I love a good fantasy and esp this one. It enjoyed reading more about the Asian mythology in this novel as you don't see that often.

this is an amazing story and was written so well.

At first this one sounded like it was going to be one that I loved However I've been putting it off due to reviews of it and it just no longer sounds like one I would enjoy, especially when it's meant to be adult fantasy but reads as ya.

Sorry!!

Thanks to NetGalley.com and the publishers of Shanghai Immortal for the chance to read the eARC!

Oh boy. I really struggled with this one. It’s a book that on paper sounds right up my alley. Steeped in Chinese mythology, here is a book with a female protagonists who takes no mess from anyone, a high fantasy plot set in 1920’s Shanghai and so much more.

The ideas were all there but the pacing is little too slow for me, and the stakes just weren’t all that clear. Lady Jing is one of those characters that I want to root for, but I just don’t know if she made for a compelling narrator. This is not to say that she isn't compelling because she’s “unlikeable” (re: not feminine and docile enough) but because it feels like there’s not much personality to her aside from her rudeness and it takes the narrative too long to get to some other dimension of character.

I’m hoping that I’m in a minority here of folks that just weren’t as big of a fan of the book as much as they’d hoped. Regardless, I’m looking forward to seeing more of AY Chao’s work!!

I've been sitting on this review (thanks busy life) but I've been thinking about this story non stop since I put it down months ago.

This is a fun romp through a hellish version of Shanghai that is easily a top 5 read of 2023! There's celestial, immortals, dragons, and a few names you'll recognize (a beloved moon goddess for example).

This is just a fun book by a lovely human and I got to read her annotated version and pass it on a #booktour I wish everyone could do this with every book!

Thank you netgalley for the additional arc!

This was a fun read filled with humour and sarcasm.

Jing is one of the sassiest characters I've met. As a young half-vampire, half-fox spirit navigating hell and mortal-Shanghai, Lady Jing sets out on a quest to expose her fellow courtiers hitting bumps along the way and possibly finding love.

Something I also really enjoyed the mythology explored in the book. Overall an enjoyable read.

I was thrilled to discover a book featuring a protagonist who is a half-vampire, half-Huli jing fox-spirit, and I expected it would be a wild ride. However, what I found was a heartwarming story that captivated me. While Lady Jing is undoubtedly sassy, there is so much more to this book that makes it a must-read.

The first half of the book is incredibly enjoyable, with Lady Jing's crazy lines and stunts. As the story progressed, I found myself falling in love with the secondary characters too. Despite their sassiness, I didn't take them seriously at first until they reminded me that the story is also about them. The found family trope is something I'm weak for, and Shanghai Immortal portrayed it beautifully. There was even a touch of romance, which was executed perfectly.

I don't even know where to begin with this book. The character development and world-building are absolutely phenomenal. The author has created such an intricate and immersive world that it's hard to believe it's their debut novel. I was completely drawn in from the very first page and couldn't put it down until I had finished.

The way the characters grow and change throughout the story is truly remarkable. Each one feels like a fully-realized person with their own motivations and flaws. I found myself rooting for them, sympathizing with them, and sometimes even frustrated with them, but always invested in their journey.

And the world-building...I'm still blown away by how detailed and rich it is. From the geography and history to the different cultures and religions, everything is so well thought out and fleshed out. It's clear that the author put a lot of care and effort into creating this world, and it really shows.

I'm already eagerly anticipating the sequel, and can't wait to see what else this author has in store. This debut is truly awe-inspiring and left me with an insatiable desire to revisit it again and again in the future. I feel so lucky to have stumbled upon such a gem of a book.

#bookreview #shaghaiimmortal #bookreview #fantasybooks #bookslover

Really enjoyed this book! It was fantastic.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I really, really enjoyed this book! The characters and world building were phenomenal! Would definitely recommend!

Jing is a brave yet reckless spirit whose brash actions prove her despise for flattery and her past echoes through the weight of being stuck between a vampire spirit and fox spirit. She is isolates in the shadows while her vulnerability silently moans. When exposed to the courtiers' plot to steal a dragon pearl from the king, she takes a daring chance to thwart them. But she is also tasked to watch over a mortal and the danger only grows. A fun escapade that does read younger than adult fiction but still impresses with the humour and anticipation.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-arc of this book. The synopsis for this book had all the right words for me: half vampire; half fox-spirit; Chinese mythology and great dragons on the cover. All the things I love and enjoy reading stories about. This did not disappoint! There were aspects of the story that surprised me and I enjoyed every page.

DNF at 44%.
I was so excited to read this, and while the vibes were great in some parts, I was not a fan of the main character. - she came across as immature which made it hard to connect with her and invest in the stakes. I also felt that the world building wasn't as strong as it could've been, and the writing and pacing faltered in parts, so it couldn't deliver on the strong premise. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this, I do suggest you try it for yourself.

An incredible fantasy novel. I devoured this so fast and I already need more. Such an incredible debut !!!

I might not have paid too close attention to the blurb before I picked this book up, which turned out to be a good thing. Having a book about immortal creatures from Chinese folklore living in an alternate Shanghai and a potential romance brewing might not have appealed as much in theory as it actually did in practice!
Lady Jing is someone who has a mix of power. There is her own internal power because of her parentage - then there is the power that comes from being a sort of ward to the King of Hell. She lives to push boundaries and is forever chaffing at restraints put around her while simultaneously trying to get back at the women(creatures) from her grandmother's entourage.
One day, she is tasked with bringing a mortal safely to the King. This begins her adventure, which then leads to discoveries that she has always struggled with. The writing flowed so well that it was not hard to get caught up in the emotional distress and excitement of Lady Jing. She finds out that she has friends after all and that she can actually trust people to have her back.
There are fighting scenes as well as some inane conversations about clothing being restrictive for fighting by women. It was a fun read with some poignant and deeper moments, making for a great balance.
The world started with this book and was fleshed out enough with its own curses and recriminatory words. I never understood fantasy books that just use language from our own when there is supposedly no overlap.
I would happily recommend this to fans of the fantasy (and romantasy) genre.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I’ve been reading this book since June, and I FINALLY managed to finish it — go me! I probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t on sale for 99p, since my arc via the NetGalley shelf app expired and I wasn’t interested in it enough to buy it at full price.

I’m not sure why I didn’t like this one, it was just very . . . Meh? I struggled to keep track of the plot. I just didn’t really know what the plot was exactly, just something about a pearl. The world building was decent, but I found the different courts and titles confusing.

Jing was an interesting main character and as the book went on we did get to see more of her depth and complexities. We got to hear and learn more about some of the other characters too, but I never felt like we really got to know any one. I didn’t really find the romance particularly appealing either.

This book was simply delightful I had such a great time with it.
Set in Shanghai “Hell” the world building was colourful and descriptive, characters were many and diverse, cute little romances, lots of humour and of course evil demons.
Suitable for all ages highly recommend.

Absolutely fantastic read with a great level of world building, luscious writing that is steeped in Chinese Mythology and divine beings

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape for the ARC of Shanghai Immortal!

This novel is SO unique; I have never read anything like it before. The magical system is well-developed and interesting. The female main character, Lady Jing, is described in the advertising as "half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and all sasshole" and it made it hard to connect with her at first. Eventually as the character grows she begins to control her temper and pay more attention to the world less in regards to how it treats her, and she becomes a more likeable character for it. The supporting characters are incredibly interesting. I cannot wait to read the next installment!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had a really hard time with this, which is a shame because I thought the premise sounded really good. For a book that is meant to be Adult, it felt very YA. Especially with how much the main character whined, the tantrums she threw and the language used. I.E. 'ta-tas'. I also think that the MC did not help in terms of the flow of the story. The lack of explanation throughout this back was another thing I found difficult to grapple with. There wasn't really a build up to the romance so it just felt forced. I didn't think any of the characters were particularly likeable however I would say the most interesting character was the Dragon King. The attempts at humour didn't quite land either. I'm so disappointed because I was looking forward to this but unfortunately the lack of development, lack of growth, juvenile language and the childish nature of the MC let it down.

The concept of this book was super intriguing and is one of the best parts of this book! The idea of more than one Shanghai and all the different species was great. Overall I think the plot is a great idea, the historical setting is exciting, and the mythology is very interesting. However, I unfortunately wasn't sold on the characters, and it didn't feel like an adult fantasy. The characters felt young and immature and the writing style was maybe a little too sassy for me. I think it should have been marketed as a YA book instead of an Adult book as it feels very YA.

Overall this gets 3/5 stars.

I received this free from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This took me months to read, it really wasn't for me.

I was attracted by the cover, the summary and because I heard a lot about it before it came out (it's been a while, I know).

Honestly, the concept was very good: the historical setting, the mythology, the plot, almost everything came together for an excellent book.

The main problem I had with my reading was therefore entirely to do with the writing and the characters. I'd been told it was going to be an adult book, but to me it sounded more like YA or even middle grade. Overall, it was very immature, especially the dialogue and the main character. This clearly prevented me from enjoying my reading.

Nevertheless, I think it's a book that a younger audience will enjoy.