravery and feel more protective of the animals and plants they are sharing this earth with.
Aria Hant and Dain Kuc are about to have the most incredible yet dangerous experiences of their lives. They don’t know each other at the beginning of this story, but they’ll be brought together to save the lives of everything and everyone around them!
Aria and Dain have been chosen to be guardians because of their love for nature. Aria is able to communicate with trees, and Dain is able to communicate and transform into animals. These skills help to change the materialistic ways of the the company destroying their lands and waters when a raging fire threatens to destroy everything they love.
This book is a perfect way to introduce young people to embrace nature’s gifts and to protect the environment they are living in. They will be inspired by Aria and Dain’s bravery and feel more protective of the animals and plants they are sharing this earth with.
September 14, 2023
I rarely get the opportunity to highlight voices from Indonesia, so I was delighted to find out about Sadie Noni's 'The Fires of Tanam Alkin'. This is a lyrically written eco-fantasy steeped in magical mythology with important environmental messages. An impressive debut.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews