Here is some art I comissioned for the book by ColourAnomaly and Enid Din.

Warning! These maps are not 100% accurate to the story, but should give you a general sense of where things go.

Main Characters Narra Jal 17 years old. Short and thin, with dark brown skin, dark brown eyes, and long straight black hair she usually wears in a low bun. She always wears a scarf to hide birthmarks that are flat black splotches that look like fingerprints on her neck. She also covers up her bare skin so that no one touches her. Kuran Jal 19 years old. Narra’s older sister. Tall, curvy, with dark brown eyes and skin. She smiles all the time and likes to wear wavy black hair loose. She usually wears an anklet with brass bells on…

Note: Because the Philippines is an archipelago with more than a hundred languages, the choice of words and spellings to use in this novel was not straightforward. I’ve included some variations here. Some words such as Datu are used in some regions, but different terms are used elsewhere. Some of these words don’t appear in the book, but are described (for example currency). Some words have Spanish origin (for example Reyna), but I have used them for ease of understanding or lack of an alternative. Anting-Anting – Charms made of wood, copper, bone, or brass, and worn for protection. May…

(Translation = It’s just a joke) For the non Tagalog speakers, here are some name puns and Easter eggs I snuck into the book: Arawan: Daily / Day by day / (araw = sun) Sunshine Bato ko: Bato (rock) + Ko (my) = My Rock Ina Ko: Ina (mother) + Ko (my) = My Mother Narra: A tree with yellow flowers. It is the national tree of the Philippines. This is important to know because [REDACTED]. Pulang Ilog: Red River Sundo: Fetch / Pick up / Follow up Tigang: Arid / Barren / Slang = “Thirsty“ Bonus Wordplay Astar =…

Here’s a visual reference for some of the fashion that is featured in The Moonlight Blade. Bahag – Loincloth worn by men, folded in a particular way to cover the genitals. The pattern and color can indicate tribe or status. It is worn without anything on top, to show off tattoos on the upper body. Photo: Gerhard Sisters 1904, Public Domain, Missouri History Museum Baro – A collarless long sleeved shirt or jacket, with an opening in the front. The figure to the left is wearing a baro and tapis.  Illustration: Boxer Codex (16th Century Spanish manuscript), Public Domain Batik – A fabric print technique that developed in…

This book has a lot of comfort food in it, mainly because I am always hungry ;D Most of it is contemporary Filipino food rather than historical, but that means you can easily find recipes online. Click the images to go to the recipes!