SKU: 82538819160

Azkya and Zila

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Description

Azkya and ZilaTHE STORY High in the misty highlands of Dieng, where volcanic soil nourishes the land and traditions run deeper than time itself, two young sisters stood side by sideAzkya, five, and Zila, six. Their presence was magnetic, their gaze curious yet unshaken, but it was something else that made them extraordinary. Azkya and Zilas hair, woven into natural dreadlocks, hinted at a secret passed down through generations. Unlike the Rastafarian locks of

ᝰ THE STORY

High in the misty highlands of Dieng, where volcanic soil nourishes the land and traditions run deeper than time itself, two young sisters stood side by side—Azkya, five, and Zila, six. Their presence was magnetic, their gaze curious yet unshaken, but it was something else that made them extraordinary.

Azkya and Zila’s hair, woven into natural dreadlocks, hinted at a secret passed down through generations. Unlike the Rastafarian locks of Jamaica, these were not a choice, nor a fashion—they were a gift from the ancestors, bestowed upon only a few children of the Dieng Plateau. Their mother, standing close, revealed the story written into their roots.

“Not all children in this village are chosen,” she explained, watching over them with quiet reverence. “But those who are, like my daughters, are believed to receive their hair as a sacred sign from the spirits.”

It never starts this way. At birth, their hair was like any other child's—soft, ordinary, untouched by fate. But when they reached the age of two, an unexplained fever took hold, lingering for weeks. No medicine could ease it, no remedy could break it. Then, as suddenly as it arrived, the fever passed—leaving behind strands of hair that twisted and matted on their own, forming the unmistakable locks of a gimbal child.

To carry such hair is an honor, but also a responsibility. The journey of a gimbal child does not end with their locks—it culminates in the ancient Ruwatan Gimbal ceremony, where the dreadlocks must be cut in an elaborate ritual. But there is a rule, one that cannot be broken: before the ceremony, the child must make a request, and whatever is asked must be granted.

"Anything?" one might wonder. Yes—anything. A mountain of golden necklaces, a sack of rice, even a pony. The request is sacred, and if left unfulfilled, the ritual cannot proceed. Worse still, the child may remain tethered to unseen forces, vulnerable to illness, misfortune, or worse.

The weight of this belief is heavy on parents, many of whom struggle to provide even life’s simplest needs. Yet, faith is stronger than hardship. For those who walk this path, the sacrifice is not a burden, but a test—one that must be passed if the ceremony is to be completed.

When the time comes, the severed locks are not simply discarded. They are taken to a sacred lake, cradled by the waters, and offered back to the ancestors—so that the child may walk freely into the future, safe and prosperous.

Azkya and Zila stood as quiet proof that reality is more than what can be seen or explained. Their story was not one of logic, but of mystery—a reminder that life is not a problem to be solved, but a journey to be trusted. Some things unfold in ways beyond understanding, shaped not by plans, but by forces unseen.

And perhaps, in the heart of Dieng, under the mist and golden light, destiny still weaves its own silent threads.

📍Dieng, Jawa Tengah  🗓 2018

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      Queen of Anxiety
      Louisville, US
      ★★★★★ 2
      Needs editing
      Format: Kindle
      Cute storyline and promising characters, but the lack of editing is painful to read. I would love to read an edited version.
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      Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2025
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      Jewell Urbano
      Battle Creek, US
      ★★★★★ 5
      Wow.
      Format: Kindle
      Okay I’m usually not one for stand-alone’s I’m an avid series reader but my goodness am I so happy I read this! This story was brilliant & so absolutely mesmerizing. I loved reading about each character and their struggles as well as what helped them to move forward. The ending definitely brought tears to my eyes so hard. I truly wasn’t expecting some of what happened in this story. There is about to be a spoiler I am going to reveal so please stop reading if you don’t want the spoiler !!!! ⚠️ ⛔️ ‼️ I loved that the author didn’t do what most authors do with irredeemable male characters. I truly was hoping that Nate Jr. would be apart of the pack after the way he treated Astrea bc he truly didn’t deserve it. Though I must say you did a wonderful job or redeeming him as a person. I cried my eyes out when he walked into the story. I was truly terrified he was going to be a bad guy to the end. However you truly did him such a justice by having him realize his faults & having him redeem himself in the most wonderful way. I’m so sad that he didn’t get to hear how much his brother loved him & forgave him before dying. But again you wrote that ending so beautifully & I just can’t express how much I loved this story & how you took a different route than most authors I have read have. You are a remarkable author Cinder Blaze & I thank you generously for creating such a masterpiece.
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      Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2025
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      Kristen Linscott
      Omaha, US
      ★★★★★ 4
      Omegaverse
      Format: Kindle
      I was pleasantly surprised by this omega verse book. This 1 definitely had a few new twists And I really enjoyed reading it. The main female character was a badass and awesome. She had 1 best friend I wish we could have seen a little bit more of their friendship in this book. Her relationship with the male characters was good not to contrived or super instantaneous. And we had some fun plot twists that I didn't expect. I wish we had more of a follow up on the situation with her family her background and her mother who was a wench. I would definitely recommend this book.
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      Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2025
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      Amanda
      Lexington, US
      ★★★★★ 5
      Wow. Just wow. An amazing read
      Format: Kindle
      This book was eloquently written, or should I say the authors writing style is very eloquent? I loved the characters, and the story was quite compelling. I absolutely loved the FMC, she's a BA who doesn't take any crap & gives as good as she gets. A certain person certainly got his just desserts & then some, the earlier scenes of which were quite satisfying, had me punching the air & everything haha. All in all 20/10, great read
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      Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2024
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      Lauren
      Charlottesville, US
      ★★★★★ 3
      My opinion
      Format: Kindle
      Let me preface this by saying I really liked the story and the characters however, this book is in desperate need of some sort of editing. It's not misspelled words or formatting, but continuous run on sentences. Redundancies within the sentences. There were a couple of paragraphs that I had to go back and reread 3 or 4 times. Overall, I'd say it was worth the read.
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      Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2025

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