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slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
funny
mysterious
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
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I wanted to like this so much, due to the unique concept and setting (hanging in hell, bring it on) but honestly the characters (Jing especially) were so immature, petulant, and childish. As someone who has taught Kindergarten for years, believe me when I say social behaviors from five-year-olds are more developed than the pettiness and silly language displayed by characters who were supposed to have lived centuries.
I would happily go the rest of my life without hearing the words ‘piss-fart’ and ta-tas again.
There was insta-love and miscommunication galore also as well as an ending that wrapped everything up in about 10 pages. Wasn’t a fan.
adventurous
funny
inspiring
reflective
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
Shanghai immortal
@ay_chao
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This humble one offers gracious words of exuberation and adoration to the virtuous and kindly lady Ay Chao for writing this masterpiece.
Anyway enough flowery piss fart on my review. Let's speak plainly.
Lady Jing is chaotically perfect.
She's absolutely flawed and brash but not a bad person. She still has fears, insecurities and trauma which make her prickly and closed off to people. Yet she is also thoughtful, impulsive, easily hurt and just wants to not be seen as the 'mongrel' most see her as .
Titans, if you were held down by a pack of raging bitch women from your own home and almost drowned from being scrubbed to get the "foreign stench" off you, you'd be a bit prickly too (and afraid of water but I didn't say that 👀).
When you're half vampire and half hulijing (or "the bitch of a fox spirit" in layman's terms) and told you aren't allowed to wear changpaos like the men of immortal shanghai (like seriously how are you supposed to bend your legs in a qipao efficiently?!) you're bound to be a bit off the rails, maybe run around immortal shanghai naked a few times, right? Even Big Wang, the only parental figure she has and even then, when lady soo, her grandmother's favorite handmaiden and Jings biggest rival who has rotted turds for brains consistently prods her and tries to get her in trouble (she started a fire once okay, not twice!), he still makes Lady Jing apologise and be embarrassed infront of the council.
Well no more! When the mortal, Mr Tony Lee turns up to immortal shanghai with a fake amulet, (what kind of person can't tell a real from a fake? One with fermented tofu for brains, that's who!) and lady Jing decides she can use him to catch lady Soo in the act of stealing the dragon pearl that her mother traded to Big Wang for her life (and a big diamond) , it all goes ta tas up when they journey to mortal shanghai and Jings feelings for Tony start to grow... Mostly because of those "too see rolls" and caramels he keeps feeding her. But when he finds out her plan was to use him all along before the feelings arose, Tony tells her a few home truths (and lies, the hypocritical piss fart). When Jing is then captured by her grandmother of the hulijing everything turns around and starts making more and more sense.
This book is hilarious, emotional and also very telling about women, mostly in Chinese cultures but also all around the world being told "no this is for men only, you're a woman, you can't do that" and kicking them in their virtuous peaches when we show them how much better we can do it when given the chance.
An incredibly well written book that I couldn't put down!
@ay_chao
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This humble one offers gracious words of exuberation and adoration to the virtuous and kindly lady Ay Chao for writing this masterpiece.
Anyway enough flowery piss fart on my review. Let's speak plainly.
Lady Jing is chaotically perfect.
She's absolutely flawed and brash but not a bad person. She still has fears, insecurities and trauma which make her prickly and closed off to people. Yet she is also thoughtful, impulsive, easily hurt and just wants to not be seen as the 'mongrel' most see her as .
Titans, if you were held down by a pack of raging bitch women from your own home and almost drowned from being scrubbed to get the "foreign stench" off you, you'd be a bit prickly too (and afraid of water but I didn't say that 👀).
When you're half vampire and half hulijing (or "the bitch of a fox spirit" in layman's terms) and told you aren't allowed to wear changpaos like the men of immortal shanghai (like seriously how are you supposed to bend your legs in a qipao efficiently?!) you're bound to be a bit off the rails, maybe run around immortal shanghai naked a few times, right? Even Big Wang, the only parental figure she has and even then, when lady soo, her grandmother's favorite handmaiden and Jings biggest rival who has rotted turds for brains consistently prods her and tries to get her in trouble (she started a fire once okay, not twice!), he still makes Lady Jing apologise and be embarrassed infront of the council.
Well no more! When the mortal, Mr Tony Lee turns up to immortal shanghai with a fake amulet, (what kind of person can't tell a real from a fake? One with fermented tofu for brains, that's who!) and lady Jing decides she can use him to catch lady Soo in the act of stealing the dragon pearl that her mother traded to Big Wang for her life (and a big diamond) , it all goes ta tas up when they journey to mortal shanghai and Jings feelings for Tony start to grow... Mostly because of those "too see rolls" and caramels he keeps feeding her. But when he finds out her plan was to use him all along before the feelings arose, Tony tells her a few home truths (and lies, the hypocritical piss fart). When Jing is then captured by her grandmother of the hulijing everything turns around and starts making more and more sense.
This book is hilarious, emotional and also very telling about women, mostly in Chinese cultures but also all around the world being told "no this is for men only, you're a woman, you can't do that" and kicking them in their virtuous peaches when we show them how much better we can do it when given the chance.
An incredibly well written book that I couldn't put down!
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Also on Snow White Hates Apples.
Set during the jazz age where both mortal and immortal realms of Shanghai coexist, Shanghai Immortal follows Jing, a half-fox spirit, half-vampire netherworld dweller whose latter half makes her the subject of scorn for an entire court of fox spirits, including her own maternal grandmother. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to live with them as the Big Wang, King of Hell has long made her his ward. Instead, when she’s not off doing her own thing, she does what Big Wang tells her to — albeit reluctantly and/or mulishly at times.
Thus, begins the story where Jing finds herself having to deliver the mortal Mr Lee to Big Wang. This mortal turns out to be a key figure for Big Wang’s planned, massive project that could make obsolete the power and standing of some beings in power. Of course, this upsets those beings and Jing finds herself entangled in an adventure where she grows, becoming a little more mature, a little more grounded in her identity, and a little more secure in regards to where she belongs. Along the way, she also discovers the value and importance of found family, friendship and love.
Personally, I didn’t find this book as funny or sassy as expected (since some of the earlier marketing touted this). Sure, Jing as the narrator does add sass and snark to the tone, plus her couldn’t-care-less attitude makes the story more fun to read. But, this also makes her come off as very immature and too much of a try-hard at being a feisty BAMF. There were many moments when all this felt especially forced too.
Nevertheless, I really liked the interspersed Chinese and literal translations in the narrative as they made everything feel more authentic (they’re funnier when you know the meaning too!). The imagery used to bring the story and its setting to life were delightful as well. I could picture mortal and immortal Shanghai vividly in my mind as I read the book. However, there were places where the plot gets eclipsed by context and expositions which then, dragged the pacing. I still enjoyed reading Shanghai Immortal , though, and look forward to the sequel.
Set during the jazz age where both mortal and immortal realms of Shanghai coexist, Shanghai Immortal follows Jing, a half-fox spirit, half-vampire netherworld dweller whose latter half makes her the subject of scorn for an entire court of fox spirits, including her own maternal grandmother. Fortunately, she doesn’t have to live with them as the Big Wang, King of Hell has long made her his ward. Instead, when she’s not off doing her own thing, she does what Big Wang tells her to — albeit reluctantly and/or mulishly at times.
Thus, begins the story where Jing finds herself having to deliver the mortal Mr Lee to Big Wang. This mortal turns out to be a key figure for Big Wang’s planned, massive project that could make obsolete the power and standing of some beings in power. Of course, this upsets those beings and Jing finds herself entangled in an adventure where she grows, becoming a little more mature, a little more grounded in her identity, and a little more secure in regards to where she belongs. Along the way, she also discovers the value and importance of found family, friendship and love.
Personally, I didn’t find this book as funny or sassy as expected (since some of the earlier marketing touted this). Sure, Jing as the narrator does add sass and snark to the tone, plus her couldn’t-care-less attitude makes the story more fun to read. But, this also makes her come off as very immature and too much of a try-hard at being a feisty BAMF. There were many moments when all this felt especially forced too.
Nevertheless, I really liked the interspersed Chinese and literal translations in the narrative as they made everything feel more authentic (they’re funnier when you know the meaning too!). The imagery used to bring the story and its setting to life were delightful as well. I could picture mortal and immortal Shanghai vividly in my mind as I read the book. However, there were places where the plot gets eclipsed by context and expositions which then, dragged the pacing. I still enjoyed reading Shanghai Immortal , though, and look forward to the sequel.
Thank you so much Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
I know I barely made a dent but the character felt so juvenile that I just couldn’t get into the book. The way she speaks and acts reminds me of a child and not a character who is supposed to be 100 years old. I really wanted to like this but I just couldn’t get into it sadly.