LAND OF SAND AND SONG
Penguin Random House SEA, 2021
Legend has it that a magical spring lies dormant in the heart of the Khuzar desert. Said to be a gift from the gods, the spring holds the cure to all mortal woes.
As mercenaries from everywhere try in vain to find the mystical spring, 17-year-old Desert Rose is on the run after her chieftain father is overthrown and captured by rebel clans. Now out for revenge, she sets out alone to the Oasis Capital to assassinate the person instigating the rebellion: the corrupt Emperor Zhao, who will stop at nothing to possess the elixir of life from the spring.
To infiltrate the Imperial Guard, Desert Rose must pass a series of trials to test her wit, mettle, and her loyalty. But the real test lies in navigating the cut throat court politics with no ally but a rogue prince and a latent magic stirring in her – magic that can bring a kingdom to its knees or destroy her from within.
LAND OF SAND AND SONG is the first of an Asian fantasy series.
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LAMBS FOR DINNER
Straits Times Press, 2013
Winner of the 'Beyond Words' Competition 2012, organised by the National Arts Council and Straits Times Press
There is no such thing as coincidence – at least, not according to Skye. It wasn’t a coincidence that her father died seven hours after she broke a mirror, and it isn’t a coincidence that her imaginary friend is reappearing now that she meets Drew – the mysterious boy with the dark past, one that is somehow connected to her.
Then there's Pool, Drew's estranged ex-roommate from Hopewood Sanatorium. Blinded by the Steppenwolf theory, Pool sees only Them and Us, Man and beast. And he will stop at nothing to make sure no one takes the Wolf out of Drew, least of all Skye.
Haunted by suppressed memories and scarred by their disturbing pasts, Drew and Skye each have to battle their own demons – or risk losing their precarious future with each other.
MINUTES, HOURS, DAYS
poems & prose
"Sometimes, we only realise what we’ve forgotten when we can’t remember them anymore."
What are the moments that have transformed you? Which memories do you still hold close to you? Who are the people who have left their mark on your soul?
From your first heartbreak to your latest triumph, the vibrant days to the lonely nights, you'll find pieces of yourself in this book of poetry and short prose. Joyce Chua explores love, life, and loss in this collection, attempting to rediscover the quiet exuberance of living in each moment.
WE WERE MEANT TO SAVE THE WORLD
short stories
Not all heroes wear capes, and not every villain bares his fangs.
In this collection of meet-cutes and madness, Death goes on a Tinder date, two orphaned sisters live in a cloud, and an undercover hunter catches nightmares that roam the streets. Joyce Chua tells 20 whimsical and dark tales set in the most unlikely places, from ancient apothecaries to rowdy office parties to fantasy kingdoms.