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lovelymisanthrope's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
I received this as part of my FairyLoot subscription.
"Shanghai Immortal" is the first in a new fantasy series that follows Lady Jing. Jing was sold to the King of Hell when she was a child and is half-vampire and half-hulijing fox-spirit. She has spent the last ninety years as the king's ward and has tried to keep her explosive temper in check. One day, Jing learns that the courtiers are plotting to steal a priceless dragon pearl from the King, so she decides to embark on a mission to finally prove herself. With the help from an unsuspecting mortal, Jing must travel through both Hell and mortal Shanghai.
This was a fast-paced fantasy with an unrefined protagonist. Jing has a great deal to learn, but I loved seeing her grow and evolve throughout the course of the book, and most importantly, she did it at her own pace. I also loved seeing her grow to understand more about herself and her own place in her world.
This novel is rife with Chinese mythology which was really fun to read about. I cannot attest to its accuracy, but I can say that I enjoyed the vibrancy of the story.
Although I enjoyed this book and the story, I did not think it was particularly memorable. I enjoyed it while I read it, but I have not thought much about it since finishing.
I might continue in this series, but I am not entirely sure where the story will go from here.
"Shanghai Immortal" is the first in a new fantasy series that follows Lady Jing. Jing was sold to the King of Hell when she was a child and is half-vampire and half-hulijing fox-spirit. She has spent the last ninety years as the king's ward and has tried to keep her explosive temper in check. One day, Jing learns that the courtiers are plotting to steal a priceless dragon pearl from the King, so she decides to embark on a mission to finally prove herself. With the help from an unsuspecting mortal, Jing must travel through both Hell and mortal Shanghai.
This was a fast-paced fantasy with an unrefined protagonist. Jing has a great deal to learn, but I loved seeing her grow and evolve throughout the course of the book, and most importantly, she did it at her own pace. I also loved seeing her grow to understand more about herself and her own place in her world.
This novel is rife with Chinese mythology which was really fun to read about. I cannot attest to its accuracy, but I can say that I enjoyed the vibrancy of the story.
Although I enjoyed this book and the story, I did not think it was particularly memorable. I enjoyed it while I read it, but I have not thought much about it since finishing.
I might continue in this series, but I am not entirely sure where the story will go from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment
mattiedancer's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Writing: 4.75⭐️/5
A.Y. Chao controls the prose and literary figures throughout the book. The integration of multiple languages – even tossed in here and there – was incredibly well-formatted and managed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, like a delicious meal. I think my only complaint on the writing end was the pacing near the end of the novel; otherwise, nearly perfect.
Characters: 4.75⭐️/5
Lady Jing is a force of nature. I felt her character so strongly and vividly, I half expected her to chastise me as I wrote this for double-checking her name. I loved her perspectives, I loved that she felt like her own unique person, and I adored that I didn’t feel like she was a carbon copy of any other character. The only complaint I have with any of the characters in the novel is that I wished certain characters were more adequately shown in earlier chapters to get a feel of their importance. I also had a bit of a jarring moment the first time Lady Jing acts courtly – I wish this had been hinted at sooner, that there were even some she wouldn’t dare insult, though maybe that was implied. Her ease of overcoming her water phobia also felt a bit too easy, even though the explanation of her memory helped justify it.
Plot: 4.5⭐️/5
I’ll start with the critique because there was so much to love. I didn’t love how convenient the ending felt. When everyone started walking into Niang Niang’s palace, it started feeling a bit too perfect. I would’ve loved a bit more strife here, a bit more fight to get her to be placed in front of all of these people. However, I loved the rest of the plot. I applaud Chao for managing to put her heroine in so many worlds and in front of so many people without the story reading choppily.
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of fantasy novels
- Fans of books based on or inspired by elements of Chinese mythology
- Fans of feisty, feminist, bold female characters
- Those looking for a bit of romance with lots of drama
- Fans of the vampire genre
Content Warnings?
- Blood, injury/injury detail, gore, confinement, abuse, fire/fire injury, death of a parent, death of a child, death, stalking, murder
Post-Reading Rating: 5⭐️/5
Very fun. Would read another one. Would read this one again.
Final Rating: 4.5⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Child abuse, Death, Classism, and Death of parent
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