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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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
medium-paced
This collection of short stories was enjoyable and refreshing to read through as the stories were based in Asian folklore and superstitions regarding the afterlife or the in-between. I found Spirits Abroad thought-provoking and interesting. Plus, I really enjoy Zen Cho's writing and look forward to more books by her.
This was a wonderful collection of short stories, by turns charming and wryly funny and truly touching. I particularly enjoyed the appearance of a young pontianak - certainly my favorite story of the bunch - and performances by the ghost-busting dragon dancing troupe who caper through one of the later stories.
Cho's narrative voice is strong, and I found myself totally immersed in each little world she build around me, sad to emerge but eager to go on and discover the next.
Cho's narrative voice is strong, and I found myself totally immersed in each little world she build around me, sad to emerge but eager to go on and discover the next.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
While I appreciate how Zen Cho has been venturing out into new genres, I truly believe her writing shines brightest when she's writing fantasy. "Black Water Sister", "The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water" and now "Spirits Abroad" each showcase her abilities to world-build in way that instantly transports readers into her worlds, and despite DNF-ing her romance "The Friend Zone Experiment", I will always reach for her fantasy novels.
Although some of the short stories in this collection were more memorable than others (as with any short story collection), I found that each and every story still felt highly immersive in it's world-building capabilities, integrating elements of fantasy with Asian/Southeast Asian cultural lore. As someone who had recently read Katabasis, I felt like Zen Cho's interpretation of a character's descent into hell felt much more engaging and emotionally in-depth than Kuang's story, and the added touch of included the terra cotta warriors was an incredible nod to Chinese culture, that helped root the story in a way that I felt was missing from Katabasis. From the pontianak to earth spirits and every creature between, the author creates entire magical realism worlds inside such short stories, provoking readers to see the world through a lens of whimsy and fantastical that was just an absolute delight to read.
Cho's writing style is compelling, purposeful in her word choice in making sure each word contributes to an essence of the story. Authors who are truly talented in their craft are able to truly showcase their work in the form of the short story, and "Spirits Abroad" is no different. It's a story that very clearly and concisely blends together Cho's Chinese Malay background with her English nationality, and it is truly so fun to see the ways these elements all come together in these stories.
Cho's writing style is compelling, purposeful in her word choice in making sure each word contributes to an essence of the story. Authors who are truly talented in their craft are able to truly showcase their work in the form of the short story, and "Spirits Abroad" is no different. It's a story that very clearly and concisely blends together Cho's Chinese Malay background with her English nationality, and it is truly so fun to see the ways these elements all come together in these stories.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was interesting, I got it as a blind book purchase.
I didn’t realize it was a compilation of short stories. Some were interesting and some dragged however I do feel like you need knowledge about Chinese/malaysian culture to really enjoy the inner meanings of the stories.
I got some of the Chinese references but a lot was difficult to comprehend and thus not as enjoyable to read.
I didn’t realize it was a compilation of short stories. Some were interesting and some dragged however I do feel like you need knowledge about Chinese/malaysian culture to really enjoy the inner meanings of the stories.
I got some of the Chinese references but a lot was difficult to comprehend and thus not as enjoyable to read.
Where to start with this beautiful book, ambiance 100 points. I literally felt like in the places the stories took you to. The fantasy elements in the short stories was just “chef kiss” recently I am adoring every book that storytell us the myths and cultures that we never knew in fantasies or YA or Adult fiction. The book is delicious (well not the graphic dead or organs ingestion ) but is such a well written and a book I definitely recommend everyone to read. Is a book I will post a review on my social media and a book I gonna speak of often in the next months. Please preorder it and buy it if you got the chance I gonna do the same on all editions I can find (that’s how much I like it )