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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.
Shanghai Immortal was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year, but sadly, it ended up being the most disappointing one.
I tried to keep going for as long as I could because I had such high hopes, but ultimately, I DNFed at 32% because I just couldn't take the writing style and the FMC anymore.
On paper, this had everything I usually love, the world reminded me a bit of These Violent Delights meets Daughter of the Moon Goddess, two of my all-time favorites, there's lots of mythology, politics and power plays, and so many magical beings.
I have also been longing for a fantasy that reverses the dynamic of "mortal girl meets centuries-old powerful magical MMC', so I was excited when I realized this book had that.
Sadly, it all fell flat.
My main issue was the writing. It felt like this book was told by a 15-year-old high schooler trying to impress his friends by coming up with lots of colorful curses and swear words. There were parts when I thought the writing got better and when I found it almost atmospheric and captivating, only for a "piss-fart", "turd-egg" or "those bosom-heaving turd for brain bitches" to yank me out of the story.
There's a way to insert humor into a fantasy novel, but this is not it.
If this had been a YA book, I could have maybe looked past the writing, but this felt so juvenile and immature and just inappropriate for an adult novel.
My other issue which is very much intertwined with the writing was the FMC. Because of her usage of...creative language, it was quite hard to like her, especially because she also acted like a spoiled brat causing problems just for the sake of being difficult. She's half vampire, half fox spirit (which sounds so cool), she's a princess, and she's almost a century old, yet she acts exactly the way she talks, like a teenage high schooler. It was so frustrating to read because there was so much potential to her character, but no. She was rude, overly impulsive, immature and had sever anger management issues (a problem she's very much aware of, as is the reader because it is mentioned every few pages).
Overall, I am very sad that I have to leave this review with this rating. I had such high hopes for this book, the author seems lovely, and I just think it could have been an amazing story, but the writing and the behavior of the FMC made this impossible for me to enjoy.
Shanghai Immortal was one of my most anticipated debuts of the year, but sadly, it ended up being the most disappointing one.
I tried to keep going for as long as I could because I had such high hopes, but ultimately, I DNFed at 32% because I just couldn't take the writing style and the FMC anymore.
On paper, this had everything I usually love, the world reminded me a bit of These Violent Delights meets Daughter of the Moon Goddess, two of my all-time favorites, there's lots of mythology, politics and power plays, and so many magical beings.
I have also been longing for a fantasy that reverses the dynamic of "mortal girl meets centuries-old powerful magical MMC', so I was excited when I realized this book had that.
Sadly, it all fell flat.
My main issue was the writing. It felt like this book was told by a 15-year-old high schooler trying to impress his friends by coming up with lots of colorful curses and swear words. There were parts when I thought the writing got better and when I found it almost atmospheric and captivating, only for a "piss-fart", "turd-egg" or "those bosom-heaving turd for brain bitches" to yank me out of the story.
There's a way to insert humor into a fantasy novel, but this is not it.
If this had been a YA book, I could have maybe looked past the writing, but this felt so juvenile and immature and just inappropriate for an adult novel.
My other issue which is very much intertwined with the writing was the FMC. Because of her usage of...creative language, it was quite hard to like her, especially because she also acted like a spoiled brat causing problems just for the sake of being difficult. She's half vampire, half fox spirit (which sounds so cool), she's a princess, and she's almost a century old, yet she acts exactly the way she talks, like a teenage high schooler. It was so frustrating to read because there was so much potential to her character, but no. She was rude, overly impulsive, immature and had sever anger management issues (a problem she's very much aware of, as is the reader because it is mentioned every few pages).
Overall, I am very sad that I have to leave this review with this rating. I had such high hopes for this book, the author seems lovely, and I just think it could have been an amazing story, but the writing and the behavior of the FMC made this impossible for me to enjoy.
I read an eARC of this book so thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for allowing this.
This book was so much fun! It’s fast, it doesn’t take itself too serious, it’s amusing. I had such a great time reading this book.
It’s also a wonderful blending of Chinese mythology and Jazz Age Shanghai. It’s such a rich and beautiful blend of subjects but in a way that never feels confusing.
Our protagonist Lady Jing is half vampire, half hulijing fox spirit and she’s just brilliant. I absolutely loved her sassy personality and I was so invested in seeing her succeed. She’s irreverent and raging against people around her, but as you learn more about her past, you really understand why and empathise with her. There is some sensitive content when we learn what happened to Lady Jing as a child and there is violence throughout the book. It is adult fantasy. I didn’t feel the violence was gratuitous and all the subject matter made sense within the narrative. I loved Lady Jing’s journey as she opens up, let’s down her shields and starts to understand more about the motives of others around her.
I just loved this book, I loved the setting, the fantasy elements, the characters, the pace and action of the story. This was a fascinating, fun and brilliant read. I’ll definitely buy it and I’ll be looking out for more by this author!
This book was so much fun! It’s fast, it doesn’t take itself too serious, it’s amusing. I had such a great time reading this book.
It’s also a wonderful blending of Chinese mythology and Jazz Age Shanghai. It’s such a rich and beautiful blend of subjects but in a way that never feels confusing.
Our protagonist Lady Jing is half vampire, half hulijing fox spirit and she’s just brilliant. I absolutely loved her sassy personality and I was so invested in seeing her succeed. She’s irreverent and raging against people around her, but as you learn more about her past, you really understand why and empathise with her. There is some sensitive content when we learn what happened to Lady Jing as a child and there is violence throughout the book. It is adult fantasy. I didn’t feel the violence was gratuitous and all the subject matter made sense within the narrative. I loved Lady Jing’s journey as she opens up, let’s down her shields and starts to understand more about the motives of others around her.
I just loved this book, I loved the setting, the fantasy elements, the characters, the pace and action of the story. This was a fascinating, fun and brilliant read. I’ll definitely buy it and I’ll be looking out for more by this author!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🐉Shanghai Immortal🐉
Shanghai Immortal is the first in a new adult fantasy trilogy. Lady Jing is half vampire and half fox-spirit. She is the King of Hell’s ward and is generally an outcast amongst the courtiers. When she overhears the courtiers plotting to steal a priceless dragon pearl, she decides this is her chance to expose who they really are once and for all. Paired up with a gentle mortal who has been tasked with setting up a central bank in hell, they set off on a wild goose chase.
While this one sounded interesting and had a lot of promise, I didn’t really enjoy it. The dialogue from the main character is extremely repetitive and although it is an adult book, it felt super juvenile. I spent a lot of time cringing when she spoke.
In general, the story didn’t fully capture me. It had an incredibly slow start for such a short book and it took to about the 40% mark for me to feel any sort of investment in what was going on.
This one was definitely a miss for me so I don’t think I will be continuing on with the rest of the trilogy when it comes out.
⭐2.5/5 stars⭐
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Read like a middle grade despite being marketed as an adult fantasy
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it left me wanting more. The book is character-driven, rather than plot-driven, so the story ended up being quite bare and boring. I’m hoping for more from the sequel to come. The protagonist is absolutely insufferable for the first half, but I enjoyed her growth and development. The love interest is adorable and far too pure for this world.
funny
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated