Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
I live in China right now and it's fine. It's not AMAZING. It's not TERRIBLE. It's just fine, thank you. It wasn't an interest in China itself that got me here, only an interest in travelling. And it's very, very hard to read something about China when you live there and are constantly beset by the challenges being a foreigner in China entails, and are not passionate about learning about a country that honestly makes a lot of things very, very hard for westerners. I sometimes just want a day off, you know?
So it was surprising when I started reading a story about a Chinese girl and her father, set in Chinatown, San Fran, which revolved closely around ancient Chinese customs and culture, and I didn't immediately heave a great sigh. There were moments that reminded me of why I have such trouble here, but there were also many instances in which I was reminded how bloody lucky I am to be in such an interesting country.
The story follows Li-lin, the daughter of an exceedingly powerful Daoshi exorcist. She has followed his teachings and is an exorcist herself, using a peachwood sword, paper talismans, and deadly martial arts training to help rid Chinatown of unwanted spirits. Plus, she has yin eyes - a gift/curse which allows her to see all of the spirits, ghosts and ghouls most people are blind to. She's a grieving widow at 23, a mostly unloved and unappreciated daughter, utterly loyal and very, very proud of her position, her family, and her culture.
Li-lin's father is badly wounded in the early stages of the novel as a result of helping her out of a sticky situation. Like any good kung fu expert heroine, she sets out for revenge. What follows is a story that gallops along at breakneck speed, darting from fight to chase to challenge to failure to fight again as fast as Li-lin's flying fists. There's gangsters, tigers, demon dogs, a talking eyeball that likes to bathe in tea, betrayal, monks, corpses, seagulls... this is a novel in which there's an exciting incident on every. damn. page. It's well told, exciting, and full of jeopardy, set in a world that is bizarre and unnerving and absolutely absorbing.
The novel's strength is its setting - 19th century San Fran Chinatown - and the culture, myths and legends of China it explores. Boroson mentions a God, or a demon, or a Daoshi practice, and I was straight onto wikipedia to learn more about it, since much of what Boroson writes does stem from real practices and beliefs of ancient China. It was engrossing and strange to me and I loved every second of both the magical and the realistic representations. Burning paper talismans for the dead, being an immigrant in SF, the triads, the tiger spirit with 3 tails....did I mention there's a hell of a lot going on with this story? It's a challenge to keep up, truly.
So that's all the good - it's fast paced, it's exciting, it's chock full of lore, history, and culture, all handled beautifully and with respect.
Here's what I didn't like. The writing, while mostly very good, was sometimes a little choppy for my tastes. The short sentences Borosun uses are great to hurry the pace along but there was not enough variety in the style for me. There was also a lot of repetition with Li-lin's thoughts - she thinks the same things over and over, usually revolving around saving or losing face, and her loyalty to her father and why she must above all things honour him.
This brings me to my second dislike, which for me, was the most grating aspect of the novel. HOW WOMEN ARE TREATED IN THIS BOOK. I understand things were different then. I understand that things are still different in China than from other countries. I understand that the author does not necessarily agree with the things said. I u n d e r s t a n d. I still didn't like it, since Li-Lin herself understands that men treat women like shit and the women can't do much about it, and she doesn't seem too mad. She herself adores her father and behaves very inferior to him, despite his disapproval, his mockery, and his disrespect. Once again - I UNDERSTAND. I know this was (is) how it was (is) in China. It's just something I found hard to stomach, and hard to wrap my head around, at times. Times like this:
He backhanded him, knocking the leer of his face. "Never," he said to the other man, "never talk to her like that."
The other man wiped blood from his lips. "I don't understand," he said.
His voice was as hard as iron. "You can fight her, you can even kill her if you have to," he said. "But never forget that she's his wife. You will show him respect. Do nothing, say nothing, that would cause Rocket to lose face."
There's a lot of stuff like this. Women treated as nothing more than whores, constantly underestimated or undervalued, and the women of the stories showing men respect in return. Li-lin visits a powerful gangster and is grateful to him, referring to him as a great man despite the terrible things he says and does, which I found odd.
Also odd is the climax, which is a fun, exciting battle between all the heavyweights of the novel, and yet by the end of it there's very little destruction, no questions asked, and exactly ONE constable on the scene. Kind of weird.
But overall the strengths of the novel far outweigh its weaknesses. It's a fast paced, fun and interesting story with a badass (if a little 2d) lady at the helm, flanked by outrageous friends and enemies. Read it for the mythos and history if nothing else.
So it was surprising when I started reading a story about a Chinese girl and her father, set in Chinatown, San Fran, which revolved closely around ancient Chinese customs and culture, and I didn't immediately heave a great sigh. There were moments that reminded me of why I have such trouble here, but there were also many instances in which I was reminded how bloody lucky I am to be in such an interesting country.
The story follows Li-lin, the daughter of an exceedingly powerful Daoshi exorcist. She has followed his teachings and is an exorcist herself, using a peachwood sword, paper talismans, and deadly martial arts training to help rid Chinatown of unwanted spirits. Plus, she has yin eyes - a gift/curse which allows her to see all of the spirits, ghosts and ghouls most people are blind to. She's a grieving widow at 23, a mostly unloved and unappreciated daughter, utterly loyal and very, very proud of her position, her family, and her culture.
Li-lin's father is badly wounded in the early stages of the novel as a result of helping her out of a sticky situation. Like any good kung fu expert heroine, she sets out for revenge. What follows is a story that gallops along at breakneck speed, darting from fight to chase to challenge to failure to fight again as fast as Li-lin's flying fists. There's gangsters, tigers, demon dogs, a talking eyeball that likes to bathe in tea, betrayal, monks, corpses, seagulls... this is a novel in which there's an exciting incident on every. damn. page. It's well told, exciting, and full of jeopardy, set in a world that is bizarre and unnerving and absolutely absorbing.
The novel's strength is its setting - 19th century San Fran Chinatown - and the culture, myths and legends of China it explores. Boroson mentions a God, or a demon, or a Daoshi practice, and I was straight onto wikipedia to learn more about it, since much of what Boroson writes does stem from real practices and beliefs of ancient China. It was engrossing and strange to me and I loved every second of both the magical and the realistic representations. Burning paper talismans for the dead, being an immigrant in SF, the triads, the tiger spirit with 3 tails....did I mention there's a hell of a lot going on with this story? It's a challenge to keep up, truly.
So that's all the good - it's fast paced, it's exciting, it's chock full of lore, history, and culture, all handled beautifully and with respect.
Here's what I didn't like. The writing, while mostly very good, was sometimes a little choppy for my tastes. The short sentences Borosun uses are great to hurry the pace along but there was not enough variety in the style for me. There was also a lot of repetition with Li-lin's thoughts - she thinks the same things over and over, usually revolving around saving or losing face, and her loyalty to her father and why she must above all things honour him.
This brings me to my second dislike, which for me, was the most grating aspect of the novel. HOW WOMEN ARE TREATED IN THIS BOOK. I understand things were different then. I understand that things are still different in China than from other countries. I understand that the author does not necessarily agree with the things said. I u n d e r s t a n d. I still didn't like it, since Li-Lin herself understands that men treat women like shit and the women can't do much about it, and she doesn't seem too mad. She herself adores her father and behaves very inferior to him, despite his disapproval, his mockery, and his disrespect. Once again - I UNDERSTAND. I know this was (is) how it was (is) in China. It's just something I found hard to stomach, and hard to wrap my head around, at times. Times like this:
He backhanded him, knocking the leer of his face. "Never," he said to the other man, "never talk to her like that."
The other man wiped blood from his lips. "I don't understand," he said.
His voice was as hard as iron. "You can fight her, you can even kill her if you have to," he said. "But never forget that she's his wife. You will show him respect. Do nothing, say nothing, that would cause Rocket to lose face."
There's a lot of stuff like this. Women treated as nothing more than whores, constantly underestimated or undervalued, and the women of the stories showing men respect in return. Li-lin visits a powerful gangster and is grateful to him, referring to him as a great man despite the terrible things he says and does, which I found odd.
Also odd is the climax, which is a fun, exciting battle between all the heavyweights of the novel, and yet by the end of it there's very little destruction, no questions asked, and exactly ONE constable on the scene. Kind of weird.
But overall the strengths of the novel far outweigh its weaknesses. It's a fast paced, fun and interesting story with a badass (if a little 2d) lady at the helm, flanked by outrageous friends and enemies. Read it for the mythos and history if nothing else.
Maybe it's just me? This is one of those times where I look at the reviews after I've read a book and feel like I read something very different from everyone else. I'll try to pin down my feelings as succinctly as possible.
On the plus side this book is full of accurately portrayed mythology (Daoist & Buddhist) and culture (Chinese & Chinese American) that is going to be new to a lot of people. It's great to see this being represented so well in an urban fantasy. On the flip side of that, this book had that feeling over-researched books can get where it's stuffed to the gills with every morsel of knowledge the author could possibly cram in, and then some. You could tell there were details and scenes that Boroson couldn't bare to part with, and the novel was written around them. To put it another way: it felt like the core of the book was the information the author wanted to share and the story was sort of a loose vehicle to convey it, rather than the story being the core with the details working to enrich it.
I think part of the problem stems from the 1st person perspective. Li-Lin essentially spends the story explaining her culture and motivations to...herself? It would be weird if I wrote a 1st person narrative about my life, and as I walked down the street I had a long interior monologue when I see a Starbucks about what coffee means culturally here in America. It's no less weird to me when Li-lin does this almost every other page. She also repeats herself. A lot. She actually has the same interior conversation almost word for word with herself numerous times. To make it even more of a turn-off for me I really didn't care for Li-Lin. I understand what the author was doing by portraying her as submissive and self-doubting, it is historically/culturally accurate for the setting, but it did not endear her to me. She has very low self-worth and I spent the book wanting her to realize she was a badass (which I would argue doesn't really happen, though others seem to disagree).
So here's the thing: I'm grouchy. I fully and openly admit this. It's been a tough year, and reading a book from the perspective of a woman who thinks she is less than all the men around her, and puts almost zero value on her own worth, is not really the narrative I'm in the mood for right now. I will also admit that I read for character first, plot second, and setting last, and in this book setting is the big draw, the plot was full of holes, and I couldn't connect to the main character. So it's no wonder my relationship with this one was doomed. It's quite possible it's just me. There's some great intro to Daoism stuff in here, as well as martial arts, and if you're curious this will give you a good taste. It's also a pretty good romp if you want some fun brain candy with a Chinese flair. As for me I'm just going to have to put this one in the Not My Thing pile and move on. (However, if they make a TV series or movie I'd love to see some of this come to life on the screen.)
Book club: 12/17
On the plus side this book is full of accurately portrayed mythology (Daoist & Buddhist) and culture (Chinese & Chinese American) that is going to be new to a lot of people. It's great to see this being represented so well in an urban fantasy. On the flip side of that, this book had that feeling over-researched books can get where it's stuffed to the gills with every morsel of knowledge the author could possibly cram in, and then some. You could tell there were details and scenes that Boroson couldn't bare to part with, and the novel was written around them. To put it another way: it felt like the core of the book was the information the author wanted to share and the story was sort of a loose vehicle to convey it, rather than the story being the core with the details working to enrich it.
I think part of the problem stems from the 1st person perspective. Li-Lin essentially spends the story explaining her culture and motivations to...herself? It would be weird if I wrote a 1st person narrative about my life, and as I walked down the street I had a long interior monologue when I see a Starbucks about what coffee means culturally here in America. It's no less weird to me when Li-lin does this almost every other page. She also repeats herself. A lot. She actually has the same interior conversation almost word for word with herself numerous times. To make it even more of a turn-off for me I really didn't care for Li-Lin. I understand what the author was doing by portraying her as submissive and self-doubting, it is historically/culturally accurate for the setting, but it did not endear her to me. She has very low self-worth and I spent the book wanting her to realize she was a badass (which I would argue doesn't really happen, though others seem to disagree).
So here's the thing: I'm grouchy. I fully and openly admit this. It's been a tough year, and reading a book from the perspective of a woman who thinks she is less than all the men around her, and puts almost zero value on her own worth, is not really the narrative I'm in the mood for right now. I will also admit that I read for character first, plot second, and setting last, and in this book setting is the big draw, the plot was full of holes, and I couldn't connect to the main character. So it's no wonder my relationship with this one was doomed. It's quite possible it's just me. There's some great intro to Daoism stuff in here, as well as martial arts, and if you're curious this will give you a good taste. It's also a pretty good romp if you want some fun brain candy with a Chinese flair. As for me I'm just going to have to put this one in the Not My Thing pile and move on. (However, if they make a TV series or movie I'd love to see some of this come to life on the screen.)
Book club: 12/17
I loved the heck out of this one.
Bittersweet, unique and inventive, action-packed, rich with details and mysticism - everything about this worked for me. I can't speak to the authenticity of the cultural depiction, but the afterword did seem to suggest that the author had put time, care, and energy into writing from a place of respect.
Bittersweet, unique and inventive, action-packed, rich with details and mysticism - everything about this worked for me. I can't speak to the authenticity of the cultural depiction, but the afterword did seem to suggest that the author had put time, care, and energy into writing from a place of respect.
Let me start by saying that if you're looking for a fantasy or other genre fiction title with a strong female character, don't read this. Read some work by N.K. Jemisin like [b:The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms|6437061|The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance, #1)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1303143211l/6437061._SY75_.jpg|6626657] or the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson [b:The Final Empire|68428|The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)|Brandon Sanderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480717416l/68428._SY75_.jpg|66322]. Now lets begin my review.
The writing got stale quick. I'll be honest, I didn't finish the book. I got about 30% through and I couldn't keep going. The writing feels like the author was a huge try-hard. He doesn't trust the reader to be smart enough to catch on to things so he repeats stuff all the time. I made it to I think about chapter 10 and he was still explaining, every chance he got, that the main character Li-Lin was a 2nd Ordination Daowhatever priest.
Li-Lin is a weak main character, she has emotion but it's all so flat. M. H. Boroson needs to learn the difference between showing and telling. All he does is tell us how the main character feels but never once did I get any of it from her. She cried from frustration and fear at one point and I couldn't care less. That shouldn't be the case. I should at least empathize with her.
The Chinese spiritual aspect was really cool and this book had promise but it all came crumbling down with this lackluster writing.
A lot of people like this book, and that's fine. They can ignore things that I can't, either that or they just don't see it. Maybe they have ghost eyes that allow them to think the writing's good.
Maybe one day I'll try to read it again.
The writing got stale quick. I'll be honest, I didn't finish the book. I got about 30% through and I couldn't keep going. The writing feels like the author was a huge try-hard. He doesn't trust the reader to be smart enough to catch on to things so he repeats stuff all the time. I made it to I think about chapter 10 and he was still explaining, every chance he got, that the main character Li-Lin was a 2nd Ordination Daowhatever priest.
Li-Lin is a weak main character, she has emotion but it's all so flat. M. H. Boroson needs to learn the difference between showing and telling. All he does is tell us how the main character feels but never once did I get any of it from her. She cried from frustration and fear at one point and I couldn't care less. That shouldn't be the case. I should at least empathize with her.
The Chinese spiritual aspect was really cool and this book had promise but it all came crumbling down with this lackluster writing.
A lot of people like this book, and that's fine. They can ignore things that I can't, either that or they just don't see it. Maybe they have ghost eyes that allow them to think the writing's good.
Maybe one day I'll try to read it again.
It's hard to express just how much I enjoyed this book. While I love the concept of urban fantasy, I find that too much of it can be cliched and lazy. The Girl With Ghost Eyes is never either of these of those. You can tell that the writer has done huge amounts of research. Detail drips from the pages, but never slows down the action. The magic is convincing and varied and the monsters creepy, fantastic and absolutely unlike any I had encountered before. Li-Lin the main character is sympathetic, tough and resolutely three-dimensional. If you like your urban fantasy rich with magic and monsters and a propulsive action-packed story that also allows for ample character development then this book has all that and more. My highest recommendation.
This was a good story and a really interesting exploration of Chinatown and its' clashes with the "new world" in America, its' conflicts between keeping true to the old world/traditions and adjusting to a more "contemporary" American culture. Also, I'm always interested in a good magical realism tale and this had all the elements of that. Bringing together Doaist beliefs and Chinese spirit lore (I think, as I don't really have any background in either) and making them real, this story followed the "coming of age" for Li-Lin. Her story and effort to both prove herself to her father and to herself, and to find her own path, to overcome her tragic past, and save the home and people she loves. It was a very incredible, and enjoyable, journey to follow. I loved the character of Mr. Yanqui. And my heart was really happy with the ending and how things worked out for Li-Lin. I just think there was a little bit of character flatness across that board that's holding me back from giving the book 4 stars. I haven't been able to put my finger on what it was exactly, because the story was great and the details and historical minutia were phenomenal, and the concept of yin or"ghost" eyes was so cool, but something about the characters just didn't ring complete for me - just one reader's opinion.
M.H. Bronson has given us a fantastic novel in The Girl with Ghost Eyes. Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the late 1800s this is one part historical fantasy, one part coming-of-age story, and one part gangster movie. I was hooked from the beginning and could hardly put the book down. I think Bronson achieved this result, for me anyway, mostly because of the incredible viewpoint character he has crafted in Xian Li-lin.
Li-lin is a Daoshi—essentially an exorcist—but she isn’t a very good one. Her father, on the other hand, is the most well-known and respected Daoshi in Chinatown. Li-lin wants to bring honor to her father, and her lineage generally, but feels quite incapable of doing so. This central tension is simple and relatable on the surface, but it moves along much of the plot and character development throughout the book. It’s masterfully done by Bronson. Because this central tension is so relatable, it makes Li-lin immediately likable and she makes a wonderful heroine for the book. Of course, the main character isn’t the only excellent aspect of this novel. The world building is wonderful too, particularly Bronson’s way of portraying the clash between Chinese culture and American culture that exists in his Chinatown. Not only that, but because we see everything from Li-lin’s perspective we also come to understand how important honor, or “having face,” is to her and to those around her. It’s a beautiful portrayal of a culture quite different from typical American culture and the novel is made better for it. The magic in this novel, both in its use and its portrayal, is another element that stands out. As you’d expect with a main character who is an exorcist, spirits play an important an integral role in this story. This is made possible partially because Li-lin, is the titular girl with ghost eyes. That is, she can see the realm of spirits. This has wide-ranging implications for her, but as readers it means we’re treated to some wonderfully creative descriptions of the spirit realm. There are a few moments that are reminiscent of Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, but without being derivative—and, of course, we’re talking about Japanese mythology there, versus Chinese understandings of spirits here. In the end, as cool and epic as this story is, it’s a beautifully personal story about loss and coming into one’s own at its heart.
There aren’t many issues or distractions here. Bronson does have a tendency to repeat information, especially early on in the book. While this might be helpful in easing some readers into the story, I felt it was a bit too much on the nose hand holding and it jarred me out of the story several times. Along similar lines, there is a tendency to fully repeat names, rather than use pronouns, in dialog. This may very well be a culture standard of which I’m ignorant, but it did feel a bit odd at times and made the dialog feel a little stilted to my admittedly Western ears.
The Girl with Ghost Eyes is a great read, and one that should absolutely be near the top of your TBR. It’s a beautiful story that is intensely personal while also delivering plenty of epic action. Beyond even this, however, is the skill with which Bronson has given us a relatable and unique main character. Don’t miss out on Li-lin’s story!
8.8/10
4.4/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile/
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
Li-lin is a Daoshi—essentially an exorcist—but she isn’t a very good one. Her father, on the other hand, is the most well-known and respected Daoshi in Chinatown. Li-lin wants to bring honor to her father, and her lineage generally, but feels quite incapable of doing so. This central tension is simple and relatable on the surface, but it moves along much of the plot and character development throughout the book. It’s masterfully done by Bronson. Because this central tension is so relatable, it makes Li-lin immediately likable and she makes a wonderful heroine for the book. Of course, the main character isn’t the only excellent aspect of this novel. The world building is wonderful too, particularly Bronson’s way of portraying the clash between Chinese culture and American culture that exists in his Chinatown. Not only that, but because we see everything from Li-lin’s perspective we also come to understand how important honor, or “having face,” is to her and to those around her. It’s a beautiful portrayal of a culture quite different from typical American culture and the novel is made better for it. The magic in this novel, both in its use and its portrayal, is another element that stands out. As you’d expect with a main character who is an exorcist, spirits play an important an integral role in this story. This is made possible partially because Li-lin, is the titular girl with ghost eyes. That is, she can see the realm of spirits. This has wide-ranging implications for her, but as readers it means we’re treated to some wonderfully creative descriptions of the spirit realm. There are a few moments that are reminiscent of Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, but without being derivative—and, of course, we’re talking about Japanese mythology there, versus Chinese understandings of spirits here. In the end, as cool and epic as this story is, it’s a beautifully personal story about loss and coming into one’s own at its heart.
There aren’t many issues or distractions here. Bronson does have a tendency to repeat information, especially early on in the book. While this might be helpful in easing some readers into the story, I felt it was a bit too much on the nose hand holding and it jarred me out of the story several times. Along similar lines, there is a tendency to fully repeat names, rather than use pronouns, in dialog. This may very well be a culture standard of which I’m ignorant, but it did feel a bit odd at times and made the dialog feel a little stilted to my admittedly Western ears.
The Girl with Ghost Eyes is a great read, and one that should absolutely be near the top of your TBR. It’s a beautiful story that is intensely personal while also delivering plenty of epic action. Beyond even this, however, is the skill with which Bronson has given us a relatable and unique main character. Don’t miss out on Li-lin’s story!
8.8/10
4.4/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile/
3 – It was ok, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My response to this was very similar to City of Brass, I loved the unique and rich cultural background and the fairytale lore from ethnicities we don't usually experience in fantasy. But the writing was just not good. First person gets a bad rap for a reason, it's incredibly difficult to do well. And there was a lot of repetition, a lot of telling the reader in an overt fashion what the main character was feeling which made her feel very inauthentic. I don't like being talked down to, this book assumed I could catch on to aspects of Chinese culture most people have never heard of, but not that I could read human emotions without having them explained to me over and over. The beginning started out strong and really hooked me, but about 1/3 of the way through it entered a very boring cyclical style of problem solving. I finished it because of the cultural aspect but I'm not sure it was worth it.