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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
As a child, Lady Jing, half-vampire and half-hulijing fox-spirit, was pawned off by her mother to the King of Hell. Now she spends her days testing her guardian's patience, doing the exact opposite of everything she should be doing because she doesn't care what anyone thinks and she wants them to know it! When she overhears the despicable Lady Soo plotting to steal the priceless dragon pearl, she is intent on exposing her. But unfortunately, no one believes Jing and she just ends up in even more trouble. With the help of Mr Lee, a mortal newly arrived to Hell, Jing sets out to prove to everyone that she was right after all.
The setting of the story is crafted in detail; a Shanghai inhabited by immortals existing in parallel to mortal Shanghai, and filled with spirits and demons and deities. It is written with a historically accurate representation of the 1930s with fascinating details of Chinese mythology woven in.
Jing herself in an interesting character. She battles with her all-encompassing need for blood, especially around Mr Lee and other mortals. The others of her kind consider her inferior to themselves because of her mixed heritage, resulting in her fiery devil-may-care attitude. Though the abuse inflicted on her was heartbreakingly conveyed, the portrayal of her feisty nature felt more stilted. It seemed the book was intent right from the beginning to shove this idea down your throat, resorting more to having her constantly spout obscenities rather than allowing the readers to slowly form a picture of her in their minds. Her character development does get better as the story progresses though, and it was a delight to witness her growth.
I wasn't wowed by the book but I found there was a lot to like about it, despite its flaws. It's marketed as adult fantasy but it lacked the depth I've come to expect with that genre and read more like a well written YA fantasy to me. I'm still curious to see where the next book will lead.
The setting of the story is crafted in detail; a Shanghai inhabited by immortals existing in parallel to mortal Shanghai, and filled with spirits and demons and deities. It is written with a historically accurate representation of the 1930s with fascinating details of Chinese mythology woven in.
Jing herself in an interesting character. She battles with her all-encompassing need for blood, especially around Mr Lee and other mortals. The others of her kind consider her inferior to themselves because of her mixed heritage, resulting in her fiery devil-may-care attitude. Though the abuse inflicted on her was heartbreakingly conveyed, the portrayal of her feisty nature felt more stilted. It seemed the book was intent right from the beginning to shove this idea down your throat, resorting more to having her constantly spout obscenities rather than allowing the readers to slowly form a picture of her in their minds. Her character development does get better as the story progresses though, and it was a delight to witness her growth.
I wasn't wowed by the book but I found there was a lot to like about it, despite its flaws. It's marketed as adult fantasy but it lacked the depth I've come to expect with that genre and read more like a well written YA fantasy to me. I'm still curious to see where the next book will lead.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
As soon as I read Lady Jing described as a "sasshole," I was excited to read all about her. I really enjoy prickly main characters with heart and Lady Jing is exactly that. Sure, she's abrasive and obstinate, but there's so much more to her than that. Following along as she learned more about herself and how to open up to others made for a great reading experience. The setting was intriguing and vivid, as well. The story is also well-rounded in its mix of emotion and humor. I can't recommend Shanghai Immortal enough. I really hope there will be more stories about Lady Jing in the future.
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Lying has been the way of my world for as long as I can remember. Lies are the broken planks that keep me from drowning in all the shite that gets thrown my way.”
This is a debut book about Lady Jing (a half fox spirit, half vampire) who resides in Immortal Shanghai where she faces all sorts of hate from other immortals. Throughout this book, she’s trying to solve a mystery, whilst also dealing with some new friends along the way.
I kind of liked that the story didn’t feel very high stakes. There is no “heroine saves the world” in this one. It’s more of a “snarky female MC faces herself and learns about her past, friendships, and love”-vibe. And yes, sure, there is a bit of action involved with that. The characters are certainly put in scary situations a couple of times throughout the book. The story was laced with humour, and quite a few lovable side-characters as well.
Lady Jing was a fun MC. She always has a rude comment or complaint up her sleeve, and I enjoyed seeing her interactions with other people. She could definitely be a bit too much at times, but I feel like that was done on purpose.
I don’t know why this book wasn’t a roaring success for me, since it has a lot of elements that I normally enjoy. Perhaps it was that the pacing was a bit off. In the first half, I kept waiting for the story to start. Also, the ending just happened rather suddenly. I would have loved to see a bit more of the aftermath.
All in all, a quick and low-stakes read of you’re in the mood for something fun and unique. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for future releases by this author.
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was reeled in by the plot outline and the promise of a unique underworld that mirrors the real world Shanghai (set in the 1930’s), but unfortunately the book itself was a bit disappointing.
My main issues are with our main character Lady Jing, who at almost 100yrs old still acts like a toddler throwing a tantrum. I’m not sure if her repeated outbursts were supposed to be funny to the reader, but they left me feeling frustrated. I would expect this kind of character flaw in a YA book or coming-of-age story, but not in something being marketed as an adult fantasy?
My other issue is with some of the language and repetitive phrases used throughout the book, such as “turd-eggs” and “piss-fart”. Again, I’m not sure if these were being used as a way to inject humour in the book or were serious remarks, but it made me physically cringe every time I read it.
However, where this book shines is through its world building. The descriptions of yin Shanghai in particular were wonderful, and I could picture it perfectly in my mind. If you’re familiar with Chinese Mythology you will recognise a few characters that have cameos.
There is a romance sub plot, but I just wasn’t invested. Mainly because of the previously mentioned problems I had with the book.
I’m giving it 3 stars because the world building was wonderful, and the last 20% of the plot was particularly engaging.
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
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, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Honestly, I was quite excited for this book, especially since it was the Fairyloot pick for June. However, this book felt very juvenile/YA when I was expecting an adult fantasy book. As a YA book, the main character's (Jing) actions fit. As an adult book, she is incredibly immature and almost unbearable to read. There were many times I debated DNF'ing this book, but thought maybe it would get better later on.
The final few chapters of the book were interesting, but the ending felt very rushed. The plot was very predictable but still had some interesting parts. Jing's romance felt odd and forced as she acts like a petulant 16 year old (despite being 100 years old), while Mr. Lee is supposedly in his 30s. For most of the middle, it felt like things were happening in the story that didn't have much rhyme or reason. Jing's constant misogynistic remarks about other women's "ta-tas" (I never want to read those words again) and slight "I'm not like the other girls" attitude was tiring to read. I usually like reading books with unlikable main characters, but Jing was just annoying. She gets a bit better towards the end of the book, but it wasn't worth having to read the rest.
The final few chapters of the book were interesting, but the ending felt very rushed. The plot was very predictable but still had some interesting parts. Jing's romance felt odd and forced as she acts like a petulant 16 year old (despite being 100 years old), while Mr. Lee is supposedly in his 30s. For most of the middle, it felt like things were happening in the story that didn't have much rhyme or reason. Jing's constant misogynistic remarks about other women's "ta-tas" (I never want to read those words again) and slight "I'm not like the other girls" attitude was tiring to read. I usually like reading books with unlikable main characters, but Jing was just annoying. She gets a bit better towards the end of the book, but it wasn't worth having to read the rest.
Okay so this wasn’t bad? But I got it in Fairyloot as the adult book and it just didn’t feel like an adult fantasy. It could have easily passed for YA! There was a lot of things that were a bit eh about it e.g all the repetitive piss / fart swears in the book? It was just childish feeling at times!!
That said concept wise it WAS interesting and fun! I just wish it was a bit more adult to fit its classification, also that the romance was a bit less ??? to kinda lovers and it just decided what was going on a bit sooner! The pace was a little off putting but I did enjoy the concept enough to finish the book, if there’s a sequel I’ll probably read that too.
That said concept wise it WAS interesting and fun! I just wish it was a bit more adult to fit its classification, also that the romance was a bit less ??? to kinda lovers and it just decided what was going on a bit sooner! The pace was a little off putting but I did enjoy the concept enough to finish the book, if there’s a sequel I’ll probably read that too.