Shanghai Immortal: A richly told romantic fantasy novel set in Jazz Age Shanghai

Product Information

First this novel is based on the unique Chinese mythology of yang and yin about the cosmos. It contains celestial bloodthirsty immortals, hell, fox and vampire concepts. I mean if you have watched a series like Tale of the Nine Tailed or Avatar then you might understand what I’m saying 😉. I read an eARC of this book so thank you to Net Galley, the author and the publisher for allowing this. Set in 1930s China, Lady Jing is half-fox spirit half vampire and all sasshole. When she overhears her fox spirit elders planning to steal a priceless dragon pearl from the King of Hell, she’s all in to expose the two-faced vixens for the bitches they are. But when the King tasks her with babysitting a visiting mortal, the mortal’s unexpected friendship puts her at a crossroads and she must decide what matters more: honour and vengeance or friendship and joy? A delightfully wild ride through a fantastical Shanghai filled with rich mythology, endearingly snarky characters, and laugh-aloud mischief. Entertaining from start to finish! Shanghai Immortal includes some of my favourite storytelling tropes. Firstly, that of an outsider in their world, as Lady Jing is only half fox-spirit, so she is ostracized by her fellow huiljing. Secondly, the relationship between a mortal and an immortal, the friendship between Mr Lee and Jing. Finally, the two worlds within one space, as we discover both Shanghai and the immortal counterpart.

SHANGHAI IMMORTAL was refreshing to read, not only because the main character was half Vampire and Fox Spirit, but it was also because she was a unique and feisty person with a mind of her own. I was given early access through NetGalley and the Author, Thank you so much for the Advance Reader's Copy A main character who's half vampire, half hulijing fox spirit, trying to uncover a plot to steal a dragon pearl from the king of Hell? If I hadn't already been sold on the stunning cover, the blurb would have definitely drawn me in. I love how vulgar, unapologetic and stubborn Jing is. She is one of the most well built, interesting and real characters I've read. And she made me laugh so much, it also made my heart hurt with all she had lived and I felt the sentiments were very relatable, and connecting with her and loving her is so easy ❤️ Hodder & Stoughton has triumphed in a five-way auction for debut author A Y Chao’s adult fantasy trilogy.Lady Jing is half vampire, half fox spirit, and a ward of Hell. The book was full of hijinks and chaos in the best possible way, and I truly happened upon it at the best possible time, since I've been reading mostly dark, heavy, complex fantasy. And that's not to discount the world that Chao built, but giving credit to the levity that was baked into the story. It's rare that a book hits my mood just right, but this one definitely did. Little Jing or Lady Jing, is a very feisty character, and I love that about her. Despite this strong facade, it is very evident that she struggles with an identity crisis, predominantly because she is half vampire and half huli jing or fox spirit!! You follow her through a story of action and drama and find out her origins. You read through secrets that slowly unfold and reasons being given for various mysteries of Jing's life and character. Many thanks to Hodderscape for my gifted advanced reader copy through Netgalley! This has no influence on the honesty of this review. The synopsis states: "Set in 1930s Shanghai, Shanghai Immortal follows Lady Jing–half-fox spirit, half-vampire, all sasshole—as she is tasked with escorting a gentle mortal through the depths of Hell, an irritating distraction from her quest to discover why her hulijing elders are scheming to steal the king’s priceless dragon pearl." This book is incredible. The imagery is detailed without being tedious and repetitive, there is humor, and characters with depth.

The narration: while witty and later on enjoyable, is not going to be everybody's cup of tea. It's very sarcastic, deeply emotional and at times self-depricating, and conveys Jing's anger and fear in a way that is not always pleasant. It took me a good 20% of the book until I was able to enjoy it. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The romance: I have to preface this by saying that I'm generally not a romance person, but the biggest issue I had with it was mostly that it felt like a third of the book was mostly only romance, and the rest was the actual plot. It felt oddly separate to the plot to me, almost as though it put a kind of halt to it. This might just be me personally, but it didn't feel as connected as it could have been.