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kmpuzzled's review against another edition
4.0
Really excellent book. "The Girl With No Face" takes place in a very different world than the usual urban fantasy with a deep dive into Chinese superstition in turn-of-the-century San Francisco. There are feminist undertones from the heroine, an idealistic young Daoist magician and martial artist, including a memorable take on love spells. You will get more from it if you read "The Girl With Ghost Eyes" first (not a hardship - also excellent) which introduced us to everyone. I hope there are more books on the way.
alexiachantel's review against another edition
4.0
Li-lin is back and once again she’s wading right into the middle of a ghost-riddled mystery. A great second book to The Dash Chronicles!
THE GIRL WITH NO FACE picks up right where book one left off, Li-lin is employed by Bok Choy and her father has disowned her. The new mystery starts off with a child’s corpse, she was killed by a vampire tree. This leads Li-lin to the girl with no face, a paper offering that was created without features. Li-lin feels connected to the girl and promises to free her.
But Li-lin needs knowledge and the wisest person she knows is her father. He doesn’t acknowledge her, but he agrees to spar and while doing so they trade information and Li-lin learns that someone is trying to Invest a diety. And so Li-lin’s path and her father’s are forced together. The story line of acceptance and understanding between Li-lin and her father was incredibly well done and their moment at the end both happy and sad.
Boroson does another amazing job feeding you bits and pieces of clues and history as Li-lin becomes entwined in the lives of both the dead and living. New characters are introduced and we get to see some old favorites like the tiger, Shuai Hu, who agrees to help Li-lin again, against his better judgement. So he’s involved in the big fight with the demoness and is there to experience the Blood Dream.
Overall a great read if a little lighter on the action than book one. The beginning was slow with a reintroduction to the world and Li-lin’s circumstances, which is great if you haven’t read book one, but if you’re expecting to jump right back into it…it’s really more of an ease into the mystery.
THE GIRL WITH NO FACE picks up right where book one left off, Li-lin is employed by Bok Choy and her father has disowned her. The new mystery starts off with a child’s corpse, she was killed by a vampire tree. This leads Li-lin to the girl with no face, a paper offering that was created without features. Li-lin feels connected to the girl and promises to free her.
But Li-lin needs knowledge and the wisest person she knows is her father. He doesn’t acknowledge her, but he agrees to spar and while doing so they trade information and Li-lin learns that someone is trying to Invest a diety. And so Li-lin’s path and her father’s are forced together. The story line of acceptance and understanding between Li-lin and her father was incredibly well done and their moment at the end both happy and sad.
Boroson does another amazing job feeding you bits and pieces of clues and history as Li-lin becomes entwined in the lives of both the dead and living. New characters are introduced and we get to see some old favorites like the tiger, Shuai Hu, who agrees to help Li-lin again, against his better judgement. So he’s involved in the big fight with the demoness and is there to experience the Blood Dream.
Overall a great read if a little lighter on the action than book one. The beginning was slow with a reintroduction to the world and Li-lin’s circumstances, which is great if you haven’t read book one, but if you’re expecting to jump right back into it…it’s really more of an ease into the mystery.
azagee's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Boroson's sophomore novel is everything a second book should be: The Girl with No Face continues the story of the Daoshi priestess Li-Lin, and the stakes are higher than ever. The stronger Li-Lin gets, the broader the world of spirits seems, and her enemies have more and more power and influence. But it's not only the spirit world that seems to be bigger than ever-- Li-Lin's mortal home, Chinatown, also gets its fair share of depth.
The care with which Boroson crafts not only his worlds but his characters, really shines through the narrative. Every human character and even some of the demons, are built with such breathtaking understanding and empathy. The narrative looks at the world the same way Li-Lin does, with respect, but with eyes wide open. Li-Lin loves her people and her culture, and yet can still point out the flaws in both, without the narrative demonizing either, which is a very hard balance to find. This feat made Li-Lin seem more realistic than ever, and her struggle with the limitations her culture (and, namely, her father) puts on women was immensely relatable.
More than anything, this book clarified the main themes of The Daoishi Chronicles. More than good versus evil, there is tradition vs progress, duty vs emotion, and the fight against imperialism.
I have such high hopes for the rest of the series, and I am so excited to see where Li-Lin goes next.
Boroson's sophomore novel is everything a second book should be: The Girl with No Face continues the story of the Daoshi priestess Li-Lin, and the stakes are higher than ever. The stronger Li-Lin gets, the broader the world of spirits seems, and her enemies have more and more power and influence. But it's not only the spirit world that seems to be bigger than ever-- Li-Lin's mortal home, Chinatown, also gets its fair share of depth.
The care with which Boroson crafts not only his worlds but his characters, really shines through the narrative. Every human character and even some of the demons, are built with such breathtaking understanding and empathy. The narrative looks at the world the same way Li-Lin does, with respect, but with eyes wide open. Li-Lin loves her people and her culture, and yet can still point out the flaws in both, without the narrative demonizing either, which is a very hard balance to find. This feat made Li-Lin seem more realistic than ever, and her struggle with the limitations her culture (and, namely, her father) puts on women was immensely relatable.
More than anything, this book clarified the main themes of The Daoishi Chronicles. More than good versus evil, there is tradition vs progress, duty vs emotion, and the fight against imperialism.
I have such high hopes for the rest of the series, and I am so excited to see where Li-Lin goes next.
jeriandcats's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
thesundaywriter's review against another edition
3.0
A period mystery set in the complex world of chinese immigrants and daoist mysticism make this book a very fascinating and unique read, and I'm quite curious to see what took place in the first book.
jcalprlnt's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
onanotherplanet's review
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jcaiprint's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
serena2286's review
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0