This year, I read incredible ARCs having female protagonists who embark on an adventurous journey. Shanghai Immortals is one of those ARCs. This novel has several interesting aspects.

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 😉.

The way Chao describes these mythological characters is really amazing. I absolutely loved the concept behind the story.

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.

The characters in the novels are all amazing. I love all the characters besides Lady Soo and Lady Jing’s grandmother. This novel not only features immortal characters but also a mortal man named Tony Lee. I love the relationship between Lady Jing and Mr. Lee. Although they both are from a different world, so there will be some clashes and misunderstandings between them. But I can assure you things will turn out well for them.

This novel along adventure is also filled with humor. Lady Jing’s character itself is funny. She tries to control her anger but still it causes her problems. Yan Luo Wang aka Big Wang, the king of hell is also funny and caring at the same time. I love his sarcastic side.

If we talk about the pacing of the novel, it contains too much description that isn’t required in my opinion. This issue only happened to me in the first half of the novel. Later, i found myself lost in the Shanghai Immortals and couldn’t put it down.

In the end I’ll say read this novel if you love

Found Family
Unexpected cinnamon rolls
Vengeance
Awkward crushes
Feeling like you don’t belong

Lady Jing is a half-vampire, half hulijing fox spirit who was traded to the King of hell - for a very large diamond - when she was child. She’s been raised in his court, trained by his bodyguards, and provided for, but she’s never felt like she belongs. Neither a being of hell nor a pure hulijing, Jing feels like an outsider everywhere she goes - a feeling only perpetuated by the bigoted and narcissistic hulijing courtiers who make it their mission to remind her she’s ‘lesser’ when they visit. When Jing is sent to retrieve an unusual delivery for the King, she finds herself tempted by an unprotected and unsuspecting mortal, who really needs to stop with the fancy court talk, thank you very much, and she gets to explore Mortal Shanghai like she’s always dreamed.

The blurb describes Jing as a ‘sasshole’ and I couldn’t agree more. Shanghai Immortal has that shiny newness to it, but Jing really reminded me of the 00/10s urban fantasy MCs who were all sarcastic loners who didn’t trust anyone - as someone who loved those books, it felt very reminiscent. Her cast of supporting characters, who put up with a lot of crap from her let’s be honest, were wonderful and I enjoyed seeing the various levels of exasperation with which they interacted with Jing.

The plot was action-packed and exciting. I loved how it twined her history with both the present and the future, and how so many threads were left dangling enticingly to be picked up in the sequel. That’s not to say that the story didn’t come to a satisfying conclusion, because it certainly did, just that we can clearly see that there are parts of the story as yet untold.

I also enjoyed the way that, while this book centred around Chinese mythology, her vampire ancestry opens the door to potentially incorporate other mythologies and folk tales as the series progresses.

Overall, Shanghai Immortal was an enjoyable, fast-paced read, and I will definitely continue the series in the future.

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.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This book is a mixed bag, so I know that people are calling it adult (looking at you Fairyloot), but I would call it YA. So I wish I had gone into it with a 'reading YA mindset' instead of a 'adult' mindset because that would have ruined my enjoyment of the book. I don't like YA but I wanted to read this, and I'm happy I gave it a good. For a YA book it was good, I think the language the character's were using were appropriate, in a YA context but event then a hundred year old ish character being described as a 'sass-hole'? is not it - this is not 2008. I was kind of wishing the characters were more grown-up the entire time. I don't know if that's because as I'm getting older I'm looking for characters I can relate too or what?

Anyway I liked the plot and love Chinese mythology and Lady Jing, a half-jiangshi (vampire), half-hulijing (fox spirit), but she was immature and that's the only part I couldn't click with. But I will say, I did buy a copy of the book and will also keep my Fairyloot edition so I think that those of you who go into it knowing what to except will love it.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.75 stars out of 5.

I absolutely demolished this book in a day. Although this isn't reflected so much in my rating, it just wasn't my preferred style of writing but it was such a fun read.

Shanghai Immortal follows the foul-mouthed Lady Jing, a half-jiangshi (vampire), half-hulijing (fox spirit) exposing a plot to steal a dragon pearl from the king of hell. Sounds cool right?

This adult fantasy is full of humour, descriptive narrative and such unique voices. It's fast-paced and sarcastic but I don't think it would have worked any other way. I absolutely love mythology based books, and adding a gorgeous, glittering Chinese mythology book into the mix was definitely the right way to go.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC of this!

Unfortunately I have had to DNF this book @ 40%

I really wanted to like this book. The set up has me intrigued, and I was excited to learn more about the world. However unfortunately for me the execution was a bit flat and I found myself confused for the majority of the time that I was reading. The book itself reads more YA than adult. The main character Lady Jung is almost a century old, and yet displays very immature and reckless behaviour. It was personally cringey and comfortable for me as a reader to read as she throws temper tantrums when she doesn’t get her way, and behaves at a much much younger level of maturity than her age suggests. Lady Jing uses the terms “piss-fart” and “ta-tas” which again doesn’t reflect well for her age and the life experiences she should have had. I think if this book was marketed as a YA and the character themselves were younger then I could’ve looked past it. The romance fell flat as I found there was little build-up and I couldn’t connect with the characters in general.

Thank you for Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this eARC in advance of release date in exchange for an honest review. I’m disappointed that this book was not for me as I was looking forward to it, however this is just a reflection of my tastes as a reader. What doesn’t work for me may work for others, so if you find yourself reading this and still wanting to give this book a read, please go for it.

What a ride!

If you're looking for Chinese mythology vowed into a fun story with a really immature, impulsive FMC, this book is for you. If I was immortal and 100 years old, I would aspire to be such a spirited individual. In my opinion, people these days take themselves too seriously, manacled by societal pressures and this thought that everyone has their life together. Well, they don't. And neither do I. This is why Lady Jing was such a lovely character to read about. Her shenanigans and view of the world were a refreshment in fantasy!

The imagery of this book is just wonderful. I want to feel the clothes under my fingers, see all the Hellish scenery and try all the foods and drinks characters raved about. I just love it when authors pay attention to a lot of details like this. I love mythology and I feel like I learned so much about Chinese lore through this book. Truly, an adventurous, wonderous journey with a lot of humor, mocking proper ways, and speech that serves nothing only to try and make peacocks out of ourselves. And yes, there is a slow, subtle at first, romance as a backstory. <3

Big thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing an eARC!

I had so much fun reading this book. I've been loving the increase in books based on Asian mythology that have appeared lately. It was about time this genre was recognised.

Lady Jing is half-vampire and half fox spirit. She is not wanted by either parts and is considered a disgrace. Her only chance to redeem happens thanks to a betrayal. When she overhears plans of a theft, she starts a journey to stop it and gain recognition. She'll have the help of a sweet human guy, but there are so many twists and turns before Lady Jing can get her HEA.

The plot and worldbuilding in this are fantastic. Set in both a well-researched 1930s Shanghai as well as its immortal counterpart, I loved how the idea of yin and yang, Confucianism, Chinese vocabulary and food, and classical Chinese mythology infused every page. This was a highly atmospheric read — full marks for the setting.

This only gets three stars from me, though, because this is marketed as an adult book but the (immortal and 99-year-old) first-person narrator is as bratty and self-centered as you’d expect a 13-year-old to be. The author has explained on her socials why this is (Jing’s dual, unreconciled selves) and Jing greatly improves at about the 80% mark, but she is so unbearable that the book was difficult to read at times despite the aforementioned amazing worldbuilding and interesting plot.

This book is sassy, sarcastic and comedically heartwarming which was not at all what I had expected from an adult fantasy read - but definitely what readers are promised from the synopsis. This book has an interesting narration style where it feels like the main character is talking to the reader - almost like a tv show monologue at the opening of an episode.

It follows our main character Jing, a sardonic and immature immortal that is coming of age. Her personality and tone reminded me of Gideon from Gideon the Ninth - pessimistic and full of curses. Warning: The colloquialisms and mannerisms in this book may be jarring or unconventional if you are unfamiliar with Chinese customs and culture as the phrases used may be considered weird in the English language.

I loved all the fun characters we got to meet in this book and the various personalities that came together in the story. This book is filled with references to figures from Chinese mythology and fairytales that are great little easter eggs for those who are more familiar. The book does a great job depicting the rich culture and societal expectations of a different era in this fantasy world based off of Shanghai while also showing the reader how much our main character struggles to fit into these polite society requirements.

Overall I thought this was a cute story about a girl who is struggling to find her place in the world, overcoming traumas and learning to love. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy fantasy books rich in Chinese culture or someone looking for a more satiric and less serious fantasy read. I would not recommend this to anyone who is looking for a page turning read or anyone who dislikes weird phrasing in books.

I’d like to thank Hodderscape and Netgalley for providing me with a free eARC for my honest review of the book.

I’m in love with Shanghai Immortal and I’ve only recently just found out about the book. I hope people don’t sleep on this. Why did I fall for Shanghai Immortal? There is simply this charm to the writing, characters, and setting. Also, I loved all the Chinese mythology and lore embedded into the plot and locations, but they had twists to them.

Lady Jing of Mount Kunlun aka Grand Princess Overflowing with Sagacity aka Noble Lady Hu Xian Jing of the Turquoise Hills is born of a hulijing (fox spirit) mother and vampire father. Because of this, Jing is constantly bullied by her fellow fox relatives and shunned by the rest because she has to sustain on blood. Yes, even though she’s in Hell, the yaojing (demons) are wary of her. Of course, this has to do with her explosive temper which got her into hot waters multiple times, especially when it concerns the rest of the hulijing court.

At first, I thought I would be annoyed by her behavior but Lady Jing grew on me. Since her vampiric father is absent and her hulijing mother was killed, Lady Jing was sent to Yan Luo Wang for protection. However, Lady Jing assumed that she was pawned by her mother to the King of Hell to repay shopping debts. With resentment and hidden disappointment growing, Lady Jing hides her true feelings behind her rebellious actions and impatient personality. In actual fact, she just wants to be friends with others and live a normal life without people looking at her for being different.

Shanghai Immortal started off with Lady Jing picking up a parcel, for Big Wang, which turned out to be a human being named Tony Lee. He’s there to help develop the bank system in Hell. Even in Hell, things are being modernized. When Lady Jing overheard that she hated hulijing courtiers are planning to steal a dragon pearl from Big Wang, she was determined to use this chance to take her revenge for all the things they had done to her in the past. Mr. Lee will be there every step of the way.

One thing about Lady Jing is that she didn’t believe that people are her friends or are her support. Her protective layer hardened at every curse, accusation, and abuse that the hulijing court had thrown her direction. This is why she didn’t believe that Big Wang was truly looking out for her or that Lady Gi is her friend or that her mother loved her. I’m glad that it changed and she no longer felt as alone in the world as she thought.

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.

For the romance, I was fully invested in Mr. Lee and Lady Jing’s development. The entire time I was just rooting for them to be together even though one of them is a human living in yang Shanghai while the other is a fox spirit/vampire living in yin Shanghai. BUT WHO CARES. They need to be together. Also, the interactions between Gigi and Ah Lang were overtly romantic which made it funny in some scenes, especially when they had the drinking competition.

Overall, I had so much fun reading Shanghai Immortal. I wasn’t expecting to meet Lady Jing as the main character. She was brazen and loud and interesting. She’s unapologetically herself and I loved each time she made Mr. Lee blush because she’s just showing her ass or talking about boobies. Also, I think nostalgia played a factor because I knew of Chinese folklore. It’s just very charming.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me. I found the writing to be very difficult to follow and it came off as trying to be too funny (tatas, pissfart, sasshole). It just did not land for me. It read very YA to me, not adult, and I just could not relate to the MC.

I might try again at a different time, but as of now it’s a no for me.

DNF at 10%

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

I loved the concept of this book!! It was a rich and fun world which played upon Yin and Yang as there are two Shanghai’s that mirror each other. The idea for this world was very unique and has a fleshed out world which was fairly easy to understand. There was no info dumping and everything was revealed at a good pace. My biggest issue with this book was the MC came off very immature and annoying. A lot of her problems she created herself or could’ve avoided if she didn’t lash out. We do see character growth for her throughout the book and her actions mature especially near the end. But I couldn’t get over her constantly calling people “piss-farts” or “turd-heads” sometimes it felt like we were dealing with a 11 year old at some points with how she spoke. But other than that I liked the romance ,there was a fun twist I didn’t see coming, and lots of good reveals too!

There are elements of this book that I really liked - the setting is gorgeous (even though I would have preferred more expansive world-building throughout the book) and the narrative reads quickly. However, I found it disappointing overall - I'm not sure it's one I'd pick up to read again.
I didn't necessarily mind the FMC's language, but it was jarring to equate her narration with her age and experience - along with the pacing, this is very clearly a YA book that skews away from the adult-fantasy crossover.
The romance was alright - and that's about all I can say on that.
I have high hopes for AY Chao as their style and voice develops.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an advanced copy of this novel for an honest review. The release date is slated to be in October/November of 2023. This novel centers around a young woman who is half vampire, half hulijing (fox spirit) named Jing. Adopted by the King of Hell for the price of a dragon pearl, she can’t find a place to that allows her to be accepted for who she is. Often called a mongrel for her heritage, she adopts an attitude and a 3 foot concrete wall to protect herself from hurt and pain and being killed for who she is. Enter a mortal Tony Lee, who has his own reasons for entering Immortal Shanghai and begins to break down some concrete walls…. 😉 I loved this book for the character bonds and for the theme of acceptance and the need to be loved. The quiet but determined Mr. Lee is one of my favorite characters. He does the little things that are the big things that just tug at your heart. 5 🥭 because everyone needs a village and a Mr. Lee. 😁 I recommend the read and give it a minute… it’s worth it.

4.5 rounded to 5

Having been immersing myself in Asian (Chinese especially) historical media and literature for the past eight years, I was so excited to grab this vivid, cheerfully irreverent homage to Chinese mythology, especially the fantastical tales. This is A.Y. Chao's debut, first of a series, and I am so looking forward to more!

Our narrator is Lady Jing, ward of Big Wang, the King of Hell--who rules the mythic world that overlies thirties Shanghai. I've now seen enough series and films (including film clips from the actual period) set in thirties Shanghai, to salute the research that went into evoking an amazing period in China's very long history. Thirties Shanghai was a meeting and amalgam of different cultures, each gleefully borrowing from the others to try them on, resulting in an exhilarating period that, unfortunately was all too soon overshadowed by world war.

This is a perfect setting for a story that borders the mythic world with a trip across the river.

Lady Jing is nearly 100 years old, and, typical for Xianxia, that means she's a young thing teetering on the verge of adulthood. In Xianxia, a cosmos full of gods and demons and weird spirits, time measure is in centuries and millennia. She's a "mongrel," or so her horrible relations insist, which is why she's the ward of the King of Hell. She's half huli, or nine-tailed-fox, and half vampire. She's been raised by a couple of venerable mythic figures in Big Wang's Court. ("Wang" by the way, means "king") She's feisty and mischievous and burgeoning with nascent power, but like many adolescents on the verge of adulthood, she's too impatient to sit for lessons. Especially as it seems everyone in Hell's court hates her guts, and there are powerful figures related to her who go out of their way to be cruel. With the emotional fallout you'd expect.

Lady Jing is requested by Big Wang to meet a mortal who is proposing a bank for the undead. Big Wang is interested in modernizing Hell, which means creating a bank. So Jing meets Tony Lee, a mortal who is clearly (except to inexperienced Jing) smitten with her, pretty much from the start.

Adventures ensue, with plenty of earthy observations by Jing, as she painfully comes to terms with aspects of her birth and early years. Perhaps symbolic, she fights hard against wearing the qipao, the gorgeous silk gown of the period--skin-tight, it looks spectacular on the right body, at the cost of moving. Or even breathing freely. And Jing, trained in martial arts, needs to be able to move.

I won't say any more than that. I galloped through the book, delighting in Jing and her adventures, and her slow, wary approach to growing up and into her powers. Along the way we get a thorough grounding in Chinese myth; what I loved most, I think, was Mr. Lee's reason for coming to Big Wang in the first place. That resonated with so many of the Chinese stories I've been inhaling over these past few years. Likewise, I loved the scattering of Chinese vocabulary through the story, exulting in the fact that I recognized all these words.

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.

4.5 because the copyediting could have been much better.

I tried really hard to enjoy this book but struggled hard. The writing was not really at a standard or level I am used to, especially with immature terms being thrown about every other page. I may still try to pick this up later on and give it another go but for now I'm having to DNF it. Maybe it's that I'm just not I'm the right mindset for this right now. If my opinion changes in the future after reading it I will definitely be updating my review on goodreads to reflect it.

Shanghai Immortal is a captivating story that is also unlike anything you've read before.
There is never a dull moment and you'll be constantly laughing. The characters are witty and well developed as well.
I really really enjoyed this book and how it integrated supernatural aspects into a sort of historical setting in 1920´s Shanghai.

This book had some great moments, but ultimately wasn't my favourite.

The book is based in shanghai but the immortal version. I liked the Chinese Mythological aspects and the way they were incorporated into the world building. I also enjoyed that there were two versions of shanghai coinciding and that you got to understand how each impacted the other.

I don't believe this book fits in the adult genre, it definitely felt more YA. The underlying story is about the FMC discovering herself and coming to terms with her life and how although she is different she is still loved by those around her. There was a lot of interesting uses of words such as 'ta ta's' 'Piss-Fart' and 'egg-turd' which brought the writing to YA in my opinion.

I really wanted to like Lady Jing, but she was just as a bit to whiny. The love aspect fell a little flat, it felt forced and the characters had little chemistry.

One thing I did really enjoy were the side characters. I could very clearly see that each of them had a unique personality and it really added to the story especially when this interacted with Lady Jing.

Overall I wouldn't be put of reading more from A.Y. Chao in the future I just feel like this book was missing something.

*Thank you to NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with the ARC to review.

A cheeky traipse in Hell. Shanghai Immortal is a fun and enlightening adventure that blends Chinese myth with a modern aesthetic. A. Y. Chao's attention to detail brings Shanghai and her characters to life. Also, Lee provides Lady Jing an earnest and worthy Jiminy Cricket.