Unfortunately this one wasn’t my cup of tea. The cover and description initially appealed to me but when reading it I very quickly realised it wasn’t for me.

It has the usual romance trope and I felt that the author was trying a little too hard to make the female MC edgy and badass. All I really got was basic b***h vibes!

The humour was also not for me. Again very try hard.

I wish I could've checked out the first chapter or couple of pages, then I would've known to not request it. What is supposed to be funny, doesn't work for me in the slightest. I don't like the writing and tone. The unelegant info dump in the very beginning didnt help either. But I can see it being an entertaining read for someone else.

Chao creates a vivid and imaginative world in Shanghai Immortal. The characters she brings to life are rich and diverse, complex and layered. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book and the way that Chao weaved the tapestry of yin and yang Shanghai made me feel as though I was caught between the two worlds, embroiled in political intrigue, tasting salted caramels, and cursing roosters.

such a promising debut! i really enjoyed this book, though it’s probably not a 5⭐️. i adored jing’s character she was so funny and sassy, she truly had a unique voice from your typical ya main character. the little romance subplot with mr lee was so adorable and i’m always a sucker for romances like this one. the plot was very simple to understand, same for the world building. the structure of the story reminded me of a play like molière or shakespeare with all the characters coming together ‘on scene’ to solve all the little mysteries threaded throughout the story but it felt a little too easy for a novel. and again, it was extremely comical. fast paced, hilarious and easy to go through! recommend and can wait for it to come out so i can get myself a physical copy. 4.25⭐️

This was okay, I picked it up because of the cover and because the blurb sounded interesting, but unfortunately it didn't really work for me.

My biggest issue was the writing, I didn't like the silly dialogue and the attempt to make the main character look really sassy. There was also a lot of info dumping at the start which I wasn't a fan of. The romance also wasn't that well developed.

I did enjoy the worldbuilding, it was really unique and definitely my favorite thing about the book. The plot was okay, I wouldn't say it was the most suspenseful or exciting story but it kept me interested enough to read to the end.

3.5/5

Shanghai Immortal is fun, no doubt about it. The protagonist has a distinct voice and personality. But here's the thing with snark - some is great, but a lot can tire some readers. In Shanghai Immortal, snark drives the story. Okay, that's not entirely fair. The world-building and the setting are cool. The story is engaging enough. I have nothing unkind to say about the writing.

I even liked the protagonist. But in places, too many descriptions and too much snark tired me and decreased my enjoyment of the story. It shouldn't stop you from trying this extravagant and high-energy book! It's fun, really. And if you're more into snark than I am, chances are you'll LOVE it.

First of all i want to say that the cover is GORGEOUS!! Fell in love at the 1st sight and thanks netgalley & hodderscape for granting me this e-arc! Now for the plot, it’s about a girl, half vampire half demon and she live in immortal Shanghai (it was like a parallel universe for me, like on the other side of the world, there are some people who lives in a similar world like ours, tee hee..) actually i like Jing, but i feel that she’s full of anger. Can’t really blame her since she’s an outcast since she was born, but the anger sometime irritates me lol.. like why do u need to be so stubborn? *sigh* She can be funny, and she’s longing for someone to accept for who she is. The plot is okay for me, not too much romance, i like the banter between Jing and Big Wang’s guards. Even newly found friendship between Jing and Lady Gi. But one thing that i hope this book has more is the action scenes. I was hoping to see more actions but a bit disappointed. But in the end, i have to say that you’ll like it if u want to find some romance and light reads!

5/5 stars! This book is hilarious, dark, witty, and extravagant all at once. Lady Jing was such a stunning character and I couldn't get enough of her. She truly is a 'sasshole.' This story weaves mythology, fantasy, and satire together into a story as gorgeous as its cover. I will be impatiently waiting for the next book by this author.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Shanghai Immortal is a fast-paced fantasy that I read in just two days in this descriptive book. The main character Lady Jing lives in a parallel world where she is the ward of the king of hell. I found her a likeable character; during the book, we see her character development as she becomes more confident in herself and her abilities. This partly takes the form of facing her past traumas and fears as well as learning more about her past. The book is set in the immortal world at the start, and then later in 1930s Shanghai as during the book, she leaves her home for the first time

During the book, she allows herself to find connections with people, including a romance which slowly developed in a sometimes humorous way, as well as with more serious moments during the book.

I would rate this book 4 stars I am excited to read the next book in the trilogy and would definitely recommend it.