I received a copy of this from Netgalley last year and apologise for how long it has taken to finally read and review it.

This was a really easy and fun read for me and a great start to what I imagine is going to be an interesting series! I love when authors blend together unusual combinations of mythology, in this case a fox spirit and vampire. In this instalment we had more from the vampire side, so I'd like to explore more of her fox side in the future!

I had fun with the plot and character relationships. Mr Lee, though a character I sometimes struggled to really grasp and understand (I still have no idea of his age, height or features haha), was a good love interest and I loved the little group of friends as they evolved through the plot.

The storyline with the pearl kind of fell into territory of I've read this before, but there's enough elements there that I think it could end up being an interesting continuation on future books. I really loved the hell shanghai and want to know more later!

A lot of critique has come from people not liking Jing's immaturity and how a 90 year old deity should have more decorum. It's easy to forget that the immaturity from Jing is a front, that behind her childishness and petulance hides the sorrow of a child who has been told over and over that she is unwanted and unlovable. I found her more relatable than I like to admit and saw a lot of my own behaviours reflected in her. I found her someone flawed but also someone who has so much desperation for love she doesn't know how to act when she finally begins to receive it. Also, 90 years in the span of an immortal lifetime is literally NOTHING. Of course she's still going to behave like a teenager at times, because her life has barely even begun!

I will agree with one area of critique in that this reads as more YA than adult. Aside from one or two swear words, this really didn't feel adult at all. Please just say breasts or boobs or something other than ta-tas!

Overall this was a fun novel that had enough of a premise to keep me engages and a solid cast of characters that while at times annoying, at others were brilliant and formed a balanced group that I can't wait to see more of next time!

I'm a bit confused on the age range of this, because I thought it was adult but it read pretty YA. The main character is pretty immature which I can see people taking issue with, but that's definitely just part of her character and how she's forced to grow throughout the story.
I looooved that she was a vampire/deity hybrid, and thought her lineage was so interesting! The world building was exceptionally done, and I loved how their world mirrored the human world. I thought the overall plot and mystery was fun, and the slow burn romance was really well done! This was a really enjoyable read for me, and I'd read this author and hopefully this world again.

This book was amazing! The worldbuilding, with magic, gods and goddesses, demons and more is fabulous and intriguing!

This was a tedious book to get through for sure. It took me a while to actually get engrossed in the story, mostly due to the first person writing, I think. The first half dragged a lot but things got better in the second half and after that this was a good read (ha!). Overall, a decent one time read but not one I'd rave over.

DNF at 51%

I just cannot get into this book. The FMC is annoying and childish and even the interesting setting of jazz age shanghai cannot save it for me. I am dreading reading this and so I am just going to stop.

Shanghai Immortal is a debut novel by A.Y. Chao that is billed as Adult Fantasy. The blurb describes the FMC, Lady Jing, as "half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and all sasshole". That should have been enough for me not to try and read this. It read like young YA/older middle grade. The main character was obnoxious and unlikeable. I did not enjoy reading this.

Thanks so much to A.Y. Chao and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC. Shanghai Immortal is available now.

dnf on page 30

trigger warning
<spoiler> familial rejection, grief </spoiler>

Having been traded in for a bauble, Lady Jing hates her place in life in hell. Literal hell.
One of her errands brings her into more intrigues than she'd like.

As you see, I did not get far. This book is marketed as adult fantasy - I checked before coming to this decision! - and I was here for that. The premise sounds interesting, and while I've read Chinese mythology inspired things before, mostly those were YA, and I can feel myself losing interest in stories for this target audience.
But it did not feel like adult fantasy. In my opinion, this book suffers from first person narrator. We're stuck in Lady Jing's head, and she's whiny, constantly complaining, and not like other girls. Look, she's edgy, she drinks blood!

I simply was too annoyed by the narrator's voice to continue.
If my review does not deter you, I urge you to check out some more, by other people. Preferrably by people who still like most ya they read.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

I feel so bad writing a negative review for this book, because I was anticipating this one to be one of my most favorite books of 2023. It really fell flat.
The first half was extremely boring, and I found it hard getting to the halfway point at all. It took me almost the entire time I had access to it in my Netgalley app to finish the book (54 DAYS). For me, that’s an astronomically long amount of time.
I needed things to happen besides watching Jing blunder around for the entire book. I empathized with her struggles, but I couldn’t understand why she was SO childish at that point in her life.
The last thing I’ll say is that the writing itself was extremely juvenile as well. It was too comedic, which is something I don’t personally enjoy. It made the whole book feel like a joke.
Even though I didn’t enjoy this book that much, I’m sure it will be someone else’s cup of tea!
Thank you for this ARC!

An interesting fantasy world but the writing style and the use of language didn't gel with me personally unfortunately! I do think the author has a great imagination so hopefully will gel with another book of theirs in the future.

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 !!!