Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Shanghai Immortal

Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Shanghai Immortal by A.Y. Chao

4 reviews

kaziaroo's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I liked the characters and setting, but the writing was repetitive and the plot was poorly stitched together and overly convenient. For someone who is fiercely independent and rebellious, Jing's actions actually had very little effect on the way things turned out; she was just washed about by everyone else's machinations. The romance was cute but a bit too mushy and easy for my tastes and the drama between them felt forced and clichéed. Also, the language felt very childish with words like "piss-fart" being used way too often throughout and it was hard to take Jing seriously as an adult (almost a century old!!) when she constantly sounds like a child. I'm not sure if these are common Chinese sayings which the author decided to translate, but in English at least it came across as silly rather than funny. Overall it was a fun book but it didn't stand out to me.

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amy_reading_23's review

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funny lighthearted

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.0

This is a fun book, and it was interesting to learn more about Chinese folklore. The main character was a bit immature, which I guess kind of makes sense since she's led mostly quite a sheltered life, but yeah I can see why people say it reads more like YA than adult fiction. I think my favourite bit was when they were in mortal Shanghai.

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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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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

azrah786's review against another edition

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4.25

[This review can also be found on my BLOG]

**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

CW: violence, blood, injury, death of parent (off page), child abuse, bullying, confinement, kidnapping, gaslighting, panic attacks/disorders
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This book was so much fun and also felt like a big hug at the same time!

I’ll admit when I started the book I didn’t know exactly what to expect as for one I was drawn to the book for the cover and then also because there was East Asian mythology involved. Also briefly glancing at the synopsis beforehand and seeing that the protagonist was half vampire, half fox-spirit let’s just say I was ready for some chaos and that’s exactly what I got.

Shanghai Immortal revolves around Lady Jing, ward to the king of Hell who upon hearing whispers that the other hulijing (fox-spirit) courtiers who have made her life miserable are out to steal a dragon pearl, is determined to expose them and settle the score.
With the help of Mr Lee, a mortal visiting to set up the Central Bank of Hell who she is supposed to be supervising as a means to avoid the hulijing, she treks through 1930's Shanghai - Mortal and Immortal - to look for leads. But what she finds and experiences on her journey may be better than just vengeance.

"No matter how small or insignificant you think you might be, the Cosmos makes no distinction... Embrace the Cosmos, and you become embraced. Nurture the Cosmos, and you become nurtured. Accept the Cosmos, and you become accepted. Clear your vision, and you will see. Open your heart, and you will be loved."

Chao has written a fresh little adventure which has slivers of familiar and well-loved tropes twisted in an entertaining way.

Now I didn’t immediately warm to Lady Jing and her snarky, forthright personality as some of the immature language she uses was a little grating at first. It did make it feel like the book was more suited to be labelled as upper Young Adult/New Adult because for someone reaching their first century in age some of her antics were pretty childish. However, as the story progressed I honestly grew to love her and understand her better and her character development was great.

The mystery aspects regarding the dragon pearl do start to feel more like a subplot as the story progresses and the more character focused narrative takes shape but it sure keeps you intrigued and entertained. Plus I loved how following the clues allowed us to explore the different aspects of the world(s) that Chao has imagined as well as develop relationships between characters.

'You're scary for a scholar,' I say instead, opting to keep things light. 'Remind me never to get on your bad side.'

"Scholars are overrated. Bad sides are more fun."

The worldbuilding was mesmerising both the immortal/hell Shanghai with all its creatures and curiosities as well as the mortal Shanghai with its sprinkle of real world history in there too. But I’ve got to say that I loved the relationships between the characters the most. Both the platonic and romantic relationships were so wholesome and written so well. Lady Jing and Mr Lee had me smiling so much because their dynamic was so perfect!

This book may be based around a chaotic, adventure filled conspiracy but at its core is a story about learning to love yourself for who you are and also letting others in to do the same and it is all round wholesome. Definitely looking forward to the next one!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars

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