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myladysprout's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
melliemushroom's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
sahibooknerd's review
4.0
Another book that wasn’t on my radar but I decided to pick up coz I had the audiobook. This took me a long time to finish and while I did like the overall experience, I don’t know if it’ll remain memorable after a while.
This is a very slow moving novel, almost like a slice of life story, which is very much in opposition to the content of it - a mother hell bent on revenge for the killing of her child, and an investigator hot on her heels. One would expect a high paced thriller with that kind of premise but the author takes her time here introducing us to every single character - especially our main protagonists Snow and Bao - we get the backstories, their fears and motivations, their loves and losses; so it’s easy for us to empathize with them and ultimately understand the actions they take and the kind of consequences that follow.
Along with the relationship dynamics between Bao and his family in childhood, his everlasting love for Tagtaa, Snow’s push and pull vibes with both Shiro and Kuro, Snow’s admiration for tai furen and the revolutionary thoughts of Bohai and his friends, we also get to see an empire in the background which is in the throes of its demise - the Qing dynasty which refuses to modernize creating dissent in the populace, contrasting with the rapid development of Japan after the Meiji restoration. I thought the author did a great job balancing the world building, relationships, unraveling the mystery of Snow’s life and the trail of breadcrumbs Bao follows, as well as the supernatural (hulijing) elements.
On the whole, this is not the kind of book you’ll not be able to put down but it’s also one you’ll want to finish and see how the journey unfolds, however long it takes. The pacing maybe languid and the plot not too complicated, but it has great characterization and I really liked the characters. The audiobook was also very well narrated by the author herself, perfectly matching the vibe of the story. This is only my second novel by this author and but I’ll definitely be looking forward to her future works.
This is a very slow moving novel, almost like a slice of life story, which is very much in opposition to the content of it - a mother hell bent on revenge for the killing of her child, and an investigator hot on her heels. One would expect a high paced thriller with that kind of premise but the author takes her time here introducing us to every single character - especially our main protagonists Snow and Bao - we get the backstories, their fears and motivations, their loves and losses; so it’s easy for us to empathize with them and ultimately understand the actions they take and the kind of consequences that follow.
Along with the relationship dynamics between Bao and his family in childhood, his everlasting love for Tagtaa, Snow’s push and pull vibes with both Shiro and Kuro, Snow’s admiration for tai furen and the revolutionary thoughts of Bohai and his friends, we also get to see an empire in the background which is in the throes of its demise - the Qing dynasty which refuses to modernize creating dissent in the populace, contrasting with the rapid development of Japan after the Meiji restoration. I thought the author did a great job balancing the world building, relationships, unraveling the mystery of Snow’s life and the trail of breadcrumbs Bao follows, as well as the supernatural (hulijing) elements.
On the whole, this is not the kind of book you’ll not be able to put down but it’s also one you’ll want to finish and see how the journey unfolds, however long it takes. The pacing maybe languid and the plot not too complicated, but it has great characterization and I really liked the characters. The audiobook was also very well narrated by the author herself, perfectly matching the vibe of the story. This is only my second novel by this author and but I’ll definitely be looking forward to her future works.
rjohnston23's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
big1212's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
saholst's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.5
kokechii's review against another edition
4.0
As a person who really loves Asian culture and mythology, this was a book tailored almost exactly for me. The Fox Wife and Bao the detective and all the old stories that just may be true - that's what got to me. I was always a bit fascinated with the old tales, not only Asian ones but in general, but something about Asia just draws me that much more in. The folklore elements were wonderfully incorporated and the mystery took hold in all the right ways, keeping you intrigued, a bit on the edge of your seat and in suspense when needed.
As I usually can get annoyed by the POV switching, specially if they are switching from first to second or third person, in this book it was done really well and served to separate which character we were reading from even more. I think I liked Bao more than the Fox Wife, but the writing just set that apart for me. And the writing is what set this book apart from some others, just beautiful, I highlighted a lot.
I did find it a bit slow to start and it took a while to draw me in (I do admit that I was in a reading slump before this though), but once it did, boy did it! The romance was there although subdued and not in your face and I quite like that. Also, am not sure why, but reading this in winter almost made me wistful in a way. I think now it's also finally the time to read Night Tiger, a previous book from this author that has been on my tbr list since forever.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
As I usually can get annoyed by the POV switching, specially if they are switching from first to second or third person, in this book it was done really well and served to separate which character we were reading from even more. I think I liked Bao more than the Fox Wife, but the writing just set that apart for me. And the writing is what set this book apart from some others, just beautiful, I highlighted a lot.
I did find it a bit slow to start and it took a while to draw me in (I do admit that I was in a reading slump before this though), but once it did, boy did it! The romance was there although subdued and not in your face and I quite like that. Also, am not sure why, but reading this in winter almost made me wistful in a way. I think now it's also finally the time to read Night Tiger, a previous book from this author that has been on my tbr list since forever.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
kelsie17's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
littlefreeinterrobang's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Horribly dull. Mythological fox people and a lie-detecting private detective sounds like a recipe for a compelling story, but if I wasn’t stuck on a 4.5 hour train ride with nothing else to do, I don’t think I would have managed to finished this. The detective’s pursuit of the titular protagonist was beyond tedious, and the protagonist’s own pursuit of the object of her revenge was just as boring. There were interesting things here and there, but this book’s length needed to be cut in half to actually create an engaging pace.