I was really excited when I heard about this collection. Steampunk tends to be a very White, European genre, and I was eager to see what kinds of world would be created with this particular setting. I enjoyed it, but didn't find it as easy a read as I had hoped. Some of the stories had pacing issues that left them feeling abruptly ended or gaps that gave me time to get distracted and set the book down. I think all the concepts were good, but some of them didn't quite fit the short story model as-is. Not all of the tales felt traditionally steampunk, which I enjoyed, as someone who has read a few too many steampunk stories that felt very generic, but I could see it being a disappointment to someone who was expecting that particular tone.

Some of my favorite stories were:

"Spider Here" by Robert Liow had vivid descriptions of the cyber-augmented creatures it focuses on, and created a wonderfully immersive world.

"The Last Aswang" by Alessa Hinlo held promise of a creepy tale just based on the title, and I was not disappointed! (If you don't know what the aswang myth is, I recommend waiting to Google it until after you read this tale to give the surprise it's full impact.)

"The Unmaking of The Cuadro Amoroso" by Kate Osias was an emotional roller-coaster and probably the story that held my attention the tightest, keeping my eyes glued to the page as I waited for the dramatic ending.

"Chasing Volcanoes" by Marilag Angway hit a perfect spot for me between using some common steampunk tropes and adding wonderful new aspects to this vision of technology. Powering tech on volcanic emissions is exactly the sort of crazy concept I love seeing in steampunk tales.

Heading out as one of the starting books in the Otherworldly Bookbox

And the second pull~~ I'm intrigued.

And selection number two~~ I'm intrigued.

I was fascinated by this book… Mostly, I think, by the cultural differences, the insights into culture is very different from my own. Not only in their locale, their histories, but also I think some of the stylistic issues that emmejo mentioned stem directly from the cultural differences.
Both intriguing and enjoyable, I’m going to pass it along in the latest rendition of the otherworldly bookbox

I didnt know that steampunk was a thing in SE Asia, but I guess I'll find out.
From the Otherworldly bookbox.