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

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A.Y. Chao incorporated Chinese lore into Shanghai Immortal brilliantly. Meeting familiar mythical creatures like Bullhead and Horsey (牛头马面), gods of the three stars (福禄寿), the Goddess of the Moon (Chang’e), hopping vampires (jiangshi), and the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl (牛郎织女) was incredibly fun. The descriptions of the food and the settings were so real too. I can picture the setting and characters vividly in my head. This can be attributed to A.Y. Chao’s writing and maybe my many years of Chinese drama watching. A brilliant, vibrant world with a joyous, irreverent and chaotic cast of characters. Absolutely rooting for Lady Jing forever." - Hannah Kaner

Speaking of her personality: I (greatly) enjoyed her distinctive character voice, but it will not be for everyone. Think Joan He's Zephyr and her overconfident personality from Strike the Zither. So reader, beware. The Chinese concept of saving face is no stranger to me so her motivation is completely valid, but might be for foreign audiences. So, to those readers: keep an open mind. I had a lot of fun in reading this book; it's fast paced, well plotted and there a lot of humour. The world building is fascinating and Lady Jing is a character you cannot help loving. The result was a satisfying immersion in a world I want to revisit, leaving me looking very much forward to Lady Jing's further adventures. Shanghai Immortal follows Lady Jing as she seeks to expose a plot to steal a dragon pearl from the king of Hell. Her escapades take her through both Hell and mortal Shanghai in search of information to prove the hulijing courtiers are behind the plot. Jing embarks on a journey to hunt for the pearl, first through Hell and then into 1930s mortal Shanghai, assisted by Mr Lee and her Celestial friend, Lady Gi. Jing explores the sights, sounds and tastes of Jazz-aged China.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. Lady Jing is a young Chinese vampire in 1935 who was sold to the King of Hell Big Wang to pay her mother’s debts. As Big Wang’s ward she is expected to fulfill a This book has the perfect balance of romance and plot, of quiet fun and action and of irreverence and seriousness. This adult fantasy book is full of humor, heart, and true diversity of gender and culture. A.Y. Chao is able to make the Hell version Shanghai sound like a place a mortal might actually want to visit despite the creatures (and roosters) that dwell there.

To me this book was a cozy fantasy with low stakes. You will love the story if you’re a fan of the found family troupe. I enjoyed reading Jing’s character journey and felt she had a lot of growth from the beginning to the end. She also has a unique voice and says a lot of quirky things that may not be for everyone’s tastes, but I liked it. The love story was unexpected and endearing, and I loved the friendship she formed with the character of Gigi. I was given early access through NetGalley and the Author, Thank you so much for the Advance Reader's Copy The world building and mix of Chinese mythology in 1930s Shanghai with mandarin phrases Romanized throughout the book was a fantastic and funny move. I loved how funny Jing could be in her inner thoughts and insults. Gorgeous book in all aspects, from the characters to the plot and worldbuilding and the writing. Shanghai Immortal is one of my all-time favorites. 5 stars are not enough!!!!!!! Today’s review is for Shanghai Immortal by A. Y. Chao, a story centred around a main character who is a half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and sets off in search of exposing those she knows are horrid.Determined to get revenge on the hulijing immortals who constantly belittle her, Jing tries to foil their plan to steal a dragon pearl from her guardian, the King of Hell. Alongside this, she is charged with protecting a mortal man. However, she soon finds herself distracted by the handsome Tony Lee as they travel across immortal then mortal Shanghai. Jing's inability to believe herself worthy of love and friendship is explored throughout the book and some of the revelations about her childhood abuse and trauma are devastating. I love that she's shown gradually realising her self-worth thanks to Tony Lee's outsider perspective. Next, the novel is set in 1930’s Shanghai. There are yin and yang Shanghai. Thus, you’ll not only see immortals in this book but also the normal people. I really enjoyed the tour of yang Shanghai with Lady Jing. The writer beautifully describes each and every detail of Shanghai at that time. My most favorite scenic beauty of yang Shanghai is the sunset. And we’ll see that slowly but surely, Jing will mellow thanks to Mr Lee and other acquaintances that will prove being her friends, to Jing’s utter astonishment.